Spectrum Computing

The Vectornauts

Really nice AGD game. The graphical style, and the extra features (stun gun, computer interfaces, gravilifts) make it feel quite different to your average platformer.

I forgot ^this^ was a demo. I've just played it through and it mentions "now play the red version". Was there a finalised release?

Goody by Opera Soft



Nice game mechanic with the ladder that you can use to scale high places, and the different tools to select.

A few difficulty spikes early on but gets better once you get indoors. I was put off a bit by the B&W though - the colourful version of the map makes it look much nicer... Is there a colour version of this game?

Seems like there's a decent game in here somewhere. I'd be tempted to try it with infinite lives perhaps, as the jumping controls are pretty broken and it can be difficult to avoid enemy fire sometimes, particularly that s0dding helicopter with its homing missiles.

I'll have to give Goody another go. Same as you, the early difficulty puts me off.

Morkin wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 12:16 pm A few difficulty spikes early on but gets better once you get indoors. I was put off a bit by the B&W though - the colourful version of the map makes it look much nicer... Is there a colour version of this game?

Yep this is one of Ralf's mods. I put them here for now.

Elon M. with Jetpac

It doesn't look like much to start off with, but you really get into it. The inertia is really well done (don't know how that's done in AGD), and wanting to see the next level's baddies is a real hook. The AY is fantastic; sooo soothing without being bland. I'm trying to play without POKEs at the moment, and this game really could do with a few more than 3 lives.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Sat Apr 11, 2020 1:14 pmYep this is one of Ralf's mods. I put them here for now.

Ah - fantastic.. Cheers (and thanks to Ralf too).

Looks loads better. And the extra lives help too..!

Playing the excellent Rex by Martech



A game that I couldn't get back in the day. Really good (and hard!)

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:09 am Playing the excellent Rex by Martech
A game that I couldn't get back in the day. Really good (and hard!)

Great game! If you like it, you may want to try my old mod of the 2nd part (fixed/improved gfx) found on this page:
https://vtrd.in/games.php?t=remix
and/or "Rex Freeway" mod incorporating it and allowing free movement between the rooms (going back).

Thanks for the link, I'll try them!

Dark Castle

IMO hidden platforms are normally the worst design decision ever, but they are the fundamental basis of this game—and it's great!

I wish it didn't have lives or the clock, as it's not so much fun going back to the start each time.

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2020 7:09 am Playing the excellent Rex by Martech

Rex was so amazing, felt like next-gen Spectrum game at the time. Thanks for reminding me of its name, now I see I have confused it with Myth.

Free Climbing, a Spanish rock climbing game.

I didn't realise the phrase "free" was coined in this context so long ago, I only learned of it when Alex Honnold scaled El Capitan in 2017*. These days, you'd be forgiven for thinking that being a rock-climber is bleedin' compulsory—I feel like a conscientious objector at work! I never got into it, and unfortunately my skills on a real wall are about as good as mine in this game. It's not clear to me what makes you fall yet. Still, it's surprisingly fun to play and make progress up the wall.

Keys OP=arms, ZX=legs, M=climb up.

It's a really interesting idea. A quick google shows that rock climbing games are not an unexplored genre. There could be some interesting ideas for new Speccy games though.

(btw I know this game needs a running screenshot; just taken one :–)))

*ah hold on; free climbing is not what I thought it was: free climbing is climbing without any artificial aids like ladders or bolts in the rockface, it can still be with a rope for safety (as the games inlay shows), free solo is free climbing without artificial aids and without a safety option. The mad Ba**ards.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2020 10:38 pm free climbing is not what I thought it was: free climbing is climbing without any artificial aids like ladders or bolts in the rockface

Yeah. I did that at the uni. Gets fun after a while in a specially equipped gym. Then you get to climb real rocks and your overconfidence can get the better of you. I got lucky and . . . well, I’m typing this post, aren’t I? But dang it, that moment you realize you can’t go up, you can’t climb down, no one’s spotting you, and there’s a good sixty feet between you and the solid-rick ground below.

Ah, youth . . .

Interesting, never heard of that game.

Oddi the Viking, a cool puzzle game from 2010. Addictive.

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2020 10:52 pm Interesting, never heard of that game.

You say it every single time.
https://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/ ... ent_931958

WIWC wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 6:36 pm

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2020 10:52 pm Interesting, never heard of that game.

You say it every single time.
https://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/ ... ent_931958

Haha, that's true. It's one of my english 'canned' phrases I use it as a robot (but it's true, I've never heard of them! )

By the way, are you ok?, it's been a long time since you last posted here, glad to see here again!

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 8:01 pm By the way, are you ok?, it's been a long time since you last posted here, glad to see here again!

Too busy playing Zythum.

By Mirrorsoft.

Cruelman's going to have the upper hand when we're all in the Sinclair retirement home...

I have introduced my 6 year old and nine year old to gauntlet two , they love it! Played in grey 128k +2
, with 2 joysticks, they love the seeming never ending levels , great two player game.

ianace wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 10:33 pm I have introduced my 6 year old and nine year old to gauntlet two , they love it! Played in grey 128k +2
, with 2 joysticks, they love the seeming never ending levels , great two player game.

I found it a hugely playable conversion back in the day, great game to get the kids introduced to the charms of 8 bit.

Yeah I like the fact that as long as you both do not die at the same time the players keep re-spawning , keeps the interest I wonder how many levels there are ? We have been up to 35!

Juan F. Ramirez wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 8:01 pm

WIWC wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 6:36 pm You say it every single time.
https://www.worldofspectrum.org/forums/ ... ent_931958

Haha, that's true. It's one of my english 'canned' phrases I use it as a robot (but it's true, I've never heard of them! )

By the way, are you ok?, it's been a long time since you last posted here, glad to see here again!

I post the games I play on Twitter. I have Zythum loading screen as avatar. I should have posted them here too maybe.

Pentacorn Quest. Some of the puzzles are great, and set it well apart from a 'regular' churro. Still haven't completed it after all these years.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 2:23 pm

Pentacorn Quest. Some of the puzzles are great, and set it well apart from a 'regular' churro. Still haven't completed it after all these years.

Churro?