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(Update 24.
May 2018)
Licensed & Cloned Vector Games
This page tries
to cover the
licensed and cloned Vectorgames. It can only be a try because every day
when looking around in the internet I find more of these. The
production run is mostly small and identifying owners and finding
pictures is a real effort.
The games fall into three categories:
- The original manufacturer's PCBs
were used in a different cabinet (licensed).
- Some companies cloned the PCB and used
the ROM
images or most of it in their own cabinets.
- The third possibility was to produce only
a PCB
clone and sell this one w/o bothering about a cab.
adp
(Germany)
 Meteor
(License? of Asteroids
/ Atari) -
This is probably a licensed build from the german company adp. So far
only a
couple of pictures exist from a wall-hanging cabinet. The manufacturer
of both the PCB and the Monitor are unknown. The large front screen
has a colorful printing showing the word 'METEOR' and a flying saucer.
|
METEOR
adp - 19??
[
All_Info |
Pictures |
Flyer(s) ] |
Alca
(UK)
 Planet
(Clone of Asteroids /
Atari) - Cited
from Wikipedia: It's
a European
Asteroids clone by a company called Alca - notable for
some nice bright artwork and a Hantarex vector monitor. Picture is from
James Greenhalgh's site [link].
To be verified : HOEI xy monitors were used in ALCA's planet [source].
Information from the
Internet says that ALCA made their own PCB with a
copy of ATARI's Asteroids Rev.A ROMs. Also an "unremarkable" cocktail
version is said to exist in a "japanese" style with metal
legs [source], see
picture...
 
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Planet
Alca - 1981
[
All_Info | Pictures |
Flyer(s) ] |
Alpha
Denshi? (country?)
Planet
(Clone
of Asteroids
/ Atari) maybe the same
as "Planet" from ALCA? - Extract from
KLOV: The cabinet
has woodgrain sides, a black/bright pink and yellow
color scheme and has some mirrored glass outlines used around the text.
This is a straight bootleg of Asteroids by Atari,
copied off
Atari's Rev A boards. It uses the easier set of ROMs so you can get a
really high score because the gameplay is easier. There are no
copyright notices in the game.
Documentation: The schematics supplied with the machine are straight
photocopies of Atari's Asteroids, but with all the
Atari
writing blanked out.
Monitor: The game uses a very unusual Hantarex Vector monitor. Hantarex
are not known to have produced vector monitors. They are a big european
monitor manufacturer that are still going strong today. Perhaps this
was a batch developed 'on the side' by Hantarex for Alca only. There is
no documentation found so far for it. (not true...)
» Planet /
Alpha Denshi on
KLOV - http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=P&game_id=9037
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Planet
Alpha Denshi - 1979
[ All_Info
|
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Artic
/ ATW
(Taiwan)
 Androids
- Clone
of Asteroids (Atari) . This is an Upright that I detected in an
Australian Arcade forum (http://www.arcade-80s.com/),
see link
for direct access to foto. According to the current owner the PCB is
actually an Asteroids PCB but the Mylar (Marquee) states "Androids".
Waiting for feedback from him about more details and pictures.
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Androids
Clone of Asteroids - 19??
[
All_Info |
Pictures |
Flyer(s) ] |
Bertolino (Italy) - was the
official distributor of Atari in Italy (possibly also for Cinematronics
for some time)
Space
Wars
(License? of Cinematronics' Space Wars) - Only Marco Vernelli's machine
known so far. It has a different side art that the machine from
Cinematronics, also the instructions on the CP are in italian language.
The components seem to be standard Cinematronics. Here's the link to
Marco's page http://www.vernimark.com/arcade/archive/gameinfo.asp?GameID=532
More to come...
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Space Wars
License of Space Wars - 1978
[
All_Info | Pictures | Flyer(s) ] |
Centuri (U.S.)
- see also Centuri
on the "Other Original Manufacturer" page.
 Ripoff
(Licensed build of Ripoff /
Cinematronics) -
|
Ripoff
Lic. Cinematronics - 1979
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Elettronolo
(Italy)
 Stellar
Castle
(Clone of Star Castle / Cinematronics) -
|
Stellar Castle
Clone of Star Castle - 1980
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Exidy
(U.S)
- See also Exidy
on
the "Other Original Manufacturer" page.
 Tailgunner
2 (License/Cockpit
of Tailgunner / Cinematronics) - It is more or less a Tailgunner in a
Cockpit version. Tailgunner
2
Marquee from www.classicarcadegrafix.com.
|
Tailgunner II
Lic. Cinematronics - 1980
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Hoei International (Japan)
 Nucleus
Cannon /
Star Castle (Clone of Star Castle /
Cinematronics) - It's
made by Hoei, has a Hoei made PCB with the Cinematronics ROMS of Star
Castle, uses a Toei Mussan XY B/W Monitor and is known only as a
Cocktail
Version
only as of now.
Meteor
(clone of Asteroids / Atari) - I finally have now pictures of the
Cocktail Version, the PCB's and the Monitor, a TOEI MUSSAN TXY - 14A .
Also the Upright has found in Germany with an LAI XY monitor - HOEI as
manufacturer is now confirmed.
KLOV link: http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=M&game_id=8681
Meteor
Part II
(clone of Asteroids Deluxe / Atari?) - HOEI still needs to be
confirmed, but
is very
likely, if you compare
"Meteor" logo with the one on the Cocktail from Meteor! KLOV
link: http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=M&game_id=10614
Super
Meteor
(no details known apart from flyer) -
|
 |
 |
Nucleus Cannon / Star Castle
Hoei - year?
[
All_Info | Pictures |
Flyer(s) ] |
Meteor
Hoei - 1980
[ All_Info
| Pictures |
Flyer(s)
] |
Meteor Part II
HOEI? - Year?
