A Moment With
Laurence Bennion of Blacklighter has some funky Vectrex overlays to show off
The Vectrex has been having a resurgence in popularity lately, and one of the coolest things we’ve encountered are Blacklighter’s new ultraviolet overlays, which greatly enhance many of the games that are available. Here, creator Laurence Bennion reveals how they came to be.
Laurence Bennion on jazzing up the Vectrex
Where did the idea for your UV overlays originate?
I converted a room in my house into a UV ‘man cave’ that lit up like an Eighties nightclub. I bought a UV printer to make my own art. My Vectrex was there and I thought I’d give it the Tron treatment.
What does the UV lighting and your overlays offer over a traditional Vectrex setup?
The UV complements the vectors as they both glow with a similar intensity. In many cases the overlays can give an impression of depth or create an optical illusion to enhance the experience. Plus it makes an Eighties console even more Eighties!
Tell us about the UV Frame…
The frame was devised by James Watt from Clockwork Robot. He’s the brilliant developer behind major Vectrex homebrew titles like Stramash Zone and NOX. The frame gives a bright, uniform light around the screen and allows the UV to be used in daylight. It can also be programmed to sync with the gameplay and takes peripherals like the Holocube which uses a semi-transparent mirror to make the vectors look like they’re floating in the air!
What’s the difference between the 12V and 5V frames?
The 5V is powered by the Vectrex itself through the second joystick port. The 12V requires its own power supply, but frees up the port for use with a second player or 3D Imager etc. It can also be used with a dimmer wheel to set the perfect UV brightness for each game.
How long does it typically take you to create an overlay?
The original grid overlay took no time at all and just happened to line up with the vectors in lots of games which was a complete surprise. A succession of grid-based overlays followed that created different illusions like the ‘Sphere’ and ‘Tunnel’. Then came the recreation of blacklight arcade classics like Asteroids Deluxe and Warrior, which took a long time to get them accurate and involved the addition on a neon printer to get the vivid purples and pinks. In manufacturing terms, each overlay is printed seven times in a variety of different inks so they’re quite laborious.
Why make overlays that aren’t specific to a certain Vectrex game? Most overlays are just borders and logos, and I wanted to make more universal overlays with graphics that blended with the vectors. Overlays that worked with certain types of games rather than specific games. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with holographic laminates that work universally and animate as you move your head.
Which overlays are you most proud of?
I’m really fond of my War Of The Worlds overlay. The original arcade backdrop was poor and the game seemed dull. The UV version puts the action into a rocky canyon with the aliens being dropped in the distance and climbing over the terrain towards you. Combined with the lightning bolts in the Fury Unlimited homebrew version, it adds real atmosphere.
Why is the Vectrex scene so popular at the moment?
There’s been a convergence of many brilliant people from Thomas Sontowski, creator of the Vecfever cart that allows you to play the original vector arcade games on the Vectrex, to the great homebrew developers and creators of new peripherals etc. The system has been brought way beyond its original capabilities and the gap between the arcades and the console has narrowed. It might be 39 years old but there are so many resources out there now so more and more people are able to enjoy this amazing system.