When did you first hear your computer speak?
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When did you first hear your computer speak?
My mate had an Apricot, I think, and he had a game that I think involved going around a maze. When the baddies caught you, this screechy voice shouted "Weeee Gatcha!" That was about 1981-ish, and we were both absolutely amazed.
A year or so later, I got a currah microspeech for my speccy. Using this fab device, you could make your computer say ANYTHING that you wanted it to! It could even swear, providing you spelt everything phonetically, and put brackets around letters that needed to be said together, like "(sh)ut up."
Then, maybe the year after, I got Ghostbusters for the speccy. This masterpiece didn't even NEED the currah microspeech. IT JUST TALKED!
I know nowadays speech comes as standard on games, even on handheld titles, but what was your first experience of a computer talking?
A year or so later, I got a currah microspeech for my speccy. Using this fab device, you could make your computer say ANYTHING that you wanted it to! It could even swear, providing you spelt everything phonetically, and put brackets around letters that needed to be said together, like "(sh)ut up."
Then, maybe the year after, I got Ghostbusters for the speccy. This masterpiece didn't even NEED the currah microspeech. IT JUST TALKED!
I know nowadays speech comes as standard on games, even on handheld titles, but what was your first experience of a computer talking?
- RetroKingSimon
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Hahaha!
The first time I heard a home computer talk was when a friend of mine showed me his Currah Microspeech. Naturally, he demonstrated it with swear words!
I can't remember the first time I actually heard my own computer talk. I never had any gadgets like the Microspeech for my Speccy, so it would've been a game. Maybe Fantasy World Dizzy or Chase HQ.


- JetSetWilly
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my Amiga back when i first got it, found out i had 'speak' on workbench, loaded it up and promptly typed 'i have big hairy b0ll0cks' on it
JSW's Guff Emporium! <- My bit of t'internet.
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- liveinabin
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Not really 'the computer speaking' per se, but the (frankly crap) speech sample at the start of Ghostbusters just blew my mind. I had to have a Spectrum.
That said, even a Speccy's beep was amazing compared to the output of my ZX81.
Star Wars in the arcade was also a landmark. I remember the car ride home from the sports centre (all the arcade machines I played in my youth were played there after swimming) after playing it for the first time, I was just buzzing from the experience.
That said, even a Speccy's beep was amazing compared to the output of my ZX81.
Star Wars in the arcade was also a landmark. I remember the car ride home from the sports centre (all the arcade machines I played in my youth were played there after swimming) after playing it for the first time, I was just buzzing from the experience.
- woody.cool
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- RetroKingSimon
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- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 12:21 pm
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The first was Tales of the Arabian Nights on C64.
But the one that sticks in the mind (not for good reasons) is:
"Peter Shilton's Handball Maradonna"
"Goalllll"
"Shave"
Sounded like Steven Hawkins with asthma
But the one that sticks in the mind (not for good reasons) is:
"Peter Shilton's Handball Maradonna"
"Goalllll"
"Shave"
Sounded like Steven Hawkins with asthma
The dry fart for Barry MacDermot and all the cancer patients in the Glamorgan testicle ward
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