"... because I helped my classroom mates out quite a bit back in the day by keeping backups of their games for them..." I've never heard it put like that before 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I also stepped up to help out my school mates in this way. We were all good friends back in the day. The current RTX4090's don't do the colour bleed that the Spectrum perfected over 40 years ago and they call that progress?
I remember Shadowfire as I was my favourite game ever. Red computers for combat , green for movement. Severina , Zahn , and Maul to name afew , it sold well and spawned a follow-up called Enigma Force
@@neunadi5147 Yes there were a lot of software houses that just made great games over and over. You could trust the brand as they did not make bad games. Palace Software, Quicksilver, Hewson, Durell and Gremlin Graphics...all hit after hit...
Loved Worse things happen at sea...my Speccie was literally bought off a man in a pub, came complete with three large carrier bags full of C90s, with zero labelling. Took *months* for me to go through them all and figure out everything there. Had to use a special pen with an ultra small nib to fit everything on each label. It was someone's absolute passion.
I love Buggy Blast. One of those simple but addictive games I can always come back to. There's something I like about the careful and precise positioning of your shots without an on-screen cursor.
Storing backups of all your friends' games is a lovely way of looking at it, I must say. "Archivist" sounds so more more wholesome than the other word. And the role certainly had its perks, like getting to play and keep pretty much every worthwhile game released. I'm sure that when our U.S. NES-owning chums sneer at Speccy games, they're not taking the ability to "archive" those games into account.
It was indeed a blast. Get a C90 or C60. Got to school, chat to your mates. Get them to bring in a game on cassette and a blank tape. Take them home with you at night. Copy him a game, stick his game on your C90. Write its name on the label and the tape counter number it starts at. Go back to school the next day with original and the game you did for him. Give him them back. Talk to other mates...Get them to bring in a game and a blank tape...And so on. That was my life from 1982 till about 1989...heh....its probably why I still "Back up" everything now, from films, to tv and music and still games. Once you get into it, you can never leave...its so much cheaper.
@@Simon-xc5oy Yep, I carried on doing that for about a decade, early 80s (Beeb and Speccy games) to early 90s (Amiga games). Looking back at old magazines, there weren't many games that we _didn't_ get to "share and enjoy" - nothing notable, anyway. There was some planning to it as well, like organising who was going to buy which games so you didn't waste money by needlessly doubling-up on any purchases within your group. If little Seb was buying Game X then there was no need for anyone else to, because we'd all have it, so what was important was that we spread the buying out and people bought different (but also desirable) games to throw out to the group :) Oh, and sitting there in lessons (or detentions) writing out code-sheets, i.e. turning the Jet Set Willy password colour-codes into plain-text numbers that could be easily photocopied for everyone. All very naughty, really, but at least I did buy my share of genuine games .... even if, ultimately, maybe only 1 game in 10 in my game-library was actually a legitimate tape :) Like I said, I don't think our American friends with their NES cartridges fully understand what the attraction was to owning a humble but popular computer like the Speccy in the 1980s - it was because all of your mates also had one, so you were part of a game-"archiving" pool and everyone had C90s full of copied games, 10 or 20 games to a tape. There seems to be a retrospective move toward claiming that computers like the Amstrad CPC were alright really - and, sure, they _were_ better than a Speccy on an objective technical level. Not difficult, really. But honestly, that wasn't the point. Back then, you felt bad for the kid whose parents got them an Amstrad because they were forced to band together with the 1 other pariah kid in the school who had one. And he liked text adventures.
@@blatherskite3009 Yes, exactly...I would still buy originals from time to time but they had to be special, unique, the best the machine could offer or a favourite idea etc. And it helped if it had good packaging as well for display. I had a rule it had to be a Crash Smash and get good reviews in other mags as well. I did the same doubling up with mates to buy a range of games. I tended to buy stuff if no one else had it at all and I could not source it from anyone else, or if it was brand new, so no one had it yet. I still remember Christmas 86, and my friend John buying the Gauntlet arcade conversion for the Spectrum as he loved the game. And so I got Thantos, as who would not want to fly around on a dragon setting stuff on fire? And we did the copy swap thing so we both had each game. Happy days. Now you just go online and go...I will have that, and that, and that, and that film, and that whole series and those two albums etc...Its scary to think how easy it is and how much it would cost legit. I sometimes miss those old days though...the chats over who had what, and which friend of a friend might have a game we were after. You met so many people and got to be friends. And then the trips to across town to new areas and streets to score the game you were after. It got you out and about and seeing and doing other things on the way. And the Spectrum was Number 1. It was not the most advanced and most technically superior. But it was the affordable, and that meant everyone had one. Which meant masses of choice and the games were cheap, and it was British with unique titles. And like everything of that era there were some games that worked and were by far the best on the Spectrum. Same for the C64. You picked a system and stuck with it...probably like Xbox and Playstation these days...
