A Month With... The Spectrum (Full Retrospective and Review)

Something I've been waiting for since it was announced - The Spectrum by Retro Games Ltd. is a faithful recreation of the 1980's classic ZX Spectrum.
When I unboxed this beauty a month ago - I was so excited to get back into the world of Sinclair Spectrum gaming so how was it after a month? Did it love it up to the hype - was I transported back to the 1980's?
Also in this video - I took a look at the Documentary film - "The Rubber Keyed Wonder", which I can definitely recommend checking out if you're interested in this amazing slice of Retro gaming and technology history... (Movie Trailer included for good measure!).
What were your memories of the ZX Spectrum? Have you managed to purchase your own "The Spectrum" - let me know in the comments below...

[@RetroEdUK]

Really enjoyed this one! I’ve recently picked one up and am looking forward to giving it a go. Definitely agreed that a desk is the must have approach for playing them. Some great channel plans too (master system 😍). Have a great weekend.

[@piecesof8-bit]

Thanks so much!! You won't regret it... such a lot of fun!

[@retroimportgamer513]

I think it's a fantastic device a great tribute to the original Works fantastically well and once you add more games it's brilliant I can't see myself using my original anymore, can't fault it personally 👍

[@piecesof8-bit]

Totally on the same page - Retro Games have truly outdone themselves this time!

[@steve36207]

Ive never been into the speccy andi buddy, im sure i played on one at a mates house back in the day, or it might of been a c64 😂 some of the games look great though and i defo missed out. It looks a great bit of kit. I need to watch that documentary as i was getting into it from the bits you showed 😂 now then.... next month.... oh yes the master system i cant wait to see the review 😊 theres so many great games on there bud, i always say if you look at the top 10 vids on youtube r There will be about 5 games thats nornally on every list but there's a great mixture with the other games 😊

[@piecesof8-bit]

Oh yeah definitely check out the documentary - you might just end up being tempted! As for next (this) month, it had to be the Master System right... it's nice, because it's not something I've really had much time with. If there are some games you reckon I should pick up - do let me know. i have a few classics, Sonic 1 and 2, Shinobi, Airwolf, Prince of Persia to name a few... oh and Wonder Boy III - but not sure what the must haves should be...

[@gullpayne]

Never played one but I love to hear the music and sounds of it

[@piecesof8-bit]

@@gullpayne they were great and they had a real charm too - despite being less powerful that their contemporaries, many of us started gaming on the Speccy… so they’ll always have a place in our hearts. I think that appeal is going to be to a narrow audience - but that narrow audience is super pumped about it! 😂

[@rick12373]

I already have The Recreated ZX Spectrum which was released in around 2017. It is just a Blue Tooth keyboard though. It is very well made and a faithful recreation. I use it with an emulator and if recreates the retro feeling well. So, I have no need for this but I sounds like a great bit of kit. I also have the C64 Maxi which is also awesome.

[@piecesof8-bit]

@@rick12373 that’s a good shout with a Bluetooth keyboard. That’d be great paired with a Raspberry Pi units!! The c64 maxi is VERY tempting, I love the mini, but it misses the keyboard. I reckon the full size Amiga will be cool too - although, as I have an original Amiga with a Gotek… that might just not be necessary for me! 😂

[@its-artificial-ai]

Cannot say I have ever seen an original spectrums key top wear out...The internal membrane can break, but keytops are usually still perfect decades on. Its only a superficial recreation of the spectrum, mainly for gaming purposes. It does feel similar to a real one, even the weight, but that is due to them doing the same thing that con artists on wish do with electronics, they have put in metal blocks as weights inside... in this case at least its not a con, just a thoughtful gesture to make it feel a bit more real. Remember Clive did not even want this to be just a gaming machine, it rather annoyed him that it was being used just as a gaming machine. He went to the trouble of including an expansion port (the edge connector) so you could plug in peripherals as diverse as the microdrive, to joystick interfaces, I/O control, printers, speech synthesisers and more.. This edge connector, a vital part of the original is completely omitted in this fake recreation, that was advertised as being everything the spectrum used to be? Seems like its really not, its just what Clive Sinclair hated it being...A games machine. For the techy people, it does not come with the original licenced roms, you can put your own on, but as standard - its not a spectrum, its a clone with a non binary compatible rom. Even the basic does not run at the same speed for certain things, either of which can ruin the retro experience or cause incompatibility unless you change to using original roms. The company has also made it clear that if you brick your machine during a firmware upgrade that you will be on your own, which is pretty lousy customer service, and indicative to me of a terrible design. Just my opinion of course, your average person will probably love it as they wont notice its problems. They will likely have fun unlocking the extra hidden games.

[@piecesof8-bit]

Some great points in there - I was always aware of Sir Clive’s push back on the concept of gaming. Having watched the documentary - it struck me that it was more about the whole concept of software that he was against, he was hyper focused on the hardware and that the software would take care of itself. An interesting take I’d not appreciated before. I think as a device for 2024 - as you say, for many of us - it’s the beauty of having a device that looks and feels close to the real thing with the modern conveniences that is appealing to the masses. I was a kid back then, so despite it not being developed as a gaming machine, that’s what so many of us associate with it. So this is a great way of playing on that infamous keyboard and playing those incredible games. And despite Sir Clive’s views, it was the gaming that really helped to sell the machine and that also helped kickstart the industry in the UK… I totally get that this won’t be for enthusiasts… I totally get it… I do have a lot of original hardware myself (for example A500+) and an A500 mini as well. The latter is a great show piece - the former will always be my go to of if I want the REAL authentic experience! Thanks for watching 😊