Vectrex owner since early '84 when they were blown out at KB Toys for $49 and all games for $5. I wouldn't ever call it a handheld since you don't hold it in your hands when playing. 😀
@@VideoGameEsoterica Would make it almost impossible to use the controller while also holding the console! 😂 I don't even hold the controller when using mine. I lay it flat on a table directly in front of the unit. Also, for people that are missing overlays, there are reproduction ones on eBay from a couple of guys that are very good quality. I've purchased a few generic ones (all green, etc.) and a few for aftermarket games. I love mine and will never part with it. Vector Patrol (aftermarket clone of Moon Patrol) and Scramble are two games that I play constantly on it.
I've owned my Vectrex since December 1983. My brother and I bought it at a local Toys R Us. They were selling it on closeout for $50, We bought the Vec, a bunch of games ($5 each), and an extra analog joystick ($10). We were both blown away by how amazing it looked. Nothing else looked that good, except for vector graphic arcade games, such as Asteroids, Lunar Lander, and so on. The form factor is so cool too. It was awesome to be able to play it any time we wanted to, without tying up the family TV. As much as we enjoyed the color overlays, we also liked to play it without the overlays. It made the screen much brighter and memorizing! Playing it like that in a pitch black room is still a sight to behold. I also prefer a lot of the games without the overlays because that's how many of the original Atari arcade were. I love Pole Position, and Armor Attack (great co-op game!), but those are much better with an analog stick. There are a few Vectrex games which require an analog controller. I have a Vectrex to Genesis controller adapter, and they just don't control at all. I'm sure they work on the Pocket though. I haven't had a chance to try the core yet. Do you happen to know if Vectrex LightPen titles work on the core? I was lucky enough to get a brand new LightPen before the prices went nuts. I forget if any of the emulators emulate the pen through a joystick or not. Also, if you want to see what the Vectrex hardware can really pull off, check our a video of Vector Patrol, a port of Moon Patrol. Even though the arcade version isn't a vector graphics game, it looks so great like that, on the Vectrex. It has great animation and even parallax scrolling backgrounds! The music is also almost a perfect copy of the arcade, but check out the game play in demo mode and it'll change into a chiptune version of "Walking on the Moon" by The Police! It sounds amazing too.. I never realized it was capable of sounding that good on a stock Vectrex. Very impressive stuff. The same developer, Kristoff Tuts, also made Vector Pilot (Time Pilot). Which has the music change to the theme from Top Gun. :) anyway, I've typed too much. Sorry! Matt
Haha.. That's crazy! I've been tell my old Vectrex story since the 90's , and never heard from someone else who bought one on clearance. I guess you have more old Vectrex fans than you imagined! (I have pictures of my Vectrex collection - taken in the 80's), right before it was stolen by my brother's "friend". :( - Happy ending though.. I bought it again from Vectrex enthusiast, Sean Kelly, in 1996.
I did pocket updater and then loaded the Vectrex game roms into assets\vectrex\common. I got "Error in framework Missing 'Overlay ID' [2]. So I added all of the png overlays from the github-analogue pocket-vectrex page into the same directory as my roms, but still no luck, even with games I see in this video. I also tried the miSTer .ovr vectrex overlays and still no luck & same error message. I assume the error means it can't find the overlays. Anybody know how to fix this?
This core uses JSON files, make sure that your file types and names are correct. Hopefully pocket updater will pull in the files in the future as the release library is PD now. For homebrew and new titles you'll just need to through you own JSON files.
Vectex owner here. Wanted one as a kid when they were being heavily discounted but didn't get one till about 10 years ago. I call it a portable console but not a handheld. The same way a PSOne with the attached screen is portable but not a handheld.
PLAYED IN REAL LIFE! A hospital had one and a bunch of carts. I found out they kept it in a closet as no "kids" wanted to play it. I went and got a SNES and some carts and offered to trade, they said "YES PLEASE!"
