I'm looking to buy a 8-bit home computer

[TMR]

Can't get it going, tried Caprice and WinAPE and both give a "memory full" error fairly rapidly... of course, i suspect i'm doing it wrong and it doesn't help that i couldn't figure out how to do what i would with the real CPC on this laptop-size keyboard; no right CTRL and only one enter key!

Ctrl+ Enter = Run"

Yeah, bit hard without a right-hand Ctrl or numeric keypad Enter key though...! The latter is mapped to the return key as long as the function key is down, but that seems to be confusing WinAPE a bit when i hit Fn, Ctrl and Return/Enter together - i get a bad command error!

Do use load" instead?

Yeah, that's what i tried and got the memory error from...

[RocketRanger]

So, any comments on Star Sabre? I especially like the smooth object movement and scrolling.

Can't get it going, tried Caprice and WinAPE and both give a "memory full" error fairly rapidly... of course, i suspect i'm doing it wrong and it doesn't help that i couldn't figure out how to do what i would with the real CPC on this laptop-size keyboard; no right CTRL and only one enter key!

Using WinApe (emulating a CPC 6128+:

File->Tape->Insert Tape image->Select the tape file.

Use |tape to get into tape mode using shift+{ to get the | key

Type Run""

Click the red tape icon at the bottom of the screen and press play.

Wait..Wait...Wait...........Wait.....

[RocketRanger]

So, any comments on Star Sabre? I especially like the smooth object movement and scrolling.

That's really all there is to say about it. Nice smooth sprites, nice scrolling, no gameplay. Its like the Amstrad can 'do' a Commodore 64

[zerocool]

So, any comments on Star Sabre? I especially like the smooth object movement and scrolling.

That's really all there is to say about it. Nice smooth sprites, nice scrolling, no gameplay. Its like the Amstrad can 'do' a Commodore 64

No gameplay...?

[RocketRanger]

So, any comments on Star Sabre? I especially like the smooth object movement and scrolling.

That's really all there is to say about it. Nice smooth sprites, nice scrolling, no gameplay. Its like the Amstrad can 'do' a Commodore 64

No gameplay...?

Not a definitive review

[oswald]

If you are completely new to retro, and just want to buy a ‘standard’ 8bit machine then ether/or all of the Amstrad, Spectrum or C64 would probably be a good first choice. But if you get seriously interested in 8Bit systems I would suggest having a look at the Atari 8Bit range (probably an 800XL or 130XE) or an MSX. IF you want to go back further than the Speci VS C64 wars, I would suggest the good old VIC 20 or the ZX 81

dividing the 8bit machines into "seriously interested ppl needs msx&atari /less serious ppl needs speccy&c64" is stupid (or may I say biased?:). its a matter of taste / preference. also I dont see how is c64 or speccy more back (in time) than the a8 series, which started in the pre80s.

[TMR]

So, any comments on Star Sabre? I especially like the smooth object movement and scrolling.

That's really all there is to say about it. Nice smooth sprites, nice scrolling, no gameplay. Its like the Amstrad can 'do' a Commodore 64

No gameplay...?

Some people mistake complexity with gameplay... personally, now i can actually run the preview it's been upgraded from "ooh, that looks interesting" to "how much is in my PayPal account?".

[Ritchardo mkII]

I'm actually toying with the idea of getting an MSX - I know next to nothing about them and that's part of the attraction. Are they easy to get up and running?

[playgeneration]

MSX is easy to get running, there were UK models made and sold here. The most common one is Toshiba MSX 64K HX10.
Loads of games came on cart which are easy enough to get, which frees you from load times and a tape deck. Theres no region protection on carts either, so you can get Japanese games.

A few warnings though, the graphics chips is very poor at side scrolling, so games move really choppily. Single screen and 3D effect first person games play fine however. Even vertical scrolling games play smoothly if I remember rightly, but side scrolling games can be almost unplayable.
Also there was a MSX2 which games like Castelvania and Metal Gear were made for, the original MSX cannot play these games.

