After Ceaucescu's death in 1990 over 120,000 children were discovered living in grim institutions. In the county of Jud Bihor in Western Romania, children who had been assessed as 'mentally retarded' at the age of three were sent to an institution in the country village of Cadea. They were housed in old buildings that had broken windows and no heating or plumbing. It was dark and dirty and for the majority of the time the children were confined to their cots. Most of them were tied to the bars by strips of cloth tied tightly around their wrists and ankles. The children were always dirty, hungry and cold - sixty to seventy died every winter. Their original 'retardation' was the result of early illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis, and years of confinement at Cadea only compounded the problem. When they were finally released in January 1991, many could neither walk nor speak. All of the children rocked backwards and forwards in their distress; their eyes were glazed and unseeing. On release, many of the children were sent to hospital buildings in the mountain villages of Remeti and Bratca. It is here that the White Cross started assisting the local Romanian staff in their care. Since the White Cross has been working with the children, over 600 people have travelled with the Mission to Romania. Some have only been able to give a few days of concentrated work, most average two months and one stayed for four years! Some work with the children, others repair the buildings and yet others deliver goods. Every volunteer is special. They raise their own money for air and train fares, insurance, food and electricity and more than half of them do it all over again and go out for a second or even third time. Old or young, with or without qualifications, the combined work and presence of these many different people has had an amazing impact on the children. Children with blank, unseeing eyes, rocking in a world of their own are now healthy, laughing and boisterous. The accumulative effect of the White Cross volunteers with their mixture of naivety and experience, their energy, their perseverance, their hopes, their dreams and their many different ways of showing love has created a rainbow effect of bouncy, confident and individual children. Fundatia Crucea Alba has helped White Cross Mission with the legalities of purchasing small farms, employing assistants and moving children from the mental institutions in order to live a normal family village life. We intend that these farms will be the children's homes for as long as they need. All their lives if necessary. Buying the farms is only the beginning of a lifetime commitment to those children we take out of State care. Without a regular financial safety net we would be irresponsible if we established too many homes. We do, however, believe that this is the only way forward and are desperate for substantial funding.

The White Cross Mission is a Charitable Trust Registered in England No 1021176 52, Gwel-an-nans, Probus, Cornwall, TR2 4ND, United Kingdom Tel (+44) (0)1726 884344 Fax (+44) (0)1726 884345 Mob (+44) (0)7775700893 Email [email protected] www.the-white-cross.ndirect.co.uk ZXF06: 46

choose from - and hit ENTER to start CHRISTMAS 2003 Issue 6 browsing your disk files). To get back to Sinclair Basic from the TR- DOS command line, all that's TR-DOS Quick Reference needed is a RETURN command. The single keypress 'tokens' work here, Contents just like 48K mode - even though this COMMAND FUNCTION is a 128K machine being emulated - therefore the Y key is the one we Thirteen pages of Spectrum news p5 need here. *"a:" set default to drive A So then; the OS commands. This is *"b:" set default to drive B where the nice surprise comes for *"c:" set default to drive C Your views and opinions p18 someone who thought this was all *"d:" set default to drive D going to be terribly complicated: New spectrum software reviewed p22 the commands are actually very 40 inform TRDOS that default drive is 40 track straight forward. We can start with 80 inform TRDOS that default drive is 80 track Rough Justice p22 a CAT command to find out what's on our disk, which is a SYMBOL SHIFT CAT display the disk directory Dizzy X: Journey to Russia p23 + 9 in extended mode (in Real CAT# print the disk directory Spectrum, SYMBOL SHIFT equates to Abe's Mission - Escape p24 the Ctrl key and extended mode is CLOSE# closing a serial/random access file Minesweeper p25 obtained by pressing Ctrl and Shift COPY copying files from one drive to another together). CAT clears the screen and prints up the title of the disk COPY s copying files in a single drive system Retrospective. Matthew Harrodine examines 1983 p27 and the number of files it contains, COPY b backup disk in a single drive system as well as details of the individual The Oliver Twins p30 files themselves (CAT by itself ERASE delete a file from the disk assumes you are referring to the first LIST display details of disk contents The Shaw Brothers p33 drive, if you're using more than one; to look at the contents of other LIST# print details of disk contents drives, it has to be suffixed with "b:", LOAD load a program from the disk What's wrong with Dizzy? Paul E. Collins discusses. p35 "c:" or "d:" - that's including the quotation marks). Selecting a INPUT# read from serial/random access file Stuff to do whilst the turkey's settling p37 particular file for loading is then a MERGE combine BASIC program from disk with one in RAM simple matter of LOAD "filename" - MOVE reorganise and pack together the files on a disk exactly as though you are dealing 1,697 minus two - MIA and TZX procedure explored p41 with a tape (compare this with NEW change the existing name of a file Sinclair's own microdrive syntax: TR-DOS - The beginner's guide p44 LOAD *"m";1;"filename"). This is OPEN# opening a stream for a serial/random access file pretty much how it goes for all the PEEK read a sector of a file from disk to RAM other commands you are used to If you enjoy ZXF and you want it to continue then consider yourself for dealing with tape - SAVE, MERGE POKE store data in RAM to a sector of a file duty bound to let me know this ([email protected] or by the and VERIFY all work in the usual way PRINT# writing a serial/random access file feedback form). All other feedback will be gratefully received too. - a main addition is the RUN RETURN return to BASIC from TRDOS ZXF now has a voluntary purchase scheme. If you have command, which you can use with downloaded and enjoyed an issue of ZXF, and if you are able to a filename to LOAD and then RUN RUN load and run a program from the disk afford to, please consider paying £1 for your issue via the Paypal that program all in one. button on at the ZXF website ('magazine' page). SAVE save a program to the disk If you would like to contribute to future issues of ZXF - even if it's just VERIFY verify a program saved on disk to write a letter - please do; contact me again by the email address Many thanks to Matthew Westcott for his above. help with this article Editor: Colin Woodcock ([email protected]) RANDOMIZE USR 15616 go to TRDOS from BASIC Website: www.zxf.cjb.net RANDOMIZE USR 15619 call TRDOS commands from BASIC Contributors this issue: Kevin Bennet, Matthew Harrodine, Paul E. Collins, Tarquin Mills, Robert Hazelby, The Oliver Twins, Graham Shaw, John King and Thomas Eberle. A big thankyou also to all Source: Beta 128 Disk Interface - User manual letter writers. All written material, unless otherwise stated (and excepting letters) is Copyright © Colin Woodcock 2003 ZXF06: 44 ZXF06: 5

TR-DOS

Whilst it's not made much of an impact in western lands, TR-DOS is about as closely associated with Russian Spectrum clones as tapes are here with the original machine. Time to have a look then... SINCLAIR DISCUSSED "Personally, I think it's a tragedy shame, Peter talked about the that a man like Sinclair is now well known quality control issues >TV and Radio retrospective remembered for his failure and is (ie, lack of) at Sinclair. "Demand Well done to Andy Kavanagh for a derided as a figure of fun by was always exceeding supply," sterling piece of ZX PR in people who don't posses an he explained, "there was never TR-DOS is one of those pieces of images listed there at the moment across the Iron Curtain and then September. BBC East brought ounce of his creativity or vision." enough stuff that was actually at Spectrum esoterica I've always than there are +3 disk images. got reverse engineered so Andy in as a Spectrum spokesper- Put her in a glass case and throw the required quality to go promised myself I'll get around to Unlike the +3 disks, however, these functionally equivalent (but son for both a short TV feature on sugar at her - that's what I say. around. Production was always learning about 'one day.' A bit like are not games you can also get cheaper) machines could be built. Sir Clive Sinclair and a follow-up, And how did the radio presenters screaming because there were going on a diet or learning hold of on tape or in tape files. The results were rarely visually phone-in radio discussion. hosting the subsequent phone-in shortages - left right and centre - assembly language, however, That's 400 odd titles, and titles attractive (many of the clones show follow these rousing words? so stuff got used just simply to fill days like this do not occur which won't necessarily load into were produced as designs rather The mini-documentary, shown on "I remember getting the Sinclair orders sometimes - that everyone frequently. But so great has your favourite emulator either. than actual computers you could