Just recently got a Pitrex setup that has a 1Ghz cpu + 512mb of ram on-board with a Raspberry Pi Zero W motherboard setup and an Ombertech produced Pitrex cartridge + a 32gb sized micro SDHC card with pre-loaded Mame vector arcade roms. It's more powerful than the Vecfever flash cart setup (that easily sells north of $2,000+ if it ever pops up for sale on the secondary Vectrex collector's market which is very seldom nowadays). It's quite awesome to be able to play Atari Inc's Star Wars vector-based arcade game circa 1983 and even the 1981 classic of Tempest as well. It's nice to have the option to play said arcade rom in either tate or yoko format if so desired (which is a plus in my book).
Considering that the Vectrex's screen refresh rate caps at 50hz, that's the upper limit when running those classic arcade vector-based game roms indeed (when the original arcade vector-based games ran at 60hz). The only minor issue/gripe is that high scores aren't saved for posterity when "powering down" the Pitrex for the night -- but most early 1980s arcade games never did save such high scores when turned off & rebooted again the next day.
----------
The only three arcade vector-based roms not present on the Pitrex are Atari's "The Empire Strikes Back" rom (arcade game conversion kits that Atari sold to arcades back in 1985 for converting existing Star Wars cabs), the rare Cinematronics 1983 arcade game of "Cosmic Chasm" and lastly, the rare but seldomly seen arcade game title of "Aztarac" -- are those three particular roms playable on the Pitrex? It's been said that the Pitrex requires a specific Mame v223 build romset in order for the Mame vector roms to play/run properly/correctly.
----------
Back in 2002, the rare Vectrex-based Zektor ZVG (Zektor Vector Generator) pcb allowed one to hook up a PC notebook or PC tower to run Mame vector roms (but the pcb could only be connected to the Vectrex monitor itself and wasn't able to interface via the Vectrex's cartridge slot). I can recall that the guy whom had a prototype Zektor ZVG pcb up & running at the 2002 California Extreme show was taking pre-orders for them at the discounted price of $220.00 instead of the usual $240.00 suggested price. I was seriously thinking about pre-ordering one at the '02 CAX show but passed up on it due to the initial high price for one (both the Vecfever and Pitrex are loaded through the Vectrex's cart slot for easier use nowadays which in retrospect, that the Zektor ZVG pcb should've used a cartridge interface from the very beginning rather than being hooked directly to the Vectrex monitor itself thus bypassing the cart slot entirely). I asked the guy if it was possible to play Vectrex games and still be able to use the Zektor ZVG pcb -- he said that it wasn't possible at the time. By 2002-2003, the Zektor ZVG pcb was the only way to be able to play Mame vector games with a Vectrex console until the advent of the Vecfever & Pitrex (circa 2019-2020) when it became feasible to play arcade vector emulation through the Vectrex's cart slot as originally intended.
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Pitrex on the Vectrex -- play Mame vector arcade games on it
-
PC Engine Fan X!
- Posts: 9092
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
-
PC Engine Fan X!
- Posts: 9092
- Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:32 pm
Re: Pitrex on the Vectrex -- play Mame vector arcade games on it
Eureka! Found the sweet spot to running/playing Atari's classic 1983 vector-based "Star Wars" with a PiTrex running on a Vectrex setup. Requires a second Vectrex control panel or 3rd-party controller/gamepad/arcade stick hooked to the Player 2 controller port.
1.) Launch the "SBT" (Static Binary Translation) arcade rom of Star Wars. Before crediting up a game, hit button #2 on the second Vectrex controller to pull up the Setting Menu.
2.) With the Setting Menu on-screen, press down on the first Vectrex controller and select the "Vectrex Hz" and move the slider until it's set at "50 hertz."
3.) Next, select "App Hz" and select "Hertz 33" via slider switch and hit button #4 on player 1 connected Vectrex controller to "lock in" the selected parameter settings.
You'll see that Star Wars runs more fluidly and with a better framerate (akin to how the original SW upright and deluxe sit-down cabs run but at 60hz instead). Of course, 50 hz is the maximum that the Vectrex can run games at.
Plus, you can play SW in either tate or yoko mode if so desired, just select "Orientation" and move the slider to your preferred screen orientation selection from within the "Settings Menu" -- easy as pie.
It's recommended that your Vectrex is professionally adjusted and calibrated -- your Vectrex gaming sessions will look at their best indeed (compared to a "stock" unadjusted Vectrex console setup from 1982-1983).
Enjoy!
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
1.) Launch the "SBT" (Static Binary Translation) arcade rom of Star Wars. Before crediting up a game, hit button #2 on the second Vectrex controller to pull up the Setting Menu.
2.) With the Setting Menu on-screen, press down on the first Vectrex controller and select the "Vectrex Hz" and move the slider until it's set at "50 hertz."
3.) Next, select "App Hz" and select "Hertz 33" via slider switch and hit button #4 on player 1 connected Vectrex controller to "lock in" the selected parameter settings.
You'll see that Star Wars runs more fluidly and with a better framerate (akin to how the original SW upright and deluxe sit-down cabs run but at 60hz instead). Of course, 50 hz is the maximum that the Vectrex can run games at.
Plus, you can play SW in either tate or yoko mode if so desired, just select "Orientation" and move the slider to your preferred screen orientation selection from within the "Settings Menu" -- easy as pie.
It's recommended that your Vectrex is professionally adjusted and calibrated -- your Vectrex gaming sessions will look at their best indeed (compared to a "stock" unadjusted Vectrex console setup from 1982-1983).
Enjoy!
PC Engine Fan X! ^_~
Re: Pitrex on the Vectrex -- play Mame vector arcade games on it
Sounds awesome. I'll have to google the youtubes to see how easy it is to set up