The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Somehow I totally missed the release of "On reflecion". And all text games seem to be the same until you start playing them more deeply and feel the difference in story and narration
Sure, change it if you feel that it's good and deserves it.
Sure, change it if you feel that it's good and deserves it.
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
I'll see if anyone else concurs first.
There are a couple of text adventures by Colin Woodcock that are at least as impressive, but they have letters that can't be argued with.
Blink and Floarea Soarelui. Inspired writing, especially as you have so little space to work with, and very different from your run of the mill fantasy or space adventure. The downside is that, after looking at the solution to one of them, I can't imagine ever being able to complete a text adventure unless I took 6 weeks off work to concentrate on it.
Aha - if we translate Floarea Soarelui from Romanian to our lingua franca we get Sunflower. Anyone object if I bump Sword of IANNA for this?
There are a couple of text adventures by Colin Woodcock that are at least as impressive, but they have letters that can't be argued with.
Blink and Floarea Soarelui. Inspired writing, especially as you have so little space to work with, and very different from your run of the mill fantasy or space adventure. The downside is that, after looking at the solution to one of them, I can't imagine ever being able to complete a text adventure unless I took 6 weeks off work to concentrate on it.
Aha - if we translate Floarea Soarelui from Romanian to our lingua franca we get Sunflower. Anyone object if I bump Sword of IANNA for this?
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
I think so, yeah.
To conclude: On Monday, I'll be asking everyone for their favourite classic Speccy game-beginning-with-A for about seven days. Then we do a poll the following Monday...
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
I'm loving 'Karlos und Schatze der Azteken' by the way. Its brilliant!
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
I think that Sunbucket should be added. I reviewed it in the Crash Annual and really enjoyed it.
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
El Stompo Smash and Sunbucket reviewed?
I was going to buy a copy anyway! EDIT - not yet I'm not, it's sold out
The only thing I can see bumping Sword of IANNA is whatever Retroworks are planning to release next.
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
I know a lot would take issue with this but I think More Tea Vicar edges Metal Man. Controversial.
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
No way for me. I know that many of you give extra points to a game for being British and that many people like Jonathan Cauldwell but that would be very dishonest.I know a lot would take issue with this but I think More Tea Vicar edges Metal Man. Controversial.
More Tea Vicar is good but not brilliant. It is a bit slow, has an absurd name, small sprites, is very similar to some games from the 80s and inferior to Zynaps so it's not groundbreaking in any way.
Metal Man is something never seen before - extremely colourful, yet reducing clash, huge, with lots of feature with gameplay typical for 16 bits computers, not 8 bits.
That's just my opinion anyway
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
T is for Twilight: The Land of Shadows. I'm amazed I even have to spell it out!
Star Heritage was massive in our time, but now I love the Sword of Ianna just as much. And yes I don't think it ever got the translation it deserves.
Star Heritage was massive in our time, but now I love the Sword of Ianna just as much. And yes I don't think it ever got the translation it deserves.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Holy cow of Moscow!Hikaru wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2017 4:14 am T is for Twilight: The Land of Shadows. I'm amazed I even have to spell it out!
Every man should plant a tree, build a house, and write a ZX Spectrum game.
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Author of A Yankee in Iraq, a 50 fps shoot-’em-up—the first game to utilize the floating bus on the +2A/+3,
and zasm Z80 Assembler syntax highlighter.
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Fair enough, I will have to agree Metal Man is more impressive than MTV. I enjoy MTV more (eye/ear candy, first 3 levels well designed), hopefully not because it's British/Jonathan's but I think that will be plus points for some. Brilliant but not legendary.Ralf wrote: ↑Sun Dec 17, 2017 12:48 pmNo way for me. I know that many of you give extra points to a game for being British and that many people like Jonathan Cauldwell but that would be very dishonest.I know a lot would take issue with this but I think More Tea Vicar edges Metal Man. Controversial.
More Tea Vicar is good but not brilliant. It is a bit slow, has an absurd name, small sprites, is very similar to some games from the 80s and inferior to Zynaps so it's not groundbreaking in any way.
Metal Man is something never seen before - extremely colourful, yet reducing clash, huge, with lots of feature with gameplay typical for 16 bits computers, not 8 bits.
That's just my opinion anyway
You're wrong about two things though - the absurd name is a good thing and it's not 'a bit slow', it's just plain 'slow'!
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
I agree - Metal Man is better than More Tea, Vicar. But I liked Magic Tokens, Magical Tower Adventure and Majikazo more than both of them. And my favourite M is Maritrini - Freelance Monster Slayer.
While we're being argumentative (I jest, don't panic!), Doom wouldn't even be in the running for my choice for 'D'. What about Descending Dungeons, or Dingo, or Dogmole Tuppowski - The New Adventures, or Dreamwalker? Doom's very impressive but basically just a tech demo rather than a game.
Some lovely choices elsewhere - a few of those I don't think I've ever played, I'll have to check them out.
While we're being argumentative (I jest, don't panic!), Doom wouldn't even be in the running for my choice for 'D'. What about Descending Dungeons, or Dingo, or Dogmole Tuppowski - The New Adventures, or Dreamwalker? Doom's very impressive but basically just a tech demo rather than a game.
