T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
11 messages · 2013-10-20 → 2013-10-29 · Yahoo Group era · View archive on archive.org
Participants: Adam Trionfo, Bill Loguidice, Philip Kendall, Oscar Y, Eduardo Fuentes, pxx1_2000_32724
Preserved from the Timex/Sinclair 2068 Yahoo Group (2001–2019), which is no longer online. Text reproduced from the archive.org archive; email addresses masked.
Messages
1. T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Adam Trionfo · Sun, 20 Oct 2013 11:41
I have been playing Bounty Bob Strikes Back! on the Atari 8-bit and I tried it under Spectrum emulation. This is considered one of the best Spectrum games. Is there a version that will play on the Timex/Sinclair 2068? Maybe it already does... but if so, then it doesn't support the joystick.
Adam
2. Re: [ts2068] T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Philip Kendall · Mon, 21 Oct 2013 08:28
On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 11:41:03AM -0700, Adam Trionfo wrote:
> I have been playing Bounty Bob Strikes Back! on the Atari 8-bit and I tried it under Spectrum emulation. This is considered one of the best Spectrum games.
No, it's not :-)
I don't have the full set of stats on me at the moment, but it's
certainly not in the WoS Top 100
<http://www.worldofspectrum.org/bestgames.html>
Cheers,
Phil
--
Philip Kendall <[email]>
http://www.shadowmagic.org.uk/
3. Re: [ts2068] T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Bill Loguidice · Mon, 21 Oct 2013 09:52
Yeah, the Miner 2049'er series was a mostly US phenomenon and a short-lived
one at that (though it did receive countless ports, including to some
Japanese systems). Electronic Games magazine was a particular supporter of
the original game, featuring it on its cover multiple times. Maybe you're
thinking of the blockbuster British game that was inspired by it, Manic
Miner? Similarly, while that game is legend in its own country, it didn't
have much impact elsewhere.
-Bill
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade,
Inc.<http://www.armchairarcade.com>
===================================================
Authored Books<http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1>and
Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get
in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice>
===================================================
On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 3:28 AM, Philip Kendall <
[email]> wrote:
> **
>
>
> On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 11:41:03AM -0700, Adam Trionfo wrote:
> > I have been playing Bounty Bob Strikes Back! on the Atari 8-bit and I
> tried it under Spectrum emulation. This is considered one of the best
> Spectrum games.
>
> No, it's not :-)
>
> I don't have the full set of stats on me at the moment, but it's
> certainly not in the WoS Top 100
> <http://www.worldofspectrum.org/bestgames.html>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Phil
>
> --
> Philip Kendall <[email]>
> http://www.shadowmagic.org.uk/
>
>
>
4. Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Adam Trionfo · Tue, 22 Oct 2013 09:21
Philip Kendall wrote:
>>
I don't have the full set of stats on me at the moment, but [Bounty Bob Strikes Back] certainly [is] not in the WoS Top 100
>>
True, the game is not on that "Best of" list, but it is on "best of" list in the special edition of Your Sinclair from 2004. It made number 19 out of 50. Not bad! Also, it got good reviews in the Spectrum magazines "back in the day." If you're interested, here is the game's page of World of Spectrum:
http://www.worldofspectrum.org/infoseekid.cgi?id=0000660
Here is a video walkthough of the Spectrum version of the game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryFJP_Ywsdl
The sound on this game is pretty "beepy," but I guess it's hard to compare Atari and C64 sound to the Spectrum (no, I'm not bashing). The game doesn't look the part either... but it plays the part (at least under emulation using an Atari 2600 controller) . Give the game a whirl if you haven't tried it.
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
Yeah, the Miner 2049'er series was a mostly US phenomenon [...] though it did receive countless ports
>>
You know out of all the ports that it got, I'm REALLY surprised that the first game of the series, Miner 2049'er, didn't get a Spectrum port.
>>
Maybe you're thinking of the blockbuster British game that was inspired by it, Manic
Miner?
>>
I hope never to get those two games confused. When I got Manic Miner on the C64 in about 1986 I was wondering why they programmed it so... I don't know... different than other C64 games. The graphics were plainer. The sound was tinny. It was only many years later (maybe 1994/95), that I found out it was based on a Spectrum game (which, honestly, I didn't even KNOW what that meant at the time except it was a English computer). Then, when I finally PLAYED the Spectrum version of Manic Miner it all clicked. The programmers of the C64's Manic Miner went the "easy" route. Just like most Apple II games that were ported with identical graphics, so it is also the case with Manic Miner on the C64. Even the sound just isn't quite right.
