Showing posts with label Emulation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emulation. Show all posts

Monday, March 15, 2021

TRS-80 emulator



Let's go back to the days of Starsky & Hutch and Asteroids!

Most people might think it's pretty stupid to emulate a retro computer - using a retro computer? Thankfully, not me because I have found something rather incredible called 2nd Life. It's a TRS-80 Model III emulator by Sander Berents and is something I stumbled on purely by chance. What luck! So, I figured I should give it a good playtesting.

I've never actually owned/used a TRS-80 and I imagine few made it outside of the US? Anyhow, Tandy and RadioShack released the first model in 1977 and it was a huge hit for those wealthy enough to have lots of spare cash burning a hole in their pockets. Back then, I would have been six years old and too young to care about something like this :-)

Okay, let's begin with a screenshot of the credits. Oh yeah, it's screenshot time...



It's sadly impressive that something this good wasn't released earlier in the ST's life.


What's a RadioShack?

Like you, I love my Atari ST, even when it pretends to be something else, be that a Sinclair, Commodore or even a peculiar clunk of hardware by RadioShack (I used to love the Tandy stores). Anyhow, a TRS-80 emulator sounded far too tempting not to boot up so I read the docs and hit the web to learn how to operate this ancient beast.

First things first do read the docs and take a look at the FAQ text file to understand which options to enable/disable for the best performance and compatibility settings. You will also find two more disk images with compiled and BASIC games but you'll be best with a 16MHz computer to enjoy something close to native speeds.

2nd Life requires ST High resolution and is very easy to use. Along the bottom of the screen, are four floppy disk drive icons - click to highlight Drive 0 and use that as the TRS operating system boot drive. The second drive icon can be used for anything like games or other images that you may have downloaded from the net.

Lots of features and is very versatile. Plus it can play many different games too which matters more...



One of the first things I booted up was Donkey Kong. Okay, it looks terrible but plays well.


Old but not that much different

Using the TRS-80's DOS commands feels a little quirky but is fairly easy to learn. For example, DIR will display the directory of a disk and it can be expanded with extra options and filters, as you'll see in the video:

DIR 0 - will produce the contents of Drive 0
DIR 1 - will produce the contents of Drive 1. Easy, right?
DIR 1,/BAS - this displays the same list but filters for BAS files.
CAT 1 - this provides an alternative way to load programs!

We're gonna get a little more complex now but it's worth it to watch the dancing alien:

BASIC RUN "DANCING/BAS,1"

The command looks worse than it actually is. Breaking it down, it simply instructs the computer to load up the BASIC program. Then that will load/run the file "DANCING/BAS" which is stored on Drive 1. Easy!

This is starting to be fun so I went searching for a game like Menace or R-Type. Ahem, screenshot time...



Sea Dragon is a terrible mess of ZX81 blockiness but it is a brilliant shoot 'em up!


Get to the games already!

Ultimately, we're here to play some TRS-80 games and I gotta tip my hat to this old piece of 70s kit. There are some great games in its library and there's a good reason I chose Sea Dragon as the video thumbnail. Like any old computer, there's a wealth of vintage games from the era: Pacman, Invaders, Frogger, and so on. I'm a geek, so I enjoyed the thrill of playing with something that's almost as old as me. No rude comments, please!

Performance-wise, the humble 8MHZ Atari ST will successfully emulate and run everything you throw at it. However, it's going to struggle with the games as it's simply not fast enough. Personally, my Mega STe is the basic and minimum requirement and produces near-perfect speeds, generally speaking. So, 8MHz will be fine but 16MHz will get you gaming. Hardly a shock and just the same as with other emulators we have within our library...

Don't forget to read the docs as README.TXT is there for a reason... Okay, I'll nag no more! 



Yes, this really is Frogger. Hopper has awful collision detection but is a pretty good game.


Games! Give me games!

One of the best games I played was Sea Dragon, which is a fantastic scramble through watery canyons. Sadly, I wasn't impressed with Penetrator I struggled with jerky graphics and twitchy controls. It was a shock to see a chunky version of Donkey Kong with huge black and white blocks but the gameplay is superb and that's what matters. However, the blocks worked great for Armored Patrol and the wealth of PacMan games!

There are a few games bundled with 2nd Life and many are great but sooner or later you will want more. Thankfully, there are some great websites with disk images stuffed full of games and I managed to find racers, lots of different Space Invaders, Zork and even Temple of Apshai - which is nothing at all like the Atari ST version and its "turn-based" element caught me off-guard, in a nice way. But boy, is it slow - even on a real TRS-80. Yikes!

