BUG: The first version has a bug which may cause the game to reset back to the title screen. Once a level is cleared, the program jumps to some code which looks to see if any buttons are pressed - if they are, then it assumes the user wants to start a new game. This routine should have only been executed when a game was over. According to the Vectrex help line is that after level 13, if you had more than 1 shot on the screen when the last mine was destroyed, the system would reset.
BUG: The first 2 versions have the “level 13” bug. Each level of Mine Storm is described by an entry in an array of structures; which determines such details as the types of mines at a given level, etc. Unfortunately, the array was only defined to contain 13 entries! That's why the first 13 levels work as expected; however, once you got past level 13, the game ran out of array entries. Since the game doesn’t check for this, it simply uses the next block of code after the array for level details. The code was smart enough to skip levels if there were no valid mines, which is why that sometimes happens.
Priceguide MineStorm II Cartridge
May 2009 - France - 382 EUR
April 2010 - Sweden - 360 USD / 290 EUR
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MineStorm II Cartridge by GCE - 1982 |
However, on some machines the game would continue much farther, with levels containing very unusual characteristics. The game would come to an ultimate end at its highest level, in which more mines were laid than would hatch. Consumers who complained to the company about the crash at the 13th level received a replacement cartridge in the mail.
Entitled MineStorm II, it was the fixed version of the Vectrex's built in game. However, not many wrote to the company about it, making MineStorm II (photo abowe) one of the rarest cartridges for the Vectrex system. To see invisible mines, turn the brightness up. Level 2 in Mine Storm II (which was included in later MB models) features magnetic mines; the GCE version doesn’t.3D MineStorm, also known as MineStorm 3-D, was published in 1982 for the Vectrex 3D Imager googles system. The publisher and developer of 3D Mine Storm is General Consumer Electric.
Vectrex Game - Mine Storm Manual
Tread lightly! The transport lanes of intergalactic space have been seeded with mines from an alien vessel. Use your mine destroying blaster to blow up the mines before they annihilate you! You may survive the floating mines, but beware of the fireball, magnetic, and treacherous fireball-magnetic mines... 13 fields, each one more difficult, await you!
Controls
- Joystick: Rotates your mine destroying ship
- Button 1: Unused
- Button 2: Escape (hyperspace)
- Button 3: Thrust
- Button 4: Fire
Game Play
The enemy minelayer will move through your galaxy and will seed the first mine field. Your ship will come into view once he disappears. Four large mines will suddenly become activated. Maneuver your ship within the galaxy in an effort to destroy the mines. Use your joystick to rotate your ship and button 3 to thrust forward. Button 2 allows you to mysteriously move to a new location on the screen. Use it cautiously... it might put you in a more difficult predicament! As you travel through space, use button 4 for fire at the mines. As you destroy them, additional mines will become activated. Be careful... the minelayer may reappear to seed the field, but you can blast him as well.
Once you make that part of the galaxy safe, you immediately travel to the next mine field. There are 13 different mine fields, each one becoming increasingly difficult.
Getting Hit
If you are hit by a mine you will lose one ship. The minelayer will reseed the field you are currently in and you will have another chance to clear out the field if you have any ships remaining.
Types of Mines
There are 4 kinds of mines which appear at different stages of the game.
Each type of mine will appear in 3 sizes - large, medium and small.
- Floating Mines: [Three-pointed star] These are "dumb" mines which simply drift through space.
- Fireball Mines: [Four-pointed semi-square star with dot in middle] These mines hurl a fireball at you as soon as you hit them. You can avoid the fireball or destroy it with a rocket.
- Magnetic Mines: [Four-pointed "true" star] These mines will follow you anywhere in the galaxy you go.
- Magnetic-Fireball Mines: [Kind of a "bent" Fireball Mine] These mines have the traits of both Magnetic and Fireball Mines.
Field Types
Each of the 13 mine fields gets more difficult, but each starts with 4 large mines. Once a large mine is destroyed, 2 medium-sized mines are activated. When a medium-sized mine is destroyed, 2 small mines are activated. The first field has 4 floating mines. Each new field starts with harder combinations of mines. Will you discover the types of mines in Field 13? If you can survive 13 mine fields, you will enter a new type of universe. Space dust and alien forces make this new world a difficult challenge!
Number of Ships
In each game you will start with 5 ships. A bonus ship is awarded if you clear out 4 fields
Scoring
Points are awarded for destroying the mines, as follows:
Types of Mine: Large Medium Small
- Floating: 100 135 200
- Fireball: 325 360 425
- Magnetic: 500 535 600
- Magnetic-Fireball: 750 785 850
Additionally, 110 points are earned for hitting the fireball itself and 1000 points for hitting the minelayer.
