Handy Pick Hank — The Vexed Mines!

Vectrex ROM (.bin file) for PC emulation or writable cartridge play on the Vectrex Console (CGE / Milton Bradley).

Play Handy Pick Hank Online!

Full Cartridge, Box and Color Manual Published and sold by Good Deal Games!

Get the ROM file — version 1.4

SCREENSHOT

About the Game

John A. Reder Presents — Handy Pick Hank - The Vexed Mines! v1.0.3

Thrills, chills and spills as Handy Pick Hank strikes it rich in the Vexed Mines!

After bringing Handy Pick Hank to the Atari 2600, it felt only natural to explore what the game could become on another unique piece of hardware—the Vectrex.

Unlike the Atari, the Vectrex offered a completely different visual experience with its vector-based display. That alone opened the door to reimagining the game in a way that wasn’t just a straight adaptation, but something that could stand on its own. The cleaner lines and sharp, glowing visuals gave Handy Pick Hank a fresh personality while still preserving the core gameplay that made it fun in the first place.

As with my other projects inspired by the Magnavox Odyssey² classic Pick Axe Pete!, this version isn’t about perfect accuracy—it’s about capturing the spirit of the original and exploring how it evolves across different systems.

Each platform brings its own strengths and limitations, and the Vectrex version really highlights how the same idea can take on a completely different feel depending on the hardware. What remains constant, though, is the fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay that first drew me to the concept.

In the end, this version of Handy Pick Hank became more than just another port—it’s part of a broader experiment in translating nostalgia across platforms, and seeing how far those original ideas can go.

Controls:

• Joystick — Move Hank
• Button 1 — Jump (Joystick controls direction)
• Button 4 — Game Menu / Score / Pause (Press [1] Return or [2] Reset)

How to Play:

Hank appears in one of the caverns of the famous Vexed Mine. Three doors lead to deeper parts of the mine — rolling boulders burst through at random intervals.

• Move the joystick left/right to walk. Press Button 1 to jump — you can control direction mid-air.
• Ladders appear at random times. Push joystick forward to climb, back to descend. Stay on a ladder to keep it active — you can even stand on top as a jumping point.
• Breaks in cavern lines cause Hank to fall downward (unless jumping).
• Picks — Hank strikes gold every time he hits a boulder with his pick. More points = more boulders. Picks eventually break (Hank dims when nearly worn out). Without a pick, one boulder hit ends the game!
• Keys — When two boulders crash, keys may fly through the air. Catch one before it disappears to unlock any door at any time.
• Doors — Going through a door changes the playing field. Without a key, Hank can get thrown clear. Doors near sides can throw you off-screen and warp you to the other side!

Scoring:

Ratings: