The Spectrum Show EP 115

Welcome to Episode 115.
In this episode I check the SPDOS Disc Interface.
I review Bart v Space Mutants, Kosmic Kanga, New releases from Vintage Software Systems.
Geoff finds a gem and I end with a type-in.
If you like the show, please consider becoming a Patreon subscriber and get access to Patreon only videos.
Vintage Software Systems: www.vintagesoftwaresystems.co.uk
/ thespectrumshow
Other Links:
www.thespectrum... The Spectrum Show website
/ devpj Follow me on Twitter
/ @geoffneil5073 Geoff's KZbin channel

[@kloakovalimonada]

It's crazy to think The Simpsons are running for so long it had tie-in games for frikkin Speccy

[@Inaflap]

Being able to see aliens when you are wearing special glasses? That sounds like the sci-fi (maybe documentary) 'They Live' from 1988.

[@ReiverBlue1971]

I'd say a definite homage to it :)

[@Xoferif]

£250 for the disk interface + drive is equivalent to about £800 in today's money! No wonder most of us stuck with tapes! =)

[@PioNunes]

I had a SPDOS interface, managed to buy a 2nd hand d/s d/d 80 drive for around £70. It gave me 800K storage per disk, useful as we had lots of files available for download around that time. The 32/64 characters per line was a real limitation so I moved to a CPM system.

[@leontrotzky778]

In LotL - final release "follow" is actually a little buggy, but you can also send any character to any location using the map. They will then move independently while you move the character you directly control around. Or you can just send them all on their ways and watch the clock. They will send messages as they encounter items or npcs, which you can then check out or ignore. Thanks for making this review of the game, it means a lot!

[@sos_legio_primus9177]

I wish, someone did a magazine show, like this, for the C64. I did have an original ZX81 with a couple of ram/rom packs, but I was a true-blue-commodore (64, then an Amiga ) kid.

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

The Amiga is my 2nd favourite computer. Had loads of models.

[@bryngunn]

The spdos review looked a real labour of love. Brilliant as ever. Thanks Paul and Geoff.

[@frankowalker4662]

YAY. Perfect lunch time viewing. That interface is a bit limited, but very nice. It would've been useful for game development in the 80's.

[@pauldale]

I am a big follower of your show, my Spectrum started my career in Media and Technology, I am forever endebted to it. I have checked your past reviews and I couldn't find a revew of Delta Wing, especially it's multiplayer over interface 1. Back in the mid 80's my school had an "Activities Week", it was the only time in my pre-degree education my school actually did something computer related (which is another story). I took in my Spectrum, IF1 and Microdrives in to school, as did my friend and we played Delta Wing, our first ever "LAN Game". It was mindblowing, exciting, playing against a real player not a poor or unbeatable AI. We played it all Activities Week which, for what I remember as 1984, was incredible! How about you give it a go? Just showing how the Spectrum was revolutionary, more than most people even realised! I don't think any other games supported IF1? I was a big Sinclair fan, buying a QL (when it was £199) and connected my (facing backwards) microdrive to it, 3 microdrives! I wrote a file server for my QL, it would serve Spectrum games via IF1 and dynamically generate an Spectrum executable menu system. I don't know many others that did this. The IF1 network was very under used but actually worked very well and didn't need fancy cables or terminators, you could actually use the tape lead!

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

Sounds cool. I might just take a look at that.

[@alanwoodworth9506]

Kosmic Kanga rules, despite what my mate Dave says! Original control method and great fun, but yes, not easy.

[@neozeed8139]

the lack of mass storage certainly held the system back, espeically for RPG's. Was there anything interesting ever released on the microdrive?

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

Nothing of note on the microdrive. The only game to get released was Ant Attack. The Wafadrive had more games released for it!

[@Lbf5677]

First time i've watched the spectrum show while drunk

[@luisfigueredo776]

You are the best in zx spectrum in the world.

[@tomdalby6552]

Wondering if my Z80onTAP utility would work to get games onto this disk system? I did adapt the utility for MGT & OPD disk formats as well but don't believe these are the same as SPDOS.

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

I did try SNAP2TAP but that failed on the few I tried. Didn't try yours Tom. I don't have the interface anymore. The guy bought it back. He'd grown to like it after slaving away getting it working. Who was I to deny him having it back 🙂 He has promised to loan me some more hardware for future shows, so win-win.

[@melthebell33]

Kosmic Kanga, great game, one i always fondly remember. Bart reminds me of Pacland in the layout of the streets etc.

[@heavysystemsinc.]

Looks like a rip off of Jump Bug, an arcade game. Take a look at it and you'll immediately recognize it.

[@onkelnb]

When I see size and cost of disk drive and interface, I can see the appeal of micro drives.

[@adw147]

Superb Paul , thank you , loved the type in 😀

[@kins749]

Kosmic Kanga is a clone of the first ever scrolling platform game, Jump Bug. A somewhat obscure arcade game, but quite fun.

[@robqg]

I thought exactly the same. I notice in the Crash review that they state twice that it was an entirely original concept, unlike the author's previous Spectrum games. Seems like he changed it enough to fool them, but it has a lot of similarities - although, the arcade game did give you air control.

[@kins749]

@@robqg I suppose it was rare so not many people would have seen it to compare. I came across one back in the day on a cross-channel ferry, it was a tough game my 10p lasted less than a minute!

[@10p6]

Another nice video. I really wish when the Spectrum came out, they had given it standard DOS commands for controlling Microdrives and floppy drives.

[@luisfigueredo776]

The incredible zx ROM .

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

They did. Microdrive commands were built in (CAT, FORMAT, ERASE etc) and some companies used them for disc interfaces.

[@robm8809]

Geoff: It's just "Doomdark", not "Doomsdark", no S in the middle. ;) Thanks for this review of an interesting looking game though.

[@geoffneil5073]

You're right but after almost 40 years of saying "Doomsdark" I'm going to find it hard to change :-|. Legend of the Land is worth checking out I really enjoyed playing it.

[@robm8809]

@@geoffneil5073 Thanks Geoff!

[@RetroJay1974]

Excellent video! Timed just right as I have snagged a Datel +D and an Opus Discovery. Lots of learning/catching up about disk formats. About how disks are formatted, laid out and how files are treated etc. Also I had to learn about Betadisk. This SPDOS looks interesting and would like to own one :)

[@pierredelport7187]

Thank you for the excellent review. I am looking for copy of the SPDOS boot disk. I lost mine years ago. Back in 2012 I got hold of get hold of Dimitri Koveos who wrote the software but he does not have a copy anymore. Are there anybody who can help.

[@surnis9043]

I don't get how Kosmic Kanga can get a review of "plenty of variety" just after you said the Simpson game is "repetitive platforming". Bart's game, while not great, as a lot more "variety" in how you accomplish the goals, jump on it, throw rocket, turn water on, etc. I feel a certain bias here, lol.

[@pablorai769]

Very nice !

[@justinbrown3061]

Hi have you done a episode on the spectrum +2 and the different main boards I've got the UK version China and Taiwan version very interesting boards.

[@DaveMcGarry]

I used to love Kosmic Kanga maybe that's why I now live in Australia 😂🦘

[@gedbyrne8482]

6:00 any chance of getting Mark Smith on the show?

[@johansteyn3756]

Plus D was the best by far. Without nmi it is useless.

[@robm8809]

Not meaning to be critical, but it's an "Opus Discovery", not a "Discovery Opus". Opus were a firm who made disc drives for BBC micros originally. Eventually they made PC clones and a lot of schools and colleges who had purchased Opus disc drives for their Beebs bought their PCs too.

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

Yep, that one slipped through 🙂

[@adriansinclair5062]

Love the spectrum show. Another great video excuse ignorance but What's Geoff's game?

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

Legend of the Land

[@marasmusine]

Kosmic Kanga's author Dominic Wood also coded Project Future, the advert for which was better than the game.

[@stevenice8320]

Another great show, thanks Paul.

[@gonzogorf7019]

Thanks!!

