Finally, we are nearing kick-off

Gaming culture will get a boost from Gaming Culture

It has been in the works for a while now, and eluded to and hinted about on social media such as the BookFace, and on the Your Sinclair Magazine website. But what am I talking about here?

Soon, on the crowd-funding KickStarter (KS) portal, a new campaign for a printed-matter publication about gaming culture, called Gaming Culture, will launch. And, unlike some other modern days magazines, it'll do exactly what it says on the cover.

From the official announcement over on the KS site, it promises a kick in the joystick! Yikes! Chris Thacker, known as "That Retro Video Gamer" is the man with the plan; he is bringing together a collection of talent from Popular Retro, and a once popular Amiga-related publication that isn't Amiga Addict. In short, it'll be a gaming magazine with more byte.

It seems like it's time for me to un-retire from writing and focus on articles for a magazine again. At least for a couple of issues, and depending on editorial demand for my work of course (as Andrew Merman once quipped, "it's a little more complicated than that"). That's if the campaign gets funded by you lovely people. But please note that my involvement or interest in this project does not mean it's going to focus on retro gaming. As far as I can tell, Chris has no interest in competing with Retro Gamer for that market. From some of the early content that I've seen, it'll be all formats and all eras, no matter how niché. In short, if its happening, it'll get some coverage.

If you are keen to hear more about this, you may follow Chris on the Twitter, and some updates may also appear here too. Stay tuned for more.

What the Internet thinks about the classic Monty on the Run, for the Commodore C64

As an experiment, I asked an AI to write me a review of the game Monty on the Run, for the Commodore C64. Here is the results of that. I'm now pondering if this is the future of blogging? I think not.

Game Review: Monty on the Run (Commodore C64/128)

In the pantheon of classic gaming on the Commodore 64, few titles shine as brightly as Monty on the Run. Released in 1985 by Gremlin Graphics, this platformer caught the attention of gamers with its charming characters, engaging gameplay, and a whimsical story that seamlessly combined adventure with arcade-style action.

Story and Characters

At the heart of Monty on the Run, players take the role of Monty Mole — an adorable, cheeky character who is trying to escape the clutches of an oppressive warden. The game begins with a comical premise: Monty has stolen some treasures and needs to make his getaway while evading various obstacles in the form of guards, traps, and other hazards. This straightforward narrative effectively gives players a purpose—helping Monty secure his freedom, while also navigating the colorful environments that Teal - the game's designer, created with much love.

The charm of Monty, coupled with the humorous storyline, immerses players in a whimsical world where every level provides a fresh challenge and an opportunity to explore. The game does particularly well in developing Monty’s character, as players find themselves rooting for his success.

Gameplay and Mechanics

Monty on the Run is a delightfully challenging platformer that introduces players to different environments, with each level filled with hazards and enemies to avoid. The gameplay is fluid, with Monty capable of running, jumping, and climbing. Players will need to acquire various items to progress through the levels, including keys, which serve to unlock different sections of the game.

The controls are responsive, allowing for precise movements, which is crucial as players navigate tricky platforms and leap over hazards. The game rewards exploration, as finding hidden items can lead to powerful upgrades and unlockables. The levels are designed thoughtfully, with varying degrees of difficulty that cater to both novices and seasoned gamers alike.

One of the game’s standout features is its design. With imaginative level layouts and a diverse range of obstacles — from conveyor belts to swinging hammers — the game keeps players on their toes. Each stage presents new mechanics and foes, adding to the challenges that players must master.

Graphics and Sound

Visually, Monty on the Run is stunning for an 8-bit title. The colorful graphics showcase charming sprites that bring the quaintly absurd world of Monty to life. The backgrounds are vibrantly colored, enhancing the platforming experience. The level designs are packed with personality, providing an array of environments — from bustling mines to watery caves — that not only serve as the backdrop but also play a role in the gameplay.