That Spectrum, I'll tell ya!, it is well loved! The classic gaming magazine "Retro Gamer" talks about the Spectrum is glowing terms... and sometimes I scratch my head. Some games are okay, and I do understand that some games are simply quite amazing (given the limits of the system), but try taking a look at River Raid or Pitfall II on the Spectrum sometime and you'll see that the system also could make a travesty of well-known games. Which, really, is the case with any system. But River Raid. Gosh. It's nothing more than a pail imitation of a rip-off of the original Atari 2600 game.
The point of this posting was that I want to play "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" on real hardware. I suppose that I can use my Spectrum emulator cartridge on my T/S 2068, but then I'll have to control it with the keyboard which won't be easy or natural. That's why I was hoping for a T/S 2068 port so that it would use the built-in controller... and... aiming for the pie in the sky!... maybe even have sound that took advantage of the 2068's excellent sound chip.
Adam
Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 07:35:15 +0000
From: [email]
To: [email]
Subject: [ts2068] Digest Number 1116
Timex Sinclair 2068
Timex Sinclair 2068 Group
2 New
Messages
Digest #1116
1a
Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
by
"Philip Kendall"
1b
Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
by
"Bill Loguidice"
billlog
Messages
1a
Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Mon Oct 21, 2013 2:28 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Philip Kendall"
On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 11:41:03AM -0700, Adam Trionfo wrote:
> I have been playing Bounty Bob Strikes Back! on the Atari 8-bit and I tried it under Spectrum emulation. This is considered one of the best Spectrum games.
No, it's not :-)
I don't have the full set of stats on me at the moment, but it's
certainly not in the WoS Top 100
<http://www.worldofspectrum.org/bestgames.html>
Cheers,
Phil
--
Philip Kendall <[email]>
http://www.shadowmagic.org.uk/
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1b
Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Mon Oct 21, 2013 7:02 am (PDT) . Posted by:
"Bill Loguidice" billlog
Yeah, the Miner 2049'er series was a mostly US phenomenon and a short-lived
one at that (though it did receive countless ports, including to some
Japanese systems). Electronic Games magazine was a particular supporter of
the original game, featuring it on its cover multiple times. Maybe you're
thinking of the blockbuster British game that was inspired by it, Manic
Miner? Similarly, while that game is legend in its own country, it didn't
have much impact elsewhere.
-Bill
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade,
Inc.<http://www.armchairarcade.com>
===================================================
Authored Books<http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1>and
Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get
in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice>
===================================================
On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 3:28 AM, Philip Kendall <
[email]> wrote:
> **
>
>
> On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 11:41:03AM -0700, Adam Trionfo wrote:
> > I have been playing Bounty Bob Strikes Back! on the Atari 8-bit and I
> tried it under Spectrum emulation. This is considered one of the best
> Spectrum games.
>
> No, it's not :-)
>
> I don't have the full set of stats on me at the moment, but it's
> certainly not in the WoS Top 100
> <http://www.worldofspectrum.org/bestgames.html>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Phil
>
> --
> Philip Kendall <[email]>
> http://www.shadowmagic.org.uk/
>
>
>
Reply to sender
.
Reply to group
.
Reply via Web Post
.
All Messages
(3)
.
Top ^
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5. Re: [ts2068] Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Bill Loguidice · Tue, 22 Oct 2013 14:14
One thing to consider is that in lieu of a 2068 with a compatibility option
is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type. Many are sold modded for
composite these days and it's easy enough on many models to also get a
SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter. Just a
thought. That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM
transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to
see the appeal of the Spectrum series in comparison to what we had access
to. Of course, we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged computer in
the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved than its more
adept competition at the time.
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade,
Inc.<http://www.armchairarcade.com>
===================================================
Authored Books<http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1>and
Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get
in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice>
===================================================
On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 12:21 PM, Adam Trionfo <[email]>wrote:
> **
>
>
> The point of this posting was that I want to play "Bounty Bob Strikes
> Back!" on real hardware. I suppose that I can use my Spectrum emulator
> cartridge on my T/S 2068, but then I'll have to control it with the
> keyboard which won't be easy or natural. That's why I was hoping for a T/S
> 2068 port so that it would use the built-in controller... and... aiming for
> the pie in the sky!... maybe even have sound that took advantage of the
> 2068's excellent sound chip.
>
> Adam
>
>
>
6. Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Adam Trionfo · Wed, 23 Oct 2013 09:45
Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
One thing to consider [...] is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type.
>>
I'd thought of getting a Spectrum years ago, but I don't have any monitors that can handle the PAL signal anymore. I used to have many Commodore and Amiga monitors, which did fine with PAL, but I figured it was much easier just to live in a NTSC world. Emulators can do about 75% of what I want and what they can't do I'm okay with not being able to run. Well I'm okay enough that thinning out most of my hardware was okay.
