Podcasts, radio shows, writing and more by Alex Fitch
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Clear Spot: Past, Present, and Future Vectrexes
October 30, 2023
Clockwise from top left: Alpine Rescue menu screen, Share Squid software logo, stills from Alpine Rescue, Chris Romero in a Vectrex T-shirt, games by Future Vector, Ben ‘Rasmasynth’
Past, Present, and Future Vectrexes: In a Clear Spot looking at the Past, Present and Future of the Vectrex Arcade Console, Alex Fitch talks to a couple of programmers for the machine, and a collector / expert on the system. Benoit Bender from Future Vector / Rasmasynth discusses his latest collection of games – Vectral – being released for the Vectrex and his previous titles such as WireOut, Jon Day chats about his forthcoming game Alpine Rescue, and archivist Chris Romero explores his history of collecting for the platform.
Partially broadcast 27th October 2023 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London) (more…)
Next week’s show: Past, Present and Future Vectrexes
October 22, 2023
Clockwise from top left: Alpine Rescue menu screen, Share Squid software logo, stills from Alpine Rescue, Chris Romero in a Vectrex T-shirt, games by Future Vector, Ben ‘Rasmasynth’
In a Clear Spot looking at the Past, Present and Future of the Vectrex Arcade Console, Alex Fitch talks to a couple of programmers for the machine, and a collector / expert on the system. Benoit Bender from Future Vector / Rasmasynth discusses his latest collection of games – Vectral – being released for the Vectrex and his previous titles such as WireOut, Jon Day chats about his forthcoming game Alpine Rescue, and archivist Chris Romero explores his history of collecting for the platform.
8pm (BST), Friday 27th October 2023, repeat broadcast 10am (GMT), Monday 30th October, Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com (more…)
Clear Spot: The Vectrex at 40
November 1, 2022
Cover of Vec-Man / photos of Prof. Peer Johannsen and Steve Hopkins / mock-up of Vectrex with Vyrzon on screen / cover of Vecrex Multi-Cart / photo of Sean Kelly
The Vectrex at 40: Alex Fitch presents a show celebrating the 40th anniversary of the much loved, but obscure video game console the Vectrex: programmer Steve Hopkins talks about his forthcoming shoot-em-up Vyrzon published by Minsoft Games and influenced by classic shooters such as Space Invaders, publisher Sean Kelly discusses reviving long lost games for the platform such as Dark Tower and A Crush of Lucifer, and lecturer Prof. Peer Johannsen chats about training a new generation of coders at Pforzheim University, and making his own new games such as Vec-Man and Rotor.
Partially broadcast 28th October 2022 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: Vyrzon publisher Minsoft games’ twitter account
Sean Kelley’s Vectrex website
Info about the 2022 Vectrex Academy taught by Prof. Peer Johannsen at Pforzheim University
Buy Peer’s Vectrex titles Vecman, Rotor and Gyrostronomy / Gystrology from Packrat Games
Info about Vector War XII / International Play your Vectrex Day
Previous Clear Spots about the Vectrex
Next week’s shows: Doctor Who spin-offs / the Vectrex at 40
October 23, 2022
Covers of Doctor Who: Forty volumes 1 and 2, Vecman game, mock-up of Vectrex with Vyrzon installed, cover of Vectrex Multicart, photos of Sean Kelly, Matthew Jacobs, covers of The Black Archive 25, Faction Paradox: The Boulevard, photos of Peer Johannsen and Steve Hopkins
Alex Fitch presents two programmes celebrating aspects of pop culture hitting 40th anniversary dates in their history… In the gap between the end of one incarnation of Doctor Who and the start of another, spin-off material related to the show keeps fans entertained in its absence: Janet Fielding talks about reviving her character Tegan in audio dramas, Matthew Jacobs and Vanessa Yuille discuss their documentary Doctor Who Am I about fandom, and Stuart Douglas chats about publishing imprint Obverse Books which explores offbeat corners of the Whoniverse.
Also, in a look at much loved, but obscure video game console the Vectrex, programmer Steve Hopkins talks about forthcoming shoot-em-up Vyrzon, publisher Sean Kelly discusses reviving long lost games for the platform, and lecturer Prof. Peer Johannsen chats about training a new generation of coders at Pforzheim University, and making his own new games.
