The Atari 2600 and the C64 have it. And the Sinclar ZX81 as well. And now the Vectrex. In mid-February published a first version of the game “Veccy Bird” on the Vectrex. Veccy Bird is a clone of the app “Flappy Bird” the Vietnamese Dong Nguyen (Gears Studios).

The Veccy Bird developed by Michael Simonds is a consistent implementation of the Vectrex: Veccy Bird flying through an obstacle course of tubes. The gravity pulls the misshapen bird, which has approximately the shape and rate of descent of a stone, resistant down. But by a short push of the player flutters Veccy Bird and so gets huge boost to top. The player must therefore maneuver fluttering Veccy Bird through a landscape of ever closer tubes, what sounds easy, but as the original by the reflected limited control capability k-n-o-c-h-e-n-h-a-r-t. Any contact with one of the inside protruding from the top or bottom tubes leads to the immediate death of the little bird, which is equivalent to “GameOver” is.

The story of the original game “Flappy Bird” is interesting and quite strange at the same time and should be briefly told here:
Flappy Bird war im Mai 2013 newly published in the AppStore. Whether it is the very simple gameplay, the very high level of difficulty or even the suspected manipulation Developer Nguyen, definitely Flappy Bird quickly became the absolute download Hit: Until September 2013 Flappy Bird was already 50 downloaded millions of times. 50.000 US Dollar pro Tag to have the game become popular introduced by switched Advertising.
After the rapid rise came in early February the surprising case and Off: By prior announcement via Twitter remote Nguyen himself the app from the app store. Nguyen Reason: The game and its success was ruining his most simple life. A few players have it even half driven to madness, nice to read is because even the Even an attempt FAZ Reakteurin. Although Flappy Bird can not be officially downloaded directly as an app, so haunts the download package for Android and iPhone still around the net.

Back to Vectrex version:
Based on feedback in Vectorgaming Forum considering Michael Simonds, the currently high difficulty of Veccy Bird to correct downwards slightly. Therefore, likely to be followed at least yet another version level.
Michael Simonds represents the ROM of Veccy Bird free for download, it can be so in Emulator ParaJVE be played on the PC or with VecFlash or VecMulti on the Vectrex.

Thank you very much, Michael, for challenging Veccy Bird!

Allen Vectrex friends and interested Vectrex still a Happy New Year! This year's winter, you can make so far only the calendar and the short days. But the right season, To daddeln on the game console or sitting at the computer is now all.

Ave Maria

The crib is re-wrapped, but Mary remains for us get a little: Sascha aka “The lynx” is currently developing the space shooter “Ave Maria”. Where is indeed beamed in the previous levels of development but not shot. Sasha's entry into the Vectrex programming is by chance, because actually he composes music for retro consoles. Full of enthusiasm for him newly acquired Vectrex he has made himself a few weeks ago to the programming work and what's seen so far from Ave Maria, is promising. The “Maria” is the spaceship, with which the player has to master various tasks in several Level.

delivered: Madtronix

Sometimes things are announced, then run again but in the sand and are never heard from them again. The announced return of John Macallan (Madtronix) but has become really true and the 3D imager replicas are currently being delivered. On the Madtronix website John informed very timely on the production and delivery.
Because of a cable fire in the Swedish Post, the stamp collectors will be happy twice among early purchasers: The packages are very abundant equipped with Swedish stamps.

Vectrex Manual²

It should be mentioned my own project Vectrex Manual²:
The instructions for the Vectrex original games, there are all the web as Text files and also as scanned PDFs. contain the text files format requires no images and PDFs are of medium quality.
Reason enough to make me to the manual vectorization and readjustment of the Manual of Star Castle, also as an exercise for a full version of Mailplane. The resulting Star Castle Guide has just as PDF 200 Kbyte and would hardly be distinguished with real pressure and paper from the original. More Vectrex games instructions are planned, Next is the guide of Dark Tower turn . addendum: Meanwhile, a total of five instructions have finished and they have their own page “Vectrex game instructions” get to download.

With Vector Patrol, Hellhole and others will 2014 again an interesting Vectrex year. we remain excited!

The first Advent and the winter just around the corner. Time to make themselves comfortable at home. Today 'times much to read and little pictures for Look.

The mail plane takes off soon
The euphoria over the two full Mailplane prototypes has settled a little, the memory (ROM) the mail-plane prototype will soon read and Chris Romero is the dump (ROM-Image / Binary) available free on the Internet. Blessed is the one VecFlash or VecMulti and a light pen calls his own…
addendum on 29. Nov.: The ROM of Mailplane was read out and may from 1. December on Chris Romero's Website www.vectrex.com downloaded.

Höllenloch an Sylvester
That for 30. November, planned new game Hellhole Fury (George Pelonis) postponed again, new release date of Hellhole is Sylvester, so the 31.12.2013. 'Let's see, if the shipment then it works slightly faster than Warrior, many customers have been waiting for months on their copy of Warrior.
addendum on 21. Ten.: Hellhole is completed according to George Pelonis. The delivery is from 1. February 2014 take place.

Space Invaders in color
Y.A.S.I. is the excellent Space Invader clone of Alex Herbert. likely VectrexMad, für Y.A.S.I. offer a color film and does my survey a picture of the demand. The overlay is consuming screenprinted with 8(!) colors printed, thereby printing costs are comparatively high. The final price is expected at about. 15 EUR each overlay are. More details and an email address for expressions of interest can be found on the website www.vectrex.co.uk .

“Crazy electronics” with 3D glasses
Getting at an original 3D Imager for the Vectrex, is quite a costly affair. And if you have a, is the 3D imager longer on the shelf or cabinet to conserve these as you can really use it.
Anders could be the Madtronix Replicas of the 3D imager. The emigrated to Sweden Johannes Wolff was to 2007 very active for the Vectrex and had constructed a 3D Imager and sold some copies thereof. He also had light versions of Games Logo, Starling and Spike's Circus of Vectorzoa (Alex Nicholson) expelled. For years it had become quiet, as John writes on his website, had a car accident put him out of action for some time. Now Madtronix is ​​back and plans, deliver the 3D Imager and the light versions again. The Madtronix of the Vectorgaming Forum shown images look very promising. class!
addendum on 1.12.2013: Johannes (Madtronix) has a simple order compiled, in which the 3D imager replica (79 EUR), Multicarts, the Vectorzoa games and much more can be ordered.
addendum on 28.12.2013: Johannes (Madtronix) has a Blog furnished, of its current situation shows.