I still believe the Amstrad produced ZX Spectrum +2 to be an excellent choice for retro gamers. It's a cheap 128k Speccy you can connect to a monitor, won't set you back a fortune and comes in a pretty compact form. European residents can even grab one for the very good Buy It Now price of £34.99 via this very eBay link. The computer comes with all necessary bits to get it working, a boxed joystick, the manual and a selection of original games. These include the excellent Popeye and personal favorite Oh Mummy.
I've been searching for a boxed rubber-key Speccy that would be available worldwide, and, well, seems I've found one. Here is said lovely boxed 48k ZX Spectrum @ eBay. Seems to be in top condition too and even comes with 5 games. 10-15£, 14-21$ or 11-17 euro would be a fair price for the average Sinclair 8-bit wonder, though boxed computers might go for quite a bit more.
PS. If you are looking for a (sturdier) boxed Sinclair Spectrum + instead, do try this link.
Everything you need to start your Spectrum gaming career can be found in this most impressive ZX Spectrum +2 & extras auction: a 128k Spectrum +2, its manual, the psu and leads, 3 joysticks, 1 mouse (!), 60 magazine cover tapes and 59 original boxed games. Seller ships worldwide and if you end up paying less than 50£, 70$ or 55 euros (which you most probably will) you'll have scored yourselves a truly brilliant bargain.
As for them games you'll be getting, they include some true classics like Turbo Outrun, Auf Wiedersehen Monty, Spindizzy, Star Wars, The Neverending Story, The Untouchables, Back to School and Daley Thomson's Supertest.
Not a rare sight at eBay, but it's always heart warming looking at a boxed 48k Sinclair Spectrum. Especially when the seller ships worldwide. 10-15£, 14-21$ or 11-17 euro would be a fair price for this rubber-keyed 8-bit wonder. Oh, and five games are also included.
It's the game of the movie of the show and it's available for your dear Spectrum via this lovely Rocky Horror Show ZX Spectrum eBay auction. Seller ships worldwide. Ok, so the game is also available for download over at WoS complete with a ton of info, reviews and hints, though distinctly lacking in the physicality department.
The people that still can't accept tapes as a proper data storage medium will surely feel rather shaken after noticing the picture above. It is after all a flexi disc, that unlike your average LP is not there to play music. It holds gaming data instead, was published by Quicksilva and was originally given away free with Computer & Video Games Magazine back in 1984. Find out more about this lovely disc and other forms of vinyl gaming here. Download them flexi disc contents from World of Spectrum.
Oh, and do bid on this rather fab Thompson Twins Adventure Game Flexi Disc @ eBay. Seller ships to Europe, Asia, United States, Australia and Canada.
Here's something that will hopefully sort of answer dear Deitrix's questions regarding the artistic abilities of the humble ZX Spectrum:a boxed Spectrum Lightpen @ eBay (seller ships worldwide). Apparently by DK Tronics. Find out more about it here.
The rarer, most advanced and not particularly successful Sinclair Spectrum +3 was an Amstrad computer, that tellingly used those 3'' discs the 6128 and PCW were known for. Happily, you can now treat yourself to it and find out more about the peculiar delights it can offer by following this Spectrum +3 auction link. Seller ships worldwide, the computer seems to be in great condition and you'll also be getting 5 games on one disk.
People keep on talking about Streets of Rage 2, as if it actually were the best retro side-scrolling beat-'em-up you could ever play in the comfort of your home. How very odd! We all know that Target; Renegade on the ZX Spectrum was better, don't we? And affordable too. And released back in 1988 by Imagine, all those years after Ocean had already gotten said publishing label for itself. Oh, and it also was a truly rare instance of a sequel to an arcade that didn't get an arcade sequel, meaning of course that it was the sequel to an 8-bit arcade conversion; the aptly named Renegade.
Now, assuming not everyone has (had) a Spectrum or a capacity for vivid memories, let me briefly remind everyone what Target; Renegade was all about. You, the player, entered the 80s shoes of ridiculously-named Renegade in a mission to avenge your brother's death. This of course would turn out to be a particularly violent mission, as the game would take you for a brutal fight through the gritty locales of Scumville in search of Mr. Big, a gang-lord and a murderer, whom you would then have to beat to death; preferably with a snooker cue. Not Dostoevsky exactly, I know, but these games can't be judged by their plot, can they?
So, why care about Target; Renegade then? Easy. The game features some great, impressively varied graphics, a lovely selection of baddies that cover everything from ladies of the night and shooters to Beastie Boys fans, excellent controls, excellent pace and five -yes, excellently- characterful stages to battle through. Oh, and, yes, it plays brilliantly (and in a most excellent manner) and is as addictive as, well, a particularly addictive thing. In a nutshell, it's an absolute classic and it hasn't aged a day!
Only problem is it's a multiload, but -in our age of the emulator and the mp3 player- that shouldn't really bother anyone...
Other, by definition inferior (though some might argue with that), versions of Target; Renegade have appeared on the CPC, the Commodore 64 and even Nintendo's very own NES. Oh, and if you have a 128k Speccy prepare yourselves for some fantastic music too.
Where to get it:
Target; Renegade (all formats): eBay.com, eBay.uk
Free Download (Spectrum version): World of Spectrum
Remakes: Target; 2006, Target Renegade Remake
More info on Target; Renegade:
I don't know if I'm the only Speccy-lover that never knew about this, but Ultimate's Nightshade on a Microdrive is quite possibly as high tech as you can get with the Spectrum, provided of course said cartridge-tape hybrid doesn't explode on your face. Get it here (heh). Seller ships to Europe, United States, Australia and Canada.
Ah, a fine 8-bit specimen and a rather quirky printer. Grab that shiny, almost new and definitely complete in its box Spectrum + complete with Sinclair ZX Printer via eBay and marvel at the completeness of the whole thing. Err, yes. Do that. Also expect to pay something close to 45-55£. UK only. Oh, and do find out more about said printer here.
Now, if you include loading times that's at least a couple hundred gaming hours on your trusted Speccy, and, frankly, that really is as good as it gets. So, go grab them 220 Spectrum games via eBay now and thank me later! I'll wait. Seller ships worldwide. Included, you will find such gems as Hungry Horace, Renegade, Target: Renegade, Ant Attack, Trashman, Star Wars, Football Manager, Dizzy, Atic Atac, 3D Deathchase, Moon Cresta, APB, Wheelie, Batman, Match Day, Dun Darach and Konami's Tennis.
The last of the Spectrums and a glorious 8-bit machine, the Spectrum +3 was Amstrad's final attempt in keeping the Speccy alive by adding a lovely 3" disk drive to the already impressive Spectrum +2. Usually the average Spectrum +3 costs 40-50£ meaning that this auction of a boxed Sinclair Spectrum +3 in top condition is worth looking into. After all, this is not your average +3, as the computer has been completely overhauled, cleaned and restored to a very high level, all worn parts have been replaced (including the drive belt), and the read/write head has been aligned and calibrated professionally.
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