ZX Spectrum
Part computer, part console and all gloriously eccentric British invention. Much of the Spectrum’s enduring appeal comes from the aesthetics of the experience: the loading noise, the rubber keyboard, the screaming about its regular crashes. Nevertheless, it was a home of innovation. Existing before game design rules were laid in stone, the Speccy saw weird, wonderful and completely insane games in equal measure. We’re including this one for our British brothers, but Americans will likely not know what the hell we’re talking about.
Get it working
1) There are plenty of Spectrum emulators are out there, many of them committed to evoking the entire experience rather than purely playing games. We’ve gone for EmuZWin, as it's not too eccentric.
2) Load it up with the executable, give it a few seconds to perform some internal housekeeping, then open a ROM file (usually in the .tzx format) from File > Open.
3) The Spectrum's keymappings aren’t quite the same as those on a PC. Control > Keyboard Remapping will let you come up with a close approximation, while Tools > Keyboard will display an interactive layout of the original.
ZX Spectrum
Part computer, part console and all gloriously eccentric British invention. Much of the Spectrum’s enduring appeal comes from the aesthetics of the experience: the loading noise, the rubber keyboard, the screaming about its regular crashes. Nevertheless, it was a home of innovation. Existing before game design rules were laid in stone, the Speccy saw weird, wonderful and completely insane games in equal measure. We’re including this one for our British brothers, but Americans will likely not know what the hell we’re talking about.
Get it working
1) There are plenty of Spectrum emulators are out there, many of them committed to evoking the entire experience rather than purely playing games. We’ve gone for EmuZWin, as it's not too eccentric.
2) Load it up with the executable, give it a few seconds to perform some internal housekeeping, then open a ROM file (usually in the .tzx format) from File > Open.
3) The Spectrum's keymappings aren’t quite the same as those on a PC. Control > Keyboard Remapping will let you come up with a close approximation, while Tools > Keyboard will display an interactive layout of the original.
Above: We've never played it either!
Essential games
Manic Miner
Still very strange and very hard. A pivotal moment for platform gaming that still carries a surprising sense of menace.
Deathchase
Laser-enabled motorcycles chase each other through a forest. The other bikes can’t kill you, but ramming headfirst into a tree will. And that’s about it.
Back to Skool
This expanded on Skool Daze’s relatively groundbreaking theme. No spaceships or monsters here - just a boy being picked on by teachers and fellows alike.
