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Post by TrekMD on Jun 12, 2018 19:41:38 GMT -5
Gorgeous!
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Post by ledzep on Jun 13, 2018 5:00:01 GMT -5
The last piece of the puzzle falls into place The overlays are finally here: ... Fantastic, next to real vector graphics, the color overlays are maybe the coolest part of Vectrex games, something unique that other game consoles don't have. They give each game such an authentic arcade feel, having that artwork surround that also has minimal instructions (many overlays describe what the 4 controller buttons do). Thanks for making the effort!
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Post by marblemad on Jun 27, 2018 7:15:13 GMT -5
More boxes packed and ready for the Post office.
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Post by 50tbrd on Jun 27, 2018 14:47:56 GMT -5
Just got my copy.
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Post by TrekMD on Jun 27, 2018 19:06:50 GMT -5
Mine arrived as well!
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Post by pcenginefanx on Jun 29, 2018 13:57:13 GMT -5
How's the control scheme of Stramash Zone?
Are there several control schemes to choose from to best play as close to the original Atari Battlezone arcade game setup?
Does SZ support two Vectrex control panels simultaneously for that unmistakable twin stick setup?
Does it support an optional Vectrex-based dual stick modded controller setup? Thinking about how the real arcade controls found on a real Battlezone upright cabinet does sport two sticks + a single fire button indeed.
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Post by marblemad on Jun 30, 2018 6:42:38 GMT -5
How's the control scheme of Stramash Zone? SZ has several configurations you can select. Standard single vectrex controller using the 8 way stick for direction and fire buttons to fire Twin vectrex sticks which gives you left track forward/reverse on one stick and right track forward/reverse on the other and the buttons fire the cannon. This mode also works with the "mini vex II"... which is awesome. Twin Atari sticks. This lets you use 2 standard digital joysticks with fire mapped to the righ hand stick LEFT (because vectrex doesn't read the atari fire button) This mode is also great if you want to rig a simple custom control panel. No messing with resistors, just map the sticks to the vectrex buttons. Custom Mode. This mode allows you to make a dedicated 2 stick custom controller that will plug into a single port. It requires the joystick digital hack or at least half of it to be implemented. <iframe width="18.720000000000027" height="3.240000000000009" style="position: absolute; width: 18.720000000000027px; height: 3.240000000000009px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none;left: 15px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_40072439" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="18.720000000000027" height="3.240000000000009" style="position: absolute; width: 18.72px; height: 3.24px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 881px; top: -5px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_38573508" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="18.720000000000027" height="3.240000000000009" style="position: absolute; width: 18.72px; height: 3.24px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 15px; top: 102px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_54495172" scrolling="no"></iframe> <iframe width="18.720000000000027" height="3.240000000000009" style="position: absolute; width: 18.72px; height: 3.24px; z-index: -9999; border-style: none; left: 881px; top: 102px;" id="MoatPxIOPT0_28979740" scrolling="no"></iframe>
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Post by kokovec on Jul 9, 2018 19:12:02 GMT -5
How's the control scheme of Stramash Zone? SZ has several configurations you can select. Standard single vectrex controller using the 8 way stick for direction and fire buttons to fire Twin vectrex sticks which gives you left track forward/reverse on one stick and right track forward/reverse on the other and the buttons fire the cannon. This mode also works with the "mini vex II"... which is awesome. Twin Atari sticks. This lets you use 2 standard digital joysticks with fire mapped to the righ hand stick LEFT (because vectrex doesn't read the atari fire button) This mode is also great if you want to rig a simple custom control panel. No messing with resistors, just map the sticks to the vectrex buttons. Custom Mode. This mode allows you to make a dedicated 2 stick custom controller that will plug into a single port. It requires the joystick digital hack or at least half of it to be implemented. This game is awesome! I'm using my PS2 controller adapter in twin Vectrex stick mode.
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Post by gliptitude on Jul 14, 2018 16:34:20 GMT -5
I was having a hard time at first, especially with tanks disappearing and I couldn't tell that I was able to move forward and backward or not. I spent some more time with it, started to figure some stuff out.. And then when I read "Authentic 1980's style unaddressed bugs being passed off as features" it all sort of clicked! Like some of my favorite 2600 games, there is an obscurity and initial clunky-ness to it that at first seems broken. But then when you learn it it works alright and there is a ton of character and dimension to it.
The sound is great and there is a distinct mood to the whole thing, eerie and dark and then the elegance of dynamic vector graphics but also fun and funny too. It vaguely reminds me of Minestorm and also my earliest general impressions of the Vectrex. The game and control modes are welcome and add a lot to the experience and I especially appreciate the inclusion of Gloaming Zone, really a new game, and an excellent and dissonant re-implementation of the main game resources. .. The colors of the overlay are more subtle and specific than I anticipated and great in my opinion. To me this game is more than it initially appears.
Thank you for this lovingly put together large scale production. Congratulations on bringing the classic arcade game to the Vectrex and also for elaborating on the concept.