[AlleyKat]

Also there was a MSX2 which games like Castelvania and Metal Gear were made for, the original MSX cannot play these games.

So does the MSX 2 have better hardware for scrolling etc? Like Ritchardo I've become quite intriqued by the MSX recently, as I say, because of the amount of japanese support it enjoyed from companies like Compile, Konami etc.

I'm not really interested in the european MSX games as it always seemed like it had conversions of some of the bigger 8 bit titles but little else.

By the way, it was Lamulana, the Metroid/Castlevania style platformer (in an MSX style) which really aroused my interest in the format.
RG raved about it earlier this year (in issue 35) and I was super impressed with it- an excellent (but tough) game.

http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=lamulana

...If that intrigues you. For the love of god, download the manual though.

[TMR]

So does the MSX 2 have better hardware for scrolling etc? Like Ritchardo I've become quite intriqued by the MSX recently, as I say, because of the amount of japanese support it enjoyed from companies like Compile, Konami etc.

From memory, MSX2 adds hardware vertical scrolling and MSX2+ brings horizontal to the table as well - they all have more sprites and improved graphics modes than the MSX1. But it's worth remembering that the Konami stuff at least that people rave about are MSX1 titles, unless a title is programmed to take advantage of the improvements the game will run as though it's on the older hardware.

[AlleyKat]

Ah, thanks, mate.

I wouldnt have assumed vanilla MSX games would improve because of running on the MSX2/MSX2+, but were there enough notable games designed for the latter machines to make them worth investigating?
As I say, I really know nothing beyond the developers mentioned providing support and that the machine was a big success in Japan.

I presume that the lions share of titles would be arcade ports/clones and untranslated adventures/RPGs, but I'm still pretty curious.

[TMR]

I wouldnt have assumed vanilla MSX games would improve because of running on the MSX2/MSX2+, but were there enough notable games designed for the latter machines to make them worth investigating?

i've got a hideously limited knowledge to be honest (something i'd like to rectify at some point) but from what i've read and seen yes, there's certainly a fair bit of stuff to play with. i didn't think you'd assume either, just covering all the bases, so to speak. =-)

[Emperor Fossil]

So, any comments on Star Sabre?

Although I do have a couple of small gripes, I had a lot of fun with the demo. I quite liked the precise, almost surgical shooting needed to take out the attack waves. In that respect it actually reminded me just a little of how Io on the c64 plays at the start before you pick up any orbs.

I also got a kick out of the huge ALERT! that scrolls across the screen before the encounter with the end of level boss, though unfortunately the boss itself was a bit of an anticlimax, being no bigger and less challenging than the mid-level guy.

[GarryG]

dividing the 8bit machines into "seriously interested ppl needs msx&atari /less serious ppl needs speccy&c64" is stupid (or may I say biased?:). its a matter of taste / preference.

I wasn't dividing anything!
I was saying that for an introduction machine it would probably be best to go for one of the more well knows machines, Amstrad, Spectrum, Commodore. Then, if your interest grows, the Atari 8bit range and the MSX may be a couple of the more interesting machines to look at, because they were less common, but have a lot of good stuff out for them.
I cannot see what is stupid or bias about that!

also I dont see how is c64 or speccy more back (in time) than the a8 series, which started in the pre80s.

Er, I don't understand what your trying to say here?
The first machines in the Atari 8bit range predate both the C64 and 48K Spectrum.
I didn't say the Spectrum and C64 machines were older than the oldest computers in the Atari range?
I did say the VIC 20 and ZX81 were a couple of good systems to have a look at if you wanted to look at something older than the Spectrum/C64 era.

I don't understand where you took offense from, and think your reply to my initial post was a bit harsh and unwarranted!
Maybe I wasn't all that clear and you got a bit confused!?!?