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[Ninja Dom]

I had a ZX Spectrum +2.

It was absolute dogshit yet still I loved it and it had a certain charm. Arcade ports? Utter disappointment every time.

The negatives outweighed the positives, I think. Especially after I got a NES.

I can't even remember some of the games I had. Although I did have a game called Strip Poker 2+. I loved that game. It was awesome.

 

[Boy Wander]

The machine that got me into video games and made my childhood so memorable. I still get nostalgic about the Speccy days playing games in my mate's bedrooms on a 14 inch colour portable tv. It was a simple machine, with flawed graphics and shitty beeper sound but there was something magical about it. Special shoutout of course to Skool Daze. The fact that you could actually NAME all of the kids and teachers was total fucking gold to 10 year old me.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

Happy Anniversary, Speccy!

Load "" will forever be engraved in my mind

I still have my original 48k Speccy and my brother's 128k Speccy in the spare room. There's probably a bunch of C90 cassettes about somewhere too. I inherited them from my best friend when he migrated to the C64 or Atari ST, it's been a while so i forget which.

I cut my programming teeth on the Speccy and it's also where i started to learn modding games too. Good times

 

[Gowans]

Love it!It's my first proper gaming system.

The Mrs bought me a rubber keyed Speccy Blue Tooth keyboard for Christmas this year too.

God knows how I typed on that thing as a kid let along copied code out of mags.

 

[Red Liquorice]

I had a 128 +2 as a kid, looking back I probably should've got a C64 since that's what most other kids had at the time but I remember preferring the higher 'fidelity' of the graphics to the 'blocky' C64.

My memories of the Spectrum are kind of mixed tbh, I always had problems with joysticks - all the cheap joysticks I bought/swapped/borrowed I could never get to work and always had to play with the ketboard instead so a lot of action games were very difficult for me to make any progress. I remember Myth being especially excrutiating to play. I'm just watching it on YT now though, it still really great for a Speccy title.

My fondest memories are with DIzzy games and especially Kwik Snax.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

Love it!It's my first proper gaming system.

The Mrs bought me a rubber keyed Speccy Blue Tooth keyboard for Christmas this year too.

God knows how I typed on that thing as a kid let along copied code out of mags.

Ahhh yes, the joys of you and a mate spending 3 hours typing 6 pages of hex from Your Sinclair into a loader only to get a checksum error.

I'm still maudlin over my Speccy mag collection i had to get rid of years and years ago. 3 or 4 bin bags full of Crash, C&VG, Your Sinclair and Sinclair User gone. I'd still read them now if i had them

 

[Outrun]

Wasn't it rescuing people from the island where Krakatoa erupted?

Loved that game.

You are probably right!

I remember that you had to shoot down V2 rockets also (I hope I remembered correctly!)

 

[In Service]

No Spectrum thread is complete without mentioning The Great Escape.

I never did manage to dig my way out.

Yes, Yes, Yes. Never been so excited (honestly) as seeing this and remembering I did it!

Also, Jack the Nipper and Jack the Nipper 2 (Coconut Capers maybe?). The latter of which I made a map for using loads of A4 pages stuck together and sent it into a magazine (probably CVG) but they didn't use it. Took me feckin' ages.

 

[OldHand]

When I think of the Speccy I'll always think of TLL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR2X9zQT7y4

Oh my. Completely forgot about TLL until I saw that. Nostalgia flood! Thank you!

Also: Pimania. Commando. Kokotoni Wulf. Saboteur. Lotus Esprit (first free roam driving game?). And that western-themed rare game?

 

[Boy Wander]

Happy Anniversary, Speccy!

Load "" will forever be engraved in my mind

I still have my original 48k Speccy and my brother's 128k Speccy in the spare room. There's probably a bunch of C90 cassettes about somewhere too. I inherited them from my best friend when he migrated to the C64 or Atari ST, it's been a while so i forget which.

I cut my programming teeth on the Speccy and it's also where i started to learn modding games too. Good times

So will R: Tape loading error, I bet....

 

[mclem]

Oh my. Completely forgot about TLL until I saw that. Nostalgia flood! Thank you!

