Santa's Fixed - Again!

It would seem that the fixed Santa's Mission game was not 100%, although it did play sort of OK. After some sterling work from Jason, the fully fixed and working (hopefully) file is now available for download from the Type-In Corner section. Work on the next episode has now started after a short break, and there should be some good news in the next few days for those who have asked for DVD versions of the sho...

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Santa's Mission Fixed

It didn't take long for several people to offer help with the none-working type-in game featured in episode 24, Santa's Mission. The game had many errors, mostly caused by my bad typing 30 years ago! The aim of the game is to drop down from the sled and leave presents in every room. Santa can climb the ladders and climb up the chimneys. He can also dig. To keep his strength up he can eat the food on the tables, but too much will mean he is too fat to get up the chimney! To control Santa use; Q:up, A:down, Z:left, X:right, D:dig (followed by a direction key), E:eat food. I have also changed a few lines to make it not wipe out the lower floor under certain circumstances, and to print the food eaten correctly. It may not be perfect, but...

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The Spectrum Show 24

Welcome to The Spectrum Show Christmas Special. The show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. It’s that time of year again, the time of drinking too much, eating too much and shouting at the television, and so we try to bring you some respite. In this episode we take a look back to all the Christmas top ten games for the first four years of the ZX Spectrum’s life. We play some Christmas themed games, and there are some terrible ones out there! We also check out two Christmas type-ins – one of which needs your help to get working. Seasonal greetings to all our viewers, thanks for your time...

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The Spectrum Show Annual

Ladies and gentleman, The Spectrum Show proudly presents our Christmas gift to all viewers of the show – The Spectrum Show Annual 2013. This downloadable PDF magazine features articles, reviews and specials from the video show and contains things not seen previously in the show. Thanks to everyone who has viewed the show over the last year and a half, and for the encouraging comments on YouTube, World Of Spectrum and of course here. Hope you enjoy it. Download issue 1 Here More issues coming soon. Check the link top right or click he...

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JetPac, +3, DIVide - At Last

My +3, with DIVide running JetPac If you watched the last episode of the show (23) you would have seen my review of the DIVide, a brilliant device that provides huge, fast access storage for your Spectrum. It does, however, have some issues. The main one for me was that my favourite game, JetPac, failed to work when used with a +3 and the DIVide. Having spent hours searching the internet, and with the help of some Spectrum fans, I accidentally stumbled on the answer. As usual, it was in front of my face (so to speak!). I toyed with re-flashing the device to EsxDos, that not only gave the option to load SNA files in 48K mode (which would fix the problem) but also allow write access to the storage. I tested the DIVide on my 48K plus machine...

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The Spectrum Show 23

Welcome to episode 23 of The Spectrum Show, the show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. This episode was a little late, but I just managed to get it complete on the last day in November - phew! In this episode we go back to January 1985 to get all the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. I finally get my hands on the DIVide - the device that gives the Spectrum fast, mass storage using modern technology. We review some older games, take a look at a newer titles and take a trip to type-in corner. Best viewed direct on Youtube...

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The Spectrum Show Episode 22

Welcome to episode 22 of The Spectrum Show – the show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. In this mammoth episode we take a look at the news and top selling games from December 1984 and play loads of Scramble clones to see which version is best. Not only that, but we review some older games, check out a newer title and examine a type-in game not seen since 1983. Yes, it’s a whopper, weighing in at over 37 minutes of Speccy goodness. Enjo...

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Spectrum Show Special - Replay Expo

The Spectrum Show Special - Replay Expo 2013 video is now on Youtube. This short video covers the event held in Manchester on 12/13th October 2013 at Event City. There were stacks of classic arcade games and pinball tables, all set to free play, but the large attendance sometimes meant it was difficult to get to play them. The retro console and computer area were much easier to get a game and were larger than the previous years. Check out the video. ...

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Replay Expo

Really looking forward to Replay Expo this weekend. Sadly I can't make the Saturday event, but will be there most of Sunday. If you have never been to this event before, why not pop along and get your hands on some classic games from all eras. There are stacks of retro consoles and computers, all lined up and ready to play. Systems include ZX81, Vic 20, Sam Coupe, C64, PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox, Amiga, PC, NES, SNES, MegaDrive and of course the Spectrum. There are also rows of arcade machines and pinball games all set to free play, cosplay areas and if you are really interested in more up-to-date gaming, all the latest stuff for the current and next-gen consoles. I have a video on my channel from last year, and will be filming again this year...