Doctor Who: 13, 26, 40 (ish) is broadcast at 8pm, Thursday 27th October, repeated 10am Friday 28th October on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com
40 Years of the Vectrex is broadcast at 8pm, Friday 28th October, repeated 10am Monday 31st October on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com (more…)
Clear Spot: Sound and Vectrexians
October 30, 2021
Fell holds a prototype Vecribbon overlay / anticlockwise screen shots from Vecribbon, Raiding Party, Holzer Vectrex generated hand and polyhederon / Derek Holzer at Zagreb Vector Hack Festival 2018
Sound and Vectrexians: In a Clear Spot looking at new uses for the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine by Milton Bradley from 1983, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of creators who use the machine to generate graphics paired with unique sounds. Programmer ‘Fell’ discusses his titles Raiding Party and 3D Vector Space Cab, plus forthcoming game Vecribbon, as part of the programming team Shattered Screens. Audiovisual artist Derek Holzer explains how he hacks the Vectrex to allow input of frequencies which generate complex images on the screen of the device, and can be manipulated for artistic effect.
Partially broadcast 29th October 2021 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: Shattered Screens website including free demos and Vecribbon preorder
Derek Holzer website including article on Vector synthesis art
Videos by Derek Holzer on Vimeo and youtube
Vectrex fandom website including page on International Play Your Vectrex Day
Vectrex ProGaming Boards pages (more…)
Next week’s show: Sound and Vectrexians
October 19, 2021
— 1 Comment
On Friday October 29th at 8.00pm on Resonance 104.4 FM and DAB, Clear Spot: Sound and Vectrexians
Fell holds a prototype Vecribbon overlay / anticlockwise screen shots from Vecribbon, Raiding Party, Holzer Vectrex generated hand and polyhederon / Derek Holzer at Zagreb Vector Hack Festival 2018
In a Clear Spot looking at new uses for the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine by Milton Bradley from 1983, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of creators who use the machine to generate graphics paired with unique sounds. Programmer ‘Fell’ discusses his titles Raiding Party and 3D Vector Space Cab, plus forthcoming game Vecribbon, as part of the programming team Shattered Screens. Audiovisual artist Derek Holzer explains how he hacks the Vectrex to allow input of frequencies which generate complex images on the screen of the device, and can be manipulated for artistic effect.
8pm (BST), Friday 29th October 2021, repeat broadcast 10am (GMT), Monday 1st November, Resonance 104.4 FM and DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Shattered Screens website including free demos and Vecribbon preorder
Derek Holzer website including article on Vector synthesis art
Videos by Derek Holzer on Vimeo and youtube
Vectrex fandom website including page on International Play Your Vectrex Day
Vectrex ProGaming Boards pages (more…)
Clear Spot: Vectrexians
October 29, 2020
— 4 Comments
Onscreen Vectrex graphics for “Galaxy Wars / Space Launcher” and “Every Day is Halloween” and Glowing Pumpcart Cassette by Binary Star Software + Box cover for “Vextrexians” and graphics with overlay for “Vector Patrol” by Tutsoft, Zara plays Vectrex
Vectrexians: In a Clear Spot looking at the continuing good fortunes of the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine distributed in the UK by Milton Bradley in 1983, Alex Fitch talks to programmers Chris Malcolm and Kristof Tuts about their new games for the console, and to graphic novelist Zara Slattery about her experiences of playing the Vectrex and teenage years in arcades.
Partially broadcast 29th October 2020 on Resonance 104.4 FM / DAB (London)
For more audio formats to download and stream, please visit archive.org
Links: Kristof Tuts’ website
Chris Malcolm’s website and ebay page
Zara Slattery’s website
Vectrex fandom website including page on International Play Your Vectrex Day
Vectrex ProGaming Boards pages on International Play Your Vectrex Day and the week long competition – ‘Vector War X’ (31st Oct – Nov 7th) (more…)
This Week’s show: Vectrexians
October 24, 2020
On Thursday October 29th at 8.00pm on Resonance 104.4 FM and DAB, Clear Spot: Vectrexians
Onscreen Vectrex graphics for “Galaxy Wars / Space Launcher” and “Every Day is Halloween” and Glowing Pumpcart Cassette by Binary Star Software + Box cover for “Vextrexians” and graphics with overlay for “Vector Patrol” by Tutsoft, Zara plays Vectrex
In a Clear Spot looking at the continuing good fortunes of the Vectrex games console, an arcade style machine distributed in the UK by Milton Bradley in 1983, Alex Fitch talks to programmers Chris Malcolm and Kristof Tuts about their new games for the console, and to graphic novelist Zara Slattery about her experiences of playing the Vectrex and teenage years in arcades.
8pm, Thursday 29th October 2020, repeat broadcast 10am, Friday 30th October, Resonance 104.4 FM and DAB (London) / broadcast streamed at www.resonancefm.com / Resonance Replay stream on mixcloud.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
Links: Kristof Tuts’ website
Chris Malcolm’s website and ebay page
Zara Slattery’s website
Vectrex fandom website including page on International Play Your Vectrex Day
Vectrex ProGaming Boards pages on International Play Your Vectrex Day and the week long competition – ‘Vector War X’ (31st Oct – Nov 7th) (more…)
Panel Borders and other podcasts 
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