Space Raiders ZX Spectrum

Description

Space Raiders ZX Spectrum

Space Raiders is a Space Invaders clone. The player has three ships available and must destroy the invading alien army before they get to the Earth. In the early Eighties, the ZX Spectrum just came out and Space Invaders was still on everybody’s minds at the time. The game was only released on consoles, meaning that the ZX went without a version. Psion changed all that when it introduced Space Raiders, so anyone who owned a ZX at the time could have fun shooting the invaders while dodging their bullets, just as they did in the arcades.

What’s makes this version stand out is the use of colour graphics, which can be compared to Space Invaders Part II, where every two rows of invaders have a unique colour. Starting from the bottom and working the way up, for instance, the first two rows of invaders are red, while the next two are green. This is a refreshing change from the monochrome graphics that plagued the original coin-op.

Space Raiders ZX Spectrum

Although the animations are the same as the coin-op, the additional ones are impressive. I enjoyed watching the individual rows appear one by one. Also, when you lose one of your lives, the ship furthest to the left disappearing and your remaining ships sliding in its place is a nice touch.

The sound may be scratchy by today’s standards, but this was how the ZX sounded due to the machine’s AY-3-8912 sound chip. The sound certainly blends well with what you are doing and it keeps up with the action. Via Mobygames

Another great retro game available at Escapist Gamer – User Guide Companion Cassette (ZX Spectrum)