BBC1 in the eastern counties as spectrum - the ZX Spectrum - and knew shouldn't be used - but let's become my embarrassment at the ZX32 does not support TR-DOS, buy off the shelf, so it was up to part of the nightly 'Look East' news it was £200. And if you look at the deal with the problem when it blind eye I feel I've turned towards and neither do vbSpec, SPIN or you what your completed programme and presented by ex graphics - they were rubbish!" comes back." The problem was, this immensley important disk Spectaculator at the moment, to Pentagon looked like, for Tommorrow's he added, that Sinclair was "so system within five issue's worth of name just a few. example), but - rather ironically - World presenter enthusiastic about these new pages, I have at last gathered up often more powerful than the Maggie Philbin, The TR-DOS format is also very products that he would talk to my courage and ventured out original Spectrum, particularly in featured popular within the demo scene, the press about them long before onto the net to learn. And guess terms of memory and storage information on over 350 titles being listed at they were actually ready for what - it's really not all that hard at features. One such feature was the C5, the Demotopia (www.zxdemo.org) at launch. And the result was that all. the BETA Disk Interface developed Executive present. You'll also find TR-DOS the final stages of design, by Technology Research Ltd. An calculator, the If you're not aware of what TR-DOS downloads at such sites as Power development and production English company (based in TV80 and, of is, you might wonder why it's worth of Sound (www.pos.fmshop.ru) and engineering were always done in Middlesex), Technology Research course, the ZX the bother. Even the most well Scenergy (scenergy.natm.ru), a panic." released the interface over here range of known disk formats - the +3 format, including games and disk-based for a pricey £109 in 1985 (this was computers. Mr Sinclair C6, anyone? the Plus D format, the ZX magazines such as Adventurer. just for the interface - disk drives Kavanagh, Microdrive (at a push) - were And there are literally thousands of you had to buy seperately). It was known by the never anything like as well TR-DOS downloads at Virtual TR- not a great success over here, but way to FURTHER PRESERVATION supported in software as cassette DOS (http://trd.speccy.cz). in Russia the interface (or rather - I comp.sys.sinclair tape was, and now that we have >Type-Ins project starts at WOS Basically a whole new dimension pressume - a clone of the regulars as flash loading options for .TAP and to Spectrum computing, then. interface) actually got built in to a dekay, treated It's full steam ahead at .TZX files on emulators, the whole And quite a refreshing one too, number of Spectrum clones, viewers to a brief www.worldofspectrum.org for yet disk thing seems a little pointless - because the ideas and making the floppy disk a much introduction to another new project: an archive unless you're into real hardware, of presentation in these programs are more common form of program Spectrum of all the magazine and book course. often quite different from that of storage for the Spectrum than it emulation, discussed Football Lucky, then, that Andy came back type-in listings ever published. Of course, many of the +3 releases the western software with which ever became over here. Manager, the missing gameplay in to put the record straight on the This ambitious project, typical of were actually available also on we are familiar. the current games market and all issue of cost, as well as going on the sort of scope that WoS has So the TR in TR-DOS stands for cassette, so the main advantage but named chuntey in a mention to discuss CSS, the Speccy Tour envisioned from the start, is to be TR-DOS, then, is the input system of Technology Research. Easy, see? of obtaining a version on disk - or of the effect mothers had on and even the Crap Games overseen by WoS Forums regular choice of the vast majority of The operating system itself was snapshotting your tape versions to games loading in when they Competition. Arjun Nair, and already there are Russian Spectrum clones - of which stored in the interface's ROM and disk - was simply faster loading walked into your bedroom (he a good number of titles in place. there are many. In case you're went through a number of The radio programme also times. And this, let's be honest, is later claimed in CSS that he did unaware, these machines came versions, the most recent of which featured a call from 'Peter', an Available from a new subsection why most of us bought a disk actually use the term, but the about as a result of two main seems to be 6.04. otherwise anonymous Sinclair of the Archive page, the type-ins system. Indeed, what better harsh BBC censors cut it out - the factors - price (an original Radionics quality assurance are listed in the usual WoS format, reason could there be? TR-DOS files come in two formats, blighters). Spectrum would have cost several engineer around in the time of including online play through both of which can be read by the Take a brief look at the WOS years' salary in Russia) and the Ms Philbin concluded the film with watches and calculators. Telling Java emulator, ZZ Spectrum. So emulators which do handle TR-DOS archive and you'll find that there technology export controls of the a surprisingly passionate call for the presenters that he supposed work off that turkey dinner and (the two I use for this are are actually more TR-DOS disk Cold War. A few Spectrums got Sinclair to be taken more seriously: he should be hanging his head in get typing! ZXF06: 42 ZXF06: 7

Day of the Match, then, and Ball by Ball were both releases from a company called Video Software Limited. And I started thinking. Could these be MIA tapes? opportunity. Well I've been in that spot many a I asked for the dirt... he give me the real time before. Oh yes. At the car fifth. He admitted to sleeping in the same boot sale (though not this year, like house as Bruce Gordon (of Miles Gordon I said). In the charity shop. All Technologies) in Swansea... a man with a excited, I race home with the leaky shower! If there was an award for cassette - an obscure title I've quote of the show it would have to go to never heard of from a software Nev for the ... house I've never heard of (it must be MIA!) - boot up the PC and "I came here today because I live around head straight for the WoS the corner." archive... and what do I find? Not Simon Goodwin only is the tape there in all its perfect TZX glory, but there too is Simon Goodwin of various Sinclair its inlay, the instructions, a link to its Magazines fame (and the talk I completely review in Crash, SU and YS, and missed) was displaying a debowled Sam the AY theme tune ripped for Coupe that looked worked over out of adjusted volume controls ever- of the silences between tones in stand alone players. In short, love... and likely craziness. He was upwards - my wife downstairs the recording). everything. And yet another ZX displaying a SAM variant, a Spectrum trying to watch TV; the neighbours; title gets added to the box of The MakeTZX documentation emulation upgrade and a SAM emulation the cat from number 12 tapes under my desk that I don't advises against sampling your CD. This was a love for the numbers kind of wondering what new tom had quite know what to do with. Spectrum tape into a seperate project. I just don't have that kind of brain wandered into its territory - sound editor and then running the damage. :o) The German contingent of all But this felt different. Call it everyone but MakeTZX, that is. audio file that it produces through the shows was Wolfgang - he did have that intuition, call it precognition, call it Loading tones? What loading the MakeTZX decoder. Instead it kind of damage and seemed well more time than is healthy spent tones? recommends you sample and impressed. It was a pleasure to meet a man emersed in all this nonsense, but Apparently I'm not the only one decode all at once in MakeTZX's of personal charm from Germany. I had the somehow I knew. And this time who has experienced such 'DirectMode': thought that it would be no displeasure my search at WoS was rewarded. difficulties. TZXing has been meeting him again. Missing In Action. Both of them. I "If a conversion in DirectMode likened somewhere - I forget now cannot tell you just how chuffed I has failed, then it would have http://website.lineone.net/~alchemistresear where I read this - to a black art, felt with myself. 