The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

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The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Poll ended at Tue Jul 31, 2018 11:01 am

Pac-Land by Grandslam
0
No votes
Pac-Mania by Grandslam
2
6%
Painter by A 'n' F Software
1
3%
Panama Joe by Sinclair Research
0
No votes
Pang by Ocean
1
3%
Panic by Mikro-Gen
0
No votes
Panic Dizzy by Code Masters
0
No votes
Panzadrome by Ariolasoft
2
6%
Paperboy by Elite
2
6%
Paris-Dakar by Zigurat Software
0
No votes
Penetrator by Melbourne House
3
8%
Pentagram by Ultimate
0
No votes
Peter Pack Rat by Silverbird
0
No votes
Perico Delgado Maillot Amarillo by Topo Soft
1
3%
Percy The Potty Pigeon by Gremlin
0
No votes
Peter Beardsley's International Football by Grandslam
0
No votes
Phantis by Dinamic Software
0
No votes
Phantomas by Dinamic Software
0
No votes
Phantomas 2 by Dinamic Software
0
No votes
Phantom Club by Ocean
0
No votes
Pheenix by Megadodo Software
0
No votes
Pinball by Sagittarian Software
0
No votes
Ping Pong by Imagine
5
14%
Pipe Mania by Empire
0
No votes
Pippo by Mastertronic
1
3%
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns by Activision
1
3%
Planets, The by Martech
0
No votes
Platoon by Ocean
1
3%
Plotting by Ocean
0
No votes
Pogo by Ocean
0
No votes
Pool by CDS Microsystems
0
No votes
Popeye by DK'Tronics
6
17%
Power Drift by Activision
0
No votes
Project-X: The Microman by Compass Software
0
No votes
Pssst by Ultimate
1
3%
Psycho City by Players
0
No votes
Psycho Pigs UXB by US Gold
0
No votes
Psytron by Beyond
0
No votes
Pud Pud by Ocean
0
No votes
Punchy by Mr Micro
0
No votes
Puzznic by Ocean
1
3%
Pyjamarama by Mikro-Gen
7
19%
Pyracurse by Hewson
1
3%
Pyramid, The by Fantasy Software
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 36

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PeteProdge
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The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

Right then, later than usual, but here we go...

Pac-Land by Grandslam
ImageImage

Pac-Mania by Grandslam
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Painter by A 'n' F Software
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Panama Joe by Sinclair Research
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Pang by Ocean
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Panic by Mikro-Gen
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Panic Dizzy by Code Masters
ImageImage

Panzadrome by Ariolasoft
ImageImage

Paperboy by Elite
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Paris-Dakar by Zigurat Software
ImageImage

Penetrator by Melbourne House
ImageImage

Pentagram by Ultimate
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Peter Pack Rat by Silverbird
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Perico Delgado Maillot Amarillo by Topo Soft
ImageImage

Percy The Potty Pigeon by Gremlin
ImageImage

Peter Beardsley's International Football by Grandslam
ImageImage

Phantis by Dinamic Software
ImageImage

Phantomas by Dinamic Software
ImageImage

Phantomas 2 by Dinamic Software
ImageImage

Phantom Club by Ocean
ImageImage

Pheenix by Megadodo Software
ImageImage

Pinball by Sagittarian Software
ImageImage

Ping Pong by Imagine
ImageImage

Pipe Mania by Empire
ImageImage

Pippo by Mastertronic
ImageImage

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns by Activision
ImageImage

Planets, The by Martech
ImageImage

Platoon by Ocean
ImageImage

Plotting by Ocean
ImageImage

Pogo by Ocean
ImageImage

Pool by CDS Microsystems
ImageImage

Popeye by DK'Tronics
ImageImage

Power Drift by Activision
ImageImage

Project-X: The Microman by Compass Software
ImageImage

Pssst by Ultimate
ImageImage

Psycho City by Players
ImageImage

Psycho Pigs UXB by US Gold
ImageImage

Psytron by Beyond
ImageImage

Pud Pud by Ocean
ImageImage

Punchy by Mr Micro
ImageImage

Puzznic by Ocean
ImageImage

Pyjamarama by Mikro-Gen
ImageImage

Pyracurse by Hewson
ImageImage

Pyramid, The by Fantasy Software
ImageImage
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Juan F. Ramirez
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Pyjamarama for me. Defined a genre and make Mikro-Gen a big company. The mix of adventure and arcade, the well-defined objects and rooms, ... definitely a classic.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by AndyC »

Gah, another tricky one. Puzznic, Plotting and Pang are all great games but the Speccy doesn't have the best conversions of them. Which leaves me torn between The Pyramid (which I loved) and Popeye (which still seems impossible). So I'm going to have to go with Popeye, because it still amazes me that it could be accomplished at all on the humble Speccy (and is a fun, if tricky game too).
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by R-Tape »

Oof big list.

For me Paperboy, Pyjamarama are the best of the more polished games, but I enjoy/ed Penetrator, Pippo, Pyramid more, and they have plenty of rough edges.

Speccy Pang is alright, but I got to know the great Amiga version so well that I don't think I can vote for that here.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by Vampyre »

Went for Popeye. Always impressed the hell out of me and was one of the few games I managed to complete.
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hitm4n
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by hitm4n »

Damn, a good spread in this one, tough choice.
I was gonna go for Pyjamarama, but Popeye has stood the test of time more for playability i think. Its a game i can go back to and play over and over whereas Pyjamarama was a bit of a chore to complete and its not a game i ever went back to. Played it to death on release though, till it was well and truly figured out, and is truly a classic.... but Popeye is just sooooo playable.