One interesting thing about that era is how many games I can inherently tie to the names of specific programmers. TLL? That's Costa Panayi, along with Cyclone and Android. Head over Heels? Ritman and Drummond. Exolon? Raf Cecco. Matt Smith! Mike Singleton (RIP)! The Oliver Twins! Joffa Smith (RIP). Don Priestley! Julian Gollup!

I suppose the modern equivalent's the indie auteur; the Phil Fishes, the Jon Blows, the Zach Barths. (And, well, Julian Gollup again!)

And that western-themed rare game?

Gunfright. Although that also put me in mind of Cliff Hanger, which is impressively original for the time; I'd like to see something of its nature again!

There's probably a bunch of C90 cassettes about somewhere too.

One thing I miss from that golden era is spending a weekend with a C90 when you're not quite sure what's on it. It's a joyous random bit of discovery; you'll get a random mix of exciting-sounding things... that then don't load, random games old enough that you can still break into BASIC, and early machine code titles that are original and unconventional (Loved Kosmic Kanga!)

Occasionally I've considered putting together a modern (and legitimate, this time!) equivalent - a 'mixtape' of odd indie freeware titles, with some sort of frontend to obfuscate what you're actually running until you execute it, just as a device to provoke discussion and try to bring back that sense of random discovery.

 

[ThePeoplesBureau]

Also, Jack the Nipper and Jack the Nipper 2 (Coconut Capers maybe?). The latter of which I made a map for using loads of A4 pages stuck together and sent it into a magazine (probably CVG) but they didn't use it. Took me feckin' ages.

As a kid, the mine-cart sections in Jack the Nipper 2 blew my mind. A lot of imagination filling in the blanks, but to me they made the game feel 'huge' in how you could traverse to different locations. Dare I go back and watch some footage on youtube and ruin that memory for myself?

 

[geordiemp]

Remember Chuckie egg and football manager fondly

 

[Robin64]

Having a programming interface as the default when you turn it on was a stroke of genius. This thing got so many young Brits into the industry.

 

[MadmanUK]

I had a ZX Spectrum +2.

It was absolute dogshit yet still I loved it and it had a certain charm. Arcade ports? Utter disappointment every time.

The negatives outweighed the positives, I think. Especially after I got a NES.

I can't even remember some of the games I had. Although I did have a game called Strip Poker 2+. I loved that game. It was awesome.

Chase HQ and R-Type were pretty amazing ports. I thought Target Renegade was amazing at the time too. I used to love the Codies "Simulator" series, especially BMX, ATV and Super Stuntman. It was incredible that you could go to the corner shop and buy a game for under two quid that would last weeks.

 

[Boy Wander]

Chase HQ and R-Type were pretty amazing ports. I thought Target Renegade was amazing at the time too. I used to love the Codies "Simulator" series, especially BMX, ATV and Super Stuntman. It was incredible that you could go to the corner shop and buy a game for under two quid that would last weeks.

In hindsight what held the Speccy and indeed other home computers back in terms of games was the lack of decent input controls. Keys were ok but one button joysticks were the shits. Many games were converted from systems that had 2+ buttons and compromises were often shitty, like pressing up to jump.

 

[ThePeoplesBureau]

In hindsight what held the Speccy and indeed other home computers back in terms of games was the lack of decent input controls. Keys were ok but one button joysticks were the shits. Many games were converted from systems that had 2+ buttons and compromises were often shitty, like pressing up to jump.

Very true. Most of the joysticks we had would break sooner rather than later, so I just adapted to use the keyboard for playing everything.

 

[Sportbilly]

In hindsight what held the Speccy and indeed other home computers back in terms of games was the lack of decent input controls. Keys were ok but one button joysticks were the shits. Many games were converted from systems that had 2+ buttons and compromises were often shitty, like pressing up to jump.

Yup, I used to hate that, even worse if it was a diagonal up, like in Bruce Lee. Very frustrating.

 

[In Service]

As a kid, the mine-cart sections in Jack the Nipper 2 blew my mind. A lot of imagination filling in the blanks, but to me they made the game feel 'huge' in how you could traverse to different locations. Dare I go back and watch some footage on youtube and ruin that memory for myself?

Excellent. Never go back.

I think I had my Spectrum 128k +2 by then. Less problems with loading.

A neighbor had a +3 with disc drive. I was like "Wooooah".

 

[Weltall Zero]

I find your lack of Spanish games... disturbing.

AMC.

After the War.

Navy Moves.

May update with more later, gotta have lunch.

Any body remember Krakatoa, where you controlled a helicopter rescuing people on a tanker?

Sure I do, but as mentioned, you rescued them from an erupting volcano. I particularly remember it was a while until I learned there was a "deploy rope" key and me and my dad rescued them at first... by squashing them with the helicopter.

Yes, Yes, Yes. Never been so excited (honestly) as seeing this and remembering I did it!

Also, Jack the Nipper and Jack the Nipper 2 (Coconut Capers maybe?). The latter of which I made a map for using loads of A4 pages stuck together and sent it into a magazine (probably CVG) but they didn't use it. Took me feckin' ages.

Hahah, I did the same for the Spectrum Transformers game (minus sending it to a magazine), among several others. A4 and sellotape, the mapmaking tools of the champions.

 

[Maximilian E.]

Anybody mentioned Bruce Lee yet????

 

[In Service]

OP Wolf.

The game that made you load the second tape if you got to the (something like) third level. Which you did every flipping time....

Edit - also, using keys to move the cross-hair!

 

[ThePeoplesBureau]

I find your lack of Spanish games... disturbing.

Wasn't Dustin a Spanish game?

Amazing load screen art, and the title music was also brilliant. It was probably one of my most played free magazine covertape games, and it also happened to be the full game rather than just a demo.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

I watched the Nostalgia Nerd's ZX Spectrum Story on Youtube yesterday and really enjoyed it. If you'd like to watch a documentary-style story on the computer and the company, I really recommend it.

One thing that struck me while I was watching was that everyone mentions how popular these computers were and how a lot of people in Europe skipped early consoles because they were playing with these. During the "crash" these computers were going strong. I always wondered why we didn't have that in the US but after watching this it dawned on me how inexpensive these computers were and that explained their popularity. Growing up in the US, the only REAL computers that anyone ever talked about were Apple, Atari, Commodore, and IBM (and their clones), all of which were much more expensive than the Spectrum in the UK. Timex brought the Spectrum over here but they must have done a shit job because I don't ever remember there being a scene or software available in the stores for it. I do remember that those Timex computers were often given away for prizes or for checking out time shares. I think my cousin had one but had no idea what to do with it. Wish I could get it now but I'm sure it's at the bottom of a landfill.

 

[fenners]

I watched the Nostalgia Nerd's ZX Spectrum Story on Youtube yesterday and really enjoyed it. If you'd like to watch a documentary-style story on the computer and the company, I really recommend it.

One thing that struck me while I was watching was that everyone mentions how popular these computers were and how a lot of people in Europe skipped consoles because they were playing with these. During the "crash" these computers were going strong. I always wondered why we didn't have that in the US but after watching this it dawned on me how inexpensive these computers were and that explained their popularity. Growing up in the US, the only REAL computers that anyone ever talked about were Apple, Atari, Commodore, and IBM (and their clones), all of which were much more expensive than the Spectrum in the UK. Timex brought the Spectrum over here but they must have done a shit job because I don't ever remember there being a scene or software available in the stores for it. I do remember that those Timex computers were often given away for prizes or for checking out time shares. I think my cousin had one but had no idea what to do with it. Wish I could get it now but I'm sure it's at the bottom of a landfill.

Right, the European gaming market was totally different because of it. As a Brit now living in the US, it gets a bit tiring hearing about the 'worldwide crash' in that period, when it wasn't the case at all.

And we didn't "skip consoles", we generally didn't get them until much later & at a much higher price than the US, at least for Nintendo.

 

[Kareha]

Christ, I was 6 years old when it came out, I feel really old.

 

[Kareha]

I watched the Nostalgia Nerd's ZX Spectrum Story on Youtube yesterday and really enjoyed it. If you'd like to watch a documentary-style story on the computer and the company, I really recommend it.

