Search found 2297 matches
- Thu May 09, 2024 1:42 pm
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: Why didn't the Spectrum have an FPS?
- Replies: 33
- Views: 914
Re: Why didn't the Spectrum have an FPS?
- aim by moving the protagonist using movement controls (e.g. if there's an aiming cursor it appears in the middle of the screen, rather than the screen not moving and you moving the cursor) This is a quite strict part of definition but I checked Wikipedia and you're right, it's there. So games usi...
- Wed May 08, 2024 11:40 am
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: Hidden message in Predator
- Replies: 14
- Views: 367
Re: Hidden message in Predator
This program was written in an incredible two months in Leeds and the last week in a hell-hole called Southampton - nothing against the people that live in Southampton, but we did see only three other people the whole time we were there! So they were locked for a week in some room without windows, ...
- Mon May 06, 2024 10:43 am
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: Why didn't the Spectrum have an FPS?
- Replies: 33
- Views: 914
Re: Why didn't the Spectrum have an FPS?
FPS games in practice started with Wolfenstein in 1992. Wolfenstein uses a technique which wasn't known in the 80s - raycasting. Raycasting is in many ways more limited that standard 3D vector graphics but is much faster. It made Wolfenstein possible. If it was to be made with vectors, it would be t...
- Sat May 04, 2024 12:05 pm
- Forum: Emulators
- Topic: Enhanced ZX Speccy (Alike system?)
- Replies: 9
- Views: 375
Re: Enhanced ZX Speccy (Alike system?)
If I understand correctly, you'd like to have an "emulator" of some unexisting machine which you call "enhanced Zx Spectrum". Yet it has modern graphic resolution, colour depth and is probably free of attribute limitations. Am I missing something or are you trying basically to em...
- Fri May 03, 2024 11:44 am
- Forum: Brand new software!
- Topic: Jet Set Steamboat Willie
- Replies: 10
- Views: 512
Re: Jet Set Steamboat Willie
Funny game. And the music from Lee Bee is great, it has that 30s charleston vibe. It may seem at first to be a Jet Set Willy clone but it looks like it's done with AGD and not the actual Jet Set Willy engine. Which is actually quite good. When you touch an enemy, you don't lose a life, just a bit of...
- Tue Apr 30, 2024 2:54 pm
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: problems with sjasm
- Replies: 4
- Views: 301
Re: problems with sjasm
I can't help you directly with your case but may have some hint. Personally I do it in a different way. I always complile a single file which has in its code "pointers" to more files. There are instructions like INCLUDE or INCBIN to achieve it like: INCLUDE <Graphics.asm> INCLUDE <Menu.asm...
- Mon Apr 29, 2024 9:36 pm
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: Coincidence!
- Replies: 69
- Views: 2180
Re: Coincidence!
Viper III - the original: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/5584/ZX-Spectrum/Viper_III https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/SCRtoImage.php?SCR=pub/sinclair/screens/load/v/scr/ViperIII.scr&border=0 Gwiezdne Imperium - the ripoff: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/21539/ZX-Spectrum/Gwiezdne_Imp...
- Mon Apr 29, 2024 7:42 pm
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: A crap version of...
- Replies: 18
- Views: 624
Re: A crap version of...
Some more: Chase H.Q II is a crap version of Chase H.Q: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/SCRtoImage.php?SCR=/conv_scr/c/ChaseH.Q.II-SpecialCriminalInvestigation.scr&border=0 --------------------- Mountie Mick's Death Ride is a crap version of Stop the Express: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/SCRt...
- Fri Apr 26, 2024 2:06 pm
- Forum: ZXDB Discussion
- Topic: Music files in SC and other sites. Permission affair.
- Replies: 12
- Views: 783
Re: Music files in SC and other sites. Permission affair.
Copyrights are difficult stuff. Personally I used in several of my games tunes written by other people, without asking them directly for permission. They were mostly modules created in the Russian demoscene in the 90s. Quite often the demoscene authors themselves did covers of popular pop songs with...
- Wed Apr 24, 2024 9:23 pm
- Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
- Topic: Poll: Spectrum Users and their Zodiac Signs
- Replies: 8
- Views: 453
Re: Poll: Spectrum Users and their Zodiac Signs
what happened to the 2.0, 13 signs version I'm interested a little bit in such stuff so let me explain. Zodiac signs are related to groups (constellations) of stars that really exist and are located in the sky at the ecliptic - the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the cours...
- Sat Apr 20, 2024 8:43 pm
- Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
- Topic: RIP F David Thorpe
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1965
Re: RIP F David Thorpe
interesting that, unlike modern guys, he hardly used any textures, and yet most of his works aged well He had his own distinctive style. Personally I sometimes find it too flashy and difficult to recognize what's going on the screen, see the Hunchback screen for example. But it's certainly stylish ...
- Fri Apr 19, 2024 1:24 pm
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: Goodbye,Z80
- Replies: 35
- Views: 2072
Re: Goodbye,Z80
What does it exactly mean? You won't be able to buy Z80 at all? Or you won't be able to buy it from the original manufacturer? I am poor at hardware but I guess that we have today that FPGA technology which allows you to make cheaply an analogue of any old CPU. So you still will be able to buy some ...
- Fri Apr 19, 2024 11:35 am
- Forum: Brand new software!
