The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

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The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Poll ended at Mon May 07, 2018 10:03 am

Jack The Nipper by Gremlin
1
3%
Jack The Nipper II by Gremlin
3
8%
Jahangir Khan's World Championship Squash by Krisalis
0
No votes
Jailbreak by Konami
1
3%
Jason's Gem by Mastertronic
0
No votes
Jasper! by Micromega
1
3%
Jetpac by Ultimate
13
33%
Jet Set Willy by Software Projects
12
31%
Jet Set Willy II by Software Projects
1
3%
Jinxter by Rainbird
0
No votes
Joe Blade by Players
2
5%
Joe Blade II by Players
0
No votes
Joe Blade III by Players
0
No votes
Journey's End by Games Workshop
0
No votes
Judge Dredd by Melbourne House
1
3%
Juggernaut by CRL
2
5%
Jumbly by DK'Tronics
0
No votes
Jumping Jack by Imagine
1
3%
Jungle Fever by A'n'F Software
1
3%
 
Total votes: 39

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hitm4n
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by hitm4n »

Don't forget the title is "best CLASSIC Speccy game". This for me, means an earlier title, something between 1982 and 1987 or so and i think if a limit was set on the year, this would have been a more definitive list of CLASSIC games and more tightly run in many cases with fewer candidates for sure.

Jetpac for me.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

hitm4n wrote: Thu May 03, 2018 12:36 am Don't forget the title is "best CLASSIC Speccy game". This for me, means an earlier title, something between 1982 and 1987 or so and i think if a limit was set on the year, this would have been a more definitive list of CLASSIC games and more tightly run in many cases with fewer candidates for sure.

Jetpac for me.
I came up with 'classic' to label the Spectrum's commercial era - when you could go into high street shops and find new games. Distinguishing it from the homebrew/hobbyist era we're in now. Roughly speaking, classic is 1982-1993. Homebrew would be post-1993.

I don't think classic Spectrum games vanished after 1987. Robocop, one of the biggest selling games of all time, came out in 1988, as did the highly celebrated Chase HQ; Where Time Stood Still and Target Renegade. And I'm not just going to cherry pick that following year...

Batman; Rick Dangerous and Kwik Snax from 1989. Lords Of Chaos; Turrican and Total Recall from 1990. Lemmings and CJ's Elephant Antics from 1991. Um... the cupboard is really bare from 1992, I'll grant you, but Space Crusade and Crystal Kingdom Dizzy are there. 1993 spits out Dr Who Dalek Attack as what is probably the ZX Spectrum's last commercial release seen in a physical shop (in Western Europe at least), and we see the demise of the last two Spectrum magazines.

A hypothetical (and ridiculous) scenario - if you were to be given everything released for the ZX Spectrum BUT ONLY FROM ONE YEAR OF YOUR CHOOSING (you are not allowed anything outside of that year), I think I'd pick 1987. That's definitely the peak of Spectrum gaming quality (and the magazines were on top form). Of course, what came after is certainly not at all shabby, and you got bigger playing areas and more lovely 128 AY music.

With that all said, I find it nice that a 16K game is topping this week's poll! I think there would not be an argument were Jetpac to be declared the best 16K ZX Spectrum game ever.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by Pegaz »

PeteProdge wrote: Thu May 03, 2018 10:51 amWith that all said, I find it nice that a 16K game is topping this week's poll! I think there would not be an argument were Jetpac to be declared the best 16K ZX Spectrum game ever.
Not for me, I prefer Pssst. :)
Jet Pac is a great arcade, but always too fast and frustrating for me.
I voted for Jet Set Willy because it's a game I've always enjoyed, although graphics are not at the level of some other games.
A game with an incredible atmosphere, which completely brings the player into this twisted imaginary world, created by Matthew Smith.
JSW, like MM, are cult games that define Spectrum, timeless classics..
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by WIWC »

I've voted Jasper!, for some reason.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

By the way...


WHO VOTED FOR JUNGLE FEVER?






.... For those who don't get it, it's just an old WoS story I prefer to forget... :lol:
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by WIWC »

And what about the vote for Jailbreak. It's one of the worst conversions ever.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by R-Tape »

WIWC wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 12:14 pm And what about the vote for Jailbreak. It's one of the worst conversions ever.
And which lunatic voted for Jasper?!

Actually I quite like Jasper but it's too hard and has unforgiving collision detection (like 3/4 of Spectrum games then). I'm fond of it but personally would give it a vote for 'Spirit of the Spectrum' rather than best of the year.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by R-Tape »

hitm4n wrote: Thu May 03, 2018 12:36 am Don't forget the title is "best CLASSIC Speccy game". This for me, means an earlier title, something between 1982 and 1987 or so and i think if a limit was set on the year, this would have been a more definitive list of CLASSIC games and more tightly run in many cases with fewer candidates for sure.
There is only one title after 1987 here - Jahangir Khan's World Championship Squash and it doesn't have any votes.

