retro

Its Alive… Commodore 64 fixed and ready to play

Following lots of reading from the many amazing websites (*, thank you) and poking around inside the machine, reseating chips & cables & checking the IC, everything was pointing to faulty ram. So I ordered 4 ram chips from ebay (just a few quid) and they arrived today.

Thankfully the ram chips had sockets so they could be replaced without having to switch on my soldering iron, just pull out and carefully replace.
(The ram already in the machine was of all different makes, so I am not sure if they were original and if the ram sockets had been installed later on. Mega result, as saved me a lot of time.)

I took the machine apart, and began replacing the ram chips one by one.  Cycling on/off between each ram chip replacement. After ram chip number 7 I found the culprit ..YYYYYEESSSSS
Had it running fine for 30 mins, no problems. Plugged in a Kempston Joystick and loaded  ‘Turrican‘ and ‘Chase HQ‘. Both played great.
Computer connected via RF so picture quality was poor, so I need to invest in a better tv connection method.

Breadbin back from the gaming graveyard

*source site used to help me diagnose the fault, Ray Carlsen’s Home Page  

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Breadbin enters the collection, C64 awesomeness

Yes just managed to get hold a Commodore 64 to add to the collection, I have been wanting one of this for a while. Held out for the breadbin version,  as to me this is the C64.  So excited to give it a try, it was bought with a small fault, but I am hopeful (fingers crossed ) that I will be able to sort it out.

bring on some Ballblazer,  Boulderdash, Bruce Lee,  Impossible Mission, Kikstart 2, Green Beret, Thing on a Spring, Last Ninja 2 and one of my favs Dropzone

I also need to check out how I can connect some form of current media storage to it, i.e. SD memory card or IDE device.

Commodore 64 (Breadbin version) added to my collection

Retro Gamer Mag, volumes

I picked these up from WHSMITHS whilst I was in town, loving the zxspectrum cover. I subscribe to the monthly magazine which is an absolute must read, but I always forget to pick up these add-ons (I really should look at getting them via the ipad, but I just love the feel of the pages).

three Random pages from each magazine

Retro Gamer Collection Volume 6

• pg 35, The Making of MS. Pac-Man
• pg 141, The Making of: Starquake
• pg 200, Attack of the Clones (Retro Gamer reveals the many great games that were based on classic arcade hits)

The ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64  Book, 30th Anniversary

• pg 22 The Spectrum Legends (track down several classic spectrum coders to find out just what made the machine so wonderful)
• pg 91 The ultimate Hero: A Complete History of Sabreman
• p70 The Making of ZZAP!64

Retro Gamer

ZXSpectrum16k’s Workshop (garage)

Small area in the garage which I use to try and fix up the boards and consoles.
Currently I have the arcade board Xain’d Sleena running on a Vogatek Supergun, attached to the TV. The board runs fine, apart from no sound.
Also on the side unit is a broken Track & Field board, faulty graphics.

Happy Birthday ZXSpectrum

Happy Birthday ZXSpectrum, 30 today and still kicking. Callout to Ad Astra, Matchday, Underwurlde, Sabre Wulf, The Lords of Midnight and Monty Mole

New edition to my gaming collection, one from my ‘Most Wanted’ list

I have been after this game for 18 months, ever since played it at R3play2010 whilst the game designer Jeff Minter watched. I really enjoy Llamasoft’s output, I even bought the console just so that I could play this game.

I just had an hour session on it, awesome shump and mega music. Everything I was hoping for, also some great power ups. The game is fast, but not to fast. I feel a real sense of achievement when I beat my last score or get to a new level. This is a MUST HAVE GAME, and I am so happy I now have it.

I could do with seeing if the console can be modded to support RGB output?, Off to shoot some enemy webs

ZXSpectrum +2, and tons of games

I just got back from picking up these gaming gems from a nice chap in Scarborough for just £9.99 plus petrol. Happy as hell, all working and some of the games have receipts (Will post pics of the receipts laters)

I love retro gaming/collecting

Office, Mame Arcade Machine, PC Gaming Room -Video

Video of the Office, Mame Arcade Machine, PC Gaming room which holds a mix bag of gaming goodies. Lots of software/games shelving,  my Mame Arcade Machine, selection of Retro Gaming Machines and my Gaming PC. I have even installed a disco ball to give us that arcade feeling 🙂

The whole family use the room to play on the Arcade Machine which is popular with everyone, in addition I use it for the PC. Current Favourite Arcade Games;

• The girls are Puzzle Bobble, The Simpsons, Pacman
• My son’s is everything, but mainly Burger Time, Paperboy, Puzzle Bobble, X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes
• My wife’s is are Paperboy and Wonderbuy
• Mine are Gyruss, Kung-fu Master, Galaga ’88, Metal Slug X, Moon Cresta, Pac-Land, Smash TV, Terra Cresta, Track & Field, Thunder Dragon 2

The Mame Arcade machine is the best toy I have gotten in the last few years, and when I get more cabinets than this will be put into the Garage/Arcade Conversion (a few yrs away though).

Pacman & Kung-Fu Master

Two of my favourite games, Pacman and Kung-Fu Master running on my Mame Cabinet. I really need to get a decent video camera.

Arcade vs ZXSpectrum ‘Paperboy and Moon Cresta’

Showing the kids what home video games were like in our day, compared with the games we played at the arcades. (December 2011)

• ZXSpectrum using a DivIDE interface for storage/access via compact flash card
• Mame Arcade Machine, silverline cabinet

Games
Paperboy by Atari, Moon Cresta by Nichibutsu