Most (all?) disk images found on the internet won't be compatible with the Atari ST. Thankfully, Sander has a utility to convert these for 2nd Life and it works a treat from what I've seen so far. Hence, how I got to play Hamburger Sam, Berserk, erm Robot Attack and the sluggish Temple of Apshai.



He might not be yellow but he's on the TRS-80 as Gobbler!


The CryptO'pinion?

I initially expected the TRS-80 to be nothing more than a cumbersome piece of ancient hardware that I wouldn't particularly enjoy. I couldn't be more wrong, this is a machine that appears to have more power and versatility than I would ever imagine. It's a great computer and it's no wonder those plucky Americans snapped it up!

2nd Life is an equally fantastic piece of software and I'm impressed with how well it runs in terms of its speed and compatibility. The inclusion of a utility to convert disk images into a format that 2nd Life can recognise is a wonderful addition and opens up the possibility of playing everything there is. Techies can go further: font editor, altering the keyboard layout, linking computers via parallel ports and even tinkering with a disassembler debugger...

The TRS-80 is a great machine and it is so impressive to see the Atari ST flip back in time so easily and reliably. This is a fantastic emulator - however - you will need a >16Mhz computer to start gaming like it's 1977 and my Mega STe felt close to the speed of a real TRS-80 (from what I've seen online). I have really enjoyed using 2nd Life and I'd love to hear what hardware and performance you guys are getting, so let me know in the comments below.

GitHub has the download which includes the source code for those uber-geeks amongst us :-)



- MORE SCREENSHOTS -



Look what I found and it's quite different to the Atari ST game. Quick, kill the Ant Man!!


This is Astro and it's a BASIC game. No, I mean it's written in BASIC and it's good.


Hamburger Sam, based on BurgerTime but felt more like Mr Wimpy to me. Love it.


This is Speedway and it's kinda like an early Spy Hunter or Major Motion. Hmm...


Runner demands quick control action - you'll regret not reading the FAQ text file!


I only ever played Penetrator on the ZX Spectrum... and this isn't as good!


Hang on, is that Berserk? No, it's Robot Attack and completely different. Honest.


Limit Zero is absolutely superb and something you should play!!


ScarfMan? Okay, it's getting silly now...


Lunar Lander is a cracking conversion but too slow for an 8MHz ST to handle.

Thursday, May 03, 2018

PC Ditto



Ugh, I hate Winblows PCs!!

I thought I'd have a quick play with PC-Ditto, an old emulator by Avant-Garde Systems. Now, please do note that I've never owned a PC in my life but I remember tinkering with the one (and only) Amstrad PC our college had in 1987. So, I figured this would be a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Well, who knows...

Okay, a stock Atari ST is more than capable of running this emulator and many DOS programs will run fine. However, you should probably forget it for games. I used my own Mega STe which barely had the horsepower to handle many titles. So, in my video recording, Hatari is running a 16Mhz to simulate the real machine on my desk.

Pah, DOS for gaming or home computer. Terrible idea but, read on...



I had little luck with Castle Wolfenstein (a bad copy?) but Serpentine ran pretty well.



How did it go with this DOS malarkey?
Surprisingly, I did have some success as you can see in the video which shows me booting DOS 3.3 and then loading a selection of rubbish games. The first is Serpentine, which was definitely the best of the bad bunch and I enjoyed eating the other slo-mo snakes. I then rebooted to try something called David's Kong. Ugh, this is absolutely laughable so please don't waste your time!

Next up was Bird-Brain which didn't seem to work very well because the keys specified on the main menu didn't work for me. Instead, I suffered rapid beeping sound which was rather annoying!! So yet another reboot was called for so I could try Castle Wolfenstein. Ohh, I had such high hopes for this game but alas it didn't appear to run properly and then oddly got itself caught in a loop?


I then loaded Space Commanders which slowed my Mega STe down to the speed of a Casio calculator for some insane reason. In the video recording, I could cheat by hitting CMD X to speed up Hatari but that didn't really help too much. No loss anyhow because this is a ludicrously bad shoot 'em up!!


I was now beginning to lose the will to live and only had one game left: Buck Rogers Planet Of Zoom which is one of my favourite ZX Spectrum games. Sadly, it wasn't (umm) too playable due to slow speeds but I managed a couple of minutes before PC-Ditto disappointly froze for some reason!


Oh boy, how did the PC win the computer war? The worst Kong and Invaders I've ever played!!



The CryptO'pinion?

This was fun and I enjoyed (temporarily) turning my ST into an Intel paperweight. Games will generally require more CPU grunt but I doubt anyone would abandon the ST's archive for any of these horrendous DOS equivalents? Of course, not being a hardware product meant overall performance was sluggish, even on my Mega STe.

