Stingray Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 (edited) You do realise that Richard has to hack out some of the posts in the cart shell so it might not hold the original PCB in place any more? 878940[/snapback] Not a problem. I have a few dead INTV carts that could be donated to the cause. -S Edited June 22, 2005 by Stingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Not a problem. I have a few dead INTV carts that could be donated to the cause. -S 878946[/snapback] I meant the Vectrex cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadtower Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Would the serial cable even need to be connected while the cart is in the vectrex slot? Isn't the whole point of the flash memory so that you don't have to have it connected to the PC while using it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Oh. Well I guess if sending in a case is the only way I can get one I'd still do it. -S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Would the serial cable even need to be connected while the cart is in the vectrex slot? Isn't the whole point of the flash memory so that you don't have to have it connected to the PC while using it? 878959[/snapback] It needs to be plugged into the Vectrex when programming the cart - no power on a serial port. But yes, once programmed the cable can be disconnected. It also functions as a dev. cart so it's good that it works this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadtower Posted June 22, 2005 Share Posted June 22, 2005 Ah yes, hadn't thought about the lack of power on a serial port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Anyway, as I understand it, Mark Shaker has seen Sean Kelly and 1000 cart shells are now being made, so there should be a supply again soon.878940[/snapback] I was thinking that someone should show up on Sean's doorstoop! Mark Shaker lives near Detroit and Sean lives near Chicago. Pretty good road trip. Good news to hear! Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Taking this tread back on topic. I just got my first batch of Vectrex homebrews and am very happy with what I've got. Protector/ Y*A*S*I Both games are very impressive. Protector is every bit as hard as Defender was in the arcades. Very tough, but very fun. I'll get a lot of mileage out of this one. Y*A*S*I is absolutely amazing considering that it's on a Vectrex. I own an actual arcade Space Invaders and I was just blown away at how close the graphics look to the real thing. The sound isn't even close, but I suspect that's a limitation of the Vec's sound chip. Overall it's a great Space Invaders translation. Alex Herbert did an outstanding job on this cart, even the credits are a joy to watch. Rockaroids Remix Okay, this game is hard. I mean really hard. Really, really hard. Looks nice, but man it kicks my ass. Moon Lander Lunar Lander was always one of my favorite black & white vector arcade games so I was thrilled to see a homebrew version. The graphics look good, the control feel right, and it's got great gameplay. Thrust I saved the best for last. If you own a Vectrex and you don't own this game you're doing yourself a serious diservice. I know that Thrust was originally a Commodore 64 game, but if I didn't, I could easily mistake this for another vector arcade classic remake. This game really has the look & feel of one of those great vector classics. This is a rare case of the remake being better than the original. I expect this one to have great replay value, I put a few hours in on it last night and all I wanted was to play it some more. Kudos to Ville Krumlinde, the author of this game. Very, very well done. Also I would be remiss if I didn't thank Mark Shaker for making these games available at his cost. Despite the fact that Vectrex cases are currently not available (although that's going to change soon apparantly) he still makes the games available using modified INTV cases, and because of this he charges $2 less per game! What a great service he does for Vectrex enthusiasts. Thanks a lot Mark! -S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Rose Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Rockaroids Remix Okay, this game is hard. I mean really hard. Really, really hard. Looks nice, but man it kicks my ass. I've been waiting for Mark to get Sean to get more cartridge shells made, but I did buy Gravitrex and VecMania from John Dondzila, since they're only available from him, and only in butchered Intellivision cartridges. The butchery is hidden as soon as you put the cartridge into the slot, so just hold your nose between opening the very nice plastic case and turning the Vectrex on. *grin* Anyway, I've been playing Rockaroids Remix on the VecMania cartridge again and again. In the VecMania version, the rocks rotate, and there are a bewildering number of asteroids on-screen, so it's almost kaleidoscopic. I have noticed an occasional "phantom asteroid" - sometimes the middle-sized rocks shatter into three parts instead of two, but one of the tiny asteroids vanishes after a few cycles around the screen. Anybody else seen that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Is John Dondzila going to be using the new vec casings when they become available? or does he only use intellivision cases? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattG/Snyper2099 Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 My favorite homebrews are frogger and moon lander. They are old brews but are great fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted June 30, 2005 Author Share Posted June 30, 2005 Has there been anything new released for the Vectrex? Are people still developing games for it? Seems like the homebrew Vectrex scene is far less active than it was when John Dondzila first threw his hat into the ring in 1996. