Travel Through Time Vol.1: Northern Lights

[clebin]

Not 60 levels, 80 levels...

Oh bugger - that means I've got 29 to go!

[Andre Leao]

Not 60 levels, 80 levels...

Oh bugger - that means I've got 29 to go!

Yoy'll find an Easter Egg, when completing the 60

[flatduckrecords]

The graphics and the speed are superb. The handling is excellent. The size of the cars on the road feels about right - space for overtaking is tight but not unfairly so. Sometimes you just need to be patient, tap the brakes and wait for the right opportunity. My impatience often gets the better of me on the really tight bends and I end up clipping a lamppost.

At first I thought “no! Don’t touch the brake! Breathe on it and you might as well give up!!” But I’ve played a bit more tonight and realised there’s more to the handling model than I’d thought.

Spoiler

Down-shifting can give you a nice boost of acceleration, even at higher speeds. Listen to the engine and don’t push it too far or you’ll loose speed. Just imagine you’re Vin Diesel and work that gearstick!

(Does this trick work in other Spectrum racing games with hi/lo gears and I just never realised??)

I wish there was a quick “restart stage” option for those races where it had been going really well till you clipped one wee lamppost and now it’s all over but there’s still miles to the finish line. But maybe that not in the spirit! The shame of limping over the finish line in 9th is all part of the fun experience?

famous quote

It doesn’t matter if you lose by an inch or a mile. Losing is losing. etc etc

I was a bit fed up with it, but having discovered more depth I’m enjoying it again.

[Guesser]

I wish there was a quick “restart stage” option for those races where it had been going really well till you clipped one wee lamppost and now it’s all over but there’s still miles to the finish line.

Yeah, or a timer.

I've been making a snapshot and reloading

[Sokurah]

It's absolutely fantastic ... but I can't beat that damn time trial on level 6, lol. I hope it gets easier after that (if I ever manage to get past it, lol).

[Ralf]

I hope it gets easier after that (if I ever manage to get past it, lol).

It's quite unequal. Some stages are easy and some are damn hard. You certainly don't have a regular difficulty
increase like in a typical game.

Use snapshots, it will save you a lot of frustration when you spoil something at the last turn of the race

[Audionautas]

I wish there was a quick “restart stage” option for those races where it had been going really well till you clipped one wee lamppost and now it’s all over but there’s still miles to the finish line.

Yeah, or a timer.

I've been making a snapshot and reloading

Yes there is a way to do it by holding down the gear shift key for a longer time, you can restart stage at any time during the race.

[flatduckrecords]

Yes there is a way to do it by holding down the gear shift key for a longer time, you can restart stage at any time during the race.

Ah, amazing thank you.

[flatduckrecords]

Use snapshots, it will save you a lot of frustration when you spoil something at the last turn of the race

Alas, there’s something up with my DivMMC: I can create snapshots but not load them. So (apart from fast-loading) I’m having to play it “old school”. I’ll just have to git gud.

[Ralf]

Game completed

Don't expect to complete it on one evening, guys. Do a few levels each time and when you get tired, leave it
and return to it the next day. This way you will eventually make it.

[Audionautas]

Hi

The deluxe cassette editions for Travel Through Time Vol. 1: Northern Lights and The Dark Redux / The Dark Lost Pages are already onsale on the Zosya website. https://www.zosya.net/product-category/zx-games/

They have also released a second run of 55 copies of Valley of Rains after the first batch sold out a couple of months ago.

[Luzie]

Alas, there’s something up with my DivMMC: I can create snapshots but not load them. So (apart from fast-loading) I’m having to play it “old school”. I’ll just have to git gud.

You use "Long Filename Browser for ZX-UNO / esxDOS"? Snapshotting with it should be fixed as you can read here: viewtopic.php?p=69835#p69835

[flatduckrecords]

Thanks [mention]Luzie[/mention], yes I’ll give that a try! Coincidentally I had trouble with a few other snapshots so I assumed it was just me doing something wrong. (Apparently the game does something unusual with bank-switching that causes the trouble?)

Thanks [mention]Audionautas[/mention] I’ve ordered a tape copy. (Shipping to the UK is £16).

[Audionautas]

Thanks @Luzie, yes I’ll give that a try! Coincidentally I had trouble with a few other snapshots so I assumed it was just me doing something wrong. (Apparently the game does something unusual with bank-switching that causes the trouble?)

Thanks @Audionautas I’ve ordered a tape copy. (Shipping to the UK is £16).

