Classic Replay

From iPads to wafer-thin laptops, home computers (in one form or another) are today commonplace. But when did we first embrace this technology? Tom Lean, the author of Electronic Dreams: How 1980s Britain Learned to Love the Computer , investigates… In the early 1980s computers invaded British homes for the first time, a wave of cheap and futuristic devices that allowed millions of people to discover for themselves what a computer was. These fantastic machines, like the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Acorn Electron and Commodore 64, promised to make computing user-friendly for the first time. They were expected to reveal the wonders of information technology to the masses, and bring about a revolution in homes, schools, and workplaces. But to what extent did the electronic dreams these machines were sold on actually come true? What impact did home computers have on our lives in the 1980s? Read the full article here: http://www.historyextra.com/article/history-1980s-home-computer-boom-b...

Dave Needle, an important figure in the computer and video game industries who designed three different hardware releases, has died. Needle died last Friday of natural causes  according to   RJ Mical, a longtime friend and former business partner. Needle was instrumental in creating the first Amiga personal computer, known as the Amiga 1000. The Amiga first released in July 1985. While Microsoft was developing its new Windows operating system for PCs and Apple was further establishing itself with the first “Macintosh,” Commodore’s original Amiga was considered ahead of its time because of its almost unrivaled and ground-breaking multitasking abilities along with advanced sound, video graphics and multimedia features. Read more here: http://quarterdisorder.com/2016/02/23/dave-needle-original-amiga-engineer-and-creator-of-the-atari-lynx-and-3do-dies/

Ground Zero is a game that has kept me captivated since its release, it's taken me years to complete, of which I am highly embarrassed. So, after decades of trying, I've finally beaten it. It wasn't easy either, take too much time and you die of radiation poising, go too quickly, and you run out of energy. Everything is against you, and you only have thirty minutes to diffuse a nuclear bomb! One of Tynesoft's finest games, shame more didn't exist like this. Video available here, just click play...

My #‎C4CPC Blank Cartridge cover arrived today, on my Birthday. Total cost £10, but that's because postage is really high. I had to file a few things down to get it to fit, but on the whole, it's a worthwhile project, and to say I'm happy with it, is an understatement. None of this would have been possible, without the help of the guys from the CPC Community.  So, you want a 3D Cartridge to house your C4CPC, well, the best place to get started, is head over to CPCwiki, there you will find a page with a complete list of games and applications that are available, and any new developments in the design, or update for the C4CPC cart.  Games available, can be found at:  http://cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Converted_GX4000_games   Information on the 3D Design of the cart can be found here: http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/amstrad-cpc-hardware/c4c4c-3d-printed-cartridge/msg120726/#msg120726 The above links will help to get you started, and the second link, ...

Processor: ARM SOC  Memory: 16MB SD RAM Storage: 64MB Flash Storage Website: http://retro-computers.co.uk/vega/ What's it all about: It was originally produced by Retro Computers as part of a crowdfunded idea to produce a ZX Spectrum clone, that could connect directly to any TV set. Many people have likened it to the DTV64. The difference being that the Vega includes 1000 games and a hardware specific interface, built into the circuit board that allows for future software upgrades. Chris Smith developed the Vega, a former Speccy developer, for his sins.  The good bits: It runs nearly every game I've thrown at it, TAP files included. It's an all-in-one solution that plugs nicely into your telly, using composite or SCART (additional SCART connector needed). The build quality isn't as bad as what others have made out, it looks and feels alright to me. The menu system looks basic in design, but it actually works really well, and there's really cool music play...

Company: Acorn  Model: Archimedes  Was it any good?  Acorn first released the 300 and 400 series of 32bit RISC technology in 1987. These early models used what’s known as the ’Arthur OS’, but was later replaced and renamed to the newer developed RISC OS 2.  The 8MHz ARM 2 was about 25x faster than the BBC B, 15x faster than an original PC and 6x faster than a PC AT on benchmarks.  On performance alone, Archie had the Atari ST, and even the mighty Amiga well beat. The CPU uses the wonderful ARM chip, which is still in use today. What’s that? It only has one hardware sprite? Who cares! Especially when you have this much processing power! Resolutions available range from 320 x 256 or 640 x 256 with normal monitors, but higher resolutions are possible. There’s a colour palette of 4096 available, with 256 available on screen, depending upon resolution. Models such as the 310 included (1MB), 3000 (512K), 410 (1MB), 420 (2MB) and 440 (Includes 4mb Ram and...

Regardless of the generation, this is still, the best place for a fight! Capcoms second game was a completely different beast when compared to its low-key predecessor. I felt the original was highly unplayable, especially the 8bit versions, but it was the graphics, animation and control scheme that all felt somewhat ancient.      With a huge array of options, the game’s overall priority remains focused on drawing you into the fight, as quickly as possible. The glitz, glam, and slick presentation spill over into every aspect of the game. This makes it easy to sift through the multiple game modes, and more importantly, the two player option. I couldn’t believe Capcom included twelve potential fighters, and even though I never managed to unlock three or four, Bison being one of them, the more I played, it was quickly evident that each and every challenger exhibited different strengths and weaknesses, and a unique style of play.    As for the look an...