>>
it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter.
>>
The T/S 2068 has digital RGB... which isn't HDMI compatible... right? Yes, I know that I'd need a cable, even if it was. My only digital Commodore monitor died years ago. Otherwise I would have at least have kept that one monitor around as it used to do NTSC/PAL and analog/digital. I can't recall the model of that monitor though. Maybe it was my 1084S? Or my 1902? It certainly wasn't the early 1701 or 1702. It's weird how I can remember these model numbers and I haven't used the monitor is years. And even then, how come I didn't just think of them as generic "monitors?"
>>
That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
>>
I don't really pay too much attention to these since I don't have this computer. What are some examples? Some Links? Maybe this could be a new thread for a newbie. Then again, this is not a Spectrum group, so I'm not sure how appropriate that it is-- although with so much cross-over with the 2068 it's hard to avoid such a topic.
>>
And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to
see the appeal of the Spectrum series
>>
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who sometimes just can't get the love that is thrown the Spectrum's way. It certainly is a cool machine... but some people talk like it's the best machine EVER... and that's where I get totally confused. I thought that saying such a thing on this board might be considered Spectrum bashing or trolling... but I maybe not. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.
>>
we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged
computer in the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved
than its more adept competition at the time.
>>
True enough. One big difference between the Apple II community and the Spectrum community is that Spectrum fans seem to want to open their collection to everyone. That's not the case with Apple II fans... and I don't think that I'll ever figure-out why.
The T/S 2068 is a really neat computer with some neat modes and I'd love to play some games besides the carts that really seem to take advantage of them. I'm not sure if the cart "Penetrator" took advantage of T/S modes, but it certainly is a really fun, good looking shoot-em-up for the system! Also, I like that the T/S uses the Z80. Not many machines in the U.S. used it... and the only one that was truly a success was more of a platform: the CP/M machines.
People can get down on the Spectrum (and the T/S 2068) all that they want, but in some ways the very uniqueness of the computers are their very strengths.
Adam
-------------------------------------------------
One thing to consider is that in lieu of a 2068 with a compatibility option is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type. Many are sold modded for composite these days and it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter. Just a thought. That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to see the appeal of the Spectrum series in comparison to what we had access to. Of course, we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged computer in the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved than its more adept competition at the time.
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc.
===================================================
Authored Books and Film; About me and other ways to get in touch
===================================================
7. Re: [ts2068] Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Bill Loguidice · Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:58
Many modern LCD/LED/Plasma TVs/monitors with composite or HDMI inputs can
handle a PAL signal without incident in my experience. That's why I
suggested if you got a Spectrum series machine you got one that's modified
for composite. That's also why I suggested a SCART to HDMI converter,
because a lot of these European systems have excellent SCART cable options
that can then be run to an HDMI converter. That also plays nicely with most
of the aforementioned modern displays. Really, after that, the main thing
to worry about is simply converting the power correctly, which is just
another one time expense that's applicable to many platforms. I'm not
recommending everyone get into collecting "foreign" systems who live in
North America, but it's really not a major deal if it's something that
you're interested in (I have various British, French, and German systems
that work very well for me). I even do a power conversion on most Japanese
systems I have just to be safe (their video standard is more or less the
same (RF is slightly different, but that can be worked around), but the
voltage is not exactly the same and can damage power supplies that can't
tolerate the difference).
As you stated, the Commodore 1084 series of monitor are like the kind of
monitors. I have several of those myself and they work very well on a wide
range of systems, including PAL-based. If there's one vintage monitor to
keep, that's the one (though there are various models of the 1084 - some
have slightly different inputs).
Here is one example of a storage solution for the Spectrum:
http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum/spectrum_storage.html
You can also do the usual "play a sound file off the Internet (or
smartphone/tablet/PC) to load a game" thing through the cassette port.
To be fair, the TRS-80 series computers used Z-80's, and those were the
best selling computers into the early 1980s.
I think one of the appealing aspects of the ZX Spectrum was that the BASIC
was fairly intuitive and robust, particularly in comparison to many of the
competing machines of the era. Otherwise, yeah, lots of negatives about the
thing.
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade,
Inc.<http://www.armchairarcade.com>
===================================================
Authored Books<http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1>and
Film <http://www.armchairarcade.com/film>; About me and other ways to get
in touch <http://about.me/billloguidice>
===================================================
On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 12:45 PM, Adam Trionfo <[email]>wrote:
> **
>
>
> Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
>
> Bill Loguidice wrote:
> >>
> One thing to consider [...] is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type.
