The (ZX) Spectrum by Retro Games
Discussion
Hi
I was just wondering if anyone has bought the newly released Spectrum from Retro Games? I only found out about them yesterday and the first batch has pretty much sold out online so I was lucky to get one (my wife is buying me it for Christmas).
https://retrogames.biz/products/thespectrum/
I absolutely loved my ZX Spectrum, and it definitely ranks as one of my best presents. It was shared between my brother and looking back at the cost I can see why! I think in today’s money it would be around £450, which must have been a struggle for my parents. We definitely got our monies worth though as we literally spent hours each day playing games on it. My favourite games were Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy, Chuckie Egg and Jet Pack. I bought an original 48K Spectrum a few years ago (just to look at), but I’m really looking forward to this one as I know there are plenty emulators but struggling to play games with the rubber keys is all part of the fun. Roll on Christmas day, which will be nearly 40 years since the last one!
I was just wondering if anyone has bought the newly released Spectrum from Retro Games? I only found out about them yesterday and the first batch has pretty much sold out online so I was lucky to get one (my wife is buying me it for Christmas).
https://retrogames.biz/products/thespectrum/
I absolutely loved my ZX Spectrum, and it definitely ranks as one of my best presents. It was shared between my brother and looking back at the cost I can see why! I think in today’s money it would be around £450, which must have been a struggle for my parents. We definitely got our monies worth though as we literally spent hours each day playing games on it. My favourite games were Manic Miner, Jet Set Willy, Chuckie Egg and Jet Pack. I bought an original 48K Spectrum a few years ago (just to look at), but I’m really looking forward to this one as I know there are plenty emulators but struggling to play games with the rubber keys is all part of the fun. Roll on Christmas day, which will be nearly 40 years since the last one!
I am getting one for Xmas too. 8 am like an excited kid from 40 years ago.....hopefully it doesn't gather dust and I get 'imnto' it again.
I realise emulators and games can be downloaded onto most things nowadays, but the novelty of using rubber keys (very nostalgic) will hopefully give some longevity.....
Although I did have a spectrum + back in the day.....
I realise emulators and games can be downloaded onto most things nowadays, but the novelty of using rubber keys (very nostalgic) will hopefully give some longevity.....
Although I did have a spectrum + back in the day.....
DoctorX said:
I had one preordered but cancelled. I suspect the novelty would have worn off very quickly. I have all the games on a Pi anyway and I play them….almost never.
This, every few years I get the retro bug and every time it is the same. After about 30 minutes I realise the games are rubbish and I never play them again.In the past I have purchased a Commodore 64 and Amiga from eBay, a spectrum plus 2 at a car boot, numerous plug into your TV machines, downloaded MAME and a few months ago one of those hand helds with 10000 games.
I bet 95% of these are used for less than an hour and are either put in a cupboard or end up on eBay.
Bit like buying a classic car, you just cannot recapture your youth.
I got mine yesterday, they have done a stellar job with this, a very nicely done product, packaged well at an attractive price point at £89.99, the original was £129.99 which was equivalent to £420 back then !
The games dont live up to the nostalgia in a lot of cases, largely frustrating, back in the day I loved Ant Attack for example but the controls seemed so clunky.
Special mention to a game called TCQ, a modern game they have included, its strange but I am compelled to go back, seems to be a clever use of the Spectrum,
I just dont have the determination to sit and doggedly waste hours trying to plough through the games, just no inclination and havent spent £5.99 I had saved up over a month or two to keep me going, going to get a USB memory stick with a games libray on sorted and play a few of the Ultime games and some of the others but think it will just end up like the others as an ornament in my man cave, but at £89.99, it doesnt matter, seeing a Spectrum still makes me smile even if I am not going to sit there for hours and hours.
I dint even have one, my mate Chris did, remember playing it when he wasnt even in, his mum just used to leave me to it until he got back, I had a C64, and there was the debate about which was better, but it really didnt matter, they bot had their own thing going on, I couldnt choose between them as have so many fantastic memories of both.
The games dont live up to the nostalgia in a lot of cases, largely frustrating, back in the day I loved Ant Attack for example but the controls seemed so clunky.
Special mention to a game called TCQ, a modern game they have included, its strange but I am compelled to go back, seems to be a clever use of the Spectrum,
I just dont have the determination to sit and doggedly waste hours trying to plough through the games, just no inclination and havent spent £5.99 I had saved up over a month or two to keep me going, going to get a USB memory stick with a games libray on sorted and play a few of the Ultime games and some of the others but think it will just end up like the others as an ornament in my man cave, but at £89.99, it doesnt matter, seeing a Spectrum still makes me smile even if I am not going to sit there for hours and hours.
I dint even have one, my mate Chris did, remember playing it when he wasnt even in, his mum just used to leave me to it until he got back, I had a C64, and there was the debate about which was better, but it really didnt matter, they bot had their own thing going on, I couldnt choose between them as have so many fantastic memories of both.