One thing that struck me while I was watching was that everyone mentions how popular these computers were and how a lot of people in Europe skipped early consoles because they were playing with these. During the "crash" these computers were going strong. I always wondered why we didn't have that in the US but after watching this it dawned on me how inexpensive these computers were and that explained their popularity. Growing up in the US, the only REAL computers that anyone ever talked about were Apple, Atari, Commodore, and IBM (and their clones), all of which were much more expensive than the Spectrum in the UK. Timex brought the Spectrum over here but they must have done a shit job because I don't ever remember there being a scene or software available in the stores for it. I do remember that those Timex computers were often given away for prizes or for checking out time shares. I think my cousin had one but had no idea what to do with it. Wish I could get it now but I'm sure it's at the bottom of a landfill.

For us living in the UK, there was no game crash, there were always plenty of new computer games ready to buy from the local shop.

 

[Meneses]

The first game I ever played was on a Timex 2048 (I was maybe 5 or 6, around 1985/86).

After that I also owned a 128k +2, kept playing it for years and years after that.

So many great games from that era, some of my favorites were Back 2 Skool, Underwurlde, Saboteur, Renegade and Target:Renegade, among many others.

There was also my country's famous "crown jewel" Paradise Café, which was technically a porn game where you would buy and sell drugs and visit prostitutes.

There was something kinda charming about those 4 or 5 minutes of loading tapes, like we were waiting in anticipation of something special.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

I find your lack of Spanish games... disturbing.

Some of my favourite games were from Spanish teams and mostly published by Quicksilva if i remember right. Fred kept me amused for hours and who could forget being a young lad and seeing that "Army Moves" advert for the first time. *phew*. They got Oli Frey to put some tasteful adornments to her outfit for later print runs but I think i still have a copy of the original with a hint of nipple. *lewd*

mclem pointed out it was "Game Over" not "Army Moves", cheers!

For us living in the UK, there was no game crash, there were always plenty of new computer games ready to buy from the local shop.

Yeah, i knew that something had gone on in America but it wasn't until internet times that i realized it was such a big thing. We were pretty much oblivious over here due to the popularity of the 8 bit computers and a ton of games.

The NES is dandy and all that but THESE are my nostalgia threads

 

[ThePeoplesBureau]

There was something kinda charming about those 4 or 5 minutes of loading tapes, like we were waiting in anticipation of something special.

I would just read Your Sinclair or Sinclair User while the screeching loading noise cackled in the background.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

I would just read Your Sinclair or Sinclair User while the screeching loading noise cackled in the background.

Go make a cuppa and some toast, crisps or a Pot Noodle, dig out a pen and whatever maps/notes i had or as you say read one of the games mags.

I swear that back in the day i could recognise about 40 games by the sound their loading screen made lol. Made finding them on tape really easy

 

[mclem]

Fred kept me amused for hours and who could forget being a young lad and seeing that "Army Moves" advert for the first time. *phew*. They got Oli Frey to put some tasteful adornments to her outfit for later print runs but I think i still have a copy of the original with a hint of nipple. *lewd*

You're thinking of Game Over. Army Moves' advert was just standard military schtick.

 

[ThePeoplesBureau]

You're thinking of Game Over. Army Moves' advert was just standard military schtick.

How about the ad for Psycho Pigs UXB?

Spoiler

Couldn't quite believe it when I turned the page to see that!

 

[DECK'ARD]

Have we covered Horace Goes Skiing yet?

Good old Horace.

 

[SirMossyBloke]

Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

THANK YOU.

My life is now complete.

 

[Suzzopher]

I was never bothered about the lack of colour with my Speccy as I had a black and white TV in my room, that I had even after I got an NES.

I mentioned this in the Retronauts thread but the weirdest game I ever played was The Thompson Twins Adventure. It came free with CVG magazine but it came on a flexidisc, that contained music you would play and then record the game onto cassette.

It was a cool adventure game based on The single Doctor Doctor.

I bloody loved the British gaming industry in the 80s.

 

[Any Questions]

No Spectrum thread is complete without mentioning The Great Escape.

I never did manage to dig my way out.

Amazing​! Might need to find a long-play on YouTube

 

[Thanati]

Holy crap. 35 years??! Man, time flies.

This was my first computer. So many fond memories. I remember playing Dan Dare for the first time and being blown away by the graphics. That studio really pushed the tiny machine. Uridium was also a game they originally said 'Couldn't be done on the Spectrum', but they did and it was amazing.

Sigh, good times.

Dan Dare

Uridium

Also, the first open-world car game?