I'm curious, now I've heard you say that you have a sense of how old we are, how old you might think that I am after a bunch of previous comments 🤣 I did not own a Vectrex when they were current, but I have owned one since late 2009 😉
At least this emulator is better than others that only display in a screwed up square display profile. Overlay usage is nice. But that is where the Analogue Pocket with the Vectrex core stops for Vectrex display emulation. No CRT property emulation for phosphor glow and persistence. And the pixels strongly announce their presence with readily apparent jaggies all over the display. Other problems exist as well since the Analogue Pocket has digital only controls. Lacking the ability to play fully analog control games, and games to two-step digital controls such as Pole Position. Vectrex on Analog Pocket leaves a player familiar with a real Vectrex wanting more. But for players new to the Vectrex playing the first time it might be an okay intro until a player experiences a better emulator, or a real Vectrex.
hitting a wall with the setup for this core...im sure its something stupid that I'm doing...anytime i try to load a game I'm getting ""error in framework Missing 'game' ID [1]. I've got my game files in assets/vectrex/common
Lots of weird artifacts that would drive me crazy. I still have two Vectrexes from the 80s and about 20 games with overlays. They are no longer functioning and probably need to be recapped, but I can play the Vectrex games on the iPad with near perfect emulation and graphics. This core on The AP would be a pass from me. And don't say that Ronald Reagan was STILL in the White House. He was in the middle of his first term when this thing came out. It was a very awesome Christmas for me, indeed.
Vectrex owner since early '84 when they were blown out at KB Toys for $49 and all games for $5. I wouldn't ever call it a handheld since you don't hold it in your hands when playing. 😀
I mean you COULD hold it in your hands lol
@@VideoGameEsoterica Would make it almost impossible to use the controller while also holding the console! 😂 I don't even hold the controller when using mine. I lay it flat on a table directly in front of the unit. Also, for people that are missing overlays, there are reproduction ones on eBay from a couple of guys that are very good quality. I've purchased a few generic ones (all green, etc.) and a few for aftermarket games. I love mine and will never part with it. Vector Patrol (aftermarket clone of Moon Patrol) and Scramble are two games that I play constantly on it.
Haha can’t know til you try
I've owned my Vectrex since December 1983. My brother and I bought it at a local Toys R Us. They were selling it on closeout for $50, We bought the Vec, a bunch of games ($5 each), and an extra analog joystick ($10). We were both blown away by how amazing it looked. Nothing else looked that good, except for vector graphic arcade games, such as Asteroids, Lunar Lander, and so on. The form factor is so cool too. It was awesome to be able to play it any time we wanted to, without tying up the family TV.
As much as we enjoyed the color overlays, we also liked to play it without the overlays. It made the screen much brighter and memorizing! Playing it like that in a pitch black room is still a sight to behold. I also prefer a lot of the games without the overlays because that's how many of the original Atari arcade were. I love Pole Position, and Armor Attack (great co-op game!), but those are much better with an analog stick. There are a few Vectrex games which require an analog controller. I have a Vectrex to Genesis controller adapter, and they just don't control at all. I'm sure they work on the Pocket though. I haven't had a chance to try the core yet.
Do you happen to know if Vectrex LightPen titles work on the core? I was lucky enough to get a brand new LightPen before the prices went nuts. I forget if any of the emulators emulate the pen through a joystick or not.
Also, if you want to see what the Vectrex hardware can really pull off, check our a video of Vector Patrol, a port of Moon Patrol. Even though the arcade version isn't a vector graphics game, it looks so great like that, on the Vectrex. It has great animation and even parallax scrolling backgrounds! The music is also almost a perfect copy of the arcade, but check out the game play in demo mode and it'll change into a chiptune version of "Walking on the Moon" by The Police! It sounds amazing too.. I never realized it was capable of sounding that good on a stock Vectrex. Very impressive stuff. The same developer, Kristoff Tuts, also made Vector Pilot (Time Pilot). Which has the music change to the theme from Top Gun. :) anyway, I've typed too much. Sorry! Matt
Apparently a lot of people bought them at close out as you are the fourth person with that story :) glad people snapped them up!
Haha.. That's crazy! I've been tell my old Vectrex story since the 90's , and never heard from someone else who bought one on clearance. I guess you have more old Vectrex fans than you imagined! (I have pictures of my Vectrex collection - taken in the 80's), right before it was stolen by my brother's "friend". :( - Happy ending though.. I bought it again from Vectrex enthusiast, Sean Kelly, in 1996.
You are the third person to say it :) so def a thing
Great way to enjoy my Sunday morning to start the day with some Vectrex action from VGE. Thank you brother man. 8^)
Anthony..
