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DK'Tronics
DK'Tronics Ltd (stylised as dk'tronics) was a British software and hardware company active during the 1980s. It primarily made peripherals for the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC but also released video games for the ZX81, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, VIC-20, BBC Micro, Memotech MTX, MSX and Amstrad platforms. History The company's first product was a 16Kb expansion pack for the ZX80, released just prior to the launch of the ZX81. At this time the company consisted only of David Heelas, working part-time through his interest in electronics. When the ZX81 was launched, he went full-time manufacturing, packaging and posting from his home – and by the end of 1981 he had four employees. Hardware production expanded to include new keyboards for the ZX81 and for the newly released ZX Spectrum. By 1984, DK'Tronics had around 50 personnel, with Heelas as managing director. He was also looking into the possibility of becoming a computer manufacturer, specifically with a low-cost processor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Priestley
Don Priestley (born 1940) is a teacher and former video game programmer who wrote over 20 commercial games for the ZX81 and ZX Spectrum home computers between 1982 and 1989. Despite successful releases for DK'Tronics, such as '' 3D Tanx'' and ''Maziacs'', Priestley returned to teaching in the late 1980s, claiming changes in the video game industry did not suit his style of work. Game development Until 1979, Don Priestley was a teacher. In 1981 both he and his son enrolled in a Pascal course at night school. Although his son dropped out, he carried on. One of his early programs was an adaptation of Conway's Game of Life which was converted to a newly purchased Sinclair ZX81. His first commercial game was ''The Damsel and the Beast'', inspired by a program called ''Mugwump'' and published by Bug-Byte. Further ZX81 games written freelance were ''Dictator'' (a successful strategy game later ported to the Spectrum) and ''Mazogs'' (which was later rewritten for the Spectrum as ''Maziacs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benny Hill's Madcap Chase
''Benny Hill's Madcap Chase'' is a ZX Spectrum videogame featuring Benny Hill and loosely based on his Thames TV show. It was programmed by Don Priestley and published by DK'Tronics in 1985. The plot involves Benny deciding to help his neighbours by completing a number of tasks for them. Reception ''Crash'', a ZX Spectrum gaming magazine, gave ''Benny Hill's Madcap Chase'' a positive review and awarded it 78%. Amongst the features the reviewers liked were the large graphics which avoided attribute clash, and the sense of humour with one reviewer stating that they "ovedit when Benny hit something or the lady chasing him had a fit". The game was described as "playable" and "addictive" although there were concerns about its long-term appeal. Rick Robson, writing in ''Your Sinclair ''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in cir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zig Zag (video Game)
''Zig Zag'' is a maze video game written by Ed Hickman and published by DK'Tronics in 1984. It was released for the ZX Spectrum and the Commodore 64. Gameplay In ''Zig Zag'', the player must explore a maze from first-person perspective searching for Scarabaqs. Scarabaqs are creatures that hold sector entry data that the player needs to continue to the next level. Scarabaqs flee from the player, who must exploit their behaviour to chase them into dead ends. Adversity comes in the form of Hoverbots; their attacks drain the player's energy. ''Zig Zag'' also supports the Currah MicroSpeech peripheral. Development The first-person 3D effect was achieved by using a series of vertical black lines to form the perspective of the walls, and to give the impression of the ceiling and floor. This also allowed relatively smooth movement animation, particularly when the player rotates left or right. However, some reviewers found the stripes to be an eye-strain. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maziacs
''Maziacs'' is an action adventure maze game published by DK'Tronics in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and MSX. History ''Maziacs'', written by Don Priestley, was based on his earlier ZX81 game ''Mazogs''"The YS Official Top 100 Part 1" at The Your Sinclair Rock 'n' Roll Years which was published by Bug Byte in 1982. ''Mazogs'' was one of the most successful ZX81 games so Don Priestley adapted it for the higher-resolution, colour-screen ZX Spectrum and MSX. The Commodore 64 port was written by Andy French. Gameplay ''Maziacs'' takes place in a randomly generated, scrolling, overhead-view maze, in which the player-controlled protagonist must find gold and exit the l ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
3D Tanx
''3D Tanx'' is a shoot 'em up video game written by Don Priestley and published by DK'Tronics in 1982 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and BBC Micro. Gameplay The aim of the game is to shoot tanks moving across a bridge, shown in the distance into the screen. The player aims a gun turret by adjusting its rotation and elevation, this being the '3D' aspect of the game. Skill and timing is required to strike the tanks. Reception ''Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...'' magazine wrote, "The graphics are very good and so is the sound," and concluded,"...and at the price, excellent value." References 1982 video games ZX Spectrum games Commodore 64 games BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games Shoot 'em ups Video games developed in the United Kingdom Singl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ZX80