The sound design complements the visuals beautifully. The catchy chiptune soundtrack sets a playful tone, evoking a sense of adventure every time Monty sets out to conquer new levels. Although simplistic, the sound effects are satisfying, perfectly accentuating actions like jumping, collecting items, and defeating enemies.

Challenges and Replayability

While Monty on the Run can be forgiving at times, it does require a level of skill and patience, particularly in later levels where the challenge ramps up significantly. Players will need to learn from their mistakes and refine their strategies, which adds a layer of engagement to the experience.

Moreover, the game features continues that allow players to retry levels — while this is a handy feature, it’s the exploration of the various adaptabilities of Monty that keeps players engaged. There is a sense of accomplishment in discovering all the hidden treasures and secrets, making the game highly replayable.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Monty on the Run for the Commodore 64 is a stand-out title that remains beloved by retro gamers. Its combination of engaging gameplay, charming graphics, and an endearing story make it a wonderful platformer that leaves a lasting impression. With a rating of 8.5/10, it is certainly a game worthy of revisiting, providing endless hours of nostalgic fun for both seasoned and new players alike. Monty's quirky adventure continues to resonate, proving that even in the realm of vintage gaming, this title stands the test of time.

Overall rating: 8.5/10

It's serious stuff.

One thing that Your Sinclair magazine was known for, some say renowned for, was it's utter seriousness. It was an Adultish magazine, for sensible, serious people. Wasn't it?

Recently, on the BookFace, someone borrowed an excerpt that I nicked from Archive.org. It was a small piece entitled "True Spectrum Facts", written by the redoubtable and talented author Dan Whitehead, who is certainly one of the best wordsmiths I've worked with, as I've adumbrated elsewhere in this blog.

For convenience, here are those true Spectrum facts, as published with Retro Gamer issue number nine, which went on sale on a no doubt sunny Tuesday of October 26th 2004. Well, the mag probably brightened up someone's day at least.

True Spectrum Facts

1. Army Moves was originally based on TV sitcom Duty Free, before Keith Barron refused to co-operate. The main sprite was redesigned as a jeep and the rest, as they say, is history.
2. The idea for the famous rubber keys came about when Sir Clive was absent-mindedly working on his keyboard and accidentally started typing on his dog's eyes.
3. TV "I don't believe it" funnyman Richard Wilson designed the mole sprite in Nodes of Yesod.
4. If all the Spectrums in the world were piled on top of each other, it would fall down.
5. The ZX in ZX Spectrum stands for Zoological Xodus, the name of Sir Clive's thrash metal band.
6. The Speccy was banned in Austria where the word "Spectrum" literally means "Haddock arse confusion"
7. In a bid to capitalise on playground slang, a Speccy with four eyes was developed. But then they flushed it down the bog and nicked it's lunch.
8. The "K" in 48K does not actually stand for "Kilobyte" - it's a reference to the number of times Manuel uttered his hilarious catchphrase in Fawlty Towers.
9. From issue 11 through to 23, Your Sinclair (YS) was printed on human skin in accordance with the Necronomicon.
10. We don't know if hunky movie star Colin Farrell is a Speccy fan. "Feck off, yer eejits!" the shag-happy actor shouted, as he sped off on his golden swan.
11. The special effects for the 1985 BBC series Chocky's Children were mostly done on a Spectrum. Mostly.
12. The fourth Horace game, entitled Horace Goes Dogging, was banned by Mary Whitehouse.
13. If cuddly Animal Magic presenter Johnny Morris had done a voice for the Spectrum, it would have been a highpitched squeaky voice, not unlike perpetual irritant Joe Pasquale.
14. In Friday the 13th Part IV The Final Chapter, Jason Voorhees kills a topless girl by shoving a DK'Tronics lightpen in each ear.
15. Because of union rules, the part of Benjamin Sisko in Deep Space Nine was played by the wizard from Atic Atac.
16. Geese have no concept of Spectrums, though they are excellent at Daley Thompson's Decathlon. Because of the fast beaks, you see.
17. Benny from ABBA is still stuck on the Sherlock text adventure after twenty years. The daft Swede.

