August Sideletter - Back to Vectors
#vectrex #pitrex #vexxon #retrogaming #retrogamedev #laser
Back to Vectors
Quick note: I’ve been heads-down with projects, the job, and life—now the updates return.
The laser arcade I’ve been building (vec3x)
Over the last months I’ve been prototyping a laser-driven vector arcade platform—think crisp, beam-drawn graphics on real hardware. The project is in alpha with the core laser implementation, a hardware prototype, and six starter games lined up. You can peek at it here: vec3x.com.
Why this matters for my retro work: exploring a modern laser pipeline forced me to upgrade my engine, workflows, and tooling (all in C). Those upgrades roll straight back into my Vectrex ecosystem.
What it means for Vectrex & PiTrex
Short version: all of my games also run on PiTrex. No caveats to announce today. I’m not adding install guides or perf notes in this post—this is a direction update—but the intention is clear: when I build or update a game, it targets both Vectrex and PiTrex.
Vexxon, rewritten
If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been deep in Vexxon. Here’s the state of play:
Replaced by a newly rewritten Vexxon.
The rewrite exists to align with laser compatibility, engine changes, and a C-only codebase.
It’s mostly finished. I’ll keep timelines close for now and show, not tell.
This “new Vexxon” will be the first game in the renewed cadence (details below).
The plan from here
I’m changing how I publish so you get a steady flow and more variety.
Monthly cadence. One focused game each month.
1 game per 1–2 posts. Typically a dev-story post, then a follow-up with extras (tutorials, binaries, tips).
More two-player. Expect more versus titles first. Current hardware focus is Vectrex controls, with broader controller support coming.
Binaries included. I’ll attach downloadable binaries with each relevant release post.
Where to talk. Substack comments are the feedback channel; I’ll aim to reply within 72 hours.
This month
I’ll kick off with the updated Vexxon: why I rewrote it, what changed in the engine, and how the new pipeline enables both Vectrex and PiTrex builds. A short tutorial will follow, along with binaries.
If a month slips…
I’ll slot in a dev diary or a short demo and leave a brief note about the schedule—nothing dramatic, just enough to keep you in the loop.
What I’m excited about
A single engine path that serves Vectrex, PiTrex, and my laser arcade experiments.
Designing around two-player from the start, not as an afterthought.
Shorter, tighter posts that don’t wait for “big reveal” energy—just steady progress you can play.
See you in the vectors!