Our anniversary - 15 years of SPECCY!
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To the 57th anniversary of Sir Clive Miles Sinclair's birth... DEDICATED...
Dear users, coders, gfx and music makers, system programmers, hackers, and everyone... The year 1997 has arrived: a significant and long-awaited year! It is in 1997 that our beloved Speccy turns a whopping FIFTEEN YEARS OLD! What other computer in the world (besides AMIGA) can boast such a long life?! Practically none. And this life, fortunately, is far from over; on the contrary, the latest improvements have breathed new life into our "Spectrum": firstly, new "Spectrums" such as "Scorpion," "ATM-Turbo," and "Profi"; secondly, the development of new sound "add-ons," such as the St. Petersburg "GENERAL SOUND" (see ZX-F#5); and thirdly, the possibility of connecting a standard modem to Speccy and accessing the INTERNET is currently being worked on! Can you imagine the possibilities that will open up then! I can tell you in secret that the well-known programmer NICODIM, both in Russia and abroad, plans to tackle the issue of connecting Speccy to the Internet right after releasing his "Legend of Kyrandia" (the hitch is the lack of a system connector on Romina's "Pentagon")...
And to completely blow the minds of Speccy fans, I recommend reading "ZX-Format" #5, the "hardware" section, the article "Project 'Transformer'" (section "KAY"): what do you say about a SPECTRUM with a 33 MHz clock frequency!?! All thanks to the new Z-180 processor (although the well-known "hardware" expert from Rybinsk, Yu. V. Khripko, believes it would be more sensible to use the Z-280 processor)...
This computer will be fully compatible with older models but will have better graphics and sound (4-channel General sound) compared to the old Speccy. ...And now let's close our eyes and remember those sweet moments when we, or rather each of us, acquired or assembled our first "Spectrum"... Remembered? Surely, it was the 48th "Leningrad-1" or something similar... Remember how we listened with what feeling to the howling and screeching of a game loading from a tape recorder (most likely some kind of "Electronika-302-1") like "BATTY" or "WDW-2"... That was true bliss! Personally, I took almost masochistic pleasure in loading a masterpiece like "TARGET RENEGADE" for half an hour, only to realize that I didn't want to beat up the poor thugs; after that, I would load "TO-MAHAWK," and the same story would repeat... Well, hasn't that ever happened to you? If not, then you probably never had a decent Spectrum at all. A true spectromist will never forget what a "Tape loading error" is in the middle of loading a game he searched for six months and always remembers the difference between "TF-copy" and "Taper"... So, have you not yet shed a tear from the wave of nostalgia and longing for your "barefoot childhood"? Surely someone jumped up with a sob to the old, copper-bound chest, pulled out a dusty, naphthalene-soaked (to prevent moths and viruses from eating it) Spectrum-48, and tenderly pressed it to their chest like a beloved girl... Alright, guys, stop it, or I might start tearing up myself. Let's better mentally transport ourselves to later times; more precisely, to the early 90s, when disk drives began to spread...
I can assume that for most it looked like this: you went to a friend's house, saw a disk drive (I can't stand the harmful imported word "flopper"), marveled at the loading speed, sighed, and went home to your tape drive. You sat down, went to bed, and in your dreams, you saw that you had a disk drive! Well, at that point, whether you want to or not, you have to start saving up. But when you finally bought one, you walked around for a week like a birthday boy, showing it off and praising it. And your friends agreed, went home, sat down at their tape drives, and went to bed... Well, in general, experts in atomic physics and chain reactions will understand me...
And now, finally, we have arrived at the present time. What do we see now? For many, it's not just two disk drives, but they will also hang a hard drive, a 3.5-inch drive (or even two... It must be cool to have drives A, B, C, and D, right?). And some misguided gentlemen (in a good sense) are even stuffing SPECCY into an iBM case (and they are right to do so). And how much has the software changed compared to the old imports... Of course, our gamemakers have not yet fully reached the level of Pete Cook, but I believe that everything is ahead. Just in the last two or three years, such remakes of popular games on other platforms as "PRINCE OF PERSIA," "MORTAL COMBAT," "DOOM" (!), "DUNE" have appeared on SPECCY; currently, "LEGEND OF KYRANDIA" is in the works; and there have been pure Spectrum hits like "Star Legacy." And the super-popular "UFO: Enemy Unknown" and "UFO-2: Abyss Devils" are not exact copies of iBM games...
In conclusion, I will add, and I hope I will not be alone in my opinion, that SPECCY is and will remain in the history of mankind as the computer that won a place in the heart of everyone who used it even once and did not treat it as a cheap toy. I sincerely hope that we will celebrate the 20th, 30th anniversaries of SPECCY, and that they will not be the last (may all the "PC enthusiasts" choke with rage at their "P.C."). Happy anniversary, SPECCY, and happy holidays, friends!!!
Contents of the publication: Adventurer #06
- Presentation
This is an introduction novel for the game Return to Home 4, featuring space battles and a narrative about pilot Raifus navigating challenges in a military context.
