Search found 676 matches

by toot_toot
Thu Mar 28, 2024 9:48 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Starglider being used to gunge children on telly in 1987
Replies: 8
Views: 164

Re: Starglider being used to gunge children on telly in 1987

They’re using the Amiga or ST version of Starglider, here’s the Spectrum version https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/SCRtoImage.php?SCR=/conv_scr/s/Starglider.scr&border=0 The part that represents the cockpit has too many colours and doesn’t use the Spectrum’s default font (which was always made the...
by toot_toot
Wed Mar 27, 2024 8:03 am
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: DenOfGeek : The games that defined the Spectrum
Replies: 31
Views: 515

Re: DenOfGeek : The games that defined the Spectrum

Wanted Monty Mole was definitely a big game on the spectrum, although it was also released on the C64, they were two completely different games. The C64 version was written by Tony Crowther and was more of a Spelunker/Son of Blagger scrolling platform game and was fairly average. The Spectrum versio...
by toot_toot
Tue Mar 26, 2024 11:34 am
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: DenOfGeek : The games that defined the Spectrum
Replies: 31
Views: 515

Re: DenOfGeek : The games that defined the Spectrum

https://www.denofgeek.com/games/the-games-that-defined-the-zx-spectrum The Hobbit Football Manager Jetpac Manic Miner Ant Attack Knight Lore Skool Daze Lords of Midnight Elite Chaos: The Battle of Wizards RoboCop Dizzy A decent list. For me, in order to be the games that “defined” the Spectrum, the...
by toot_toot
Sun Mar 17, 2024 1:50 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Devfinitive Edition (Steve Crow): discussion
Replies: 9
Views: 282

Re: Devfinitive Edition (Steve Crow): discussion

According to the interview with him in Retrogamer issue 72 (here: https://issuu.com/roylazarovich/docs/retro_gamer_072 ) , the last game he programmed/developed was Firelord. After that he concentrated on graphics, working at Hewson and then Probe. He also did a lot of graphics on the C64.
by toot_toot
Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:50 am
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: Amstrad.co.uk...
Replies: 26
Views: 633

Re: Amstrad.co.uk...

According to Whois, the domain is owned by a Benedict Sykes since 2018. The company he is a part of is SEO focused, the link is at the bottom right of the page https://www.vanillacircus.co.uk/ The main site looks like a complete copy of the UK Government site, but for log ins and stuff, it does redi...
by toot_toot
Wed Mar 13, 2024 10:37 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: The best Speccy game by Exxos: vote
Replies: 15
Views: 489

Re: The best Speccy game by Exxos: vote

Exxos is a weird one, I always thought of Captain Blood being published by ERE Informartique. What with the main screen on all the versions saying (c) ERE Informatique! But reading into the backstory of Exxos, it does seem a bit out there. From the Wikipedia entry on ERE Informatique The development...
by toot_toot
Tue Mar 05, 2024 7:08 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: How hard would it be to hack these racers?
Replies: 61
Views: 1735

Re: How hard would it be to hack these racers?

Looking at Enduro Racer, which I’m going to presume uses the same engine as Outrun as it’s by the same authors, and while the timer isn’t exactly matched with a real world clock it’s still a lot faster/smoother. Plus it’s moving a lot of sprites around, the other bikes, trees, the various rocks as w...
by toot_toot
Tue Mar 05, 2024 5:00 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: How hard would it be to hack these racers?
Replies: 61
Views: 1735

Re: How hard would it be to hack these racers?

The weird thing about Outrun, which I’m surprised that nobody pointed out when it was released, is just how S-L-O-W the timer runs at. Like a second in the game timer takes about 2 seconds in real life. And nobody said “that isn’t right”. it’s also strange that the developers didn’t pick up on this,...
by toot_toot
Sun Mar 03, 2024 7:13 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Game versions 48K vs 128K
Replies: 30
Views: 700

Re: Game versions 48K vs 128K

J. Pirés wrote: Sat Mar 02, 2024 7:44 pm Thank you!

About The Abbey of The Crime I highly recommend this game to anyone who hasn't played it yet. There's an English version available for those who don't understand Spanish on SC.
Is there an English hack of this on the Spectrum? I’d love to play it but never found the English version.
by toot_toot
Sun Mar 03, 2024 7:12 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Game versions 48K vs 128K
Replies: 30
Views: 700

Re: Game versions 48K vs 128K

I loved the games that appeared like standard 48K loads, as in they didn’t have a 128K version on the B side, but if they were loaded in 128K mode, you got extra features. Off the top of my head Glider Rider, Renegade, Auf Wiedersehen Monty and Death Wish 3 did this. There were loads more games. Whe...
by toot_toot
Wed Feb 28, 2024 2:57 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Devfinitive Edition (Keith Burkhill): discussion
Replies: 11
Views: 310

Re: Devfinitive Edition (Keith Burkhill): discussion

Space harrier was an incredible achievement and even now looking back on it, it’s possibly the second best conversion of a Sega “super scaler” arcade game (after Super Hang On). There is a 128k enhanced version of Space Harrier, but it’s one of those annoying “enhanced” games which basically consist...
by toot_toot
Sat Feb 24, 2024 1:33 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Devfinitive Edition (Paul Owens): vote
Replies: 11
Views: 345

Re: Devfinitive Edition (Paul Owens): vote

Tough one… Probably Daley Thompson’s Decathlon because it’s probably the best version out of all the platforms, but I also like Mr Wimpy (if you remove the annoying Frogger type screen at the start, otherwise it’s a pretty decent Burger Time clone). The rest of the early Ocean games are similarly go...
by toot_toot
Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:27 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: What on earth is Ball Driver?!?
Replies: 13
Views: 407

Re: What on earth is Ball Driver?!?

