Modder Brings Doom to the Vectrex With Tron-Like Vector Graphics

The project is not a native port. The Vectrex predates Doom by 11 years, and Kopp’s demo is built around his Ultimate Vectrex Multicart 2, or UVMC2. According to Engadget, the cartridge essentially acts as a small plug-in PC: it handles processing while the Vectrex’s built-in CRT is used for display. Audio comes through the cartridge’s separate 3.5mm output. The project also uses an SDK created by modder Daniel Ferrer Guerrero.

The Vectrex is described as the only vector-based home console ever released. Instead of a grid of pixels, it steers an electron beam to trace lines directly on the screen. That display method gives the Doom demo clean lines and a Tron-like appearance. Engadget reported that this makes the version look more like an artistic statement than just another silly port, even though Doom has already been put on devices including iPods, graphing calculators and toasters.

Vector graphics were mostly abandoned in gaming, but small groups of enthusiasts have continued to support the Vectrex. Engadget, citing Time Extension, said Kopp’s work is one of the more notable Doom visual presentations, despite the caveat that it does not run natively on the console.

Editor's Summary

Jason Kopp has built a Doom demo for the Vectrex using his Ultimate Vectrex Multicart 2, which handles processing while the console’s CRT displays vector graphics and audio exits through a 3.5mm jack. The demo is not a native Vectrex port, but its Tron-like line rendering gives Doom an unusual visual form and highlights the small community keeping vector-based gaming alive.