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Small Update

Lots of things happening in the background – as usual! I have had another large batch of games delivered, and have spent some time going through them. The batch, which was very kindly donated to the show by Jason (thanks), included a lot of Code Masters titles and a fair few other newer titles. These have now been sorted and added to the ever-bulging Spectrum shelf. With the last two game batches I have obviously found myself with a few duplicates, and not having the time to stick them on eBay, I have been trying in vain to give them away. Seems no one is interested at the moment… I have also been working on some other hardware related stuff that involves building cables and connecting things together. This work will appear in a...

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Galaxian Shoot Out

Galaxian was created and developed by Namco and distributed by Midway in 1979. The creator’s main aim was to improve on the standard Space Invaders game adding a multitude of new features including mini-music intro, multi-coloured animated sprites, swooping aliens, scrolling star field and icons to depict progress and lives. The game was an instant success and still remains popular today – and it is one of my all-time favourite arcade games. I thought that this shoot-out would be mammoth due to the huge amounts of clones there are, but I was surprised by just how few they were. There were a lot of similar shoot-em-ups to Galaxian on the Spectrum and it can sometimes prove difficult to separate genres. With this in mind I tried to be quite...

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The Spectrum Show Episode 21

Welcome to The Spectrum Show Episode 21. The new series gets under way and in this episode we go back to November 1984 to get all the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum Games. Our special feature covers Sinclair Interface 2. We review some older games, and take a look at newer titles. We also have a brand new segment to end the show. Best viewed directly on YouTube...

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Still Working

The blog may look like everything is sleeping, but fear not, there is a flurry of activity behind the scenes. The next series of The Spectrum Show is currently in production, with the first episode due to be released late September. The series will have some great content with more reviews and a brand new feature to end the shows. My hardware collection has increased, which is good news for the hardware reviews section of the show, although some of it is causing me headaches at the moment. Software wise, my collection has increased yet again (I really must stop it!) so expect more game reviews and cover shots. The downside of all this activity is of course, that episodes can take a little longer to complete, although I am confident that...

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The Spectrum Show #20

Welcome to The Spectrum Show Episode 20. This is the last in the current series, but don't worry, we'll be back very soon with a whole new series and some great content. In this episode though, we go back to October 1984 for all the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. And, in an end of series special we take a look at all of the games from Imagine Software. The real Imagine before they went bust in July 1984. That's a massive twelve games, all reviewed in this episode! It was a mammoth gaming session that saw me playing some truly terrible games for your entertainment! Was it all worth it? You'll have to watch and find out. Best viewed directly on YouTube...

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Ah Diddums Fixed!

Recently I have been going through my older PC games and replacing the screenshots with video footage. It was during this process that I noticed a major issue with Ah Diddums - it ran in full screen mode at 640 x 480. This cause problems with my current computer, that didn't like that resolution, the result of which was a badly flickering display that made the game unplayable. (Why didn't anyone mention this?) In a fit of madness I decided that I would try to fix the problem and went in search of all the source code and the Blitz Basic program to re-compile it. Not an easy task, as the source code had long been archived to an un-marked CD somewhere in the middle of a mass of other un-marked CD's. When I finally located the correct CD,...

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Game Marathon

With episode 19 out of the way, I can settle down and begin work on the end of series special - episode 20. Not wanting to give too much away, but suffice to say I am entering into a huge game playing marathon to be able to cover the content and create a really nice special episode. As always when playing a lot of games, you are bound to get good and bad ones, and blimey am I suffering for my art! There are some real stinkers being loaded... With the end of this series approaching I have also been thinking about the next series and how I can improve it. Taking some feedback from the WOS forums and comments I have received privately, series 3 will be bigger and better. The format will pretty much remain the same, but there will be more...

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Adding To My Collection

Recently I managed to purchase a huge haul of Spectrum games from eBay, but I didn't realise just how much space they would take up! In total there were over 160 games ranging from older Quicksilva titles like Fred and Ant Attack, to newer budget releases like those from Hit Squad, Mastertronic and Firebird. Some were duplicates of titles I already had, but even taking that into account, I had to make room on my shelves for over 120 games. I opted to get this large bundle for two main reasons. Firstly I wanted to pack out my collection in reediness for the next series of The Spectrum Show, where I will be showing cassette inlays for each game I review. Secondly the price of each game worked out at around 50p, which was a bargain, and...

