Spectrum Computing

Just a hypothetical question really (what with time travel not existing)...

You can go back in time and convince an arcade cabinet maker to put a proper ZX Spectrum out there in the arcades as a cabinet (albeit with the necessary hardware and software modifications so there's a coin mechanism to enable play, it's all joystick, etc).

You are only allowed to pick one game from the huge array of ZX Spectrum games, and - this is where it gets subjective - it must be able to be a viable commercial hit for the arcade-goer demographic, taking on the might of the (let's face it) technically superior hardware of typical arcade games and please the arcade owners.

It's a quite tough question to ask, particularly if you eliminate existing arcade conversions (yeah, I know things like Chase HQ, R-Type, Rainbow Islands, Renegade* and New Zealand Story are impressive, showing the Speccy punching above its weight).

Personally, I'm torn between Daley Thompson's Decathlon, Chuckie Egg and Exolon. I think Exolon just about edges it for me, although Daley Thompson's Decathlon would be a bigger commercial hit and already apes certain arcade games...

* = In this case, I'd say it's actually BETTER than the arcade original. By far. I'm serious. When I eventually played it (via MAME), I was quite disappointed, I had expected it to hammer the Speccy, but no.

The great Jim Bagley did do a conversion of Manic Miner on the PacMan hardware. Just played it a bit yesterday actually.

Andy

andydansby wrote: ↑Sun Jul 14, 2019 10:05 am The great Jim Bagley did do a conversion of Manic Miner on the PacMan hardware. Just played it a bit yesterday actually.

That's really interesting, would love to play that myself. I met briefly Jim back in 2017, he's doing really good things.

Not to be snarky, but, my hypothetical situation has an actual ZX Spectrum board sitting in an arcade cabinet (with minor modifications so the joystick, buttons and coin mechanism is recognised, and the game code is hacked to utilise these things), rather than getting Spectrum games rewritten for typical arcade boards of the day.

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:40 am (what with time travel not existing)...

Oh, no. First, the Horace’s arm/rat-tail conundrum, and now this!

Jumpin' Jack by Imagine.

I'm surprised that no one has said Jet Pac yet

Another vote for Manic Miner

Not that I am biased that much (honest!) just that a straightforward platfor game such as this would be ideal. With a continue option (insert coins!) after you've ran out of lives etc. Perhaps one thought on this would be to reset their score (maybe? dipswitch setting) for the continue.

Pipo
Old Tower - that would work brilliantly on a cab
Nebulous
Tranz Am

Lightforce
Shockway Rider
Night Gunner
Way Of The Exploding Fist

Maziacs
3D Deathchase
Fernando Martín Basket Master

Chuckie Egg would likely be my second choice now its been mentioned, after MM. I can see it reasonably suited to an 'arcade'

Third choice might have to be something like BruceLee perhaps, a simple platformy type game again.

spider wrote: ↑Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:33 pmThird choice might have to be something like BruceLee perhaps, a simple platformy type game again.

Arcade owners would hate you for that, because every player could be on it for ages on just one credit.

So no Penetrator, Wildwest Heroes or Invasion of the Body Snatchas ? Then I'd go for

Lunar Jetman
Cyber Zone
Space Zombies
Stop the Express
Deathchase

there's probably more I can't think of now

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:46 pm Arcade owners would hate you for that, because every player could be on it for ages on just one credit.

Maybe yes. To be fair it was so easy 'back then' even I did not have much trouble with it. I should say the BBC and Amstrad versions are a bit harder actually, the former moreso imo. I think that was not intentional though.

If it was to become an arcade game the difficulty would need ramping up quite a lot (its a rare thing for me to make a statement like that!)

There are a lot of games that would be nice on an Arcade, but where the gameplay although good wouldn't suit an Arcade commercial adventure.
Strategy games like:


https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=894
Chaos

and

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=2813
Laser Squad come to mind.

However, more suitable to an Arcade would be something like:

For single player:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1628
"Enduro Racer" (maybe it was a port from an Arcade, but not sure).

Or

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=127
Airwolf

Or

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.php?cat=96&id=77
Action Force II

Or

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=3261
Moon Alert, for a more early title, but I think that was a re-interpretation of another early Arcade (Moon Patrol ?).


For multiplayer:

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=4904
3D Stock Car Championship would be quite nice.

I'm a very very enthusiastic fan of Chaos - a game I regard as the all-time greatest on any platform - yet I wouldn't have it in an arcade, it's not that kind of game. It's very much aimed at home playing, to take an hour or two and letting you pause for thought.

To put Chaos or Laser Squad in an arcade would be like turning up to the Olympics with a chess board.

The only type of game that would be even more inappropriate for the arcade, would be a text adventure.

You need any games that are quick to play.

Don't require any prior knowledge (no manual). Intuitive gameplay. Can't last for hours - you're talking about half an hour or twenty minutes tops for an expert player.

It should be somewhat unfair past the first minute or so - need those coins to keep coming in.

Colourful and noisy to attract attention. Good attract mode sequence.

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2019 12:03 am I'm a very very enthusiastic fan of Chaos - a game I regard as the all-time greatest on any platform - yet I wouldn't have it in an arcade, it's not that kind of game. It's very much aimed at home playing, to take an hour or two and letting you pause for thought.

To put Chaos or Laser Squad in an arcade would be like turning up to the Olympics with a chess board.

The only type of game that would be even more inappropriate for the arcade, would be a text adventure.

The problem of using pictures, is that most readers skip the text !!!

RMartins wrote: ↑Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:09 pm There are a lot of games that would be nice on an Arcade, but where the gameplay although good wouldn't suit an Arcade commercial adventure.
...

If I had to choose just one game then Ant Attack would get my vote.

Would games like Halls Of The Things and Out Of The Shadows work as arcade games?

Pretty much any Dinamic game. Instant coin munchers

Dan Dare 3? I never played it, but it has to be one of the best looking games on the Speccy.

You'll be surprised but there are WAS arcades with Speccy games in USSR even in my little city. As far i remember there was a Harrier Attack and Crazy Cars 2 cabinets i played at 1990-1991. There was another speccy cabinets all around USSR with different games we discussed it some time ago at zx.pk.ru

I quite enjoyed playing Tourmaline. Colourful and apparently easy to play but you have to die many times.

DenisGrachev wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2019 2:05 pm You'll be surprised but there are WAS arcades with Speccy games in USSR even in my little city. As far i remember there was a Harrier Attack and Crazy Cars 2 cabinets i played at 1990-1991. There was another speccy cabinets all around USSR with different games we discussed it some time ago at zx.pk.ru

How did that all work then? Has my hypothetical situation actually happened!? This is astonishing!

I remember Nintendo having a few cabinets that would let you play a few NES games, you put in a coin and you'd have a timer clock counting down ten minutes. Insert coins for more time on the game.

DenisGrachev wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2019 2:05 pm You'll be surprised but there are WAS arcades with Speccy games in USSR even in my little city. As far i remember there was a Harrier Attack and Crazy Cars 2 cabinets i played at 1990-1991. There was another speccy cabinets all around USSR with different games we discussed it some time ago at zx.pk.ru

I know a few of these - they're all in MAME.

• Brodjaga
  This is 'Inspector Gadget and the Circus of Fear (Melbourne House 1987)'.

• Czernyj Korabl
  This is Black Beard (Topo Soft 1988).

• Povar, Sobrat' Buran and Agroprom.
  These are Cookie, Jetpac and Pssst (Ultimate 1983).

I think there's a few more, but these are the ones I can remember.