Spectrum Computing

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2019 9:46 pm Ah, Zythum could well top the Mirrorsoft poll. Well, if Tetris didn't exist...

A couple of really odd ways to spell 'Dynamite Dan' there!

There's a nice article about Turmoil in Sinclair Programs:
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 12&page=34

I've got the say Spectral Invaders. Not particularly for the gameplay but for the fact it was the first smooth (non character based) Spectrum game I ever saw and it was a game changer for me!

I distinctly remember seeing it demo'd on a table at an early ZX Microfair. It must've been on the Bug Byte stand and I remember it being at the far side of the hall. My friend and I bought a copy!

The "white-noise" explosion sound in Spectral Invaders was also a first. Up until then I'd only heard Spectrums emit musical beeps so this also opened up a world of sound effect opportunities that inspired me.

I think Spectres was also released around that time and it too featured hi-res movement that was so captivating in a Spectrum universe that had up until now only utilised character-based movement.

My Top 3 would look like this:

1. Turmoil
2. Aquarius
3. Antics

One of their weirdest games is Dogsbody. Weird plot and weird artwork:

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 3:25 pm One of their weirdest games is Dogsbody. Weird plot and weird artwork:

You can just about see that this is only one Letraset/John Bull printing kit evolution from the earliest days. It's that ever-so-slightly tilted text..

Edit: the word 'just' 3 times within less than a paragraph is just obnoxious.

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 3:25 pm One of their weirdest games is Dogsbody. Weird plot and weird artwork:

Bomber Bob has a similar cover style, I think by that point Bug Byte had essentially become a budget label with the cover style and layout very similar to Mastertronic’s at the time (game description on the back, screen shots on the inside and I suppose almost a grid like background on the cover from the spider’s web!)

There’s a news item here about how Argus Press were making Bug Byte a budget label, along with the initial releases of Dogsbody, Bomber Bob and Zoot (which also has the same style of cover as Dogsbody)

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/mag.php ... 587&page=6

There’s talk of expanding the budget range from Bug Byte, but I think that was disbanded and instead it was turned into a re-release label for Argus Press titles.