PC Ditto did a grand job at running DOS and many programs and other utilities. However, I wouldn't bother using this for games - unless I had something beefy like a TT or Falcon. Overall, this is a pretty good product depending on your needs. But I'll stick with my Atari ST... so that just leaves one last thing to do: del *.*  😇

You can find PC-Ditto on the great AtariMania or using Old Games Finder. You'll also need the operating system and DOS 3.3 is downloadable from Atari-Forum thanks to Jake/Depression. I found many compatible DOS games on lots of websites - I really liked My Abandonware. Enjoy yourself!

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Central Cavern



Welcome to the caverns!

This is a short video of the Atari ST emulating the ZX Spectrum and running Matthew Smith's classic platformer. Please note, that this emulator struggles on a stock 8MHz ST when it comes to audio and scrolling the screen. Of course, this game doesn't scroll but the background tune sure pushes its luck, so I turned it off for better performance - it's almost at the real speed of the original. You can find out more about Speccy Emulator by clicking here. Enjoy the video recording :)

Friday, June 16, 2017

Amiga!!



Hell froze over!

Sorry guys, I'm leaving the Atari ST scene because I prefer a slower computer and have therefore decided to switch. Okay, okay, don't sweat it because this image shows a clip from the infamous "Amiga Emulator" by Philip Nelson. It's really nothing more than a bit of fun and found on the Stonish website - I recommend Quartet #30.

Right then, enough of this silliness... let's boot up the ST and enjoy a faster and better 16-bit computer!!

Wednesday, June 07, 2017

C64



Commodore 64?!!

Okay, I'd bet good money that this was the last thing you expected to see here on an Atari website? Well, I've had this C64 emulator on my drive for a long while and figured that it was about time did something with it. So I started my day by trawling through Old Games Finder looking for cool games which I remembered seeing in C&VG magazine in the early/mid-80s. I really wanted to play Pitfall, Manic Miner and Staff Of Karnath but sadly, I had zero success.

However, others did work (with a caveat of displaying text instead of jazzy pixels) and some crashed the emulator. Yes, I should have read the docs first - lol - yeah right. Basically, almost all games aren't supported if they demand fancy scrolling, sprites or joystick control, etc. What might work are applications, educational titles and so on. Including magazine Type-Ins and many text adventures (impressive, but hardly worth my hassle over the last few hours?)

Okay, I'm no Commie 64 expert but these basic commands might help to get you playing their version of Jetpac...

   LOAD "$",10               (this loads the disk's directory into Ram)
   LIST                      (this lists that directory to screen)
   LOAD "filename.prg",10    (you've guessed it, this loads a program)
   RUN                       (go on, take a stab at what this might do!)

Please note:
     - The "10" is the device ID for my Atari ST's hard drive.
     - If you are running the emulator from floppy disk then you should instead use "8".
     - Copy the Commodore ".PRG" programs into the same directory as the Atari file: "C64.TOS".
     - C64 emulation was tested on my 8MHz Atari STe and then Hatari (same spec) for the animation, above.

I'm not sure who to credit for this emulator but he/her did a great job and the docs indicate many useful intentions. This has been fun and the Commodore 64 is a decent machine (shush don't tell anyone). However, there is no real support for anything more than tinkering, so seeing pixels or playing games was never gonna happen. Plus it would need a faster processor to do much more than you can see in the animation. Having said all that, as is, this is a great emulator and has been a bunch of fun to play with the C64 operating system and some programs.

Sadly, I'm not sure how much longer I can stand the pain of having C64 software stored on my Atari ST's hard drive... it hurts bad! Yes, I think I should delete this evil software and get back to playing properly with my computer ;)

If you fancy a dollop of Commodore fun, the best download (that I've found) is on disk LAN-0066 via Floppyshop and it has the emulator's documentation too. Additionally, Old Games Finder can link to zillions of C64 stuff in the .PRG format. Go on, give it a playtest and enjoy experimenting and running technical code like this...

Saturday, May 13, 2017

EasyAraMiNT



Putting old hardware to good use...

Aranym is a piece of software by Petr Stehlik that helps create a virtual Atari computer capable of running GEM software at lightning speeds. However, most find Aranym rather awkward to set up from scratch so a fella called Philippe Noble has made something called EasyAraMint. This is a ready-to-go installation using EasyMint 1.18 which provides an incredible multitasking environment using the power of the host, be that a Mac or PC.