Getting that ham ready I hope
I did pocket updater and then loaded the Vectrex game roms into assets\vectrex\common. I got "Error in framework Missing 'Overlay ID' [2]. So I added all of the png overlays from the github-analogue pocket-vectrex page into the same directory as my roms, but still no luck, even with games I see in this video. I also tried the miSTer .ovr vectrex overlays and still no luck & same error message. I assume the error means it can't find the overlays. Anybody know how to fix this?
That’s really odd. I’ll ask around as I haven’t heard of anyone having this issue
This core uses JSON files, make sure that your file types and names are correct. Hopefully pocket updater will pull in the files in the future as the release library is PD now. For homebrew and new titles you'll just need to through you own JSON files.
Maybe Im a Hick, but how in the heck do we keep getting obscure cores like this but not NGPC?
This is a port from MiSTer vs a ground up developed core so it’s just a faster thing to do
Vectex owner here. Wanted one as a kid when they were being heavily discounted but didn't get one till about 10 years ago.
I call it a portable console but not a handheld. The same way a PSOne with the attached screen is portable but not a handheld.
I’d just love to see someone try to use it as a handheld haha
Vectrex core has been out a good few months now on the pocket, it is great on the pocket, I would class the original as console. 😀
Takes a minute for scheduled videos to air
I feel like if the Vectrex is a handheld then so are TVs with consoles built in like the Sufami one
That logic kind of tracks
PLAYED IN REAL LIFE! A hospital had one and a bunch of carts. I found out they kept it in a closet as no "kids" wanted to play it. I went and got a SNES and some carts and offered to trade, they said "YES PLEASE!"
Haha great trade. For you and the kids
How do I get the latest version of pocket updater? New here.
You can download it from GitHub. Just google pocket updater GitHub
Are your recommended Vectrex settings for a dock or without?
Kind of both
My Vectrex has been broken for a while so this is a great alternative
YOU CAN CONFIGURE THE PERSISTENCE OF THE CRT? AMAZING!
I'm curious, now I've heard you say that you have a sense of how old we are, how old you might think that I am after a bunch of previous comments 🤣 I did not own a Vectrex when they were current, but I have owned one since late 2009 😉
Perfect timing
Yep. A nice touch indeed
32?
What a cool core!
It’s fun because it’s just so diff
At least this emulator is better than others that only display in a screwed up square display profile. Overlay usage is nice. But that is where the Analogue Pocket with the Vectrex core stops for Vectrex display emulation. No CRT property emulation for phosphor glow and persistence. And the pixels strongly announce their presence with readily apparent jaggies all over the display. Other problems exist as well since the Analogue Pocket has digital only controls. Lacking the ability to play fully analog control games, and games to two-step digital controls such as Pole Position. Vectrex on Analog Pocket leaves a player familiar with a real Vectrex wanting more. But for players new to the Vectrex playing the first time it might be an okay intro until a player experiences a better emulator, or a real Vectrex.
No panel can ever get it 100% right. But it’s good enough for govt work
hitting a wall with the setup for this core...im sure its something stupid that I'm doing...anytime i try to load a game I'm getting ""error in framework Missing 'game' ID [1]. I've got my game files in assets/vectrex/common
It's a laptop. :) Is that a high-voltage flyback transformer on your lap or are you just happy to see me?
Why not both 🤣
Tempest 1!
Seriously
Tempest came out in '81 which precedes all Vectrex titles.
It’s just a vibe thing
@ClassicGameRoom is foaming at the mouth somewhere.
Lol
Lots of weird artifacts that would drive me crazy. I still have two Vectrexes from the 80s and about 20 games with overlays. They are no longer functioning and probably need to be recapped, but I can play the Vectrex games on the iPad with near perfect emulation and graphics. This core on The AP would be a pass from me.
And don't say that Ronald Reagan was STILL in the White House. He was in the middle of his first term when this thing came out. It was a very awesome Christmas for me, indeed.
I mean nothing will beat real vector technology but this is a very nice look.
Haha true about Reagan
What's wrong with your vectrex? My experience is less a recap and actually more to do with the sockets for the ICs being all worn out.
@@sunderark Last time I plugged it in, static-y sound and no picture.
Not all Vectrex games work, right?
I didn’t test and that didn’t?
I haven't got any to work lol
Try new files then. All not working def isn’t right 😂
I remember someone telling now. It's 3D games that don't work and games expecting analog input and light pen input work work properly either! 😔
Tron-like
Same vibes