[@DavideBarlotti]

Are you able to do a file image of the system disk? We should preserve it. Sometimes I see this interface on ebay but without the system disk is useless. About to transfer the game on the disk you can try to use the multiface one for the Kempston disk interface, maybe due the same file system works

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

Yes. The seller did get a bit copy using greasweasle I think, so it is preserved.

[@DavideBarlotti]

@@BuckingTheTrend2008 noted! Already get it

[@Calumma13]

Really well put together show that brings back lots of fond memories 👍 Looking forward to going through the back catalogue.

[@Alancalan]

Best thing is getting a message about a new video from Paul 👍 and don't put the games down so much. I like all the zx spectrum games.

[@AmstradExin]

I had a +D which emulated the tape commands. I can now imagine why other devices were not popular...

[@michaelmogan5563]

I love your work - superb! And now the "but", well not really a but! Would you ever break-out and do specials on the best of each year from 1982 to 2022 with your opinions? (and Geoff). Maybe one for Patreon?

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

Not a bad idea...

[@michaelmogan5563]

@@BuckingTheTrend2008 I would sponsor it! (May not be what you want!)

[@simonm7848]

Great episode, thanks!

[@ReiverBlue1971]

Lovely surprise to have this drop into my email! Thanks ;)

[@neilt591]

Great episode as always. Thank you Paul, and Geoff.

[@rueben22]

Another great show

[@alk7934]

Thanks!!

[@stevebryce]

What was the CAS loader used in the first section? I thought you said "SVA CAS" but can't find any reference to that online. I'm looking for an upgrade for my CASduino, and the screen on that device looks really nice.

[@bruce_just_]

7:46 it’s an SVI-CAS Paul reviewed it episode 110 Noel’s Retro Lab, electricadventures and Arctic Retro also have reviews too it’s a great little device- I’ve got one to use with my Amstrad CPC6128, my 128k Toastrack and also my C64 breadbin. You’ll need to send an email to it’s creator to get one sent from Australia. Details are at the end of the PDF instruction manual.

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

@@bruce_just_ You beat me to it :-)

[@1whu965]

Do a Amiga show pretty please 🙏

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

There is already one. The Amiga Show. Based on this format but by a different person. Very good it is too.

[@1whu965]

Omg he obviously was a fan of your show just watched a bit of it 😂

[@Tangobaldy]

Very sad that you play music that is so intrusive I can't watch you lovely videos. Is there a reason you do this like a watermark? In a mobile it doesn't effect me so much but on a TV is deafening. You should have a listen on a speaker set up

[@BuckingTheTrend2008]

Sorry you find it intrusive. Which parts in particular? I test on PC 5:1, laptop, phone and TV 3:1 with sub. I suppose it depends on your individual settings, room configuration and sound preferences. For documentaries, I drop the sub a bit and enable 'voice' mode.

[@Tangobaldy]

Thanks for replying it's hard not to sound rude. It's the first five Minutes or so. On my mobile I can't hardly hear it but on my TV it much louder and pushes your voice into background. Its real annoying too as its a short cycling bit of music. Maybe it's the way my TV decodes the audio? I find your channel amazingly interesting and your format perfect.. An audio visual magazine treat. Once again thanks for response. I wonder if anyone else has issues with the audio music being ramped up on different devices. It's on my mobile your voice is very much at the front. But on TV it the music..

[@PlayStationPaul]

@@Tangobaldy The audio mix is fine my end. It sounds like your TV, or some other device, is applying dynamic compression to the audio, which brings background noises up louder. Some devices have this feature, as there can be a lot of dynamic audio range in films, which makes some parts harder to hear at a low volume (e.g. loud explosions in some parts, but soft talking in others). You should be able to switch that feature off. As an example, this “enhancement” feature, is automatically enabled in Windows 11.

[@alk7934]

I remember renting that Simpsons game for the NES. Did not like!

[@lasskinn474]

it was ok on pc. like amstrad 1640 era pc. ok as in standards of pc platformers anyway keen excluded. graphics weren't bad.

[@gsbtee-heeheewhoopee8511]

👍