+thegoldenband Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 How about a first-person jousting game? The scaling could look great. Alternatively, how about a port of Dungeons of Daggorath for CoCo? You'd have to change up a couple things (specifically the ring incantations), but at least the underlying CPU is the same, and IIRC the source code is around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzep Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 This is probably too generic an answer but, for me, I welcome more games that take advantage of the Vectrex's analog joystick and that have useful overlays (Pole Position is a perfect example, Armor..Attack is another for the overlay alone). And also, games that take advantage of the vector graphic's ability to draw a straight line in any direction. It's always bugged me to play rastor versions of vector games on consoles, having only 12 or so directions in which to shoot when the arcade version let me shoot anywhere (Asteroids on the Atari 2600 being one of the worst). would be great as far as the overlay goes (but vertical).Reactor would be great, too (I've been told someone was working on a version of this with Spike as the player but enough with including Spike for everything already). Quantum would be perfect for the analog joystick. And not a game but I wish someone would brainstorm a trackball for the Vectrex. There must be a way to use the inputs for the joystick for that, still leaving the controller with 4 buttons. Quantum, Missile Command, Centipede, Atari Football, other games demand it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gliptitude Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) I've been writing a game for the Vectrex (in assembly) lately, in fact I've already started a couple others too Been a bit distracted of late after buying a ZX spectrum and doing a little programming on that but I'm hoping to have something ready for Vectrex in the coming months. Most games I have planned are arcade-style shooters though, as that's my favourite genre. What sort of shooter are you working on for Vectrex? I've been designing one for a while, which has a perspective view (like Fortress of Narzod), flip-screen levels (quick scroll like in the old Zelda dungeons), power-ups and boss battles. Edited October 24, 2012 by gliptitude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+thegoldenband Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Does the Vectrex have the CPU power to do a pseudo-3D, top-down platformer? I'm thinking of something very simplistic, like a vastly stripped-down version of Trampoline Terror for Genesis -- or better yet, a cross between that, and this bonus level from Pilotwings for SNES: http://youtu.be/J1aPCgm18dg There are a bunch of Q*bert-ish games that use a top-down perspective, but the Vectrex has the (potential) ability to do smooth zoom & scaling the whole way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gliptitude Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Does the Vectrex have the CPU power to do a pseudo-3D, top-down platformer? I'm thinking of something very simplistic, like a vastly stripped-down version of Trampoline Terror for Genesis -- or better yet, a cross between that, and this bonus level from Pilotwings for SNES. There are a bunch of Q*bert-ish games that use a top-down perspective, but the Vectrex has the (potential) ability to do smooth zoom & scaling the whole way. Fortress of Narzod (one of the original GCE Vectrex games) has an overhead perspective view. It is a shooter, not a platformer though. And the environment is static, like a single room or field that you move around in. Having camera movement, like in the video you linked, would be effing awesome on Vectrex. But a moving 3D environment like this would be very difficult (not impossible) on Vectrex, from what I understand. There was a Battlezone clone in the works, (long since abandoned), and it involved a lot of math to convey the 3D environment. Possibly if the 3D environment was conveyed less comprehensively this would be a more reasonable project? Meaning if rather than a solidly defined floor and objects, it was just floating sprites that changed their orientation (think Tac/Scan 3D levels, where you are navigating through a series of rings). Also if you're movement was restricted some like that, that you are always moving forward, rather than freely navigating an entire area. Also see GCE Dark Tower for Vectrex, where a 3rd person perspective view is conveyed fairly simply, by drawing only the player and the trees moving around him (no floor, no horizon, no 3D rendering of the individual trees, camera fixed on the rear view of the player). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+thegoldenband Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Hey, thanks for your reply! Well, what I'm imagining would be a player sprite, fixed in the center of the screen (and thus "transparent" à la Punch-Out), bouncing on something like a 5 x 5 grid of simple squares (trampolines) that would scale in and out with every jump. A rotating camera would be fantastic, but even a static one would work as long as the scaling was in place. Is all of that possible on a tech-demo level? