The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

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Einar Saukas
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Einar Saukas »

PeteProdge wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:57 am
Einar Saukas wrote: Wed Dec 13, 2017 6:40 pm Now I have a complain...

About 20 people participated in this project. Instead, you are crediting someone that didn't collaborate on anything, then released an unauthorized build that didn't respect any of the conditions requested by Veronika Megler either. :(
My apologies, didn't know the full background behind Hobbit 128, did a very brief web search to get the credit, got it wrong. Sorry.
Apologies accepted, thanks!

About this game, I recently sorted out implementing more detailed location descriptions. I'm still busy with other priorities but, sometime next year, I plan to get back organizing this effort and finish the project properly!
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by bob_fossil »

The link to Karlos und Schatze der Azteken in the cumulative list of games is broken as it has '...' in it.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by hitm4n »

R-Tape wrote: Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:19 pm
hitm4n wrote: Wed Dec 13, 2017 8:55 pm I would like to protest on Q. Has to be Quazatron.
Quazatron was released in 1986, so belongs in this thread, and there's a space for it if you quote and take it.

(For the record, Quadrax is better than Quazatron though :-p)
Nah, Quazatron is so good, it should go on both lists :)
I don't have anything cool to put here, so i'll just be off now to see a priest with yeast stuck between his teeth and his friend called Keith who's a hairpiece thief...
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Ralf »

This thread seems to went a bit into stagnation so let me finish the job.

I said before:
W: Wanderers. Chained in the dark Great,big RPG game
I: Invasion of the Zombie Monsters Cool, big pretty, colourful action from Spain

For the rest

D
I choose Doom from Russian group Digital reality. Yes, unfortunately it is just one level demo but these guys deserve some respect for doing it
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=12817

The current screenshot in database comes from some early version and doesn't make justice to the game. In reality it looks like this:
[youtube]https://youtu.be/3v7cFGneuaw[/youtube]

G
Someone said Gravibots
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=30087

I'll continue in next post...
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Ralf »

J
Well not much choice. Shame on me as I'll propose my own game :oops: but I honestly believe it's pretty decent. So it would be Janosik. Feel free to change:
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=30035

N
Again not much choice. I choose arcade adventure from Spain called "Nelo & Quqo and the Last Butifarreisson" Wow, what a name ;)
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=25055

O
Operation Red Refrigerator - big, pretty Dizzy-like Russian game
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=12981

R
Rough Justice - maze shooter from Jonathan Cauldwell
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=13300

U
I choose UFO 2: Devils of Abyss
I suppose you don't know this game. It's in Russian only. To run it you have to go through several menus in Russian. It's a strategy so there is a lot of options and buttons to learn. But if you get through it all you have a great strategy game where you manage a team of commandos fighting against aliens in an isometric view. If you lived in the 90s (and I suppose that you lived ;) ) you should know UFO1 and UFO2 on PC. They were big megagames in its time. And it is a great faithful remake of original on a much inferior machine.

There is also first part on Spectrum, remake of UFO1 but it's actually a shooter disguised as strategy where you control just one man. Some my voice goes to part 2

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=13107
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Ralf »

And here's the full list:
Uff, that was tiring, almost felt like real office work, making this list, inserting all these titles and links ;)
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by R-Tape »

I won't argue with Janosik if you promise to do a new version with a flamboyant Rastanesque swish of the axe :-p
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by PeteProdge »

Ralf wrote: Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:23 pm And here's the full list:
Uff, that was tiring, almost felt like real office work, making this list, inserting all these titles and links ;)
Er, not all that full, you've missed the last 'letter'!

But thanks for sorting that.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Ralf »

Er, not all that full, you've missed the last 'letter'!

But thanks for sorting that.
Upsss, sorry.
Again it's limited choice here with no obvious winner. So after some search it would be a Russian Dizzy-like game: 48 Irons
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=12735

A Alter Ego
B Buzzsaw+ by Jason J Railton
C Castlevania: Spectral Interlude by Rewind Team
D Doom
E EFMB
F Fire 'N Ice by n-Discovery
G Gravibots - Denis Grachev
H Hobbit 128 by Melbourne House/Community
I Invasion of the Zombie Monsters
J Janosik
K Karlos und Schatze der Azteken
L Los Amores de Brunilda
M Metal Man by Oleg Origin
N Nelo & Quqo and the Last Butifarreisson
O Operation Red Refrigerator
P Prince Of Persia by Magic Soft [2]
Q Quadrax
R Rough Justice
S Sword of Ianna by RetroWorks
T That sinking feeling
U UFO 2: Devils of Abbyss
V Vallation by Tardis Remakes
W Wanderers. Chained in the dark
X X=Y=Z by Bob's Stuff
Y Yumiko in the Haunted Mansion
Z ZX Football Manager 2005
# 48 Irons

[/quote]
[/quote]

Er, not all that full, you've missed the last 'letter'!

But thanks for sorting that.
[/quote]list:
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by R-Tape »

[mention]PeteProdge[/mention] was going to do a poll per letter for both classic and new releases. Shall we only do that for classic releases (less work for Pete), and continue the new games as a discussion?

Having said that, I don't know how we would change the letters without a poll, but I'll make these alternative suggestions anyway:

O - On reflection. The only text adventure here. Lee Tonks gives a bit of detail in the instructions and it shows that it was a labour of love and an attempt to do something original.

T - Tales of Grupp. That sinking feeling is good, but I don't think it's best of the lot.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Ralf »

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.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by R-Tape »

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?
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Einar Saukas »

Ralf wrote: Sat Dec 16, 2017 12:12 pm J
Well not much choice. Shame on me as I'll propose my own game :oops: but I honestly believe it's pretty decent. So it would be Janosik.
Or Jaws :)
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by PeteProdge »

R-Tape wrote: Sat Dec 16, 2017 1:18 pm @PeteProdge was going to do a poll per letter for both classic and new releases. Shall we only do that for classic releases (less work for Pete), and continue the new games as a discussion?
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)

Post by PeterJ »

I'm loving 'Karlos und Schatze der Azteken' by the way. Its brilliant!
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Swainy »

I think that Sunbucket should be added. I reviewed it in the Crash Annual and really enjoyed it.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by R-Tape »

Swainy wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2017 8:21 am I think that Sunbucket should be added. I reviewed it in the Crash Annual and really enjoyed it.
El Stompo Smash and Sunbucket reviewed?

Image

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.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by R-Tape »

I know a lot would take issue with this but I think More Tea Vicar edges Metal Man. Controversial.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Ralf »

I know a lot would take issue with this but I think More Tea Vicar edges Metal Man. Controversial.
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.

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 ;)
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Hikaru »

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.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Ast A. Moore »

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!
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by R-Tape »

Ralf wrote: Sun Dec 17, 2017 12:48 pm
I know a lot would take issue with this but I think More Tea Vicar edges Metal Man. Controversial.
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.

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 ;)
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.

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)

Post by Spud »

Didn’t like either.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by Blerkotron »

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.
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Re: The A-Z of the best Speccy games (modern: post-1993)

Post by R-Tape »

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.
Good calls. I could do an updated list with several choices per letter.

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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