As you can see in my expertly recorded video, I'm using an old Mac Mini that was recently donated to me (thanks Mum!). My video shows me using unix 'scp', viewing images, reading a PDF, listen to cool tunes, and playing Doom before ending with a little web browsing. Yes, this is as geeky as it gets. Love it!! :-)

EasyAraMint can be installed in minutes and comes pre-installed with Atari programs. Philippe has done an outstanding job with this ready-2-go multitasking OS. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

Both Aranym and EasyAraMiNT can be downloaded and tinkered with so let me know what you create!



I accessed another Mac via FTP and chatted online with a friend. What a geek I am!!


The command line might not look much fun so I jazzed up this screenshot with PixArt...


Not all websites display perfectly but what do you expect for free? Good enough, I say :o)


After browsing the web, why not read a PDF document and listen to some background tunes too!

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Jetpac



Not the Speccy again?

I love it when you find something new - at least new to me. After decades of using an Atari ST, today I stumble upon something I've never heard of before - an emulator called Artemis. It's a Z80/ZX Spectrum emulator by Ralf Hemsing and features numerous options for the technically minded - and seems to perform very well indeed.

Feel free to tinker with the configuration but the overall performance -as is- is more than acceptable on the stock ST. That's actually a relief because Artemis doesn't work properly on faster computers plus there is no support for colour, meaning your game is in black and white. Even more peculiar is that we only have one game - Jetpac
The game comes in a format I've not heard of before --> .PRO
Can anyone help to find out more information or perhaps more games in .PRO format?
Playing Jetpac is never a bad thing and even though it's not as good as the real machine (or indeed the Speccy emulator) it is great to find something new. So, Artemis comes with no documentation, lacks colour support, and doesn't work properly with computers other than the stock 8MHz Atari ST/e. I loved finding this from deep inside the ST archives!

Download: Floppyshop disk "UTL-3025"

Wednesday, June 08, 2016

NES



Hang on, isn't this an Atari website?

Nesulator is a collection of programs by Ed Cleveland that emulate five famous Nintendo/NES games: Donkey Kong Jr, Castlevania, Dig Dug, Mario and The Legend Of Zelda. Each program is the same emulator but dedicated to that particular game. This package was released at STNICCC 2000 but sadly never completed but it sure shows the outstanding potential that this project offered - with Dig Dug performing the best I thought.

Thankfully, we can still get to play with these betas and have some fun - remembering that they are unfinished!! You will need an upgraded Atari ST or something like the Falcon because each game demands lots of horsepowers to run at an acceptable speed. For instance, the GIF animation shows how my 16MHz Mega STe performed. Not bad but I'm now wishing I could go back in time to tell myself NOT to sell my TT and Falcon. Yep... :/


- Screenshots and a download from Demozoo -







Tuesday, February 23, 2016

ZX81



The good old days?

Back in the 90s, Christoph Zwerschke developed a Sinclair ZX81 emulator for the Atari ST. Believe it or not but I've never actually owned or even used this old Sinclair computer before! From what I've seen, it's mute and cannot make a sound plus the graphics are actually made up of monochrome blocks rather than colourful pixels.

This might all sound rather lame but there is a certain charm to the itsy-bitsy computer with less processing power than your average kettle. So I powered on this quirky computer and even took a stab at programming...

10 PRINT "ATARICRYPT ROCKS YOUR ST WORLD"
20 GOTO 10
RUN L

The stock Atari ST should be able to run any of its games perfectly fine and from either a floppy or (better still) a hard drive device. However, if you feel that the ZX81 is running in overdrive, then hit the UNDO key and adjust the speed limiter. I needed to do this for Pac-Man which was otherwise insanely too fast!

Yep, I've never owned a ZX81 but was shocked to discover lots of games that are surprisingly playable without sound or pixels. For starters, 3D Monster Maze by Malcolm Evans is a great example and is highly regarded as one of the best reasons why many adore this old paperweight. Truly, this game is way ahead of its time and perhaps even the first survival horror game using a first-person perspective? (check out Retro Resolution for a review!).


I gotta say, Mazogs is something else!! (have you played Bugziacs?)


The CryptO'pinion?

This is a fantastic emulator and one that feels complete and robust too. It gives the opportunity to play games from an era when fancy graphics and 3D sounds weren't necessary and gameplay mattered. Tell that to today's millennials! Give it a whirl and boot up this fantastic ZX81 emulator to flip your Atari ST into a Sinclair ZX81.

Party like it's 1981 and have tons of fun. Win, Win!! :^) Scroll down for more ZX81 games that I liked...


I was also equally impressed by the simplicity of Galaxians.


