The ZX Spectrum - Commodore 64 Book

196 Pages·2016·60.188 MB·English

by  Aaron Asadi (Ed.)

The From the makers of
ZX Spectrum
Over 190
pages of
8-bit
TM classics
The ultimate collector’s guide
Includes
The
Commodore 64
Book
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Welcome to
The
ZX Spectrum
TM
There are a number of reasons why the Spectrum was considered the underdog when
it went up against Commodore’s hugely popular C64. The Spectrum was smaller, had a
fl imsier build, didn’t manage to make much of an impact in the United States, and it had a
sound chip that could best be described as adequate (and was certainly inferior to its C64
counterpart). And yet despite all this, the Spectrum remains one of the best-loved home
computers of the Eighties.
Rising phoenix-like from the ashes of Sir Clive Sinclair’s ZX81, the Spectrum quickly
became a hit with gamers thanks to its many arcade conversions, cute hardware design
and a host of incredible games, ranging from Sabre Wulf, to Head Over Heels, Turbo
Esprit and Skool Daze. Many of the UK’s most important so(cid:2) ware houses, including Rare
and Codemasters, cut their teeth on the machine, and it was largely responsible for the
rise of the bedroom coders, some of which feature within this very book.
With the Spectrum now well into its thirties, it’s telling that Sir Clive Sinclair’s beloved
machine still retains a passionate fanbase, both in the UK and beyond. Whether you love
Matthew Smith, Ultimate Play The Game, Durell So(cid:2) ware, R-Type or Manic Miner, you’ll
fi nd plenty to enjoy inside this book.
In association with magazine

The
ZX Spectrum
TM
Imagine Publishing Ltd
Richmond House
33 Richmond Hill
Bournemouth
Dorset BH2 6EZ
(cid:8) [phone]
Website: www.imagine-publishing.co.uk
Publishing Director
Aaron Asadi
Head of Design
Ross Andrews
Editor In Chief
Jon White
Production Editor
Hannah Westlake
Senior Art Editor
Greg Whitaker
Designer
Perry Wardell-Wicks
Photographer
James Sheppard
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William Gibbons, 26 Planetary Road, Willenhall, West Midlands, WV13 3XT
Distributed in the UK, Eire & the Rest of the World by
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Tel [phone] www.marketforce.co.uk
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Tel: [phone] Web: www.gordongotch.com.au
Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the
post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may
be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are
recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has
endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.
This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.
The ZX Spectrum Book Third Edition © 2016 Imagine Publishing Ltd
ISBN 9781785463174
Part of the
bookazine series
54
The
Contents
ZX Spectrum 08
42
28
18 52
8 RETROINSPECTION: ZX SPECTRUM 28 CLASSIC GAME: THE GREAT ESCAPE
OVER 30 Discover how Sir Clive Sinclair’s 8-bit computer made It might not have featured Steve McQueen, but that didn’t stop
a massive impact on the gaming industry Denton Designs from making a great isometric adventure
YEARS OF 12 PERFECT TEN: ZX SPECTRUM 30 THE STORY OF MONTY MOLE
CLASSIC hThereer ea raer eth ae h 1u0g yeo nuu smhobuelrd onf’t f baen twasitthico guatmes for the Spectrum; MCroenattyo rM, Poelete isr Honaerr oafp t hcoe mmeoss ot iucto onfi ch cidhinagra tcot erersv eoaf lt hhies 8o-rbigiti nesra .
GAMING 14 AND THE REST… ZX SPECTRUM 36 RETRO REVIVAL: BATTY
Wet your nostalgia glands with this glorious spread of Spectrum Discover how this amazing Arkanoid clone was actually better
games. How many of them have you played? than the real deal and given away for free
16 RETRO REVIVAL: COBRA 38 THE MAKING OF: JUMPING JACK
A look back at the classic shoot-em-up that still holds up as one I magine Software alum Albert Ball talks Jumping Jack, the
of the greatest (unofficial) movie tie-ins of its generation game that charmed them all
18 THE MAKING OF: HEAD OVER HEELS 42 FEATURE: TOP 25 ZX SPECTRUM GAMES
Jon Ritman reveals how he made one of the most iconic and I t’s impossible to name the greatest Spectrum games of all
imaginative isometric games of all time time, but that didn’t stop us from trying…
22 DEVELOPER LOOKBACK: 52 CLASSIC GAME: TRASHMAN
ULTIMATE: PLAY THE GAME M alcolm Evans was a whizz on the ZX81, and proved to be just
Discover how one of the Spectrum’s best developers turned into as good on the Spectrum. Don’t believe us? Play Trashman to
a worldwide juggernaut that’s still going strong today see what we’re talking about
6 | SPECTRUM
30
60
86 74 22
38
64
68 80
54 THE MAKING OF: SCOOBY (cid:2)DOO 78 RETRO REVIVAL: R(cid:2)TYPE