Now, whether this small piece of silliness is funny or not is entirely up to you, my dear reader. But one of the BookFace comments was that this is all just childish. You know who you are. Let's examine that for a moment. Childish? Surely it's not childish? (You forgot to insert the "...and don't call me Shirley" joke here - Ed).

To provide some context, we need to remember the world of the 1980s, when the famous and very serious YS was at its height. Great Britain and her allies were in the grips of the Cold War against the Soviet Union (and back then, political leaders actually tried to stop an alliance between Russia and China, not ensure that one happens as today's happless and incompetent politicians have). Germany was not yet a singular and united sovereign state, and the battle axe Margaret Thatcher was overseeing the demise of, or (depending on your political point of view) the improvements of, the United Kingdom, by allowing Capitalists to busily export good manufacturing jobs to be replaced with insecure and low paid service sector jobs. These were very different times when there was still a significant number of black and white television sets in use. Some of you may even remember that a black and white television licence was cheaper than a colour television licence? Blimey, it's an age ago, isn't it?

If this is making you feel old, then my apologies. But as I like to say, at least we got here. What of YS in the midst of all of this? Well, this epic publication wasn't wasting any time on any childish stuff, you see. Whilst the comedic periodical known as Sinclair User was busy doing actual game reviews, and updating with related gaming and computering news and articles, YS was organising interviews with British Foreign Secretary of the day Geoffrey Howe. And the YS cover tapes, if played in reverse, would give you a synopsis of important monthly events, such as reports from the Labour Party Conference, or new white papers published by the Conservative Government, for instance. There was even a time when YS was trying to bag an interview with the Prime Minister herself. And the pinnacle of this seriousness happened when it published the very boring everyday adult stuff of mowing a lawn: the seminal Advanced Lawnmower Simulator. Yes, YS was about as much fun as watching Sunday Breakfast Television with the sound off. It's because Phil "Snouty" South was actually just the pen name of English political journalist and television and radio broadcaster, the late Sir Robin Day, you see.

Childish? YS was not. None of that juvenile stuff either about waggling joysticks, and not even a hint of a fart joke in sight. So somehow the aforementioned YS tribute issue (also known as Issue 94) published with RG issue nine missed the mark. Not just by a little, but by a lot. And this is why I love Social Media so much, as I can believe everything that I read on the Internet, as the 18th Century Philosopher Immanuel Kant once said.

Computer Games Programming

Some years ago, I was studying Computer Games Programming at the University of Derby. But did I learn anything from it?

It was around 2008 when I had all but accepted my fate that a future as a writer wouldn't work out for me. The pay is poor, especially for the amount of research I was putting in. By this time, I had been published in the award winning video games magazine gamesTM, and for the four weeks or so mulling over old magazines to research a four or six page article was a good indication that it wasn't paying any of the main bills. Of course, for the time researching, I could have written many more pages, but even at the page rate, it still wasn't fantastic pay. So I feel for many writers out there. If you have a full time job and you can write on the side then this is ideal. If you can get a full time job as a staffer, then this is probably the next best thing, and of course then, do well and you have the prospect of career progression. But being freelance only is tough. I know. I did it for 12 years of my life.

So, I needed a change in career, as the two things that I liked doing, writing and being a support worker for vulnerable adults, are poorly paid, although in different ways could be highly rewarding. What else could I do? Well, I have written and reviewed video games, albeit not the modern days entertainment software. But I think I got fairly good at opining at least. I was also a keen programmer in the 1980s and some of the 1990s. So that was it, I would venture into a Computer Science course of some description with an eye on making computer games happen inside of television screens.

