WHAT IF ZX SPECTRUM GAMES WERE REMADE FOR THE PLAYSTATION 4?

24/4/2019

It's fair to say that modern game covers generally adhere to a pretty strict formula, in comparison to the games from 30-odd years ago.

Whether that's for better or worse is for you to decide, but here's a gallery of ZX Spectrum classics reimagined as PlayStation 4 games...

SKOOL DAZE

HORACE GOES SKIING

MANIC MINER

CHUCKIE EGG

ATIC ATAC

JACK THE NIPPER

JET PAC

26 Comments

Mr.S

24/4/2019 10:43:57 am

Wow when did Miner Willy get so buff? Maybe there’s a Smash Bros style game with only ZC Spectrum game characters in it, in some alternate universe where Clive Sinclair was the Miyamoto of his time.

Guru Larry link

24/4/2019 10:52:29 am

What about Eric and the Floaters? :D

Grembot

24/4/2019 10:58:39 am

You’re hired!

Cal

24/4/2019 11:20:33 am

Canis Canem Edit (aka Bully) is pretty much already Skool Daze for Playstation anyway. Also no need to invent a new Codemasters logo, they're still around ;)

Lord Jackson A. Nory link

24/4/2019 01:44:50 pm

True, but it would have to be made into a racing game for them to publish it.

James Walker

24/4/2019 11:42:35 pm

Nah, Bully’s pure Yankee ain’t it? Nowt to do with Skool Daze mate.

Johnny Walker

24/4/2019 11:56:52 am

What about the helicopter game i think it was called team Apache

FriendMichael

24/4/2019 12:12:00 pm

I vastly preferred the days of barely-competent child-like scrawlings, but then I do have an active interest in outsider illustration

retrowarrior

24/4/2019 12:52:22 pm

This is completely spot on, you nailed it.
Those old game covers, although kind of goofy, actually look interesting and potentially fun.

When did gaming become such a generic, unoriginal soul-sucking experience...

Clown4skin

24/4/2019 01:13:10 pm

When you grew up and stopped taking an active interest in the medium, causing each title to blur into the next. The way my grandma thought Nirvana sounded like REM: inexperience was her downfall there.

You really can't find any similarities behind the Spectrum games?

retrowarrior

24/4/2019 01:25:37 pm

Haha!
No it's not that - I have had a system from every generation including a PS4. I've since given it to my teenage daughter as, in the last year or so, I have found everything newly released seems to have actually become very unexciting and bland.
Now that could be the fact that I've hit 40, but I honestly am just not interested in the kind of stuff being released any more.

I guess perhaps gaming trends have changed, but I can't seem to tolerate any more franchises or arena crap, and online multiplayer makes me want to vom.

More specifically - and I guess the point of this post, is that newer covers (and the marketing behind a release) are all the same.
No individuality, no creativity, no heart. It's pretty grim.

Clown4skin

24/4/2019 03:01:25 pm

Right, but they are joke covers made for that purpose. Personally I don't think we've ever seen so much scope, in all of gaming ever, as we have on the PS4 right now

Mike

24/4/2019 06:56:38 pm

90% of ZX games were egg themed.

Daph

24/4/2019 01:21:12 pm

You have definitely excelled .. X

Steve Perrin link

24/4/2019 01:38:12 pm

Why does the PS version of Horace look like Iggy Pop?

Panama Joe

24/4/2019 02:20:32 pm

Good to see the repeated use of "bombfetti" in every cover, a term coined by Yahtzee Crowshaw when he too noticed the pattern where covers using exploding confetti imagery. It's this generation's lens flare.

And every game is rated 18s, which highlights another frustrating trend. How hard is it to find genuinely good games on non-Nintendo platforms that are appropriate for kids? Its slim pickings after Minecraft, Rocket League, Stardew Valley and some LEGO franchises. Not everything has to have swearing and gore, lads.

Stance the Whelk

24/4/2019 03:10:42 pm

But why shouldn't everything have swearing and guns in it? Why have I gotta worry about your kids? As you say, they have the extensive Nintendo catalogue

Penyrolewen

24/4/2019 08:19:06 pm

You haven’t got to worry about anyone’s kids. You can still have all the sweary gun games you’ve got now but why can’t there be some more stuff that isn’t that?

I agree, gaming has never been better but there is a lack of risk taking, of imagination. It’s because even small indie developers need time and money to develop games. They used to be knocked out by individuals, sometimes even at home, and needed minimum capital. Imagine how much a modern triple a title must take to make! They ain’t gonna risk all that moolah on some random idea that appeals to a small demographic.
Still, games that are a bit less sweary and gunny just might sell - kids play games too you know. But you can still have your grown up games too.

Stance

25/4/2019 08:13:01 am

Sekiro, Dreams, Horizon all say different, those are off the top of my head. All massive budget games with new ideas and no fixed audience. I'm seeing far more risk taking and new ideas from Sony than from Nintendo, far more. My Switch has been gathering dust for months now

Spiney O'Sullivan

25/4/2019 12:40:17 pm

Honestly, having seen far too many cases of kids whining or tricking their parents into buying age-restricted games for them in retail stores, I have a vague suspicion that publishers have quietly accepted that a lot of parents simply do not care what their kids are playing, so they might as well make 18-rated games since they're going to sell both to adults and kids anyway. If anything, that age rating probably means they appeal to kids even more.

Meatballs-me-branch-me-do

25/4/2019 05:28:36 pm

Because violence and gore and bad swears appeals to kids! We thought Splatterhouse and Mortal Kombat were the coolest things ever! You could cut heads off in Barbarian!

moonbucket

24/4/2019 02:31:24 pm

I just knew Horace was suffering an existential nightmare and just didn't have the resolution to fully convey his torment to the player.

Bryan

24/4/2019 08:44:50 pm

Christ Biffo, I'm never going to be able to sleep after seeing the new Horace or Jack the Ripper. Are they set in the spooky cancelled resident evil 4 timeline?

James Walker

24/4/2019 11:45:42 pm

This is fucking VINTAGE Digi! The cowboy Melbourne House logo made me do a proper LOL in bed much to the Chagrin of my missus.
You Bastard!

Spiney O'Sullivan

25/4/2019 12:42:51 pm

These are great. I'm all for more of this kind of thing in the future.

Steve

25/4/2019 07:07:33 pm

They're all good, but why are all of the PS4 covers splattered with marmalade?

WHAT IF ZX SPECTRUM GAMES WERE REMADE FOR THE PLAYSTATION 4?

Leave a Reply.

Archives