Castle Of Carmain is just downright awesome fun!!


The mighty 3D Labyrinth is thrilling.

Tuesday, August 04, 2015

How to emulate the Atari ST




Wanna use a virtual Atari ST?

Like many, I've spent recent years emulating an Atari ST and, since starting AtariCrypt, I have also been asked tons of questions about emulation. These questions are usually about TOS versions and the various settings within Hatari. So let's keep this simple for a general outline of what you should know. Just to get started with the awesome range of Atari ST games on your Mac (PC/Linux should be the same but I cannot confirm)

Firstly, there are two basic models of the Atari ST. The original Atari ST and the enhanced Atari STE (Blitter, more colours, DMA audio, analogue controls, hardware scrolling, a newer version of the OS)

1) If you want to play a commercial game then the chances are it'll be for the original Atari ST model.
2) If you want to delve in deeper (shareware, music, demos) then you should probably emulate the Atari STe.


What about ST/e specs?

1) For the ST, I would recommend you choose 1 or 2mb RAM and run with TOS 1.04 (sometimes TOS 1.02)
2) For the STe, I would recommend you chose 1 or 2mb RAM but run with TOS 1.62 (rarely does this alter)

For the most part, these settings will work really well. I personally tend to stick with a basic setup of Atari STe with 2mb RAM and TOS 1.62 to play floppy disk games. And possibly 4mb for some hard disk-based games.


What do you need to download?

1) Download the emulator itself - Hatari or NoSTalgia (major update due soon)
2) Grab yourself a copy of The Operating System (TOS) and there are lots listed on ATARIWorld.
3) Many websites have lots of ST floppies to download but the best is Stonish and Old Games Finder links to many online archives. Hard disk games are available from 8BitChip and D-Bug (use Gemdos as seen in the first pic)


Screenshots of my Hatari settings!

Here are several screenshots of my Hatari preferences. There is nothing mind-blowing here, I simply hoped this might be of use to newcomers. Any questions, then feel free to comment below and ask. Enjoy using your virtual Atari ST :-)


Use the Drive A image option to load up MSA/ST disk images.

TOS 1.62 is the best and most compatible OS when emulating the Atari STe.

Basic stuff here... chose the monitor/TV and whether to show the borders.

Frame skip can be best when set to "1" and I always disable the StatusBar display.

Sound options I've never changed, so these are the defaults that can be left.

All ST/STe computers use a 68000 processor running at 8MHZ. 1/2MB Ram is best.

ST's use joystick port 1 for one-player games. And you can use a USB device too!

Friday, February 13, 2015

ZX Spectrum


Speccy v2.07 is (...wait for it...) a ZX Spectrum emulator for our favourite 16-Bit computer. It was developed by Christian Gandler and is a fantastic program with lots of options which can produce fascinating results.

However, the stock 8MHz Atari ST cannot really match the blistering speeds of a ZX Spectrum, especially if large sprites, music, or scrolling are being utilised. So it's far better with single-screen games like Styx, Hero, Tutankhamun and others. But, generally speaking, a 16Mhz processor is the minimum requirement.

So this is exactly what my feature is based upon: how my own 16MHz Mega STe performs as a ZX Spectrum. Here is a huge list of some of my favourite Speccy games with a % rating of how I thought the emulator performed.

Download Speccy for yourself and have a play ( filename = zx_sp207.zip )



First up is an obvious choice for me - good ol' Willy, released in 1983 by Bug-Byte and perhaps the first game that made my jaw drop. Certainly THE FIRST game I was addicted too like a crazy fool!

Performance - mixed results really, but all good. With the in-game music playing, it actually feels a tad slower than a real Spectrum but it's certainly nothing to ruin the fun. Turn off the in-game music to fix that (which I always do anyhow). Interestingly, it's quite enjoyable when I switched to 8Mhz - one of the *very* few games that I can say that about!

Rating - (music on) 90%
Rating - (music off) 99%


I couldn't continue without mentioning the next game in the Willy series and here he is again trying to tidy up his messy mansion, in Jet Set Willy. Not only that but the place is full of beasts and each room is like something from a nightmare. How does he live here!

Performance - as you read above about his first game, it's pretty much the same situation again. I do prefer to turn off that in-game music, so it's not a big deal for me without it. But I would advise you guys play the official Atari ST Jet Set Willy game.

Rating - (music on) 90%
Rating - (music off) 99%


Styx is the next game that I just had to try because it was the very first game that I ever bought with my own pocket money. Again, released by Bug-Byte back in 1983 and it's also by Mathew Smith! It's a repetitive game but a personal favourite of mine for the obvious reasons.

