Search found 502 matches

by Turtle_Quality
Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:38 pm
Forum: Other Retro Stuff
Topic: Atari 400 Mini
Replies: 15
Views: 890

Re: Atari 400 Mini

Here's a review of the finished product. Seems it is compatible with the Atari 5200, 800XL and a few more Atari models (not the 2600/VCS though)

https://www.timeextension.com/reviews/a ... elcome-one
by Turtle_Quality
Mon Mar 25, 2024 6:06 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: DenOfGeek : The games that defined the Spectrum
Replies: 31
Views: 511

Re: DenOfGeek : The games that defined the Spectrum

It is definitely a good list, but if I was being pedantic, should Elite be on there, what with it being a BBC game. I think most of the others, with the obvious exceptions, were mostly Spectrum exclusives. To be fair, DenOfGeek points that out also - "While I tried to focus on games that were ...
by Turtle_Quality
Thu Mar 14, 2024 1:46 pm
Forum: Other Retro Stuff
Topic: Drastic Nintendo DS Emulator for Android currently free
Replies: 5
Views: 359

Re: Drastic Nintendo DS Emulator for Android currently free

More on the subject... Nintendo are pretty trigger happy with litigation, but I suppose in their defence, they are supporting (some of) their retro catalog on new platforms, so emulation could impact their business. Still I'm glad Amstrad /Sky and Atari have been much more supportive of the emulatio...
by Turtle_Quality
Sat Mar 09, 2024 12:44 am
Forum: Programming
Topic: New Visual Studio assembler / debugger
Replies: 1
Views: 188

New Visual Studio assembler / debugger

Seen on Facebook, I haven't tried it out yet "Here's my new extension for Visual Studio 2022: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items... From the linked page: An extension for Visual Studio 2022 that provides a development environment for Z80 Assembler, currently targeting a simulator for th...
by Turtle_Quality
Wed Mar 06, 2024 8:38 pm
Forum: Other Retro Stuff
Topic: Drastic Nintendo DS Emulator for Android currently free
Replies: 5
Views: 359

Re: Drastic Nintendo DS Emulator for Android currently free

That's a top notch emulator that works especially well with the Retroid handhelds. I paid for it a few years back and have had absolutely no regrets with it. I wonder if the decision to go free was prompted by the recent Nintendo vs Tropical Haze lawsuit. The Verge agrees with you ( though they don...
by Turtle_Quality
Tue Mar 05, 2024 4:14 pm
Forum: Other Retro Stuff
Topic: Drastic Nintendo DS Emulator for Android currently free
Replies: 5
Views: 359

Drastic Nintendo DS Emulator for Android currently free

Normally 5€, ad free

Just popped up on my Appsales app, thought others here of Retro gaming persuasion might be interested


https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... mu.drastic
by Turtle_Quality
Fri Mar 01, 2024 9:13 pm
Forum: Emulators
Topic: New multi platform emulator - Speculator
Replies: 12
Views: 790

Re: New multi platform emulator - Speculator

"Just the name is unfortunate, easy to confuse with Spectaculator."

I did a search here to check it hadn't already been discussed here, and found about 4 or 5 hits where people had mis-typed Spectaculator, plus a couple referring to the Spectrum game Speculator
by Turtle_Quality
Fri Mar 01, 2024 5:58 pm
Forum: Emulators
Topic: New multi platform emulator - Speculator
Replies: 12
Views: 790

New multi platform emulator - Speculator

The author mentioned this on FB - Developed on a Mac environment, ZX Speculator is also tested on Windows and passes all the ZEXDOC tests and FUSE emulator tests. Features Sound: Utilizes OpenAL on Mac and Windows for sound emulation. Integrated Debugger: Includes a built-in debugger for examination...
by Turtle_Quality
Sat Feb 24, 2024 11:56 am
Forum: Hardware
Topic: Question... 2nd joystick button?
Replies: 9
Views: 257

Re: Question... 2nd joystick button?

Just to eliminate the obvious, many emulators can assign joystick / controller buttons to whatever keys you choose.

With real hardware, the question is "Which joystick adapters did support more than just four directions and fire ?"
by Turtle_Quality
Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:23 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: Retroarcadia article about Amaurote on the Spectrum
Replies: 8
Views: 391

Retroarcadia article about Amaurote on the Spectrum

Takes a while to get to the point but interesting read. I didn't really understand what was going on when I played this back in the day, but I remember the in-game 128K music was so spooky and atmospheric ; the first time I heard in-game music that really worked like a film soundtrack https://retroa...
by Turtle_Quality
Sat Feb 03, 2024 7:12 pm
Forum: Design/Ideas
Topic: 1D Pac-Man
Replies: 8
Views: 1179

Re: 1D Pac-Man

Looks like @highrise is working on a version call Pacman Begins
by Turtle_Quality
Mon Jan 29, 2024 7:13 am
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: What, in your eyes, is the worst games software house?
Replies: 40
Views: 1850

Re: What, in your eyes, is the worst games software house?

