ZX Speccy Stories

Remember discovering an arcade game that looked so incredible you couldn’t wait to see what the ZX Spectrum conversion would be like?In this episode of ZX Speccy Stories, I’m going back to Shadow Warriors, Ocean Software’s colourful 1990 conversion of Tecmo’s ninja beat-’em-up.This one takes me back to being around 12 or 13, when my friend Hong Van and I decided that school wasn’t quite as interesting as a trip to the arcade in Elephant and Castle! There, I discovered Shadow Warriors, picked the blue ninja and took on wave after wave of enemies. I even remember one particular enemy wearing a hockey mask and reminding me of Jason Voorhees!A year or so later, magazine previews and adverts had me hooked. The Spectrum version looked amazing, with huge colourful sprites, impressive backgrounds and the promise of a conversion that seemed almost too good to be true.So, how did it actually play? Was it as good as it looked? And why do I still think the Spectrum version did some things better than the arcade original?I’ll also share one of my favourite retro gaming memories: meeting the legendary Bob Wakelin at Play Expo Blackpool. Bob was responsible for some of the most memorable computer game artwork of the 1980s, including the artwork for Shadow Warriors. Meeting the man behind so many iconic covers was a real pinch-me moment.We’ll look back at the game, the artwork, the memories, the frustrating combat and that brilliant Spectrum conversion.And if you’ve ever owned a Bob Wakelin game cover that you absolutely loved, you’ll want to hear this one.Find Bob Wakelin’s official shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BobWakelinArtwork8-bit memories. Classic games. Honest stories.

Welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories — 8-bit memories, classic games and honest stories.For Episode 11, we’re heading back to ancient Greece to revisit Sega’s arcade classic, Altered Beast, and its conversion for the ZX Spectrum.I first encountered Altered Beast at the arcades in Bembom Brothers theme park in Margate during a school trip. While everyone else was excited about the rides and roller coasters, I was there for the arcade machines. And Altered Beast really caught my attention.Maybe it was that brilliant, heroic music, the famous “Rise from your grave!” voice, or the fantastic transformations into powerful creatures. As a huge fan of An American Werewolf in London, the idea of transforming into a werewolf made this game even more appealing.I desperately wanted to own it.After seeing it advertised in magazines like CRASH and Your Sinclair, I eventually bought the Spectrum version on the Hit Squad label for £3.99 from New Covent Garden Market in Vauxhall.I went home full of excitement, loaded it up on my ZX Spectrum +2, grabbed a can of Coke and a packet of prawn cocktail crisps, and waited for the magic to happen.But there was a problem.The graphics looked promising, and the colours certainly stood out, but the scrolling felt jerky, the gameplay seemed painfully slow, and it just wasn’t the arcade experience I’d imagined. I think I reached the second level before giving up.For years, I barely gave it another thought.Then came the Master System, the Mega Drive and, eventually, my rediscovery of the Spectrum version through emulation in the early 2000s. This time, I began to appreciate what the developers had achieved within the limitations of the Spectrum.Today, I still play Altered Beast on my ZX Spectrum +2 using my DivMMC SD card reader. Is it one of the greatest arcade conversions? No. But I’ve learned to appreciate its big sprites, colourful graphics, memorable music and unmistakable character.Join me as I revisit the arcade memories, the excitement of buying the game, the disappointment of that first play, and how time changed my opinion of this little Spectrum conversion.Sometimes a game doesn’t change. Sometimes you just learn to see it differently.ZX Speccy Stories — 8-bit memories. Classic games. Honest stories.

Welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories, the podcast celebrating 8-bit memories, classic games and the stories that stay with us.For Episode 10, I’m taking a trip back to one of the most iconic games ever released for the ZX Spectrum: Manic Miner.I first played this classic on my ZX Spectrum +2 after a friend at secondary school gave me a cassette filled with games. I can’t remember what else was on that tape, but I’ll never forget loading up Manic Miner, hearing that brilliant title music and discovering just how tough the first cavern could be.At the time, I was more interested in arcade conversions, but Manic Miner slowly won me over. From its colourful graphics and wonderfully animated characters to its precise platforming and unforgiving jumps, there’s something special about this game. And I still can’t believe I once thought Miner Willy had a 1950s quiff instead of a mining helmet!I’ll revisit my childhood memories, talk about rediscovering the game through emulation in the early 2000s, and remember playing it on the Game Boy Advance and Xbox 360. I’ll also explore Pac-Manic-Miner-Man, Jim Bagley’s fascinating arcade-hardware version.And, of course, we’ll talk about the legendary Matthew Smith, the teenage programmer behind Manic Miner, the game’s remarkable success, the complicated story of royalties and publishing, and how Smith became such a mysterious figure in the history of British gaming.Even now, I still love Manic Miner. I’m still terrible at it, but that’s part of the appeal. Every jump demands skill, every mistake teaches you something, and every successful cavern feels like a proper achievement.Was Manic Miner the ultimate example of platform perfection on the Spectrum? For me, it’s certainly up there with the very best.Join me for another trip down memory lane as we celebrate a true 8-bit classic.

Welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories! In Episode 9, I’m talking about Bomb Jack, one of my favourite games ever!My story starts at a local park funfair, where I first spotted the arcade machine. It looked interesting, but it didn’t grab me at the time. Then my cousin Alex showed me the Amstrad CPC version, followed by my cousin Mario’s Commodore 64 version. I liked them, but somehow Bomb Jack still hadn’t won me over.That all changed years later when I discovered arcade emulation. One day, while scrolling through hundreds of classic arcade games, I stumbled across Bomb Jack again. This time, something clicked! Before long, I was hooked on collecting bombs, chasing high scores and trying to master those flashing-bomb bonuses.I’ll be chatting about the original arcade game, the brilliant ZX Spectrum conversion, my memories of discovering it all over again, and why its simple but addictive gameplay keeps bringing me back. I’ll also talk about the fantastic modified Spectrum version that adds in-game music!Try the modified ZX Spectrum version with music here:
https://vtrd.in/release.php?r=d563a47da28bd2ad7ca22c8b137747a7For me, Bomb Jack is one of those games that’s easy to pick up but incredibly difficult to master. It’s a proper score-chaser, and when you’re in the zone, there’s nothing quite like it.So join me for another trip down memory lane as I revisit a true 8-bit classic.ZX Speccy Stories — 8-bit memories. Classic games. Honest stories.

This time on ZX Speccy Stories, I’m going on a RAMPAGE! Rampage was one of those fantastic arcade games where the premise was beautifully simple — become a giant monster, climb buildings, smash them to pieces, eat people and generally cause absolute chaos!But how did that huge Bally Midway arcade experience make its way onto the humble ZX Spectrum?In this episode I take a look at the original 1986 arcade game, the three monsters — George, Lizzie and Ralph — and what made Rampage such a fun and memorable coin-op.I also talk about Bob Pape, the programmer behind the ZX Spectrum conversion. Bob’s story of creating Rampage is fascinating, and his book It’s Behind You: The Making Of A Computer Game gives a brilliant behind-the-scenes account of what it was actually like developing games in the 1980s. The book includes his experiences working on both Rampage and R-Type. Then, as always, I get into my own memories of Rampage, the arcade experience and the ZX Spectrum version — and why these old arcade conversions are such an important part of my Speccy memories.And if you’ve ever wanted to know what was really going on behind the scenes when these games were being made, Bob’s book is well worth checking out.Read Bob Pape’s It’s Behind You: The Making Of A Computer Game
It's Behind You – The Making Of A Computer Game⁠ZX Spectrum Rampage information and downloads
Rampage – World of Spectrum⁠ZX Speccy Stories — 8-bit memories, classic games and honest stories from growing up with the ZX Spectrum.If you played Rampage back in the day, I’d love to hear your memories of it!

Hello everyone, and welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories!In this episode, I’m taking a trip back to the colourful world of Popeye on the ZX Spectrum — a game that still amazes me when I look at it today.As a kid, I was already a huge fan of Popeye from the classic cartoon reruns on television. So when I walked into Woolworths with my dad and saw that unmistakable Popeye artwork on the front of the Spectrum game, I knew I wanted it!But nothing prepared me for what happened when I finally loaded it up.Huge, colourful graphics. A massive Popeye sprite. A screen that looked more like a cartoon than a ZX Spectrum game.And behind this incredible achievement was programmer Don Priestley, whose approach to Spectrum graphics produced some of the most distinctive-looking games of the era.I’ll talk about discovering the game, seeing those screenshots on the back of the box and wondering how on earth a Spectrum could produce graphics like that, the gameplay, the enemies, the puzzles, and why I became such a big fan of Don Priestley’s work.And, as always with ZX Speccy Stories, this isn’t a technical history lesson — it’s my story and my memories of the game.Now, nearly 40 years later, at the grand old age of 49, I’m going back to Popeye once again to see if I can finally conquer a game I never managed to finish all those years ago!8-bit memories. Classic games. Honest stories.Have you got memories of Popeye on the ZX Spectrum? I’d love to hear your story too!

Welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories!For Episode 6, we’re heading back to 1987 and taking a trip into the world of Dizzy – The Ultimate Cartoon Adventure.This is a particularly special game for me. I’ve been playing Dizzy since it was originally released, and somehow, at 49 years old, I’m still playing it today! Created by the legendary Oliver Twins, Dizzy became one of the most recognisable characters of the 8-bit era and spawned an incredible series of adventures.In this episode I’m looking at where Dizzy came from, how the Oliver Twins created the character, the puzzles, the one-item inventory, the difficulty, the memories of playing it back in the day – and why I still keep coming back to it nearly 40 years later.I’ll also be talking about something I’m incredibly proud of: I’ve had the opportunity to interview the Oliver Twins twice, and I’ll be sharing some of my memories and stories from those interviews.So grab your Spectrum, put the kettle on and get ready to go egg-ploring! This is Dizzy. This is my story.MY OLIVER TWINS INTERVIEWYou can watch my original interview with The Oliver Twins here:Watch my Oliver Twins interview on YouTube⁠THE OLIVER TWINSVisit the official website of Philip and Andrew Oliver and explore their games and history:The Oliver Twins – Official Website⁠YOLKFOLK.COMThe home of all things Dizzy, including games, history, fan projects, news and the wider Yolkfolk community:Yolkfolk.com – The Dizzy Fansite⁠WONDER EGG – DIZZYAGE ON iPHONE & iPADFancy playing DizzyAGE adventures on your iPhone or iPad?Wonder Egg is a free fan-made app that lets you discover and play DizzyAGE games on iOS. It even comes with Dizzy and the Other Side built in. Download Wonder Egg from the Apple App Store⁠​

Welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories!I’m Andy Godoy, and in this episode I’m heading back to the streets for one of the most iconic beat ’em ups of the 1980s — Double Dragon.I’ll be talking about the ZX Spectrum version, how it looked, how it played, and whether it really captured the magic of the arcade original.And, as always, this isn’t a technical review or a complete history of the game.It’s my Double Dragon story.The memories.The music.The sprites.The frustration.The excitement.And that feeling of finally having an arcade game sitting in your own home… even if it wasn’t quite the arcade game you remembered!So get ready to step into the streets, grab a baseball bat and watch out for the Black Warriors.Billy and Jimmy are waiting.Did you play Double Dragon on the ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad or another home computer?Did you love it?Did you hate it?Or did you spend most of your time wondering why the arcade version looked so much better?!8-Bit Memories • Classic Games • Honest Stories

Welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories!I’m Andy Godoy, and in this episode I’m sharing my memories of one of the biggest movies and video games of the 1980s — Ghostbusters.Before we get to the ZX Spectrum game, I’m going back to the beginning and talking about the film that started it all. Directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and the often-underappreciated Ernie Hudson, Ghostbusters was absolutely huge when it arrived in 1984.I’ll talk about discovering the film as a kid, the ghosts, the proton packs, the Ecto-1, the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and, of course, that unforgettable Ray Parker Jr. theme tune.Then we get to the game.I remember my cousins Alex and Mario having different versions of Ghostbusters on their home computers, and one particular weekend when Mario loaded up the Commodore 64 version.That famous “Ghostbusters!” sampled speech.The laugh.The theme tune with the bouncing karaoke ball.And then the game itself…Running your own Ghostbusters business, buying equipment, loading up the Ecto-1 and heading out into a top-down version of New York to deal with paranormal activity.As a kid, it felt huge.I’ll talk about the different versions I experienced, including the Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and Atari 2600, before eventually getting my hands on the ZX Spectrum version.And I’ll be honest…I wasn’t completely blown away by the Spectrum version at first.But coming back to the game years later changed the way I looked at it — and I’ll explain why.I’ll also talk about the famous Angry Video Game Nerd episode and how his hatred of the NES version actually made me appreciate Ghostbusters and the Spectrum version even more.This isn’t a technical review or a complete history of the game.It’s my Ghostbusters story.And I’d love to hear yours.Did you play Ghostbusters on the ZX Spectrum, C64, Amstrad, Atari or another computer? Did you love it, hate it, or somewhere in between?8-Bit Memories • Classic Games • Honest Stories

Welcome back to ZX Speccy Stories!I’m Andy Godoy, and in this episode I’m sharing my memories of one of the greatest and most addictive games ever to grace the ZX Spectrum — Chuckie Egg.For me, Chuckie Egg was almost like having an arcade game in your bedroom.Back in the 1980s, arcades were the place to be. Huge machines, amazing artwork, fantastic sounds and, most importantly, games that were incredibly easy to pick up and play but incredibly difficult to master.And Chuckie Egg captured that feeling perfectly.I’ll talk about discovering Chuckie Egg at school on the BBC Micro, playing it at my cousins’ houses and experiencing it across different computers before it became part of my own ZX Spectrum memories.I’ll also talk about why the game still has such a special place in my heart more than 40 years later — the simple gameplay, collecting those eggs, avoiding the birds, learning the screens, chasing high scores and that constant feeling of:“Right… one more go!”We’ll also take a look at the fascinating story behind the game, including its teenage creator Nigel Alderton, the game’s early Eggy Kong origins and how a simple idea became one of the most enduring British 8-bit classics.But ultimately, this isn’t a history lesson or a technical review.It’s my Chuckie Egg story.And I’d love to hear yours.Did you play Chuckie Egg on the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Amstrad or another computer? Did you ever manage to complete all 40 levels? And how high could you get that score?8-Bit Memories • Classic Games • Honest Stories