Performance - a simple game that the emulator handles perfectly.

Rating - 100%



How could I continue on without trying a game by the mighty Ultimate? They were basically a Spectrum version of Thalion! My choice is quirky but it's a game I've always loved: Pentagram. Released in 1986 and it's Ultimate's own Knight Lore rip-off that seems to have very few friends, but I really enjoyed it and I've completed it too!

Performance - seems fine in the quieter rooms but sadly it suffers lots of slowdowns when in the busier rooms (same as the real Spectrum!)  :(

Rating - 50/75%


As much as I love (with a passion!) the Miner Willy games neither is my favourite platformer. That accolade goes to Chuckie Egg 2 (yes, TWO) which was released back in 1985 by A&F. This is a game that I can easily get lost in and it's almost like an open-world game with that exploration element. Yes, after three decades I am still addicted to Mr Harry adventure!!

Performance - it's a tad slower than it should be, but nothing to spoil the egg-venture! (sorry)

Rating - 98%


Fred is a game that I am happy to say (yet again) I have completed - without cheating, I might add!. Released by Quiksilva back in 1984 and is an incredible platformer set inside a pyramid maze filled with ghosts, skeletons and all kinds of creepies. Escape if you can!

Performance - it sure looks great but disappointingly sluggish to play.

Rating - 50%





Saboteur 2 was released by Durrell back in 1987 and I utterly loved this immense venture into the world of covert ninja espionage! Shocker time - I completed this game too! I spent months playing this game!!

Performance - sadly too slow to fully enjoy, if only it was a little quicker. I am gutted!!

Performance - 70%




I have always had a strange fascination for these unnatural beings and who doesn't love killing them? The zombie species made it onto the Spectrum with an atmospheric release by Quicksilva in 1984 called "Zombie Zombie" (yep..)

Performance - it's almost there but not quite! Very enjoyable but it just needed a little more nip to feel authentic, but it is playable.

Rating - 85%


Kokotoni Wilf, a creative platformer released by Elite all the way back in 1984. Such original ideas plonked on top of an established format and it works. Ace!

Performance - sadly not so much under emulation as it's too slow to enjoy. Like Saboteur 2, I think this game would need a minimum of the Atari TT.. shame.

Rating - 70%


To me, Rick Dangerous, is an Atari ST game and I've stayed clear of Spectrum versions of the ST classics like Flying Shark, Ikari Warriors and others.. but I weakened for Rick!

Performance - I shouldn't have bothered. I couldn't get the controls to work at all and poor old Rick gets squashed by that first boulder! Still, it did appear to run well..

Rating - hard to say, probably around 80%


To contradict what I write above, there were a couple of "ST games" that I just had to test out. One such game is Zynaps released by the wonderful Hewson back in 1987.

Performance - let's just say I shall be sticking to the Atari ST release until I've bought an Atari Falcon or TT.

Rating - 70%


Yet another contradiction because here is another and another Hewson classic, Cybernoid. An Atari ST game that I recently featured on AtariCrypt and loved, like Zynaps the Spectrum games are absolutely ace!

Performance - Played very very well and I was impressed. Not quite fast enough but I was able to enjoy it. Damn good fun!!

Rating - 90%


The Birds And The Bees released by Bug-Byte in 1983 is a fun game if a little repetitive. A game I bought and the follow-up performs even better Antics, released in 1984 has cool gameplay.

Performance - the original plays extremely well, which shocked me as it's a scroller and those tend to be no-no! Antics was also pretty good too. Impressive results for both.

Rating - 85% (Birds And The Bees)
Rating - 90% (Antics)


H.E.R.O. (or Helicopter Emergency Rescue Operation) was released by Activision back in 1984 and is literally one of my favourite games, ever! Such a simple-looking game with extraordinarily addictive gameplay. ACE!!!

Performance - THANKFULLY it is excellent! Not quite 100% but I found myself hammering through the levels without a care for the slight lack in emulation speed!

Rating - 97%


I was never much of a Monty fan, although the first game had its moments, I always felt they couldn't compete with the likes of Chuckie Egg 2 or the Miner Willy. However, I did try Monty Mole (1984) and Monty On The Run (1985)...

Performance - worked okay for both games, but it was like walking in mud and needed a dollop more CPU humph to be enjoyable. Shame...

Rating - 65%


Sabrewulf was released back in 1984 and blew everyone away with its beautiful graphics but it was really just a simple maze with funny creatures. I like it!

Performance - I seriously expected Sabrewulf to suck. It's littered with tons of graphics and large monsters but it was actually very playable!

