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Thread: if you could only have 1 european retro pc

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    Pear (Level 6) Soviet Conscript's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 98PaceCar View Post
    I don't remember the specifics, but isn't there a cart that gives the 2068 a high level of ZX compatibility? I seem to remember Icbrkr talking about it when I first mentioned wanting a ZX.
    from wikipedia

    However, these changes made the machine incompatible with most Spectrum machine-code software, which is to say virtually all commercial titles; less than 10% would run successfully. In an attempt to remedy this, many TS users built a cartridge with a Spectrum ROM for emulation. The emulation was sufficiently accurate that it was able to run the majority of software produced for the Spectrum. Only later Timex of Portugal produced a Spectrum emulator cartridge that auto-boots. This cartridge do not fit TS2068 as it is higher than normal cartridges. TC2068 casing was changed to allow this.
    would still be way more trouble then its worth in my opion. its more of a hassle, probibly way more expensive and i doubt your still getting 100% compatibility and thats IF you can find either of them. seems like it would be easer just convert the voltage and getting a pal monitor.

    it is an intresting footnote though.

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    Peach (Level 3)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Soviet Conscript View Post

    i read about the rarity of the 2068 as well as the incompatibiblities but i was also reading that the later spectrum models had the same problems. looks like the later amstrad models have incompatibiblits (+2, +3 models) which is a shame cause i liked that built in cassette deck.
    I read the 2068 was only like 80% compatible even with the compatibility cartridge. I only have 30 or 40 Spectrum games, and the only one that I can't get to work on my +2 is Skool Daze. I think, with the +2, the only incompatibilities you're going to run into are with really early Spectrum stuff. Maybe the older programs aren't as well behaved and use the hardware in odd ways the +2 doesn't like. The later stuff seems to run fine.

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    If I'm not mistaken, the TS2068 compatibility cartridge is so rare that you're really wasting your time and money unless you REALLY like Timex's, or despise PAL. Importing a ZX Spectrum seems the more sensible option all around.

    --Zero

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    ServBot (Level 11) kedawa's Avatar
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    I've always been fascinated by the Acorn Archimedes, myself.

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    If it were me I'd definitely go for the Speccy.

    "Retro Gamer" used to just gush about it, so you kind of catch the fever after awhile. I don't know if any of those articles are available online or anything, but I would recommend doing what you can to track down *something* so that you can get a feel for how big England was into the Spectrum in it's day. You'll know which games to look at too as a consequence!
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    I've got an Archimedes, an A3020 I think. It's a neat computer, but most of the games are just ports of Amiga titles. It supposedly has one of the best versions of Elite, though, and I hear Paradroid 2000 is pretty good as well.

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    Pear (Level 6) Soviet Conscript's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nature Boy View Post
    If it were me I'd definitely go for the Speccy.

    "Retro Gamer" used to just gush about it, so you kind of catch the fever after awhile. I don't know if any of those articles are available online or anything, but I would recommend doing what you can to track down *something* so that you can get a feel for how big England was into the Spectrum in it's day. You'll know which games to look at too as a consequence!
    yhea. reading my copies is what got me really looking into the uk retro computer stuff.

    Quote Originally Posted by blue lander View Post
    I've got an Archimedes, an A3020 I think. It's a neat computer, but most of the games are just ports of Amiga titles. It supposedly has one of the best versions of Elite, though, and I hear Paradroid 2000 is pretty good as well.
    i hear the same thing but i still can't confirm that though i've tried
    http://www.digitpress.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131104

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    Apple (Level 5) Arkhan's Avatar
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    Id take an Amstrad over the speccy any day. The colors are alot better, and the music doesnt blow.

    They also look cooler (the unit itself)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arkhan View Post
    Id take an Amstrad over the speccy any day. The colors are alot better, and the music doesnt blow.

    They also look cooler (the unit itself)
    can't that be compaired to saying something like

    "Id take an Atari Jaguar over the NES any day. The colors are alot better, and the music doesnt blow.

    They also look cooler (the unit itself)"

    just an example, i acually like the jag.

    does the amstrad have the same number of good games? exclusives?

    it may be more colorful or better sounding but if the games are crappy or not as plentiful....

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    I'm not into boxes for the sake of boxes, Sir Clive's Sinclair Spectrum is my choice. There's a lot of games on it that I want to try out, and some are arcade ports (but not all).

    Quote Originally Posted by Soviet Conscript View Post
    it may be more colorful or better sounding but if the games are crappy or not as plentiful....
    Amstrad has a good-looking port of Contra (Gryzor) but nothing else sticks in my mind.

    Actually, the ZX Spectrum has a pretty decent-looking version of Savage which I've been meaning to play. There may be better versions, but that one doesn't look horrible.
    Last edited by Ed Oscuro; 11-27-2009 at 08:57 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Soviet Conscript View Post
    can't that be compaired to saying something like

    "Id take an Atari Jaguar over the NES any day. The colors are alot better, and the music doesnt blow.

    They also look cooler (the unit itself)"

    just an example, i acually like the jag.

    does the amstrad have the same number of good games? exclusives?

    it may be more colorful or better sounding but if the games are crappy or not as plentiful....
    no it cant, because then youd be comparing apples and oranges. Atari Jaguar != NES in terms of time of release and general spirit of the hardware...