Having said that I think we should redo "J" and classify the classic era as 1984 - 1984 for a few letters, then maybe change to 1983 - 1983 for "M"...
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by Rorthron »

R-Tape wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 5:53 pmHaving said that I think we should redo "J" and classify the classic era as 1984 - 1984 for a few letters, then maybe change to 1983 - 1983 for "M"...
Seconded.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by WIWC »

R-Tape wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 5:44 pm
WIWC wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 12:14 pm And what about the vote for Jailbreak. It's one of the worst conversions ever.
And which lunatic voted for Jasper?!
I have no idea.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by R-Tape »

WIWC wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 8:30 pm I have no idea.
I'm not going to name names but I bet it was JuanF.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by hitm4n »

PeteProdge wrote: Thu May 03, 2018 10:51 am I came up with 'classic' to label the Spectrum's commercial era - when you could go into high street shops and find new games. Distinguishing it from the homebrew/hobbyist era we're in now. Roughly speaking, classic is 1982-1993. Homebrew would be post-1993. I don't think classic Spectrum games vanished after 1987. Robocop, one of the biggest selling games of all time, came out in 1988, as did the highly celebrated Chase HQ; Where Time Stood Still and Target Renegade. And I'm not just going to cherry pick that following year...
It's all good. I wouldn't count the hobbyist era either, but then while only considering the commercial era (up to 1993) what is the classic part of that? I would say the first half or so, which puts it around 87-88. The first 5-6 years? Thats what i mean, games that came after 1987 (or 88), are fantastic, but i can't consider them classic under my thinking.

And don't get me wrong, the latter years produced some of the most awesome games as you've clearly listed. Coders were producing effects no-one had seen before, we heard music we didn't know possible and expansive games that boggled the mind on how they fit into 48k. But i will always class an earlier great as more of a classic.

I'm not having a pop, these votes are fun and its one of the ones i seek out each week, i think the lists are little long sometimes, some of the so called "classics" are a bit dubious to me.

I mean, whoever put Elite into the E round? ;)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

R-Tape wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 9:22 pm
WIWC wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 8:30 pm I have no idea.
I'm not going to name names but I bet it was JuanF.
Jasper??? Who's Jasper?
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

R-Tape wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 5:53 pm I think we should redo "J" and classify the classic era as 1984 - 1984 for a few letters
Ah, so you're a huge fan of Jack And The Beanstalk.
R-Tape wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 5:53 pmthen maybe change to 1983 - 1983 for "M"...
Not sure why you're so obsessed with Molar Maul, but yeah, we'll arrange something.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

hitm4n wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 9:35 pm It's all good. I wouldn't count the hobbyist era either, but then while only considering the commercial era (up to 1993) what is the classic part of that? I would say the first half or so, which puts it around 87-88. The first 5-6 years?
While the early years of the Speccy brought forth solid classics like Manic Miner; Ant Attack; Jet Set Willy; Chuckie Egg and the Ultimate Play The Game range, there were still a load of utter landfill games that were piddling around with UDG visuals, long BEEPs and slothlike gameplay.

I wasn't a computer owner until 1987 so missed out on these early years, but a visit to a friend who had a Speccy from the off, showed he had a vast collection. I'd pick out a game to load on the basis of a weird and wonderful title, then see it was absolute dregs. Terrible Old Games You've Probably Never Heard Of covers it beautifully.

As a latecomer to the scene, I was pleased with the Imagine games I had been given as a bundle with my +2, some decent arcade conversions there. When I came round to picking out the Imagine efforts from their pre-Ocean days, I was gobsmacked at how awful they were. Even more astounded when I learnt of their high status at the time and how profligate they were.

You can give a huge amount of thanks to the Stampers, Matthew Smith, etc, they really pioneered gameplay and everyone else had to up their game. By around 1987, you'd have budget titles with such quality that they would reasonably have been full price if they were created 2-3 years earlier.
hitm4n wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 9:35 pmThats what i mean, games that came after 1987 (or 88), are fantastic, but i can't consider them classic under my thinking.
I've given the early years a bit of a bashing, but yeah, post-1987, with all the hindsight we have now, we can see everything was headed to being arcade or movie licenses. You couldn't really survive as a full price software house putting out entirely original creations. Hewson clung on and delivered some outstanding original titles, but to be a major player, you had to shell out for a recognisable license.
hitm4n wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 9:35 pmAnd don't get me wrong, the latter years produced some of the most awesome games as you've clearly listed. Coders were producing effects no-one had seen before, we heard music we didn't know possible and expansive games that boggled the mind on how they fit into 48k.
Yeah, I'm still impressed with Rex and Hammerfist.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

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I think it is unfair to compare the commercial classic titles to the stuff that came after because the intent and development cycle/constraints are so different.

