Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games no.45

No.45: Head Over Heels - Ocean, 1987

I realise this may be a little low for some people, but the truth is I never really connected with isometric games the way many other Spectrum fans did. I appreciated them, for sure, and like this Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond classic, I played them a lot back in the day. But I think my appreciation for them has grown more in later years, hence this standard bearer for the genre appearing at number 45.

For more on this wonderful game check out my making of on eurogamer: www.eurogamer.net/amp/2016-08-07-the-making-of-head-over-heels

Thanks again to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no.46

No.46: Into the Eagle's Nest - Pandora, 1987

I loved Gauntlet style games and this brilliant WW2 themed game was one of my favourites. Boasting a fantastic loading screen, it’s a fantastic little shooter. Just don't shoot the explosives!

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games: No. 47

No.47: Tau Ceti - CRL, 1985

Pete Cooke’s marvellous space epic was graphically influenced by Firebird’s Gyron, and Pete was keen to expand on the shadow techniques in his own planet-bound shoot-’em-up. The result is an in-depth but action-packed shooter with some lovely graphical effects.

thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images.

I interviewed Pete Cooke on the Making of Tau Ceti for issue 131 of Retro Gamer magazine.

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 48

No.48: Atic Atac - Ultimate, 1983

Atic Atac is one of those legendary early Spectrum games, and it’s so many light years ahead of every other release in 1983 that it's ridiculous. Colourful, fast and wonderful fun to play, it is considered Ultimate's finest hour by many, which when you consider the quality of its output, is some achievement.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - recap so far

As we are 50 games into this list of my favourite Speccy games, I thought it was about time we had a recap of the games that have featured so far. Plenty more classics to come!

100.Alchemist - Imagine

99.Bumpy - Loriciels

98.Earthlight - Firebird

97.Wizball - Ocean

96.Marauder - Hewson

95.Ghostbusters - Activision

94.Chronos - Mastertronic

93.Secret Diary of Adrian Mole - Mosaic

92.Grumpy Gumphrey Supersleuth - Gremlin Graphics

91.Confuzion - Incentive

90.Glass - Quicksilva

89.Dan Dare - Virgin

88.Gunrunner - Hewson

87.Mikie - Imagine/Ocean

86.They Stole A Million - Ariolasoft

85.Nemesis The Warlock - Martech

84.Stonkers - Imagine

83.Operation Wolf - Ocean

82.Licence To Kill - Domark

81.Alien - Mind Games

80.International Cricket - Bug-Byte/Your Sinclair

79.Future Games - Mastertronic

78.Target Renegade - Imagine/Ocean

77.Dandy - Electric Dreams

76.Zzoom - Imagine

75.Avenger Way of the Tiger 2 - Gremlin Graphics

74.Pippo - Mastertronic

73.Gauntlet - US Gold

72.Dark Star - Design Design

71.Match Day - Ocean

70.Avalon - Hewson

69.Universal Hero - Mastertronic

68.Starstrike II - Realtime Games

67.Scuba Dive - Durell

66.Myth History In The Making - System 3

65.180 - Mastertronic

64.The Sentinel - Firebird

63.MOVIE - Imagine/Ocean

62.Rex - Martech

61.Batty - Elite/Your Sinclair

60.Gunfright - Ultimate

59.Midnight Resistance - Ocean

58.Deactivators - Reaktor/Ariolasoft

57.Rogue Trooper - Piranha

56.Jack The Nipper - Gremlin Graphics

55.Finders Keepers - Mastertronic

54.Impossible Mission - US Gold

53.Night Gunner - Digital Integration

52.Ghosts 'n' Goblins - Elite

51.Harrier Attack - Durell

50.Formula One - CRL

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no.49

No.49: Feud - Mastertronic/Bulldog, 1987

This jolly little tale of warring wizard brothers was a perfect start for Mastertronic's ‘Best of British’ Bulldog label. While arguably limited in terms of long term appeal, its superb presentation, graphics and gameplay nevertheless made it a solid hit, especially at the bargain price of £1.99.

Created by the Pickford brothers, with a David Whittaker tune and John Smyth cover.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for the images

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no.50

No.50: Formula One - CRL, 1985

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 51

No.51: Harrier Attack - Durell, 1983

Here is a little fact I didn't find out myself until this year: Harrier Attack, written by Mike Richardson, actually originated on the Oric, and is a conversion of Ron Jeff's original game! It’s still a great little shooter, and I played it a lot as it was included on my first compilation, Beau Jolly's 10 Computer Hits.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for some of the images.

