ZX Spectrum +

[Buleste]

Should be getting my grubby little mitts on a Spectrum+ today. Finally I can test the Arduitape with one and then it's composite mod.

[Harrison]

Nice. Is it in good condition? Please past some pics.

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[Ghost]

* He returns from Oblivion yet again to grace the topics of the Classic Amiga forum (:p) *

Neat, what is a Spectrum+ like? (I assume it is a member of ZX Spectrum family)
And what games do you have for it.

Hope it is okay if I also ask this here: are there any people who play the games developed in the fifteen years for the Spectrum?
A while back I was playing with a Spectrum Emulator (spectaculator), trying out games like Wanderers: Chained in the Dark, and Castlevania Spectral Interlude.
I really should get the complete version of the emulator.

[Buleste]

Hehehe. Tested it and it worked with the RF but the picture quality was terrible. What was great was that my Arduitape design works perfectly so loading games that are converted to .Wav file of less than 22050 Hz is sorted. Unfortunately whilst performing the mod I didn't realise how brittle the keyboard membranes are and split one of the connectors so I can't type LOAD"". New one ordered though from RWAP via SellMyRetro.

Using the down time to clean the case and keyboard.

Spectrum + is a 48k Spectrum but with a real keyboard instead of a rubber one.

[Demon Cleaner]

I had one like that, never used it though :) Was only for the collection. I wasn't the Spectrum guy anyway ;)

[Ghost]

Do any of you still play with the Spectrum today, or is any of your Spectrum libraries simply for the sake of collecting?
I considered it a few years ago but Harrison convinced me it was best just to focus on collecting things I truly have a connection with such as console and PC gaming, Star Trek and so on.
Good decision to because no long after my income took a serious hit from which I still have not recovered :( (I want a job so much)

[Buleste]

I will definitely be playing Spectrum games. If only to test my Arduitape to it's limits. Plus with owning an MSX there are a lot of straight Spectrum conversions so it would be interesting to see if there is any loss in speed in the conversion.


Edit: Been looking at the books etc that came with it and it looks like mine was a rubber key 48k that has had the keyboard upgraded to a plus as I have the instructions for the upgrade. It also comes with the original receipt and it was bought for £129.98 in 1983.

[Demon Cleaner]

You should consider the Vega+ console: http://forum.classicamiga.com/forum/showthread.php/5687-The-Sinclair-ZX-Spectrum-Vega-Console?highlight=vega

[Buleste]

I only really want it for my Arduitape project. See if it works. See if we can get it to decode TZX or PZX files on the go.

[Harrison]

Have you tried your project on the Amstrad CPC?

I've recently been reminiscing about my CPC464 and have always wanted a CPC6128. And the later Plus models intrigued me. Although with emulation I don't really have a need. Maybe later. Never personally wanted to own a Spectrum though. The hardware and software abilities have always seemed a little too basic for me. Especially when most games got a direct CPC port anyway, and they don't suffer colour clash.

Equally as you mentioned many of the game's were also on MSX and that was definitely the superior hardware of the era. Shame it never really made it to the UK at the time. I've never used one other than emulation. That's a system that interests me.

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[Buleste]

I should imagine Arduitape will work on the CPC. It's more if we can get it to play files without the need for converting to .WAV that's the hard part.

[Harrison]

I've not really kept up with the CPC. I know it has an active retro scene with a few games still developed amd a demo scene. Plus I've heard of a few hardware projects. I'm wondering if the build in drives can be replaced with a floppy emulator amd with something like your project tape drives too. It would make me more interested in maybe getting hold of the hardware in the future.

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[Buleste]

Well. It's easy to add a 3.5mm port to a Spectrum +2 so a 464 should be easy to do and there is a floppy replacement for the CPC or an external HxC I think.

[Ghost]

I only find the MSX interesting for its own original library.
The Spectrum conversions of games feel kinda cheap to be honest. I know there was no budget for the developers to completely redevelop titles for more powerful hardware or make a separate MSX version of a game at the same time, but it gives the feeling that there was little or no interest from Western developers to make titles uniquely for the MSX. Just another platform they could put their games on.

So Buleste, what games are you going to play?

Through this site you might find some interesting new titles: http://www.indieretronews.com/

Sometimes I honestly envy you guys, to you all this retro stuff takes you back to your younger days. Me as a sort of fringe retro fan will probably never understand that feeling.

[Buleste]

TBH It's been running repairs and I've not spent much time playing games. Replacement speaker. Replacing variable resistors for colour control. Replacement keyboard membrane.

However I have tried the Ultimate games, Elite, and the Magic Knight Quadrology. Having never owned a Spectrum it's been interesting to play games that I have played so much on both MSX and C64 (not the Ultimate games though).


The MSX was certainly a flop in Britain and although some games are improved on the MSX over the Spectrum there are also a lot of poor conversions.

Where the MSX truly came in to it's own was the Konami cartridge titles. The ability to improve the sound and add memory made the games expensive but far superior to other 8-bit conversions. The MSX2 and the MSX2+ are really where the machine shone but by the time they were released we were getting in to the 16-bit generation.

The past few months has seen me archiving MSX cassette games in English as they haven't been done in the past so it's been fun trying games that I possibly wouldn't normally have tried.

[Ghost]

However I have tried the Ultimate games, Elite, and the Magic Knight Quadrology. Having never owned a Spectrum it's been interesting to play games that I have played so much on both MSX and C64 (not the Ultimate games though).

