| 72 Game Multicart | |
 Comparison of cartridge sizes | |
| Creator | Andrew Coleman |
| Release Date | 2008 |
| Genre | Hardware Multicart |
| Modes | Single player 1-2 players alternating |
| Media | Cartridge |
Background[]
While the "father of the Vectrex" Jay Smith did not make all official releases for the Vectrex public domain, he did give permission for developers to reproduce them and manufacture multicarts as long as profit was marginal. Many developers have capitalized on this to attempt to make the most all-encompassing multicart, and Andrew Coleman of Blazin'Games created his attempt, this 72 Game Multicart, in 2008.
Background/features[]
Every single official Vectrex game ever released excluding AnimAction, which requires built-in RAM. A lot of homebrews, prototypes and demos are included.
While a lot of multicarts have gone to the versatility of USB or SD card programmability, it was a different take to have a menu-operated multicart when homebrewer Sean Kelly or even Andrew Coleman released their multicarts. Most predating multicarts used DIP switches for game selection.
Since Sean Kelly has manufactured multicarts for many years, he has not supplied reproduction cartridge shells to other developers producing multicarts. This has prompted many developers to come up with other ways to make professional packaging designs. While some have painted bare PCBs, others have utilized their own 3D printed cartridge designs, and some have even resorted to re-purposing Intellivision cartridge shells. Andy Coleman had his own cartridge shells made from plastic.
Controls[]
- Select category--left/right on joystick or D-pad
- Select game--up/down on joystick or D-pad
Content[]
Content is broken into 8 categories - Original games, prototypes, hacked original games, 3D games, Light Pen games, homebrew games, homebrew game demos, and miscellaneous demos.
Original Games[]
- Armor Attack
- Bedlam
- Berzerk
- Blitz!
- Clean Sweep
- Cosmic Chasm
- Fortress of Narzod
- Heads Up Action Soccer
- Hyperchase
- Polar Rescue
- Pole Position
- Rip Off
- Scramble
- Solar Quest
- Space Wars
- Spike
- Spinball
- Star Castle
- Star Hawk
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture
- Web Wars
Prototypes[]
- Mr. Boston
- Dark Tower
- Engine Analyzer
- Mine Storm 2
- Pitcher's Duel
- Polar Rescue Prototype
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture Prototype
- Test Cartridge (Revision 4)
- Tour de France
Hacked Original Games[]
- Armor Attack (Spinner hack)
- Bedlam (Spinner hack)
- Berzerk Debugged
- Mine Storm 3 (Fred Taft hack)
- Mine Storm II (Spinner hack)
- Narrow Escape 2D
- Pole Position (Spinner hack)
- Star Trek (Controller hack)
3D Games[]
Light Pen Games[]
- Art Master
- Melody Master
Homebrew Games[]
Hangman game exclusive to the 72:1 Multicart
- All Good Things
- City Bomber
- Hangman
- Patriots
- Patriots III Ballistic Busters
- Rockaroids
- Spike Hoppin'
- Spike's Water Balloons
- Vector Vaders
- V-Frogger
- V-Pong
Homebrew Game Demos[]
- Abyss
- B.E.T.H. demo
- Disc Duel
- Vecsports Kingpin
- Nonagalf
- Spike Goes Skiing (Beta)
- Vexperience
- Yoehl
- Ztagger
Miscellaneous Demos[]
- All Your Base
- Bach Prelude #1
- BB2
- My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
- No Sound
- Oldsk00l
- Vectrex demo 3
- Vimpula
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Trivia[]
- A "Lite" version was also released as a bare PCB, rather than a cartridge, having all the features of the regular 72 Game Multicart[1].
- The multicart is four megabits in size, being one of the largest hardware pieces for the Vectrex to date.
- Since Andrew Coleman included City Bomber on his 72 Game Multicart, he decided to discontinue the dedicated City Bomber cartridge.
- The intro music for the 72 Game Multicart is the same as Solar Quest.
- The 72 Game Multicart was not tested on original non-buzz Vectrex units (checksum 7ADB or serial numbers 4xxxxxx and 311xxxx). The BIOS causes play problems with these units.
Links[]
- Blazin'Games (72 Game Multicart official website)
- retrotowers (72 Game Multicart retailer)
References[]
- ↑ 72 Game Multicart Official site.
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This article was featured from September - October, 2016.