1,697 titles were failed even if you had recorded ch/wnr/ that some achieve with ridiculous listed as known and missing, and I the samples into a VOC with ease whilst others never get close WNR Richardson was giving away surplus had just found two of them. your favourite sampler. Besides, to even the faintest whiff of stock that included games and joysticks consider that a digitally filtered But the next bit I knew would be a success. The really infuriating thing and numerous other Sinclair items. An VOC is not always better than a problem. TZXing - the process of about it was that I could get tapes interesting man that I found a pleasure to normal one, because the digital turning an honest-to-goodness to load into Spectaculator via the meet at the show. WNR Richardson sells filter itself may introduce nasty plastic and rust cassette into a Line In port no problem at all - Sinclair Z88's, QL's and other peripherals. errors" virtual tape file for an emulator - same 3.5mm stereo socket, same www.ntk.net was something I had never on-board sound card, same mono But I tried anyway, using managed to, erm, manage. Taper jack cable and same Sony Soundprobe 2 (pressumably pretty This forum had T-shirts available through verily thumbed its nose at my PC's cassette player: into the emulator much any sampling program will http://www.ntkmart.com as advertised on a sound facilities (all on-board) and it all went without so much as a do the job). And sure enough it business card. An impressive stand of T-shirts told me exactly where I could stick squeak of protest. But didn't work. I tried sampling in and self advertising. my Line In signal. And MakeTZX, Spectaculator does not make TZX mono. And sure enough it didn't Ramsoft's supposed thoroughbred files, so whilst this was an excellent work. I tried increasing the sample converter ("MakeTZX now has an solution to the problem of rate. And sure enough it didn't A show that will lead to other things due to amazing feature that guarantees preserving some of my old BASIC work. As a last ditch attempt I the positive nature of the event. I would like 100% failure-proof conversions programs, it was no good tried sampling in 8 bit mono as to thank everyone involved including the even in the most difficult cases") whatsoever for preserving MIA opposed to 16 bit... tea making lady and Tarquin Mills the show simply sat and blinked a confused titles, since the requirement is by organiser. And guess what? cursor at me as the Spectrum WoS that TZXs submitted are exact loading noises cruised on by. copies of the original tapes in all It worked. It worked perfectly. Everyone else could hear it as I aspects (for example, the lengths That was all that was needed in © 2003 Kevin Bennet . . l r e s t d d f e r o t r d o I y A h I b n l n n o h t a o f a , e i o s s e o e e o S t y d i l s f g . u r a o u t e h k g h l a m d i k g s e h i t s c ( s U l f e e d e n e g u l e o r e t . h w o l m i e r c a , y l s e n c m e m e y , t c l a i l i s o e s o n l h r u l n p d h y g a o r m n d c e o i l t u n t i b a i e a s t w d e n o o y b d m u a l n n t m w e s u b , R w p m n y r l h a a n t u m m o i a , d e a b s s f u a m u i g l l s m a h z b e o e o n e t b o e a d d b t a z a a t b w o n g u o s r o k n i e d e s o t o g d n e e a o a . r s l s v a u t e l a i h m r s o o r s d i g e e r w n u a l r g l h t a r n t c h r a W t e i y n s e r r r m w c i e B r H é e d c s i p N u k a e h d t n a B b t T e h t r e t a b c . e e a a s . n p e e d e e o e A z . a I d w e p g c r d a u n r e h e . r n e e h b c e e o Q c l e n w h a t h i m i e e b o r h u i t t y n i h e m e d I s W T e a u t t r l u s r t s g o e e a t y h t g u o e t h n s m l c r p e i a e n c s e h t h v a e t s s r u s e . s o e u c h r d r p i a d z M t r g o a S t t c n T e s i n e e d c n n d l s n o m n i r m m m t i d h n , t e g d h s s e i r n a c e e g t n C Q a i e n l t h . t h n s i a n I e b h i l o y l a p s f r 2 r v o a c s y n a e n a n i h o a o t s l p l i l e i s t r d i t t f y m f d c t M s l s f e . G a S r e y r c t d b t i b o I e a s w l n a l h a r c l n C m e h r u a 2 t i h o f m M o n a t i P n o t u e n u o b d s t t p e e a d r t o a e e e . i g c h o w e r r a s g m n i O s M d b u h r i d a d A i t d R h p o y s l n e s n o r i e h h a n o t d m w f r n n o o e n S h a u . o m i n o m f c i w g h s e i t t g s l s m u M e t s f e a r d ) d z a t t a e e m h n d d e o e u o a l a s h e u e c n n u a a i i n a t t i i h i ; r a a h c t , i s g W C s n s y A e e k t a h t S a , t e e u e t d , h o t g l c n a v s t o l S h m h g h t o l t s e d u n t e l s s n I e 2 m n . r j M h u a t w n S l U a a i i a r , t o r e o n a i t h e e b t t s i i g r g i r r f w n B o x y a d o r + . O i a w r i t f o o a t e r y t d r o e h t e a e e h c e u r C b k r t Q s i D t a u e r S t d o . p d o t s . u a e e i , f , a e d o c u b s a t a e g r a r d n p t r w r c v d o f u d e d r s d t o s n C S C n h u i n n n b s n h r i e e e e v r r b n n u r e a l e o s e s e o 0 i s e t h n r o S o C e c p s c v e o u a U b a o s A l p l I e s i n e z t e t g d e p e a y e e k k c l 8 s n 2 h l f b r e u P p i a g h r t n r r g r o t v r l R f m t n r m y i n n t C s s d a t i m h t r l r p p t i o p m w m u u d b ? d d l w b c n e e , h n r o e s a e u i r o e o e e e o i e e l a c u d a a o l r s c d a o a C e n e u a o i o e r l i n l n o n o o o i o p i i s 2 o v e u e u g t t h h h h h h h o i o s t m f b D e a b R h p c A p C u k R b C s p t S p d t h w c u b s E Q t m t a d m B J S a w p + t a r C c r p i n a n l x e d i l d e e , i n d e t r i o t m n e n a o l y h e t o e t d n d y t h h s u s t t s t e s h e o t a t a o r t a i n g e o e k e e e n a l T g i o r e s r i l d l m i o h I a w , i r w i t e a r r a p n h n g a s n v C o i t . u o t e i h p h g y f w n t s , t a a p l t h o e e d h t t m t l k t d o s u s n r m t s e K a l t y s s i o i r o W n d a n u g r t o t e , o i i t l n h d g i r e n - T p a f l m o r g i a l n t i r s y m o e a d t . o o u e s d r s d o S t e e S a y d g e n i m a i h d d h o n r f a b i N h u i t a u ( l u t o M o e l h i h t b a a g e t e o g t o e d r l t v e m n w , t e n p k e 9 t t i s , r o o p r a d p g y o p a s d s p A i b c s u f s e a h e e b y e r t o t e e l e e e e d e s r e a o S e r t t n s c t o r w a g r s e s d g m s t i s g n v s l s m u r i a r e t r e a f e r n o y m l r c h i t v s e c f u a g i i a a l w e e n n d w t g i d t a n t o o t y t a i n e f i l b h e a i s e o d n o n I d M o r i o e a i c p n t t a n d h n c m e o t r a a a r e k h w h P I c h s e t f h r d t p s a . n o d v h k d r t A t r n a s g t n , n a v h n e t i g a m e c p s t s p . i h g t t t m r u n F e e h S e s n I a u u t n e n e k l e r h u d a s s a s o n t n , r g m i d o a y r h A t i a r t i o e o l t l s o s a d w l f l a m C o d o c a u i r , a y e y a b 0 i o e a e e s t i o e . l e n g . a h g e u e o t a r d t e t o e d r i w i o r g o , C h , . 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THE BIG ZX CROSSWORD ZXCF IN A BOX 43 MINUTES AWAY >CF interfaces available to buy >New ZXIF title under development for release in 2004 Sami Vehmaa is a bit of a dark Stuffed too full of turkey? Unable to move from the settee? Put that horse. Very, very quietly he's remote down and start hunting down ZX solutions... updated his DIY site (now at the new address, by the way, of http://user.tninet.se/~vjz762w/) to include a boxed version of his ZXCF interface reported on last issue. And it's for sale. ACROSS DOWN

With Blink now done and dusted (and available for purchase from the ZXF website (where you can also play it online for free, you know)) and 2. Where would we be without it? (3) 1. YS Publisher at the end (6,10) with its very own WoS entry (which just has to be the coolest part of the 4. Ozzie publisher (9,5) 3. The ubiquitous Sinclair title (8) whole thing), ZXIF - ZXF's very own software label - is now starting to develop its next adventure game for the 48k Spectrum. 9. £1.99 range (12) 5. The best place for bargains (3,4,4) In 43 Minutes you are an injured CIA agent recovering in hospital 11. Co-author of original manual with Steven Vick- 6. Affectionate term for what the rubber keys feel like following a plane crash, which is all well and good until you notice that ers (5,8) (4,5) time appears to be looping every - you guessed it - 43 minutes. The 13. At the last second, that ROM cartridge is 7. When he's not extending BASIC, he's travelling the game is set in 60s America in the context of the Cold War. snatched from under your nose. Sorry pal, you've world (and logging in just often enough that we don't If you have written an adventure game for the Spectrum and would been ______. (6) forget it) (6,4) Not quite as stunning as the like to see it published under the ZXIF label, please drop me a line at 15. Top emulator from Jonathan Needle (13) 8. Russian clone with a sting in its tail (8) internal design shown in ZXF05, the [email protected]. ZXCF Boxed nonetheless features a 17. Hewson's star programmer (Cybernoid, Exolon, 10. Beginners All purpose... you know the rest (5) full megabyte of memory as well etc) (8,5) 12. The J word (4) as a CompactFlash slot; it will run 18. Ultimate intention (4,3,4) on all Spectrums and costs about MINIGAME RESULT RETRO GOES MAINSTREAM 14. Jetman thought they had made him their king (6) £90. For those of you to whom 23. Latest offical Spectrum? (7,4) >Silver Joystick to Spectrum entry >New magazine to hit newsagents 16. Sinclair's American partner (5) that's a bit steep or don't care 25. A Sinclair software partner, later got organised about the box, there's also an This year's MiniGame competition is It's been the topic of discussions 19. Option five, which Amstrad abandoned (4,6) (5) 'electronics only' version consisting now complete, and the 2003 winner for ages: could there be a market 20. The answer to all your (initial) questions (11) of a fully populated PCB lacking was... minima Reloaded for the C64. for a dedicated retro computing 26. Codemasters published lots of these (10) only an edge connector - £35 for Jonathan Cauldwell's Amusement magazine? Aside from Shaun 21. Keyboard that shunned publicity (2,7) 27. Colours two and three of the four (6,5) a 512Kb version and £50 for a Part 4000 (see last issue) acheived a Bebbington's excellent Retro Mart 22. CRASH artist (6,4) 1024Kb version. More details at respectable second place, earning column every week in Micro Mart 28. Sandy white scored hit with this company (10) it the award of 'Silver Joystick.' and the retro section in Games- 24. Final SU editor (4,5) Sami's site. 30. Overused ebay adjective (4) There were 63 games submitted to TM, we have yet to see a mag- 29. The D in Sinclair's new WDU (5) the competition this year, of which azine devoted in its entirety to old 32. Cuchulainn's second outing (3,6) 12 were Spectrum titles. Not bad at computing platforms that you can 31. Authors of RealX (7) SID SPECTRUM 34. 