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The Spectrum Show #19

Welcome to Episode 19 of The Spectrum Show - the show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. In this episode we go back to September 1984 for the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. We go back to the birth of electronic publishing and check out the many tape and disk magazines for the Spectrum, covering many different subjects and coming in many different flavours. We review some older games and take a look at some newer titles. Best viewed on YouTube in HD....

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The Spectrum Show #18

Welcome to Episode 18 of The Spectrum Show - the show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. In this episode we go back to August 1984 for the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. We have an arcade clone shoot out - this time we compare Q*Bert clones to see which if the Spectrum versions can make it to the top of the pyramid. We review some older games and take a look at some newer titles. Best viewed on YouTube in HD...

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Next Episode Coming Soon

I am currently working like a mad man trying to complete Episode 18. This episode has another Arcade Clone Shoot-out, and I've been playing rubbish games for what seems like weeks now! Have no fear though, there is light at the end of the tunnel and I finished playing and capturing the last game today. Now I just have to complete the reviews and throw it all together. Estimate release date for Episode 18 is 29th Ju...

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3.5 inch Drive on Your Spectrum

If your Spectrum +3 has a broken disc drive or you just want to add an additional drive, the best option is to go for a 3.5 inch version. These can be fitted internally as a direct replacement, with a few modifications easily found on the internet, or as an external unit. My preference is to keep the Spectrum in its original condition and just add an external drive. Luckily I had an old drive from a broken PC lying around, so I just need the leads and power supply. The required leads and power supply can easily be purchased from eBay, or if you don’t have a spare drive, you can buy the kit with a drive included. Connecting the drive is easy, just plug the data cable and the power supply in and turn on your computer. If the small switches...

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Tape To Disc Conversion

Episode 17 contains a feature about transferring games from tape to disc the modern way. This feature accompanies the episode and includes code snippets not shown in the video. For those lucky enough to purchase the Spectrum +3, it would seem the days of slow tape loading were over, with Amstrads decision to replace the cassettes deck, as seen in the +2, with a 3 inch disk drive. However, as with any new media format, and like its predecessor the Microdrive, the hardware was only half of the story. To make it work you had to be able to get your existing software collection onto those new fast discs. Because of software piracy however, tapes had increasingly sophisticated protection schemes on them making the task of transfer seemingly...

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The Spectrum Show #17

The Spectrum Show - Episode 17. The show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. In this episode we go back to July 1984 and get all the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. With our new Plus 3 we do some tape to disc coversions the modern way after finding the older ones to be useless. We check out some older games and look at some newer titles. Best viewed on YouTube - because we are in HD ! ...

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Next Episode Due Soon

The next episode of The Spectrum Show is almost ready for release. There are just a few tweaks, some sound adjustments and the final render before it’s ready. The episode is just over 19 minutes long and contains the usual mix of reviews, news and features. Release date is set for Saturday 1st June. Progress on the proposed DVD release is currently on hold pending another avenue that a friend of the show is exploring. I can’t say too much yet, as it is still early days, but I will keep you updated as and when I get ne...

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Series DVD

Several people have requested that I released The Spectrum Show on DVD and after having looked into things, this is quite feasible, although there are several issues. Firstly, what would the demand be? Secondly, what would buyers expect? There are many options and I would appreciate your comments about which you would prefer, or indeed if you would be interested in purchasing the DVD. The more people want one, the cheaper it gets. So, take a look at the options below and please let me know your feelings. Option 1: Cheap and nasty. £ postage only (about £2.00) This would just be two normal DVD-R discs containing all episodes from Series one (no extras). Option 2: Middle Ground. £6.00 This would be a dual DVD case containing two labelled...

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Feature Update

In case you didn't know, over the last few weeks I have been adding features to this blog taken directly from the shows. I have added quite a lot so far, and they can be viewed by clicking the Episode Guide link (top right). I will be adding more as time goes on, in between making the shows of course. The latest one to go live is the feature about the roots of adventure games from episode 13. This follows the path from the very first text only games, through illustrated adventures, animated adventures and beyond. My work will have to stop for now, as I have to concentrate on the next episode of The Spectrum Show...

