The Spectrum - reproduction ZX 48K Spectrum

Definitely the coolest 8 bit home computer of all time. It was punk/indie/fun/hackable/alternative/cheap while C64/Amstrad ... were corporate snores. 😁

Includes a copy of Crash magazine ❤️

I wonder is it a compilation issue that reviews the games that come built in with this thing.

Do I need it? No. Do I have room for it? Arguably not. Can I afford it? ngh.. probably. Do I want it? Hell yeah!

Went from a ZX81 to a Spectrum back in the day, it has Manic Miner pre installed so I'll probably pick one up.

Would be an expensive buy for a bit of nostalgia, but will you really play it?

I mean, most folk who are still into gaming and had one of these when they were a teen, more than likely have a gaming PC or a ps5?

When you see games on those, why would you wanna play incredibly simple games from the 80s and 90s? You might for a day or two, but you'll get bored quickly and it'll lie in a cupboard surely?

Ah right, I misunderstood what it was. I didn't realise it was a full Spectrum replica. I thought it was a new box loaded with old Spectrum games, made to look like a Spectrum.

The description says emulates 16k/48k/128k so I'd imagine it has basic.

The one I had I couldn't get new games for it at the time so with it connected to the TV I recorded it on vcr while stopped the games loading. And it would list from the start incode what went wrong.

Then I learnt what the code meant and could ad edit code my own code to the game to change it.

I even wrote code for my own games with this that included adding my kids name when something happened . Gas times.

Remember typing game code printed in magazines to play them, and then save them to cassette.

Think that was bad? Typing on the ZX81 was worse and sometimes the (16k!) ram expansion pack on the back would wobble and come loose meaning you'd loose all of the work if you hadn't saved it!

That thought me the meaning of patience when I was a kid at least.

TBH, there's a decent physical template already there for a proper reproduction of the Spectrum with the Recreated Spectrum from a few years ago. Knocked together for Elite, it was in the end, just a Bluetooth keyboard for hooking up your iPad and whatnot, but it had a decent feel, even for the keys which this version will hopefully end up with. Agree about the RETRO embossed on the front, which is unfortunate, but there's probably some wariness or lack of will dealing with the Sinclair trademark - think Sky still hold that, certainly the Next developers had to get permission for their design from them.

Like many of the 'mini-consoles' it's ultimately destined for the shelf after a little tinkering about with, but at least this time around they had the sense to just go for the 'full thing' first as opposed to the 64 and Amiga minis ahead of full size versions - hard to see an appetite for a tiny fake keyboard especially when it's more or less required as the 'main controller'. These days most retro Spectrum users will either be using an original, some clone like a Harlequin, MiSTer or a Next in any case, so it's little more than a curiousity for those users, but it's nice to see any new product with a retro angle, and if it opens a door for anyone looking for some nostalgia it's all good.

Elite's Recreated Spectrum

I'm just wondering, would I not be better off buying a dead Spectrum(For about a tenner), take out the internals, add in a raspberry Pi, and go from there. Would it not be a similar user experience?

Theres nothing stopping me learning BASIC now on one of my systems.

It would be a pure nostalgia purchase, but where does it stop. There's no end of stuff I had and want again, or didn't have and did want, which inevitably will end up on a shelf.

Edit:

Perhaps try before you buy..

https://torinak.com/qaop/play

I love Commando

https://torinak.com/qaop/play/commando

https://torinak.com/qaop/play/manicminer

Thanks for that. Ant Attack drove me crazy when I was a kid. I see the same level of frustration in my son when he plays Fortnite that caused my Dad to confiscate that tape from me when I was young.

Yeah, me too.

I'd suggest Spectrum Computing as well, personally I find it far better experience for browsing and downloading games these days. Codemasters, Melbourne House a couple of other big hitters distribution denied on WoS and Spectrum Computing but still very easy to find.

Lady Eklipse revision of the Spectrum TOSEC on archive.org is a brilliant resource too, and if pokes work on this emulator (I'm sure they probably do) she has a brilliant collection of those too.

For things a bit more left field and demos, music etc. I'd recommend ZXArt

A Portuguese site called Planeta Sinclair gives lots of news and reviews of modern games, Google translate required obviously!

Talking of modern games Itch.io has lots (and lots) of modern Spectrum games, some of which are fantastic and well worth trying out to see just how much modern programmers can squeeze out of the Spectrum. Pat Morita Team from Spain and Sinc Lair and Zosya Entertainment from Ukraine/Russia are teams well worth checking out.

Noel from Noel's Retro Lab has a review

I'd be mad to buy one of these, wouldn't I? I use FUSE on my laptop and have a couple of spare Raspberry Pis I've been threatening to put Recalbox or Retropie on for a long time… but still… I'm tempted!

I could emulate it on a Pi, of which I have a couple spares too. I'll most likely have a great weekend of Spectrum geekdom and then stick it on a shelf. At least a Pi I can repurpose for something else. Maybe this is me being mature and sensible, but I'm holding off.

(Not really in keeping with the vibe of the thread I know)

.. for my part I decided to get a rom for my favourite game of that era, Turrican C64 to see how it played on the Spectrum. Grim. Very grim.