GB
  
You are currently viewing the United Kingdom version of the site.
Would you like to switch to your local site?
2 MIN READ TIME

THE RETROBATES

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SPECTRUM GAME?

LOADING...

I was an Amstrad lad growing up, but even I couldn’t ignore the sheer popularity of the ZX Spectrum. It was a tremendously desirable machine in the Eighties and it seemed like I was the only person I knew who didn’t actually own one. It should come as no surprise then to learn that the subject of our cover feature this month is once again Sir Clive Sinclair’s marvellous black box. What might be a surprise however is the focus of the feature, because this time we’re looking at its impact on the UK games industry, thanks to a cracking article by Martyn Carroll.

Unlock this article and much more with
You can enjoy:
Enjoy this edition in full
Instant access to 600+ titles
Thousands of back issues
No contract or commitment
Try for 99p
SUBSCRIBE NOW
30 day trial, then just £9.99 / month. Cancel anytime. New subscribers only.


Learn more
Pocketmags Plus
Pocketmags Plus

This article is from...


View Issues
Retro Gamer
Issue 282
VIEW IN STORE

Other Articles in this Issue


Retro Gamer
Picross S SNK Classics & NeoGeo Edition
PICK OF THE MONTH
RETRO RADAR
THE LEGO MASTER
Andre Lackmann on building iconic WipEout ships with Lego
A CLASSIC REBUILT
Fans of Geoff Crammond’s The Sentinel will be
ECCO LIVES
It would appear that Sega’s Ecco The Dolphin
Anarchy N,8,1
B ulletin Board Systems were a kind of
DAVID ROSEN PASSES
SEGA’S COFOUNDER DIES AT THE AGE OF 95
PRICEY POKÉMON
NINTENDO AND LEGO ANNOUNCE NEW POKÉMON RELEASES
GOG EVOLVES
It was recently revealed that GOG (Good Old
DOCUMENTING THE C64
Nicola and Anthony Caulfield recently revealed that they
It’s binatime, baby!
Image by Evan Amos I always think my
Lego perfection
FEATURING DIGITISER’S MR BIFFO
Steve Turner
The Quazatron and Ranarama author tells us about Deepest Blue
THE LATEST NEWS FROM SEPTEMBER 2009
» [Xbox 360] The Halo 3: ODST campaign was
REVIVALS
Finder Keepers
LOSERS WEEPERS
THE LEGACY OF ZX SPECTRUM
THE ZX SPECTRUM IS THE BELOVED BRITISH MICRO THAT WAS MORE THAN JUST A SALES SUCCESS – IT PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SHAPING THE UK GAMES INDUSTRY. JOIN US AND A NUMBER OF INDUSTRY VETERANS AS WE CHAMPION THE INFLUENCE OF THE LITTLE COMPUTER THAT COULD
Ms Pac-Man
GOBBLING ON THE GO!
THE MAKING OF VIROCOP
EVERY SYSTEM HAS ITS HIDDEN GEMS, AND THE COMMODORE AMIGA IS NO EXCEPTION. RELEASED IN 1995, THIS TALE OF A ROBOTIC VIRUS KILLER RECEIVED DECENT CRITICAL ACCLAIM, YET IS ONE OF THE SYSTEM’S LESSER-KNOWN GAMES. RETRO GAMER CHATS TO THREE GRAFTGOLD ALUMS TO FIND OUT MORE
Alien Breed: Tower Assault
RUNNING AND GUNNING
THE MAKING OF: ROMANCING SAGA
FRESH OFF A COUPLE OF GAME BOY HITS, GAME DESIGNER AKITOSHI KAWAZU BROUGHT HIS SIGNATURE RPG STYLE TO THE SUPER FAMICOM WITH THE RELEASE OF ROMANCING SAGA, THE CONSOLE DEBUT FOR ONE OF SQUARE ENIX’S LONGEST-RUNNING SERIES
Meet The Cast
ROMANCING SAGA’S BAND OF MISFITS
Half-Life
LATE TO THE PARTY
THE EVOLUTION OF RAYMAN
RAYMAN’S BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED, VIBRANTLY COLOURFUL 2D DEBUT WAS AN UNEXPECTED LAUNCH TITLE FOR THE 3D-FOCUSSED PLAYSTATION, BUT ITS RESOUNDING SUCCESS LED TO A STRING OF SEQUELS. RAYMAN CREATOR MICHEL ANCEL EXPLAINS HOW THE SERIES EVOLVED
God Hand
“MY STYLE IS IMPETUOUS!”
Birdcage
A SHMUP YOU’LL WANT TO TREASURE
The Last Ninja Collection
» [PC] Last Ninja 3 still looks superb and
Sonic Unleashed
RECOMPILING THE PAST
