Vectorman is a series of run and gun
platform gamePlatform game, or platformer, is a video game genre characterized by jumping to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles. It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
s
developedA video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Sony's PlayStation 3, PSP, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Nintendo's Wii, Nintendo DS, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Some...
by
BlueSky SoftwareBlueSky Software was an American software company situated in California formed in 1988 and had a successful run for 12 years before closing down in March of 2001, when parent company Interplay was in financial trouble.- Atari 7800 :* Basketbrawl...
and
publishedA video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
by
Segais a multinational video game software and hardware development company, and a home computer and console manufacturer headquartered in Εta, Tokyo, Japan...
for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis. It was released on October 24, 1995 in
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
and on November 30, 1995 in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
. The game is also a part of the
Sega Genesis CollectionSega Genesis Collection is a video game compilation for the PlayStation 2 and PSP, compiled and emulated by Digital Eclipse. It includes 28 Sega Mega Drive/Genesis games from a variety of genres and ranging from 1989β96, as well as 5 unlockable classic Sega arcade games...
for the
PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The PS2 console is the sequel to the original PlayStation console. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation series of video game...
and
PlayStation PortableThe PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and is part of the
Sonic Gems CollectionSonic Gems Collection is a compilation of the more obscure games of the Sonic the Hedgehog series . It was released for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 in Japan on August 11, 2005 and in Europe on September 30, 2005...
for the
Nintendo GameCubeThe is Nintendo's fourth home video game console with Wii being fifth, and is part of the sixth generation console era. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
. It was released on the
WiiThe is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of both...
Virtual ConsoleA virtual console β also known as a virtual terminal β is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on February 27, 2007 in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and April 5, 2007 in Europe, and in North America on September 22, 2008. The game also appears in
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis CollectionSonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is a compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles...
for
Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles....
and
PlayStation 3The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series...
.
Vectorman
In 2049, the human population of
EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun. It is the fifth largest of the eight planets in the solar system, and the largest of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System in terms of diameter, mass and density...
embarks on a migratory voyage to try to colonize other planets. They leave mechanical "
orbots" to clean up the mess they made on Earth through
litterLitter is waste that people unlawfully dispose of outdoors. It can be packaging or other unwanted items. Litter can be vandalism, carelessness, or inadvertence. Litter is a form of visual pollution. It can harm health, safety, and welfare...
ing and
pollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms . Pollution can take the form of chemical substances, or energy, such as noise, heat, or light...
. Raster, a high-level orbot who watches Earth through a planetwide computer network, is accidentally attached to a working
nuclear missileA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion...
by a lesser orbot and goes insane, becoming an evil dictator named Warhead. He declares himself ruler of Earth, and begins preparing to execute any humans who dare return to their planet.
Enter Vectorman, a humble orbot in charge of cleaning up toxic sludge by simply discharging it into the sun. As he lands on Earth after his last trip, he finds chaos and confusion. Because all the other Orbots are controlled by Warhead (Vectorman having not been affected because he was away), Vectorman takes it upon himself to destroy the errant orbot and restore peace to Earth.
Vectorman 2
After saving Earth from Warhead in the previous game, Vectorman's sludge barge is targeted and destroyed by a missile. Vectorman escapes, parachuting down to the planet to battle with the Earth's multitudinous enemy;
mutantThe concept of a mutant is a common trope in comic books and science fiction. The new phenotypes that appear in fictional mutations generally go far beyond what is typically seen in biological mutants, and often result in the mutated life form exhibiting superhuman abilities or qualities.-Marvel...
insectInsects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million species that are already described. Insects represent more than half of all...
s. Now it's up to Vectorman to fight through the mutant bugs and find the most fearsome source infestation; the evil
Black WidowLatrodectus mactans, the Black widow, is a species of spider in the genus Latrodectus. They are well known for the distinctive black and red coloring of the female of the species and for the fact that she will occasionally eat her mate after reproduction. The highly venomous species is native to...
QueenA queen regnant is a qualifying reference to a female monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchical powers of a ruler, in contrast to a "queen consort", who is the wife of a male reigning as monarch and who is without any official powers of state.In Ancient Egypt, Pacific cultures, and...
.
Vectorman
Vectorman uses
pre-renderedPre-rendering is the process in which video footage is not rendered in real-time by the hardware that is outputing or playing back the video. Instead, the video is a recording of a footage that was previously rendered on a different equipment...
