Getting started: Spectrum emulators
August 10th, 2007
There’s a couple of different avenues for retro gaming with Spectrum games, the first main branching point is the decision of whether to use an emulator or use actual Spectrum hardware.
Emulators
Emulators are the quickest way of getting to play Spectrum games. Its normally just a download and install. Get some Spectrum games from World of Spectrum and load them into the emulator.
An emulator is a virtual Spectrum running on your desktop computer or laptop. Its really just another program on your Windows or Mac system. The program emulates the Spectrum environment using software, and translates Spectrum system-calls into their Windows equivalents - that includes graphics and sounds.
There are Spectrum emulators for many platforms - including Windows, Apple Macs, Linux, Playstation (and PSP), Dreamcast, Game Boy Advanced, even the GP2X. There are implementations in Java and Flash, which means you can probably play your favourite Spectrum game using just a browser. The World of Spectrum emulator page contains an exhaustive list of emulators for all these platforms and more.
Most emulators emulate all of the major Spectrums, from the classic 16K Spectrum right through to the +2A and +3. Many of them emulate joystick controls using the keyboard. You may want to check emulators on mobile devices in case it only emulates one particular Spectrum model. Suffice to say, all of them should support the original 48K Spectrum.
Spectaculator
There’s a whole host of Spectrum emulators out there. I’m currently using Spectaculator which works well on Windows XP. You can get a 30-day trial, or buy online for £15.76. I bought a license last year after being thoroughly impressed with this emulator.
Spectaculator supports all of the Spectrum models. It also has the smart idea of mapping your PC keyboard to a particular joystick, so that means all games are playable without needing a joystick.
Z80 and JPP
About a decade ago, when Windows 3.1 and DOS 6.0 was prevalent, I used Gerton Lunter’s Z80 and the JPP emulators. They are both DOS based emulators, and both exceptionally good.
Downloading for your emulator
Getting games is really easy. Just point your browser at the World of Spectrum’s Game archive, pick a game, download the zipped tzx file, unzip it, start your emulator and open that unzipped tzx file.
A TZX file is a Spectrum Tape Format, and the most commonly supported, and preferred, format across the various Spectrum emulators. It actually preserves the loading sounds of Spectrum games, as opposed to a snapshot of a Spectrum (like the Z80 format). The advantage of a TZX format over a memory snapshot format is that multi-load games - like Gauntlet - are possible to play on an emulator. Also there’s probably a way of resaving a TZX format back to cassette tape for playing on the original Spectrum hardware!
Licensing and copyright
Retro-gaming is still in a grey area in terms of copyright. The World of Spectrum website has done a sterling job of trying to track down the copyright owners of games and asking for permission to include their games in the archives for free distribution.
One major step forward was Amstrad’s permission to allow free distributions of ZX Spectrum ROMs. This legalises Spectrum emulators.
There are a number of software publishers and authors who have expressly allows the distribution of their games. A large number haven’t responded or have ignored all contact.
There are a few clear nos, where the original developers or software companies have denied distribution of these. The Stamper brothers, behind the legendary Ultimate Play The Game label, have denied distribution of their games - so Sabre Wulfe, Knight Lore, Alien 8, Atic Atac, Jet Pac, Cookie and others are all unavailable for download. Code Masters, Electric Dreams, Odin/Thor are other known software houses that have denied distribution of their games.
Its worth keeping an eye on the legal status on the World of Spectrum page. They operate under a “they haven’t said no” approach, and have sought out software houses for permission.