Back when I was a little sprog, the world was divided into two: Commodore 64, or Sinclair Spectrum. I was a patriotic Sinclair man - the magazines made me feel really clever with there simple BASIC programmes that allowed me to convert celsius to fahrenheit, move a square around the screen using my keyboard, or even make the screen flash trippy COLOURS (the 'Spectrum' wasn't called spectrum for nowt ). And then there were the games...

ZX81



This was my first ever computer. It had a "touch sensitive keypad". I remember my next door neighbour used to program C64 games, convert them to Sinclair and let me test them.. another perk was that he'd give me crap to make my computing experience that much better. One such piece of crap was a keyboard convertor - essentially a keyboard with 'proper' keys into which I could insert my ZX81 and plug into it's interface. This allowed me to use the 'proper' keyboard rather than the "touch sensitive keypad." I think Sir Clive meant well with his inventions, but really he was a crap designer.

The 'computer' I had before this leap in technology was some sort of console with two turny-knob things. You could move a block up and down the TV screen in an attempt to deflect a 'ball' (pixel) away from your own 'goal' and into your opponents. To be able to play something like Centipede on my ZX81 was therefore like a virtual reality experience for me...



But the greatest ZX81 game of them all, was 3D Monster Maze. All the young spunks around here were raised on the CGI of Jurassic Park. Well, 3D Monster Maze was MY Jurassic Park, but MORE SCAREY. Look at this...



That's what happened if you f@cked up in 3D Monster Maze.

After about a year or so, the great Sir Clive decided it was time to upgrade, undoubtedly due to competition from Commodore.

ZX Spectrum 48K



Unfortunately around this time (2 years BPR, Before Purple Rain), the technology was going leaps and bounds, and while my buddies were being spoilt year after year with updated Spectrum models, this was to be my last home computer, until the advent of the Atari ST

I've highlighted the '48K' so that the young spunks can appreciate what life must have been like prior to Doom III, and the "recommended 1Gb RAM" ilk. Sir Clive was proud of his 48Kb achievement. Proud enough to include it in the name of this wonderful machine. And he had reason to be, because this 48Kb essentially turned the Spectrum into HAL. Not only did we get colours, but the games also heralded a new level of artificial intelligence, or at least an intelligence that could replace our own - it gave rise to a new level of addiction, and life replacement.

There were the bundled Sinclair games, whereby Clive teased us with the capabilities...



And then all hell broke loose in the programming world. My favourites are (can anybody name them?):









So did anybody else flirt with Sinclair's technology? What are your fondest memories? What are your bestest games?

If you had a Commodore then for the sake of discussion, what made it so special to you?
[Edited 3/30/05 4:35am]

* goes to fuck off *

Machaela said:

Damn it, if it means this thread floats then sure, I'll accept the input of an ex-Commodore user.

i remember the jetpack one - that was ace.

I too moved on from the Spectrum to the Commodore at some stage though.

The best game (i forget which computer it was on - and certainly more advanced & later than the 48k) was Ghouls n Ghosts.

TheFrog said:

Hmmmmm. So what was the reason for chnaging to Commodore? Was it just that they were better? Like I said, I had a 5 or 6 year hiatus from pooters until the Atari ST came out...that was the second great epoch of pooting, when the world was divided between Atari and Amiga

Wish i still had my commodore 64

Taureau said:

Splitter!

C64-heads were just so snobby about their inferior machine.

Actually, if I'm honest about it the C64 probably was a better machine, but there's just something about the Speccy.

I owe my career to Mr. Sinclair and his inventions - ever since my Dad came home with a ZX81 I've been hooked. I remember when we got the model 1 Spectrum thinking Wow, 16K! That's massive! (well, it was compared to the zx81).


My favourite Spectrum games are Jetpack, Arcadia, and (don't laugh) Horace and the Spiders, all of which I still play occasionally.

By the way, if you still have any old Sinclair kit - hold onto it - they've become collectables and are increasing in value.

AsylumUtopia said:

Yeah I still have mine, as well as it's box and styro-foam

commodore at home, my friend.

apple twos at school. those were the times. when floppy disks were actually floppy...

Heiress said:

The Amstrad PC1640 for me, circa 1986 !!

and yeah - truly floppy 'floppy disks' were great.

The formatting always went wrong for me though.

Taureau said:

i dunno - everyone had a Commodore and i've always been a total sheep.

Myself, I've never used one. I started w/TI-99/4A, then got Commodore Plus 4, Commodore 128, Amiga 500, (seconde) Amiga 500, Amiga 1200 (that covers the 80's).

But my cousin had like three or four Timex/Sinclair systems, and seemed to enjoy them...

My hubby still has his VIC20 and it works

I did the whole commodore through to amiga transition

i tried to explain to my daughter a few weeks ago how i used to play games on cassettes and cartridges she thought I was an alien

she then asked if they had tv when i was little

p0pRocks said:

Hmm I get the feeling I'm the only one that's so pumped over this computer nostalgia.

Hey did the Commodore tapes make the same noise as the Spectrum games when they loaded?

The Spectrum games kinda went...

"Brrrrrlrlllrlrl... PING! Brrrrrlllrlrlrrl... PLEEEEBLEEEEBLEEEEBLEEEEEBLEEEEEB!!!!!1 Brrrrrlrlrllr... PIIING! Brrrlrrlrlrr... PLEEEEEBLLEELEEEEEBLLEEEEEBLEEEEEBLEEEEEB ...3 minutes later... BLEEEEBBLLEEEEPLEEEEEB. R TAPE LOADING ERROR Fucksocks fucksock fucksock!! "

Taureau said:

they made an odd sound i doubt i could articulate it in such a wonderful way as you

I remember being envious of my mates who had C64s, we played 'California Games' all summer and outrun I think. I started with the BBC, then BBC Master etc. Went to a Atari XE which was a mix of console and home computer (a bit like the 65 / 800 series). Finally my brother got an Amiga 500, then 600 and I purchased a 1200 with a 64MB Hard disk (no more loading of the old workbench o/s via floppy disk). The Amiga was my first computer I viewed 'naughty' pictures on black & white all on 1 floppy disk

Taureau said:

Our BBC tapes made similiar noises, we used to copy them off the radio when they used to broadcast the programs!!! Copying games was so much easier as well just put a couple of tape records together.

I still play alot of old games via emulators etc and still have my Amiga 1200, games and stuff in the loft. I guess if I get it down it won't be as good as I remember.

g3ajg said:

What you mean they actually broadcast that "Brrrlrlrrll... PING!" on the radio??? You BBC Acorn folks were spoilt

if anyone is selling an amiga2000 lemme know i miss mine

Heiress said:

oh man, with the double floppy disk drives...that's how i got started with my love for computers, an apple IIe back in kindergarten....