Overview
Fight the next generation with this generation. Vectorman was Sega’s answer to Donkey Kong Country—a pre-rendered 3D visual showcase proving the Mega Drive still had life. The ball-jointed robot hero transformed into vehicles and weapons while blasting through detailed environments. Technical achievement met solid run-and-gun gameplay.
Fast facts
- Developer: BlueSky Software.
- Publisher: Sega.
- Purpose: Compete with DKC/next-gen.
- Protagonist: Orbot (Vectorman).
Visual technology
| Technique |
Result |
| Pre-rendered sprites |
3D appearance |
| Ball-joint design |
Smooth animation |
| Detailed backgrounds |
Environmental depth |
| Special effects |
Explosions, particles |
| Form |
Ability |
| Drill |
Burrow underground |
| Bomb |
Explosive attack |
| Jet |
Flight mode |
| Fish |
Underwater navigation |
Weapons
| Power-up |
Effect |
| Machine gun |
Rapid fire |
| Bolo |
Bouncing shots |
| Triple fire |
Three-way spread |
| Pulse beam |
Powerful shots |
Level design
| Stage |
Environment |
| Terraport |
Industrial |
| Bamboo Mill |
Factory |
| Arctic Ridge |
Ice world |
| Tidal Surge |
Water level |
Technical achievements
| Feature |
Implementation |
| 60fps sections |
Smooth gameplay |
| Rotation effects |
Software scaling |
| Particle systems |
Visual feedback |
| Colour depth |
Rich palette use |
Donkey Kong Country comparison
| Aspect |
Vectorman |
DKC |
| Platform |
Mega Drive |
SNES |
| Rendering |
Ball sprites |
ACM |
| Gameplay |
Run-and-gun |
Platformer |
| Purpose |
Counter-programming |
System seller |
Sequel
| Title |
Year |
| Vectorman 2 |
1996 |
| Improvements |
More transformations |
| Timing |
Very late Mega Drive |
See also