In a previous post, I commented on a book being released, ZX Spectrum Golden years. Finally it arrived, and I started reading it with some expectation.

The book finish and design is really good. Perhaps what I dislike was the binding glue, which was a little weak, so I went to a printer works to rebind it with a stronger glue.

Back to the book design, it’s perfect. If you have sometime wanted to read a book on ZX which brings you those sensations back, this is your book: Page numbering is made with ZX spectrum gum keys fonts. The books goes in chronological order and it’s pledged of neat artwork from that ages. The Manic Miner, the Alien 8 bot, and so on appears on some pages mixed with some background screenshots.

Each page comments on a game and shows two screenshots of it and the cover tape. It also tells about the programmers of the moment, their lives and the companies they were working on. The book comments 250 games. Some of them where absolutely unknown to me whilst others were very very familiar (of course, Knight Lore and all the Filmation saga from Ultimate).

However, I missed some writtings about others like Bruce Lee, Abu Simbel Profanation (although other Dynamic games are exposed), Wizball (I will comment on it here soon) or Bomb Jack.

Besides that, absolutely brilliant and absolutely a must for any ZX Spectrum fan: every moment, every memory brings that “flavour” back from times that won’t be here anymore.

Posted by Boriel as Books, Vintage computing at 8.06 pm

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You already know for sure, maybe you read it on Slashdot o at Barrapunto (Spanish version). A day like today, 25 years ago, Speccy was born. It would make us to have nices times.

But it wasn’t only the games, but also those moments we spent programming, investigating or just hacking with a POKE…

Yes, ZX Spectrum is still alive.

Posted by Boriel as Vintage computing at 6.07 pm

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A book about ZX Spectrum golden years has been released. I guess only geeks & enthusiasts (myself included) will be interested. The book comments the golden age of this fantastic machine by reviewing 250 games that made history. It covers the ZX Spectrum years from its beginning in 1982 to the early ’90s.

I encourage you to visit the site, where some pages are shown, and also many 8 bits world artwork and sprites that will bring you memories for sure.

Posted by Boriel as Books, Vintage computing at 8.45 pm

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I’ve just read at speccy (a Spanish ZX Spectrum devoted portal) that a new ZX Spectrum Users World Map is up and running. I know we are much more than those already appearing. Would you put your pin there?

Posted by Boriel as Vintage computing at 9.55 pm

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Today they’re holding the vintage (8 bit) computers party MadriSX at Madrid which, unfortunately, I couldn’t attend. I will next year.

Speccy ZX portal guys has released a nice T-shirt on the occasion of the ZX Spectrum release 25th anniversary. These T-shirts were supposed to be sold on the event, but for those (like me) who couldn’t go, they sent them by mail. Mine arrived yesterday, just before the event

Posted by Boriel as Vintage computing at 8.40 pm

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