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 (edited) Has there been anything new released for the Vectrex? Are people still developing games for it?883389[/snapback] Yes .. there's a new game coming out this fall. The Vectrex is averaging about two homebrews a year. Is John Dondzila going to be using the new vec casings when they become available? or does he only use intellivision cases?883113[/snapback] John is taking a break right now. I think that he has delegated cart production to someone else. And who knows what Alex Herbert has been up to ... Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Edited July 1, 2005 by Rob Mitchell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 And who knows what Alex Herbert has been up to ... That I know cos I spoke to him recently (and will be revealed in issue #19 of RetroGamer magazine) He's been ill fairly recently so he's not had much time to program though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard H. Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 or does he only use intellivision cases? Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 Protector/ Y*A*S*I Both games are very impressive. Protector is every bit as hard as Defender was in the arcades. Very tough, but very fun. I'll get a lot of mileage out of this one. Y*A*S*I is absolutely amazing considering that it's on a Vectrex. I own an actual arcade Space Invaders and I was just blown away at how close the graphics look to the real thing. The sound isn't even close, but I suspect that's a limitation of the Vec's sound chip.882907[/snapback] Yes, the sound effects are a little weak, especially the fire sound - very hard to reproduce on this chip. Overall it's a great Space Invaders translation. It's a look-a-like rather than an accurate translation. Did you unlock any of the extra game modes yet? Go UFO hunting to unlock more modes. Alex Herbert did an outstanding job on this cart, even the credits are a joy to watch. Cheers! Rockaroids Remix Okay, this game is hard. I mean really hard. Really, really hard. Looks nice, but man it kicks my ass. You should definitely check out John D's carts: www.classicgamecreations.com Birds of Prey (on Vecmania) is one of my favourites. It looks slightly old and less polished than some of the more recent games, but I still love this Phoenix clone. Wormhole (Vectopia) is another one I fire up quite regularly. (Like Gyruss.) Gravitrex is one of the best Vectrex homebrews. Since you like Thrust, you should definitely check this out. It's a slight shame it doesn't have the nice zooming effects of the arcade Gravitar, but it has a lot of gameplay - probably more depth than Thrust. The various versions of Patriots (Missile Command) on these carts are also worth playing. Moon Lander Lunar Lander was always one of my favorite black & white vector arcade games so I was thrilled to see a homebrew version. The graphics look good, the control feel right, and it's got great gameplay. Yes, it's a really nice game. I find it very hard though. Thrust I saved the best for last. If you own a Vectrex and you don't own this game you're doing yourself a serious diservice. I know that Thrust was originally a Commodore 64 game, but if I didn't, I could easily mistake this for another vector arcade classic remake. This game really has the look & feel of one of those great vector classics. This is a rare case of the remake being better than the original. I expect this one to have great replay value, I put a few hours in on it last night and all I wanted was to play it some more. Kudos to Ville Krumlinde, the author of this game. Very, very well done. I love this version of Thrust too. I always found the controls to be a bit tricky on other versions and was never much of a fan of the game, but Ville did a great job here. A must have Vectrex game IMO. Also I would be remiss if I didn't thank Mark Shaker for making these games available at his cost. Despite the fact that Vectrex cases are currently not available (although that's going to change soon apparantly) he still makes the games available using modified INTV cases, and because of this he charges $2 less per game! Wow, I didn't know about that - even more of a bargain! What a great service he does for Vectrex enthusiasts. Thanks a lot Mark! Yep, top bloke! Has there been anything new released for the Vectrex? Are people still developing games for it?Yes .. there's a new game coming out this fall. The Vectrex is averaging about two homebrews a year. Don't forget Nebula Commander and Revector by Craig Aker that were released recently. (Available from Mark Shaker: www.vectrexcarts.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 And who knows what Alex Herbert has been up to. Man Goes Down on the 2600, of course! My next Vectrex release will be the VecLink Maze game (still needs a title - Berzerk Arena perhaps?). Whilst it does have the single player mode, it really plays best with 2 linked Vecs, so it might have limited appeal. I plan to sell pairs of cartridges with VecLink cable. No fancy box or overlays this time. (Game is about 90% complete.) There's also that 3D shooter XYLO but I'm not sure what will happen with that. I'm very short on RAM and can't really fit everything in that I had planned. But maybe I'll do something with it - would be a shame to scrap it at this stage. I might bash out a mini-game too - Spike Goes Up. (If you've ever played Jumping Jack on the ZX Spectrum/Amstrad CPC or Leggit! on the Dragon 32, you'll get the picture.) That I know cos I spoke to him recently (and will be revealed in issue #19 of RetroGamer magazine) Cool, great to get confirmation that the article will be published! