OK guys, I'm struggling here and hope someone can help.
I bought into the Vectrex, love the system and community. I bought a VectMulti from Richard, great cartridge. Very easy to update - I've been curating my ROM list.
PROBLEM: finding an accurate list of games, and where to download those available for download.
I compiled a list from Vectrex.Fandom, Wikipedia, and a third site I can now no longer find (black and red design layout - some sort of fan wiki maybe). I separated the original retail releases (my ROM list contains 33 retail releases).
So I printed this combined list off, thinking I'd use it as a reference playing games on my flashcart. Put little stars so I knew which was good etc.
The list from online has about 100 homebrew titles (I removed utilities), most of which are seemingly not on my flashcart. I think they are exclusively cartridge purchases (Warrior for example). Maybe? I don't even know!
That's fine, I can always buy these later, I'll just focus on the free downloads, like Quartz Quest. Except that it is not on the printed list. Nor is it on the list in this topic. In fact, there are plenty of games which I downloaded for my flashcart which are not listed here, such as Hera Primera and Sea Pup.
So I look at my ROM list and the folder has 150 games, of which 33 are retail. That's 117 homebrew. Many are not on this forum topic's list, or fansites lists. Where did they even come from?!
Also cartridge only releases like
VECTRAL (Wireout-RE 2X + Honey and Nuka Bomb) are not on this list either.
So now I'm really confused.
Firstly: Can anyone provide a list of CARTRIDGE ONLY homebrew releases? The stuff you can only buy, like Vectral and Warrior, etc. I don't want to buy a game I can just download (ie: Quartz Quest, which is both buyable and free), and I'd like to look over said list, Google for the sales sites, and then carefully select what I will add to my collection. Warrior looks a bit lame, it's just an arcade port, but Vectral looks cool and uses the light pen, so a definite maybe!
Secondly:Does anyone has a definitive list of homebrew creations, and where to download them? Or even just a full homebrew list, mixing free and cart-only games, which I can then cross reference with the above?
Because right now I'm looking at my flash cart and thinking:
am I missing some amazing gem?Case in point: Quartz Quest. It was not on my cart, it was not in any list. I found it by accident browsing forums. And I was like, "Hold on, I've not see this before!" So I put it on my flashcart and used my Narzod overlay, and I had a blast playing it for several hours. Almost beat it even. It was a lot of fun! Truly one of the gems of the homebrew scene. But how will anyone find it? I found it by accident. I fear there are other gems out there, most likely for free, which are just kind of mentioned, then forgotten maybe.
Also cartridge only games which I've overlooked because there's maybe some ancient topic here, but no listing.
Guys, I know I'm new, and I don't want to be "the new guy" who annoys everyone by pooping in their shoes, but seriously: the community has produced some incredible things over the years, both free downloads and finely crafted items for sale, and it's all beautiful.
But this is one of the most poorly documented "scenes" or communities I've ever come across. There's no central database. Lists are inaccurate and missing information. Great gems are being overlooked or missed because... reasons? Because they're not being added to large lists?
I really love this stuff. I love the Vectrex class by Dr Peer which produces fun student games. I love the manufactured cartridges and new overlays. I love that the community supports the sales of these new productions.
But at the same time I don't feel like trawling this forum like some sort of deep sea fisherman, hoping I catch a rare coelacanth. I don't even know what's out there nor where to look!
Full disclosure: I write for
Time Extension. We don't yet have a recommended games list for the Vectrex. If I can get some proper lists to work from, and I can put together a homebrew top 25, or something, I will pitch it to my editor. But I need to know what's available.
Why is Spike's Skiing not on this topic's list? It's not amazing, but I had fun. I feel anxiety just thinking about the number of games currently undocumented and unlisted anywhere.
I feel there needs to be a central, regularly updated database, listing retail and homebrew, with homebrew split between cartridge only and free downloads, with URL links to the downloads and to the store pages to buy the carts. Games which are both sold and free can go in both lists. (In case anyone says: "Well do that yourself", I am kinda almost maybe tempted, except my free time is usually spent writing articles recommending games, not curating whole databases.)