Popeye it is. I can still play and enjoy this one today!
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 best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by Ralf »

Voted for Ping Pong.

Maybe we here bigger classics like Pyjamarama or Pssst but I suppose Ping Pong gave me most fun ot of it.

Maybe it's technically nothing special but...

The tune at the beginning is great. Later good multichannel beeper tunes became a standard but when Ping Pong was released it was a kind of shock that Spectrum is capable of such effects.

And the game is incredibly playable. The difficulty is allright. It starts quite slowly on first level and becomes intensely crazy yet possible on the later ones.

I also like the cheering crowd effect.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by WIWC »

1. Panzadrome
2. Pssst
3. Pippo
4. Project-X
5. Pitfall II
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by 5MinuteRetro »

I have a sneaking feeling that Popeye will be the unexpected victor here. As hitm4n notes, it remains genuinely playable, if a little clunky -- and it looks as visually impressive to me today as it did back then. It was one of those rare games that I liked to show off to my C64-owning chums, to 'prove' how good Spectrum graphics could be. Man, if only Bifrost/Nirvana existed back then!
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by stupidget »

For me it had to be Ping Pong! Superb intro music, nice applause sound effect and a brilliant game to boot. Still play this game today.

Other notables would be The Pyramid, as it was one of the first games I played on the speccy and Pippo as it's a brilliant budget game.

I was just thinking as well that there are some great loading screens in this list.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by Morkin »

Am surprised how highly rated Popeye is. I thought it was OKish but for me there are lots in the queue before it.

Possibly the most difficult decision so far - a number of games that I loved playing, particularly Pyjamarama, Ping Pong, Pyramid, Pssst, and (probably the best Speccy rendition of) Pinball. Also, I seem to be remembering other games not listed post-poll that I quite liked, like Project Future.

My douze points goes to Penetrator. For me its only weak point is the 'prod P to fire' key orientation, but I've never found the game too tough so I can overlook that.

We all know how its authors wowed us with The Hobbit, the remarkably innovative way the game was structured released in those very early days and acting as a benchmark for other games in the genre. I think the Mitchell/Pegler inventiveness is shown in taking a reasonably-standard-but-nice-to-play scramble game, and adding a few small but interesting features to lift it up a notch:

- a short but nice 'attract mode'
- training mode/allowing the player to choose their level
- fireworks :)
- the danger level, linked to the radars and affecting the behaviour of the missiles
- leaving the author's landscape editor within the program so you could design your own levels

I thought the last of these was a great idea back then, being able to design levels and get your mates to play them.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by Spud »

I remember playing Ping Pong back in the day and although I don't remember much about how it was played, I did really enjoy it. I just tried it again just now and it seems to be totally unplayable. Shame really, but I wouldn't have voted for it as another game on the list was and still is bloody brilliant.

I have a soft spot for Project Future and would probably have voted for it if it was there.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Morkin wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:18 pm
- fireworks :)
Yes, a very nice feature! 8-)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by R-Tape »

Went for Pyjamarama in the end. Like Everyone's a Wally it's one of those Speccy defining games that is so crammed full of character that it doesn't need to worry about colour clash.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by Juan F. Ramirez »

Yeah, it's a fair winner (supposing no one will vote any contender in the last minute!)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by spectron »

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: Thu Jul 26, 2018 6:48 am
Morkin wrote: Wed Jul 25, 2018 5:18 pm
- fireworks :)
Yes, a very nice feature! 8-)
Especially the way the last few suddenly sped up because it took less processing time :)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

Well, there you go. Pjyamarama wins - narrowly - with 7 votes.

Hot on its tail, Popeye, with 6 votes.

Ping Pong is third (5 votes) and Penetrator is fourth (3 votes).

Pac-Mania, Panzadrome and Paperboy are joint fifth.

Then yer also-rans with 1 vote each: Painter; Pang; Perico Delgado Maillot Amarillo; Pippo; Pitfall II; Platoon; Pssst; Puzznic and Pyracurse.

Oh, and something else to address - I haven't been here for well over a week. Well, I've been freelancing for much of the past year and also have been hunting for a permanent job. I started last week. It's all to do with technology, nothing Spectrum-related unless you count the tape-based storage; IBM Spectrum Storage and the fact I drive past Kempston to get there. I'll be instigating these polls around 11am on Sundays because my work life is focused and can't really pop onto this forum during the 9-to-5. Also last week, a death in the family, which a lot of my time is spent dealing with.

Will be starting the O discussion on Sunday, then.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by R-Tape »

There are no howlers in this list but I'm glad one of the Wally Week games got a top spot.

Ta for the update Prodge, and for continuing with these polls when there's clearly a lot of other stuff going on.

Bloody hell, well over halfway, time flies :shock:
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by hitm4n »

Lets not do O again. May i suggest Q instead ;)
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by WIWC »

Lots and lots of Q games.
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Re: The best classic Speccy game beginning with P: vote

Post by PeteProdge »

hitm4n wrote: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:58 pm Lets not do O again. May i suggest Q instead ;)
Aaaargh! My bad, as the Americans say.
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