Vic 20... any good?

[ShinobiMan]

Hello fellow retrogaming lunatics (we all are you know). I recently discovered a Vic 20 system at a pawn shop. I had never seen one before and I'm thinking of picking it up. If anyone can give me some info on it, games, history, etc., I'd greatly appreciate it. If it's as good as an Odessey 2 then I'll be happy. LOL

[davidbrit2]

The game quality is usually between Odyssey 2 and Atari 2600 quality. The computer only has one joystick port, though, so the only two player games you can play will require passing the joystick. Also, it only has about 3 or 4 KB or RAM, so don't expect to write any really amazing programs. If you can get it cheap, it's worth it. There are some fun games available.

[Raedon]

The cart collecting for the VIC20 is mostly worthy if in bulk.. $1 a cart+ shipping

There are some great games for the VIC.. If I had a choice I'd go C64 but the VIC20 is something special in the $1 carts area.

[ShinobiMan]

Cool, yeah, I'm getting it practically brand new, and two games, Poker and Pinball. How's Pinball? Thanks again.

[Raedon]

I got a Boxed Vic20 w/ 25 carts for $20.. keep that in mind.

[ShinobiMan]

Yes, I see. Could you tell me some of the key titles to look out for? Thanks... and how many titles were made? I might just go for the whole collection.

[ApolloBoy]

I've got a VIC-20. Some good games are Gorf, Avenger (a very good Space Invaders clone), Omega Race, and a few Atarisoft games. My VIC-20 was owned by my dad back in 1982, and it's been modified with A/V inputs. :-D

[davidbrit2]

Jungle Hunt and Moon Patrol play well, despite looking a bit primitive. And look for Super Smash. It's a breakout clone requiring paddles. Clowns is pretty fun. It's like a prettier version of Circus Atari with a more gruesome death sequence.

Congo Bongo is good for a few chuckles, too.

[zektor]

I love the Vic! I really do believe it is a very underrated machine. It had many great games. If you compare the machine with other machines of the time I would say the Vic had alot going for it. The games may sometimes look a bit primative, but the gameplay in most aspects is very very good!

[zektor]

Yes, I see. Could you tell me some of the key titles to look out for? Thanks... and how many titles were made? I might just go for the whole collection.

If you just count carts there were 168, and good luck getting them all! I once tried, and made it to about 80 carts with some rares that were a real bitch to get ahold of. But, with persistance you (or anyone else for that matter) can complete or almost complete the collection in time. As for tape based games, forget it. We are talking thousands!

[Moose]

I saw one today at a thrift store for $12. I didn't have it on me, but is that a fare price to go pick it up? I don't want to spend too much on it if it is a common system that I could get really cheaply.

[zektor]

I saw one today at a thrift store for $12. I didn't have it on me, but is that a fare price to go pick it up? I don't want to spend too much on it if it is a common system that I could get really cheaply.

$12 is fair if it includes all hookups. Be sure it comes with the strange rf box adapter if you don't plan to use a monitor cable, since you cannot simply plug in a rf cable and switchbox like you can with a C64.

[Raedon]

I saw one today at a thrift store for $12. I didn't have it on me, but is that a fare price to go pick it up? I don't want to spend too much on it if it is a common system that I could get really cheaply.

I got the boxed VIC20 for $5 at Goodwill. That was a great deal. I have only run into 1 VIC20 in my hunts. 6 C64's, 2 128's, 2 Amiga's. In the last 9 months I've only seen Apple II's and Mac Classics.

[briskbc]

I have only come across Vic 20 items once in the wild. Luckily it was a nice score. I got 2 Vics, 25 games (most boxed) hooku ups, controllers, programs on tape (but no tape player) and 5 books. Grand total was $45 Canadian. I sold 2 of the games and got that money back. The rest is free sruff. :D

Sorry about the brag. My favorite game on the Vic is Omega Race. I have never played it on any other system so I have no point of reference as to how good this version is. The Vic was my first game machine. I will always enjoy it.

[Mayhem]

Omega Race is pretty good, anything by Jeff Minter is a must also...

[digitalpress]

Perhaps this will aid in your quest, Tyler.

Complete List of VIC-20 Games:
http://www.digitpress.com/lists/vic20.pdf

Roundtable Top 20 VIC-20 Games:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1573

Have fun with it!

[ShinobiMan]

Thanks for all of your help guys, and thanks DP for those lists. They will certainly help me out. I'll keep you all posted on my findings.

[ManekiNeko]

The VIC-20's more than just any good... it's very good! I'd put its abilities somewhere between those of the 2600 and the ColecoVision. Heck, its version of Omega Race was vastly improved over the ColecoVision version, because the designers worked hard to make it faithful to the arcade game. There are no bacteria crawling around on a pool table in the VIC version of Omega Race... it's just you, the aliens, and a room with invisible walls, just like it should be.
I also highly recommend Gridrunner and its sequel, Matrix/Attack of the Mutant Camels. They're like more intense versions of Centipede... you're forced to keep moving long before the cluster of enemies reaches the bottom of the screen.

JR

[Arcade Antics]

The Vic isn't really My Obsession (http://www.cheaptrick.com), but I picked up my first Vic a few years ago, and I'm not Sorry. Boy, it's a neat little machine with big carts that you can Pop in and let your mind Drone on while revisiting the classics from years past. The fan favorite, Omega Race, is too cool for Words. I like seeing how the Vic programmers handled certain games - some of the Atarisoft titles are quite interesting. If I Could, I'd pick up all the Vic carts, can't have Too Much classic gaming.

:)

[ShinobiMan]

Nice analogies Antics! Heh, you wouldn't be pulling a CHEAP TRICK now would you? If not, I guess the Vic 20 really is a SPECIAL ONE.

[Jorpho]

Can I plug this here? I'd still like to give it a good home:
http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=556
________
Marijuana pictures (http://trichomes.org)

[o2william]

If you want to learn more about the Vic, check out Ward Shrake's Digital Archaeology site (http://home.att.net/~wards.game.history/vic20/). There's info on just about every cart game.