> >>
>
> I'd thought of getting a Spectrum years ago, but I don't have any monitors
> that can handle the PAL signal anymore. I used to have many Commodore and
> Amiga monitors, which did fine with PAL, but I figured it was much easier
> just to live in a NTSC world. Emulators can do about 75% of what I want
> and what they can't do I'm okay with not being able to run. Well I'm okay
> enough that thinning out most of my hardware was okay.
>
> >>
> it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is
> easy to run to an HDMI adapter.
> >>
>
> The T/S 2068 has digital RGB... which isn't HDMI compatible... right?
> Yes, I know that I'd need a cable, even if it was. My only digital
> Commodore monitor died years ago. Otherwise I would have at least have
> kept that one monitor around as it used to do NTSC/PAL and analog/digital.
> I can't recall the model of that monitor though. Maybe it was my 1084S?
> Or my 1902? It certainly wasn't the early 1701 or 1702. It's weird how I
> can remember these model numbers and I haven't used the monitor is years.
> And even then, how come I didn't just think of them as generic "monitors?"
>
> >>
> That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer
> options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
> >>
>
> I don't really pay too much attention to these since I don't have this
> computer. What are some examples? Some Links? Maybe this could be a new
> thread for a newbie. Then again, this is not a Spectrum group, so I'm not
> sure how appropriate that it is-- although with so much cross-over with the
> 2068 it's hard to avoid such a topic.
>
> >>
> And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to
> see the appeal of the Spectrum series
> >>
>
> I'm glad that I'm not the only one who sometimes just can't get the love
> that is thrown the Spectrum's way. It certainly is a cool machine... but
> some people talk like it's the best machine EVER... and that's where I get
> totally confused. I thought that saying such a thing on this board might
> be considered Spectrum bashing or trolling... but I maybe not. Please,
> correct me if I'm wrong.
>
> >>
> we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged computer in the Apple II
> series, and certainly that's no less beloved than its more adept
> competition at the time.
> >>
>
> True enough. One big difference between the Apple II community and the
> Spectrum community is that Spectrum fans seem to want to open their
> collection to everyone. That's not the case with Apple II fans... and I
> don't think that I'll ever figure-out why.
>
> The T/S 2068 is a really neat computer with some neat modes and I'd love
> to play some games besides the carts that really seem to take advantage of
> them. I'm not sure if the cart "Penetrator" took advantage of T/S modes,
> but it certainly is a really fun, good looking shoot-em-up for the system!
> Also, I like that the T/S uses the Z80. Not many machines in the U.S. used
> it... and the only one that was truly a success was more of a platform: the
> CP/M machines.
>
> People can get down on the Spectrum (and the T/S 2068) all that they want,
> but in some ways the very uniqueness of the computers are their very
> strengths.
>
> Adam
>
>
>
8. Timex Add-on; was: Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Adam Trionfo · Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:14
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
Many modern LCD/LED/Plasma TVs/monitors with composite or HDMI inputs can handle a PAL signal without incident in my experience.
>>
I've heard this. What I think would be a problem with my TV would be actually PLAYING the game via HDMI. My TV works pretty well with game systems. It has a "game mode" which helps with lag time, but doesn't eliminate it completely. For me, that's a no, no. So, I'm pretty sure, for me at least, I'd need a new TV and a Spectrum and all the other stuff. Lot's of work for little return (for me). I'll try to work out something with the T/S 2068.
I see that the The DivIDE Plus Hard Disk Interface works with the TC 2048. I'm pretty ignorant of that, but isn't that just the foreign little brother of the T/S 2068?
Adam
To: [email]
From: [email]
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:58:34 -0400
Subject: Re: [ts2068] Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Many modern LCD/LED/Plasma TVs/monitors with composite or HDMI inputs can handle a PAL signal without incident in my experience. That's why I suggested if you got a Spectrum series machine you got one that's modified for composite. That's also why I suggested a SCART to HDMI converter, because a lot of these European systems have excellent SCART cable options that can then be run to an HDMI converter. That also plays nicely with most of the aforementioned modern displays. Really, after that, the main thing to worry about is simply converting the power correctly, which is just another one time expense that's applicable to many platforms. I'm not recommending everyone get into collecting "foreign" systems who live in North America, but it's really not a major deal if it's something that you're interested in (I have various British, French, and German systems that work very well for me). I even do a power conversion on most Japanese systems I have just to be safe (their video standard is more or less the same (RF is slightly different, but that can be worked around), but the voltage is not exactly the same and can damage power supplies that can't tolerate the difference).