3-D technique by Incentive (9) all. And if you fancy taking a look pick up from your local WHSmith. 32. MGT's answer to the Interface 1 (8) >C64 sounds by AY at a selection of Spectrum entries This might all be about to change. 36. PAW publisher (7) from this and previous years' Live Publishing, publishers of mag- So impressed by this was I that I 33. The 128 was "two computers in one," but this feature competitions, Russell Marks has azines such as PC Extreme and 37. Justice, served Cronosoft style (5) played it at full volume at the made it a domestic heating appliance too (4,4) produced a rather clever compila- Playstation Gaming are looking to 39. According to the AY Riders, you are this (5) Micro Mart Fair in November. 35. Quite a good wizard game, apparently (5) tion which loads no less than 29 launch a retro title somewhen in DigiSID is a rather impressive demo 40. Mystic Spectrum loading aura (7) Spectrum and ZX81 minigames into the new year. Currently planned 38. Bending light to thwart tape-to-tape mischief (7) containing nearly 15 minutes of a single 128K load. as a quarterly publication, the as 42. Sami Vehmaa's IDE range (7) simulated SID music using the 41. Before he went skiing, he was... (6) http://rus.members.beeb.net/minicoll.html yet untitled magazine will be Spectrum 128's AY chip. Written 43. How a 48K Spectrum accesses 128K (6) aimed at getting the mainstream by Poke, the demo was first pres- Meanwhile, work continues on the back in touch with their 44. Highest address used by ZX BASIC (6) ented at the Zlincon 2003 party. It 16K remake of Amusement Park; computing roots and carry both can be downloaded from character AI in this version is to be nostalgia and current events http://raww.org/filez/digisid.zip. upgraded, with drunken behaviour articles. Keep your eyes peeled Make sure you type 'USR 0' in 128 and vandalism promised, amongst at www.livepublishing.co.uk. BASIC (and Enter) before loading. other things. Sophisticated or what? ZXF06: 36 ZXF06: 13

be downloaded from at last issue's information on the recently, however - too late for altogether. A bastardised Dizzy characters like Sabreman and homogeneity. Games in the early http://retrospec.sgn.net/users/tom YABUS.ZX for the evidence of that. review, unfortunately - the all-new Prince of the Yolkfolk made an Donkey Kong, could Dizzy have a eighties were often home-grown in cat/Z802TZXv10.zip Jarek now wants to consult with software label have released two appearance on Nintendo's NES future? It's hard to say. There's a teenagers' bedrooms. By 2000, you, ZX user, on your needs so that further Spectrum titles: Football console as Dizzy the Adventurer, small but persistent fan base on they were being designed and An Amiga port is also available he can expand his online work to Glory by Graham Shaw (see also and the Sega Megadrive got the Web, with sites offering Dizzy shrink-wrapped by corporations. (converted by xeron) at: suit them, which is rather nice of this issue's int section) and zblast Fantastic Dizzy, a commendable downloads, fonts, and even a Somewhere in the middle came www.pgordon.clara.net/z802tzx.lha him, even if it does sound a bit like SD+ by Russell Marks. The latter is 16-bit update with subgames and petition to bring the egg back. Dizzy, and with his string of similar the British Labour party (but I'm a four-in-one compilation of beautiful graphics (but regrettably There are fan-made games: hits he can easily be regarded as sure he's far more accomodating Russell's entries to the 1K and 4K based on puzzles from the earlier hacked versions of genuine Dizzy a figurehead for the standardisa- BRAINWAVE TALKING than they are). If you feel obliging Minigames competition (zblast games). games and new PC adventures tion of modern games. you can pop over to SD+, Scrolly Stack, Dotathon 2 and cobbled together by younger >New scene zine Beyond that, nothing. We hate Dizzy for the same reason http://nabla.yarek.com/zxq.php Soliyawn) and is available as both enthusiasts. we hate Big Brother: both are The demo group Brainwave are Had reviewers enthused about where you'll be guided through a free download from If somebody wants to resurrect ubiquitous and repetitive. The planning to bring out their own Dizzy to the bitter end? Well, yes, the questions, one by one. www.cronosoft.co.uk and also a Dizzy commercially, however, problem is not the original scene magazine. They describe it more or less. Linda Barker (Your cassette version (for the 128K there are legal obstacles. The concept but the lack of thus: Sinclair) adored Spellbound Dizzy, Spectrum) at the knock-down Oliver twins are now in charge of development. So, like Britney calling it "big, bold and beautiful". There will be new zx spectrum YET MORE NEW GAMES price of £1.50. Football Glory will their own games company, Blitz Spears being trashed for her latest Jon Pillar thought otherwise, as magazine. big magazine. set you back the usual price of Interactive, and have given a few bubblegum album, the celebrity >Cronosoft new releases illustrated by a brief 'Dizzy debate' purplepond (pp) include many £2.99 + p&p. interviews to Dizzy fan sites. egg is held accountable for the published in YS in 1992. (AP is information about world speccy Cronosoft's Rough Justice, which And it's not all ZX at Cronosoft. Codemasters owns the Dizzy greed and cynicism of the Adam Peters of Amstrad Action.) scene, like south africa, brasil, was launched at the ORSAM Recently there have also been character, however, and has no industry. The product is a poland, england, chezh, russia .... show, gets a review in load; more releases for the C64 and the BBC! JP: [Kids] like [Dizzy games] cos immediate plans to do anything scapegoat for the producer. and many other! they're fluffy and innocuous, like with it. (They're still churning out The blame must fall on the some pop songs. The fact that car simulators, mind.) it means interviews, info about software companies - and there they're best-sellers doesn't mean speccy group, new software... PP AND ALL THE REST... So what's wrong with Dizzy? There were far worse culprits than they're any good at all. include many parts. it include: was nothing terribly bad about the Codemasters and (bedroom >Space running out.. much still to tell... 1. antique - about ascii scene on AP: But people aren't going to buy games. They were cute, colourful, programmers themselves) the LCD has been working on an update to his extremely comprehensive speccy; games which they think are crap. and user-friendly, with varied Oliver twins - that squeezed out graphics convertor BMP2SCR; this one will add in SAM Coupe graphics You might think they're crap but locations and tunes you could innovation by releasing nothing 2. crack zone - about speccy modes to the enormous array on offer. The place to watch is: the people who are buying them hum. Why, then, does Dizzy inspire but the sparklingly predictable: crack profession; http://members.inode.at/chmielewski.leszek/bmp2scr.htm obviously don't. You're just taking such revulsion on comp.sys.sinclair, streams of good bad games. the high intellectual ground. Dizzy the newsgroup dealing with the There's no need to malign poor 3. views (vip) - info and interviews There's a new graphics utitlity coming to town: the Spectrum Graphics games are among the best very home computer on which he Dizzy. about group; Suite by Tony Thompson. Part of it is a tile editor called Spectrum Tile games coming out at the minute. shone? Editor Utility. Rolls off the tongue. Haven't had time to check it out yet After all, he's a shell of his former 4. music scene - about ay music; And they make money. We are myself, but it's now at www.geocities.com/aralbrec/tidbits/tidbits.htm For Spectrum users, particularly the self. living in a material world. 5. party zone - more info about until a more suitable home can be found for it. older ones, Dizzy represents © 2003 Paul E Collins many speccy phestivales; JP: But when the Codies put some Hungarian coders Weird Science Software are working on a new game thought into things, they can 6. warez - about last warez; with which to follow up their 2003 release Flash Beer (which I rather come up with something like Steg. zine completed about 50% liked, but am still nowhere near to completing). Watch out for it at Dizzy is just an easy way out. procents. well, wait it about www.c-system.hu/edy/wss/ Steg was a curious strategic puzzle january-february of 2oo4 (this is Ever heard of The Italian ZX Spectrum clone project? You have now. game which had you blowing max time) Only photos at the moment, but http://aticatac.altervista.org/ might bubbles in an attempt to guide Brainwave's website - still under well place you in a trace-like state... baby slugs to safety. While not construction as I write - will be at What would a Sinclair mobile look like? http://b3ta.com/board/2304043 mind-blowingly original - it was www.bwteam.org, so that is almost certainly inspired by probably a good place to There's what looks like a rather cool new PDF Retro mag online at Lemmings, released the previous monitor. www.merseyremakes.co.uk/retroactive/retroactive.htm. Only problem is year - Steg was certainly a new that bandwidth for the site has been exceeded so it's been and gone direction for Codemasters. (but will be returning). See how lucky we are to have WOS? Favourable reviews of Steg ZX RESEARCH Only a few days left to go until the deadline for entries for the 2003 demonstrated that games that comp.sys.sinclair Crap Games Competition. This year's host, shady Dave were different could succeed. >Online hardware survey the Lurker will be refusing any entries submitted after midnight on 13 Codemasters games Jarek Adamski is a jolly clever December 31st. A voting page will be appearing somewhen in January With the recent appeal of retro hidden here - can you chap. One only has to look back and you'll then have 28 days to register your vote. gaming and the comeback of find them? Canyuh? ZXF06: 34 ZXF06: 15

