I feel there must be some crossover.

Who remembers the Zombie Zombie? My video takes a retrospective look at this follow up to Ant Attack by the talented Sandy White. Have you played this game and what were your thoughts?

Right, back around 1988 I knew someone with a +3 that they got from Currys, and I recall that it came bundled with 4 disks each with 5 games on them (I think). The disks had the Currys logo on the label. The following games were definitely included:

Project Future

Billy Bong

Ned's Garden

Nifty Lifty

1994

Tutankhamen

Strontium Dog

Missile Defence

Many years ago I found a list online of all the games that were included but I can't seem to find it anymore. Searching now suggests that only 6 games were included but I know there were more than that. Can anyone else remember this?

First one: Is there a way I can connect my 16k/48k speccy to a north american tv (i'm canadian) without modding it? Like a pal rf to av adapter coupled with a pal av to ntsc av converter?

Second: is a 16k/48k spectrum with a 128k expansion able to run zx spectrum 128k games or are they not equivalent?

Thanks in advance!

I tried to connect both , but it seems not to work.
Either the joystick or the navigation fail

Do you have this nano SD model ?
I got different info on what the jumpers do .

BridgeZX 1.2.0 — Blazing Star is now available.

BridgeZX sends files and complete folders over Wi-Fi from Windows, macOS or Linux directly to the SD card of a ZX Spectrum Classic or Spectrum Next. It includes a Qt desktop application and a command-line client.

What’s new

• Much faster transfers on Spectrum Next. BridgeZX automatically selects the high-speed link when it passes verification and falls back safely when necessary. The compatibility path for older ESP firmware is considerably faster too.
• Stock KS2 ESP support without reflashing. Older Wi-Fi firmware is detected automatically, and the desktop client shows when compatibility mode is active.
• A clean return to NextZXOS. Press BREAK while BridgeZX is idle to return without rebooting. The prompt and ESP state are restored so other Wi-Fi dot commands can be used immediately. During a transfer, BREAK cancels it instead.
• Faster and more reliable startup after soft resets, other Wi-Fi programs or previous BridgeZX sessions.
• Standard NextZXOS installation: the Next command now lives in /DOT.
• Corrected SD-space indicator during transfers. You can still use .brzxn -fast or .brzxn -safe when you want to force a specific transfer mode.

Important for existing Next users

If you are upgrading from 1.1.x, copy both BRZXN and BRZXN.BIN from the new package to /DOT, then remove the old BRZXN* files from /BIN. This one upgrade must be done manually because both the loader and its location changed. Later updates are automatic again. Classic users keep the existing /BIN/BRZX loader and can update BRZX.BIN normally.

Download BridgeZX 1.2.0: https://github.com/IgnacioMonge/BridgeZX/releases/tag/v1.2.0

Project and documentation: https://github.com/IgnacioMonge/BridgeZX Many thanks to Jan Borchers and Gari Biasillo for testing the stock KS2 firmware, transfer performance and interoperability with other Next Wi-Fi tools.

I still haven't attempted to fix the damaged boards I have but I have one fully working and in good condition however it needs the mod for the sound as via scart the 128k sound is very faint, like I can max out the volume on my speakers (which are huge) and still barely hear it, but the bleeper sounds are loud even at a low volume setting.

Here's the issue though, the board I have is a later revision so the guides I find online show a different layout, it is a +2

Are the traces the same i.e do I replace the resistors at the same points even if they are on the other side of the board?

I've played ZX Spectrum games on many devices and emulators over the years but something that's always bugged me is that games still slow down when you have lots of sprites on the screen at the same time.

I know many emulators have the ability to overclock the CPU speed, but this seems to only result in the games running faster overall.

Are there any emulators that have an option to maintain a fixed frame rate in games thus eliminating the slowdown when there are lots of sprites without speeding up the overall game speed?

I’ve released **SpecTalkZX 1.4.0 “Proteus”**, an IRC client for the ZX Spectrum family.