- Topic: Cesare The Somnambule
- Replies: 14
- Views: 747
Re: Cesare The Somnambule
Very stylish and oneiric (how do I know such words? ) indeed. At moments feels like some old, black and white, expressionist movie.
- Fri Apr 19, 2024 11:28 am
- Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
- Topic: RIP F David Thorpe
- Replies: 32
- Views: 1965
Re: RIP F David Thorpe
He was a talented man. His forte were pictures with 3D perspective like the "Raid over Moscow" one. It's not a surprise that he was also an architect.
Rest in peace David.
Rest in peace David.
- Tue Apr 16, 2024 7:04 pm
- Forum: Sinclair Miscellaneous
- Topic: Article about Dinamic in the Spanish press
- Replies: 4
- Views: 458
Re: Article about Dinamic in the Spanish press
Here is the translation for the people having problems. I didn't know that they are in some way still active in gaming industry. And that they survived with the original company almost through all the 90s. The Spanish company Dinamic turns 40 with milestones under its belt such as 'PC Fútbol', the ...
- Thu Apr 11, 2024 7:00 pm
- Forum: Hardware
- Topic: Purely theoretical ROM swap
- Replies: 7
- Views: 363
Re: Purely theoretical ROM swap
Correct me if I'm wrong but ZX81 has a totally different graphic mode than Zx Spectrum. It doesn't have screen memory at 16384. It doesn't have ULA chip which automatically converts the screen memory to the display. If I rememver correctly it uses Z80 CPU to generate picture which take about 80% of ...
- Wed Apr 10, 2024 6:32 pm
- Forum: Preservation
- Topic: Beginner's guide to tape preservation
- Replies: 12
- Views: 485
Re: Beginner's guide to tape preservation
There are probably several ways to do it and several tools to do it. I'll describe my way here. use MakeTzx with Windows GUI: https://timwolverson.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/maketzx-wingui.jpg?w=474 The GUI actually runs a command line tool so you can as well run it directly in command window, typi...
- Fri Apr 05, 2024 11:30 am
- Forum: Other Retro Stuff
- Topic: Lara Croft voted most iconic character ever
- Replies: 42
- Views: 1147
Re: Lara Croft voted most iconic character ever
I'll tell you something - when it comes to computer games, we all live in bubbles. If you are a Spectrum fan then you may believe that Miner Willy or Sabreman is an incredibly important, iconic character that everyone must know. It's not true. If you grew in USA or Japan, you would probably never he...
- Fri Mar 22, 2024 2:01 pm
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: Machine Code: Moving from Attribute scrolling to pixel scrolling
- Replies: 33
- Views: 1523
Re: Machine Code: Moving from Attribute scrolling to pixel scrolling
If we talk about scrolling, then a good game to discuss is Stormlord: https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/4922/ZX-Spectrum/Stormlord It allows much more variety in background tiles than let's say Cobra. Cobra is actually very limited and allows background built only with a few tiles. Here is my ol...
- Thu Mar 21, 2024 11:43 am
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: Machine Code: Moving from Attribute scrolling to pixel scrolling
- Replies: 33
- Views: 1523
Re: Machine Code: Moving from Attribute scrolling to pixel scrolling
Don't rewrite your game. People are right saying that you can try pixel scroll in your next game.
Just remember, pixel scroll is much harder to do than attribute scroll and requires much more CPU power. Quite often the
only reasonable solution is to use a screen buffer for it.
Just remember, pixel scroll is much harder to do than attribute scroll and requires much more CPU power. Quite often the
only reasonable solution is to use a screen buffer for it.
- Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:24 pm
- Forum: Preservation
- Topic: Fake history
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1197
Re: Fake history
Speaking of Giana Sisters, I believe it existed, mostly or totally completed. Just unlike versions for other computers it didn't reach the shop before Nintendo threatened the legal action. Still I guess it was actually slow and bad. The Amstrad CPC version which exists is very slow and Spectrum vers...
- Tue Mar 19, 2024 10:37 am
- Forum: Preservation
- Topic: Fake history
- Replies: 16
- Views: 1197
Re: Fake history
Yes, it's possible to do such a fake. But there aren't any real money to be made from such fake. Yes, you can make a small fortune by forgery of classical paintings and creating and "unknown" painting of Rembrandt or so and convincing people that it's real. But Spectrum games are different...
- Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:18 am
- Forum: Games/Software
- Topic: Impossible games...
- Replies: 24
- Views: 1392
Re: Impossible games...
Actually most of them. It would be easier to make a short list of games that are actually possible to complete for an average personWhat other well-known Spectrum games are technically possible to complete without cheating but, practically, are actually impossible?
- Fri Mar 15, 2024 5:08 pm
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: With Machine Code how much memory to leave basic
- Replies: 7
- Views: 616
Re: With Machine Code how much memory to leave basic
And what kind of game are you writing if I may ask?
Are you already struggling with little memory left or are you just checking?
If memory is a problem then you need to consider some optimisations.
Are you already struggling with little memory left or are you just checking?
If memory is a problem then you need to consider some optimisations.
- Fri Mar 15, 2024 4:11 pm
- Forum: Programming
- Topic: With Machine Code how much memory to leave basic
- Replies: 7
- Views: 616
Re: With Machine Code how much memory to leave basic
Loading screen shouldn't really be any problem. You load it directly to screen memory while loading and the game later overwrites it. It doesn't occupy any memory when the game is running. Or did you mean something else? A game need some Basic loader. But if you keep it minimal (load loading screen,...