Vectrex Regeneration coming to App Store later this week

Great news for classic gaming enthusiasts: RantMedia Games announced on Twitter Monday that its Vectrex Regeneration software is expected in the App Store “in just …. three days !”

Vectrex Regeneration recreates the original Vectrex home video game system on iOS devices. While the Vectrex was never a huge hit, it’s a cult classic that’s achieved legendary status in the years since its release.

The Vectrex debuted in late 1982. Unlike other video game consoles of the era, it didn’t plug into a television set – it came with its own integrated nine-inch black and white display. This was because the Vectrex displayed vector graphics, similar to those you may remember from classic coin-op games of yore like Asteroids and Tempest.

A game controller sported a small joystick and four buttons. While the display was limited to black and white, games shipped with colorful translucent plastic overlays that would be inserted in front of the display to provide a color effect. Unfortunately, the Vectrex – never a huge hit for its original creator – ended up cratering in the video game crash of 1984.

Vectrex Regeneration seeks to recreate the experience of using the Vectrex on the iPad. The app will include thirty games. Additional games and features can be unlocked using in-app purchases, like support for the iCade controller.