The Hand Of Jimmer's ZX Spectrum page

JIMMER'S ZX SPECTRUM PAGE

Here is a small collection of ZX Spectrum related files, designed to run on ZX Spectrum emulators. My personal recommendation is Jonathan Needle's Spectaculator, which will run all these files.

Anyone with any questions about the files hosted here should head to the World Of Spectrum forums and send a message to The Mighty Dopethrone.

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RZX Action Replay files

On the World Of Spectrum forums, a common topic is people asking for help in games, in places where they're stuck. The RZX file format, created by Ramsoft, is a method of recording input into the emulator so it can be played back in the exact order and time it was recorded - thus creating a demo game.

GAME FILENAME SIZE DESCRIPTION

Blood N' Guts bng1-gungho.rzx 366 KB Completion of the entire game - the "gung-ho" method, where the pieces of the submarine are assembled as soon as the relevant tumour is cleared. This is a more dangerous methis, as the player is exposed to viruses with only 6% on the board, but the game can be completed faster.

Rick Dangerous rick1sa.rzx 46.8 KB Completion of South America, without losing a life.

Rick Dangerous 2 rick2hp.rzx 120 KB Completion of Hyde Park, without losing a life.

Wibstars wib1.rzx 28.1 KB Loading the ZX Spectrum into the cart... and catching it!

Wibstars wib2.rzx 27.6 KB Driving from the depot, along the country lanes (which are a goldmine for Spectrums), to Argus's, the shop which pays the most.

Wibstars wib3.rzx 26.2 KB A flawless delivery of three Spectrums to Argus's, earning £600. We're in the money!

There are more RZX files at The RZX Archive, including my full solution to Blood N' Guts.

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BASIC games and programs

I have made many programs in BASIC in my programming days (which stems back to the ZX81 I was given at christmas 1983, at the grand age of four). Some of those I have written recently can be found here. Others are "remixes" of type-in games found on the World Of Spectrum Type-ins Archive, or the Type Fantastic, which also contains ZX81 and ZX80 type-ins.

PROGRAM FILENAME SIZE DESCRIPTION

Graphics Control v3.1 gc31.tzx 11.4 KB A powerful program to edit user-defined graphics and character sets, which may be used with the tape files in the sections below. Sections 2 and 4 are my own work, section 1 is a slight rehash of a routine I saw in ZX Computing (I think!) and section 3 is an extensively reworked program from... somewhere I can't remember. If anyone has any suggestions for further features, contact me at the World Of Spectrum forums

Spectrum +3 example programs examples.dsk 190 KB All the programs at the back of the Spectrum +3 instruction manual, contained on one disk. None contain +3-specific commands, so could be saved to tape and run on other Spectrum models.

Number Shuffler shuffler.tzx 571 B A short program, which takes the numbers 1 to 7 contained in a string, and shuffles them by taking one number from a position inside the pack and moving it to either the start or the end. With all the PRINT statements removed, this was incorporated into v4.0 of Shuttle Master.

Scandinavian Flags sflags.tzx 2.03 KB A simple routine which draws the flags of all Scandinavian countried with the same form of cross.

Casio Game 1 (v1.1) casiogame1v11.tzx 8.20 KB When I was a nipper, I had a Casio calculator that was also equipped with three very simple games. This is Game I, where the object is to change all the numbers in the grid to the highest number possible, using the keys around S to substitute for the numeric keypad. I have also made a +3 disk version which loads the high score table automatically, but this is rather large at 190 KB...

Apple Thief (v3.2) apple.tzx ? KB Original version by Tat Tung, Sinclair Programs, July 1983
This tape contains only version 3.2. Version 4 is in progress. Some flaws in the game were addressed in version 2, such as the game crashing if level 10 should be reached (as an INK 10 command is invoked). The author must have thought nobody would ever get there, but I did.

Shuttle Master (v4.0) shuttle.tzx 11.5 KB Original version by M.J. Rapps, Sinclair Programs, Mar-Apr 1983
I felt that this game was far too easy, and have given it three upgrades so far, listed here. Version 4.0 was the biggest step so far.

Brick Bucket (v4.0) bbucket.tzx 8.76 KB Original version by Ken Rylett, Sinclair User, Jan 1983
The gameplay is effectively the same, but serious rehashes of just about everything else have been implemented. Hit here for a full list of updates.

Tribars tribars.tzx 7.64 KB Four programs which draw Penrose tribars, as seen at the beginning of Jet Set Willy, with various effects, including animation using the RAM disk, which requires a 128K machine. The diagonal effects are achieved with four user-defined graphics. The first program draws a three-coloured tribar; the second flashes it with its inverse colours; the third cycles it through all seven colours in turn (though in the "wrong" direction); the fourth allows the user to input three colours which the tribar cycles through in the "correct" order.

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User-defined graphics

Every Spectrum programmer out there will know how to make user-defined graphics, this is one of the cornerstones of writing games in BASIC. Here are some of my own routines. Any tapes containing UDGs in machine code can be loaded with the command LOAD "filename" CODE 65368,168.

PROGRAM FILENAME SIZE DESCRIPTION

Super Mario Bros. graphics marioudg.tzx 1.71 KB Who says Mario can't appear on the Speccy? This program defines graphics for a mushroom, flower, star and Mario, in four character squares. The first three are directly derived from the "large" graphic in Super Mario Bros. 3 when Mario picks up three end-of-level cards of the same type. The Mario graphic was derived from the various suits worn by Mario in the game.