Emulator news

England or Scotland. The game characteristics. Was this a Dizzy wasn't born an egg. computer-controlled teams within specific concern of the game Delve a little further and you find he's delivered on it handsomely. environment by far in which to It may be that he was simply a the game would have to manage design? a rather well-implemented develop a Spectrum BASIC face on legs, the easiest character The UDG editor is a simply brilliant their teams just as the human- debugger and assembler. Not program. Recently there has been I have designed the results service to draw. It may be that the oval little applet. In it you can design controlled ones. All the football that I know all that much about discussion about how the program to be as realistic as possible. The shape was simple to animate, your characters with an almost players within the teams would such things, mind. will be developed further; all I can outcome of the games is leading to the trademark Dizzy obscene ease: click the grid cells have a number of characteristics. say is I can't wait until Release 10. weighted heavily towards players somersault. At any rate, his Yolkfolk Version 2.3 is already in develop- to toggle INK on and off, whilst There are 512 players in the characteristics and game tactics. pals were only mentioned in the ment (and could well be buttons down the side of the PS How about a BEEP sequencer game's database. At the end of The game itself can be seen as a second game, Treasure Island released by the time you read main grid allow you to flip, rotate Dunny? each week all the managers text match commentary or a Dizzy, and didn't actually appear this) and will include fast and and invert in an instant. When manage their teams and all the direct result service. By selecting on screen until the game after reliable multicolour effects you're finished, you can send the players have their characteristics the "In Directors Box" option the that. support. One to watch, this. go finished characters straight into Spectaculator updated, depending on how they to http://bonanzas.rinet.ru/ BASIC as ready-typed DATA game is shown on the results Spectaculator 6.0 is very nearly played during that week. This Dizzy, the eponymous original, was statements. You can, of course, service. By selecting the "Stand In complete; this version will mark the takes a little time for the Spectrum released in 1988 and billed as "the also perform the inverse: take any Dug-Out" option the game is end of this program's life as a to work out, but it also removes ultimate cartoon adventure" - and BASin BASIC program with UDGs shown in a full match freeware emulator. That's right - the "random" element of results it was! The game boasted a varied defined within and - in a second - commentary. During this com- Not an emulator in the strictest Version 6.0 is to be a Shareware that happened in a lot of earlier landscape and plenty of object- they're ripped and ready for mentary the scrolling can be sense of the word (we discussed release. football management games. based puzzles to solve. There were editing. toggled between normal and this last issue), but increasingly crystal mountains, underground But fear not, those of you without Is there a life span to the players fast. If the ball goes out of play or BASin is becoming something of mines, and a haunted graveyard, The only way this fantastic utility the money to pay for a 'full price' in terms of increasing abilities with during half-time, then you will be a killer ZX app. I like this program all peppered with obscure hint could be expanded on usefully emulator; my understanding is that experience and training? Does this able to bring on a substitute and very much indeed. scrolls to set the player thinking. would be to include some sort of version 5.3 (the last update to flexible element have a game end change game-play tactics. enlarged grid for designing larger in terms of outcome? The sequel, Treasure Island Dizzy, Release 9a was released in early version 5) will continue to be At the end of the season the sprites on (which could then be improved the formula. This time, September, with the most visible freeware. It will no longer be The players' have characteristics. promotion and relegations are split into 8x8 cells and assigned to Dizzy could carry several objects at update being the UDG (User distributed from These include: Actual Skill, Game calculated and Manager Of The UDGs available). It's a tiny and once. There were hidden coins to Defined Graphics) editor www.spectaculator.com, however Skill, Types, Match Bookings, Year, Player Of The Year (Top insignificant request, because this collect and other characters to mentioned last issue. Back then it will continue to be available Disciplinary Points, Fitness, Injury, Scorers Table) awards presented. really is about as close to perfect interact with. Locating a snorkel the option was greyed out on from other websites in all its freely Age and Goals Scored. Players During which you will be able to as it gets. meant that Dizzy could go the tools menu, teasing us with its distributable glory. Version 5.3 is, can receive coaching. I wanted select more options including underwater and explore a whole promise; well Paul Dunn has now And BASin is now, without of course, an extremely comp- some kind of interactive feel to Ground Development and taking new world of sunken ships and delivered on this promise. And question, the best and the easiest etant emulator; so what makes the game so I added a telephone your team to the Specialist Physio. hostile marine life. Version 6.0 worth parting with icon. People would contact you Excellent extra game characteris- money for? including managers from another Treasure Island Dizzy remained in tics to add that real world to the team, and you may ring them to the software charts for over two The main and most significant game, do you get to demote to make offers on their players. years, selling more than 250,000 addition, if you hadn't heard mowing the grass? copies. It was a little game with a already, is the emulation of the With the possibility of many people Maybe I should have added that big smile, and it helped to confirm Russian Pentagon 128 and playing together that function option. Or included a Lawn- the place of Codemasters (then Scorpion ZS 256 clones. Pentagon could make for an interesting mower Simulator. Maybe that two words, 'Code Masters') as the support was actually built into social element. How about a pro- could be part of the new arcade- big shots of budget software: a sort version 5 from the point of view of motion with beer vouchers :o) ? action game? of upmarket Mastertronic with timings, however that was without It would be more of a social some kind of quality control TR-DOS support, a rather essential experiment. If you could find between inbox and production aspect of the Pentagon which is another 31 willing people to play © 2003 Kevin Bennet; Graham line. added in now (and if you don't the game with. Considering the Shaw know much about TR-DOS, by the The arcade games are worth a amount of time this would take way, check out the beginners passing mention. Fast Food was a between turns the beer vouchers guide this issue). fun snack-themed maze game would come in handy... and with some nice touches. Kwik Snax, In addition to the main clone maybe a few food parcels. its sequel, was a Pengo clone. hardware, however, Spectaculator It will be very interesting to see Bubble Dizzy had the egg jumping author Jonathan Needle has also what kind of play simulation is between rising bubbles, Panic Dizzy ZXF's Crap Games Competition 2002 entry gets its UDGs grabbed by added in support for a couple of offered to have a visual element Football Glory is now available was an uninspired shape-matching BASin's UDG editor. Here they can be edited and stuck straight Russian peripherals, the most of the unfolding of the different from www.cronosoft.co.uk priced puzzler, and Dizzy Down the Rapids back into the code. The time I spent on these... impressive being the General £2.99 was a slow and tiresome shoot- Sound system, an add-on giving 4 ZXF06: 32 ZXF06: 17

