ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection Vol 1: review

• Format: iPhone, iPod Touch
• Unleashed: Out Now
• Publisher: Elite Systems
• Developer: Elite Systems
• Players: 1
• Site: http://www.elite-systems.co.uk/elite/htdocs/user_home.php

It was with a nostalgic tear in our eyes, that we downloaded the ZX Spectrum: Elite Collection from Apple’s App Store. With the C64 App doing good business already, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a ZX Spectrum emulator for the iPhone. Thankfully Elite Systems have obliged with this new collection of retro games, but how do these old games play on this new generation of gadgets?

Included in this App are six games from the ZX Spectrum library. For 59p you get Turbo Esprit, Saboteur, Buggy Boy, Frank Bruno’s Boxing, Harrier Attack and the classic Chuckie Egg. Sadly the games have dated pretty badly, and the rose tinted spec(cy)s were quickly replaced with sadness at how some of these once great games had become nigh on unplayable on Apple’s touch screen device.

What doesn’t help is the ill conceived control scheme which gives you eight directional buttons and a ‘fire’ button. It just feels a little unwieldy, and anyone with large sausage like fingers will struggle to control any of the games included with the touch screen control scheme. Having said that though, the developers are working on a new 8-way joystick control scheme, which will be available with the next crop of games at the end of October/beginning of November, so hopefully that will sort out these problems.

Although the controls are flawed, the emulation is spot on, with all the old glitchy graphics and sound effects replicated perfectly. The only thing missing is the 15 minute wait while a game loaded, and the error message that, sometimes, appeared as the game had finished loading. The loading ‘static’ noise that was well known throughout the 80s, as you waited on your game to load is included, for that authentic Speccy experience.

Although most of the included games are not wearing well, Chuckie Egg has aged a lot better than some of the other games in the collection and plays just as we remember it, as you control Henhouse Harry in a pretty decent platformer. Fingers crossed they release the much improved sequel Chuckie Egg 2 in a future update. Buggy Boy and Turbo Espirit fare badly in comparison, with sprites not being particularly well suited to 3D driving games of the time. Harrier Attack, which is a side scrolling shoot em up, can also be annoyingly difficult to play, and is certainly no R-Type. Frank Bruno’s boxing is a button basher of a boxing game that is pretty average and Saboteur, a precursor to stealth games like Splinter Cell, is quite frankly boring.

Although the initial line-up of games is a tad underwhelming, Elite Systems are planning on bringing a lot more games to the emulator, and the good news is that they will be free to all users of the app. The plan is to bring out several volumes of games, with around 200 earmarked so far. Elite Systems will also be adding an in-App shop to the emulator, so you can expect to see some of the all-time classics from the largest publishers of the 80s to be released in this way. So the chances are you’ll find your favourite games of yesteryear at some point in the very near future.

For 59p it’s well worth a nostalgic glance, but don’t expect it to drag you away from Angry Birds for any great length of time. But as the developers say themselves, the App’s a work-in-progress, and we’re hopeful the next update will solve the issues that we’ve mentioned, and bring classic Speccy games back to the masses for a new generation to enjoy.