Love remembering these old games. Buggy Blast brought it all back but I couldn’t remember the name. Gregory Loses His Clock is a Don Priestly game and he was a great programmer.
That's for making this video. It's good to hear someone talking about spectrum games in depth especially in this day and age. I've subscribed so I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Oh, I remember Worse Things Happen at Sea😊 I played it once, my mate showed it to me. He was so proud that he worked out the controls and the gameplay all by himself (bearing in mind that no manual or instructions were provided for the pirated copy + he barely knew English - that was quite an achievement). We played the game for many hours as we really enjoyed the process. The next day the cassette was exchanged for something else " just for a while" as we thought, but the tape was lost in the endless process of further exchange operations (of course), then we forgot the title, so I was really surprised to see that in your list!!! Brings back the memories!
Honestly, your videos are brilliant! They take me back to my childhood back in the early eighties , well away from the stresses of middle age life! Please do more... ! Cheers😊
I recall Critical Mass, WTHAS and Shadowfire and had no bloody idea what I was doing on any of them really, it's amazing how important instructions were back in the day - but not as important as a C60 or D90 cassette tape.
I remember them all apart from stiff lip. I actually played worse things happen at sea a few months ago. I'm better at it now than I was in 1984. I made it across lol
I really enjoyed Critical Mass back in the day. Durrell made some of my favourite Speccy games as it goes....Scuba Diver, Combat Lynx, Turbo Esprit and Saboteur.
I definitely had Critical Mass and Shadowfire. Shadowfire's sequel Enigma Force has fond memories for me because I played a pre-production copy with a friend, and we managed to complete it on the 4th try - so much better than how we did with Shadowfire - and I was very proud that we'd completed it before it was released. I wasn't a fan of Crash, though. I did have every copy of Your Sinclair (and Your Spectrum) and most Sinclair Users.
I had Shadowfire and admired the packaging, programming, look, concept, everything but the gameplay which I could never get into. There was a time that I was buying almost everything Beyond released due to my love of their Lords of Midnight. Psytron was another sci-fi by Beyond that I admired but struggled to enjoy.
Shadowfire was very highly regarded back in the day. I think it was/is more appealing to those into games such as Laser Squad, a game produced by Julian Gollup, he of Chaos: The Battle of Wizards, and X-Com fame. I didn't have the instructions for Shadowfire (why I don't know as it was a legit copy - maybe my relative lost them?) so I didn't know what the hell I was doing.
I do indeed! If you watch my Ikari Warriors video for example, behind my head is a signed copy of the original ant attack artwork by David Rowe. Probably my all time favourite cassette artwork.
Played a ton of Shadowfire (Think I even had the big box version)... seem to recall eventually completing it. Never got very far with the sequel though. Would actually like to see a remake of the first title - I think it could work well, with you commanding the team via VR controls...
Yeah, I remember Critical Mass, Shadowfire, Worse Things Happen At Sea. Buggy Blast rings a vague bell but I never played it. I'm surprised to see Critical Mass on the list as this was released around the same time as Turbo Esprit when Durell were at their peak (in my opinion). Totally agree with you about Shadowfire, I played it but couldn't make sense of it. Worse Things Happen At Sea was an odd one, I liked the concept but found it too frustrating. (bit random, but have you ever played Starfox from Reaktor? It was the last game I was really hooked on before getting an Atari ST and was an amazing send off for my "Spectrum years". I got to play it again recently through emulation and it still comes across as a stonking achievement by the developers)
It's weird how some games just passed me by, I had no recollection of Critical Mass at all, which is a shame because I know I would of enjoyed it. Maybe it was the piracy warning that put me off 😁
Was expecting to recognise at least one of these from back in the day, but nope! Some of them have become infamous in the intervening years, like Worse Things Happen at Sea. Those Buggy Blast controls gave me a shiver - I was well used to QAOP like everyone else 😁 Critical Mass looks great - the guy being out of the ship seems way ahead of its time! Shadow Fire reminds me of Frankie Goes to Hollywood (I owned this one boxed) - a total mystery, even with the instructions. The graphical adventures generally reminded me of Sidewalk by Infogrames - Spent many hours playing that one ... though looking at the Jan '88 issue it wasn't quite up to Crash Smash standard.
Cheers for the comment, I'm glad someone else didn't know any of these back in the day 😊 critical mass is brilliant, well worth having a go on even now !
Another quality video. I only played Gregory Loses His Clock out of these, back in the day. It's really tough though, with awful control responsiveness. The next stage in the jungle will infuriate you. Crash's choice of Smashes were often very dubious. Remember Zub? In my view a polished but extremely tedious game, not really worth the budget price, but Crash thought it was the bees' knees.
