Spectrum Computing

You know the score by now. Poll concludes around 10:15am UK time on Monday 23rd April aka Spectrum Anniversary Day.

I Ball by Firebird


Ice Temple, The by Bubble Bus Software


iD by Nu Wave Software


IK+ by System 3


Ikari Warriors by Elite


Impossaball by Hewson


Impossible Mission by US Gold


Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis by US Gold


Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade by US Gold


Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by US Gold


Ingrid's Back by Level 9 Computing


Inheritance: Panic in Las Vegas by Infogrames


Inside Outing by The Edge


Into The Eagle's Nest by Pandora


Intensity by Firebird


International 3D Tennis by Palace Software


International Karate by System 3


International Match Day by Ocean


Invaders From Planet X by Compass Software


Invasion of the Body Snatchas! by Crystal Computing


I, Of The Mask by Electric Dreams


Iron Lord by Ubi Soft


It's Only Rock 'n' Roll by K-Tel Productions


Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road by Virgin Games


I Will Survive! by Aztec Software

Eye-Kar-Eee warriors for me. A top quality conversion and great fun to play. I played this a lot at a mate's house, in two player and taking turns in single player mode with the others as never erring backseat drivers. BITD I always wanted better graphics, but they were good enough to not make me yearn for the Amiga version (which I also played to death).

Into the Eagle's Nest for me. My fave Gauntlet-like game, with an adventure component that makes it great to play.

I went for It's Only Rock N Roll by K'Tel. A very early release - a pop music management game which I hold in higher regard than The Biz or Rock Star At My Hamster. It's entirely in BASIC, relies on actual UDGs for graphics and I think it fits into a 16K Speccy. Easily the most primitive game in the listing, but somehow it just works brilliantly.

Of course it's not going to win. I'd be very surprised if anyone other than me votes for it. Yet I have so much love for it.

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:08 pm I went for It's Only Rock N Roll by K'Tel.

I've given it a quick play and I can see why you like it. I'm not sure it tops The Biz but it's one I'll revisit in more depth.



I love the gig highlights, choreography by Kevin Toms!

Can you remember what you called your band btw?

R-Tape wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:53 pm

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:08 pm I went for It's Only Rock N Roll by K'Tel.

I've given it a quick play and I can see why you like it. I'm not sure it tops The Biz but it's one I'll revisit in more depth.

Oh I'll grant you The Biz will have its fans, and this is really similar to it (the whole BASIC feel). I'm not knocking The Biz, it's a really good contender. However, Rock Star Ate My Hamster I do find to be heavily overrated.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:53 pmI love the gig highlights, choreography by Kevin Toms!

Yep! Like Kevin Toms's famous creation, this is an early BASIC release that really endures.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:53 pmCan you remember what you called your band btw?

Probably went for something like a cheesy punk name, like Noise-Makers or Arson Around. I always keep it different each time I play.

or The Matchstick Men.

Invasion of the Body Snatcha! is great with the improved Fuller Box sound effects.

Into The Eagle's Nest and Indy: The Last Crusade are the ones I've played the most. I'm undecided between these two.

Invaders from Planet X and I Will Survive! are also great.

well, for the moment I'd go for The Last Crusade, reserving my right to change the vote before the end if it's the case.

I, Ball in second place along with Impossible Mission.

That's a game (I, Ball) that I haven't played much. A good excuse to try and play it!

WIWC wrote: ↑Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:23 pm or The Matchstick Men.

Heh.

I played this a fair bit last night, it's really good fun and we'll balanced. The mistake I kept making early on was 'spending' too much energy on each gig, 10 seems to be good enough (200 is max). It wasn't long before my band, Spunk Vulcan, was nearly top ten, touring Europe and playing Wembley Stadium.

It's a nice touch that, no matter how rich you become, you are no better at writing songs. It's harder in fact as you have less energy.

Strangely, the highlights of the Wembley gig were rather similar to the first one in the boozer...

I'm still sticking with Ikari Warriors tho, 'cos you can drive a tank and Chuck grenades at your mate.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:18 am I played this a fair bit last night, it's really good fun and we'll balanced. The mistake I kept making early on was 'spending' too much energy on each gig, 10 seems to be good enough (200 is max). It wasn't long before my band, Spunk Vulcan, was nearly top ten, touring Europe and playing Wembley Stadium.

Yeah, the status symbols don't tend to add much for the success level.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:18 amIt's a nice touch that, no matter how rich you become, you are no better at writing songs. It's harder in fact as you have less energy.

That's quite accurate of most bands. Start out brilliantly early on, then they're shadows of themselves much later, almost sounding like a parody.

See, It's Only Rock 'N' Roll is quite possibly the most accurate simulator released on the ZX Spectrum.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:18 amStrangely, the highlights of the Wembley gig were rather similar to the first one in the boozer...

That's some solace to those who are stuck on the pub circuit.

It really surprises me how poor taste you lot have in games

International Karate all the way for me.

Many games with only one vote this time.

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:42 am Many games with only one vote this time.

Which is really nice to see!

Certainly an unusual letter, with diverse titles.

A very scattered voting. Except for the games I've proposed, which are all at zero [minus The Inheritance]

Used to love Ikari Warriors, I was desperate to play it after playing the demo to death. On another day (or another letter) it would have clinched it for me...

...But I'm going for IK+. I always loved the beat 'em ups, and this was the one I played more than any other, even Way of the Exploding Fist. Fast, fluid movements, and the way you could play against multiple opponents was inspired.

Impossible Mission is an example of game that I know is good but I have no idea what to do and no time to try to complete it.

And I'm one of the guys who voted for Into the Eagles Nest. I'll try to say a bit more about it.

Actually it's a game that I played quite a lot. It had a very good graphics, very colourful for Spectrum standards. It also had good difficulty level, which was quite rare in the 80s with all these insanely hard games.

And you could learn it to become better. At first I shot some explosives very often and died from it very early in the game. Later I progressed more and more. It was quite a beginner achievement to get into banquet hall at start floor and do some officers shooting

Unfortunately I never finished it. My version had some nasty bug that at some moment you start to lose your health without a reason and die and it happened to me. Until many years later I didn't know what I did wrong. I can't find it now but I've seen it mentioned somewhere else on the forums and explained.

Still a great, atmospheric game.

Both Ikari and Super Off Road have always been high on my personal list, but I’m going to give this one to the former. In addition to being an excellent conversion, it offered me and my brother hours and hours of fun back in the day. Ah, those were good times.

I first played Super Off road on a PC, later on a Spectrum emulator. In fact, it was one of the first PC games I played, along with Lakers vs Celtics and Cisco Heat.

Maybe that's why I prefer the PC version.

I would have predicted that (International) Match Day would have flown into the lead, surprised to see it lagging behind a bit.

I would have predicted that (International) Match Day would have flown into the lead, surprised to see it lagging behind a bit.

Match Day would be a serious candidate for me.

But International Match Day??? I had a look and it doesn't seem like a valid, independent game for me, more like a quick hack of Match Day. And I'm not voting for Match Day under I letter

Yes, it doesn't add much to the original, I didn't think about it as a contender for the first spot.

I have no recollection of International Match Day. I remember playing the original a lot and then the exciting build up until the release of Match Day II. But International Match Day must have completely passed me by. I assume it must have come out near the end of games manufacturing on the Spectrum?