Classic Gaming - #1

(Frankie) #1
Even by the standards of the day, the
ZX Spectrum was no powerhouse. The
base model started at a measly 16KB
RAM, it had a basically incapable 16
colour graphic output, one-channel
sound and a rubber keyboard with a
frankly undesirable layout.
But what it lacked in finesse, it more
than made up for in charm. Charm, and
a highly competitive price point, hitting
retail in Britain at just £125. While the
Speccy, as it was affectionately known,
would fail to displace the Commodore
64 as the 8-bit computer of choice in
North America, it won the hearts of the
public in its native Britain.
In bringing reasonably-priced
computing to the masses, the Spectrum
also created a generation of coders,

gamers and enthusiasts like no other
system did before or has since, and the
humble system has been credited for
launching the UK IT industry.
A side-benefit of the system inspiring
so many coders is that it gave the
Speccy a truly fearsome library of
games – over 23,000 at last count (and
we’re refusing to do a recount). We
haven’t seen another system with the
variety of the Spectrum’s since, and it
meant that although the rival C64 and
Amstrad CPC computers had more
juice in their tank, the Spectrum was
the computer of choice for the gaming
connoisseur. In that sense, it wasn’t just
coding that the Spectrum taught; it also
taught many an owner to stand up for
themselves in the playground...

The rubber-keyed wonder that launched the careers of


hundreds of budding game developers


SPECTRUM


With its rainbow streak
and distinctive rubber
keys, the ZX Spectrum
was unmistakeable.
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