VectrexWii
| VectrexWii | |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Aruskano, cmyksoda |
| Type | Console emulator |
| Version | 0.8 |
| Links | |
| Download | |
| Source | |
| Downloadable via the Open Shop Channel | |
| Peripherals | |
      | |
VectrexWii is a Wii port of Vecx, a Vectrex emulator written by Valavan Manohararajah.
ROMs
The Vectrex came with a built in Asteroids-like game called Mine Storm. Mine Storm can be played if the cartridge select on the title screen reads [NA].
Additionally, the compiled binary includes all of the original Vectrex library (except for the 3-D Imager and Lightpen games), two prototype games, and lots of mods and demos from the Vectrex homebrew community. You can view the table below for a comprehensive list of included ROMs.
| Official (20) | Mods (7) | Prototypes (3) | Demos (51) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Click to Expand/Collapse
|
Click to Expand/Collapse
|
Click to Expand/Collapse
|
Click to Expand/Collapse
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If one wants to use their own ROMs, they must be placed within a folder named vec at the root of either SD or USB. The file extension must be .vec (case insensitive).
Overlays
The vectrex used screen overlays to simulate color and add some decorations. Overlays are included for all included official games, mods, and prototypes.
For your own ROMS, you may place a PNG image within the same folder of the loaded ROM and both of them are named exactly the same (excluding the file extension) that image is going to be used as the overlay for the corresponding ROM. The image dimensions must be 388x480 pixels and it must be in RGBA mode.
Settings
- Cartridge: Allows you to choose where do you want to load ROMs from. Options are: NA (Mine Storm), official, mods, prototypes, demos, and SD (devices). Devices (SD or USB) will only be shown if a ROM was found within them (at the location explained earlier at this page).
- Joystick: The controller that is listened to during the emulation. The controller that "turns the vectrex on" is automatically selected but this can be changed from the pause menu.
- Overlay: The opacity/alpha channel of the overlay can be modified so you can make it less noticeable if you want to.
- Custom color: Have the vectors/points drawn the color you want them to be. You can play around with the RGB components to get the color of your choice. If you turn this feature off the color computed by the emulator will be used.
- Glow: Gives an effect of glowing lines/dots. Play around with the factor to see the results. Remember the higher the factor is the slower the drawing gets.
- Persistence: Redraws old frames to give a persistence effect. You can choose how many frames are persistent (to use less resources if needed) and play around with the color (grayscale) and opacity (alpha component).
- Screen size: Slider used to compensate for overscan on older displays.
If you are getting low framerate consider disabling or modifying some of these features to get a faster rendering process.
Controls
|
 |
|
|
Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 /  |
 /  |
 (up / down) |
 (up / down) |
Move the cursor across the options |
 /  |
 /  |
(left / right) |
(left / right) |
Select a ROM in the current cartridge |
 /  |
 /  or  /  |
(same as ) |
 /  or  /  |
Cycle through cartridge options |
 |
 |
(same as ) |
|
Return to loader |
| Any other | Any other | Any other | Any other | Trigger the selected option |
 |
or or |
(same as ) |
or |
Return to main menu from credits screen |
|
|
|
|
Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / |
/ |
(up / down) |
(up / down) |
Move the cursor across the options |
| / |
/ |
(left / right) |
(left / right) |
Toggle the selected option |
|
|
(same as ) |
|
Select the Resume game option |
| (hold) |
(hold) |
(hold) |
not available* | Hide the menu to preview the changes |
| Any other | Any other | Any other | Any other | Go to the selected sub-menu |
* The Classic Controller has no button of its own wired up for this; it needs the Wii Remote's .
Edit Controls Menu
|
|
|
|
Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| / |
/ |
(left / right) |
(left / right) |
Toggle through the four buttons |
| Any | Any | Any | Any | Choose the currently selected button for editing |
| Any | Any | Any | Any | Choose your desired button |
| / |
/ |
(up / down) |
(up / down) |
Move down to the Done row / back up to the buttons |
| Any | Any | Any | Any | Confirm Done and leave the menu* |
|
|
|
|
Same as confirming Done -- or, if a button capture is currently in progress, cancels just that instead without assigning anything |
* Blocked with an on-screen warning if any of the four Vectrex buttons is still unmapped.
In game
The Vectrex controller had 4 buttons and a stick. The default button arrangements are listed below, but can be adjusted through the "Edit Controls" menu in the settings.
- (held horizontally, no attachments):
, 
, 
, 
, and 
: 
, 
, 
, 
and 
.- + :
, is button 2 (Affirmative), is button 1 (Negative), 
is button 3, 
is button 4. - :
, 
is button 2 (Affirmative), 
is button 1 (Negative), 
is button 3, 
is button 4.
Settings → Joystick cycles between whichever of these are currently available: the Nunchuk/Classic Controller options only appear when that peripheral is actually plugged in, and the GameCube option only appears when a controller is plugged into port 1. Whichever device is used to confirm "Turn vectrex ON" from the title screen becomes the active scheme; if a Nunchuk or Classic Controller is attached, it's offered as the default the next time the title screen comes up.
Planned features
- Investigate and fix bugs in Bedlam and Polar Rescue
- Lightpen support
- Two player support
Licensing/Copyright
This is not piracy.
The original Vectrex games, manuals, and overlays are the intellectual property of Jay Smith and Smith Engineering. They are not in the public domain.
However, this project operates strictly under the official policy Jay Smith, Vectrex's creator, established in the mid-1990s. That policy permits non-commercial, non-profit reproduction and distribution of Vectrex software and documentation that Smith Engineering originally published and fully owns the rights to, helping preserve the system for enthusiasts.
This policy also extends to all derivative works, including the mods bundled with this software. As for the demos, these have been released as public domain/freeware, per community standard. All mod and demo authors are credited in the credits menu.
