Using MAME for Vectrex, not working, how to fix?

[DaveC1964]

I am trying to use MAME 246 for running Vectrex console games.  I managed to import the titles and they show in the LB  interface.  When I select a game nothing happens.  I am not sure what I am doing wrong.  Do the ROMs need to be in a special MAME format or does the regular GAME.bin or GAME.vec files work?  If special format how to convert?  Does it need a BIOS and if so how should it be named for MAME?   is there some other thing I missed? I am no expert on this and am at a loss to get it working.  Thanks.

Edited August 31, 2022 by DaveC1964

[JoeViking245]

First things first is to get them working directly in MAME before attempting to launch them via LaunchBox.  Once you know they work through the emulator, THEN you can work on getting them to work in LaunchBox.

You should keep the ROMs in their original .zip format.  Example the game "Blitz!" will be "blitz.zip".  This has always been the "special MAME format".

You also need the System ROM "vectrex.zip".

 

Now that you know they work directly in MAME:

Did you setup a Custom Command Line Parameter for the Platform in the emulator settings?

vectrex -cart

 

[DaveC1964]

What I mean by special MAME format is that an arcade game like pac-man has a zip file with a bunch of separate ROMs in it such as a hex string, not a single file called pacman.bin or something like that.  I have Vectrex ROMs called for example blitz.vec.  Is that right or should they be blitz.bin or something like 2456f4332.bin, 104b6e5f332.bin etc?  Is there anything special about MAME compatible Vectrex ROMs or are they just the usual ones floating around in "Vectrex full set"  used for other emulators?

I have a bios file called vectrex.vec.  Is that what should be in the zip file or something else?  I even saw one place that wanted the BIOS called something like (GCE Vectrex (World).bin) .  Everyone seems to want something different, I don't know what MAME is looking for.   There really is no good info on it that I can find.

I did try adding vectrex -cart in LB, didn't work.

I tried in MAME as you said but got the files incorrect error.

 

Edited September 1, 2022 by DaveC1964

[JoeViking245]

The several MAME ROM zips I looked in for Vectrex games all had single bin files.  And MAME should be able to play the unzipped, single file ROMs.  Vectrex ROMs can be .bin, .gam and .vec    So your blitz.vec should work.

To use the unzipped ROMs, you'll need to have the command line point to the "full/path/to/the/rom.bin"  Example:  mame.exe vectrex -cart "D:\MAME\roms\vectrex\blitz.vec"

 

As for the vextrex System file (vextrex.zip), the MAME zip I have has 2 bin files.

And based on the xml file for Vexctrex, MAME is going to be looking for those 2 files (inside the zip).

 

You may get lucky and MAME will read your vectrec.vec file as is.  That part I really don't know.  Can you just put that file into a zip?  Don't know that either. 

[DaveC1964]

It must be that I have the wrong BIOS.

Edit: I found the BIOS you mentioned and now it does work in MAME.  Will have to try in LB now. 

I have emulated the Vectrex on every system such as Android, Linux,  etc but never needed one in this format.  Leave it to MAME to need an odd one.

 

Edited September 1, 2022 by DaveC1964