FEATURED
SINGLE-SCREEN ARCADE GEMS
BEFORE GAMES BECAME ALL FANCY AND STARTED SCROLLING, THE ACTION OF ANY ARCADE GAME TYPICALLY TOOK PLACE WITHIN A SINGLE SCREEN. SO LET’S LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST GAMES TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF ALL THAT SCREEN ESTATE
ADAM PETERS
With his personality bursting from the pages of Amstrad Action in the Nineties, Adam Peters stint as staff writer on Future Publishing’s firstever magazine became truly memorable – not least for his double-act with editor Rod Lawton. Here, he relives his early career which also included time on other iconic magazines
Final Fight
CLASSIC MOMENTS
ENC RE! THE MUSICAL MAGIC OF THE AMIGA
THE GRAPHICS OF AMIGA 500 GAMES FAR SURPASSED ITS EIGHT-BIT PREDECESSORS. IT WASN’T SIMPLY THE LOOK OF THE GAMES THAT MADE THEM SO POPULAR. JUST AS STAR WARS WAS ELEVATED BY JOHN WILLIAMS’ STIRRING SCORE, AMIGA GAMES WERE BROUGHT FULLY TO LIFE BY THEIR MUSIC
SEGA SATURN MAGAZINE #12
WITH THE FIFTH CONSOLE GENERATION, A DEMO COULD OFTEN MEAN EXPERIENCING SOMETHING YOU NEVER HAD BEFORE, AND THAT WAS NEVER TRUER THAN ON THE SATURN. BOLDLY EXPERIMENTAL, THIS MONTH’S DISC SHOWS SEGA AT ITS INIMITABLE BEST. IT’S SUCH A SHAME WE DON’T GET COVERDISCS LIKE THIS TODAY
Covermount HIGHLIGHTS
THE BEST OF THE REST
THE MAKING OF CASPER
CASPER WAS A HUGE HOLLYWOOD RELEASE WITH A $55 MILLION BUDGET AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF STEVEN SPIELBERG. SO HOW DID A TEAM OF NORWAY DEVELOPERS WITH LITTLE GAMING EXPERIENCE GET TO MAKE IT? WE SPEAK TO RAGNAR TØRNQUIST AND ERIK GLØERSEN TO FIND OUT
LARA CROFI TOMB RAIDER LEGEND
2026 MARKS A BANNER YEAR FOR THE TOMB RAIDER FRANCHISE, WITH THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF TWO NEW GAMES AND SERIES PROTAGONIST LARA CROFT SECURING TWO NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS. THIS YEAR ALSO MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND, WINNING COMPOSER TROELS BRUN FOLMANN A BAFTA GAMES AWARD FOR HIS GLOBE-TROTTING SOUNDTRACK
THE MAKING OF: STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC II: THE SITH LORDS
DESPITE BEING PLAGUED BY TECHNICAL ISSUES AND CUT CONTENT ON RELEASE, THE SEQUEL TO KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC REMAINS A WORTHY FOLLOW-UP TO BIOWARE’S ACCLAIMED GAME. CO-WRITER MICHAEL CHU EXPLAINS HOW IT ALL HAPPENED
ESSENTIALS
THE HOMEBREWER'S KIT
SCRAP AND SCROLL
Darran and Tim reminisce about their favourite scrolling fighters
READERS REACT
Your favourite scrolling fighters that outfight the rest
BIG BOX COLLECTING
Pete Armour collects for many systems, but especially big box computer titles
LETTER CRAFTING
Retro Gamer freelancer Graeme Mason returns to talk about his newsletters
SPARKSTER
Following the success of Rocket Knight Adventures on the Mega Drive, Konami developed a new title for the Super Nintendo in 1994. Sparkster continued the story of the titular opossum’s fight to save his people
I’VE GOT IT!
These collectors have charged their shelves with Rocket Knights
MAILBAG
HAVE YOUR SAY… SEND US A LETTER OR MAKE YOURSELF HEARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA – TWITTER.COM/RETROGAMER_MAG
ROLLING THUNDER 3
» Namco’s third and final game in its popular Rolling Thunder series was a Mega Drive exclusive that saw WCPO (World Criminal Police Organisation) agents Albatross and Leila teaming up with a brand-new agent called Jay to bring down the evil terrorist organisation Geldra. Will they succeed in their dangerous mission? Let’s find out…
Chat
X
Pocketmags Support