I actually started out on a course run by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), and the language of choice was something called Java, a perfectly reasonable, if clunky, language. But this was the time of the ill-fated ConDem Government, which oddly decided upon some Trotskyite policies without even knowing it. Anyway, for those of us old enough to remember, there was an entirely unnecessary "emergency budget" which cut around £6bn from public expenditure, and a significant sum from Higher Education. You know, because the best way out of a recession is not to educate people to fulfil their potential, isn't it?

These cuts affected the course that I was on, because I wasn't attending a prestigious Red Brick University, I suppose. Firstly, the number of places for the second year was cut, which meant that some people who managed to pass the first year did not have a place on the second year. Luckily, I wasn't one of them somehow. But I can only imagine trying to get a job with only one year at University whilst trying to explain that I didn't just drop out. Further to these "efficiency savings" was that the third year was no longer available to us, so that meant we had to leave with 2/3rds of a Degree. But there was hope in that we could apply to other Universities in the hope that they would accept us. So, what could I do?

The degree programme at MMU was basically Computer Science focussed, but with business studies covering half of the course. And whilst I did very well at the Business aspects, I still favoured the programming side of things. I didn't want to be a manager in some soulless IT enterprise, I wanted to make some softwares. I therefore applied to the third year of the Games Programming Degree Programme at the University of Derby. But going from one institution to another isn't really how Universities work, as I found out.

After some negotiations with the head of the course at the University of Derby, I was offered a place on the 2nd year, and this meant that my planned three years of study was actually going to be five, as the course has one year in placement before the final year, and everyone has to complete the year in placement. As you can imagine, after budgeting to be a student again for three years, this was going to be extra tough, and I was going to miss yet more years of my favourite daughter's life for this, who was a toddler when I started at Derby.

Well, the 2nd year was pretty intense. Obviously, I was new, everyone else knew each other. The timetable was confusing at first. And my mathematics wasn't very good either. I mean, not bad, but just not 3D programming good. There were some aspects of the course I really did enjoy. The MIPs assembly was actually pretty easy, to my surprise, but then we were only making pixels happen in MIPs. I made a fairly basic but good enough 2D drawing API. Everything else I struggled with until I happened upon C programming for the Sony PSP. At last, there's a high level language that I could understand! It just seemed to make sense.

Sadly, it was my lack of trigonometry that let me down in the end, aside from the external pressures of family life and such like. So just before the final exams of the 2nd year I had to drop out for real. Luckily, I had learnt a lot about programming in the meantime, much more than the entire two years at MMU. Games programmers, it seemed to me, were the sort of people that obsess over making something interactive, intuitive and fun for another human. I mean, you wouldn't play any games that aren't any of those things, would you?

So, although I was not successful, I did manage to make some games type stuff happen, and with the beautiful language of C, I had a way into the industry. I found an internship at a local Birmingham start up called MetApps, and a year after, I landed my first development job. And whilst I still love programming, today I am working on fairly necessary but stale service driven applications. What I want to do is to take my programming knowledge and apply it to something outside of my usual day job. My friend Andrew Owen suggests that I write the first game specifically for the Chloe 280SE. I guess I could dust off the Z80 Tutorials that have proven popular on this blog and see how far that gets me. The good news is that I could use C wrappers around Z80 if I wanted to, like I did with some of my ZX80 and ZX81 games.

I'm sure a tutorial about actually making a game would be an interesting read to many, at least my statistics for this blog are strongly suggesting this. Those people of my age or older may remember the excellent Input magazines, which taught programming for all platforms. I'd love to recreate something similar to that but more focussed on making a game.

Sometimes, it's good not to leave the past in the past

It seems that the Internet really does archive everything, including something that I'd almost forgotten about

Back around 2005 or so, I wasn't necessarily in a good place; I had lost my first office job at Retro Gamer, and whilst steadily writing for Micro Mart I was formulating an idea for my own publication which would be both digital and in print. I thought then that unless you were printing gossip magazines, or childrens comics with free toys, physical media covering anything computering or gaming would soon be dead. Little did I know that nearly 20 years later, not only would Retro Gamer (RG) still be going, but also there would be the excellent Pixel Addict and Amiga Addict mags. So the print isn't yet dead, as I had thought.

