Search found 781 matches

by XTM
Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:21 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Impossible games...
Replies: 24
Views: 873

Re: Impossible games...

I'm wondering what the deal is with the colours in that Dynamite Dan video. Specifically bright blue and red are ever so slightly off from what they normally look, reminding me a little bit of MSX colours here. Is there a Speccy emulator known for having these colours as default?
by XTM
Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:15 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: Sinclair-related Cambridge sights?
Replies: 8
Views: 222

Re: Sinclair-related Cambridge sights?

Maybe you can go (edit: could have gone) to that park and do a quantum leap yourself ;)
by XTM
Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:34 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Out of context Spectrum games
Replies: 334
Views: 47739

Re: Out of context Spectrum games

It's a real, working ZX81 but with the insides made of chocolate. And considering inflation over the 40+ years, it's actually cheaper than the one in 1981.
It also comes with a free copy of The Brontë Family Adventure, so don't delay, order today ;)
by XTM
Fri Mar 15, 2024 7:22 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Out of context Spectrum games
Replies: 334
Views: 47739

Re: Out of context Spectrum games

It's not quite on topic, but this is very definitely an out of context Sinclair. I was wandering the streets of Haworth today, and saw this rather incongruous zeddy in the window of a chocolate shop! Had a crack with the owner who cut his teeth on it as a youngster, and who recognised me as a fello...
by XTM
Mon Mar 11, 2024 5:15 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: Spectrum memes
Replies: 1216
Views: 197575

Re: Spectrum memes

What's all this talk of yellow or orange ... will no one think of the bright green on non-bright white? It's even brighter than the yellow. Such Speccy representation will not stand!
by XTM
Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:15 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Super rare old Spectrum game discovered!
Replies: 18
Views: 791

Re: Super rare old Spectrum game discovered!

Timmy wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2024 5:04 pm I'd definitely give you -50 quid for it. :D
Mate, that is quite unreasonable. You should at least add -5 packets of Rolo, or, seeing as you are Dutch, -5 stroopwaffels, mmkay?
by XTM
Mon Mar 04, 2024 12:17 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Super rare old Spectrum game discovered!
Replies: 18
Views: 791

Re: Super rare old Spectrum game discovered!

The young padawan (in regards to correct Speccy gfx) needs to know that you can't have bright 1 and bright 0 in the same 8x1 pixel row, or in the same 8x8 pixels attribute cell under "normal" circumstances (=not using any sort of multicolour routine/engine). In any case, Paper and Ink will...
by XTM
Fri Mar 01, 2024 10:05 am
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: Spectrum memes
Replies: 1216
Views: 197575

Re: Spectrum memes

You think that's bad? I paid for a 'subterranean adventure of a lifetime'. (Snip!- Ed.) I could go on, I really could, but thankfully I got out of there, but I advise nobody to repeat what I did. I don't think anyone here would enjoy it. I don't see you complaining about all the valuable minerals y...
by XTM
Thu Feb 29, 2024 3:34 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: Spectrum memes
Replies: 1216
Views: 197575

Re: Spectrum memes

https://i.imgflip.com/8hg0ku.jpg You're probably gettign no likes because there is a lack of context. The only reason I "get" that picture now is that someone randomly posted a YouTube video of some bloke talking of that Glasgow Willy Wonka debacle on a Discord server I'm on. Since it's s...
by XTM
Mon Feb 26, 2024 12:57 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: The 52 games with awards from all three major ZX Spectrum magazines
Replies: 34
Views: 2637

Re: The 52 games with awards from all three major ZX Spectrum magazines

I was a bit surprised not to see Tetris on the list, given the impact it had on video gaming and it's suitability to the graphical limitations of the Spectrum. But sure enough, Crash only deemed it worthy of 77%. Hard to believe it's not worthy, given some of the other games on the list. The major ...
by XTM
Sun Feb 25, 2024 9:47 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: The 20 games with a <= 10% rating from all three major ZX Spectrum magazines
Replies: 16
Views: 474

Re: The 20 games with a <= 10% rating from all three major ZX Spectrum magazines

Am I misunderstanding your thread title? You list games that scored way more than 10% from one or two of the magazines, as confirmed by the averages you mention, yet the thread is called "<= 10% from all three magazines"? To me "from all three" means "The game received a rat...
by XTM
Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:09 am
Forum: Announcements
Topic: Introduce yourself!
Replies: 670
Views: 178834

Re: Introduce yourself!