As you stated, the Commodore 1084 series of monitor are like the kind of monitors. I have several of those myself and they work very well on a wide range of systems, including PAL-based. If there's one vintage monitor to keep, that's the one (though there are various models of the 1084 - some have slightly different inputs).
Here is one example of a storage solution for the Spectrum: http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum/spectrum_storage.html
You can also do the usual "play a sound file off the Internet (or smartphone/tablet/PC) to load a game" thing through the cassette port.
To be fair, the TRS-80 series computers used Z-80's, and those were the best selling computers into the early 1980s.
I think one of the appealing aspects of the ZX Spectrum was that the BASIC was fairly intuitive and robust, particularly in comparison to many of the competing machines of the era. Otherwise, yeah, lots of negatives about the thing.
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc.
===================================================
Authored Books and Film; About me and other ways to get in touch
===================================================
On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 12:45 PM, Adam Trionfo <[email]> wrote:
Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
One thing to consider [...] is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type.
>>
I'd thought of getting a Spectrum years ago, but I don't have any monitors that can handle the PAL signal anymore. I used to have many Commodore and Amiga monitors, which did fine with PAL, but I figured it was much easier just to live in a NTSC world. Emulators can do about 75% of what I want and what they can't do I'm okay with not being able to run. Well I'm okay enough that thinning out most of my hardware was okay.
>>
it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter.
>>
The T/S 2068 has digital RGB... which isn't HDMI compatible... right? Yes, I know that I'd need a cable, even if it was. My only digital Commodore monitor died years ago. Otherwise I would have at least have kept that one monitor around as it used to do NTSC/PAL and analog/digital. I can't recall the model of that monitor though. Maybe it was my 1084S? Or my 1902? It certainly wasn't the early 1701 or 1702. It's weird how I can remember these model numbers and I haven't used the monitor is years. And even then, how come I didn't just think of them as generic "monitors?"
>>
That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
>>
I don't really pay too much attention to these since I don't have this computer. What are some examples? Some Links? Maybe this could be a new thread for a newbie. Then again, this is not a Spectrum group, so I'm not sure how appropriate that it is-- although with so much cross-over with the 2068 it's hard to avoid such a topic.
>>
And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to
see the appeal of the Spectrum series
>>
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who sometimes just can't get the love that is thrown the Spectrum's way. It certainly is a cool machine... but some people talk like it's the best machine EVER... and that's where I get totally confused. I thought that saying such a thing on this board might be considered Spectrum bashing or trolling... but I maybe not. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.
>>
we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged
computer in the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved
than its more adept competition at the time.
>>
True enough. One big difference between the Apple II community and the Spectrum community is that Spectrum fans seem to want to open their collection to everyone. That's not the case with Apple II fans... and I don't think that I'll ever figure-out why.
The T/S 2068 is a really neat computer with some neat modes and I'd love to play some games besides the carts that really seem to take advantage of them. I'm not sure if the cart "Penetrator" took advantage of T/S modes, but it certainly is a really fun, good looking shoot-em-up for the system! Also, I like that the T/S uses the Z80. Not many machines in the U.S. used it... and the only one that was truly a success was more of a platform: the CP/M machines.
People can get down on the Spectrum (and the T/S 2068) all that they want, but in some ways the very uniqueness of the computers are their very strengths.
Adam
9. Re: [ts2068] Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Oscar Y · Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:53
Hi Adam.
I from Brazil an a big fan of ZXSpectrum clones, conting in the ts2068 and TK90X clones!
Look the answes below!
Regards,
Oscar
Enviado via iColeco
Em 23/10/2013, às 14:45, Adam Trionfo <[email]> escreveu:
> Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
>
> Bill Loguidice wrote:
> >>
> One thing to consider [...] is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type.
> >>
>
> I'd thought of getting a Spectrum years ago, but I don't have any monitors that can handle the PAL signal anymore. I used to have many Commodore and Amiga monitors, which did fine with PAL, but I figured it was much easier just to live in a NTSC world. Emulators can do about 75% of what I want and what they can't do I'm okay with not being able to run. Well I'm okay enough that thinning out most of my hardware was okay.
You can get a 'twister board' and the spectrum cartridge, than you can run almost everyting from ZXspectrum in your machine(ts2068), try to add a 'RamTurbo joystick inerface'(sinclair and kempstone) together with a 'divIde' with a CF card with ton of games, and you are ready to years of fun!
If you get addicted add a mouse interface and enjoy even new games, and old ones modified for mouse use....
8 bit stil rocks! There is new games to spectrum almost every 3 moths...
>
> >>
> it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter.
