Spectrum Computing

Posted: **Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:01 pm**

Inspired by a recent thread about a new BASIC game I wonder what the best Spectrum BASIC game might be? I mean, I'm sure I played a heap of them in the machine's earliest days but none immediately spring to mind. Actually, Oracle's Cave just sprang to mind: I wonder if that was BASIC? I sure played that loads, and remember it being basic enough to be BASIC.

I just checked on ZXDB and it seems the coding language isn't recorded? If so, there's no easy/obvious way to see a list of BASIC games. Perhaps I'm missing something?

Either way, what are people's recommendations for genuinely good BASIC games? To be clear, I really do mean pure BASIC... not mostly BASIC with bits of machine code bolted on.

Posted: **Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:16 pm**

Quicksilva's Mined-Out was an early-ish basic title I think? Not a bad game, and one of the first I remember being easily able to BREAK into. Also, the legendary Football Manager was easily LISTed too... I don't recall seeing any DATA, but not looked in a long time.

Posted: **Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:45 pm**

5MinuteRetro wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:01 pmI just checked on ZXDB and it seems the coding language isn't recorded? If so, there's no easy/obvious way to see a list of BASIC games. Perhaps I'm missing something?

ZXDB already classifies titles according to programming languages. It currently recognizes the following groups:

Code: Select all

4002: Sinclair BASIC
4003: C (z88dk)
4004: C (z88dk/splib2)
4005: C (SDCC)
4006: ccz80
4007: Boriel ZX BASIC
4008: HiSoft BASIC
4009: Colt BASIC
4010: Assembly (GNU binutils)
4011: Assembly (Pasmo)
4001: Assembly (misc)

Group 4002 contains titles developed in "Sinclair Basic":

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... up_id=4002

Unfortunately this list is far from complete. Most titles are not classified by programming language... If anyone can provide a list of IDs for titles developed in a certain programming language, I will gladly complement this information in ZXDB!

Posted: **Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:49 pm**

Einar Saukas wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:45 pm
Group 4002 contains titles developed in "Sinclair Basic":

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... up_id=4002

Unfortunately this list is far from complete. Most titles are not classified by programming language... If anyone can provide a list of IDs for titles developed in a certain programming language, I will gladly complement this information in ZXDB!

Ah, right - sorry! It did seem like an odd omission from the database.

Posted: **Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:14 pm**

I'm not sure if you are including type-ins here, but I have always had a lot of respect for the Benny Bunny series which appeared in Sinclair Programs.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=21612

Scroll down the link above to see other games in the series.

The Type Fantastic website also highlights impressive type-ins with a white background.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jg27p ... pehome.htm

Posted: **Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:15 pm**

DouglasReynholm wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:16 pm Quicksilva's Mined-Out was an early-ish basic title I think? Not a bad game, and one of the first I remember being easily able to BREAK into. Also, the legendary Football Manager was easily LISTed too... I don't recall seeing any DATA, but not looked in a long time.

Not sure I ever played Mined-Out - so will try it. Thanks.

Pretty sure Football Manager was all BASIC but I have zero interest in football, so not for me regardless!

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:17 am**

5MinuteRetro wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:15 pm
DouglasReynholm wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2019 9:16 pm Quicksilva's Mined-Out was an early-ish basic title I think? Not a bad game, and one of the first I remember being easily able to BREAK into. Also, the legendary Football Manager was easily LISTed too... I don't recall seeing any DATA, but not looked in a long time.
Not sure I ever played Mined-Out - so will try it. Thanks.

Pretty sure Football Manager was all BASIC but I have zero interest in football, so not for me regardless!

Interestingly, Ian Spencer the Mined-out programmer, went on to found Incentive software who did the Freescape games (Driller, Total Eclipse etc.). Bit of a leap technology wise!

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 8:19 am**

Derby Day is probably mine.

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:27 am**

Daren wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 8:19 am Derby Day is probably mine.

I wanted to say that! But it fails the "not with bits of machine code added on" criteria.

Good game though.

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:15 am**

I don't know why, but my most played and liked ZX BASIC game is the type-in from C,V&G: The Wizard of Tallyron.

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 6&id=17442

Apparently I liked it so much, that I did a own loading screen for it (which is btw. muuuch nicer the the one that came with the sold version).

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:07 pm**

Wasn't Viking Raiders written in BASIC?

My fave is Indiana Jones y el Idolo de Oro (list published in Microhobby).

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:59 pm**

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:07 pmMy fave is Indiana Jones y el Idolo de Oro (list published in Microhobby).

I assume it got a "Seal of Approval"

I'm sure someone said The Witch's Cauldron was a BASIC game? Haven't checked. Seems to be quite highly rated.

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 4:33 pm**

cha05e90 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:15 amApparently I liked it so much, that I did a own loading screen for it (which is btw. muuuch nicer the the one that came with the sold version).

Why don't you upload it to ZX-Art?

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:09 pm**

My vote would be for The Biz. It's still great. (Also, as mentioned, Mined Out is also still very good and worth a play)

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:35 pm**

Morkin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:59 pm I'm sure someone said The Witch's Cauldron was a BASIC game? Haven't checked. Seems to be quite highly rated.

The tap contents don't look very BASICy:

Code: Select all

Program: CAULDRON LINE 0
Data (490 Bytes)
Data (6913 Bytes)
Data (40886 Bytes)
End if Tape

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:39 pm**

"Go to Jail" (Automata) - Monopoly in Basic (for 2 to 5 players), how cool is that?

Posted: **Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:44 pm**

This IQ-Test is really nice. Not really a game, though.

"Mined Out" would be one of my favourites, too. Very well done.

Posted: **Tue Mar 26, 2019 7:41 am**

The Wild Bunch is a cracker. It is pure BASIC isn't it?

Posted: **Tue Mar 26, 2019 9:25 am**

My first Spectrum was a +2, so Basic games were pretty much a thing of the past by then. But the one I did play, and play a lot was Football Manager, and thought it was a great game. I had a shot of it recently and thoroughly enjoyed it. Will definitely play it again when I get my Next and spend a bit more time playing Speccy games.

Posted: **Tue Mar 26, 2019 9:30 am**

Is Dictator writen in Basic?

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1388

Posted: **Tue Mar 26, 2019 9:33 am**

Ralf wrote: ↑Tue Mar 26, 2019 9:30 am Is Dictator writen in Basic?

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/index.p ... 96&id=1388

Yes.

Posted: **Tue Mar 26, 2019 12:23 pm**

Wasn't The Great Space Race written in Basic? It would be far, far down the list of Best Basic Games though

Posted: **Tue Mar 26, 2019 3:12 pm**

Not actually a released BASIC game as it was a type-in, but none the less, still an excellent game:

Forest of Long Shadows

This was pretty good as well:

Pixy the microdot

Posted: **Tue Mar 26, 2019 10:45 pm**

Kweepa wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 11:35 pm
Morkin wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2019 12:59 pm I'm sure someone said The Witch's Cauldron was a BASIC game? Haven't checked. Seems to be quite highly rated.
The tap contents don't look very BASICy:
Code: Select all
Program: CAULDRON LINE 0
Data (490 Bytes)
Data (6913 Bytes)
Data (40886 Bytes)
End if Tape

Ah yeah - just checked, that's definitely not stonk.... errrr.... BASIC...!

Posted: **Wed Mar 27, 2019 2:29 pm**

Can we include games released in the past 15 years? The Bytemaniacos BASIC competition, for example, had a few games that impressed me when they were released. And wasn't there a game completely written in BASIC that was released just months ago? A good one, that is.

Spectrum Computing

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