Someone mentioned them already, but C-Tech, by some distance. They made awful knockoffs of the popular arcade games of the time, always character movement, no animation, no evidence of play testing, no effort on sound effects - just clicks and beeps. That's as I remember them - I'm not going back to...
by Turtle_Quality
Sun Jan 21, 2024 7:00 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: British Crown Dependencies on the ZX Spectrum
Replies: 12
Views: 578

Re: British Crown Dependencies on the ZX Spectrum

A point of order there @R-Tape - the Isle of Wight is England's largest island, but it's still part of England.
Unlike the crown dependencies like the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man that have their own stamps, mint, tax rates and laws.
by Turtle_Quality
Sun Jan 21, 2024 6:13 pm
Forum: Games/Software
Topic: British Crown Dependencies on the ZX Spectrum
Replies: 12
Views: 578

Re: British Crown Dependencies on the ZX Spectrum

There's one other Manx programmer in the database and that's me (Thomas Quillin). Ok I grew up in London, but I was christened on the Island, most of my family are there and that's where I think of as home.

There was also a company called Manx Tapes making business software for the Spectrum.
by Turtle_Quality
Fri Jan 19, 2024 1:24 pm
Forum: ZX Spectrum Next
Topic: Register article about the Next
Replies: 0
Views: 290

Register article about the Next

Today's retro tech article, an interview with Henrique Olifiers

https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/19/ ... trum_next/
by Turtle_Quality
Thu Jan 18, 2024 2:41 pm
Forum: ZX Spectrum Next
Topic: NEXT FAQ’s
Replies: 65
Views: 3430

Re: NEXT FAQ’s

It was never anything formal, I just asked Romantic Robot if they compressed snapshots before saving, they said no. I said I would provide the code if they gave me a resulting updated Multiface. This is not about pursuing rights, just about potential bragging rights But as you say no Multiface code ...
by Turtle_Quality
Thu Jan 18, 2024 1:41 pm
Forum: Other Retro Stuff
Topic: Atari 400 Mini
Replies: 15
Views: 890

Re: Atari 400 Mini

I did try the Atari 400 keyboard at a computer fair before the Spectrum was released, and the Register's comment seems to be pretty fair. So I wonder if Retro Games would try to replicate that keyboard experience should they ever release a full size version. With most machines around at the time, th...
by Turtle_Quality
Thu Jan 18, 2024 12:59 pm
Forum: ZX Spectrum Next
Topic: NEXT FAQ’s
Replies: 65
Views: 3430

Re: NEXT FAQ’s

Thanks @Seven.FFF , that all sounds smart. I was only wondering because I wrote the compression and decompression code for Romantic Robot and so was hoping I had inadvertently contributed to the Next project also
by Turtle_Quality
Thu Jan 18, 2024 10:06 am
Forum: ZX Spectrum Next
Topic: NEXT FAQ’s
Replies: 65
Views: 3430

Re: NEXT FAQ’s

The yellow NMI button is a multiface "red button". The Next has a fully compatible multiface 1/128/3 built in, and can run with those original Romantic Robot ROMs in the non-Next machine personalities. In the Next, it has a custom Multiface ROM that can do some fancier Next-specific thing...
by Turtle_Quality
Tue Jan 16, 2024 6:45 pm
Forum: Other Retro Stuff
Topic: Atari 400 Mini
Replies: 15
Views: 890

Re: Atari 400 Mini

Headline by the Register that made me laugh -

"The Atari400; the only PC with a keyboard so dreadful it challenged the ZX80, now even less usable"
by Turtle_Quality
Tue Jan 16, 2024 6:32 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: The Register on the QL's 40th birthday
Replies: 1
Views: 325

The Register on the QL's 40th birthday

It's retro tech week there so there's more to come

https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/16/ ... /?td=rt-3a
by Turtle_Quality
Tue Jan 16, 2024 3:12 pm
Forum: ZXDB Discussion
Topic: How to detect MCoder II games?
Replies: 29
Views: 1828

Re: How to detect MCoder II games?

Between SkoolKid 's list of 188 and following list of 121 I see that both Light Cycles by PSS and Mazeball went missing ? I went back and checked, though Light Cycles was 16K, Mazeball was 48K - completely unnecessary but might have been done to improve the sound FX In the course of my search I saw ...
by Turtle_Quality
Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:21 pm
Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
Topic: New Rom antics article on the Register
Replies: 1
Views: 227

New Rom antics article on the Register

https://www.theregister.com/2024/01/15/opinion_column_zxspectrum_128/?td=rt-3a It's an interesting read but sounds too wild to be true. The referred story in that article, Hacking of Prince Philip's Prestel (using a Spectrum) is covered at this link https://www.theregister.com/2015/03/26/prestel_hac...
by Turtle_Quality
Fri Jan 12, 2024 5:17 pm
Forum: Programming
Topic: ReSpectrum or ReEditor - Emulator / assembler / monitor
Replies: 0
Views: 256

ReSpectrum or ReEditor - Emulator / assembler / monitor

Don't think it's been mentioned here yet. Still in Beta, some docs (if your browser has built in translation, or you speak Czech) http://respectrum.cz/index_EN.html ● new assembler editor + macro support ● DISASM+ tool ● Font editor ● EN/CZ version ● emulation ZX Spectrum 48K, 128K, +2, +3, Didaktik...