Lovely selection there, and some gorgeous ones. I'd heard of Buggy Blast but assumed it was some kind of dune buggy game! Shadowfire is one I played and found a bit confusing.I did play the sequel, Enigma Force, and managed to complete it as a child!
I bought 'Worse things happen at sea' and didn't copy it and return it to the shop it was that good compared to most of the dreck available at the time.
Gregory loses clock, i'd heard of, but not played. I think it was one of those games that I kept seeing on game shelves and immediately scoffing at the name. I *DO* remember looking at the screenshots on the back and scoffing that they definitely were not speccy graphics. I've never heard of any of the others... Buggy blast though - I think young me wouldve loved that!
I played Antics. It was pretty cool, actually. Bit hard, as I recall, but had acool variety of sprites. Shadowfire was pretty great actually. but I remember buying it review unseen because I was so rad for Psyron which was also a Beyond game. Great Roundup and I'll have to check out Buggy Blast. But can it really beat my beloved Dark Star? I doubt it :P Cheers!
Buggy Blast was the first game I ever bought. Well, second game, after I bought FIDO, loaded it, turned off the machine, took it back to WH Smith, and told them the tape was faulty. But Buggy Blast was the first game I ever bought and kept. Never got any good at it though, but I loved the idea of it.
Ah, the days of actual consumer rights. I fondly remember being able to return a game because it didn't work, even though I'd actually had the gall to open it and (gasp) try to play it for more than 2 hours!!!!
I knew about most of these games. Critical mass was a superb game on the Spectrum and a game you hoped you died to see the brilliant death effect. Not 100% sure but I think the C64 game plays differently though looks the same. Zzap slated it yet crash loved it. Definitely a good choice as an 8 bit battle as there's an Amstrad version. Great video as always mate.
@@SebsPlaceYT The only one I didn't know was Gregory loses his clock, you must understand I'm an old fart going back as far as the mechanical arcade machines 🤣
Yes, I owned an “unofficial” ahem, copy of Critical Mass and enjoyed it. Remembers Dentons games being critically acclaimed at the time. Hadn’t realised that they also converted the brilliant Spy Hunter to the humble Speccy. I think the only game I hadn’t heard of was Buggy Blast. Almost surprised that you didn’t mention Fat Worm blows a sparky which was also a Crash Smash. Perhaps that game isn’t as unknown as it used to be.
Ooooh 100 quid bounty on your head 😂 Fat Worm was a game that I knew as a kid just because of the weird name. It was very intriguing although the gameplay is not that memorable in all honesty.
I had Gregory on first release. It was a good but frustrating game. I would have given it 80-90%, not a smash. In crash at the time budget games had one reviewer, and he must have liked the graphics.
You’re quite right, and you can also get a feel for what Bandersnatch might have looked like from other Denton titles like FGTH or Gift from The Gods too.
Couple of these spent ages on these. Shadowfire has a sequel as well. Brilliant early tactical game. I think a whole bunch of gen xers are excellent problem solvers due to working all this crap out without a manual. Ahem.
According to spectrumcomputing.co.uk: Although the game was reportedly finished, sales of the original (NES) version were so bad that the Spectrum and C64 conversions were never published.
5:46 - Remember kiddies: if you're going to bleep over your swearwords, you do have to also remember to mute the swearing itself. ;) 8:08 - Yeah, like that! XD
Critical Mass was a big deal, and I'd wanted to play it for ages before I bought a copy at the PCW Show around 1987 from the Durell stand, for a quid. Didn't bloody work, though.
@9:22 Uuuh, long before you had even spoken the name "Shadowfire", my inner sadistic DJ had already slammed the C64 theme music onto the turntable of my innermost sacred temple... Being rather uncharacteristically non-sadistic this time, since I actually really love that tune... Hmm, makes me wonder what's going on with him?!? 🤔 - Seb, do stop smashing your C64 about - it sounds like it's loosing kilobytes by the minute... 😝
Mickey Mouse sucks😅 Its Ok to play mini games once or twice, but to build up a whole game on a tediuos process of completing the same boring mini games again and again - its bad taste or laziness. Plus this game is impossible to complete (the dreadful forth tower) - and that is bad as well!
Interesting. Did you ever try a Crash Smash called Blue Thunder? I bought it on the strength of the Crash review, but the game is utter turd. Abysmal controls, a shooter where almost nothing can be shot. Never trusted Crash reviews after that.
Ah yeah Blue Thunder, there was a TV show right? I've not played it, but I can see if you thought it sucked how it would make you distrust their scoring. I guess it's all subjective really, but it should never be that contrasting.