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Character sets

Expanding on user-defined graphics, redefining the character set is the next step. The BASIC program is provided so that the user can define a new character set from scratch, followed by POKE 23607,249 to activate it. POKE 23607,60 returns to the ROM character set.

A character set defined in this area of memory can be saved as machine code using SAVE "filename" CODE 64000,768. LOAD "filename" CODE 64000,768 followed by POKE 23607,249 will activate it.

PROGRAM FILENAME SIZE DESCRIPTION

BASIC program to define a character set baschars.tzx 7.55 KB Expanding on user-defined graphics, redefining the character set is the next step. The definition routine given in here is derived from the code in M.J. Levers' Defender, printed in Sinclair Programs in July 1983; hence, it uses the same area of memory, and the same POKE to activate it. This program defines a narrow character set where no character (except the underline and copyright symbol) are greater than five pixels wide.

Character sets in machine code charsets.tzx 3.13 KB Four character sets, saved as machine code. Contains the standard character set (should you ever need a second copy), M.J. Levers' squared-off text from Defender, and two sets of a narrow 6×8 character set; a right-aligned set, where the first two columns are unused, and the left-aligned set with the last two columns unused. This tape is half the size of the BASIC program above, and contains four times as much useful code, demonstrating how it is best to save a redefined character set as machine code.

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GAME	FILENAME	SIZE	DESCRIPTION
Blood N' Guts	bng1-gungho.rzx	366 KB	Completion of the entire game - the "gung-ho" method, where the pieces of the submarine are assembled as soon as the relevant tumour is cleared. This is a more dangerous methis, as the player is exposed to viruses with only 6% on the board, but the game can be completed faster.
Rick Dangerous	rick1sa.rzx	46.8 KB	Completion of South America, without losing a life.
Rick Dangerous 2	rick2hp.rzx	120 KB	Completion of Hyde Park, without losing a life.
Wibstars	wib1.rzx	28.1 KB	Loading the ZX Spectrum into the cart... and catching it!
Wibstars	wib2.rzx	27.6 KB	Driving from the depot, along the country lanes (which are a goldmine for Spectrums), to Argus's, the shop which pays the most.
Wibstars	wib3.rzx	26.2 KB	A flawless delivery of three Spectrums to Argus's, earning £600. We're in the money!

PROGRAM	FILENAME	SIZE	DESCRIPTION
Graphics Control v3.1	gc31.tzx	11.4 KB	A powerful program to edit user-defined graphics and character sets, which may be used with the tape files in the sections below. Sections 2 and 4 are my own work, section 1 is a slight rehash of a routine I saw in ZX Computing (I think!) and section 3 is an extensively reworked program from... somewhere I can't remember. If anyone has any suggestions for further features, contact me at the World Of Spectrum forums
Spectrum +3 example programs	examples.dsk	190 KB	All the programs at the back of the Spectrum +3 instruction manual, contained on one disk. None contain +3-specific commands, so could be saved to tape and run on other Spectrum models.
Number Shuffler	shuffler.tzx	571 B	A short program, which takes the numbers 1 to 7 contained in a string, and shuffles them by taking one number from a position inside the pack and moving it to either the start or the end. With all the PRINT statements removed, this was incorporated into v4.0 of Shuttle Master.
Scandinavian Flags	sflags.tzx	2.03 KB	A simple routine which draws the flags of all Scandinavian countried with the same form of cross.
Casio Game 1 (v1.1)	casiogame1v11.tzx	8.20 KB	When I was a nipper, I had a Casio calculator that was also equipped with three very simple games. This is Game I, where the object is to change all the numbers in the grid to the highest number possible, using the keys around S to substitute for the numeric keypad. I have also made a +3 disk version which loads the high score table automatically, but this is rather large at 190 KB...
Apple Thief (v3.2)	apple.tzx	? KB	Original version by Tat Tung, Sinclair Programs, July 1983 This tape contains only version 3.2. Version 4 is in progress. Some flaws in the game were addressed in version 2, such as the game crashing if level 10 should be reached (as an INK 10 command is invoked). The author must have thought nobody would ever get there, but I did.
Shuttle Master (v4.0)	shuttle.tzx	11.5 KB	Original version by M.J. Rapps, Sinclair Programs, Mar-Apr 1983 I felt that this game was far too easy, and have given it three upgrades so far, listed here. Version 4.0 was the biggest step so far.
Brick Bucket (v4.0)	bbucket.tzx	8.76 KB	Original version by Ken Rylett, Sinclair User, Jan 1983 The gameplay is effectively the same, but serious rehashes of just about everything else have been implemented. Hit here for a full list of updates.
Tribars	tribars.tzx	7.64 KB	Four programs which draw Penrose tribars, as seen at the beginning of Jet Set Willy, with various effects, including animation using the RAM disk, which requires a 128K machine. The diagonal effects are achieved with four user-defined graphics. The first program draws a three-coloured tribar; the second flashes it with its inverse colours; the third cycles it through all seven colours in turn (though in the "wrong" direction); the fourth allows the user to input three colours which the tribar cycles through in the "correct" order.