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...

Read more »

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...

Read more »

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 ...

Read more »

Games News

Although I have been concentrating on The Spectrum Show, I have not stopped working on new games. The problem is that I make a start, get enthused by the progress and then have to stop to get TSS completed and out. Then when I go back, the same drive is missing. I then usually start another game – and repeat the whole process again. Currently I have three games in the works, some further along than others, that I dabble with in between shows, depending on how I’m feeling. Each game is different from the next so if I’m feeling tired and in need of some action, I’ll do some work on the shooter. The games coming soon (I hope) are; Toofy’s Winter Nuts. A game featuring Toofy, first seen in Toofy In Fan Land, and originally planned to be...

Read more »

The Spectrum Show #14

Welcome episode 14 of The Spectrum Show – the show dedicated to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. In this episode we go back to April 1984 to get all the latest Sinclair news and top selling Spectrum games. We review the last of the Spectrums – the Plus 3. We review some older games and take a look at some newer titles. If you would like to help making the next episode, or have Spectrum hardware you are willing to photograph/video, please get in touch. Address at the end of the show, or use the Contact Me option at the top of this page. Best viewed direct on YouTube - because we are in HD!! ...

Read more »