company that have denied partnership with the Darlings finally Coming in the spring we’ve got distribution rights to all of their came to an end? Bad Boys II (based on this titles, meaning that although these summer’s blockbuster movie That’s all water under the bridge are listed in the archive there are starring Will Smith and Martin http://usuarios.lycos.es/hoh2/uk/ now. We were all young and no download links. What are your Lawrence) then later in the year wanting to move onwards and For those of you who don't know, views on this? Do you think we’ve got a lot of other great upwards to better things and we Head and Heels are highly trained Codemasters are being over- games coming that I’m afraid we realised that we could achieve spies, each of them very able in protective on a collection of what can’t announce just yet. more in the future if we broke their own right, but together a is very old software for a machine away and did our own thing. They Finally, with the experience of particularly impressive combina- hasn’t been in production for gave us a great break and in hindsight, is there anything you tion. Head, with his wings, is able almost 15 years? Surely the return we gave them some top- would have changed or have to jump high and guide himself as Codies aren’t considering bringing selling games that helped establish done differently during your early he glides back to the ground; titles such as `Super Robin Hood` their company so we all gained years as programmers knowing Heels, with his powerful legs, can't and `Advanced Pinball Simulator` from the experience. what you do now? jump very high, but can run rather out for the PS2, Gamecube etc. quickly. The two can combine and as such, need to protect Probably the toughest lessons their powers by sitting one on top these `valuable` properties. we’ve learnt revolve around of the other. And their purpose is employing people. In the early to recover the lost crowns of the Codemasters have every legal days we just hired our mates and four planets enslaved to the right to stop people duplicating while that sounds great it doesn’t Blacktooth Empire. Yes. and distributing games that they always do great things for a own. Even though they obviously friendship when you have to start HOH is simply superb in every won’t make any money from any telling people what to do. (Having respect. You can't help feeling, as of them any more we would said that, many of those early staff you play, that you must be in guess that it’s more of a legal are still with us now!) When it breach of a law somewhere to principle about pirating games comes to business we obviously have got hold of this for nothing. that they’re enforcing. Piracy is Head examines a reincarnation fish whilst on Safari. A rather handy made mistakes along the way like And that, by the way, you can do currently a huge problem in the creature, this fish will enable you to be reincarnated at the plaice - every fledgling business does – the at http://retrospec.sgn.net/ sorry, place - at which you ate it. industry and Codemasters are real trick to success is making sure quite active in trying to prevent it you learn from them and also so it would be hypocritical of making sure you turn to the right KLASS OF 99 them to complain about piracy people to get the advice you on the one hand and then allow need for the future. Even mistakes Klass of 99 has been around for a one iota. Everything in it is just it on the other. are always valid if you take away while, of course (since 1999, in right; something timeless has Many would agree that emulation the right lesson. No regrets! fact) but now it's available in a been created here. Windows version, which seems a of vintage computer platforms is a Don't know what to do? The good enough excuse to me to wonderful way of keeping the objective of the game is to get spirit of a now defunct machine A big thank you to yolkfolk.com, slap it up and have a rave about The two of you are now enjoying hold of your report, which resides alive. However, there’s nothing comp.sys.sinclair, and the it. continued success as Blitz Games, on the school computers, for quite like loading-up and playing rllmuk.com forumites for supplying with a combination of licenses KO99 is the game that put which you will need the a game on the original hardware. a number of the questions that (Barbie, Frogger, Chicken Run etc) Retrospec (yep - it's them again; password, to obtain which you Do you ever dust off your appeared in this article. Special and original titles (Glover, Fuzion we're not really surprised, are we?) need to knock all the sheilds from Speccies for the odd blast here thanks go to Theo White, Natalie Frenzy, Zapper). What are your 'on the map,' so to speak. This the walls... perfect sense. If you and there, or have they now been Griffith, and of course, Philip and plans for the next year to 18 remake of the 1985 Microsphere want to know more you can firmly resigned to the loft? Andrew Oliver, without whom this classic, Skool Daze has been download a full-bodied novella months? article would not have been We’d love to but to be honest we lovingly transferred to the PC by from the KO99 website We’ll continue to mix licensed possible. both have young families now Richard Jordan (coding), Graham (http://retrospec.sgn.net/users/rjo games with original ones but it and very demanding jobs so it’s Goring and John Blythe (graphics), rdan/klass/index.htm). gets harder and harder to get Matt Simonds (music) and Carl hard to find the time to play all Additional nice touches include publishers to actually buy an © 2003 Robert Hazelby; The Oliver Murray (testing) and updates the the excellent new games out the ability to edit the text file original product because it’s much Twins woeful tale of schoolboy Eric's there, never mind time to crawl from which the teachers' higher risk than working with a attempts to stop his report getting around the loft and drag out the questions and blackboard lesson proven license. This Christmas to his parents beautifully, whilst still old stuff. titles are taken. There are even we’re releasing Fairly OddParents maintaining a Spectrum feel. After many years of producing (based on the Nickelodeon TV alternative, ready-made, themed games for Codemasters could show) in the US and Barbie Horse Four years old this remake might text files to download for extra you tell us briefly why your Adventures in the US and Europe. now be, but you will notice it not fun. Which it all is. Immensley. ZXF06: 30 ZXF06: 19

In reply to David Harrison's letter the most advanced, most clone with few enhancements: (ZXF5) on the production of a compatible machine I could find - better keyboard (plastic keys, new Spectrum, I'd like to offer a - the Timex TC2048 and got Jarek big space bar, extra Caps Shift) THE OLIVER TWINS few thoughts from someone Adamski to modify it. I'd say if who's been there and tried. you wanted you could probably - on/off switch In his first article for ZXF, Robert Hazelby talks to the brothers who put Codemasters David says his goal is a "new get the base machine (no PC - "power on" LED on the map during the Spectrum's later years. Spectrum capable of running old keyboard) for about £150 to £200 software but extensible, flexible, - the collectibility of the TC2048 - built in Kempston joystick port and powerful: a low cost, easy- bumps the price up. For that you - built in composite monitor to-use, and easy-to-program get a machine which will run output computer". It's a great idea, but 99.9% of all software written for For most people, Philip and job of keeping the Dizzy flag all the names for the various the truth is hardly anyone wants the ZX80, ZX81, ZX Spectrum (16K, - bigger (and louder) speaker Andrew Oliver (The Oliver Twins) flying, whilst amateur coders characters? I have reason to one. The majority of the 48K and 128K), TC2048, TS2068, - extra video modes (maximum are best known for their classic (many based in deepest Russia) believe that Wizard Theodore is Spectrum scene is made up of even Interface 2 cartridges and was black & white 512*192 Dizzy series that ran from 1986 to are continually churning out currently living on the outskirts of retro-gamers, and they are Timex cartridges, and a decent pixels) 1993, and spanned a whole host numerous unofficial Dizzy Bristol, and that another perfectly happy to play their old picture, even in 512x192 mode, of computer and console adventures. Are you surprised by character was named after a favourites on an emulator. There via a video to SCART lead. The compatibility with Spectrum is formats. the continued interest gamers neighbour’s dog. just aren't enough of the rest of Sounds quite good, if a little very high, I think that over 90% of have for Dizzy considering it’s ZX software works (I loaded over What you may not know is that One of the hardest things to do is us to make it viable. expensive, doesn't it - total ZX been such a long time since his 500 games and only few didn't during the mid to late 1980s they to come up with good names for Spectrum SE owners: one. last official outing? I hate to say it but it's not like the work). Timexes were VERY were responsible for more than characters in games. At one Commodore scene where there I'll leave the rest of David's letter popular in Poland, they were 50% of Codemasters’ output. We’re always surprised at how point we even had the are lots of people still actively for others to address and try and available in shops (brand new) at Classic titles such as `Super Robin long Dizzy’s appeal has lasted. embarrassment of buying a baby using their machines for purposes end on a positive note - the ZX a price about 10% higher than Hood`, and `Grand Prix We’re also really touched by it. It’s name book to get some other than gaming, who are Spectrum SE does exist, it is fairly second-hand Spectrums. Simulator` were all the work of genuinely humbling to see people inspiration! Theodore used to be willing to spend large sums of well documented in the CSSFAQ The Oliver Twins. still so into something we created one of our neighbours though money on hard-drives and other and it may be making its first TC2048 wasn't the only Timex machine sold in Poland. There From humble beginnings as nearly 20 years ago and it’s also and we did name the wizard in peripherals, and pay for new appearance in an emulator in was also FDD3000 - a 3-inch disk