I think most of the mags went through a "if it's old it must be sh*t" phase. There was an isometric Run It Again article in Crash where the reviewer absolutely mullered some classics. In fairness the reviewer, Will, came on here and admitted to butchering them to get noticed as it was ver...
by toot_toot
Thu Feb 22, 2024 6:44 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Retroarcadia article about Amaurote on the Spectrum
Replies: 8
Views: 391

Re: Retroarcadia article about Amaurote on the Spectrum

I thought this was great for its time, especially considering it was a budget release. But it could definitely have done with some improvements. Something even simple like press the fire button to launch the bomb and then press it again to detonate it, which would have got round the issue of having ...
by toot_toot
Thu Feb 22, 2024 6:35 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: What on earth is Ball Driver?!?
Replies: 13
Views: 407

Re: What on earth is Ball Driver?!?

I would agree that it’s likely to be Rally Driver… BUT here’s a spanner in the works.. The following month’s SU has this in the charts page, with Rally Driver not in the charts. Unless they’ve just got it wrong and it was knocked out of the top 10, instead of “zooming chartwards”. https://spectrumco...
by toot_toot
Mon Feb 19, 2024 6:31 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Devfinitive Edition (David Jones): discussion
Replies: 13
Views: 391

Re: Devfinitive Edition (David Jones): discussion

I just remembered that Knight Tyme was originally released as a 128k version with the cut down 48k version released afterwards. Plus it was the first original game to be released for the 128k (which makes it even less sense why Spellbound 128 has its own entry as it was released after Spellbound and...
by toot_toot
Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:38 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Devfinitive Edition (David Jones): discussion
Replies: 13
Views: 391

Re: Devfinitive Edition (David Jones): discussion

If we’re going with a 128k version of Spellbound, then you’d also have to have separate 128k versions for Knight Tyme and Stormbringer as they also had their own dedicated 128k releases like Spellbound with extra rooms and enhancements. https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/sinclair/entries/0002722/K...
by toot_toot
Sun Feb 18, 2024 8:58 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Devfinitive Edition (David Jones): discussion
Replies: 13
Views: 391

Re: Devfinitive Edition (David Jones): discussion

According to the Fourth Protocol game manual, Dave Jones was only responsible for the third load section, the SAS Assault. So not the famous bit with the WIMP environment! https://ia600604.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/1/items/World_of_Spectrum_June_2017_Mirror/World%20of%20Spectrum%20Jun...
by toot_toot
Thu Feb 15, 2024 10:28 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?

48K was considered too small by the end of the Spectrum’s original lifespan, with many games being 128K only. So why go backwards? Make the most of the extra memory and AY capabilities! In fact, seeing as I’d imagine most people play via emulation, make the game files larger. Build it around the +3 ...
by toot_toot
Wed Feb 14, 2024 7:16 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: The best Speccy game by Software Supersavers: discussion
Replies: 2
Views: 217

Re: The best Speccy game by Software Supersavers: discussion

They were the budget label of Software Projects and used the same cover illustrator (Roger Tissyman), although the covers for these felt a bit more rushed than the likes of Jet Set Willy! Still, probably good for a collection as all the covers followed a format. I haven’t played that many games by t...
by toot_toot
Wed Feb 07, 2024 8:24 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Battle ships
Replies: 5
Views: 311

Re: Battle ships

Oh if you’re collecting Encore titles (great idea!) then I don’t know if this also counts, it was a cash in, sorry commemorative re-release of Frank Bruno’s Boxing for his fight against Mike Tyson. I think the only difference was the cover, but still called Frank Bruno’s World Championship Boxing ht...
by toot_toot
Wed Feb 07, 2024 5:34 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Battle ships
Replies: 5
Views: 311

Re: Battle ships

It was originally released on the compilation Best of Elite Vol 2, which might explain why it’s down in the DB as originally published by Hit Pak (which was Elite’s brand for some of their early compilations like 6 Pack Vol 1 and Vol 2) https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/sinclair/entries/0011212/B...
by toot_toot
Mon Feb 05, 2024 6:13 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: Tall tales about the spectrum
Replies: 39
Views: 1920

Re: Tall tales about the spectrum

But back to the Speccy, and a mate insisted that he got a lot of Ocean games because his dad worked at the place where they printed the inlays. Even that remark made me think "oh how VERY convenient, yeah riiight". And the games he got were on blank cassettes with none of Ocean's custom l...
by toot_toot
Sun Feb 04, 2024 8:42 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Devfinitive Edition (Paul Holmes): vote
Replies: 19
Views: 569

Re: Devfinitive Edition (Paul Holmes): vote

It's pretty much a lift of the NES game Punch Out! A popular game on that platform but I've never enjoyed it in any incarnation. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/14/Baldbull.png/220px-Baldbull.png It was indeed Punch Out!, but it was the Arcade version of Super Punch Out(which came...
by toot_toot
Sat Feb 03, 2024 2:13 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Slicks (Codemasters) - MIA or just Denied?
Replies: 1
Views: 169

Re: Slicks (Codemasters) - MIA or just Denied?

Good find, I never knew that Slicks was converted to the Spectrum! It’s a weird one, the Supersports Challenge (https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/12148/ZX-Spectrum/Supersports_Challenge) compilation was reviewed in 1993, but only in YS (was it the only Speccy mag at this time?) . The compilation...