Vectrex Collectible - The Mini-Cade Recovered Before the Mini-Cade was discovered, it was rumored to exist as several people reminded an arcade cabinet in the public areas playing Minestorm. This could be the system they saw. There are seven systems known to exist. Two systems were found in the Massachusetts state. The Minicade is a table-top arcade system that was built in 1982 by a society named ESI in the Boston area in the USA. The Mini-Cade is interesting for the Vectrex collectors because it's built arround a vectrex system. It's like if the Vectrex system was taken back to its original roots: after all, the Vectrex was made to bring home the arcade excitement. Many thanks to the owners Nico and Chris for offering photos and informations!



Mini Cade build by ESI, Boston in 1982 The Mini-Cade is made of several parts: The Vectrex [1] in itself is enclosed in the wooden box. 4 holes have been drilled inside the black sheet metal for the lever and the 4 buttons to pass through. A real Vectrex pad is hidden under. The pad label is also a new one with a chrome steel color and the figures 1,2,3 and fire written under the buttons. A coin-op device [3] is located on the right side of the system. This one is linked to the red led [5] and to a Time-op PCB [7]. How it's operating: The system is turned on when the back door is closed. Like in a fridge, there is a button [8] detecting weither the door is or not closed. When the system is turned on, the red led "Time-op" lights [5]. The Vectrex is normaly working but the pad is not active. Actually, the link between the pad and the Vectrex has been modified: there is a Timer PCB placed between them both. The pad remains inactive as long as no coin has been inserted in the coin op. The red led informs the player that he must insert a quarter to play. When the coin is inserted, the red led is switched off and the pad is "free"...the player can take the control of the Minestorm ship. He can play during 1 minute and 30 seconds with the original setting. During this time, the player can even reset his game by pressing a small button [4] on the front. There is no lives limitation but only a time limitation.

How the Vectrex Mini Cade is operating The Mini-Cade system is turned on when the back door is closed. Like in a fridge, there is a button detecting weither the door is or not closed. When the system is turned on, the red led "Time-op" lights. The Vectrex is normaly working but the pad is not active. Actually, the link between the pad and the Vectrex has been modified: there is a Timer PCB placed between them both. The pad remains inactive as long as no coin has been inserted in the coin op. The red led informs the player that he must insert a quarter to play. When the coin is inserted, the red led is switched off and the pad is "free"...the player can take the control of the Minestorm ship. He can play during 1 minute and 30 seconds with the original setting. During this time, the player can even reset his game by pressing a small button on the front. There is no lives limitation but only a time limitation. After 1 minute and 30 seconds of intensive play, the red led starts flashing to inform the player that he has to insert a new coin if he wants to go on playing. After 10 seconds, the red led remains lit and the pad is not active anymore. Imagine how hard it must be to insert a coin while playing Minestorm at level 13 with both hands on the controls ! Note that there is a copyright near the "Time-op" writing. On the picture bellow, one can see the inside of the Mini-Cade, with the Time-op PCB linked to the coin-op (dark purple cables) and to the red led (white and red cables).

Inside the Mini-Cade The pad is also linked to it by a 9 pin connector. The light blue rectangular parts on the Mini-Cade PCB is the timer setting switch. It seems to be a dedicated PCB.

There is a "copyright ESI 1982" written next to the front logo. On the back, one can see a new sticker placed on the GCE one. This system has serial number 10078 and the second one found has serial number 10076. Another serial number known is 10080, that one is owned by Chris (see photos bellow).

The ESI copyright on the Mini Cade Front

The stickers on the Vectrex A funny system... just when you think you have it all in your Vectrex collection - here are some more pictures just so that you don't miss it in case you come across one in a flea market ;)

The Mini Cade control pad

The Mini Cade control pad

The Mini-Cade back with keys and back door

Removed Vectrex System

Owner Nico in action ! Following Info & Pictures are from the Mini-Cade SN 013-10080 Many thanks to owner Chris for the permission to use the informations and photos. Some background info about how the Mini-Cade was recovered, written by Chris the "Hounter", Oct 4, 2004 When I found the first Mini-Cade there was only one other known to exist and it had surfaced on eBay just a week prior. (That was Nicos MiniCade mentioned above). Shortly after finding the first one I described it to an umimpressed arcade collector who pointed me to a coin-op warehouse just blocks from my home. Sure enough there was another one there, arcade collectors cared little for them since they were useless as conversion or part-out machines. So for a while I had minicades #2 and #3, I unloaded #3 in a Vectrex newsgroup auction.



Initially it was assumed there was a Boston area source for Mini-Cades as they had only turned up here, the machinese themselves contain no real documentation other than "ESI copyright 1982". My coin-op seller had hazy recollections of seeing them at a tradeshow in the 80s as sort of a poor man's Asteroids cabinet. A few years back a collector in the midwest found 5 Mini-Cades in a warehouse sale, several were heavily damaged but I think most ended up with big-dog collectors.



All of the Mini-Cades found so far have been set up for playing minestorm although its possible to go inside the cab to add other carts and overlays. I use mine with a Sean Kelly Multi-Cart, I find the cab buttons to be better than holding the big controller for many games. One of my daydream ideas is to have a vec hombrewer make me a special minestorm cart with built in attract mode and on screen instructions. An interesting response by Rob. M. - Oct 4, 2004



I know that Sean Kelly got one and he spent alot of time rebuilding it .. using old pieces as patterns to cut out new plywood sides .. etc. He made his damaged unit to look brand new and it is now sitting on top of his bar!



When shown the Vectrex, a friend said that he had seen the Spectrum Color personality Analyzer (Vectrex based coin-operated psych unit) at a friend's restaurant in the late 1980s. When he asked the owner, she had not seen it for years and it was suspected that a worker had stolen it.



Mini-Cade front with Mine Storm Minelayer screen

Inside the Mini-Cade

Time-op PCB and CoinOp

Time-op PCB close up

Mini-Cade Controler and start button