Rating - 85%


Trashman was released by New Generation Software in 1984 and is a game that can boil the blood with frustration as it's all about timing and speed. Who'd have thought emptying bins could be so entertaining!!

Performance - actually not too bad and very playable.

Rating - 80%


Bug-Byte did it again with their release of Turmoil in 1984. Don't be put off by the graphics as this is a simple game of grabbing the oil and fill up the car... but it's challenging and extremely addictive. Ace game!!

Performance - Yet another than just needed a pinch more CPU horsepower to make it playable. Oh, you lucky Falcon and TT owners should play this!!

Rating - 75%


Tutankhamun, released in 1983 by Micromania may look incredibly old, and dull, but do not let appearances fool you. This is a fiendishly awesome maze game with classic old skool gameplay!

Performance - another which is so close to being just right. Certainly not enough to spoil the fun and it plays superbly.

Rating - 96%


Valhalla, released in 1983 by Legend is one of those pinnacle moments in computing history. At least to me! Awesome, fictional atmosphere recreated so beautifully. Sure, it looks simple now but this is a belting adventure game!

Performance - umm not too bad. Seems to lag whenever you enter a command. So typing in "west" to travel will take the computer about 5 seconds of pondering! I'd estimate it to be around 70% of the real game BUT being an adventure that factor doesn't matter as much as it would for a shooter, for example.

Rating - 70% (but don't let that stop you!)


Heck, even I don't know why I playtested this one - but here we have 1984 that was released in (wait for it) 1984 by Incentive Software.

Performance - yep, this seems to be perfect!

Rating - 100%


Bombjack was released by Elite in 1986 and isn't really a game I ever bothered to play. I just wanted to test it out for my own curiosity.

Performance - almost but not quite. Plays very well but needs an extra nip of speed...

Rating - 80%


Bounty Bob Strikes Back, released in 1985 by US Gold and it's a game I suck at terribly. I'll stick to the Speccy version myself!

Performance - not too great, like playing in slo-mo!

Rating - 60%


Buck Rogers Planet of Zoom is a cracking game, so much arcade fun and often one that people seem to by-pass. Released in 1985 by US Gold. Try it!

Performance - not too great, which is strange as there's not actually an awful lot going on graphically so why it's so slow... I don't know?

Rating - 65% (it various / this is an average)


Back in 1984, Knight Lore kickstarted a whole new venture into 3D and lots of companies copied with their own releases. This game started it all. Classic.

Performance - It's like Pentagram, on the quieter rooms it's almost perfect but on some of the busier rooms there is some slow down. But, there was on the original Spectrum too....

Rating - 85%


Alien 8 was released a few months after Knight Lore and was more of the same with different graphics, some might say a rip-off but it was a massive hit and it's a fantastic game. So...

Performance - Same as Knight Lore. Perhaps there's a little umm little extra speed?

Rating - 86%


Underwurlde was released at the same time as Knight Lore, late 1984 and was a complete opposite. Ultimate really did cover all basis that Christmas period and here was a platform game with lots of action as you leap about. Can I shock you once more and report that I mapped and completed this game!!

Performance - strange one this, to move about and play it is actually darn close to perfect but the monsters seem to take longer to materialise. So, you actually get a slightly easier game... result! ;^)

Rating - 90%


Avenger was released by Gremlin Graphics in 1986 and I'm sorry to those guys, but I never ever liked this game. A weak Gauntlet rip-off and I feel bad saying that because it's by Gremlin and lots of gamers loved it. But I don't!

Performance - actually, it's yet another that needs a slightly faster machine. It's playable and enjoyable but I expect a TT or Falcon would be perfect.

Rating - 75%


Fairlight A Prelude is based upon the 3D isometric idea first created by Ultimate but here we have what could be described as the next-gen in this genre. This is a wonderful game which is highly engrossing and certainly one I'd describe as a true classic for the Spectrum.

Performance - like the Ultimate games, it's not too bad on quieter rooms but the busier ones do struggle a little. Sometimes it can be as poor as Pentagram, and then sometimes it's acceptable - just like Alien 8 or Knight Lore. So it's a mixed bag that really needs the power of a TT or Falcon, I imagine.

Rating - 60/85%



Blue Max may sound like a dirty movie but it's actually one of the best shooters I've ever owned. It's been slammed on some YouTube videos but it's a game I've always enjoyed. Sure, it's not perfect but it's fun to play.

Performance - it's slower than the real machine. Shame (for me!)

Rating - 70%


Atic Atac blown everyone out the water back in 1983 with its ace graphics and arcade action as you plundered the various levels avoiding the creepies. Another game I completed!!