[
All_Info |
Pictures |
Flyer(s) ] |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Super Meteor
Hoei - 1981
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
|
|
Karateco (France?)
 Asteroid
(Clone of Asteroids / Atari)
- There
is not much known about this game. A flyer exists on TAFA. Seems
to have been sold in France and/or Middle East and Japan according to
the flyer. The Cab seems to be the same as the Meteor
Cab from HOEI.
 |
Asteroid
Karateco - 1981
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Maxenti (Italy)
Asteroide
- http://www.vernimark.com/arcade/archive/gameinfo.asp?GameID=531
Mottoeis (Spain)
Star
Castle
(License build of Star Castle / Cinematronics) - There is not much
known about this game. A ROM image exists in MAME.
| |
Star Castle
Mottoeis - 1980
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Novarmatic
/
Vectorbeam (Italy)
 Super
Speedfreak
(Most likely a license build of Speedfreak from Vectorbeam) - There is
not much
known about this game. A marquee exists, owner isMarco Vernillo
www.vernimark.com . The marquee mentions both the "Vectorbeam" and the
"Novarmatic" logo which suggest a licensed build.
 |
Super Speedfreak
Novarmatic - ???
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Omni
Video Inc. (U.S.)
 Meteor
(Clone of Asteroids / Atari) - I found the web page of a David Tkacs in
the U.S. who owned such
a game. From him is the following information:
The cab had a 19V2000
Wells Gardner monitor and a copy of the Atari Asteroids
PCB. Seems that nothing from Atari was inside. Overall it was in such a
bad shape due to water damage that it was dumped. The Marquee, Bezel,
CP, PCB, harness and some other parts are still there.
» Pictures
from David Tkacs
- http://www.thatsusinc.com/dave/Meteor.htm
There is another
METEOR (Asteroids Clone) on KLOV, see
below under "Unknown".
|
Meteor
Omni Video Inc. - 1980
[
All_Info | Pictures |
Flyer(s) ] |
Rock-Ola
 Armor
Attack
(Licensed build of Armor Attack /
Cinematronics) -
Star
Castle
(Licensed build of Star Castle /
Cinematronics) -
|
|
Armor Attack
Rock-Ola - 1980
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Star Castle
Rock-Ola - 1980
[
All_Info |
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Rumiano (Italy)
 Hyperspace
- not in KLOV
Sega (Japan)
 Asteroids
(Licensed build of of Asteroids / Atari) - SEGA built a licensed
version of Asteroids with the Rev. 2 ROMS
gand sold it in Japan. Information found so far are:
PCB pics and
explanations from Mark (UK) http://www.retroclinic.com/leopardcats/segaast/segaast.htm
Marquee Thumbnail from http://www.classicarcadegrafix.com/
NEW 21.
May 2009: Steve Smith sent me the scan of the SEGA
Asteroids Manual
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Asteroids
Sega - ???
[ All_Info
|
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Sidam (Italy)
 Asterock
(Clone of Asteroids / Atari) - All further description under All_Info
Sonic
(Spain)
 SPACE
WARS
(License? of Cinematronics' Space Wars) - Only a flyer known so far.
|
Space Wars
Sonic/Cinematronics - 1978
[ All_Info
|
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
Taito (Japan)
 Asteroids
(Licensed Cocktail Table and Upright build of
Asteroids / Atari) - The Upright has shown up firstly in April 2009 in
the K.L.O.V. message board - link
VGG -
Video
Gelectronic Games (Italy)
Meteorites
(Clone
of Asteroids / Atari) - Mark (UK) www.leopardcats.com
(link no longer available) has found a PCB in 1994 and
tells:
It's virtually identical to the
Atari,
except it comes up with "METEORITES BY VGG" in place of the (C)Atari
etc. at the bottom of the screen, and the logo flashes as well. There
are a few changes in the sounds, looks like just some resistor and
capacitor values altered to make the sounds that bit different. It's
almost identical to the Atari layout, except it's running on TMS2716s -
the tri voltage variant of the regular 2716, and has extra regulators
for the voltages they need. It looks like it's also capable of running
on 2708s, although I've not tried that.
PCB picture from Mark's Site:  Meteorites
PCB (original
link no longer
available)
Flyer is from DEB's Site: http://www.tilt.it/deb/vgg.html
|
Meteorites
Video Gelectronic Games - 1981?
[ All_Info
| Pictures
| Flyer(s)
] |
Video Games GmbH Lich (Germany)
 Takeoff
(Clone of Ripoff / Cinematronics)
Space
Castle (Clone of Star Castle / Cinematronics) -
added Feb08, found in Germany, pictures awaited
|
|
Takeoff
Videogames GmbH - 1980
[ All_Info
| Pictures |
Flyer(s) ] |
Space Castle
Videogames GmbH - ???
[ All_Info
| Pictures
|
Flyer(s) ] |
Zaccaria
(Italy)
 Space
Fortress
(Clone of Star Castle /
Cinematronics) -
Space
Pirate
(Clone of Ripoff / Cinematronics) -
Unknown Manufacturer / Rumours
RIPOF
-
This one is not in KLOV. Not much known. Marco Vernillo has found one
in 2007. More information to come ...
SPACEWARS
-
This one is not in KLOV. Not much known. Mathieu from France sent me
the first pictures in July 2008. The marquee and the bezel are clearly
the same ones as used in the SPACE
WARS form SONIC. More information to come ...
 |
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RIPOF
Manufacturer? - Year?
[ All_Info
|
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
SPACE WARS
Manufacturer? - Year?
[ All_Info
|
Pictures | Flyer(s)
] |
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