bedroom programmers in the great that people are still getting Dizzy after him. (And yes – he software. In fact you can't even the not too distant future. drive (using a TOS - Timex early 80s, to today where they pleasure from it. does currently live near Bristol!). give it away on the Speccy. With As for the dog – the dog at Andrew Owen Operating System) with it's own are head honchos of their very The Dizzy titles have many apologies to all those who have Codemasters was named Zak but Z80 CPU and 64kB of RAM. FDD own dev co - Blitz Games cunning puzzles littered supported my efforts, there has You see, I want my Super he was actually named after could be connected to Spectrum (www.BlitzBames.com). There’s throughout each game, as well as really been very little interest in SE Spectrum to be a Spectrum. It's Wizard Zak in the game rather or TC2048, and it allowed to run no doubting that the Oliver’s an amusing background story. Did Basic, a big upgrade to Sinclair allowed to look different, so long than the other way round. We CP/M software. FDD3000 was so have come a long way since you plan out the map and tale for Basic. Unlike its Commodore as it retains that Spectrum feel, got that name from the author of popular that it became a their first program was printed in each game before starting work, equivalent it costs nothing, but I by which I mean Sinclair the Z80 Programming Guide we standard in my country. an ancient edition of Computer or instead make everything up as estimate at most it has a user Spectrum feel (not Amstrad used to learn coding – Rodney and Video Games. you went along? base of about ten people. Spectrum feel). Oh sure, the +2, If anybody wants to buy a Timex Zaks. +3 and +2A have an undeniable 2048 or FDD3000 I advice to Many thanks for taking time out of Most of the time we’d plan out Say you did build a new Although the last Dizzy title was niceness to them, but I never search in Poland. I think that your busy schedules to talk to us. the bulk of the map before we machine. David suggests using released in 1993 did you have used any of these until my recent hundreds of those machines Many ZXF readers probably won’t started. We’ve still got big long standard components like 3.5" future adventures planned for rebirth. Anyway, Andrew uses a survived. have heard much from you since rolls of paper in the loft with the floppies, PC keyboard, PS/2 egg-shaped chum, and if so, how Timex machine for his Super interviews with you both original maps and plans on them! mouse and SVGA graphics. It Greetings far into production did these get? Spectrum, which links nicely to appeared in numerous 8-bit Games obviously change and would be cheaper to buy an old our next letter. Piotr Szymanski (aka PopoCop) magazines back in the `80s. evolve as you work on them so Towards the end of our time at PC and use it to run RealSpec- we’d sometimes change things as Codemasters there were a trum than building these We’ve been a little under the components into a new we went along but it was always couple of Dizzy outings that we’d In ZXF#3 (in article about radar but we’ve been here the machine. The ZX Spectrum SE Glooooop from Johnathon important to have a plan in place worked on that didn’t end up Spectrum SE) Timex TC2048 was whole time, making games and was my attempt to get around Cauldwell was slapped a little that we could refer to or we’d being released but we moved on mentioned. I think that this building up a successful the price problem by using and left forlorne by your remarks. have gone mad trying to keep to pastures new and had a load computer isn't well known in company. We now employ over existing hardware. Well, my first I would to rise in defence of its track of what we’d done and of great new characters to work many countries, so I decided to 120 staff and have a huge back solution was to create a virtual qualities as I believe its belated where we’d got to! on instead. write some words about it. catalogue of successful games. Spectrum machine with lots of release markes the continuing of Check out our website: One of the trademarks of a Dizzy Do you think a new Dizzy game new features, as suggested by I hope ZXF readers will find this something interesting. :o) www.BlitzGames.com game is the vast array of would be well received if David, but no emulator authors text useful. After playing the game for more characters you can interact with released on any of the current A number of internet fan sites were interested in emulating a Timex 2048 is a Spectrum 48k than a few screens (and a seem to be doing an excellent during the course of an consoles? Could the colourful but machine that didn't exist. I took couple of times) you find that the adventure. Where did you dig up 2D graphics remain, or would our ZXF06: 28 ZXF06: 21

branded product. Oric tried to resolve the problems. specified with only 4Kb of RAM and As a result, image destroying return probably did the (by now heavily Retail Growth... www.fantasticdizzy.co.uk (see the levels were high. These problems discounted) VIC 20 more harm being developed now, although it like. It undoubtedly means they Oliver Twins interview for more on Sinclair was beginning to hit the gave Sinclair the chance to reduce than anything else. Trivia fans may could be the start of things. see the production of a new Dizzy this). Below, Sentinel raises the game to be a probability and we big league with many of the UK's the price of the Spectrum to £99 be interested to know that the If we would all show Richard and rather novel idea that those of us SHOULD BE THANKFUL! ;) biggest retailers signing up to sell (16Kb) and £129 (48Kb) which Aquarius was manufactured by David Darling our appreciation for who enjoy the series might Spectrum hardware in their stores. matched the Oric 1. Oric's Hong Kong's Radofin who also letting Blitz Games make the teaser When you write it may be better to perhaps wish to thank Codemas- Today, we would think nothing of problems allowed Sinclair to do this made a Dragon branded MSX it would make them happy and keep emails to a minimum. Still this ters for the hope this offers (and - going into a shop to buy a without allowing their hitherto machine for Eurohard after Dragon the interest we will show is an is upto you individually. A nice as Sentinel points out - it is only a computer but in 1983, at least in higher prices to have a negative Data's final collapse. incentive for them to finally let go paragraph, or two short to hope at this stage) for a new the UK, it was a novel and new impact on Spectrum sales in the of whatever reason they haven't medium paragraphs at most Software... Dizzy game in the future. idea for shoppers. Computing was early part of the year. Oric allowed a new Dizzy to come to would do. Still, this is only what I still shrouded in mystery and many brokered deals with W H Smith and The Spectrum software market I have quite a bit to say here, fruition. feel is a good suggestion but if you were still used to the idea of Boots to sell the Oric next to the continued to grow with some and I hope you will read to the feel you have a bit more to say to To write them please use the email computers being the sole reserve Spectrum but it did not help their famous software houses beginning end. You may find you will be them then by all means go ahead. provided, which will be forwarded of electronics hobbyists and cause - people trusted Sinclair. to get involved, notably Ultimate glad you did. You should be very polite and 'technical' people in large and Imagine. However, it was yet to them to get your message. The Dragon, whilst optimistic in the first I would encourage all Dizzy site make sure you understand that corporations. A computer you to explode and Sinclair continued reason for this is I don't want them half of 1983 began to suffer owners to add this information the teaser doesn't mean a new could buy from a department releasing new titles under the to feel imposed on and feel like problems in the latter part of the somewhere visible on their sites. If game, but you are thankful they store? What was all of that about? Sinclair brand. One particular everyone has their email, getting year as they turned their attention you don't have a Dizzy site but let them do it. advert from the summer of 1983 bombarded with email directly. This It gets better for Clive... to the US market and the are a fan and have a website shows six new titles across a range could be an annoyance. Philip You may email them through here: upgraded Dragon 64. They got you may want to do so also. Oliver and Bill Everiss, head of The retail sector played a crucial of genre; leisure, programming, [email protected] their sales forecast horribly wrong Everyone else may want to let part in making 1983 an incredibly and productivity. These were Codies PR, agree that an inbox of and started to have financial their friends know and also help good year for Clive and Sinclair produced for Sinclair by Psion and full of Dizzy mail might annoy the They will know you have all written. difficulties from which they would spread the word around. Research. In March's Sinclair User it Melbourne House. Titles included Darlings who need to get on with Don't worry. never really recover. Despite the more important matters of theirs. was announced that Clive was Computer Scrabble, Cyrus Chess, I've been speaking with Philip Also since it will go through Dragon being on the shelves next Though, your message of will get to now a multi-millionaire due to the Small Business Accounts, and even Oliver over the past few days ( if Customer Service, in the Subject to the