    Your original question was RETRO COMPUTERS, so its assumed all comparisons are within that realm.


    As for the Amstrad, look up the game library, alot of the same games as the spectrum with nicer colors, and better sound. Gryzor is a big one to show off. Things got a very good library of games.

    ALOT of the games look really sharp, and have very vibrant colors. I really dont like playing games on a computer where the palette is dull, or monochrome.

    The PSG in the amstrad does some pretty nice stuff!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2EqX3rpJ6M check that out.

    and dont mind the Platoon remix in the middle of it
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    Pear (Level 6) Soviet Conscript's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Arkhan View Post
    no it cant, because then youd be comparing apples and oranges. Atari Jaguar != NES in terms of time of release and general spirit of the hardware...

    Your original question was RETRO COMPUTERS, so its assumed all comparisons are within that realm.


    As for the Amstrad, look up the game library, alot of the same games as the spectrum with nicer colors, and better sound. Gryzor is a big one to show off. Things got a very good library of games.

    ALOT of the games look really sharp, and have very vibrant colors. I really dont like playing games on a computer where the palette is dull, or monochrome.

    The PSG in the amstrad does some pretty nice stuff!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2EqX3rpJ6M check that out.

    and dont mind the Platoon remix in the middle of it

    point taken, but i did say it was a bad example.

    though i get the impression that the spectrum has many more exclusives not avalible on the amstrad and perhaps an overall much larger library of games?

    i'm going to make a guess here that the amstrad is also harder to find and more expensive.

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    amstrads aren't too hard to find, and contain the typical 80s spread of games.

    i cant think of any exclusives, but i also cant think of any on the spectrum really either
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    ServBot (Level 11) tom's Avatar
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    Both are horrible, but as far as gaming concerned, the Spectrum is just useless. So yes, Amstrad; also large library of games, better sound/graphics/playability (hey you can connect an Atari joystick to the machine, you can't to the Spectrum), and an inch better than the Speccy.

    Yeah there are some exclusives on Spectrum, Ultimate games spring to mind, but they are not worth persuing.
    Last edited by tom; 11-28-2009 at 02:07 AM.

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    Pear (Level 6) ventrra's Avatar
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    Having been playing with a number of the previously mentioned in emulation, I'd really like to have a BBC model B. It has quite a few good games and seems to be pretty easy to program.

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    Funnily enough, before I had played either computer I got in a big argument on a British gaming forum about the Amstrad being better than the Spectrum. I made the same arguments you guys are about the Amstrad having better graphics. But when I actually imported and played both systems, I completely change my tune. Amstrad games may be colorful, but they're SLOW and many are virtually unplayable.

    There are lots of great exclusives for the Spectrum and virtually none for the Amstrad. Plus, almost all Spectrum to Amstrad ports look just like the Spectrum version, so they don't really take advantage of the extra colors. The Amstrad isn't a bad machine, it's much more reliable than the Spectrum and there are less compatibility issues across models, it's just a completely unnecessary computer.

    If you're looking for arcade ports maybe the Amstrad is better, but who in this day and age wants to play arcade ports when you have MAME and whatnot? The only reason to dust off any of these old computers is to play the exclusives, and there's no comparison between the Amstrad and Spectrum.
    Last edited by blue lander; 11-30-2009 at 02:44 PM.

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    theres no comparison between either of them really. When you get right the hell down to it they're both huge piles of garbage.
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    From a technical standpoint the Spectrum is definitely a toy computer, but it actually has a fantastic library of creative, well written games we didn't have access to in the United States. Getting a Spectrum is like getting an MSX, you discover dozens of world class games you didn't even know existed. I think British game developers lost their way in the Amiga era, when they were too obsessed with outdoing Mario and Sonic, but back in the early 80's they cranked out quality games on par with what was coming out of the US or Japan.

    Also, for everybody who's saying that Spectrum games look better on the Amstrad when they're ported over, can anybody name one? I'm not talking about arcade or Commodore 64 ports, I mean a game that was developed on the Spectrum and then ported to the Amstrad with superior graphics.
    Last edited by blue lander; 12-01-2009 at 09:53 AM.

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    ServBot (Level 11) tom's Avatar
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    world class games....I wouldn't go that far. Cranked out quality games on par with USA and Japan.. You gotta be kidding.

    Actually, many British computer programmers started out on Spectrum, doing some half arsed covers of well known titles...eg Frogger, Galaxian, Missile Command, Miner 2049er and so forth. They learned their craft and did some excellent programming later on Amiga, ST, consoles. The rest was shovelware from the likes of Ocean, Elite, Domark, Grandslam, CRL.....

    But one thing you will not find on a Spectrum...a world class game.
    Last edited by tom; 12-01-2009 at 11:36 AM.

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    I'd have to disagree. I'd compare the games produced by Ultimate PTG, Hewson, and Codemasters against what was coming out of Japan or the US at the same time. I'm not saying I'd necessarily put Raffaele Cecco and Matthew Smith in the same category as Shigeru Miyamoto, but they still made some damn fun games.

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