For this program, I wanted to display a hungry dog over a message filling the ZX81 screen. Unlike most of my image programs, the text remains visible behind the dog, almost as though the image has a transparent background.
Recreating Trap or Gold on the ZX80
Looking for a challenge, I decided to rewrite Trap or Gold for the more primitive ZX80. Although similar to the ZX81, its original 4K ROM provided a much more limited version of BASIC. Not to be deterred, I set out to see how games might work on the ZX81’s older brother.
My Heart Beats for the ZX81
I’ve always liked programs that feel a little alive, even on a machine like the ZX81. For Heart Beat, as usual, I was inspired by others. I ran across this EKG Heart program by Holger Palmroth for the Spectrum and decided to adapt and expand it for the ZX81.
Adventures in 3D Printing a Commodore Badge
Today, I did a thing. I bought a 3D printer for the purpose of printing the badge for the Commodore 1541 disk drive. Yes, it is overkill, but I’ll use it later. I feel justified.
Drawing the Mono Lisa on the ZX81
Sometimes a small ZX81 program can still feel like a magic trick. My latest program, MONO LISA, builds a simple picture of the Mona Lisa from a single encoded string using a compact run-length encoding (RLE) style routine. It is definitely slow, but that is part of the charm as you watch the image draw itself across the screen.
Can You Keep Up with Lift, My ZX81 Elevator Game
This week I received a new ZX81 book I purchased on eBay called "Timex Sinclair 1000 Programs, Games, and Graphics." A little graphic program in the back of the book inspired me to create a game called Lift. Can you catch the items before they fall? Let’s dig in.
Building a ZX81 Intro Screen for Wolf, Goat, Cabbage
When I first converted Wolf, Goat, Cabbage to the ZX81, I wanted to include an intro screen. Sadly, I didn’t get around to it at the time. This month, I finally circled back and it turned into quite the journey.
Trap or Gold Is a Simple ZX81 Game of Chance With a Twist
I was pursuing ideas for a simple role-playing or fighting game. The one I landed on was the concept of a single treasure chest. It fit the retro-computing theme perfectly. Trap or Gold is a simple game that doesn't need fancy graphics, speed, or memory — yet it’s still fun.
Bringing My Atari 2600 Joysticks and Paddles Back to Life
I recently got back into retro hardware. My starting point was gaming, as I ordered one of the new Atari 7800s that plays the old cartridges. In my haste to grab a few games, I inadvertently purchased a complete 2600 with controllers. I’ll blame travel and lack of sleep for missing that detail. But it gave me the opportunity to attempt something I’ve never done before: restore the controllers.
Are You Fast Enough to Beat My ZX81 Duck, Duck, Goose Game?
Every once in a while, a small, silly idea turns into a surprisingly fun little project. That’s exactly what happened with my latest ZX81 experiment, a reaction-based game inspired by the old nursery rhyme: Duck, Duck, Goose.