retrozoneorg

The zx81 is a great Uk computer which set out simply to introduce a programmable computer to the masses at a price people could afford. It's powered by the Zilog Z80 so has plenty of processing power for the year. Graphics were a let down but the games are fast! Monster maze is a great first person perspective game which was amazing for the time - on any system!

I prefer the post crash era as this is when all the Micro's started to appear. Especially in the UK games consoles were considered a risky proposition and so the manufacturers turned to multi purpose machines. My first 2 machines? ZX Spectrum 48K Amstrad CPC464

I think the NES ( or N.E.S ) had the most duff games because it didn;t really havea lot of competition after Atari sales dropped off in the crash. The SNES (S.N.E.S ) had to compete with the Genesis so I think Nintendo were a lot more selective with their licences. Although there are some real great games on both systems. And the NES is a legend!

Wow! Where did you learn to speak cave man?

I have always said snes and nes as that is the way they were said on my favorite computer game show of the time "Bad Influence". Violet Berlin and Andy Crane anyone?

I've been through this (2 weeks in the UK). First week did not get picked at all. Second week had to sit on two cases.... I though it would be exciting but some of the things people end up in court for are just silly. Anyway - during the waiting times it was a Jail broken PSP fully loaded with emulators and ROMS to keep me busy!

Might not be related but this happens on my PC if my mobile phone is too close to the mouse. Wireless internet signals can also cause some interference in older computers.

Wow.... I tought I had a small collection... This guy would probably describe it as "The Biggest and Best in the Cosmos... And possible all other paralell dimensions too."

The lynx II is more fun to play. As far as the computing specifications go, the machines are identical. But the lynx 2 improved the internal circuitry and make some improvements to the screen. You can also flip the screen to allow for "Left Handed Gaming"! (does any other handheld offer this???)

The Lynx had a 16-bit graphics processor and a 16-bit data bus. The processor speed was also on par with the Z80 used in the Game Gear. There really is no contest when you look at the specs... The Lynx was the most powerful by far.

Anyone tried ebid? www.ebid.net It's been around for a while and their listing fees are non-existant... I have used it a couple of time but there are not a lot of listings I'm interested in. Have any ebay sellers reading this had a look at ebid?

Side Scrolling Hip Hop (self explanatory) Dizzy Beats (everyone know's who Dizzy is right?) Hip Hopper (frogger) Power Pill Groves (Pac Man inspired) Chuck Hip Hop (as opposed to Rock) Elite Beats (The greatest BBC Micro Game Ever)

I think the Vectrex was the first console to include Analouge sticks???? Can anyone confirm that?

Just won me a Barcode Battler on ebay! Do you remember those? I had one when I was in my early teens. I took it to school and tried to convince my friends to get one.... They didn't! I remember I looked for ages for a certain Corn Flakes barcode which gave you unlimited strength! It was to be my secret weapon! But I never got the chance to use it Maybe this time Did you own one of these? What's your story?

HI everyone. I have updated the price checker page on my site and have found it interesting to watch some systems maintain their value while some climb and still others fall. The price data goes back to this time last year. It is in British Pounds (as I'm from the UK) but everyone should still get a good idea of what the prices are doing. take a look http://www.retro-zone.org/price_checker.html

Thanks for the post. There is some really good advice in there. I guess I'm going to have to learn the ebay waiting game

Is anyone else now fed up with ebay? It's no longer an auction site - it's full of "Buy it now" items which do not represent good value for money for the buyers. The retro computing and gaming catagories seem to have suffered more than most with greedy sellers often charging 4 times more for a machine or game than they are worth. Has anyone else noticed this?

The idea in my head was a setup similar to the cinema. You get your "Real 3D" glasses at the door and then you can play on all the games.... Or watch other people play. I know 3D has been around in various forms for a long time. But it was never really enjoyable by a large group of people at the same time (and no... black and white 3D movies do not count.) I would like to see someone try this.

Now that this new "Real 3D" is an established technology in cinema's do you think it opens new possibilities for the Arcade market? 3D LCD displays are very very expensive to own but would be great for a unique arcade playing experience which cannot be had at home. Which is what arcades were for in the old days - to go and play a game which was not available any where else (at least not as good). So... Does Real 3D open up the Arcade market again? At least until home techonology catches up?

An RF cable will work with any console with an RF output.

This is great. I really want one. Am going to send you a PM

The word "DISC" comes from the Philips Disco-Vision - or a Lazer Disc as it later became known as. It was the first commercial optical disc format. Ever since - anything which uses optical storage is referred to as a "disc" Anything (and feel free to correct me) which still relies on magnetic or "electronic charge" storage if referred to as it real name "disk" (including memory cards.)

I know the power base converter will NOT work. The Master System used a Zilog z80 as it's main processor. The Mega Drive (genesis) used the same chip for it's sound output. The PowerBase Converter used the existing Z80 chip in the MegaDrive (Genesis) to run the game code.... There will be no Z80 to use in the FC3. It is possible that the 32X will work - as the 2 systems remain seperate with 2 pictures being combind to provide the video display. So I would imagine the problem with the 32X would be how to connect the 32X video cable to the FC3.

Hi there I would love one of these? If I pay now will I be in the First 4?

Hello Everyone! As this was my first Retro Gaming event I decided to commemorate it with a youtube video: I have purposefully hidden peoples faces so as not to upset anyone who did not want to be on youtube. Enjoy the memories!