> >>
>
> The T/S 2068 has digital RGB... which isn't HDMI compatible... right? Yes, I know that I'd need a cable, even if it was. My only digital Commodore monitor died years ago. Otherwise I would have at least have kept that one monitor around as it used to do NTSC/PAL and analog/digital. I can't recall the model of that monitor though. Maybe it was my 1084S? Or my 1902? It certainly wasn't the early 1701 or 1702. It's weird how I can remember these model numbers and I haven't used the monitor is years. And even then, how come I didn't just think of them as generic "monitors?"
With a simple composite it works fine! In any tv input if you use you ts2068 as described above!
> >>
> That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
> >>
>
> I don't really pay too much attention to these since I don't have this computer. What are some examples? Some Links? Maybe this could be a new thread for a newbie. Then again, this is not a Spectrum group, so I'm not sure how appropriate that it is-- although with so much cross-over with the 2068 it's hard to avoid such a topic.
>
But as ts2068 is a clone(some said a upgraded clone) from original ZXSpectrum there is no problem mention it.
> >>
> And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to see the appeal of the Spectrum series
> >>
>
> I'm glad that I'm not the only one who sometimes just can't get the love that is thrown the Spectrum's way. It certainly is a cool machine... but some people talk like it's the best machine EVER... and that's where I get totally confused. I thought that saying such a thing on this board might be considered Spectrum bashing or trolling... but I maybe not. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.
>
Spectrum users dont get nuts about copyright propriety as appleII fans do!....and the spectrum has ton of crazy and fun games...
Try just to have some fun playing Spectrum games!!!
> >>
> we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged computer in the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved than its more adept competition at the time.
> >>
>
> True enough. One big difference between the Apple II community and the Spectrum community is that Spectrum fans seem to want to open their collection to everyone. That's not the case with Apple II fans... and I don't think that I'll ever figure-out why.
>
> The T/S 2068 is a really neat computer with some neat modes and I'd love to play some games besides the carts that really seem to take advantage of them. I'm not sure if the cart "Penetrator" took advantage of T/S modes, but it certainly is a really fun, good looking shoot-em-up for the system! Also, I like that the T/S uses the Z80. Not many machines in the U.S. used it... and the only one that was truly a success was more of a platform: the CP/M machines.
As Bil told there is trs-80 models and also the MSX line of computers....very popular in Japan!
>
> People can get down on the Spectrum (and the T/S 2068) all that they want, but in some ways the very uniqueness of the computers are their very strengths.
>
> Adam
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------
>
> One thing to consider is that in lieu of a 2068 with a compatibility option is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type. Many are sold modded for composite these days and it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter. Just a thought. That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
>
> And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to see the appeal of the Spectrum series in comparison to what we had access to. Of course, we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged computer in the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved than its more adept competition at the time.
>
> ===================================================
> Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc.
> ===================================================
> Authored Books and Film; About me and other ways to get in touch
> ===================================================
>
10. Re: [ts2068] Timex Add-on; was: Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Eduardo Fuentes · Thu, 24 Oct 2013 04:38
Adam,
TC/2068 and TS 2068 have different pinout in the expasion connector, the first one is Spectrum compatible and the second is TS-1000 compatibe.
There is a twister board that handles the difference.
In order to use DivIde with a TS-2068 you have to use a ZX-Spectrum emulator (or Spectrum ROM attached inside of your computer), a Twister Board and obviously a DivIde device.
DivIde only works with ZX-Spectrum ROM, in theory changes to its firmaware can be done to work with TS-2068 ROM.
Regards,
Eduardo.
________________________________
De: Adam Trionfo <[email]>
Para: TS 2068 Yahoogroup <[email]>
Enviado: miércoles, 23 de octubre de 2013 20:14
Asunto: [ts2068] Timex Add-on; was: Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
Many modern LCD/LED/Plasma TVs/monitors with composite or HDMI inputs can handle a PAL signal without incident in my experience.>>I've heard this. What I think would be a problem with my TV would be actually PLAYING the game via HDMI. My TV works pretty well with game systems. It has a "game mode" which helps with lag time, but doesn't eliminate it completely. For me, that's a no, no. So, I'm pretty sure, for me at least, I'd need a new TV and a Spectrum and all the other stuff. Lot's of work for little return (for me). I'll try to work out something with the T/S 2068.I see that the The DivIDE Plus Hard Disk Interface works with the TC 2048. I'm pretty ignorant of that, but isn't that just the foreign little brother of the T/S 2068?Adam
________________________________
To: [email]: [email]: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 16:58:34 -0400Subject: Re: [ts2068] Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Many modern LCD/LED/Plasma TVs/monitors with composite or HDMI inputs can handle a PAL signal without incident in my experience. That's why I suggested if you got a Spectrum series machine you got one that's modified for composite. That's also why I suggested a SCART to HDMI converter, because a lot of these European systems have excellent SCART cable options that can then be run to an HDMI converter. That also plays nicely with most of the aforementioned modern displays. Really, after that, the main thing to worry about is simply converting the power correctly, which is just another one time expense that's applicable to many platforms. I'm not recommending everyone get into collecting "foreign" systems who live in North America, but it's really not a major deal if it's something that you're interested in (I have various British, French, and German systems that work very well for me). I even do a power conversion on most Japanese systems I have just to
be safe (their video standard is more or less the same (RF is slightly different, but that can be worked around), but the voltage is not exactly the same and can damage power supplies that can't tolerate the difference).
