10/12 Top-10 ZX Spectrum Games

[GameGavel]

Hey blokes, the October show is being sewn together by UK Mike so in the meantime, why not check out our picks for Top-10 ZX Speccy Games. This was a challenging one for Scotty and myself as we didn't grow up playing any of these games so based a lot of this on which games look like they would have held our attention back in the day if we grew up on the other side of the pond. Combined with videos and some emulated game play and I think we made some pretty good choices.

UK of course was the expert on all of this and picked some Speccy fav's too!

It was fun researching for this Top-1o and we found out there were literally tons of worthy games to be included in this list and that the Speccy was a very capable gaming machine that had its own style that wasn't really matched anywhere else.

[Jammajup]

AWESOME!!!!....my heart lies with the Speccy and it is my fav retro computer.There are some interesting games in your top 10 and looking at them Jet Pac and Ant Attack were the first two Zx games i ever played,and along with Atic Atac,JSW and Knightlore would most likely be in my own Top 10.Skool Daze was technically creative and it was amazing being able to interact and write on the Blackboards,etc (sorry chalkboards) but i found the game a little boring.My vote for this forum poll was not easy having to choose from 5 of my own fav games on the list but i managed to finally decide on Atic Atac just over JSW which was a close second,i am a JSW / Mathew Smith fan and despite Jestset`s problems like death loops and the conservative roof / attic bugs the game was still very enjoyable.
I am going to put my neck on the chopping block and say Dalek Attack and Where time stood still out! and although i reckon Skool Daze will do better in your final top 10 than it would in mine i predict....
1./ Atic Atac
2./ Jetset Willy
3./ Knighlore
4./ Jetpac
5./ Ant Attack
6./ Skool Daze
7./ Head Over Heels
8./ Lotus Turbo Challenge
9./ Smash T.V
10./ Sim City

OUT=
Dalek Attack
Where time stood still

[retroshaun]

Loved me some Jet Pac. Loved it even more on the Vic 20, despite having lots less levels. Quite an achievement for the Vic. Lotus was excellent but thats a game that should only ever be played on the Amiga

[Tan Coul]

Yeah, I'd probably vote for the older games here, as the likes of Smash TV and Lotus, while impressive given the Speccy's capabilities, still played better on the 16-bits at the time. Where is Quazatron in all this, though? Definitely worth a top 10 place.

[SepticLemon]

Hard pick... As Jet Pac and Jet Set Willy are my favourite Speccy games...

But I needed up picking Jet Pac, just because it was UltimatePlayTheGame's first game and I really like it!

Jet Set Willy would've got the vote if it wasn't so damn hard! lol!

[lizardb0y]

Here are my picks, in rough order:

1. Jetpac - From "Ultimate Play the Game," the first smooth arcade quality game I saw on the ZX Spectrum.
2. Jet Set Willy - An addictive platformer that I found hard as hell and never got anywhere with.
3. Starion - 3D wireframe game similar to Elite, but with simplified gameplay. I played this one to completion.
4. Sabre Wulf - A smooth maze explorer with beautiful large graphics and great sound for the Speccy
5. 3D Deathchase - A 3D, first person motorcycle game in 16K, with fast paced racing through a forest. Quite an eye opener at the time.
6. Knight Lore - another "Ultimate Play The Game" maze explorer title, featuring 3D isometric graphics.
7. Ant Attack - A stunning shaded 3D isometric game
8. Head over Heels - A 3D isometric maze explorer (from Ocean this time) with a twist; you can swap between two characters, each with different abilities.
9. Lords of Midnight - A complex adventure/war strategy game with graphics, by the late Mike Singleton.
10. Deus Ex machina - A bizarre game from eccentric publisher Automata, with an interesting twist; the cassette B side contained the soundtrack for the game, a strange recording starring big UK names like Jon Pertwee, Ian Dury and Frankie Howerd.

