Vectrex C development on Mac - a solution!

[nes4life]

Today I published an Xcode template so that anyone can relatively easily create a new Vectrex game in C with Xcode: github.com/Phillrb/vec-c I spent the latter part of last year's spare time extending the existing c-bridge by implementing a number of key bios functions, and finally packaging it all with the Xcode template, example game, and example use cases. Highlights include playing inbuilt and custom music, sounds and 2 player simultaneous gameplay.

I also published a game alongside this - Vecpong: github.com/Phillrb/vecpong (bin file is available there if you just want to play it in ParaJVE rather then compile it yourself). It's nothing special but a good example of how to use vec-c for development. The game I'm going to go back to next (and finish properly with the latest vec-c build) is dance-dance-vec (github.com/Phillrb/Dance-Dance-Vec); a dance-mat game for Vectrex!

I've spent most of my time extending vec-c and packaging it and consequently I now know the vectrex bios inside out so doing things like playing music and sounds is pretty simple now (with a nice c-wrapper around it!).

If anyone wants to contribute to vec-c (the C-bridge), port it to Linux or Windows, or wants to use it for their own game development but is struggling with setup or use, then feel free to contact me here, UK-Vac forums or on Github.

[Malban]

Hello,

I just did a little peek, and I see the GCC nowadays has the same limitations as nearly 20 years ago :-)!
(see my own Vectrex C package, I had a try with gcc too, and tried optmizing it for 6809, but the result was not very stable ).

It is still unable do a reasonable register calling convention on the "limited" 8bit CPUs
(only B and X - and X is really bad for Vectrex).

The 6809 assembler ist pretty straight forward and easy to use.

But "C" is still easier and for prototyping good, even for games which rely on gameplay more than squeezing the last quench of speed and optimzing out of the system.

Glad the vectrex still sees some love from people who willing to share stuff. If I am not mistaken there are quite a lot people now who are more willing to "show/sell" than to "share" :-).


Regards
Malban

[nes4life]

Thanks Malban. Yep, I'm hoping this will encourage more people to make Vectrex games - especially iOS / OSX developers as this is pretty much their current setup.

[alx06]

Hello All,

I know this is an old post, but I'm trying my chance anyway...

I'd like to create games for the Vectrex,
I'm an iOS developer, on Macos.

First, is someone still reading this?

Regards,
Alexandre

[D-Type]

I'm reading, but I don't use a Mac and don't program in C, well not since the 90s at least :-)

[Peer]

Malban's VIDE is available for MacOS, and it fully supports Vectrex development in C   It is the very same C programming setup that Malban and I have developed for my Vectrex Academy class.

Cheers,

Peer

[nes4life]

Definitely use VIDE today if you want to program in C. I actually ended up transitioning over to assembly in the end and continue to use VIDE.