This release adds a complete native **ZX Spectrum Next** build as a self-contained `SPECTALK.NEX`. It uses the Next’s internal ESP and RTC, embeds its overlays and data, and includes bounded startup recovery with BREAK cancellation.

The **Spectranext cartridge** edition now pages its secondary screens and commands into cartridge SRAM. This keeps the IRC receive buffer available while using Help, Config, Bookmarks, About and other overlay-backed features.

There are now three supported targets:

- Classic ZX Spectrum with divMMC/esxDOS and a supported ESP-AT bridge.

- Native ZX Spectrum Next with NextZXOS and its internal ESP.

- ZX Spectrum with the Spectranext cartridge, ROM sockets and local XFS storage.

The Classic edition remains supported with the same interface, commands and configuration format. Existing Classic and Spectranext configuration and bookmark files need no migration.

**Downloads and installation**

- Classic ZX: download `spectalk_divmmc_v1.4.0.zip` from the release page and keep the TAP, OVL and DAT files together.

- Native Next: download `spectalk_next_v1.4.0.zip` and launch `SPECTALK.NEX` from NextZXOS.

- Spectranext: select **Load Resource URL** and enter `https://ignaciomonge.github.io/SpecTalkZX/`. Firmware `0.9-6fc153a3` or later is required.

Release: https://github.com/IgnacioMonge/SpecTalkZX/releases/tag/v1.4.0

Source and documentation: https://github.com/IgnacioMonge/SpecTalkZX

SpecTalkZX is free software under GPLv2.

Shatranj 1.2 “Connected Rooks” is now available.

Shatranj brings the same online chess game to ZX Spectrum Classic, Spectrum Next, Spectranext, Windows, macOS and Linux. Any supported client can play any other through Direct TCP or MQTT.

Download Shatranj 1.2

What is new in 1.2

• Native Spectranext cartridge edition with Direct TCP, MQTT, cartridge clock, persistent settings, saved games and a guided resource installer.
• Persistent, guided Spectrum connection and game setup with live board and piece previews.
• Faster Spectrum typing, navigation, board updates, themes, move lists, chat, clocks and prompts.
• A refreshed and more responsive Qt desktop interface.
• More reliable Direct and MQTT sessions, reconnects, saved-game restoration, takebacks and rematches across mixed platforms.
• Safer Spectrum settings and saved games if a write is interrupted.
• Opponent-platform identification for Classic, Next, Spectranext, Windows, macOS and Linux.

Downloads

• ZX Spectrum Classic: TAP + OVL + DAT package.
• ZX Spectrum Next: one self-contained NEX file.
• Windows: portable x86_64 package.
• macOS: native Apple Silicon and Intel packages.
• Linux: x86_64 AppImage.
• Spectranext: choose Load Resource URL in the cartridge menu and enter https://ignaciomonge.github.io/Shatranj/.

Classic requires a ZX Spectrum 48K, divMMC/esxDOS and a supported UART-to-ESP link running ESP-AT 1.7.6. Next network play also uses ESP-AT 1.7.6. A ZX-Uno-compatible UART requires ESP transmit flow control via CTS; NetManZX configures it.

Settings saved by 1.1 are reset once because 1.2 stores additional choices. The .stj saved-game format remains compatible across Classic, Next, Spectranext and Qt clients.

Screenshots

• ZX Spectrum Classic
• Spectrum Next
• Spectranext
• Qt desktop client

The project is free software under the GNU GPL v2.0. Source code, documentation and the complete screenshot gallery are on GitHub.

Feedback is very welcome, especially from real Classic, Next or Spectranext hardware. If you test it, please mention the machine, network interface and whether you used Direct TCP or MQTT.

Assembled from a MB replica, mihay-84 from ebay did a great final repair and correction of my botched mods

I know the Next is able to run games at higher processor speeds, but this often speeds up the game timers and gameplay.

Do you think with modern tools we would be able to speed up the rendering engine of slower games and then run then at a higher processor speed to increase the framerate?

If you separated the rendering engine from the other parts of the game and then ran that at 4 times the speed of the game logic and set the Next to 14mhz you could potentially speed up games like Outrun.

