The ZX Spectrum port of Nebulus was coded by John M. Phillips – the author of the original C64 version – and is therefore a very authentic conversion of this excellent platform/puzzle game. It was first published by Hewson Consultants in 1987.

You play as Pogo, and must make it to the top of a succession of increasingly more difficult towers. You can use elevators, doorways and ramps to climb ever higher, and you can also jump over gaps or collapsing floors. When you reach the top, the tower falls, and you move onto the next one. The Spectrum version unfortunately doesn’t have the submarine sections in-between towers, but it’s no great loss.

Pogo can fire bubbles to destroy bouncing balls and flashing blocks, but most other enemies are impervious to these. If an enemy touches Pogo he’ll fall down a level, and if he falls into the water at the bottom of a tower, you’ll lose a life.

Graphically, Nebulus on the Spectrum is very good. The towers rotate well, and Pogo is characterful and well-animated. Use of colour is limited, but well-chosen, and the music from the original has been converted effectively. Gameplay-wise, Nebulus is just as playable and challenging as the original, and the controls are responsive and fair (although, just like in the original, jumping can take some getting used to).

Nebulus on the Spectrum is still worth playing today, and is an excellent port (because it hasn’t been ‘interpreted’ by a third party). When the original author does the conversion, you can almost always expect something good.

More: Nebulus on Wikipedia
More: Nebulus on World of Spectrum