You're welcome!! Yes, shipping costs to Spain are exactly the same. In my case this time I ordered Travel Through Time, The Dark and Bonnie & Clyde that arrived last week. Last year I ordered Valley of Rains and Drift! and the shipping costs were the same as with 3 games. Overall, really good editions for its price.

[flatduckrecords]

You're welcome!! Yes, shipping costs to Spain are exactly the same. In my case this time I ordered Travel Through Time, The Dark and Bonnie & Clyde that arrived last week. Last year I ordered Valley of Rains and Drift! and the shipping costs were the same as with 3 games. Overall, really good editions for its price.

Yes, I agree. I got a copy of Valley of Rains a few months ago. The artwork raised a few eyebrows(!) but you can tell a lot of effort goes into these editions. In fact I only meant to order Travel Through Time but I impulse-bought The Dark as well!

[Audionautas]

You're welcome!! Yes, shipping costs to Spain are exactly the same. In my case this time I ordered Travel Through Time, The Dark and Bonnie & Clyde that arrived last week. Last year I ordered Valley of Rains and Drift! and the shipping costs were the same as with 3 games. Overall, really good editions for its price.

Yes, I agree. I got a copy of Valley of Rains a few months ago. The artwork raised a few eyebrows(!) but you can tell a lot of effort goes into these editions. In fact I only meant to order Travel Through Time but I impulse-bought The Dark as well!

Yes, absolutely, a lot of effort goes into these games in general (artwork, programming, graphics, music, attention to detail, manuals, everything). A few days ago, Natasha Zotova responded to someone on Facebook that they are releasing these games at cost price. If that's true, I wouldn't mind paying a few more pounds on each release in order to get the team paid, they deserve it. By the way, the manual on The Dark is handmade, really beautiful stuff and fits the game perfectly (no poster this time)

These people from Zosya blow me away. I don't know where they get the time to program such good and consistent games, and make it compatible with real life problems. Last weekend Zotova posted on Facebook a screenshot of their next release, and we know that when they do that, a new game release is just a few weeks away. So, we'll look forward to it.

Zotova also confirmed that Metal Man Remixed would be one of their next releases, but not in the next batch, probably later. Since they are working in more parts for Metal Man, it makes sense to release it on tape earlier.

[Audionautas]

Yes, I agree. I got a copy of Valley of Rains a few months ago. The artwork raised a few eyebrows(!) but you can tell a lot of effort goes into these editions. In fact I only meant to order Travel Through Time but I impulse-bought The Dark as well!

Yes, absolutely, a lot of effort goes into these games in general (artwork, programming, graphics, music, attention to detail, manuals, everything). A few days ago, Natasha Zotova responded to someone on Facebook that they are releasing these games at cost price. If that's true, I wouldn't mind paying a few more pounds on each release in order to get the team paid, they deserve it. By the way, the manual on The Dark is handmade, really beautiful stuff and fits the game perfectly (no poster this time).

These people from Zosya blow me away. I don't know where they get the time to program such good and consistent games, and make it compatible with real life problems. Last weekend Zotova posted on Facebook a screenshot of their next release, and we know that when they do that, a new game release is just a few weeks away. So, we'll look forward to it.

Zotova also confirmed that Metal Man Remixed would be one of their next releases, but not in the next batch, probably later. Since they are working in more parts for Metal Man, it makes sense to release it on tape earlier.

[Audionautas]

Yes, I agree. I got a copy of Valley of Rains a few months ago. The artwork raised a few eyebrows(!) but you can tell a lot of effort goes into these editions. In fact I only meant to order Travel Through Time but I impulse-bought The Dark as well!

Yes, absolutely, a lot of effort goes into these games in general (artwork, programming, graphics, music, attention to detail, manuals, everything). A few days ago, Natasha Zotova responded to someone on Facebook that they are releasing these games at cost price. If that's true, I wouldn't mind paying a few more pounds on each release in order to get the team paid, they deserve it. By the way, the manual on The Dark is handmade, really beautiful stuff and fits the game perfectly (no poster this time).

These people from Zosya blow me away. I don't know where they get the time to program such good and consistent games, and make it compatible with real life problems. Last weekend Zotova posted on Facebook a screenshot of their next release, and we know that when they do that, a new game release is just a few weeks away. So, we'll look forward to it.

Zotova also confirmed that Metal Man Remixed would be one of their next releases, but not in the next batch, probably later. Since they are working in more parts for Metal Man, it makes sense to release it on tape earlier.

[Audionautas]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rO2ZW6hKkbo