My interest has been piqued in this. I used to dream of getting a Spectrum...40 years ago. I never did. When it came to the crunch, I got a Dragon 32 instead. Loved it to bits and I still have it. But there is something inside me feeling unfulfilled that I never got a Spectrum. My wife reckons there is a 48k one in our left but I have never seen it!
Back then, you could learn and play a game in minutes. I don't have enough patience for a modern console. To me, the games are too big and complicated to be fun. Now thinking I can waste my Christmas break playing with a Spectrum!
I was fascinated by the flaky ZX Microdrives back in the 1980s. See that Microdrive emulators are available. Would these work with the new Spectrum? Can extra games be downloaded and used with it, if so where from and how?
Would love to see some screenshot.
Back then, you could learn and play a game in minutes. I don't have enough patience for a modern console. To me, the games are too big and complicated to be fun. Now thinking I can waste my Christmas break playing with a Spectrum!
I was fascinated by the flaky ZX Microdrives back in the 1980s. See that Microdrive emulators are available. Would these work with the new Spectrum? Can extra games be downloaded and used with it, if so where from and how?
Would love to see some screenshot.
This brings back memories back in t'day.
I don't see the point in this unless there's a fairly good library / access to the 'big' games of way back then. If there's no Ultimate then that's a big miss.
Games like Knight Lore changed things big time, the variations of these from Ocean (Batman, Head Over Heels) were pretty good too. There were plenty of 2d classics, but it's no where near the same without Ultimate.
Not sure if Ocean did Daley Thompsons Decathlon(?), the "break your keyboard" type games have to be in there too, otherwise it just won't feel right.
Apologies, didn't really read the whole thread, just saw it as asking for help for my old PC.
Is there a list of the games it comes with, or would you have to make up any missing games by buying them yourself?
JJ_427 said:
This brings back memories back in t'day.
I don't see the point in this unless there's a fairly good library / access to the 'big' games of way back then. If there's no Ultimate then that's a big miss.
Games like Knight Lore changed things big time, the variations of these from Ocean (Batman, Head Over Heels) were pretty good too. There were plenty of 2d classics, but it's no where near the same without Ultimate.
Not sure if Ocean did Daley Thompsons Decathlon(?), the "break your keyboard" type games have to be in there too, otherwise it just won't feel right.
Apologies, didn't really read the whole thread, just saw it as asking for help for my old PC.
Is there a list of the games it comes with, or would you have to make up any missing games by buying them yourself?
I don't see the point in this unless there's a fairly good library / access to the 'big' games of way back then. If there's no Ultimate then that's a big miss.
Games like Knight Lore changed things big time, the variations of these from Ocean (Batman, Head Over Heels) were pretty good too. There were plenty of 2d classics, but it's no where near the same without Ultimate.
Not sure if Ocean did Daley Thompsons Decathlon(?), the "break your keyboard" type games have to be in there too, otherwise it just won't feel right.
Apologies, didn't really read the whole thread, just saw it as asking for help for my old PC.
Is there a list of the games it comes with, or would you have to make up any missing games by buying them yourself?
Or try before you buy:
http://torinak.com/qaop/games
JJ_427 said:
Is there a list of the games it comes with, or would you have to make up any missing games by buying them yourself?
Out of the games it comes preloaded with Manic Miner is probably the only one that I religiously played back when I got the original Spectrum. I’m going to download the ROM files for Jet Set Willy (I bought the original cassette on eBay a while back), Jet Pac and Chucky Egg, and from watching YT videos it should be quite straightforward loading them on to The Specturm via a USB stick.DoctorX said:
Cool, thanks. Just checked the list out, there's some proper memories flooding back. US Gold, Gremlin Graphics....Not sure if I missed them, but couldn't see the Codemasters stuff. BMX simulator, absolutely hammered that with a friend at the time on 2 player. Don't think we ever had a single race without some kind of arguement over 'not fair'. But kept playing for hours.
tim0409 said:
Out of the games it comes preloaded with Manic Miner is probably the only one that I religiously played back when I got the original Spectrum. I’m going to download the ROM files for Jet Set Willy (I bought the original cassette on eBay a while back), Jet Pac and Chucky Egg, and from watching YT videos it should be quite straightforward loading them on to The Specturm via a USB stick.
Deathchase and Jet Pac, they were so old by the time the 3d games were coming out, but always went back to them. Jet pac is an all time classic, it was so addictive. Games like Way of the Exploding Fist that combined 'fighting' with the platform 'adventure'.
Bomb Jack, Arkanoid, Uridium....Turbo Esprit.... wow, so many memories....
This is what modern gaming is missing, just plain old 'fun' with your friends.
loads for daft prices on ebay though.Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff