ZX Spectrum High Score Club - any interest?

[Morkin]

Ooh, cool, what's the deadline for submissions? I'll have a think about whether to 'random it' or choose, and submit this evening...

..Also can we just agree to have an unwritten rule that anyone choosing Mutan Zone gets instantly banned from the competition. I'm not going through that torment again.

[akeley]

Let's say by Saturday? Random picks can be quite interesting too...between me & smurphboy we've already ticked off some usual suspects

[Juan F. Ramirez]

..Also can we just agree to have an unwritten rule that anyone choosing Mutan Zone gets instantly banned from the competition. I'm not going through that torment again.

Seconded.

[Morkin]

I tried setting a few filters and clicking Random but got sick of being presented with BASIC type-ins, so decided just to pick some games that are decent and that I'd quite like to play.

1. Arkanoid
2. Target: Renegade
3. Cavern Fighter
4. Byte Bitten
5. Pinball (Sagittarian Software)

[PeterJ]

Can I add Firebirds from Softek to the list of suggestions?

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... /Firebirds

[akeley]

Can I add Firebirds from Softek to the list of suggestions?

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... /Firebirds

Sure thing. And you can add 4 more still.

Seeing Morkin's Target:Renegade pick, I've changed my Renegade to Bonnie & Clyde. Modern games are of course also allowed.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

Modern games are of course also allowed.

In that case, I'd add Nohzdyve.

[hitm4n]

I arrived second in 2001, won the last three editions (2008, 2009 and 2010) and then there was no more...

Who votes for banning Alessandro then ?

[hitm4n]

So i would be interested in non time-sink games, things that i guess are pretty tough and generally have short games for everyone.

Batty usually kills you off on level 3 if i recall, (or was it level 2 with that damn warpy thing in the middle) any scores past that would deserve to win.
You could have highest score after achieving something, for instance, highest score after completing "Can O Worms" in Trapdoor. So this would be based on who could do it the fastest.
Fastest time to the second rocket in Jetpac touching down.

Otherwise, i'll join in on games that take my fancy and are quick to play.

[Morkin]

I guess we can look at each game as it comes up and decide/agree/vote on the scoring criteria? Though because it's nothing too serious I'm not going to be overly bothered.

Even if there are some star players getting mega-scores, I figured some of us 'lesser-skilled' players could have some pointlessly competitive mid-table grudge battles with others... Am assuming there will also be wooden spoon awards...

[akeley]

So far most of the submitted games look pretty straightforward when it comes to scoring. But yeah, we can decide individually should a trickier one appear.

I'll try to get the first round ready for Sunday. Anybody can still submit more games - so far there were 17 entries.

[Alone Coder]

I'd like to see Grand Prix 2, Edge Grinder, and Stagger.

[Pegaz]

Edge Grinder is a ZX-Evo only.
Maybe it's better to stick to the games for standard Spectrum 48/128k models for now.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Dan Dare (obviously)
1. Manic Miner
2. Dynamite Dan II
3. Parsec

[akeley]

Edge Grinder is a ZX-Evo only. Maybe it's better to stick to the games for standard Spectrum 48/128k models for now.

If it can't be (easily) emulated then yes, it'd be a bit too limiting.

[Pegaz]

As far as I remember, only the Russian Unreal Speccy emulator, supports this game properly and the emulation is not exactly a walk through the park...
ZX-Evo is a kind of Russian Spectrum Next, with advanced graphics modes and this game is one of its exclusives.
Otherwise, there are other games for these most powerful machines (ATM, Evo, Next), which use improved hardware capabilities, but they are more like PC, than Spectrum games.

[Alone Coder]

Edge Grinder supports Pentagon 2.666LE from the beginning.
There also exists a version for ATM2, but it's slower.

[Pegaz]

Edge Grinder supports Pentagon 2.666LE from the beginning.
There also exists a version for ATM2, but it's slower.

I’ve never had a decent speed for Edge Grinder with UnrealSpeccy, on anything but ZX-Evo emulation.
Can you send an uneral.ini file for that Pentagon configuration you mention, I'd like to give it a try.

[Alone Coder]

Here it is: http://nedoos.ru/svn/listing.php?repnam ... 45fb4bfe18
Pentagon 2.666LE isn't emulated anywhere AFAIK.

[R-Tape]

My 5:

1 - Parsec
2 - Gryzor
3 - Hunchback
4 - Flappy Bird ZX
5 - Motos

[Pegaz]

Here it is: http://nedoos.ru/svn/listing.php?repnam ... 45fb4bfe18
Pentagon 2.666LE isn't emulated anywhere AFAIK.

Yes, in the ini file, emulation is set for ZX-Evo (ATM3 with 4096Kb and zx-evo rom).
Like I said, Edge Grinder is running at full speed on that configuration, unfortunatelly it's not the Pentagon you mentioned.
btw, my Panda AV, has instantly deleted this UnrealSpeccy (emul.exe) file of yours, as a virus.
Probably false positive, but I have various versions of the US emulator and this is the first time I have virus detection.
I just replaced it with my US v3.9 exe file and it works well, like ZX-Evo model, of course.
But, never mind, we better not offtopic this thread...

[PeterJ]

My final top five in no particular order:

1. PSSST
2. Bomb Jack
3. Firebirds from Softek
4. Deathchase
5. Solomon's Key
6. Rainbow Islands

[PeterJ]

Maybe it's better to stick to the games for standard Spectrum 48/128k models for now.

I agree, lets stick to standard Spectrum games for this one. I'm all for a ZX-Evo competition though in the future.

[Alessandro]

When I have some time to dedicate to the ol' Spectrum, I spend it making games rather than playing them

However, if I have to pick a bunch of games, I would right now mention these:

- Cobra
- Cop-Out
- Ant Attack
- Worse Things Happen At Sea
- Split Personalities
- Hunchback
- Quazatron
- Ranarama
- International Karate Plus
- Lunar Jetman
- Karnov
- Green Beret
- Intensity
- Thundercats
- Renegade
- Exploding Fist
- Exploding Fist Plus
- Sai Combat
- Zzoom
- BC Bill

[Pegaz]

When I have some time to dedicate to the ol' Spectrum, I spend it making games rather than playing them

However, if I have to pick a bunch of games, I would right now mention these:

- Cobra
- Cop-Out
- Ant Attack
- Worse Things Happen At Sea
- Split Personalities
- Hunchback
- Quazatron
- Ranarama
- International Karate Plus
- Lunar Jetman
- Karnov
- Green Beret
- Intensity
- Thundercats
- Renegade
- Exploding Fist
- Exploding Fist Plus
- Sai Combat
- Zzoom
- BC Bill

Lunar Jetman ?
Don't be so cruel, please...

On the other hand, Ranarama is a great choice.

[Alessandro]

Actually Lunar Jetman is an old favorite of mine, I managed to reach as far as level 12 if I remember correctly.

Glad to see you share my appreciation for Ranarama

Edit: Coming to think of it, my all-time favorite Laser Squad gives a score upon ending a game. I heartily suggest it as well

Other titles coming out of the top of my head and that have not yet been mentioned:
- Deactivators
- Travel With Trashman
- Horace Goes Skiing
- Star Raiders II
- Beach Head
- Spy Hunter
- Krakatoa
- Spy Vs Spy
- How To Be A Complete Bas**rd
- Death Wish 3