iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 20h

Sega fans have Beats Of Rage to admire, but I think I can offer something better for #ZXSpectrum users...

The sprites section of my Target Renegade editor

The scenery section of my Target Renegade editor

The enemy waves section of my Target Renegade editor

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 27/09/2026

The greatest game on any system, of all time, is Chaos on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. That's just scientific fact. And tonight, I've released a web-browser-based editor for it. Phew.

Edit the graphics of Chaos in your web browser. And spell data. And loads of other things.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 05/03/2026

Those familiar with 1990s consoles know that the entire world is split into three areas. * USA * Europe * Japan That's it, the rest of the world does not exist. FACT. Don't argue. I have been to the first two, never been to the last one until now. Of course I'm filming the retrogaming delights...

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 05/01/2026

A lot of ZX Spectrum games on US Gold's Go! label ended up rereleased on Kixx, but seven of them did not. I did a poll to see which one of them was the best... spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt...

A mock-up of how the ZX Spectrum verison of Bedlam (a game on Go!, a label owned by US Gold) would look if it was rereleased on US Gold's Kixx label.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 02/01/2026

Your Sinclair is 40, and has been for a few weeks now. I took a look at what was in that first issue... spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt...

Front cover of the first issue of Your Sinclair (a reboot/rebrand of the Your Spectrum magazine which ran from March 1984 to November 1985), released on 2nd November 1985

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 15/12/2025

It's been an interesting week on the Spectrum Computing forums... spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt...

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 16/11/2025

I bought a recapped ZX Spectrum+2 (black, yes inferior to the grey), my first working Speccy in about thirty years. Bearcat's looking after it in the car boot, as there was no packaging! #CrashLive

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 16/11/2025

After 28 years I again meet Phil South from Your Sinclair. #CrashLive

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 16/11/2025

Phil South (Your Sinclair) and Nick Roberts (Crash) with a fan at #CrashLive

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 16/11/2025

I have arrived in beautiful sunny Kenilworth at a place that's a cross between the Grange Hill and the Crossroads Motel. #CrashLive

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 05/11/2025

Ooh, Dundee (I'm guessing, given your game creation history)! Yeah, that is quite a trek, as I know! There should be one in Dundee given the city's connection to Speccy manufacturing.

Pete Prodge in Dundee, reading the Beano. *chortle!*

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 31/10/2025

You are quite right. Precautions are in place.

Google calendar reminder for 29th Nov 2025 to check if VirtualJamesKing is still offline.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 30/10/2025

Aside from his YouTube channel, James King's only current presence on social media has now been scaled down to X, having eliminated BlueSky, Mastodon and Facebook from yesterday.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 29/10/2025

I wonder if @jk2447.bsky.social would like to comment on the huge discrepancy on his retrogaming YouTube channel's subscriber growth and the actual hours watched. It does seem like a 'bought audience', if you know what I mean. Over to you, James, if you'd like to tell us what's going on.

The YouTube homepage of user @VirtualJamesKing, who has an impressive subscriber count since reviving it four months ago, but the view counts are suspiciously low.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 20/10/2025

Some Your Sinclair cover artwork was pretty good, so I picked one at random to 'replace' the game's original inlay. Um, well, this one wasn't a good example, I think the original wins out.

Cover of Your Sinclair #15 (Jan 1987), original Elite inlay for Space Harrier on the ZX Spectrum, then my mock-up where you have the YS artwork replacing the original on the Elite inlay.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 17/09/2025

Can anyone help? Bartop arcades - I'd like to get one (Arcade Geeks seem to have good options). But how can I edit the games collection on them? Do any of them run on a Raspberry Pi and memory card? Or similar?

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 30/08/2025

In 1985, not much changed in computing. In 1986, not much changed in computing. In 1987, not much changed in computing. In 1988, not much changed in computing. In 1989, not much changed in computing. In 1990, not much changed in computing. In 1991, not much changed in computing.

Steve Coogan's boring security guard character in the clips from The Pool, a mock documentary showcased in The Day Today.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 27/08/2025

There are a number of ZX Spectrum games rated 95%-99% by games magazines. Less than 100, and I've catalogued them all here... spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt...