The Sinclair ZX80 is a home computer launched on 29 January 1980 by Science of Cambridge Ltd. (later to be better known as Sinclair Research). It is notable for being one of the first computers available in the United Kingdom for less than a hundred pounds. It was available in kit form for £79.95, where purchasers had to assemble and solder it together, and as a ready-built version at £99.95. The ZX80 was very popular straight away, and for some time there was a waiting list of several months for either version of the machine. Name The ZX80 was named after the Z80 processor with the 'X' meaning "the mystery ingredient". Hardware Internally, the machine was designed by Jim Westwood around a Z80 central processing unit with a clock speed of 3.25 MHz, and was equipped with 1 KB of static RAM and 4 KB of read-only memory (ROM). It had no sound output. The ZX80 was designed around readily available TTL chips; the only proprietary technology was the firmw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth (), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside town and unparished area in, and the main administrative centre of, the Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. A population of 38,693 in the 2011 Census made it Norfolk's third most populous. Its fishing industry, mainly for herring, shrank after the mid-20th century and has all but ended. North Sea oil from the 1960s supplied an oil-rig industry that services offshore natural gas rigs; more recently, offshore wind power and other renewable energy industries have ensued. Yarmouth has been a resort since 1760 and a gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the North Sea. Holiday-making rose when a railway opened in 1844, bringing easier, cheaper access and some new settlement. Wellington Pier opened in 1854 and Britannia Pier in 1858. Through the 20th century, Yarmouth boomed as a resort, with a promenade, pubs, trams, fish-and-chip shops, theatres, the Pleasu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Memotech MTX
The Memotech MTX500, MTX512 and RS128 are a series of Zilog Z80A processor-based home computers released by Memotech in 1983 and 1984. Design The MTX500 had 32 KB of RAM, the MTX512 had 64KB, and the RS128 had 128KB. Although the Z80A could only address a maximum of 64KB at a time, the MTX and RS128's extra memory, up to a maximum of 768KB, was accessible through the technique of page switching. All models had 24KB of ROM accessible in the first 16KB of address space. The extra 8KB of ROM was available through page switching. The ROM could be switched out entirely, allowing the full 16-bit address space to be used for RAM. The computers featured an all-aluminum case and full-size keyboard with real keys (unlike the chiclet keyboard used on the ZX Spectrum). In addition to the standard (for the time) BASIC language interpreter (with rudimentary windowing support and LOGO commands support), it included some other software: an assembler, the ''Panel'' disassembler/debugger a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Who Dares Wins
''Who Dares Wins'' (Latin: ''Qui audet adipiscitur''; el, Ο Τολμών Νικά, ''O tolmón niká''; french: Qui ose gagne; it, Chi osa vince; Portuguese: ''Quem ousa vence''; German: ''Wer wagt, gewinnt'') is a motto made popular in the English-speaking world by the British Special Air Service. The german: Wer wagt, gewinnt is attested from at least the 18th century. Slight variations go back further. The same is likely true of other languages. As motto of the SAS it is normally credited to its founder, Sir David Stirling. Among the SAS themselves, it is sometimes humorously corrupted to "Who cares howins?". The expression appears in a medieval Arabic book of fairy tales translated and published in 2014. The catchphrase "He Who Dares Wins" was commonly used by Del Boy in British sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses''. The shortened form "Qui Audet" is also heard on the second episode of ''Pennyworth''. The motto has been used by twelve elite special forces units around ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Your Spectrum
''Your Sinclair'', or ''YS'' as it was commonly abbreviated, was a commercially published and printed British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum. It was in circulation between 1984 and 1993. History The magazine was launched in January 1984 as ''Your Spectrum'' by Sportscene Specialist Press. (Sportscene would later be renamed to Dennis Publishing in April 1987.) Initially, it was published bimonthly, changing to monthly in June 1984. With the January 1986 issue, the title was relaunched as ''Your Sinclair'', with the intention of expanding coverage of the QL into the main magazine (previously, ''QL User'' had been a pull-out section within the magazine), and any future computers produced by Sinclair. However, the magazine remained focused almost entirely on the ZX Spectrum games scene. In 1990, the magazine was sold to Bath-based Future plc, and the April 1990 issue was the first to be published by the new company. That issue's news ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BBC Micro
The British Broadcasting Corporation Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, is a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers in the 1980s for the BBC Computer Literacy Project. Designed with an emphasis on education, it was notable for its ruggedness, expandability, and the quality of its operating system. An accompanying 1982 television series, ''The Computer Programme'', featuring Chris Serle learning to use the machine, was broadcast on BBC2. After the Literacy Project's call for bids for a computer to accompany the TV programmes and literature, Acorn won the contract with the ''Proton'', a successor of its Atom computer prototyped at short notice. Renamed the BBC Micro, the system was adopted by most schools in the United Kingdom, changing Acorn's fortunes. It was also successful as a home computer in the UK, despite its high cost. Acorn later employed the machine to simulate and develop the ARM architecture. While nine models ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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