[Green Bert]

Wow - fantastic Top 10. Looking forward to hearing this one.
My top 4 picks would be;
1. Jetpac - first game that made me wish I had a ZX Spectrum and felt like playing a 'proper' arcade game.
2. Nodes of Yesod - fantastic underground arcade adventure. The first game I remember mapping.
3. 3D Starstrike - blew me away as it felt like taking controls of an X-Wing fighter in Star Wars. Nothing on the C64 came close to this.
4. Skool Daze - the open-ended free roaming nature of this felt revolutionary - you could play the game to try to hit all the sheilds or just have fun going around punching kids and scrawling naughty words on the blackboard. Epic stuff.

[eldphm]

l remember playing ''who dares wins II" on the ZX at my friends house until I literally puked.
I liked it alot, just wish that we had a chance to play more of the listed games at the time.

[retromash]

Fantastic to see a Speccy Top 10 here and great to here So Cal Mike and Scott are enjoying delving into the rich history of the ZX Spectrum. This is the system I cut my teeth on and is certainly the one I am most nostalgic about. Heck, I've got one up on my wall! Began on the rubber keyed Speccy 48k but then moved on to the Spectrum 128k +2 with the built in tape deck. The games are still extremely playable too even now. Incredible how they squeezed that much gameplay into so few bytes and in many cases programming it all in their bedrooms. Jet Pac is by far the best game on the poll above but here is my personal Top 10.

1. ELITE - Best game ever on any system. Lost so many hours to this game. Huge almost infinite universe in 3D. And only in 48k. Stunning.
2. JET PAC - So smooth. Incredible physics for such an early game. Perfect gameplay.
3. STARQUAKE - The first game I attempted to map. Fantastic fun. Very well designed.
4. KNIGHT LORE - The isometric 3D was incredible at the time, even though Ant Attack had kind of done it before. Classic 'Ultimate Play The Game'
5. MANIC MINER - This gets a spot ahead of Jet Set Willy because it was the first and probably the most famous Speccy game. Pixel perfect jumping in what can actually be a very challenging game.
6. IK+ - Great martial arts game. 3 player mode was awesome. Almost as awesome as pressing 'T' in the middle of a game.
7. DALEY THOMPSON'S DECATHLON - Legendary game for a legendary man. Inspired hugely by Track & Field and Hyper sports and bizarrely with a white Daley Thompson
8. WHEELIE - Don't think I've seen a game like this one since. Very unique game with great gameplay and sound. And random giant hedgehogs
9. TARGET RENEGADE - Realistic scrolling fighter for the time. Picking up knives and kneeing foes in the groin. Ah, those were the days.
10. BRUCE LEE - Simple action but great fun.

HONORARY MENTIONS...

AUF WIEDERSEHEN MONTY
TREASURE ISLAND DIZZY
LITTLE COMPUTER PEOPLE
STARGLIDER
TLL
PENETRATOR

[Jammajup]

It is difficult for me to create a definite Top 10 of my own fav Zx spectrum games as i still play many today,but this morning i decided to give it a go and i quickly made a list of games i still can load up and enjoy today and there were exactly 31!,i then had to reduce this to 10.So here they are but i feel strongly about all of them so if i may i would like to mention the other 21 as honorable mentions and i know it is going to be lenghtly but i love the Speccy and feel the designers of these games really deserve them being mentioned.
1. Halls Of The Things (Crystal)
2. Wriggler (Devonshire House)
3. Atic Atac (Ultimate)
4. Jet Pac (Ultimate)
5. Knightlore (Ultimate)
6. Elite (Firebird)
7. Sabre Wulf (Ultimate)
8. Jetset Willy (Software Projects)
9. Cyclone (Vortex)
10. The Hobbit (Melbourne House)

Honorable:-Nodes Of Yesod,Manic Miner,Scuba Dive,Turbo Esprit,Trashman,JSW II,The Warlock Of Firetop Mountain,Ant Attack,
Jack The Nipper II,The Pyramid,The Alchemist,Android 2,H.E.R.O,Twin Kingdom Valley,Boulder Dash,Booty,Wanted Monty Mole,The Way Of Exploding Fist,Bruce Lee,Gun Fright,Wheelie.