As you stated, the Commodore 1084 series of monitor are like the kind of monitors. I have several of those myself and they work very well on a wide range of systems, including PAL-based. If there's one vintage monitor to keep, that's the one (though there are various models of the 1084 - some have slightly different inputs).
Here is one example of a storage solution for the Spectrum: http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum/spectrum_storage.html
You can also do the usual "play a sound file off the Internet (or smartphone/tablet/PC) to load a game" thing through the cassette port.
To be fair, the TRS-80 series computers used Z-80's, and those were the best selling computers into the early 1980s.
I think one of the appealing aspects of the ZX Spectrum was that the BASIC was fairly intuitive and robust, particularly in comparison to many of the competing machines of the era. Otherwise, yeah, lots of negatives about the thing.
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc.
===================================================
Authored Books and Film; About me and other ways to get in touch
===================================================
On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 12:45 PM, Adam Trionfo <[email]> wrote:
>
>
>Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" TranslationBill Loguidice wrote:>>One thing to consider [...] is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type.>>I'd thought of getting a Spectrum years ago, but I don't have any monitors that can handle the PAL signal anymore. I used to have many Commodore and Amiga monitors, which did fine with PAL, but I figured it was much easier just to live in a NTSC world. Emulators can do about 75% of what I want and what they can't do I'm okay with not being able to run. Well I'm okay enough that thinning out most of my hardware was okay.>>it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter.>>The T/S 2068 has digital RGB... which isn't HDMI compatible... right? Yes, I know that I'd need a cable, even if it was. My only digital Commodore monitor died years ago. Otherwise I would have at least have kept that one monitor around as it used to do NTSC/PAL and
analog/digital. I can't recall the model of that monitor though. Maybe it was my 1084S? Or my 1902? It certainly wasn't the early 1701 or 1702. It's weird how I can remember these model numbers and I haven't used the monitor is years. And even then, how come I didn't just think of them as generic "monitors?">>That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.>>I don't really pay too much attention to these since I don't have this computer. What are some examples? Some Links? Maybe this could be a new thread for a newbie. Then again, this is not a Spectrum group, so I'm not sure how appropriate that it is-- although with so much cross-over with the 2068 it's hard to avoid such a topic.>>And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to see the appeal of the Spectrum series>>I'm glad that I'm not the only one who sometimes just can't get
the love that is thrown the Spectrum's way. It certainly is a cool machine... but some people talk like it's the best machine EVER... and that's where I get totally confused. I thought that saying such a thing on this board might be considered Spectrum bashing or trolling... but I maybe not. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.>>we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged computer in the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved than its more adept competition at the time.>>True enough. One big difference between the Apple II community and the Spectrum community is that Spectrum fans seem to want to open their collection to everyone. That's not the case with Apple II fans... and I don't think that I'll ever figure-out why.The T/S 2068 is a really neat computer with some neat modes and I'd love to play some games besides the carts that really seem to take advantage of them. I'm not sure if the cart "Penetrator" took advantage of
T/S modes, but it certainly is a really fun, good looking shoot-em-up for the system! Also, I like that the T/S uses the Z80. Not many machines in the U.S. used it... and the only one that was truly a success was more of a platform: the CP/M machines.People can get down on the Spectrum (and the T/S 2068) all that they want, but in some ways the very uniqueness of the computers are their very strengths.Adam
11. RE: Re: [ts2068] Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
pxx1_2000_32724 · 29 Oct 2013 11:54:31 -
Excellent post ,Bill. Thanks 4 all the valuable info...peace
---In [email], <[email]> wrote:
Many modern LCD/LED/Plasma TVs/monitors with composite or HDMI inputs can handle a PAL signal without incident in my experience. That's why I suggested if you got a Spectrum series machine you got one that's modified for composite. That's also why I suggested a SCART to HDMI converter, because a lot of these European systems have excellent SCART cable options that can then be run to an HDMI converter. That also plays nicely with most of the aforementioned modern displays. Really, after that, the main thing to worry about is simply converting the power correctly, which is just another one time expense that's applicable to many platforms. I'm not recommending everyone get into collecting "foreign" systems who live in North America, but it's really not a major deal if it's something that you're interested in (I have various British, French, and German systems that work very well for me). I even do a power conversion on most Japanese systems I have just to be safe (their video standard is more or less the same (RF is slightly different, but that can be worked around), but the voltage is not exactly the same and can damage power supplies that can't tolerate the difference).
