Protector

Protector is a homebrew title often cited as proof that the Vectrex had more in it than the original developers ever managed to extract. The inspiration is obvious: the player flies over a planet's surface much like in Defender, the screen scrolls sideways, and below, people are being abducted by enemy ships. Once an abduction is completed, the enemy transforms into a far more aggressive form, so rescuing people isn't just a side objective for points but a critical defensive duty. The player must constantly switch flight direction, watch the radar at the top of the screen, and decide which part of the planet needs help first.

The technical side is what pushed the game into the ranks of platform legends. It manages smooth horizontal scrolling of an extensive landscape, a considerable number of simultaneously active objects, and still keeps the image clear and stable. That's the hardest discipline on a vector display, since the more lines that get drawn, the more the image weakens and flickers. The game also comes with its own music and very precise controls that match the pace of the on-screen action. Alongside the main game, the cartridge includes a smaller bonus title in the style of classic space-invasion shooters, making the whole package feel like a full-fledged release.

Protector was released on real cartridges complete with box and manual, making it one of the first modern homebrew projects that could hold its own against commercial production. Among collectors it's one of the most sought-after items, and its name comes up every time people discuss just how much could be squeezed out of the console. Today it still plays superbly — it's fast, difficult in exactly the way a game of this type should be, and feels like a title that should have appeared on the Vectrex back in the eighties. The early going is demanding, since the player has to learn to read the radar and estimate how much time remains before the last person is abducted, but once that clicks, the game settles into a very satisfying rhythm. For introducing someone to the platform today, Protector, along with a handful of other homebrew gems, is the best possible calling card the Vectrex has.