- Presentation
The article presents K.KAV software's new game 'DEATH WORLDS: TORISTAG INVADERS RETURN TO HOME 5', a real-time strategy continuation of 'RTHЧ'. Players will battle against competitors on resource-rich planets while managing technology and military forces. The game's projected release is between late spring and summer of 1997.
- System Software Updates for ZX Spectrum - Котов А.В.
The article reviews various software updates and utilities for ZX Spectrum, highlighting their features, usability, and performance. It provides insight into programming tools, disk management, and database applications. The tone blends critique and personal experience to inform readers about the latest developments in Spectrum software.
- Overview of ZX Spectrum Software
The article provides a comprehensive overview of new software for ZX Spectrum, highlighting various games, their features, and recommendations for players.
- Interface
Discussion of the ZX Spectrum's interface issues and user frustrations with compatibility and modern enhancements. The author critiques the push for users to modify their machines for non-standard features and expresses dissatisfaction with current trends. Reflection on the future of the ZX Spectrum and the need for a more vibrant community involvement.
- Interface
The article discusses feedback from readers regarding games and programming tools for ZX Spectrum. It includes cheat codes for a game, opinions on assemblers, and insights into user preferences for computing. Various reader inquiries about games and software are also addressed.
- Interface
The article discusses issues surrounding the OVER FILE GROUP, a game developer known for mail-order sales, and the impact on user trust in software distribution. It also raises the question of whether to transition the magazine to 128K ONLY, seeking reader feedback. The piece reflects on the importance of user support for maintaining a trusted gaming community.
- Interface
The article discusses recent news in the ZX Spectrum community, including game development updates, personal news about developers, and local happenings in the Rybinsk and Yaroslavl areas.
- Presentation
The article presents new software releases by SURDAKAR GROUP, including a demo of ROAD FIGHTER and updates on FONT EDITOR and RAY DISK MONITOR.
- Promotion of Adventure Games
The article provides a detailed analysis of the adventure games 'APOLLO' and 'ЧУЖОЙ', evaluating their gameplay, challenges, and shortcomings in design.
- Ottyag
Discussion of computer slang and its impact on modern language, highlighting humorous interactions among users.
- Оттяг
The article presents a humorous collection of absurd lists, including reasons for dinosaur extinction, alternative names for Robinson Crusoe's Friday, and more.
- Ottyag
The article presents a test for aspiring demo makers, assessing their skills and commitment to demo creation on the ZX Spectrum. It evaluates their approaches to music, graphics, effects, and their overall engagement with the demo scene. Results determine their standing from novice to expert in the demoscene community.
- What Not to Say or Do When Drunk
The article provides humorous advice on what to avoid saying or doing when drunk, based on personal anecdotes. It emphasizes the consequences of poor decisions and offers cautionary tips. The content is lighthearted and reflects on typical drunken behaviors and their repercussions.
- Friendship Quiz
The article presents a humorous quiz about friendship, evaluating how friends would react in various social scenarios, culminating in a scoring system to assess the depth of one’s friendships.
- Ottag
Статья представляет собой сборник китайских пословиц с юмористическим подтекстом, отражающих различные аспекты жизни и отношений. Она сочетает в себе элементы сатиры и легкого фольклора, используя ироничные наблюдения о человеческом поведении. Текст включает в себя аллюзии на сексуальность, настольные игры и религиозные вопросы.
- Оттяг
Статья представляет собой пародийное евангелие, где события жизни Иисуса Христа изображаются в неформальном и юмористическом ключе.
- Experience Sharing
The article provides a detailed guide on creating a complete disk version of a program for ZX Spectrum, including code examples and practical advice.
- Experience Exchange
The article provides a comparative analysis of the PC and Amiga platforms, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages based on personal experience.
- Experience Exchange
The article discusses the existence and behavior of computer viruses on the ZX Spectrum, particularly the BASIC file infecting virus known as 'Drunken Djinn', first seen in the game Last Battle.
- Code Protection Methods
The article discusses various methods of software code protection, detailing techniques like inversion masking, obfuscation, P-code, cryptographic algorithms, and the use of ISR. Each method is evaluated for effectiveness and application, particularly within the ZX Spectrum environment. The author invites further information and collaboration on information security methods.
- Anniversary
The article celebrates the sixth issue of 'ADVENTURER,' marking one year since the founding of the AURYN group. It reflects on the past year for the Speccy community, including the emergence of new programs and the first demomakers' gathering in the CIS. The author expresses hope for the future of Speccy and encourages readers to support and promote the platform.
- Anniversary
Article celebrates the 15th anniversary of the Spectrum, reflecting on its enduring legacy and recent developments in hardware and software.
- Novella
The article narrates a novella centered on a covert mission involving a programmer named Gerald O'Brien, who is hired by a drug lord called Swede to infiltrate a rival's computer network, leading to a thrilling sequence of espionage and violence.
- Contest
The article discusses a contest related to ZX Spectrum, showcasing submissions and participants' creativity.
- Advertisement
The article is an advertisement section in Adventurer #06, inviting hackers, programmers, artists, and musicians to contribute to the ZX Spectrum community. It outlines collaboration opportunities, offers specific requirements for software submissions, and includes contact information for advertising and game distribution. Additionally, it promotes a range of ZX Spectrum software and services available across various cities.
