Playable Vectrex game
About Patriots
Protect six cities with ground batteries in John Dondzila’s 1996 Missile Command-inspired Vectrex homebrew Patriots.
- Collection
- Games
- Classification
- Independent / homebrew
- Catalog year
- 1996
- Programmed by
- John Dondzila
- Designed by
- John Dondzila
- Publisher
- Classic Game Creations
- Genre
- Missile-defense shooter
- Players
- 1 player
- Research confidence
- verified
- ROM editions
- 2
- Browser controls
- Keyboard, joystick, or gamepad
Development and history
Patriots first appeared publicly in April 1996 and was part of John Dondzila’s early “Vectrex Returns” wave. It followed Vector Vaders in helping establish that new commercial-quality software could be created for the discontinued console.
Dondzila later revisited the concept as Patriots Remix and Patriots III: Ballistics Busters. Those versions improved graphics, sound, controls, and weapon behavior, turning Patriots into a small series that spans several major homebrew cartridges.
This page groups 2 ROM editions under one stable URL instead of creating duplicate search pages for alternate dumps or revisions. The primary edition loads automatically; the other editions remain available in the in-app library.
Gameplay and background
Aim defensive fire from ground batteries to intercept missiles, smart bombs, and airborne launchers before they destroy the six bases. Surviving later waves requires choosing targets quickly and preserving working cannons.
How to play in Vectrexia
- Move with the Arrow keys or WASD. Compatible controllers can use the left analog stick or D-pad.
- Vectrex buttons 1–4 map to Z, X, C, and V, and to the standard face buttons on most gamepads.
- Press a controller button after connecting it so the browser can expose the gamepad to the page.
Audio may begin after the first click, key press, or controller input because browsers can restrict autoplay.
Research sources
Available editions
Alternate dumps and revisions share this canonical page to avoid duplicate search pages. Choose a specific edition from the in-app Library.