The little black box that launched a million careers.....
It's got to be hard for anyone outside the UK to appreciate the significance of the Speccy. As someone "up there" rightly said - it was the price that really made it special.
It was technically capable (just) to keep up with the competition - but it's price meant that most families could afford one... and this price meant that an unprecedented and vast range of software was available.
Of course the tape based software was easy to copy (mostly) - and this meant almost everyone had lots and lots of games.
I am honestly shocked that nobody mentioned the iconic "Manic Miner" easily the most addictive game in the spectrum catalogue (even more than Chucky Egg). Of course, even after 20-odd years I can remember the cheat instructions...
Stop Tape when screen goes black
BREAK
25 Poke 35136,0
RUN
Start Tape again.
This gave you infinite lives, and, i believe, the only real way to complete the game!
I had a 48k rubber key and a +2 (not the nasty A version!)
I had a light pen and a RAM Music Machine - MIDI sequencng and sampling !!! (a whole 1.5 seconds of sample time! ... "n-n-n-n-n-nineteen" <-- you had to be there in the 80s)
PSION VU-3D was incredible, I have happy memories of making a video "splash screen" for some home movies with a full 3D video tape animted...
Then there were the Text adventures.... Hobbit (of course), Ten little indians, Wizard of Akyrz, Circus...
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The little black box that launched a million careers.....
It's got to be hard for anyone outside the UK to appreciate the significance of the Speccy. As someone "up there" rightly said - it was the price that really made it special.
It was technically capable (just) to keep up with the competition - but it's price meant that most families could afford one... and this price meant that an unprecedented and vast range of software was available.
Of course the tape based software was easy to copy (mostly) - and this meant almost everyone had lots and lots of games.
I am honestly shocked that nobody mentioned the iconic "Manic Miner" easily the most addictive game in the spectrum catalogue (even more than Chucky Egg). Of course, even after 20-odd years I can remember the cheat instructions...
Stop Tape when screen goes black
BREAK
25 Poke 35136,0
RUN
Start Tape again.
This gave you infinite lives, and, i believe, the only real way to complete the game!
I had a 48k rubber key and a +2 (not the nasty A version!)
I had a light pen and a RAM Music Machine - MIDI sequencng and sampling !!! (a whole 1.5 seconds of sample time! ... "n-n-n-n-n-nineteen" <-- you had to be there in the 80s)
PSION VU-3D was incredible, I have happy memories of making a video "splash screen" for some home movies with a full 3D video tape animted...
Then there were the Text adventures.... Hobbit (of course), Ten little indians, Wizard of Akyrz, Circus...
...ahhh happy days... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPECCY!!!!