Developers from Elite and Gargoyle Games share their B ob Pape’s stunning arcade conversion is one of the Spectrum’s
experiences creating this frantic platformer great programming achievements, and proved just what was
possible on the hardware
60 COMPANY PROFILE: IMAGINE SOFTWARE
80 FROM THE ARCHIVES: DURELL SOFTWARE
We reveal the meteoric rise and amazing fall of one of the most

infamous software houses of the Eighties Key members reveal how they turned a small developer into
64 CLASSIC GAME: FEUD one of the Spectrum’s best game publishers
Many people forget about this masterpiece by the Pickford 86 COLLECTOR’S GUIDE ZX SPECTRUM
brothers, which is a shame, as it’s a truly clever game. Find out
If you’re now interested in collecting for Sir Clive Sinclair’s 8-bit
why it’s still a brilliant piece of work

micro, this guide will reveal where you need to start
66 RETRO REVIVAL: DYNAMITE DAN
Discover why this excellent little platformer from Rod Bowkett is
still worthy of your precious time
68 ON THE TRAIL OF MIRE MARE
We aim to track down the most infamous of all unreleased
Spectrum titles – Ultimate’s mythical Sabreman sequel
74 IN THE CHAIR WITH MATTHEW SMITH
The larger-than-life creator of Manic Miner and Jet Set Willy
discusses the highs and lows of his career
Year Released: 1982
Original Price: £125 (£175 48k)
Buy it now for: £10+
Associated Magazines: Crash, Your Sinclair, Sinclair User, Sinclair Programs, Sinclair
Answers, ZX Computing
Why the Spectrum was great… Owning a Spectrum was like being part of a secret
club. Like-minded gamers who knew what it meant to type out hundred line pokes, wait
ten minutes for The Hobbit to load, and had mastered the art of tape-to-tape copying.
8 | SPECTRUM
RETROINSPECTION: SINCLAIR ZX SPECTRUM
sinclair
ZX Spectrum
THE HUMBLE SINCLAIR
ZX SPECTRUM WAS
SMALL AND UNASSUMING,
YET IT MANAGED TO
CONQUER THE UK COMPUTER
MARKET DURING THE EIGHTIES AND WAS
COMMERCIALLY VIABLE FOR OVER A DECADE.
DURING THIS TIME THE MACHINE WON THE HEARTS OF
MILLIONS AND A THRIVING FAN SCENE NOW EXISTS. OVER
30 YEARS SINCE ITS ORIGINAL LAUNCH, MARTYN CARROLL
REVEALS HOW THE 8-BIT COMPUTER OVERCAME ALL THE ODDS
H
aving made a name for himself in the Tech specs
electronics fi eld, releasing everything from A trusty Zilog Z80A chip running at
3.54MHz powered the Spectrum. The
pocket calculators to tiny televisions, Sir machine was available with either 16K
Clive Sinclair turned his entrepreneurial gaze or 48K of RAM, and Sinclair BASIC
was provided on a 16K ROM chip. The
toward computers, and in 1978 he launched video display could output 24 lines of
the MK14. It was sold in kit form and proved to text with 32 character positions, and
be little more than a programmable calculator, 192x256 pixels for high-resolution
graphics. The Spectrum had very few
but sales of over 50,000 convinced Sir Clive that external connectors. There was TV out,
there was a hunger for computers aimed at hobbyists. ear and mic ports to connect a tape
recorder, and a 28-pin expansion slot
In early 1980 Sinclair released the ZX80, a diminutive home
for connecting a wide range of available
computer with a touch-sensitive membrane keyboard and just 1K of peripherals, including joystick interfaces,
memory. It too was sold in kit form for £79, but crucially a pre-built printers and Sinclair’s own Microdrive
storage system.
version was available for £99, opening up the world of computers Sinclair’s Richard Altwasser,
to more general home users who weren’t prepared to whip out a who had previously helped develop
the ZX81, designed the Spectrum’s
soldering iron and start bolting bits together. However, it was the
hardware. The ROM code was written
ZX80’s successor, the enhanced and improved ZX81 that really almost entirely by Steve Vickers of
kick-started the home computing craze in the UK. Released in March Nine Tiles Information Handling Ltd (a
small portion was adapted from the
1981 and available for either £49 (kit form) or £69 (pre-built), the ZX81 original ZX80 ROM code written by
clocked up sales of more than 400,000 in a little over 12 months. John Grant), while Sinclair designer
Rick Dickinson created the casing and
Sinclair had devised the ultimate entry-level computer and the British
infamous ‘dead fl esh’ keyboard.
public were buying into it.
But Sir Clive wasn’t about to stand idly by, counting the cheques
