Spectrum Next - MM/JSW

[SymbolShift]

I'm sure many of you are aware of the "Spectrum Next" kickstarters by Henrique Olifiers (KS3 is currently running).

I do not own one, but I am often tempted. Many ZX games have been re-done with 256 colours, AY sound, and 2MB memory. A new Head over Heels was created, Clive Townsend created a new Saboteur, and even Sandy White is supposed to be working on a new Ant Attack.

This got me wondering, has anyone got plans to develop new MM/JSW games for the Spectrum Next, that would exceed hardware limitations of original Spectrum?

Would this even be a good idea?

Thoughts please...

Edited July 22, 2025 by SymbolShift

[DigitalDuck]

I've backed KS3, decided to pass on the first two because I knew there'd be teething problems but the Magenta swayed me.

I've been slacking on Miner Redux but I'd definitely like to port that to the Next and make it open for easy editing.

[Spider]

There's also the ULAPlus and similiar devices, I do recall some games (not specific to here) being altered to support this.  I can vaguely remember trying it on emulation and aside from being able to change the base colours around I wasn't able to figure out how to use it but it had potential.

I'll confess I'm not even fully aware of the Next's specifications, I'm assuming it will support something similar to what the Sam Coupe offered ? I do realise these days that's a niche item however compared to the Next which is 'available' as such albeit at a cost.

[Jet Set Willie]

It´s nice that such gaming machines are made, but I´ll prefer to stick with the old ones. 🙂 

I could possibly help with some upgraded graphics project, but here too, I´ll prefer to stick with the old ones😉with better graphic capabilities than the Spectrum original. Perhaps I could try, but I haven´t got any experience with 16-bit type graphics, but probably I could do allright.  😺

I didn´t know about Clive Townsend and Sandy White 256 colour Saboteur and Ant Attack. I´ll gladly check their screenshots and videos when they are finished. 🙂 

[SymbolShift]

It's an exciting prospect for sure, and maybe one day we'll see a Spectrum Next version of MM or JSW. Although personally I love the simplicity of the original games.

Remakes have been made already on other platforms with enhanced graphics and larger colour palettes, and sometimes it looks good, and sometimes with disastrous results. It comes with something called NextBASIC, but creating a MM/JSW game is probably beyond it's capabilities. Without an editor or some sort, it would needed to be coded in Z80 assembly.

I'm still tempted to get a Spectrum Next to dabble with, but just worried it will collect dust after the initial unboxing excitement wears off.

A good link that has full specifications and programming details is here:
https://wiki.specnext.dev/

[DigitalDuck]

1 hour ago, SymbolShift said:

Remakes have been made already on other platforms with enhanced graphics and larger colour palettes, and sometimes it looks good, and sometimes with disastrous results. It comes with something called NextBASIC, but creating a MM/JSW game is probably beyond it's capabilities. Without an editor or some sort, it would needed to be coded in Z80 assembly.

I'm more optimistic - MM/JSW isn't a particularly complicated game; on the Next it's also possible to mix and match methods written in NextBASIC, C, and Z80 ASM and compile them all together.

[SymbolShift]

1 hour ago, DigitalDuck said:

MM/JSW isn't a particularly complicated game; on the Next it's also possible to mix and match methods written in NextBASIC, C, and Z80 ASM and compile them all together.

I was not aware! That has got me very interested indeed. If I have to fork out the £300, I will hold you responsible 😁

[Spider]

I note emulators support varies. Spin does have that 64 colour mode (This is I think Spectra). I don't have anything else aside Spectaculator at the moment installed, I think either Fuse and/or Zero had some other interface capabilty emulation too.

Spectra is this (you probably know!)

I was thinking of ULA plus as well , not sure if that's the same thing. One of them was dead easy to swap colours via a simple OUT (both in Basic or assembly) as / when needed. I was thinking about that at the time too , if careful timing of colour switching during blanking could get even more out of it, similar to how now its possible to 'cheat the beam' a bit and get what appears to be more colour than intended.

IIRC ByteDelight site has this availble. I'm not up on the specifics of each interface (and having internet connectivity issues as I write) so I'm unable to investigate further.

I expect there's a Next emulator or two around by now too (not looked!) 🙂 , as I think the cost of real hardware and space needed mean a great many these days are emulator based. Myself I sold my +2A ( too cheaply 😞 ) a few months ago as I'd not used it properly for about a decade, so it made sense to clean it up, new belts and pass onto someone who would enjoy it rather than me starting at a cardboard box.

 

Back to the original question and sorry for going off on a tangent (no pun) it probably would be , perhaps a Manic Miner type game however you're then relying on having people code it too. It would likely be a lot better than one of the video interfaces I mentioned however they themselves lend to ease of colour manipulation.

[JianYang]

17 hours ago, SymbolShift said:

I'm still tempted to get a Spectrum Next to dabble with, but just worried it will collect dust after the initial unboxing excitement wears off.

If you don't need the sexy case, you could just get a Mister FPGA (or clone). Runs the original recompiled NEXT sources, can emulate a lot of other machines and is cheaper.

[Jet Set Willie]

On 7/23/2025 at 9:23 PM, SymbolShift said:

I was not aware! That has got me very interested indeed. If I have to fork out the £300, I will hold you responsible 😁

I could think at least few other ways to spend £300 🚮    😆 but I honestly appreciate your choice. 🙂 Despite that blue-white symbol. 😉😄 

Edited July 25, 2025 by Jet Set Willie