Rob Mitchell

I wrote, compiled and transferred to the Vectrex console to execute my ROM of the Pythagorean Theorem proof all on my HP200LX handheld palmtop. I was using a special Vectrex cart that Richard Hutchinson developed.

Mr. Jay Smith, who originally developed the Vectrex, retains the copyrights to all the original Vectrex game ROMs. At his appearances at CGE in Las Vegas in years past, he has said that the Vectrex community can do whatever they want with them as long as they do not make a profit on them. That includes reproduction carts .. So someone could make a Polar Rescue cart but not sell it on eBay for say $40. John Dondzilla will make one for only $20 which is his cost. I remember Mr. Smith saying that if someone wanted to make a modern Vectrex console and sell the game ROMs for it, he definitely wanted to talk I with them. I think that selling the ROMs for $6.99 is a violation of his wishes as I understand it. Of course if the Rantmedia - Vectrex Regeneration have his permission then .. OK. I think that the more people who pay the fee for the games will lose out of $$ if the developers are forced to offer the ROMs for free .. Or many will lose out if the app gets pulled for copyright violation. I look forward to an update of this app .. But I have not paid for the ROMs ..

Ok .. I just figured something out .. Under sounds .. You can get some true Vectrex buzz by adjusting the Vectrex sounds. Room sounds does nothing ...

I have played around with MS and the other accessible games .. But I have not purchased the gamepack because of the above mentioned copyright issue and Space War is not listed! I do have a tricked out iCade into which I can plug a Starplex 5 button controller to play Asteroids .. So I look forward to playing MS on the big screen too. It was interesting to see my name listed at the bottom of the list in the history of the Vectrex file ...

I appreciate the programmers' efforts on developing this app .. Q: although the flicker is part of the "charm" of the Vectrex, I would think that would be eliminated from the emulator .. Or maybe an option to turn it off? Q: have the app programmers established a contract with Jay Smith who owns the copyright to all the original game ROMs? If so great! If not, he could complain to Apple and this app would be pulled! (An email i sent to the app site has not been answered). Minestorm looks great on my big 42" plasma TV when I use my AV HDMI cable to connect my iPad.

I'm enjoying my iCade 8-bitty which I got in the mail yesterday. (I have the new iPad.) I sacrificed the wood grain sticker to open it up ... There are no solder points for the buttons .. So no mod possibilities .. Unless you gut the whole thing to put controller ports on it.

I sent an email to them about this question this morning. Now if they have an agreement with Jay Smith about charging for the game ROMs then I will pay. Otherwise I will not pay. And how do we add ROMs to the app which have been released to be used freely without paying?

I can can confirm that using the Video Adapter dongle for the new iPad I got the Vectrex display on my 42 inch TV in stereo and I used the touch screen to play ..

I question their charging $6.99 the the game ROMs which Mr. Smith released to be used however fit as long as no one charges for them??

Congratulations Marty and Curt. Just reading your book Forwards makes me remember the magic of Oct 1977 and the anticipation of every new cart release .. and the new arcade experiences .. I will buy your book. (As an aside I still wish for someone to make a true to the time 1976 Death Race for the Vectrex.)

Give Death Race a try please!! ... And if you do make it selectable between vertical and horizontal Vectrex tube orientation (lay the Vectrex on its side). One person or two persons .. etc ..

What has never been done on a classic console and never available for emulation is the 1976 Exidy arcade game: Death Race. Using a 2600 driving controller and the Pedal Controller, that would make for all the controls needed to chase down those gremlins and turn them into crosses with an ear piercing scream. Years ago someone started a 2600 game called Death Derby but it was not completed. I stripped apart some John Dondzilla code years ago and got a car which I could drive around the Vectrex screen using the 2600 driving controller but that was as far as I got. Now that George Fury has a driving controller for the Vectrex, maybe he would take on this small game challenge.

What has never been done on a classic console and never available for emulation is the 1976 Exidy arcade game: Death Race. Using a 2600 driving controller and the Pedal Controller, that would make for all the controls needed to chase down those gremlins and turn them into crosses with an ear piercing scream. Years ago someone started a 2600 game called Death Derby but it was not completed. I stripped apart some John Dondzilla code years ago and got a car which I could drive around the Vectrex screen using the 2600 driving controller but that was as far as I got. Now that George Fury has a driving controller for the Vectrex, maybe he would take on this small game challenge.

I was a super user of the palmtop back in the day. When the HP95LX was introduced in 1991, it made the evening news. Four companies contributed to its creation: Intel provided the CPU engineering; Lotus provided the software; Microsoft provided MS-DOS; and HP did the enclosure and HP CALC. It was available in 512k and later 1MB (which I paid $600 for in 1992. In 1994, I paid $500 for the HP200LX 2MB. and several hundred $$ for a 20MB PCMCIA card. The machine is fantastic! And there are Windoze desktop applications for some of the apps on the machine. Also a separate CPACK software package emulates the machine on a desktop. In 2002 I used my palmtop to write, compile and transfer to the Vectrex my game program to test via a special RS232 Vectrex cart that Richard Hutchinson developed for me. To this day I still use the palmtop for Lotus123, custom databases that I developed and the HPCALC app on a regular basis.

Any thoughts on the stealth project?

My iPad lit up this morning to say that AGH is FREE TODAY ONLY! On iTunes! Usually $14.99

AGH FREE today only on iTunes

My "secret room" is in my bomb shelter .. Cold War 1950's style ..

Midway just updated this collection to iCade compatible!

Just to add to the discussion .. I have modified my iCade to allow Atari controller input .. Which allows me to use my Starplex 5 button controller for Asteroids .. As well as two stuck control for Battlezone ... AND I have tested the Driving Controller with it and it DOES interpret spinner input !!

Finally I am finding time to Modify the iCade. There are 16 small screws that hold the plastic control module shells together. Inside are all quality microswitches: 12 in all with both NO and NC and use a common ground. The wires for the joystick are soldered to the switches. The wires for the push buttons are slide on connectors and they are held in place with a small tab. I removed each one to switch the wires with ground for easier soldering of wires. Here are some pics of the guts ...

Any update on this game??

I've got RTB in my Kimdle reader on my iPad 2.

In the Apple apps store, Nameco just released an update of Pac Man to use the iCade.

Nameco just released an update of Pac Man to use the iCade.