Spectrum Computing

I think the winner will be one of the Magic Knight series. However, these eight titles show there was more to him than just Magic Knight, although the three non-Magic-Knight titles here may not even attract a single vote.

Anyways:

Bonkers by Procom Software
Finders Keepers by Mastertronic
Fourth Protocol, The by Hutchinson Computer
Knight Tyme by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Spellbound by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Spellbound 128K by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Stormbringer by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Type-Rope by Mastertronic

Let me know if I've made any mistakes, then we'll start the poll properly next week.

Not sure why you've got Spellbound listed as two separate entities.

Knight-Tyme and Stormbringer also have 128K versions in that case.

If I recall correctly from a conversation message with the author many moons (a decade or so) ago, these three started life as their 128K versions.


Otherwise I see nothing amiss myself.

spider wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 2:01 pm Not sure why you've got Spellbound listed as two separate entities.
Knight-Tyme and Stormbringer also have 128K versions in that case.

I'm just going on how this website serves them up. I'm only familiar with the first 48K-only games because of that Sinclair User covertape!

What should I be doing with Spellbound, though? Treat 48+128 as one, or treat them separately?

According to the Fourth Protocol game manual, Dave Jones was only responsible for the third load section, the SAS Assault. So not the famous bit with the WIMP environment!

https://ia600604.us.archive.org/view_ar ... rGuide.pdf

Despite it getting a Sinclair User classic, the review said the third part was “undoubtably the weakest part”.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 40&page=17

Not that people need convincing his best game is a Magic Knight one!

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:44 pm What should I be doing with Spellbound, though? Treat 48+128 as one, or treat them separately?

I'd be interested in seeing the vote for them as separate. It's not a 'best speccy game' poll where it could split the vote and be unfair on the author (I would defo merge them in that case). To me it makes more sense to define them as distinct pieces of work in the context of 'best game by author X', and it's something that you can use your Prodge Prism to analyse at the end.

If we’re going with a 128k version of Spellbound, then you’d also have to have separate 128k versions for Knight Tyme and Stormbringer as they also had their own dedicated 128k releases like Spellbound with extra rooms and enhancements.






This is the Spellbound 128k release, pretty much the same label as Knight Tyme 128k




I’m not sure why the DB has a separate listing for Spellbound and not the others.

But it would probably be best to have single choices for each instead of separate 128k versions.

I just remembered that Knight Tyme was originally released as a 128k version with the cut down 48k version released afterwards. Plus it was the first original game to be released for the 128k (which makes it even less sense why Spellbound 128 has its own entry as it was released after Spellbound and after Knight Tyme 128)!

toot_toot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:38 pm But it would probably be best to have single choices for each instead of separate 128k versions.

In light of all this, I agree!

Okay, I'm going with separate releases, so at the moment, my proposed list is this:

Bonkers by Procom Software
Finders Keepers by Masterstronic
Fourth Protocol, The by Hutchinson Computer
Knight Tyme by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Knight Tyme 128K by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Spellbound by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Spellbound 128K by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Stormbringer by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Stormbringer 128K by Mastertronic Added Dimension
Type-Rope by Mastertronic

toot_toot wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 11:38 pm
I’m not sure why the DB has a separate listing for Spellbound and not the others.

The logic behind it is that Spellbound was originally designed as a 48k game and published before the Spectrum 128 was released. It's zxdb entry has a machine type of "ZX Spectrum 48K".

Knight Tyme and Stormbringer were both designed from the outset as 128k games that could be easily cut down to 48k versions, so their entries have a machine type of "ZX Spectrum 48/128K".

This logic isn't consistently applied to the 128k versions of any other games though.

StooB wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:23 am This logic isn't consistently applied to the 128k versions of any other games though.

Feels like it would be more logical to split things based on what you'd have to buy. E.g. if you'd have to purchase separate versions to have both 48K and 128K versions, they should be separate entities. If they're both on the same tape (either adaptive loading or alternative sides of the same tape) it should be 48/128.

I think it's better to do it like all the previous versions of other developers.

But if that's impossible, how about multiple versions of the poll?

PeteProdge wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 6:44 pm I'm just going on how this website serves them up. I'm only familiar with the first 48K-only games because of that Sinclair User covertape!

What should I be doing with Spellbound, though? Treat 48+128 as one, or treat them separately?

I guess this is sorted (sorry late reply) but the 48K and 128K versions of these (Spellbound / Knight Tyme / Stormbringer) exist as separate tapes rather than say a choice of per side or multiload etc.

AndyC wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 12:17 pm Feels like it would be more logical to split things based on what you'd have to buy. E.g. if you'd have to purchase separate versions to have both 48K and 128K versions, they should be separate entities. If they're both on the same tape (either adaptive loading or alternative sides of the same tape) it should be 48/128.

Stormbringer 48K missing from my pic as I was unable to find it at that time.