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Post by pcenginefanx on Jul 20, 2018 11:26:28 GMT -5
I finally got my copy of Stramash Zone in the mail about a week ago. Upon closer inspection of the outer shipping box, it has #138 written on top of it. So I'd have to assume that more than 100 carts, boxes & overlays were made to be shipped out worldwide. Having played the Atari Anniversary Gameboy Advance port of Battlezone (using sprites rather than vectors), I can easily see the close comparisons of the original arcade version of BZ and the Vectrex variant of SZ. Quite impressive that everything all fits tightly within the 64kb file sized footprint (an impressive feat unto itself, indeed).
Suppose if GCE were to release their own port of Battlezone for the Vectrex platform back in 1982, 1983 or 1984 (with Atari's permission/blessing back in the day, of course) -- could it have been done/pulled off successfully within the 4kb or 8kb memory space limitations (or is that just wishful thinking here)?
I recall the very first time I had see/played the newfangled Vectrex standalone console at the local mall hangout. The Vectrex system was setup as demo unit with Minestorm up & running (this was back in November of 1982) at the Musicland retail store in the very backend portion of the store. On the lefthand side of the Musicland wall were the initial three or four Vectrex games for sale with a MSRP of $29.99 USD back in 1982. And the MSRP of the Vectrex system by itself was a whopping $199.99 USD (quite expensive back in the early 1980s for any home video game system at that current point in time). I gave Minestorm a try and like how razor sharp the vector graphics were on the 9" screen setup. I was finally able to buy a Vectrex system brand new for $49.99 USD back in September of 1984 during the "Great Video Game Crash of '83-'84" era. Brand new Vectrex games were be heavily discounted at a mere $4.99 USD back in 1984.
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Post by VectorX on Jul 20, 2018 11:52:20 GMT -5
And the MSRP of the Vectrex system by itself was a whopping $199.99 USD (quite expensive back in the early 1980s for any home video game system at that current point in time). Not really, as the Atari 5200 and I think ColecoVision cost about as much at roughly the same time period as well. I was finally able to buy a Vectrex system brand new for $49.99 USD back in September of 1984 during the "Great Video Game Crash of '83-'84" era. Brand new Vectrex games were be heavily discounted at a mere $4.99 USD back in 1984. EXACTLY the way it was with myself as well! I got Clean Sweep a few months later after my Vectrex for like $7 though at a local music store. Memories (especially with getting my Vectrex at Toys 'r Us)...
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Post by kokovec on Jul 24, 2018 11:14:25 GMT -5
I was finally able to buy a Vectrex system brand new for $49.99 USD back in September of 1984 during the "Great Video Game Crash of '83-'84" era. Brand new Vectrex games were be heavily discounted at a mere $4.99 USD back in 1984. EXACTLY the way it was with myself as well! I got Clean Sweep a few months later after my Vectrex for like $7 though at a local music store. Memories (especially with getting my Vectrex at Toys 'r Us)... [/quote] That's crazy how inexpensive the Vectrex became during the crash. Ah, yes, the great video game crash It happened in my early teenage years but I don't remember it being a big deal to me or my friends back then. I had my Vectrex and VIC-20. My friends owned many of the other machines. We also liked to hang out at the arcade so there was plenty of gaming to be had. Then I got my C128 and modem so I was able to enjoy many cracked C64 games. There's currently a retro resurgence but I wonder how long that's going to last? With downloaded digital games and most of them requiring online servers I wonder if retro-gaming will eventually become obsolete.
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Post by VectorX on Jul 24, 2018 11:52:24 GMT -5
It happened in my early teenage years but I don't remember it being a big deal to me or my friends back then. It didn't seem like it at first, since there was tons of software out for popular systems (like the 2600, hence the crash because the market was flooded with games, many of which were crap by blah companies trying to cash in) for really cheap. It *seemed* pretty good overall, but of course many companies would end up disappearing, plus... We also liked to hang out at the arcade so there was plenty of gaming to be had. ...it nearly killed the arcades too. My local Memorial City Mall had at one point I believe seven arcades at once. That dwindled down to one a year or so after the crash hit full effect.
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Post by kokovec on Jul 25, 2018 17:52:48 GMT -5
We only had one real arcade and it was located at the mall which had just been recently built. I had to take a couple of buses to get there. Most of the time I would ride my bike around town and visit a bunch of shops that each had one or two video games. There was a TV repair shop on the other side of town that always had the latest arcade machines. That's where I fist played Galaxian, Pengo, Defender and a few others. Even the barber shop had a couple of machines. I remember playing Armor Attack and Tempest there.
The youngsters roll their eyes at me when I tell them this but I'm happy that I grew up in a time after WWII but before the internet and smartphones.
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Post by retrocore9 on Aug 16, 2018 23:10:18 GMT -5
Just got my copy. It's a good tech demo for the vectrex. Everything is very well rendered and the overlay really adds to the game. Its probably one of the more essential overlays for any vectrex game I've seen.
I noticed that enemies will get stuck behind obstacles sometimes and won't move. I have to go around the obstacle to unstick them and fire on them.
I like Rammy Zone the other game option also. It's alot faster then the main game and the obstacles are gone.
Overall a great and fun game!
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