Category Archives: ZX Spectrum

Black Crystal, ZX Spectrum

Black Crystal is infamous for being an overpriced and under-produced RPG from the early days of home computing.

The first version of Black Crystal was the ZX81 version, which was designed and programmed by Roy Carnell and Stuart Galloway and released in 1982. A ZX Spectrum version followed in 1983, then a Commodore 64 version later in 1985.

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Grange Hill, ZX Spectrum

Argus Press Software released this licensed adventure game, based on the successful BBC TV series of the same name, in 1987. It is infamous for being one of the worst games ever made, and it truly is, for a number of different reasons…

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Questprobe 3: Human Torch and The Thing, ZX Spectrum

The third and final Questprobe adventure game, released by Adventure International in 1985.

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Questprobe 2: Spider-Man, ZX Spectrum

The second Questprobe adventure game – featuring Spider-Man – is just as difficult as The Hulk, and only marginally more entertaining.

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Questprobe 1: The Hulk, ZX Spectrum

Text adventures, with graphics and complex command parsers, were very popular back in the early days of home computing.

You would sit there, typing instructions into a fantasy world on your computer, climbing imaginary trees, and walking imaginary north. It was all “imaginary” because you had to have an imagination to play these games. Your average moron with no imagination would never play a text adventure, like they would never read a book. Because they cannot read the text and construct a world in their imagination.

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Alchemist, ZX Spectrum

This very early, side-scrolling fantasy action game was created by Ian Weatherburn for Imagine Software in 1983.

In the game you control the titular Alchemist – a guy who can shape-shift into a golden eagle and fly to places he can’t normally walk to.

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Everyone’s A Wally, ZX Spectrum

Chris Hinsley‘s 1985 follow-up to Pyjamarama sees the return – once again – of Wally Week. The mechanic turned mundane video game hero.

The unique thing about Everyone’s A Wally is that you can switch between five different characters and go about your adventuring business – two years before Maniac Mansion.

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Driller, ZX Spectrum

Driller first appeared on the ZX Spectrum in 1987. This version is where it all began.

Driller‘s engine – called Freescape – was to go down in history as one of the first to make 3D gaming a real possibility.

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Fred, ZX Spectrum

Fred was one of two Spanish video games licensed by Quicksilva for release on the ZX Spectrum in the UK in 1983.

Both were made by Indescomp, and the other game was the legendary Bugaboo.

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