The 1993 game runs on the 1982 console thanks to a modded cartridge. Vector graphics were mostly abandoned in gaming, but small pockets of enthusiasts are still keeping the Vectrex, the only vector-based home console ever released, alive. And what does one do to draw attention to a niche platform? Why, put Doom on it, of course.
We've seen Doom find a home on an odd array of devices, including iPods, graphing calculators and toasters. Unlike many other strange Doom ports, though, the Vectrex version offers a truly unique visual language. That comes from the console's fundamentally different display: instead of a grid of pixels, it steers an electron beam to trace lines on the screen directly. This gives the game its Tron-like appearance, with clean lines that make it seem more like an artistic statement than just another silly port.
How does a console that predates Doom by 11 years run the game? Well, it technically doesn't. Modder Jason Kopp (Arcade Jason) built the demo around his Ultimate Vectrex Multicart 2 (UVMC2), a cartridge that essentially acts as a small plug-in PC. The UVMC2 handles the processing while using the console's built-in CRT for the display. The project also uses an SDK created by modder Daniel Ferrer Guerrero.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing