Spectrum Computing

This is the thread of spectrum games that celebrate, however tenuously, international days of the year (Peter's Pizza day thread brought this to mind).

According to daysoftheyear.com, today is Jewel day. There must loads of jewel collecting games, but I'll start us off with Tourmaline.



Apparently it's also Coconut Torte day. Hmm, these could get tricky, especially as we get to things like Manatee appreciation day and cream cheese frosting day. If I didn't know better I'd say they were making them up

I always thought the idea of "Interantional Days" rather silly (at least the less important ones) but any excuse to get us talking about Spectrum games is good for me.



Jewels of Darkness - perhaps not a jewel in Level 9's crown, but still a recognizable name in text adventuring.

Great idea for a thread!

The main character in Inside Outing must find hidden gems in a mansion.



And Diamonds, reviewed in a past Microhobby thread:



Tomorrow will be dry shampoo day, I'm sure there will be lots of games about it!

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:04 pm Tomorrow will be dry shampoo day, I'm sure there will be lots of games about it!

Will wet shampoo do?

Oh, not that kind of “international day”. After watching the Six Nations this afternoon, I was naturally about to suggest World Class Rugby!

For coconut torte day it has to be Jack The Nipper 2 in Coconut Capers.

TMD2003 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:42 pm
Will wet shampoo do?

I said dry, not wet!!!

Jason's Gem:
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... Jasons_Gem

p13z wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:20 pm Jason's Gem:

I do like this game. It seems totally unfair in a lot of places, but I suppose you have to embrace that or bin the speccy. The 'flip a coin' chance lander intro, and the difficulty of the descending stage means I've only ever reached a screen or two into the platform game bit. Looking at the map there's only 8 or so screens to pass from there. Maybe one day...

TMD2003 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 4:42 pm Will wet shampoo do?

Jim, this is the last game in the entire archive to celebrate the upcoming dry shampoo day. I'm not angry, but can't think of a game that is more diametrically opposed to the venerable practice of dry shampooing. Dry shampooing means a lot to me*, and many people on this forum, and we need more sensible suggestions with which to recognise it.

* whatever the bloody hell it is

I've checked the next int. days and there are a lot of weird ones, I think we'll get fun!

R-Tape wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:42 pm Jim, this is the last game in the entire archive to celebrate the upcoming dry shampoo day. I'm not angry, but can't think of a game that is more diametrically opposed to the venerable practice of dry shampooing. Dry shampooing means a lot to me*, and many people on this forum, and we need more sensible suggestions with which to recognise it.

You know what you need to do. MUSH!

* whatever the bloody hell it is

Ask anyone who's been on a festival campsite. Doc Brown's time machine may be required.

Happy Pi Day!

Evil Genius wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 8:05 am Happy Pi Day!

If push came to shove, I'd say that today was my favourite day dedicated to a mathematical constant.



The archive also has Pi, which takes an eternity to calculate Pi to 6, 14, 30 and 62 decimal places.

EDIT:

If my maths is right (not a given), by logging the clock values between calculations and cranking the emulator up you get these values:

PEEK 23672, 23673, 23674
28, 5, 0
42, 7, 0
25, 13, 0
237, 32, 0
90, 105, 0
201, 123, 1

Which I get as 26, 36, 67 168, 539 and 1944* seconds for 6, 12, 30, 62 and 129 decimal place calcs.

*a whopping 32 minutes

So...I, Ball, and any other game with a lot of circles?

akeley wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 11:32 am So...I, Ball, and any other game with a lot of circles?

This one should do the trick! Load it for the soundtrack as well as the game.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:12 am If push came to shove, I'd say that today was my favourite day dedicated to a mathematical constant.

Some would say you'd be wrong to
[media]https://youtu.be/2E9m6yDEIj8[/media]

An obvious game for today:

p13z wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:10 pm Some would say you'd be wrong to

My brain hurts! Maybe we should stick with dry shampoo day.

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:26 pm An obvious game for today:

Jim beat you to it. Class game.

p13z wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 2:10 pm Some would say you'd be wrong to

Particularly since 2021-03-14 = 2004 ≠ π

It's 15th march, so happy...

World Speech day
World Consumer Rights day
True Confessions day
Buzzards day
Brutus day
Napping day!!!

(Any other weird day, please??? -Ed)

My attempts:

Napping day:



World Consumer Rights day:

Buzzard day...

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... rum/Birds/

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:37 am World Consumer Rights day:

(pic of SQIJ)

Perfect!

Jbizzel wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:11 am Buzzard day...

https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1 ... rum/Birds/

I quite like this one. The first stage quiz is as hard as nails - you need to be a latin nerd otherwise it's a guessing (or googling) game. The second action lander stage would be good, if that time limit wasn't so harsh. I landed every rook, kestrel, starling and chimney swift at the nearest correct spot and still ran out of time. No buzzard as yet though...

Buzzard fact: Now the following is not true in any real sense, but when Paul Lindale did the graphics for Alchemist, he actually based the Golden Eagle sprite on a stuffed Buzzard in his study.

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 6:37 am Brutus day

I don't suppose Caesar the Cat qualifies.

There's an interesting educational dissection of the Shakespear's Julius Caesar. Brutus has a whole section to himself.



Brutus day is more about modern backstabbing though. Are there any games in the archive about betrayal in general?

R-Tape wrote: ↑Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:56 amAre there any games in the archive about betrayal in general?

I think many people saw Renegade III as a betrayal.

As to betrayal I can't think of any game now, but I'm sure there's more than one game with a story of betrayal of the programmer against the company or the opposite...