Turbo Esprit

 

[Boy Wander]

I find your lack of Spanish games... disturbing.

I always found Dinamic games to be all style and no gameplay - certainly Game Over, the 'Moves' games and After the War didn't do anything much for me. Army Moves in particular I remember being poor.

Fred and Bugaboo the Flea were decent enough back in the day though but I don't think they were Dinamic although I think both were Spanish.

I did quite like Westbank however, which was a conversion of the Sega arcade game, Bank Panic.

One of my favourite Speccy publishers was Durrell, who released such masterpieces as Scuba Dive, Saboteur (and II), Turbo Esprit and Thanatos.

Scuba Dive

Turbo Esprit

Thanatos

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

You're thinking of Game Over. Army Moves' advert was just standard military schtick.

That's right, i knew it once i'd posted but couldn't remember the name!

How about the ad for Psycho Pigs UXB?
Couldn't quite believe it when I turned the page to see that!

I remember the advert being the best thing about that game. You threw bombs at each other i think. I'll have to look it up now, i know it had nothing to do with defusing bombs.

Have we covered Horace Goes Skiing yet?
Good old Horace.

Horace goes Skiing was a pack-in game wasn't it? Together with Make-A-Chip, Survival and Checkered Flag. Horace and the Spiders was the other Horace game i had.

i'd load up Dan Dare just to look at the graphics.
I had that Thompsons Twins game too. Seeing that screenshot made me remember the Fergus McNeill adventures. The Boggit, Bored of The Rings, Quest for the Holy Joystick, damn we spent ages finding all the swearing and filth in those games

So many memories, i could write pages of them

 

[DECK'ARD]

I bloody loved the British gaming industry in the 80s.

It was pure creativity, anything went. Built on a bedrock of bedroom programmers thanks to the Spectrum, C64, BBC Micro (if you were posh) ...

Never quite the same after the death of the Amiga, but it was an amazing time.

 

[Tarps]

Thanks for the memories OP. Jet Set Willy and Manic Miner FTW.

 

[mclem]

I remember the advert being the best thing about that game. You threw bombs at each other i think. I'll have to look it up now, i know it had nothing to do with defusing bombs.

It was actually an arcade port; the arcade title was Butasan, from Jaleco.


Edit: And it appears there's a 3DS remake. No idea if it's any good, but the fact I've not heard of it before now is probably not a *great* sign.

 

[Thanati]

Some other, classics.

Nodes of Yesod (first Speccy game with Speech?0

And this little gem;

Universal Hero

 

[DECK'ARD]

Horace goes Skiing was a pack-in game wasn't it? Together with Make-A-Chip, Survival and Checkered Flag. Horace and the Spiders was the other Horace game i had.

Yeah, I think it was a pack-in. It's the earliest memory I have of the Spectrum. I loved getting my skiis and hitting the slopes.

 

[mclem]

Some other, classics.

Nodes of Yesod (first Speccy game with Speech?0

Splat! from 1983 has a remarkably clear "YIPPEE"

 

[score01]

This was my first proper system. Used to play on my friends rubber key 48k. Daley Thompson decathlon was awesome.

Bought myself +2.

We got the best version of Target Renegade. Suck it up C64 owners!

 

[blu]

Happy anniversary, champ.

 

[WITHE1982]

My first video game ever:

I absolutely loved the speccy. We had a 48k then a 128k. I remember my dad getting a currah speech and thinking we'd arrived in the future:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k1vf-w0CxQw

Special mentions for Atic Attack, Exploding Fist, Daley Thompson (oww my fingers!), Nodes of Yesod, Saboteur and my all all time favorite... Starquake.

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

Universal Hero, i loved that game and completed it a few times. I always wondered if Slartibardfast as a homage to Hitchhikers guide was mispelt deliberately or not.

I've always wanted to remake StarQuake and Starion as i played those to death. Starion especially.

edit: WITHE! On point with the StarQuake love!

I just remembered i'd played remakes of Driller and Total Eclipse a few years ago and here you go - Ovine By Design Retro Remakes.

Driller, Cholo and Total Eclipse for Shaded 3D single FPS nostalgic goodness now with added frames

Was Starfighter the shaded 3D space shooter? I remember being amazed by it and the Digital Integration helicopter sims. Tomahawk & Lenslok anyone?