Game versions 48K vs 128K

[J. Pirés]

Is there an English hack of this on the Spectrum? I’d love to play it but never found the English version.

Yes, as already indicated, you have it available on this same website.
Despite being marked as beta, it can be played from start to finish without any issues.

Enjoy!

[Van_Dammesque]

International Matchday is basically a 128k version of Matchday, extra screens when you score a goal etc...

[marenja]

Here you can can check which +3 disk games have some additional content:
https://zx-pk.ru/threads/31635-spisok-i ... t-s-3.html
(the forum is in Russian but the list is in English)

Not sure it is correct. That list shows difference between +3 and 128k versions. Probably that is because of +3 disk usage. But there are some interesting facts in that list too.

I've found viewtopic.php?t=8155 but I'm sure there are more with a similar topic.

They are discussing a history of 128k but i'm interested in details about the difference between 48k and 128k versions of the same games. Though a magazine page about Ocean's Tai Pan was interesting.

As it was mentioned, the first game that was going to really use the 128K was Taipan

It’s detailed in this SU preview (along with a moan about all 128K games are just enhanced versions of 48K games) https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/page.ph ... 62&page=93

[marenja]

Search inside this forum subtree gives no relevant results and google results are totally poisoned with pages of individual games. So i'll try to put all that together.

The most used diffs 28k/128k are AY music and SFX, enhanced graphics or other gfx content - intro, mid-story pictures, final cuts. An option for single loading of levels.

Additional memory pages give possibility to draw graphics using additional screen and that gives some speed increase.

More level detalization or additional rooms (sometimes)

Yeap, the difference is obvious

128K images:

Spoiler

48K images:

Spoiler

Save to RAM feature
The Abbey of The Crime
Iron Lord
Laser Squad (singleplayer campaign mod, though it was made at after-the-spectrum epoch)
Space Crusade (hm, i don't remember savings there, only passwords; 128k added anination of burning game title and 3d animation or robots)

About The Abbey of The Crime ... This game has a uncommon feature that makes good use of the extra memory available in the 128K models: it allows you to save the game state as 'checkpoints' (SYMB + 1,2,3 ..9) at any moment in memory and continue from there by loading with SHIFT + number if something goes wrong later on.

Enhanced playback

Renegade on the 128k had an extra level, the bad guys would fall at and angle and bounce if you knocked them down at the edge of the platform or pier plus it had the throw move. These features were all missing in the 48k version. Plus it had AY sound & music on the 128k.

Road Blasters 128 had AY sound and also had horizontal stripes at the side of the road to give a better sense of speed.

Encyclopedia of War - ancient battles has greater battlefield 5000 squares vs 500 squares.
Star Pilot - 128K version has weapon power ups and the shop between levels.

Additional levels. Wasn't it possible to add that levels as tape loads for 48k game too?

City connection has 4 more countries, extra intro, extra visual and sound efects, and loads more.

[marenja]

I've tried to copy some most outstanding information from +3 table but realized that almost every game is to be copied. Almost all games have enhanced GFX / SFX. Other things are ...

from the list of +3 versions

Budokan
choice of fighting style

Night Hunter
choice of difficulty level

Fiendish Freddy's Big Top o'Fun
intro differs from tape version, practice mode

Mutan Zone
has additional menu with part selection

Golden Axe
You see a map between stages, with a quill pen marking your route.

Heroes of the Lance
additional graphics and more detailed locations

North & South
tons of additional gfx, new landscapes, arcade sub-games, proper final cut

Iron Lord
3 save states.

Space Crusade
Improved savings

[Andre Leao]

Additional levels. Wasn't it possible to add that levels as tape loads for 48k game too?

The levels, probably yes. But all the extra features, I suppose not.