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I'm not a Vectrex programmer, but I do know assembly and have an idea of what Vectrex can do. I am not entirely aware of the Vectrex game library, however so maybe something like these has already been done. How about a game like Gottlieb's Reactor? I can imagine the swirling energy would look nice in vector gfx. "ReVektor" ? A game reminiscent of Tron Deadly Discs. I can imagine the hurled discs having vector trails. Maybe a cross between air hockey and deadly disks game play. Okay, that's all I got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the antithesis Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 I, Robot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovethevectrex Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 i have an idea: super vector bros Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovethevectrex Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 The Vectrex would be the perfect platform for a really good tube shooter. Not necessarily a Tempest or Gyruss port, but something original of that same little genre. The vector graphics are just begging for it. there is a demo of tempest on vecmania Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovethevectrex Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I like the idea of a Tron adaptation for the Vectrex! It would be a cool game to adapt to the system. there was actually a prototype of tron being made for the vectrex, but it was cancled. here is a video of it: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BinaryStar Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 (edited) What sort of shooter are you working on for Vectrex? I've been designing one for a while, which has a perspective view (like Fortress of Narzod), flip-screen levels (quick scroll like in the old Zelda dungeons), power-ups and boss battles. Sounds good, I love Fortress of Narzod, I like the changes to the design too (power ups, boss battles) I look froward to playing it one day I'm programming a game inspired by G-Force - a "flat" tempest clone originally for the ZX Spectrum. My version uses an atari driving controller spinner in port 2 and vectrex joystick in port 1 http://www.worldofsp....cgi?id=0005178 I also have several other shoot-em-up games fully planned on paper (and prototyped on vectrex) right now. I've been pretty busy with other stuff lately but I'm dying to get back to the Vectrex Edited October 26, 2012 by KidQuaalude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BinaryStar Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 The Vectrex would be the perfect platform for a really good tube shooter. Not necessarily a Tempest or Gyruss port, but something original of that same little genre. The vector graphics are just begging for it. There is a homebrew Tempest clone called 'Tsunami' but sadly the sound effects are woeful and it doesn't really feel like tempest as much as it looks like it. Wormhole by Jon Dondzila is a superb looking, sounding and playing Gyruss clone though, I highly recommend that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BinaryStar Posted November 9, 2012 Share Posted November 9, 2012 (edited) Good Idea, I may give Death Race a go if I find the time soon. I played on the arcade machine a few years ago at Musee Machanique in San Francisco. http://www.museemeca...es/IMG_8965.jpg Edited November 9, 2012 by KidQuaalude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nateo Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 I, Robot. Yeah man! One of my favorite arcade games! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelboy Posted November 10, 2012 Share Posted November 10, 2012 Yeah man! One of my favorite arcade games! I dunno... A game like that seems a bit too much for the Vectrex's CPU to handle... But I suppose a simplified version could be done, with only flat platforms instead of 3D blocks, and a slightly more elevated camera angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 (edited) 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 .. Edited November 14, 2012 by Rob Mitchell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BinaryStar Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 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 .. Rob, I'll be sure to add a horizontal option. I've had a few ideas to improve the gameplay (especially for one player) so I'll probably make two versions of the game, a simple clone of the arcade game, and my own version. I'll likely start coding it soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Phruby Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Was Star Wars arcade ever released for the Vectrex? How about The Empire Strikes Back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nateo Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Was Star Wars arcade ever released for the Vectrex? How about The Empire Strikes Back? These seem like no-brainers for a Vectrex port. I do know that some folks have managed to get MAME to display some vector games through the Vectrex's screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BinaryStar Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 There is a homebrew Star Wars clone called 'Star Fire' which plays very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schizophretard Posted November 14, 2012 Share Posted November 14, 2012 Intelligent Qube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the antithesis Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 Minecraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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