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Despite advancing years I never owned a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Plenty of friends did but my 8-bit home computer was an Amstrad CPC – although ironically Amstrad later bought the Spectrum name and released a series of CPC doppelgangers with the Spectrum badge which carried on the lineage beyond this original rubber-keyed icon of computing.
We have had Spectrum remakes before but none have ever captured the look and feel of the original hardware, with its stupid membrane keyboard and unusual shape until now and I love that The Spectrum has gone for this vibe.
I was a big fan of the A500 Mini too when that came out, and even as a collector of original hardware, there is something very cool about seeing these homages born into the world.
“We’re thrilled to launch The Spectrum and deeply appreciate the enthusiastic support from the community. From hidden gems to a vibrant user culture, this project truly feels like Christmas 1982 all over again,” said Paul Andrews, Managing Director at Retro Games Ltd.
The Spectrum is now available from a variety of European retailers, priced at £89.99 (€99.99). UK consumers can buy now at Smyths Toys. Let’s assume once payday hits one will be heading my way for “research purposes.”
Read more about The Spectrum at the Retro Games website.
The Spectrum features:
- Emulates all ZX Spectrum models from 16k to 128k and has officially licensed games, playable using only the keys just like the originals; see the full list of games here – https://retrogames.biz/games/thespectrum/.
- Accessibility features such as the ability to rewind gameplay by up to 40 seconds and the inclusion of four ‘save-game’ slots per title, as well as functionality that allows players to add their own games via a USB stick.
- Distinctive multi-function keys with color-coded labels, blending style and practicality.
Detailed control mapping instructions for all games, which can be accessed from the themed User Interface, as well as an old-school CRT filter option to replicate TVs of old. - Compatible with a variety of new and old proprietary and third-party controllers/joysticks.
