A Look at ALL the Sega Arcade to ZX Spectrum Ports (1985-1992) | Kim Justice

I've never been able to understand how people were ok with Spectrum graphics for games. No offense, I know millions loved it, but to me it's just terrible, I couldn't play a game with the weird colors like that for five minutes.

I think Bomb Jack is one of the best Specy arcade ports, even better than Amiga port.

All in all it was a crap gaming machine compared to the C64 and CPC464

Spy Hunter was seemingly more about killing commuting civilians. I remember my little brother darkly remarking, "Daddy wont be coming home today" as he shunted a pick-up off the road and into a ball of flames.

Only good way to play Outrun is on the ZX Spectrum Next @ 7MHz

I had a Speccy, I always disliked how the graphics looked, I still look back at the c64 with a degree of jealousy that they could enjoy colour in the way they did.

Is the name Spectrum meant to be ironic?

Amazing work as always, Kim. Thanks for reminding me of Miami Vice. I kind of remember the C64 version looking like GTA one except you'd drive off-screen directly into oncoming traffic no matter what.

Nice video!

I didn't start getting interested in gaming in a big way until 1988-89, as I made the transition from primary school to high school. And my first system was an Atari 2600. Computers were like an elusive unicorn to me, so it was either the humble 2600 at home, arcade games if I was out, or a computer at a mate's place- which was usually either a C64 or Amiga (I did receive a second hand C64 for Christmas 1990). At this point in time the Spectrum and the Amstrad were dead platforms in Australia, so my only knowledge of games for them was the magazine C+VG. Even now, just seeing videos like this is like a new experience to me. And I gotta say, there's some really nice conversions here, Afterburner, Space Harrier and Power Drift look really good!

Enduro racer runs a bit slow I find so if you can emulate cpu speed to 7mhz I find it much better at double the speed

Cool video Kim! I've wanted to work my way through these for ~AGES~

What a wonderful trip back to my earliest gaming days. I may have to find myself an emulator now...

It's a sad reflection of the internet that fantastic, well researched content such as the stuff Kim puts out will never get the kind of viewership that some twat shrieking while playing any old rubbish will get. But then I suppose Adam Curtis documentaries will never be as popular as shit with Kardashians in it either.

Nice one Kimble. x

Great Video KJ. I love your love for the Spectrum. As a now 50 years old, this video is entirely my life at secondary school. Although my parents couldn't afford a Spectrum I had a really great friend who had one and spent loads of time at his house playing many of these titles.

Amazing video Kim

When you said Galaxy Force was running on a 48k Speccy, my jaw fucking dropped.

U.S. Gold, if they had managed Silver or even Bronze that would have been preferable to the typical Pewter to Slag they normally pumped out. :(
I usually judge the ZX on performance first where games that jerk and move like molasses are ranked pretty low, if it controls good and smooth I'll have a good time. Space Harrier sure proves that point being like butter, while Outrun is more like dog shit lol.
Visually I always thought more colors on screen the better with monochrome games looking pretty boring although there are genre exceptions for it like racing, still Wonder Boy sure could use some more color. :\ Some nice pixel art for the platform in all of it's lifespan but they really shouldn't have gotten SO afraid of color clash. :|
However the Spectrum sure could have used more of a push for sound card/modules because I can't think of many games to praise in the audio department no matter how well they were ported otherwise, DOS PC Speaker wasn't much better either but a bunch of things filled that gap. Although the AY-3-8910 based tunes are pretty good. ;)
Nothing can stop objectively bad porting though I'm afraid, I agree Alien Syndrome is a total screw up and should have been much better. T_T In retrospect I don't think Dynamite Dux was worth porting anywhere. :P Monster Land should have been much better since it fits so well on the platform, the same for Bonanza Bros.

Remember trying to play some of those games as a kid and thought those are too sophisticated and difficult games for grown ups. But the fact is, some of them were just poor quality unplayable trash :-D Brings great memories anyway.

I always enjoy sitting down with a cup of tea, a bacon butty, and another informative and entertaining Kim Justice vid. Good stuff as always.

I'd have dropped dead on the floor if I saw Space Harrier back in the day. Only got to play Enduro Racer on the ZX, but that's what we've got the emulators for.

I never knew it was considered weak!

I only know precious little about UK old computer type stuff I just love seeing really bad ports of street fighter that tend to show up on that stuff
Also teenage mutant hero turtles!

It's so hard for me to imagine what "composing" for that thing was like?
It must have been depressing as hell!
Any famous/ notable people who made music for the machine? I'd love to know more!

Wow galaxy force really was impressive even with novice knowledge on the machine. I always feel like I learn something from your vids.
Definitely one of my favorite creators.

Holy fuck that didn't even sound like he said pinball!

Unrelated but would you ever do long-form video similar to this for like 3do , sega cd , apple pippin or turbografx 16/p.c engine or sega saturn?? I'd love to see it! Like vids of ports or just unique/ exclusive originals??
Regardless, appreciate your content
Been watching mostly silently for almost 5 years now ! Always enjoyable and your content always feels so unique to me. I always look forward to them. They are very comfortable I guess. Nice mix of knowledge and perspective but not off-putting personality or rough edges which I feel is pretty rare!

What is the blue art at the bottom of the shadow dancer hud??
It reminds me of rodan from toho godzilla movies or a kappa yokai??
I've never seen the game before

I can never get over the goalkeeper in World Championship Soccer just having the ball fly past him with his arms reaching out. He looks like Gumby playing football.

Another brilliant video....

Did I imagine the approximation of Outruns magical sound shower on Afterburner?

Loved golden axe on the amstrad it was close to mega drive version

Thank you SO much for your love of Spy Hunter on the Speccy...I been following your content for a number of years and absolutely appreciate your efforts to show the world the wonderful magic of the Spectrum

I’m 43 and had a +2. I still don’t know what a Kempston joystick is.

Graphics looked primitive compared to systems but it was an interesting list.

The thumbnail said that this had 48k views ................ well that`s appropriate eh ? ha ha

With regards to Afterburner, not sure if anyone remembers this but the Out Run car makes a guest appearance in the game along with the Super Hang On motorcycle. If I remember correctly they can both be seen on the right side of the screen when taking off from the ground.

Amazing machine and ONLY 48k as apposed to 64 people had LOL ⭐️

These games are on a cassette tape? That's crazy! Like how the hell dose that happen 🤣

That tapper music sounds like death metal

This channel produces some of the best documentaries I’ve watched.
Criminally underrated

'Sagitarian' the best pinball game of all times for Speccy! ;-)

These really are the Ecce Homo of Sega arcade ports, aren't they? The designers had aspirations, but the hardware was just nowhere near realizing them. Even NES and Master System ports of arcade games felt compromised, but this is on a whole other level. The Spectrum is just not built for purpose as a game machine... the hardware actively fights being utilized in that way, as if it shared Clive Sinclair's reported disdain for video games.

ksksksksk the way you said europa is cute... "ewopa" asldasjkdh

Great and detailed show kim. 💕 Legend

Is it part of Quartet that the enemies are invisible?

Ive completed Wonder Boy with save states on Amstrad and some of the levels are near impossible later on. One of the levels in the final world is as hard as a segment of the final level of Skullmonkeys 😲

You'd think SDI would have used movement on the stick or four buttons and fire control on another four buttons or another stick to allow proper control

is there a good video somewhere that explains..whatever the hell is going on with the spectrum graphics/color wise?