Some lovely choices elsewhere - a few of those I don't think I've ever played, I'll have to check them out.
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Good calls. I could do an updated list with several choices per letter.Blerkotron wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2017 9:44 pm I agree - Metal Man is better than More Tea, Vicar. But I liked Magic Tokens, Magical Tower Adventure and Majikazo more than both of them. And my favourite M is Maritrini - Freelance Monster Slayer.
While we're being argumentative (I jest, don't panic!), Doom wouldn't even be in the running for my choice for 'D'. What about Descending Dungeons, or Dingo, or Dogmole Tuppowski - The New Adventures, or Dreamwalker? Doom's very impressive but basically just a tech demo rather than a game.
Some lovely choices elsewhere - a few of those I don't think I've ever played, I'll have to check them out.
Dreamwalker would be a contender for me, but I think Alter Ego plays the same game and looks better - the bicolour graphics spoil the atmosphere a bit IMO. Denis's Tourmaline could be a 'T' contender.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Indeed, it's a great idea - the 'modern' Speccy games really don't get the attention they deserve and it'd be nice to have a list of the very best of the best to help newcomers get started. If they actually read it instead of saying "hey, who remembers Manic Miner?!" for the 438th time.
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Okay, it's getting close to 'name some games beginning with a letter', but I think this is a good A - Z of standout releases from after the commercial era (or a good place to start).
A Alter Ego, Abbye des Morts, Albatrossity,
B Buzzsaw+, Bouncing Bomb Redux, Blink, Balachor Returns,
C Castlevania: Spectral Interlude, Circuitry, Catcombs of Balachor, Cronopios y Famas, Crimbo, ComplicaDX
D Doom, Dreamwalker, Dingo, Deep Core Raider,
E EFMB, El Stompo, Egghead 4,
F Fire 'N Ice, Floarea Soarelui,
G Gravibots, Genesis: Dawn of a new day,
H Hobbit 128 (Melbourne/Community),
I Invasion of the Zombie Monsters,
J Janosik, Jaws,
K Karlos und Schatze der Azteken, King's Valley,
L Los Amores de Brunilda,
M Metal Man, Majikazo, M is Maritrini - Freelance Monster Slayer, More tea vicar,
N Nelo & Quqo and the Last Butifarreisson, Ninjajar,
O On reflection, Operation Red Refrigerator,
P Prince Of Persia, Phaeton,
Q Quadrax, Quantum Gardening,
R Rough Justice,
S Sword of Ianna, Star Heritage, Slubberdegullion, Sunbucket,
T That sinking feeling, Tales of Grupp, Tourmaline, Twilight: Land of the shadows,
U UFO 2: Devils of Abbyss, Utter Tripe, Uroboros,
V Vallation, Vade Retro(JBGV),
W Wanderers. Chained in the dark, WHB,
X X=Y=Z,
Y Yumiko in the Haunted Mansion,
Z ZX Football Manager 2005, Zukinox, Zombi Terror,
# 48 Irons,
NB - I didn't suggest my own games!
A Alter Ego, Abbye des Morts, Albatrossity,
B Buzzsaw+, Bouncing Bomb Redux, Blink, Balachor Returns,
C Castlevania: Spectral Interlude, Circuitry, Catcombs of Balachor, Cronopios y Famas, Crimbo, ComplicaDX
D Doom, Dreamwalker, Dingo, Deep Core Raider,
E EFMB, El Stompo, Egghead 4,
F Fire 'N Ice, Floarea Soarelui,
G Gravibots, Genesis: Dawn of a new day,
H Hobbit 128 (Melbourne/Community),
I Invasion of the Zombie Monsters,
J Janosik, Jaws,
K Karlos und Schatze der Azteken, King's Valley,
L Los Amores de Brunilda,
M Metal Man, Majikazo, M is Maritrini - Freelance Monster Slayer, More tea vicar,
N Nelo & Quqo and the Last Butifarreisson, Ninjajar,
O On reflection, Operation Red Refrigerator,
P Prince Of Persia, Phaeton,
Q Quadrax, Quantum Gardening,
R Rough Justice,
S Sword of Ianna, Star Heritage, Slubberdegullion, Sunbucket,
T That sinking feeling, Tales of Grupp, Tourmaline, Twilight: Land of the shadows,
U UFO 2: Devils of Abbyss, Utter Tripe, Uroboros,
V Vallation, Vade Retro(JBGV),
W Wanderers. Chained in the dark, WHB,
X X=Y=Z,
Y Yumiko in the Haunted Mansion,
Z ZX Football Manager 2005, Zukinox, Zombi Terror,
# 48 Irons,
NB - I didn't suggest my own games!
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Hooray..! I was considering releasing a game starting with a $ symbol...
My Speccy site: thirdharmoniser.com
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
Not Jaws? I demand a recount!!!
Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)
I believe it's a great idea to make a list of good modern games and attach it somewhere at the top of the website.
I'll try to contribute more soon, actually I'm quite interested in this topic and may know some stuff that other people missed.
I'll try to contribute more soon, actually I'm quite interested in this topic and may know some stuff that other people missed.