Anyway, earlier this year I was actually interviewed for the very magazine for which I was once a staff writer (albeit not a very good one, sorry Mart), it kind of got me thinking about a time in my life that I don't usually think about. And recently I found that Retro:Bytes Lite, issue 1, was archived, but to my horror, it was the edition over which I was threatened to be sued. So I can't share the link otherwise I might get a strongly worded email from Andrew Merman. Not that I couldn't handle his guff, I just don't want to read anything from him again. Ever. Anyway, if you know how to make Internet searches, you'll know where to find it.

A quick back story: after losing my job as a staffer at RG (when it was in the Live Publishing stable), I was struggling for work. Knowing that I didn't want to go back into working for Social Services again, as the pay was even worse than my £12k salary at Live (yep, not all public sector employees are well paid you know), I had to do something.

Since the 1990s, and especially since 2002, I had built up a lot of knowledge about 8-bit computers and other related technologies. Along the way, I had some considerable contacts in the various communities. I had then three years of writing experience professionally, some in-house editorial experience, and a dream: to make my own publication as I adumbrated earlier. Retro:Bytes was my big idea, to be a community-focussed magazine for the seriously obsessed, like me, and for the more casual user, like almost everyone else. Near to the end of 2005, Reto:Bytes Lite was put out as a tester, but only digitally. And I was trying then to secure something bigger and better. Unfortunately, some external forces and my own lack of experience forbade it. Although looking at it now, it certainly had potential.

So, back then I was young and let's say not so perspicacious. And after nearly 20 years, I am no longer young. What I do have though is a pretty well paid job, over a decade experience as a software developer, so I am what one might call "upwardly mobile".

One thing that there is now, that wasn't then, is something called a KickStarter, and does Indiegogo still exist as a funding stream? You know what I'm talking about. But I wouldn't necessarily need to raise capital now from any community, I'd just need a bit of time with a word processor, find a good designer, and get some quotes to make something printed, and some webspace. Being a PHP developer with front-end experience, I don't need a GoDaddy or something either. It's almost like now is the right time to do something with the old Retro:Bytes concept. Isn't it?

With TheSpectrum launching in November 2024, the famous magazine Your Sinclair should relaunch too

The one thing that is sadly lacking is a good Sinclair ZX Spectrum magazine (yikes!). Your Sinclair should relaunch to provide a bit of colour to the Speccy community.

Starting out as a publication called Your Spectrum, which was relaunched in 1986 as Your Sinclair (YS), this magazine became iconic and a huge influence on the Speccy community, both then and now; it was certainly one of the best gaming magazines that one could purchase in the 1980s. It lasted through until 1993 ending with its famous Big Final Issue, signalling the end of commercial 8-bit gaming software in general, with the Commodore C64 being the last 8-bit home computer platform to have a significant release^[1] (which was Psygnosis's Lemmings, published in February 1994).

YS was skilfully archived by the The Your Sinclair Rock 'n' Roll Years website, something now that only the WayBack Machine can tell. Such was the appeal and legend of YS, Retro Gamer Magazine paid tribute to it in 2004 with issue 94, niftily edited by Dan Whitehead, who is by far one of the best writers I've ever worked with, and certainly one of the most perspicacious.

Almost 20 years after Retro Gamer's aforementioned issue 94 and Retro Games Limited have announced TheSpectrum, and after something of a lull in the mid to late 1990s, and the early part of the 2000s, the Speccy community has grown into something of a monolith. There isn't the unity that there might have been in the early days, when the independent 8-bit publisher Cronosoft launched, for instance. As communities grow, they can become more fractured. And the lies and propaganda over the Vega+ hand-held console certainly didn't help, causing more fracturing. The liars and charlatans were backing Retro Computers Ltd (RCL) propaganda even though it was clear to anyone paying any attention that there were quite severe issues with RCL's management, especially after two of its directors (namely Paul Andrews and Chris Smith) were illegally removed by the fraudsters who remained to drive the Vega+ into its grave. I remember before this time when the once great World of Spectrum website was a bouyant and well respected home for all Speccy fans, and anyone else who was curious about the rubber keyed wonder. Now, sensible people avoid it.