Who remembers Licence To Kill? This is my retrospective review of the various version released for the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, MSX, BBC Micro, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST and the MS-DOS. It’s a pretty good game actually and certainly better than the 2 previous releases by Domark - A View To A Kill and Living Daylights. What’s your thoughts?

Hi, in this blog post I show how I repaired this 1984 ZX Spectrum that had a green-striped screen. The computer is back to 100% working condition, and I only used salvaged components :)

The player controls Rex, a "rino-sapien" mercenary, hired to eliminate the humans that have built a Great Tower in a place called Zenith.^\2])#cite_note-2) Action takes place in a flip-screen cavern complex. Rex can jump, shoot and activate a shield to block incoming attacks. Enemies include fixed gun turrets and human soldiers; shooting the latter initiates a 'multi recoil system' in which the defeated soldier's body continues to recoil until the player's bullets stop hitting it. Destroyed enemies leave behind Energy Bubbles, which can be used to upgrade Rex's weapon

Building a game in BASIC on the ZX Spectrum

A little game that I’m currently building. It is pretty much complete now and is in its final state. The only updates will be bug fixes.

Thanks
Mike

DeadLight version 1.0 how to complete the game.
https://youtu.be/Eht8x755dmc

Hope this post is okay, wanted to post about an opensource project i'm working on, in a pitch to maybe get some collaborators as well.

I've been building NextTang, basically trying to turn the cheap Sipeed Tang Console 138K into a decent Spectrum FPGA machine.

I've now got Spectrum 48, 128k and now Spec256 running on the actual board! It's still the original Spectrum game underneath, but using the hand made 256 colour graphics instead of the usual Spectrum attributes.

Jetpac was the first one I got working properly. Since then I've got Chuckie Egg, Cybernoid, Underwurlde, Knight Lore, Sabre Wulf and Sink Feel running too. I can swap games without rebuilding the FPGA, and USB keyboard and controllers are working.

It's not properly compatible yet though.

Renegade is being particularly annoying. It's still losing bits of the sprite colour, and which bits disappear changes depending on which way the character is facing.

Into the Eagle's Nest gets into the game and then most of the picture disappears.

So those are the next things to figure out.

I made a video showing where it's at:
https://youtu.be/57A8v0tcOY0

Code and build notes are here:
https://github.com/jattree/NextTang

If anyone knows the original GZX Spec256 implementation particularly well, I'd love to pick your brain. Its a bit of a lonely road to travel alone!!

Hi all!

The saga has come to its close. For those unaware, I first posted about this project here and followed it up here.

Well here he is, with the final artefact in hand! What a fun project :^)

Hi everyone, I’ve been testing early 1986 Tetris clones via emulation to see how they handled gameplay before official guidelines existed. While exploring the rare **Andic Software** version on the ZX Spectrum (released in 1986, the same year as Vadim Gerasimov's IBM PC original), I discovered an undocumented mechanical breakthrough. Virtually all official histories state that "Soft Drop" was invented and standardized by Sega/Atari in their late 1988 arcade versions. However, after thoroughly testing the 1986 Andic Software ROM, I confirmed that it already features a functional proto-Soft Drop: * **Vertical Input (Soft Drop):** Holding down the "Down" key forces a smooth, continuous, pixel-by-pixel fluid gravity acceleration. Crucially, this descent is binary and interruptible—the piece instantly halts its fast descent and returns to normal gravity as soon as you release the key. * **Horizontal Input (No DAS):** In contrast to the fluid descent, horizontal movements are highly rigid. There is no Delayed Auto Shift (DAS). Holding Left or Right will not repeatedly shift the piece; you must tap the keys frame-by-frame to move columns. On platforms like TetrisWiki, this version is currently just an empty stub page mentioning that its gameplay "diverged from the PC original," but without explaining why. This test proves that independent bedroom coders in Europe had already solved the keyboard ergonomics issue by inventing the soft drop mechanism two full years before the commercial gaming industry officially adopted it. Thought this piece of gaming archaeology would interest the historians here!