Spectrum and Oric it them and you never know, you excellent financial performance of the Forth programming language you haven't yet seen Line you may want to put couldn't compete on price and may even get a reply! :) his business. Just two months later which was becoming briefly www.fantasticdizzy.co.uk lately something like: Dragon could ill afford to do in May he was awarded the popular, at least on the BBC Micro. you should go now! :) there's also So, please, things are looking anything about that! ATTN: Richard and David Darling - accolade of Guardian Young The advert claims that Cyrus Chess a link to the petition there, so you brighter, and if you have signed Thank you for the Dizzy Teaser Businessman of the Year. But even Prices tumble... is "based on the Cyrus program, can either link to that and the the petition and you want Dizzy that was eclipsed just three which won the 2nd European petition, or just that site, but This is what I did and I know my For the duration of 1983 it seemed back then you will find it rewarding months later when he was Microcomputer Chess please remember to tell people email got through. Customer computing just kept getting in the long run to express thanks to knighted in the Queen's birthday Championship and trounced the to click on "WHAT'S THIS?" after Service was also told to tell me cheaper. Commodore's VIC 20 was Codemasters. ( If you haven't honours list. Arise, Sir. Clive! previously unbeaten Cray Blitz watching the teaser ) and one 'thank you very much for your kind a revelation just two years earlier as signed please do. As both have machine". thing he told me is that their email', so apparently they are Sinclair's impetus edges the first sub-£200 colour computer accepted the petition I started as relationship with Codemasters is getting through to the Darlings. competitors... but now both Sinclair and Oric Wow, by the end of 1983 your the proper way to show you want much better now. Dizzy back. If it's good enough for along with others had blown it Spectrum could mimic a Cray Philip Oliver said to me after I By now Sinclair and the Spectrum Matthew Smith - you read away; not just on price but on supercomputer! Codemasters gave the okay for asked about writing the Darlings: were on a roll. The product had correctly! ... ) features aswell. By 1983, the them to make a sample of what impetus through it's highly visible The drama continues when "By all means write to the Darlings - popular VIC was looking very a new Dizzy game might look Just my suggestions as how to public profile, reliability and third retroSpective covers 1984 in ZXF07... but don't let anyone make out limited. The growing like. I guess they are having approach them: party support. It was arguably the that it's anymore than it is. On the microcomputer industry's next price second thoughts. Maybe the UK's most popular computer. You may find it's a good idea to website it's clear it's just a graphics challenge came in October from www.museummc.org.uk 1500+ signatures on the petition Competitors tried to copy Sinclair's say good things about them other test etc." across the Atlantic. so far has something to do with it. formula but it wasn't exactly © 2003 Matthew Harrodine. than this ( aswell as this ), whatever Whatever the reason, we'd be So you see he also believes it's a working out for them! Oric had Mattel enters the fray... that may be; 1) how you enjoyed getting Dizzy back and that's good idea. It couldn't be a bad seemed to be the biggest threat, them when you grew up with your A popular, large, and reputable US what matters. idea to say thanks to pitching the Oric directly at A Correction to retroSpective 1982 old computers 2) how you like their toy manufacturer with bags of Codemasters. I hope you all will Sinclair's customers and offering it I asked Philip Oliver if it would be games now and wish them much cash to invest in a computer Last issue, I stated that the Oric 1 com- write and thanks very much for for less money, although a 'bugs in puter could render 16 colours. In fact, the a good idea to email Codemas- future success, etc. And I don't say system seems like a good bet to your time. the ROM' scandal ended up Oric was only capable of 8; same as the ters and tell them thanks for what succeed. At just under £80, the this as a pretense, but quite playing into Sinclair's hands. This Spectrum. The error was caused by a they let Blitz Games do, and he is honestly I am very happy to see Sentinel price alone for Mattel's new colour piece of "creative" Oric advertising which affected compatibility between all for it, but would like to remind Aquarius system would have sent a claimed 16 colours. The copy then states Codemasters have been nice Oric machines with differing ROM everyon that the teaser doesn't shockwave through the market. "8 foreground and 8 background" enough to let the Olivers show us versions. The different versions mean there is a Dizzy game Thankfully, for Sinclair anyway, the although in fact, rather cheekily, it was what a new Dizzy game may look were released, out of necessity, as the same 8 colours for each! machine was woefully under ZXF06: 26 ZXF06: 23

physical in visual representation. and integrity of the product compatible that smothered many SPECTRUM +3 SOFTWARE AND With this you see the maturity of before you buy.) formats could help give rise to a 2003 product that is a new their continuing effort once Join those who have bought and time of developing to add to the again. I believe that Cronosoft SPARES played whether you have older, and yet to honour it as a believe it as they have more emulation and/ or a Spectrum. continuation of development games from Mr Cauldwell and Personally if you sold your and the superb amassed other programer from the Spectrum or never had one then collection of the work of the Spectrum history. Follow a link to consider buying one. This is part of artists of now 21 years! the Cronosoft web site for other a development that looks to prise titles and future releases. The game plays... you die... you some of the oldie coders and new Cronosoft is becoming a truly play... you die. Back again in the talents alike from their lives in an interesting collaboration of artists, first cavern again the theme expression of art, and the programer and musicians alike. drives you on to play again... I enduring nature of the Spectrum will not tell you of your first death, for diverse gaming realisations. it must face all to the amuse- Not convinced? old monies who For me, it is my pleasure to make ment of Mr Cauldwell. Let me tell think anything more than a year a contribution for a continuing you though that I died in front of old looks and is old technology pleasure to Spectrum and 8-bit him at its launch this very month, should play on an emulator. The gaming. Perhaps some things November 1st. Mr. gamer of 2 game looks and plays like a never go away, just rest a while. decades plus! (This review was Windows runtime. This, though delayed a little as the team doesn't deliver the true detail and resolved an issue of compatibility, performance of actual hardware. you know you have the support An irony could be the IBM PC HARDWARE: 3 inch 180K disc drive for +3. Reconditioned with 3 months warranty £10 each. These drives can be supplied with cream coloured facias in place of the black facias if wanted -- just ask. Belts for the 3 inch drive £1 each. New. Loads available. (Just send a S.A.E. with order to cover postage -- correct for up to 20 belts). Dizzy X: Journey to Russia Monitor lead to convert +3, +2 and +2A to use an Amstrad CTM644 colour monitor. £4 each. Author: Sergey Gorshkov (Translation by Dmytro Gryshchenko) Price: Free Reviewer: Colin Woodcock 3 INCH DISCS: Websites: www34.brinkster.com/zxtop/ and http://tcg.speccy.cz/index.php?pg=games-en 3 inch Blank discs: Second-hand good quality Amsoft or Maxell only It's nearly ten years since Speed pure 48K title; in no time at all, added back in. supplied. All have been reformatted, verfied and relabelled. 80 pence Code knocked out this successor however, a 128 version was also If you're a fan of the Dizzy each or £7-50 for ten. Larger quantities available 100 for £65, 1000 for to the Dizzy series. Graphically released by Wixet of TCG adventures and haven't yet indistinguishable from the £450. discovered this little treat then this originals (if that's what you can will be a pleasant surprise indeed. call them), Dizzy X saw our egg- Sometimes available new 3 inch discs at £1 each, please ask. If - like me - Dizzy was never shaped hero concerning himself something you got into during the with an invasion of space golden years and you're invaders. And Russia. The wondering what all the fuss was JOHN R P KING problem was, you had to speak about (naturally - since Codemas- Russian to understand it... 26, GUYSFIELD DRIVE, SOUTH HORNCHURCH, RAINHAM, ESSEX. ters have denied the free RMI3 7AJ Not any more, thanks to Dmytro distribution of their titles - you're Gryshchenko, who has taken the unable to find out) then this is TEL: 01708 630477 [email protected] Russian original and translated it definately worth at least a look. www.pcwking.freeserve.co.uk into English (and how fitting that And, as a game in its own right, he should do so in time for our the beautiful graphics are added Oliver Twins-themed issue). to rather nicely by the in-game (http://tcg.speccy.cz) - essentially Dmytro's release (avaiable from AY music (which, by the way, Dmytro's work with the 128 www34.brinkster.com/zxtop/) seems to dislike Spectaculator). features of the Russian original stripped the original down to a Nice one.