Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - number 18

December 3, 2020

No.18: Deathchase - Micromega, 1983

This 16K classic clocked in at number one on Stuart Campbell’s Top 100 list in Your Sinclair’s final issue. While I think it’s an amazing game, and worthy entry in my top 20, I couldn’t quite elevate it above all the other amazing games that sit in front of it. A pure shooting game, the simplicity of Deathchase is its attraction, notwithstanding the amazing technical achievement of actually squeezing a high speed motorbike chase game into just 16K. Released the same year as the third Star Wars movie, Return Of The Jedi, it was also a timely way of pretending you were Luke Skywalker and those enemy bikes were stormtroopers astride speeders.

A great game and if you’re reading this Mervyn, fancy getting in touch?

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

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games number 19

December 2, 2020

No.19: River Rescue - Thorn EMI

Despite being compared to River Raid upon release, River Rescue, converted from an Atari 400/800 original is a superb game in it’s own right, and perhaps even better than River Raid.

Scrolling horizontally, the river rushes towards the player's boat at a furious pace. Crocodiles and logs are the main obstructions although the jagged shore itself is often more of a threat. Yet it is River Rescue's brilliant risk-reward mechanic that I love. Dock with one of the occasional berths to the north and an imperiled scientist climbs aboard. They must then be transported to another berth on the south side, and with the score doubling for each rescued scientist, a brave pilot must decide whether to take the gamble and collect another passenger. If you lose a life, everybody on board is lost.

I discovered River Rescue when it was rereleased by Alternative for a bargain price of £1.99. It’s still great fun today.

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

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 20

December 1, 2020

No.20: Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Ocean, 1985

How do you make a videogame based around an iconic and outstanding band such as Liverpool’s Frankie Goes To Hollywood? Ocean attempted the challenge in 1985 and created this gaming marvel, taking the central concepts of the band and morphing them into a superb multi-level game that manages to pay homage to the musicians and be an enthralling experience at the same time.

Wandering around Mundanesville, the task is to transform this nobody into a 100% real person, elevating to the glorious Pleasuredome. By competing in various mini games (the most memorable of which had Gorbachev and Reagan spitting at each other) this could be achieved, along with solving the murder that the player stumbles upon early in the game.

One of the most original games of all time, Frankie Goes To Hollywood is a worthy first entry in the Wizwords Top 20 ZX Spectrum games, and not the last we’ll hear of Ocean Software. Created by Denton Designs’ John Gibson and Ally Noble, it also has a wonderful Bob Wakelin cover and came in a huge box with a bonus cassette of the band’s hit, Relax.

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

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum games - Number 21

November 30, 2020

No.21: Hyper Sports - Imagine/Ocean, 1985

I can’t believe that we are almost at the top 20 of my favourite Spectrum games. It feels like such a journey already, chock full of ace games, a few surprises and hopefully a list that shows what a good quality games machine the Speccy was.

Arcade conversions were starting to become very popular by 1985 and, having recently purchased the rights to the Imagine name, Ocean began publishing a few of Konami’s sporting coin-ops via its new label.

Hyper Sports is a spiritual follow-up to the famous Daley Thompson’s Decathlon, and while it may not have sold as many copies, or be quite as nostalgically well-remembered, I think it’s a far superior game, especially my favourite event pictured here, skeet shooting. It was programmed by Jonathan Smith, and it’s not the last we will see of the dearly departed Ocean man on this list.

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

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games number 22

November 29, 2020

No.22: Skool Daze - Microsphere, 1984

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - number 23

November 29, 2020

No.23: Who Dares Wins II - Alligata, 1986

This is a controversial choice I know - this run and gun game is very far from most people's idea of a Speccy classic. However I like the genre, and cannot deny that I played and played and played this flick screen Alligata game back in the Eighties and still enjoy it today.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - number 24

November 27, 2020

No.24: Exolon - Hewson, 1987

It's probably hard to imagine the impact of Exolon today. Certainly in terms of gameplay, it's hardly original. But in creating a colour clash free display together with the shooting action and finely tuned difficulty, ace coder Raffaele Cecco and publisher Hewson had a hit on their hands, and a game compared favourably with arcade games of the time.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games number 25

November 26, 2020

No.25: Robocop - Ocean, 1988

Ocean struck gold with this licence of the sleeper hit sci fi film. Obtained relatively cheaply, the film went on to become a massive hit, and the Manchester software house also produced a very professional and slick video game adaptation.

For more information on the making of Robocop check out my feature on Eurogamer: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-01-19-the-making-of-robocop

Thank you for your co-operation!

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - number 26

November 25, 2020

No.26: Flying Shark - Firebird, 1987

This fantastic vertical scrolling shooter saw a lot of action on my Speccy and is a smoothly scrolling masterpiece by John Cummings and Dominic Robinson.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games Number 27

November 24, 2020

Number 27: Saboteur - Durell, 1985

Written and designed by martial arts fan Clive Townsend, Saboteur is the sort of game that you just can’t believe fits into 48k or less. Open world, atmospheric and utterly compelling, it’s a marvellous experience from start to finish.

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

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no.32

November 19, 2020

No.32: Starquake - Bubble Bus, 1985

Starquake is Bubble Bus’ and Stephen Crow’s finest hour. A brilliant arcade adventure starring a cute little BLOB and featuring many colourful and frantic screens, it’s a great example of the days when one man could create a smash hit game on the ZX Spectrum.

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 35

November 16, 2020

No.35: Manic Miner - Bug-Byte/Software Projects, 1983

I know. It’s a bit low. But I only got a Speccy in Christmas of 1984, and Manic Miner had already been out a while by the time I started buying games in the Spring of 1985. And there were so many great games, that this venerable classic got left behind a bit. But I still played it, and loved it, and of course it’s a Speccy legend.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images. Stay tuned for number 34 tomorrow!

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games no. 37

November 14, 2020

No.37: Knight Tyme - Mastertronic, 1986

Released on Mastertronic's new MAD label, the extra pound meant Knight Tyme cost a lofty £2.99! It was still fantastic value for money, especially if you were a 128k owner as there was a special 128k version released separately.

I liked Spellbound, but as a scifi nut this spoof of star trek and star wars coupled with the great gameplay really sold Knight Tyme to me.

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.com for images!

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 38

November 13, 2020

No.38: 3D Starstrike - Realtime, 1984

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 39

November 12, 2020

No.39: Beach-Head - US Gold, 1984

Wizwords Top 100 ZX Spectrum Games - no. 40

November 11, 2020

No. 40: Spy Hunter - US Gold, 1985

US Gold didn’t have the best of reputations with arcade conversions in the mid Eighties - remember Kung Fu Master? - but this was a slick and playable port of the Bally Midway driving shoot-’em-up. Bridge Out!

Thanks to www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk for images