The main thing that strikes me and causing the nostalgia rose tinted glasses to crack was seeing just how little commercial coders cared about the product. If there was any thought given to innovative game-play, 'artistic' expression, making statements whatever it rarely shows up in commercial spectrum titles and when it does its kind of in-spite of the constraints rather than because of them. The hard facts are that most of the stuff in the archive is unimaginative regurgitation of safe themes, mechanics. Things the publisher was confident was going to sale, was easy to produce, and had a fast turn around.

The reliance on licences properties towards the end of the commercial period is a logical conclusion to this approach. As you can be fairly certain that a IP with brand recognition, that is promoted on other media/has merchandising is going to have a better chance of selling whatever you can shovel up. Given that the licence is not free, publishers would be looking to get the greatest return at the lowest risk possible. So it makes sense these titles rarely innovated and were in many cases just graphics swaps. It does not make sense if you are relying on getting titles out quickly to invest time in mechanics, new code that is untested and there is little evidence it would affect the sales.

It seems with the licence games, publishers were banking on brand recognition, cross promotion to offset the cost of the licence purchase, with a software product that had the minimum of development time, that re-used tested code. From what I can see publishers looked to get multiple licences, shoot for a minimum number of units sold to fans of the IP and anything over that was a bonus that was then rolled back into the next licence rights purchase.

The downfall of this is because production cycles were tight and tied to films/cultural products that were still in development you could sink money into a property that didn't perform well in its primary domain (movie/tv series/album/book). The more I think about this the more publishers were essentially gambling the future of the company on products they had not even seen yet. As the cost of the licence was based on prior performance of that brand and predicted sales of the new offering...

In simple terms, the film everyone thought was going to be awesome because of some fad or prior products did well bombs, tanks interest in the spectrum game. All the while the publisher has paid for a licence with the expectation of a much different marketplace reality.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

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R-Tape wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 9:22 pm
WIWC wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 8:30 pm I have no idea.
I'm not going to name names but I bet it was JuanF.
I thought he voted for Jungle Fever, for good old time's sake.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by hitm4n »

I know what would be really interesting. At the end of the alphabet, when we have our 26 winners, I wonder which year was dominant?
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by Pegaz »

Good idea. :)
I love this kind of voting and I can never get bored.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

hitm4n wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 3:07 pm I know what would be really interesting. At the end of the alphabet, when we have our 26 winners, I wonder which year was dominant?
27 winners. I'm gonna do a week for numeric characters.

(Mind you, that also raises the question of any game titles that credibly start with a non-alphanumeric character? 28 winners?)

But yeah - your idea is great. We could also look at genres and software houses too.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

Pegaz wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 3:37 pm Good idea. :)
I love this kind of voting and I can never get bored.
It is a ridiculous concept. And yes, I am the person who came up with it. Really, games that begin with a specific letter - what is the logic in them competing with each other? But there you go, it just sort of works, everyone knows how it is and yeah, we get travesties like Chase HQ beating Chaos, but it's been quite fun.

Sure beats a general "what is the best Spectrum game ever?" thread. (To which the answer is Chaos, no alternatives accepted at any time, ever.)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

PeteProdge wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 7:09 pm We could also look at genres and software houses too.
Good idea when all the letters polls are finished.

Have I said that I love these kind of polls? :)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Exciting poll!

A last-minute vote would change the final result!

Anyone? :)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

And there you, JetPac wins by the skin of its teeth, narrowly beating Jet Set Willy. Two titans of the classic Speccy games scene. I'd have thought Jet Set Willy would have won and it certainly got a late surge, but JetPac reigns supreme, it seems.

In third place is Jack The Nipper II with three votes.

Then after that, a couple of games get two votes each - Joe Blade and Juggernaut.

With one vote each: Jack The Nipper; Jailbreak; Jasper!; Jet Set Willy II; Judge Dredd; Jumping Jack and Jungle Fever.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with J: vote

Post by R-Tape »

PeteProdge wrote: Mon May 07, 2018 10:06 am JetPac wins by the skin of its teeth, narrowly beating Jet Set Willy. Two titans of the classic Speccy games scene.
A very respectable result, I'm pleased it was a close run thing in the end.
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