As you stated, the Commodore 1084 series of monitor are like the kind of monitors. I have several of those myself and they work very well on a wide range of systems, including PAL-based. If there's one vintage monitor to keep, that's the one (though there are various models of the 1084 - some have slightly different inputs).
Here is one example of a storage solution for the Spectrum: http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum/spectrum_storage.html http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk/spectrum/spectrum_storage.html
You can also do the usual "play a sound file off the Internet (or smartphone/tablet/PC) to load a game" thing through the cassette port.
To be fair, the TRS-80 series computers used Z-80's, and those were the best selling computers into the early 1980s.
I think one of the appealing aspects of the ZX Spectrum was that the BASIC was fairly intuitive and robust, particularly in comparison to many of the competing machines of the era. Otherwise, yeah, lots of negatives about the thing.
===================================================
Bill Loguidice, Managing Director; Armchair Arcade, Inc. http://www.armchairarcade.com
===================================================
Authored Books http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Loguidice/e/B001U7W3YS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_1 and Film http://www.armchairarcade.com/film; About me and other ways to get in touch http://about.me/billloguidice
===================================================
On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 12:45 PM, Adam Trionfo <ballyalley@... mailto:ballyalley@...> wrote:
Re: T/S 2068 "Bounty Bob Strikes Back!" Translation
Bill Loguidice wrote:
>>
One thing to consider [...] is to get a real ZX Spectrum of some type.
>>
I'd thought of getting a Spectrum years ago, but I don't have any monitors that can handle the PAL signal anymore. I used to have many Commodore and Amiga monitors, which did fine with PAL, but I figured it was much easier just to live in a NTSC world. Emulators can do about 75% of what I want and what they can't do I'm okay with not being able to run. Well I'm okay enough that thinning out most of my hardware was okay.
>>
it's easy enough on many models to also get a SCART cable, which itself is easy to run to an HDMI adapter.
>>
The T/S 2068 has digital RGB... which isn't HDMI compatible... right? Yes, I know that I'd need a cable, even if it was. My only digital Commodore monitor died years ago. Otherwise I would have at least have kept that one monitor around as it used to do NTSC/PAL and analog/digital. I can't recall the model of that monitor though. Maybe it was my 1084S? Or my 1902? It certainly wasn't the early 1701 or 1702. It's weird how I can remember these model numbers and I haven't used the monitor is years. And even then, how come I didn't just think of them as generic "monitors?"
>>
That also opens up the various flash carts and other simple ROM transfer options that you generally miss out on with the 2068.
>>
I don't really pay too much attention to these since I don't have this computer. What are some examples? Some Links? Maybe this could be a new thread for a newbie. Then again, this is not a Spectrum group, so I'm not sure how appropriate that it is-- although with so much cross-over with the 2068 it's hard to avoid such a topic.
>>
And yes, I agree 100% that it's very difficult for a person in the US to see the appeal of the Spectrum series
>>
I'm glad that I'm not the only one who sometimes just can't get the love that is thrown the Spectrum's way. It certainly is a cool machine... but some people talk like it's the best machine EVER... and that's where I get totally confused. I thought that saying such a thing on this board might be considered Spectrum bashing or trolling... but I maybe not. Please, correct me if I'm wrong.
>>
we had our own popular audio-visual-challenged computer in the Apple II series, and certainly that's no less beloved than its more adept competition at the time.
>>
True enough. One big difference between the Apple II community and the Spectrum community is that Spectrum fans seem to want to open their collection to everyone. That's not the case with Apple II fans... and I don't think that I'll ever figure-out why.
The T/S 2068 is a really neat computer with some neat modes and I'd love to play some games besides the carts that really seem to take advantage of them. I'm not sure if the cart "Penetrator" took advantage of T/S modes, but it certainly is a really fun, good looking shoot-em-up for the system! Also, I like that the T/S uses the Z80. Not many machines in the U.S. used it... and the only one that was truly a success was more of a platform: the CP/M machines.
People can get down on the Spectrum (and the T/S 2068) all that they want, but in some ways the very uniqueness of the computers are their very strengths.
Adam