Performance - as with Underwurlde this plays near perfect but the monsters are delayed in appearance. Perhaps this is all because the computer struggles to calculate that in the background? Who knows. But it certainly is enjoyable!!

Rating - 90%


Bug Byte's awesome scrambler, Cavern Fighter was released in 1983 and it's a game I still own. Don't be fooled by the minimalistic graphics - it's AWESOME!!

Performance - very good actually and I was pleasantly surprised how much I was enjoying this game again. Missed it!

Rating - 90%


I remember school friends going crazy over this game but sadly Dynamite Dan, released by Mirrorsoft 1985, didn't really do much for me...

Performance - not too great I'm afraid, it's playable but slo-mo.

Rating - 70%



Frank N Stein is a nifty alternative to the typical platform genre and forces a more creative play. Released by PSS in 1984 and a game I'm honoured to still own, it's ace!

Performance - as with Dynamite Dan really, it's just a little bit too slow to fully enjoy.

Rating - 72%



Gulpman is literally one of the first games I played on my own ZX Spectrum and was released by Campbell Systems in 1982. Once again, don't be put off by those graphics!

Performance - almost there, I expected perfection but not so. Almost, but not quite.

Rating - 95%



Zaxxon was a little bit of a disappointment after seeing those screenshots on the back of the box... But it plays great, so what more do you need? Not the best by US Gold but enjoyable. Released in 1985.

Performance - even with all those gordy graphics this game played ace. Shocked!!

Rating - 95%



Highway Encounter, another absolute classic by Vortex Software from 1985. A beautifully designed masterpiece of skill and patience with a shed load of lovely 3D action thrown in for good measure. Work your way down the highway of ever-increasing isometric difficulty. Another game I completed!

Performance - oh dear.. this appears to work wonders from the title screen (albeit a little slower than a real Spectrum) and the in-game demo works fine. However, the game appears to freeze after starting a new game which is an ultra shame!

Rating - 85% (potentially!)


Of all the Horace games, I think this is my favourite. Horace And The Spiders is fun and a little creepy too if you suffer from arachnophobia! Superb game.

Performance - strangely there's not much going on graphically, yet this game suffers the slo-mo effect. Still playable but odd as I expected better.

Rating - 80%



River Raid is up there with H.E.R.O is another Spectrum classic by Activision in 1984. What an old skool game this is and it hits you hard with its addictive gameplay. A brilliant game conversion.

Performance - sadly this is the kicker. It runs extremely well, I'm talking almost perfect speeds. Until you hit that fire button and then it crashes BUT there is a fix. Just configure the emulator to continue on when it encounters a problem and then the game runs fine.

Rating - 95%


There are dozens of Jet Set Willy games out there so I figured I would pick one at random. A Bulgarian Requiem was released in 2000 and, as you'd imagine, plays just like the original game but with all new rooms to explore (map). Excellent!!

Performance - as with the original JSW game and Manic Miner the performance is spot on and even better without the in-game music playing.

Rating - (music on) 99%
Rating - (music off) 100%


As with JSW, MM also has a few clones and I found this one lurking in the archives. This was released in 1985 by RD Foord. It's always interesting to see these modifications of the original games. Check out its map, I must play this more!

Performance - I think we can guarantee all the Miner Willy games will play great. Enjoy them all!


Rating - (music on) 99%
Rating - (music off) 100%


Wizard's Lair was released in 1985 by Bubble Bus Software and is basically an Atic Atac rip-off but a damn good game also, so who cares!

Performance - works until the game starts and then it totally bombs out. Mega shame, especially because you can move and see the baddies for a split second and it runs nice... until the bombs!

Rating - 85% (would be score!)



Ad Astra, by Gargoyle Games in 1984 is a shooter with a 3D perspective ahead of its time. Either you'll love or hate this shooter.

Performance - From what little I could see (I suck at this game!) it played almost as good as the real deal. Very fast.

Rating - 95%


Beach-Head was released by US Gold in 1984 and is pretty much one of the most simplistic games there is, it's so basic. Yet it works!


Performance - speed is slightly less than perfect but it works and it works well. Very enjoyable!

Rating - 85%


Backpackers Guide To The Universe was meant to be a part 1 of 3 games, sadly Fantasy Software went bust and we never got to see the follow-ups... But, Ziggy is the star! (from The Pyramid and Doomsday Castle and is a hero of mine. Great games).

Whatever happened to Bob Hamilton? :/

Performance - thankfully Backpackers works extremely well under emulation and it's fast too, not quite as fast as the real computer but not enough to spoil it. Love it!

Rating - 90%