Not an introduction, but a warm welcome to @Ladderman, the master of Speccy maps who I've seen as the newest member.
by XTM
Tue Feb 20, 2024 9:19 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Guess what Xeno, Double Take, Nightmare Rally, Basket Master, Renegade and Trap have in common
Replies: 13
Views: 418

Re: Guess what Xeno, Double Take, Nightmare Rally, Basket Master, Renegade and Trap have in common

Oh hi Mark ;)
Yes, we had discussed this Video in a thread in 2022 after Mark had linked to something unrelated on his Twitter :)
viewtopic.php?p=84260&hilit=xeno#p84260
by XTM
Tue Feb 20, 2024 12:24 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Guess what Xeno, Double Take, Nightmare Rally, Basket Master, Renegade and Trap have in common
Replies: 13
Views: 418

Re: Guess what Xeno, Double Take, Nightmare Rally, Basket Master, Renegade and Trap have in common

Hard to say what formats these game cases are but I don't think they are 5.25" disks. They are clearly not the smaller "single tape" ones, but the "double tape" ones that Ocean (and apparently many other companies) used for a lot of their games around 1987 or so. They are 14...
by XTM
Mon Feb 19, 2024 6:50 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Guess what Xeno, Double Take, Nightmare Rally, Basket Master, Renegade and Trap have in common
Replies: 13
Views: 418

Re: Guess what Xeno, Double Take, Nightmare Rally, Basket Master, Renegade and Trap have in common

No mention of Star Wars, World War 1, The Tube, Black Lamp, Romulus, Dark Empire, Legions of Death, Lands Of Havoc, Legend of the Sword ...?
by XTM
Mon Feb 19, 2024 9:58 am
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Iconic Character Sprites
Replies: 66
Views: 3070

Re: Iconic Character Sprites

This is quite wonderful, hitm4n. Not only to see these beloved sprites arranged together so thoughtfully, but for them to have a real, physical presence. I wonder how wide it is in total? The piece is so impressive, it feels like it should be a permanent fixture of some British computing museum. Pe...
by XTM
Mon Feb 19, 2024 6:13 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Unnecessary inclusions in games
Replies: 49
Views: 1800

Re: Unnecessary inclusions in games

Nice MSX screenshot of Starquake ;)
by XTM
Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:01 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Your best ZX Spectrum game based on time constraints
Replies: 10
Views: 405

Re: Your best ZX Spectrum game based on time constraints

5 mins: Renegade 3 Already too much. 15 mins: Jetpac I wonder if I can find that trailer? Oops, wrong game, sod it ... 60 mins: Where Time Stood Still That RNGesus better don't send those pig-like dinosaurs at me near the end again, resulting in yet another run where I fail to finish it with all 4 ...
by XTM
Fri Feb 16, 2024 12:15 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: How big should new Speccy games be? 48k? Bigger? Release 2 versions?
Replies: 67
Views: 1647

Re: How big should new Speccy games be? 48k? Bigger? Release 2 versions?

The prospect of having 80k for music (and pictures) as pointed out by Lee Bee sounds interesting. This could immensely help immersion with the game IF the various tunes are made to fit the scenario/feel of the area/scene you are currently playing. Which sadly often isn't the case. As an example that...
by XTM
Thu Feb 15, 2024 7:58 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: How big should new Speccy games be? 48k? Bigger? Release 2 versions?
Replies: 67
Views: 1647

Re: How big should new Speccy games be? 48k? Bigger? Release 2 versions?

... which you'll not get. Forget it. Hate to be the spoilsport, but we have seen this time and time again that coders won't turn up (I'm not saying it never happens, but it seems to be extremely rare). If you have graphics or sound and want something done, you need to start coding yourself. It's alm...
by XTM
Wed Feb 14, 2024 9:38 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: How big should new Speccy games be? 48k? Bigger? Release 2 versions?
Replies: 67
Views: 1647

Re: How big should new Speccy games be? 48k? Bigger? Release 2 versions?

I voted the first option, but I must admit I find a bit ridiculous to see such a large number of releases that say they are for 128k Spectrum, yet when you look at the actual game you don't really see why. They tend to be AGD games most of the time anyway, as there are very little non-AGD games rele...
by XTM
Wed Feb 14, 2024 10:54 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Unnecessary inclusions in games
Replies: 49
Views: 1800

Re: Unnecessary inclusions in games

What was the point of all those shooting range type sections in Combat School if you take on the final mission barehanded? They had to train you with those guns, but the training left them without any ammo at the time the final mission took place ;) Also, I really hated that arm wrestling event in ...
by XTM
Mon Feb 12, 2024 1:04 am
Forum: Graphics
Topic: Iconic Character Sprites
Replies: 66
Views: 3070

Re: Iconic Character Sprites

Is Thing T. Thing from the Addams Family helping you with this ... thing? ;)
by XTM
Mon Feb 05, 2024 11:39 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: Tall tales about the spectrum
Replies: 39
Views: 1920

Re: Tall tales about the spectrum

http://www.masis.co.uk/us_gold_information.htm (this has to be the hardest web page in the world to read!) Ugh, that background is horrible indeed. What I'd usually do in a rare case like this is to copy all the text into a text file and just read it there. But that won't work in case of annoying s...
by XTM
Sat Feb 03, 2024 5:35 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: R-type question
Replies: 54
Views: 1996

Re: R-type question

I was very impressed with the "no shooting" video that Xela posted. In the comments section of that, someone mentioned your ship in the arcade version has only a 1 pixel hitbox in its center, something that became a sort of standard for those bullet hell games that came much later. I had n...