and postal orders that were pouring into his hectic mail order
department. The industry he’d had a hand in creating was moving
fast, very fast, and competitors were queuing up for a piece of the
pie. To compound matters, the cost of components and memory
was tumbling all the time, allowing more manufacturers to tap into the
low-cost computer market that belonged almost exclusively to Sinclair.
Plus, there was the small matter of Acorn beating Sinclair to a lucrative
BBC contract that would ultimately see Acorn computers installed in
classrooms up and down the country. It was time for Sir Clive to dig in
and fi ght his corner.
To this end, Sinclair began to mastermind the ZX82 and ZX83 » The men behind the Spectrum, Steve
Vickers (left) of Nine Tiles and Richard
models. The former would supersede the ZX81, adding sound Altwasser of Sinclair Research.
SPECTRUM | 9
sinclair
ZX Spectrum
capabilities, colour graphics and a moving keyboard to the mix, while
the latter was hoped to seize control of the small business market.
The eventual fortunes of the two machines couldn’t be more
different. The ZX82 was renamed the ZX Spectrum and went on to
become Britain’s best selling home computer. The ZX83, meanwhile,
was launched as the Sinclair QL (Quantum Leap) in 1984 and failed to
make an impression as a business machine. The QL is now regarded
as an embarrassing footnote in the Sinclair story, second only to the
disastrous C5 motorised tricycle (although to be honest, the C5 is
probably more of an epitaph than a footnote).
RAINBOW BRIGHT
In April 1982, long before the QL and C5 tarnished Sir Clive’s name,
the Spectrum was launched in a blaze of publicity at the Earls Court
Computer Show. Shortly after its unveiling, an advert for the new
computer began to appear in specialist computer magazines. It was
»The MK14 was Sir Clive’s first home computer and today is now highly sought after typically text-heavy and very Sinclair, hammering home each of the
by Sinclair collectors. machine’s ‘astonishing’ new features. Topping the list of key features
was the Spectrum’s high-resolution colour graphic capabilities.
Whereas the ZX80/81 were monochrome machines, the Spectrum
» The first Spectrum print ad sang the system’s praises,
lived up to its name by outputting seven colours plus black. Sound
even going so far as to include a glowing quote from Sir
Clive himself. support was also included, with the new BEEP command allowing you
to control pitch and duration. The advert went on to reveal details of
a full-size moving keyboard that would replace the plastic membrane
used on the ZX80/81. To seal the deal, the Spectrum came with a very
generous amount of RAM – 16K as standard, with an expanded 48K
» The Spectrum was a fairly simple machine with no
dedicated graphics hardware and limited expansion options version also available.
(photo: Bill Bertram). But what about the price? Would Sir Clive be able to continue his
noble aim of delivering affordable computers to the masses? The
answer was a resounding yes. The 16K model was available for
just £125, and for £50 more you could take home the 48K version.
Compare that to the Commodore 64, which launched in the UK
at £299. Or even better, the BBC Model B, which would lighten
your pockets to the tune of £399. Sinclair had soundly undercut the
competition and looked to have sewn up the market once again.
The advert posed a problem however. The Spectrum simply
sounded too good to be true. All those features for such a competitive
price. There had to be a catch. But before anyone could see the
machine and make up their own minds, they had to suffer Sinclair’s
famously unreliable mail order department. Customers were advised
to allow up to 28 days for delivery, and yet those who’d placed their
orders early typically had to wait between 12 and 16 weeks for their
shiny new machines to arrive. During the latter half of 1982 Sinclair
was reportedly manufacturing 20,000 Spectrums a month and yet was
still unable to meet the huge demand. It didn’t help that a quantity of
machines were earmarked for overseas markets following a steady
» Released in April 1982, European roll out. Things did ease somewhat by early 1983, mainly
the Spectrum went on because the Spectrum was made available though WHSmiths and
to become the UK’s best
selling home computer. other high street chains.
10 | SPECTRUM