After three years of quiet, passionate work, it’s time to start telling you about it: the Vectrex Mini project is real, and we’re finally ready to present it more concretely to the public. Many of you, like us, share a deep love for this unique console. Today, we’re proud to share a bit more about what we’ve been building.
A Passion Born 40 Years Ago
It all started with David… He grew up with vector-based games and instantly fell in love when he discovered the Vectrex: unique and fascinating, both for its vector technology and its design. Since then, the Vectrex has held a special place in his collection. Today, he owns four, all carefully maintained. Unfortunately, Vectrex consoles don’t age well; the electronics are fragile, and the machine doesn’t withstand the test of time without trouble.
A few years ago, David had the chance to meet Julien Clairet, the official holder of the Vectrex brand (through his company Neo Retro). From that meeting, the idea was born to breathe new life into the brand. Together, they decided to pay tribute to the console with a new playable object that stays true to the original spirit.
The Vectrex Mini: A Playable and Sincere Tribute
The idea of a “Mini” version quickly became obvious. We felt it would be the perfect format to have a Vectrex permanently on your desk, always within reach, without the fear of damaging your precious original unit. But above all, it allows a new generation to discover the world of vector graphics.
Let’s be clear: the Vectrex Mini isn’t meant to replace the original. It’s more of a love letter to the original machine. A collector’s item, of course, but most importantly, a playable console meant to be shared.
A Logo to Unite Past and Future
You may have already seen it: we’ve unveiled a new Vectrex logo. Between the American version, the European blue version, and Bandai’s Japanese version, the brand never had a unified visual identity. With this new logo, we wanted to create a common banner. Our version modernizes the original while respecting its graphic style, it was designed as a bridge between legacy and future.
A Bit About Us
David isn’t alone in this adventure. In addition to Julien Clairet, Eli Galindo is with us as a strategic advisor. He knows the retro gaming world, hardware, and publishing very well, and brings valuable experience with the U.S. market and Kickstarter strategies.
We’re preparing a transparent campaign, with full details on production and goals. We want to do things right. And most importantly, we want to do it with you, by engaging in dialogue, listening to your feedback, and sharing information as openly as possible (hence this article!).
What’s Next?
We recently started talking about the project in the Vectrex Fans Unite Facebook group and received a lot of feedback. We know many of you will be skeptical, which is totally understandable, but we’re going to do our best not to disappoint you! This Vectrex Mini is our way of reviving (with today’s tools) a console we never forgot. It’s not just a product, it’s, we hope, the beginning of a lasting revival for the Vectrex brand, with more projects to come.
The project will soon launch on Kickstarter, feel free to subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on announcements (we’ll soon start sending out news updates by email!).
We can’t wait to share more with you, show you the prototypes, and above all, read your feedback, whether enthusiastic or critical, as long as it comes from the heart.
