In late 2019, SmokeMonster covered a back-then newly-started open source Vectrex rom-cart project by Rattboi and Technobly, labeled Vextreme.
The developers got initially inspired by Spritesmod’s unreleased Vectrex Extreme cart and decided to carry on with the original concept and eventually turn it into a mature releasable product.
Jason from GameTechUS stepped in and produced his own version of the Vextreme and is now selling it through his website for ~60$. The cart can be purchased immediately, as of the writing of this post.
#Vextreme new #Vectrex flash cart finally up for sale!
These are ready to ship, this is not a pre order!
Thanks to @collingall for getting the case redone, looks awesome!https://t.co/EM4crgOCS9— GameTechUS (@GameTechUS) March 13, 2020
Here’s a summarized list of the Vextreme‘s features and specifications:
- 16 MB of internal storage
- USB-C connector for interfacing with PC or phone
- No setup required, just copy the files (roms) to the detected-as-thumb-drive cart
- Automatically generated Everdrive-like menu
- Compatible with the 10 MB music video demo Bad Apple
Unlike older Vectrex multi-carts (like the 72 Game Multicart) the Vextreme won’t be preloaded with games so the user will have to provide his/her own rom files. It goes without saying that the entire Vectrex original library (around 30 games) will play just fine here but in my opinion Vectrex homebrew enthusiasts will get a kick out of it the most, especially considering the abundance of new titles that have seen the light of day during the past 10-15 years.
Greg Collins from Laserbear Industries, is responsible for the stunning translucent LED-powered case/shell that covers GameTechUS‘s PCB.
PS: The assembled version that is currently being sold by GameTechUS is based on the original 0.2 version of Vextreme which had a design flaw (that has been rectified in the later revision) where the solder mask is bumped up around where the pins lay; that could potentially lead to connectivity problems.
All in all, this is a great modern solution for Vectrex owners, and at the aforementioned asking price, it might be the best at the moment.
Buy the Vextreme here: https://www.game-tech.us/product/vextreme/
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. http_request_failed: A valid URL was not provided. URL: https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?SearchIndex=All&multipageStart=0&multipageCount=20&Operation=GetResults&Keywords=B07DC5PPFV&InstanceId=0&TemplateId=MobileSearchResults&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US Cache: AAL_7a48f62ee0f045a18c86a8d13e6e82cd