3D models3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
in its level and character designs. This gives the game a smooth, computer-generated feel. The original name of the villain, Warhead, was Raster (as in
raster graphicsIn computer graphics, a raster graphics image or bitmap is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium...
, the opposite of
vector graphicsVector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical equations, to represent images in computer graphics....
). Vectorman was considered the answer to Nintendo's
Donkey Kong CountryDonkey Kong Country is a platform video game developed by Rare, featuring the character Donkey Kong. It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Following an intense marketing campaign, the original SNES version sold over 8 million copies...
at the time, as they both used graphical tricks to look beyond what the console could do.
The game itself is a straightforward
2D2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
actionAction game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand-eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games....
platformer. Vectorman is an "orbot" (a robot whose body is composed entirely of
orbThe word "Orb", from the Latin orbis 'circle', is another name for a round object, especially a disk or a sphere.Orb may refer to:*Orb , the difference between the exactness of an astrological aspect...
s) powered with a ball gun in his hand; powerups include a
machine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rifle bullets in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute...
, "bolo" gun, and triple-fire guns.
Vectorman possesses the ability to transform, through the use of powerups, into several different forms: including a drill, to cut through floors; a bomb, to destroy all surrounding enemies or breakable walls; and an aquatic form, useful for swimming underwater. In addition to powerup transformations, 3 levels host unique morphed forms with which to combat bosses in. Overall, the game consists of 16 levels.
Vectorman 2
The gameplay is similar to the previous game. Vectorman has a different set of weapons, including a pulse beam, energy shot, and supershot guns. Vectorman can also now transform into insect forms such as a fire ant, a rhino, and "shield bug" that repels attacks. Unlike the original
Vectorman, the full-level transformations featured in this game are not used to combat bosses as that is left to the human-form Vectorman. There are 22 levels divided into 7 parts in all.
Critical reaction
Vectorman is both a critical and commercial success, becoming a Genesis Mega hit. It was acclaimed for its game-play, level design and 3d graphics, and a great soundtrack. It has a 91% critical ranking, based on 3 reviews, making it one of the highest ranking critical games released on the Sega Genesis.
Vectorman was awarded Best Sega Mega Drive Game of 1995 by
Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly is an American video game magazine being re-launched by EGM Media, LLC. It was previously published by Ziff Davis as part of the 1UP Network and released 12 issues a year Electronic Gaming Monthly (often abbreviated to EGM) is an American video game magazine being...
.
Sequels
Vectorman 2 was produced for the Genesis, and released in
1996-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters. *February 29 - Take-Two Interactive releases Ripper for DOS-based personal computers...
. Vectorman 2 strays greatly from its predecessor in terms of location. Instead of the urban setting of Vectorman 1, Vectorman 2 is mostly set in a rather modern day world and not the futuristic one of the original.
Although Blue Sky Software, the original developer of both
Vectorman games closed in 2001, a
Vectorman game for the PlayStation 2 was announced in
2003-Events:*February 27 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Yu Suzuki of Sega to the AIAS Hall of Fame....
, but was soon cancelled. Initial reports criticized the game heavily for deviating from the Genesis titles by turning the game into a third-person shooter. It is believed that this criticism contributed to its cancellation.
Although this game takes place where the original left off, Vectorman has a more mechanical sounding voice in this sequel, whereas in the original game, he had a more human sounding voice.
Vectorman's "Chicken, fight like a robot!" line is a reference to the arcade classic
BerzerkBerzerk is a multi-directional shooter video Arcade game, released in 1980 by Stern Electronics of Chicago.-Game play:The player controls a green stick-figure, representing a "humanoid." Using a joystick , the player navigates a simple maze filled with many robots, who fire lasers back at the...
, where that is one of the lines that Evil Otto says. Character art for the redesigned
Vectorman looked very similar to
HaloHalo is a science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and owned and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The main trilogy of games center on the experiences of the Master Chief, a cybernetically-enhanced human super-soldier, and his artificial intelligence companion, Cortana...
s
Master ChiefMaster Chief Petty Officer John-117, commonly called the Master Chief, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Halo universe, created by Bungie Studios, and is a playable character in the trilogy of science fiction first-person shooter video games Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and...
. According to initial reports, it was to have been vastly dissimilar to the
16-bit-16-bit architecture:The HP BPC, introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor.Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816...
games.
External links