I skipped yesterday's game on here: it was Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no.53

No.53: Night Gunner - Digital Integration, 1984

As with 180, Night Gunner is one of those few Speccy games that I played with my dad. Obsessed with ww2, he would watch as I played then sometimes even have a go himself. It’s a pretty decent shoot em up too!

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no 54

No.54: Impossible Mission - US Gold, 1985

Impossible Mission was one of the first full price games I bought for my Speccy. Of course it’s a conversion of a Commodore 64 game, but with its brilliant animation and the same tricky gameplay, it's still a fantastic game. I also loved the Epyx styled covers. Stay awhile…stay forever!

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Games - Nos. 56 & 55

No. 56: Jack the Nipper - Gremlin, 1986

No.55: Finders Keepers - Mastertronic, 1985

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games Nos. 59, 58 and 57

No.59: Midnight Resistance - Ocean, 1989

In my opinion, Jim Bagley's finest hour, a brilliant multi-directional run and gun game based on the Data East arcade machine.

Further reading:-

For more on this game, including a few words from Jim himself, check out this feature I wrote on the Antstream Arcade blog:-

https://www.antstream.com/post/antstream-arcade-archive-midnight-resistance

No.58: Deactivators - Ariolasoft, 1986

Deactivators is one of those little gems on the Spectrum that deserves to be on this list on merit. A neat puzzle game, its clean bright graphics and tricky gameplay make it something of a forgotten classic.

Further reading:-

I wrote a short making of on Deactivators for issue 119 of Retro Gamer magazine, and the game made my antstream arcade list of underrated Speccy gems here.

No.57: Rogue Trooper - Piranha, 1986

I’m a big fan of 2000AD so as with Nemesis The Warlock, I was keen to play the Spectrum games based on its characters. This was a relatively easy game, but it well represented the shattered world of Nu Earth.

Further reading:-

Here’s my Eurogamer feature on 2000AD games on the 8-bit computers.

As usual, thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images

Wizwords Top 100 Spectrum Games - no 60

No.60: Gunfright - Ultimate, 1985

One of the last of Ultimate's games before it was bought by US Gold, I loved how Gunfright merged the isometric genre with some rootin’ tootin’ shootin’.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for the images

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no.61

No.61: Batty - Elite/Your Sinclair, 1987

Deemed not worthy of release by Elite when it was offered the game, Batty is a supremely slick bat and ball game that somewhat showed up the official conversion of Arkanoid by Ocean (which is still good).

For more on Batty and magazine cover tape games check out this Wizwords feature!

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 62

No.62: Rex - Martech, 1988

Coded by Jas Austin with intricate graphics by Dave Dew, Rex is one tough hard bastard of a game - but jolly good fun all the same. Playing the titular dinosaur thing, humans are the enemies and must be eliminated in order to end their scourge on the galaxy. Fortunately, Rex is well armed and has a nifty shield which temporarily protects him from enemy fire. He's gonna need it!

For more on Rex, check out my making of feature which originally appeared in Retro Gamer magazine and can now be viewed on Wizwords.

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no 63

No.63: MOVIE - Ocean/Imagine, 1986

I was never the biggest fan of isometric games, yet this one I liked a lot, and it had a lovely cover by Bob Wakelin.

For more on MOVIE you can read my making of from this very site: http://www.wizwords.net/movie

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum games - no. 64

No. 64: The Sentinel - Firebird, 1987

Abstract, beautiful and compelling, The Sentinel is an experience like no other on the Speccy, and one that successfully dragged me away from my favourite shoot em ups. A masterpiece by Geoff Crammond.

Images thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games no 65

No.65: 180 by Mastertronic, 1987

Darts. On the Spectrum! And one of very few games I played with my Dad back in the day. Playable and brilliant. Nuff said.

Wizwords Top 100 Spectrum Games - no 66

No.66: Myth History In the Making - System 3, 1989

A late era Speccy game, the intricate graphics of Dave Dew and programming talents of Neil Dodwell served them well in a beautifully designed arcade adventure. The trick here was to make the game substantially different from the c64 original, playing on the strengths of the computer to brilliant effect.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.com for some of the images

Wizwords Top 100 Spectrum Games no. 67

No.67: Scuba Dive - Durell, 1983

Scuba Dive is a wonderful game. Presenting a side on view, its lovingly animated diver is a brave explorer, dodging deadly fish and craggy rocks in task of purloining valuables from the depths.

Like taking part in your own aquarium, it’s a fantastic achievement on the Speccy and not the last we will hear of Durell and coder Mike Richardson on this list….

For more info on this classic, check out my making of feature in issue 210 of Retro Gamer magazine.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.com for images