I definitely remember Ultima's Jetpac, it is the game that got me into gaming in the first place ;)
Also played some other Ultimate games like Pssst but I never got the hang of Lunar Jetman until I played the remake.
Ultimate was definitely one of the more popular developers for the Spectrum. I do wonder how their games hold up today.

I have heard about the Magic Knight games before but I wonder what kind of games they are. From the screenshots on World of Spectrum I get a sort of 'Dizzy' adventure game vibe.

hmm, Elite, I doubt it will be any different than other ports. Starstrike 3D and Starstrike II are more arcade oriented but perhaps you might like them.

Do please tell us about your experiences after you have played more games.



Where the MSX truly came in to it's own was the Konami cartridge titles. The ability to improve the sound and add memory made the games expensive but far superior to other 8-bit conversions. The MSX2 and the MSX2+ are really where the machine shone but by the time they were released we were getting in to the 16-bit generation.

Definitely, Konami was the king of the MSX, and so many of its games started on it (next to Arcades),
It is a shame a MSX3 was never made as I am honestly curious what games for it had been like. Perhaps Mode 7 like on the SNES.

There are handful of MSX2/MSX2+ games that are still worth to play. Not going to mention the obvious ones but definitely try out some of Konami's less mentioned games such as Circus Charlie or Penguin Adventure.
One game I also really enjoy on the MSX is Psycho World. Decent platformer that also got a Master System/Game Gear conversion, MSX version is the best though.

Wish you lived nearby so I could visit you and also have a go with your Spectrum.

[Buleste]

The differences with the versions of Elite are mostly graphics but there's also the differences in missions and ships. MSX Elite on disk is supposed to be the most complete 8-bit version but it also the most terrible for docking. It has to be played to be seen.

Finders Keepers is in gameplay to Jet Set Willy, Manic Miner etc but it's the follow ups where it all changes. Definitely not Dizzy. Hate all the Dizzy games. Lol

Never heard of Psycho World but I'll have to give it a try now.

http://www.passionmsx.org/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?cid=72&lid=1267&lang=english

[Ghost]

The differences with the versions of Elite...

Not really a fan of Elite. I know it for the important role it played in game design, helping giving rise to the open world games. I am not really a fan of it as I prefer games with that have a narrative and a little more linear and goal oriented.
What is the reputation of the ZX Spectrum version.


Finders Keepers is in gameplay to Jet Set Willy, Manic Miner etc but it's the follow ups where it all changes.

I had a look at the games on Youtube. The first definitely like those games you mentioned while the later ones are more like a graphic adventure game, complete with an over elaborate user interface.
I would most likely not played those games without a walkthrough or hint book at my side as I don't think it would be that friendly for people like me who have never played an adventure game less advanced that the Secret of Monkey Island.


Definitely not Dizzy. Hate all the Dizzy games. Lol

I always found the Dizzy games so nauseating cutesy looking, all the egg people reminded me of the Smurfs.
And what is the deal with the boxing gloves when the character never hits enemies (At least I think he doesn't).


Never heard of Psycho World but I'll have to give it a try now.

I think it is undeserved forgotten. Sure it did not set any new standards for platform games but what did the genre right and was also a little bit of a technical accomplishment on the MSX regarding the scrolling.
Check out Gryzor on the MSX2, going from one screen to another. The same with Castelvania/Vampire Hunter.
Imagine the impact those two games would have had if they had scrolling similar to their NES counterparts.

[Harrison]

Gryzor was one of my favour games in the 8 bit era. Remember it is also called and better known as Contra. The Amstrad CPC version looked and played brilliantly. It's only limitation was flip screen in the sideway sections, rather than scrolling as in the original arcade and some other versions.

For the MSX the most famous games have to be the Konami releases and especially Metal Gear.

In later years on the Spectrum a lot of developers started developing games in b/w and for me this worked really well. This allowed them to disguard the colour clash issues and concentrate on my graphical detail. There was a favourite of mine called Escape from Colditz I used to part stood a friend's house.

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[Ghost]

It's only limitation was flip screen in the sideway sections

Outside the NES and a handful of home computers (including the Commodore 64), I think almost every platform had difficulty running Contra as it was suppose to be.



For the MSX the most famous games have to be the Konami releases and especially Metal Gear.

Definitely but there were also a handful of other good developers/publishers for the MSX. Sadly a lot of their titles never reached Western shores and thus never got translated. Well at least not during the MSX's active years, only years later by fans.
I could look up which other companies could stand up next to Konami.

Also, don't forget Konami's SD Snatcher.



In later years on the Spectrum a lot of developers started developing games in b/w and for me this worked really well.

Ah that explains that explains why so many of the titles I checked out on World of Spectrum where in Black and White (or Yellow and Black).
Yeah the graphics really improved when the developers started to focus on two or three basic colors for MSX games. The color clashing was really annoying sometimes, I also notice it in the games released more recently for the ZX Spectrum.

[Buleste]

Managed to reprogramme TZX2WAV so that the default output is at 22050 Hz which means less typing when I convert files (Saves me having to type "-f 22050" everytime I convert something) to something the Arduitape can use. Need to add a frontend and maybe a way to batch process files too.

I'd love to reprogramme Tape2wav that comes with FUSE but libspectrum.h is needed and all sorts of other messing.