Even with all of the apparent issues in the Speccy community there is certainly enough going on for at least a bi-monthly printed matter periodical to launch. There is an abundance of new Spectrum software; there is the Omni platform and several other popular clones; there is the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next; and there are loads of emulators to choose from. And now, at a good price point, TheSpectrum is happening just in time for Christmas 2024. And although I find it odd that computering and gaming magazines still exist in printed form, people certainly seem to want them. Your Sinclair, with it's vibrant and rich history, with its mix of gaming and humour, and being crap (in a funky skillo sort of way) is what I think is needed right now, isn't it? Although, getting the tone of YS right may be a tough ask. But it's been done once before. Bring on issue 95 for a Spec-chums reunion for us old gals and geezers. You all know that you need this in your life again.

^[1] I know since this time, there has been a lot of new 8-bit games, and one might consider today to be a second commercial era for many 8-bit computers.

A small note, this is my 50th published blog post. Huzzah!

THEC64 is back on Amazon UK

After the announcement of TheSpectrum by Retro Games Ltd (RGL) et al, Amazon UK has THEC64 Classic edition back in stock.

THEC64, an excellent recreation of the famous and well loved Commodore C64 home computer, is back on Amazon.co.uk again, proving my earlier conjecture as just that. What do I know anyway? It is currently retailing at £119.99p, and according to some reports on some social media sites, this can be shipped to North America, where there seems to be some interest in procuring these systems.

Whilst this recreation of the C64 has a slightly imperfect keyboard according to some purists, that is from a purely aesthetic point of view of course (it's actually pretty good to type on), it is packed with 64 pretty well recieved games (of course, those might not be your favourites). If you update to the latest firmware, you will get a more complete experience. The latest version of THEC64 [firmware] includes support for the powerful Commodore RAM Expansion Unit, can use any USB mouse as a 1351 mouse, and will support many Four Player adapted and modified games. One favourite of mine is IK+ Gold, which allows three humans to compete in this Karate chopping classic. IK+ was developed by the late, great Archer MacLean, who sadly passed on 17th December 2022 (RIP).

Initially, my conjecture was that RGL's THE400 Mini was competing in a similar consumer space to THEC64 as they are fairly similar machines from the same era or generation (roughly) of the home computing revolution.

THEC64, with it's working keyboard and 64 included games already has many of the best Atari XE/XL games available for it, and many more titles too. This made THEC64 look much better value than THE400 Mini, especially when you add in that THEC64 can also play nearly all (if not all) VIC-20 games as well. So, more games, emulating a comparable computer from the same era of home computing, and two systems in one for not much more money. Bargain! But it seemed like it was slowly being discontinued to make some space for THE400 Mini.

What I think has now got THEC64 back into production is the announcement and pre-orders for TheSpeccy. Although many may not know it in North America, the C64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum platforms were [some may say] fierce competitors in the UK in the 1980s. Clearly, a lot of people have already added TheSpectrum to their Christmas lists for 2024, but this isn't a mini console with a cosmetic, non-working keyboard. It is complete with a fully working keyboard including the rather curious one touch BASIC keyword entry system. Seeing the orders stack up for one system from RGL has very likely reignited interest in the other. Of course, THEC64 Mini has always been available, as far as I can tell, but that doesn't have a working keyboard out of the box. All I want now is for a flamewar to start with endless arguments over which is better... THEC64 or TheSpectrum. Of course, we all know the answer to that one, don't we?