Zx Speccy Vs. C64!


frolik

frolik

Bass Invader
Joined
Nov 1, 2003
Messages
1,382
Age
47
Location
Brighton UK
Website
Visit site
fZX32 has opened up a whole new world for me that I never knew existed - when people said the C64 had a "substandard speccy port" I never believed it! How could a game be better on a system that uses colour like Robby the Robot doing life drawing!!

I thought I'd give honourable mentions to games which are really playable (to this day) that I never really bothered with on my old Commodore


Ranarama - I never understood what I had to do before, but I've been playing it now for a few hours and it's really good - savestates are ideal here

Chase HQ - Unreal, this was ported to the C64 for some wierd reason, apart from the colours being rather untidy there's a helluva lot crammed into this game

Commando - controls are much nicer than the c64

Exolon - Fantastic use of the spectrums nasty colours!

I Ball 2 - A clever game, the version on the commie I played had a strange bug which prevented getting past one of the early levels, this version plays though it nicely

Zynaps - Never bothered with this low grade shooter before but it's a neat little speccy game


There are sooo many Spectrum games available too, I'm still finding hidden gems and it's great to find the old 8bit gems that still hold a lot of worth :D Thanks Rlyeh for this high quality emulator
 
I, too, was a C64 boy (I don't think you could even get speccy's in Australia), but I've found a few speccy corkers:

Batty - great arkanoid clone - its on c64, but I prefer the speccy version
Jetpac - simple concept, great twitch gameplay, highly addictive
Anarchy - puzzler/action/shooter - also on c64, but the speccy version has that certain indefinable "something"
Bombjack - streets ahead of the c64 version
Zynaps - I agree its a neat little game
Exolon - agree its well executed on the speccy
Deflektor - not sure if its on c64, but an ingenious little puzzle game

I couldn't get savestates to work on Frodo, so its great having them in fzx32. Thanks Rlyeh!
 
frolik posted on Jan 6 2005 said:
fZX32 has opened up a whole new world for me that I never knew existed - when people said the C64 had a "substandard speccy port" I never believed it! How could a game be better on a system that uses colour like Robby the Robot doing life drawing!!

I thought I'd give honourable mentions to games which are really playable (to this day) that I never really bothered with on my old Commodore


Ranarama - I never understood what I had to do before, but I've been playing it now for a few hours and it's really good - savestates are ideal here

Chase HQ - Unreal, this was ported to the C64 for some wierd reason, apart from the colours being rather untidy there's a helluva lot crammed into this game

Commando - controls are much nicer than the c64

Exolon - Fantastic use of the spectrums nasty colours!

I Ball 2 - A clever game, the version on the commie I played had a strange bug which prevented getting past one of the early levels, this version plays though it nicely

Zynaps - Never bothered with this low grade shooter before but it's a neat little speccy game


There are sooo many Spectrum games available too, I'm still finding hidden gems and it's great to find the old 8bit gems that still hold a lot of worth :D Thanks Rlyeh for this high quality emulator
​
Click to expand...

I was lucky and had a Speccy, a c64 and an Atari 130xe. There were several Speccy games that were better than their counterparts on the other 8 bits. I still think the Speccy version of Moon Cresta is by far the most arcade perfect (apart from mame obviously) Try it. It just feels spot on.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
OH man.

I've STILL got my 48k ZX Speccy set up right next to my PC. :)

The speccy port of Super Hang-On is seeing a lot of action from me at the moment.

Wec Le Mans was another one, fantastic converstion of the arcade machine IMO.
 
I had the speccy early in its life but also had a c64 too a few years later, most of the ones above I rate highly on speccy especially Batty, Ranarama, Bombjack and Commando, other speccy classics are Starquake, Starstrike, Starion, Hypersports


I think I preferred the speccy as it was my first computer but the c64 had some awsome games such as Myth, Armalyte, Creatures, Vendetta, Last Ninja, Impossible Mission to name a few.
 
:ph34r: The Last Ninja.. one of the best games - all categories - ever made! And thank you Ben Daglish for making the wonderful music!

//Shaddac

"You're not drunk until you have to hold on the ground while lying down"
 
nodes of yesod!!! it even has speach!!!!

you control a space man who has a rat
 
A couple of speccy questions I've had bouncing around the back of my mind:

* What is a "perfect" TZX tape image?? why is it better than a z80 snapshot or tap image?

