If you’re old enough to have been playing games in the 80s or have a yearning for something classically retro, this could just be your product of the year.
Back in the early days, award-winning Elite Systems was one of the most renowned names in home computing thanks to its work on titles such as Ghosts ‘n Goblins and Paperboy.
It came to the fore again in 2010 when it released a collection of ZX Spectrum games playable on iOS devices, although that project sadly ran into some difficulties.
Fortunately Elite is back again, having persevered with a Kickstarter-funded project that’s taken it in a different direction.
Elite has just realised a new piece of hardware. Well, I say new but that’s only half true – it’s a new product but it’s most definitely not new in spirit, since it takes gamers right back to the good old days.
The piece of kit of a lovingly crafted re-creation of the original Speccy, the platform on which Elite achieved success in the 80s and the device that sparked my affection for gaming and technology that has lasted to this day.
I was lucky enough to have one of the Recreated ZX Spectrums to play with ahead of its release. Here are my impressions:
Look, feel and set-up
A huge wave of nostalgia washed over me during the unboxing of my ‘new’ Speccy. I was instantly transported straight back to the early 80s, feeling the same excitement and wonder I remember as a little boy when my family bought the original version of the weird but brilliant little computer.
With the exception of the newer buttons and sockets on the back, the Recreated ZX Spectrum looks and feels almost identical.
It’s got the same sort of finish as the original and is the same size, with the same famous rainbow flash, the same keyboard layout and most importantly, the same rubber keys as the original. Tapping away on those keys for the first time brought another rush of childhood memories back.
Thirty years has done wonders for the set-up process – a mains adaptor is no longer needed nor is a tape player, so no more cassettes are killed during loading! That said, getting the device to work wasn’t entirely without its difficulties – at least for me. I somehow managed to get one of the two AA rechargeable batteries required stuck in their compartment, which resulted in me having to get a screwdriver out to perform some surgery on the device. Hopefully this problem is unique to me.
Once I’d got the batteries installed and overcome the fright of thinking I’d broken the thing already, the rest of the set-up was a breeze. All I needed to do was make sure I had the companion app installed on my iPad and paired the two devices up through Bluetooth. As well as iPad, you can also run the Recreated ZX Spectrum through iPhone, Android tablets and phones and Mac/PC, as well as stream it to your telly if you’ve got Apple TV or Google Chromecast.
Once I was up and running it was game time.
Games
The Recreated Speccy has a couple of different purposes, the other one of which I’ll get to later – but really the only thing I’m interested in it for is games. I long to be able to play all the vintage titles I remember so fondly. In this regard, the device doesn’t fully deliver on release but does show a lot of promise.
The companion app provides access to around 40 games, many of them free and others requiring a small purchase to unlock. They are a mixed bunch – some familiar (such as Jet Set Willy and Chuckie Egg), some I recall but never actually played and others I’ve just never heard of.
Out of the dozen or so I’ve tried so far, there are some I like better than others and some that have stood the test of time better than others.
What they have in common is that they are all perfectly playable through the Recreated device. The games load almost instantly (it’s a bit weird not having to sit through the five minutes of screeching and beeping that used to soundtrack the loading process) and then they run very smoothly.
The keyboard controls have been completely manageable and responsive – there’s actually a certain old-world charm to reverting back to key controls after years of using console controllers and touchscreens, and joysticks during the latter days of my original Spectrum playing.
What I love about all the games I’ve played are the sight of those gorgeous authentic 8-bit graphics again and the sound of all those instantly recognisable Speccy noises.
Sadly none of the games that I consider to be Spectrum classics – Jetpac, Tranz Am, Horace Goes Skiing and Atic Atac to name but a few – are currently available, but the developers of the Recreated ZX Spectrum are pledging more games will be added in future updates and the platform will be available to third parties.
It will be crucial that many more titles are made available so the device becomes a credible gaming portal with more than just retro novelty value.
There’s another console coming soon called the Sinclair Spectrum Vega. It plugs into TV sets rather than working with smartphones/tablets, and it looks nothing like the original Spectrum – but it claims to come with 1,000 games built in, and that’s the kind of competition the Recreated device is up against.
The Recreated device absolutely nails the look and feel of what a replica ZX Spectrum should be but will it be more than a gimmick when it comes to games? Time will tell but the signs are very encouraging. Elite co-founder Steve Wilcox told me: “We foresee a couple of hundred of the very best names in Spectrum games being available by the turn of the year or soon after.”
Other functionality
The Recreated ZX Spectrum’s other big use is as a Bluetooth keyboard. So if you weren’t around in the days of the original Speccy or you’re not interested in playing games, it’s still a very good bit of hardware with a lot of retro chic appeal.
It’s claimed to be the only keyboard with which fast / ‘twitch’ games can be played on iOS devices. Modern games such as Minecraft can be controlled via the keyboard, which is a pretty cool function.
As well as being used wirelessly with mobile devices (or wired with a computer if you rather) for regular emailing, word processing and other button-pushing duties, the Recreated Spectrum can also be used to write Basic code – so you can do everything from revelling at turning the border of your screen magenta to trying to program your own games.
Overall
After nearly 30 years being able to play some – for now, hopefully lots more in the future – ZX Spectrum games again on something that so closely resembles the original computer is an absolute delight.
The Recreated device is much more than a mere trip down Memory Lane though. It’s also a useful bit of kit that serves a prupose as a modern accessory.
It’s a great blend of old meets new.
Developing the Recreated ZX Spectrum has been a long labour of love for the developers who have had a rough ride at times, but their efforts have been worth it.
The Recreated ZX Spectrum is out now priced £99.95, available from Elite and various retailers
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