![]() ![]() Special effects went mad, splashing Speccy colour all over the place. Thank God then for games like Midnight Resistance. The sequel, Battle Command, is also recommended.Ĭolour clash was the bane of every Spectrum programmer, and in later years many sidestepped the problem by opting for a dull monochrome display. This conversion spent two years in the making but it was well worth the wait. The graphics engine was particularly impressive, especially when you consider that the C64 version dropped the 3D viewpoint completely, in favour of a top-down 2D approach. It delivered the goods again with this brilliant conversion that re-created the multi-faceted gameplay of the original. With Starglider, Realtime showed it could take a complex 16-bit game and port it to the Speccy, particularly when there was 128K to play with. With WTSS, Denton Designs built on the foundations laid in The Great Escape and created a gripping adventure. Some set pieces, such as the swamp crossing, must rank among the Speccy’s finest moments. There were obstacles to overcome and puzzles to solve, but the emphasis was on exploring. #ZX SPECTRUM 128K GAMES2GIRLS MOVIE#Inspired by Seventies movie The Land That Time Forgot, it time-warped you to a hostile world where everything wanted to eat you and your party. This was what 128 owners had been waiting for – a sprawling arcade adventure that was too big to cram into 48K. Based on the book by James Clavell, this heady mix of arcade, adventure and strategy elements upon China’s high seas was the first 128K mega game. Tai Pan was the first game it developed from the ground up for the 128 (a 48K version was also available but it was a stripped down multi-load affair). Later on it was also the first major publisher to drop support for the 48K altogether. It was responsible for the two titles bundled with the machine and was quick to create 128K versions of all its new games. In the Eighties, Ocean liked to exploit pretty much everything and the 128 was no exception. The sequel, Target Renegade, was also superb, although from a 128 perspective it didn’t add any additional content beyond AY music. More subtle was the useful shoulder-throw move that was unique to the 128 version. There was music throughout (a different tune for each level) and an extra area to brawl in before the final encounter with the boss. It was more fun on the 128, as it featured a number of elements that had to be cut from the 48K version. ![]() Was there a better version of this arcade game on any home computer? Doubtful, as Renegade on the Speccy was arguably better than the coin-op. If only other publishers had lavished as much attention on their 128K games. The enhanced 128K version was the complete package with a number of special missions and touches like in-game speech, a rear-view scanner, and slo-mo replays when you destroy Starglider One. The 48K version was great, although there was little to do beyond racking up a high score and progressing to the next level. Realtime Games handled the coding and the end result surpassed all expectations. Vector graphics games always fared well on the Spectrum so there were high hopes for its version of Jez San’s 16-bit classic. Along with Zub, 180 and Feud, it was another slice of budget brilliance from the super Pickford Bros. The presentation on the 128K version was superb, with a quirky in-game tune by David Whittaker and a animated ‘drop’ sequence playing as you move into each sector. But rather than running in the opposite direction, your job was to locate and destroy the insect queen and her workers in all 25 sectors. Playing like an updated version of Ant Attack, you were dropped into a city swarming with oversized insects. A great in-game tune sealed the deal.Īlong with the Magic Knight games, Amaurote was another budget title that was better than many full-price releases. It was witty and clever and, in all honesty, grossly underpriced. ![]() #ZX SPECTRUM 128K GAMES2GIRLS SERIES#Following directly on from Spellbound, the third entry in the Magic Knight series shifted the action forward in time to a faraway galaxy filled with weird and wonderful characters and head-flexing puzzles. That’s right, the first game to be developed specially for the 128 (rather than a lukewarm 48K update) was a Mastertronic budget title that showed full-price publishers how it should be done. If you’d just blown the best part of £200 on a 128 then it must have been soothing to see Knight Tyme available for just three English pounds. We’ve rounded up 10 of our personal favourites. Every now and then though a developer would great a game that really took advantage of all the extra power. The Spectrum’s bigger brother often had to make do with simple 48k ports (albeit with a single load and additional music). ![]()
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