* I assume it's better to use the 128k version of a game if it is available, what is the benefit of this? better graphics? less loading? not much>???

cheers, I'm going off to try the game suggestions now
 
Of course a lot of the 3D isometric games were better on the Speccy (a lot faster) and there always seemed to be so many good platformers and arcade adventures around..
 
frolik posted on Jan 7 2005 said:
A couple of speccy questions I've had bouncing around the back of my mind:

* What is a "perfect" TZX tape image?? why is it better than a z80 snapshot or tap image?

* I assume it's better to use the 128k version of a game if it is available, what is the benefit of this? better graphics? less loading? not much>???

cheers, I'm going off to try the game suggestions now
​
Click to expand...

From what I gather, 128k games generally incorporated music/improved sound where 48k versions did not. Also, some games *only* work with 128k, like Strider and R-Type (I think) for example.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
From what I remember (Back from my Speccy days).. The 128k versions of games used to have music/sound (Turbo Outrun springs to mind). As far as I know the graphics are the same on the 48k/128k... It's just the sound appears to be better on the 128k spectrums although I could be wrong :huh:
 
I never had a Speccy as they never came out in the US. I had the C64 and while the graphics were average it had the best sound of any 8-bit computer EVER.

From pics of Speccy games the graphics seemed worse than the C64 too. Speccy games seemed to not be able to put more than 2 colors on screen at once in one area where the C64 did 16 at once.
 
I'm also in the US. I was an Atari 800 user, the true BEST 8bit computer ever. :D But don't write off the Speccy, actually there's some really good graphics in many of its games. Very detailed, and sometimes they make really good use of the color limitations. Try some of the games people mentioned in fzx, they're really pretty good. Jetpac alone is good fun.

The worst part is the sound. It's really bad. It's basically like the Apple II. But it's better than nothing.
 
My only contribution to this debate would be, as a speccy and a c64 owner, that I prefered playing Elite on the speccy to the c64, stil I think the BBC had the best version I can recall out of the 8bit puters - not including the NES version of course ;)
 
Being a huge Speccy fan back in the early 80's its cool that so many more people are getting into it

Now i dont want to create a Speccy vs C64 war, sure you've heard all the arguments before. C64 had better colour and sound but to me the Speccy graphics were more detailed.

Anyway for newbies out there...

Alien 8 / KnightLore - Back when these games came out it was unreal to see those graphics on a Spectrum, both are excellent games

Sabre Wulf / Atic Atac - From the same company (Ultimate) these games are excellent

Manic Miner / Jet Set Willy - Two of the most famous platform games ever, Manic Miner is superb, you have to complete each screen to get to the next whereas Jet Set Willy you have multiple rooms to go round.

Commando / Bombjack / Space Harrier / Paperboy / Ghost n Goblins - All these conversions are very playable on the Spectrum specially Commando and Bombjack. For Commando fans check out Ikari Warriors which is very similar but you can get into tanks etc

LightForce - Check out this vertical scroller. Excellent coloured graphics (See the speccy can do coloured graphics without colour clash !)

Also check out...

Terra Cresta - Not very colourful but a smooth vertical scrolling shoot em up
1942 / 1943 - Not bad versions of this classic arcade game
3d Starstrike - Basically the same as Star Wars, excellent version
APB - Get the 128k version, many missions, great conversion
Arkanoid - The bat and ball classic, also check out Batty
Arc of Yesod - Superb multi screen exploration type game, also look for Nodes of Yesod
Boulderdash - Great boulderdash conversion
Bounder - Interesting game where you have a bouncing tennis ball and you have to work your way up a vertical scrolling screen, addictive
Turbo Esprit - The Grand Theft Auto of its day, amazing they crammed that game into just 48k
Bruce Lee - PLEASE check this one out. Great multi screen game, isnt too difficult, the puzzles are set about right. Pick up the golden amulets to advance through the screens, great great game
Batman - A few different versions of this one, the original is similar to Knight Lore and has the same isometric view, very good game
Bionic Commando - Not very colourful but the 128k version is very good
Bubble Bobble - Get the 128 k version for the amazing tune
Chronos - Superb horizontal shoot em up
Cobra - Yes its the Stallone film but a very original game, basically pick up all the weapons to blast the baddies
Critical Mass - Excellent game, looks like its based on the film Dune
Dynamite Dan II - Excellent platform game
Enduro Racer / WEC Le Mans - Two great racing games
Flying Shark - Possibly the best vertical shoot em up on the Speccy. Very smooth, not very colourful but probably the best shooting game on the Speccy
The Fury - Excellent futuristic car type game, bit Mad Max like
Gunstarr - Very good shoot em up
Ghouls n Ghosts - Not a bad sequel to Ghost n Goblins
Green Beret - Excellent arcade conversion, very good
Gyroscope - Bit like Marble Madness, very good game
Gauntlet - Great arcade conversion
Gryzor - Great arcade conversion
Head over Heels - Another 3d game like Knight Lore, excellent with 2 characters you control one at a time
Pyjamarama - Great multi screen game
JetPac - Classic simple speccy shoot em up
Quazatron - Great game where you are a robot, use the laser to kill other robots or 'grapple' with them which is great fun
Wanted Monty Mole - Great platform game, also check out Monty on the Run
Rambo - Great game, very similar to Commando / Ikari Warriors
Renegade - The Speccys answer to Double Dragon, very good
Saboteur - Great multi screen game, you better read the instructions first !
Spy Hunter - Good arcade conversion
Tapper - Great arcade conversion
Thrust - Very famous game, simple but addictive
Uridium - Great horizontal shoot em up
Who Dares Wins II - Bit like Commando / Ikari Warriors
Wizards Lair / StarQuake - Similar to Atic Atac, both excellent games
Xevious - Nice shoot em up
Zynaps - Great shoot em up like R Type on the Speccy

Most of these games can be downloaded from www.worldofspectrum/archive

The games here you can download legally before anyone says anything !

For some of the other titles, eg Knight Lore / Alien 8 you'll have to do a surf on the net. Theyre not at World of Spectrum (Permission denied) but theyre out there
 
Prophet posted on Jan 7 2005 said:
I'm also in the US. I was an Atari 800 user, the true BEST 8bit computer ever. :D But don't write off the Speccy, actually there's some really good graphics in many of its games. Very detailed, and sometimes they make really good use of the color limitations. Try some of the games people mentioned in fzx, they're really pretty good. Jetpac alone is good fun.

The worst part is the sound. It's really bad. It's basically like the Apple II. But it's better than nothing.
​
Click to expand...

OH come on !! The best 8 bit computer out there was easily either the Speccy or the C64 which sold the most computers in the world.

The Atari 800 isnt bad, i've tried the emulator on the GP32 but the games are very very simple.

The sound on the Spectrum isnt great but on many of the 128k versions the sound is superb. Try listening to Bubble Bobble 128k or Glider Rider 128k
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well theres been many arguments amongst Amstrad/C64/Speccy fans in the past. Recently some guy was saying Amstrad was the best just because GamesTM retro section said that the Amstrad version of Gryzor was the best.

Thanks to emulation i can check out many different systems and games. Some games on the C64 i've tried and prefer than the Spectrum. Some Speccy games i prefer to the C64.

Some of my favourite games of all time are Commando, Bombjack and Knight Lore. KnightLore wasnt available on the C64 and Commando and Bombjack were terrible C64 conversions so my preference is the Speccy

But like i say thanks to emulation you can try out many games on different platforms, my favourite console is now the PC Engine as their arcade conversions are brilliant.

For some of us old timers its just brilliant being able to play Speccy or C64 games on the Gp32. All those years of buying games at £7.95 and now for the same price i get 4000 Speccy games on a cd, crazy !
 
Only one Atari800 user so far? I have to throw in an argument of mine too, Atari800 was the best 8bit! :)

Yes, there were many simple games, but there were also many great ones. The hardware was maybe not as good as that of the C64 and surely not as that of the Amstrad, but skillful programmers made wonderful use of it many times anyway.
I have never had the ZX Spectrum, though I saw it in action a few times and the thing that I didnt like about it (besides the common color change of sprites when crossing colored background) was that a large number of games had unstable speed, i.e. when there was nothing happening, they were fast, and when there were more object on the screen, they would get extremely slow. Thats a, aspect I then saw again only on the PC ;)

Recently I bought a C64 and played some of the games that I knew from the Atari800 and even though I kept hearing that the C64 was much better than the Atari800, in my opinion many Atari800 versions look better and sound better. However, nostalgy might be playing a part in that too :D

Once again, cheers to the Atari800XE!

Oh and to recommend some titles, be sure to try Draconus (cool music and a great game too), International Karate, Zorro, Boulder Dash, Jet Set Willy (ooh the music!), Bruce Lee....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Good Speccy Games?
2
Replies
38
Views
7K
lubidog
L
skeezix
Best/notable C64 Games?
2 3
Replies
41
Views
15K
TwoHeadedBoy
T
A
Manicminer-type Games.
Replies
15
Views
2K
alyinsanfran
A
BaDToaD
Don't Write Off The 8 Bit Computers!
2
Replies
38
Views
6K
BaDToaD
BaDToaD
T
Speccy Emulator Abandoned?
Replies
3
Views
2K
cazssiew
C
Back
Top