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New Delivery

With new episodes of The Spectrum Show to think about and a distinct lack of help offers, I always keep my eyes open for bargains wherever I am. Luckily it paid off recently, and I managed to get hold of three interfaces in one go. Without giving too much away, the three devices are all perfect for features, but not all of them have been tested yet. One definitely works, as I have connected it up and spent an hour or so messing about. One requires additional material (had to be careful what I called it!) before it can be tested and the third has yet to be plugged in, but I was assured they were all working when I bought them. If they are all fully functional, this brings my hardware total for new features to four – which is great news...

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Sold Out

SOLD OUT The Spectrum Show Series 1 is temporarily out of stock. We apologise for this. The initial stocks were limited. If you are interested in purchasing this item, please leave me a messag...

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The Spectrum Show #16

The Spectrum Show Episode 16 - the show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. In this episode we go back to June 1984 and get all the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. We look back at a dark period in emulator history as its tenth anniversary passes. We check out some older games and look at some newer titles. Best viewed on YouTube - because we are in HD ! ...

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Blog Update

As you can probably tell, the blog has had a little face lift, with some new-fangled whizzy stuff and a bit of a tweak in layout. As an when I get time in between The Spectrum Show, I hope to do more updating, adding elements from the show into the blog, making it more content rich. For now though, there is just the new look, an episode guide and an extended plus 3 feature taken from the show (New Arrival). During the next few days things may not work as you expect them! I am still poking about with the template, so anything could happen. If it all goes pear-shaped, I may have to revert back to the old format.... The next episode of the show is almost finished with a just a few minor sound adjustments before its ready to relea...

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Antiquity Jones Update

My Spectrum game Antiquity Jones has been updated with a small fix that stops the player getting stuck in the yellow caves. This fix has taken a long time in coming (sorry to all those who asked for it last year!), but this was mainly because of the version of AGD used to make it. Newer versions of AGD added joystick support, but the version used for this game (2.4) did not, so to make games with joysticks, you had to search for the locations in memory set by the program and then poke in new values via the loader if the player selected to use a joystick. Anyway - job done. Well not completely... had to do another fix so now we have version 1.2...! Download Antquity Jones v1.2 Antiquity Jones v...

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The Spectrum Show #15

The Spectrum Show – Episode 15. In this episode we go back to May 1984 and get all the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. We have a mammoth arcade clone shoot and go ape over the best Donkey Kong clone. See how good I am at C-Tech’s version… no really… We check out some older games and look at some newer titles. Best viewed on Youtube because we're in HD! ...

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Back To My Youth

It’s the bank holiday and what better way to spend it than messing about with old computers? Well, ok, there probably are better things to do, but having to stay in to do some work, my old ZX81, sat on the shelf next to me caught my eye. Would it still work? I dug out the PSU, an old tape recorder and a few games and set  it all up. The TV/Monitor I use for The Spectrum Show wasn't happy about it, and refused to tune in to the weak ZX81 signal. Not deterred I retrieved my old TV from the attic, knowing this little baby displayed everything I threw at it. Sure enough, a few minutes later and I was looking at a usable picture. The 16K ram pack even worked, and after a few minutes Galactic Trooper was loaded and ready to play. This...

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Toofy Update

Toofy’s Winter Nuts v1.2 I have updated the game based on feedback from the WOS forums and although the changes are small, it should provide a better game. Issue 1. Toofy could get stuck in the floor/wall of room 21. This is caused by screen switching in AGD, and the only way to correct it is to design the screens in such a way that the main sprite cannot enter a room in a position that can cause this problem. To fix room 21 I raised the platform by one block (and in the adjoining room) so that the main sprite cannot jump into the room from another platform. Issue 2. No sound when collecting nuts. The sound did play, but only on 128k machines (forgot to mention this in the text). I have now removed the AY sound and replaced it with a...

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Toofy's Winter Nuts

Brrrrr it’s getting cold and winter is racing towards us. Toofy needs to collect enough nuts to make it through but the nasty squirrels have raided his store and stolen them. Guide Toofy as he tries to reclaim his nuts and survive the winter. This is my new game for the ZX Spectrum written using AGD. As mentioned in a previous post, I wasn't going to release it, but now it's finished, there is no point in just letting it sit in my games folder. Hope you enjoy it. The text file in the ZIP includes full instructions. Download Toofy's Winter Nuts Screen Shots ...

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