Vectorman

The game plays as a 2D action platformer. The player maneuvers the main character, Vectorman through levels by running and jumping, and attacking enemies through projectile attacks, similar to games such as Gunstar Heroes, Contra, and Mega Man. The game consists of 16 levels. The goal is generally to traverse from point A to point B in a level within the time limit, though levels are large and open-ended, offering multiple different paths to be taken to complete it.

By default, Vectorman is equipped with the ability to shoot out "laser pulses" in eight main directions. A large emphasis is put on item collection. Collecting powerups throughout levels allow him to change weapons, such as drills or bombs that can attack enemies or alter terrain. Collecting "multipliers" may also be collected to increase damage dealt by attacks; for example, collecting a 2X multiplier leads attacks to cause double the damage.

The game takes place in a future where the Earth has been largely destroyed by humans through pollution. Humanity temporarily migrates to distant outerspace while they leave "orbots" - a portmanteau of "orbs" and "robots" - to clean up the planet while they're away. Raster, one of the higher-level supervisory robots, is accidentally connected to a nuclear warhead missile, which radically alters his behavior, transforming him into a tyrannical overlord. Now known by the name "WarHead", he gains control of all robots and plans to declare war on humanity upon their return. One robot, Vectorman, had been off on a mission in outerspace, does not fall under his control, and upon seeing what is happening, decides to put a stop to Warhead's plans.

BlueSky Software's development relationship with Sega began in the early 1990s. After successfully developing and releasing Starflight and Joe Montana Football in 1991, BlueSky Software signed an exclusivity contract to develop video games for their Sega Genesis platform. Sega won the bid for the rights to develop the official video game adaption of the film Jurassic Park, and chose BlueSky Software as the primary developer. Sega published two of their Jurassic Park games; a video game adaption of the original Jurassic Park film released in 1993, and a sequel game, Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition, the following year, both for the Sega Genesis.

After completion of the two games, Sega turned to them to create a game centered around pre-rendered 3D models in its levels and character designs, as an answer to Nintendo's popular 1994 release Donkey Kong Country. Vectorman originally started as a 3D tech demo created by tools programmer Karl Robillard, inspired by vector ball demos for the Amiga. While Sega had been finding success with the Genesis platform in the early 1990s, by 1995, they had lost momentum; Donkey Kong Country was a huge hit, while the launches of the 32X and the Sega Saturn had not gone well. Different branches of Sega had different views of how to proceed; Sega of Japan preferred to emphasize development on the Saturn, while North America, who had seen far more success with the Genesis, desired to focus on developing for the large Genesis userbase, with Vectorman scheduled to be one of its major titles for 1995.

The game was a commercial success in the US, with it being one of the best-selling video games of the 1995 holiday season. Vectorman sold 500,000 copies in the US by the end of the year, making it among Sega's top selling games of the year, though short of Nintendo's concurrent holiday, Donkey Kong Country 2, which moved 900,000 copies. Much like Donkey Kong Country series of games on the SNES, Vectorman on the Genesis was seen as a successful effort to retain interest in aging 16-bit consoles at a time when consumer interest was increasingly moving towards more advanced technology. Publications noted that the game's graphic's were comparable to early-generation PlayStation 1 games being released around the same time period.

Video Games: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine gave the game a score of 9 out of 10, praising the graphics, describing the game variety and ingenuity as "nothing short of breathtaking", and concluding that "if developers keep on pumping stuff like this out, then it'll be a cold day in hell before 16-bit is dead and buried." GamePro gave it a rave review, stating that "your jaw will hang open in amazement at what Vectorman does with the 16-bit Genesis engine. This platform game comes on with great guns, a morphing hero, and diverse, well-detailed levels." 5/5 in sound.

In 1996, a sequel, Vectorman 2 was released for the Sega Genesis. During the same year, Sega of America entered into a deal with Los Angeles-based Ideal Entertainment for the motion picture, television and merchandising rights to the first game, though no television or film ever entered development. Multiple attempts at making a Vectorman 3 were made in the late 1990s and early 2000s, though all were cancelled by Sega prior to release.