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chadtower Posted June 30, 2005 Share Posted June 30, 2005 I plan to sell pairs of cartridges with VecLink cable. No fancy box or overlays this time. (Game is about 90% complete.) I am SO all over that when you put it out. I mean, what hardcore Vectrex guy doesn't have a spare? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 (edited) Don't forget Nebula Commander and Revector by Craig Aker that were released recently. (Available from Mark Shaker: www.vectrexcarts.com) 883510[/snapback] Yes .. I could not remember the names of those two games. Thrust and Gravitrex and Rockaroids play awesome with the 5 button Starplex controller and the appropriate circuit for the Vectrex! I really like John's Trakkers and Repulse. Both of those games really get me going! Moon Lander has to be played with a converted Radio Shack analog stick! Makes the control very precise. And let me add that I made my own link cable and one night LeGeek and I played head to head on two Vectrex consoles .. chasing eachother and shooting eachother through a selection of different mazes!! Totally cool Alex!! Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Edited July 1, 2005 by Rob Mitchell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayhem Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Cool, great to get confirmation that the article will be published! I'm hoping they use it all... it got over 10k words by the end! But yeah Martyn told me he'd already flagged the article to be mentioned in the "next month" page of issue #18 before I finished it, so he already had assigned it for issue #19 before submission (which I did on Wednesday). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgo Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 .... There's also that 3D shooter XYLO but I'm not sure what will happen with that. I'm very short on RAM and can't really fit everything in that I had planned. But maybe I'll do something with it - would be a shame to scrap it at this stage. .... Sounds very promising being a great fan of shooters! Uhm... Use external ram and swop mem? btw: about your tip on YASI above: You mean there are more modes to be unlocked once you unlocked all the score based ones?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 Did you unlock any of the extra game modes yet? Go UFO hunting to unlock more modes. I have not, but thank you for the tip. -S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex H Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 .... There's also that 3D shooter XYLO but I'm not sure what will happen with that. I'm very short on RAM and can't really fit everything in that I had planned. But maybe I'll do something with it - would be a shame to scrap it at this stage. .... Sounds very promising being a great fan of shooters! Uhm... Use external ram and swop mem? 884138[/snapback] I'm trying to develop a mega-cart which has a nice big ROM and extra RAM, but that's for a different game - also a shooter (2D) and probably far cooler than XYLO. (I'm a fan of Williams arcade games - can you guess what it is yet? Still in the very early stages of development so I don't want to promise too much just yet.) btw: about your tip on YASI above: You mean there are more modes to be unlocked once you unlocked all the score based ones?? Nothing is unlocked based on score so perhaps you've found them already? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stingray Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 (edited) I'm trying to develop a mega-cart which has a nice big ROM and extra RAM, but that's for a different game - also a shooter (2D) and probably far cooler than XYLO. (I'm a fan of Williams arcade games - can you guess what it is yet? Still in the very early stages of development so I don't want to promise too much just yet.) 884276[/snapback] Oooh, this sounds neat! Keep us informed on what's happening with development. -S Edited July 1, 2005 by Stingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgo Posted July 1, 2005 Share Posted July 1, 2005 (edited) I'm trying to develop a mega-cart which has a nice big ROM and extra RAM, but that's for a different game - also a shooter (2D) and probably far cooler than XYLO. (I'm a fan of Williams arcade games - can you guess what it is yet? Still in the very early stages of development so I don't want to promise too much just yet.) That's a giveaway Alex I'll bet you it's Sinistar!! Why? Well, it could've been Blaster but that's 2D plus it'll probably end up too much like star trek or web warp clones (but than better off course ) Defender: duh Robotron: too much sprites for the Vectrex' liking plus the control issue Smast TV: dito Stargate: Defender aka Protector is hard enough And the last Williams shooter I know, Sinistar is just perfect for a translation to the Vectrex!! plus a very cool game! Allright Alex! Nothing is unlocked based on score so perhaps you've found them already? Right... it's been a while since I unlocked them.. Actually I thought it was related to the levels now that I think of it... I just shot down all the UFO's anyway... But other than the 7 extra modes, there's nothing to be unlocked, right? :thinking out loud mode: I think YASI eventually deserves a Special Edition by the way. Maybe one or a few extra game game modes (like powerups/bonus levels?), two person coop mode , highscore entries per game mode, additional challenging goals to unlock, and off course, a multi color layered overlay, just like the foil on the original arcade machine!! (I like to use the Pole position overlay for it; it's almost perfect!) :thinking out loud mode: Edited July 1, 2005 by dgo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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