Where Time Stood Still on the ZX Spectrum

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 26/08/2025

Then you have the late and unlamented ZX Computing giving the 5/5 mark to... ...Jack And The Beanstalk. Yes, really.

Thor (Computer Software) Co. Ltd
Erskine Ind. Est.
Liverpool L6 1AP
£5.95

Superb cartoon graphics, the old Spectrum really can do some impressive things.

Currah Speech is used quite a lot and very effectively in this game. Some words need a bit of electronic translation, but it is an added extra dimension.

Joystick control is provided although I couldn't find a jump feature while using it - it's probably there, but the instructions don't give any clues and without it the game is near impossible. The keyboard layout is very good and I preferred to use this system.

Great presentation of the story in a scrolling redefined character set.

Colour and sound are used well and the action is fast and furious, again you have to find your way around by experimenting and I found this a little illogical. For instance on the first screen there is an axe. Now, going by the story, the axe is used at the end to chop down the beanstalk so shouldn't be required just yet. In fact you cannot successfully climb the beanstalk until you have picked it up! Still this is a minor quibble about what is an excellent game. I also found that movement needed a bit of practice to get used to as Jack is very sensitive to the keys and often overshot the area I was intending him to visit!
REVIEW BY: Jim Watson

Presentation 90%
Zapability 96%
Overall 5/5

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 26/08/2025

Following on from a look at the Spectrum magazines that flung out "10/10" ratings in questionable circumstances, I delved into the "5/5" ratings. Again, Sinclair User is flinging them out... at things like Jail Break and Molecule Man! spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt...

Sinclair User's review of Jail Break on the ZX Spectrum by Konami.
Label: Konami
Author: In-house
Price: £7.95
Joystick: various
Memory: 48K/128K
Reviewer: Graham Taylor

Graphically the game looks good. Fair sized sprites for cop and convicts, goodish background detail, smooth movement (mostly).

Bad points? Well the screen scroll is very jerky and sometimes you bite the dust for reasons that do not seem entirely fair - just passing within feet of a convict sometimes kills you and generally there is something peculiar about the perspectives.

Jail Break is a good start for Konami. A better than average conversion that tops the mindless violence league for the year so far.
REVIEW BY: Graham Taylor

Overall 5/5
Summary: Good adaption of the original arcade game, compulsive and frenzied. Good start for Konami's DIY approach.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 25/08/2025

Why was Sinclair User so heavily generous with its '10/10' ratings compared to all the other ZX Spectrum mags? I've done some research... spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt...

Sinclair User magazine, with Garfield: Big Fat Hairy Deal on the cover.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 02/07/2025

I was in Norwich yesterday. Here's a quick report on the commercially unviable retrogaming bar, Barcadia.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 02/04/2025

"I never claimed to write Steve Davis Snooker, I claimed to have written a hack for 128k machines but don't let that confuse the issue. Its also not all one sided as a moderator on AA went and edited my own posts to make me look bad and then banned me."

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 29/03/2025

I'm in London today. And what does this place have in common with the ZX Spectrum? It's crap, but no longer in a funky skillo sort of way.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 24/03/2025

Nostalgia Nerd's retro-arcade bar in Norwich city centre, Barcadia, was closed for "a smol revamp" shortly after New Year's Day, with a view to reopening for the weekend of 18th January. The strange thing is, many many weeks later, the venue is still closed. What's going on?

Instagram post from Nostalgia Nerd which reads: "What a year! Thank you to everyone for such a great 2024! Running a bar alongside a YouTube channel was never going to be easy, especially with the huge challenges hospitality has been facing, however your support has been fantastic, and I appreciate every single one of you.

I've got a lot of plans for 2025 both for the channel and bar. But first on the agenda is a smol revamp of @barcadia.bar ~ with that in mind we'll be shut for the first couple of weeks of January. But we'll be back better than ever asap!

Happy New Year and I hope to see you soon!

Peter x"

Barcadia's website still declares they are "temporarily closed".

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 17/03/2025

spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt... Come out, ye PAPER 0 and tans...

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 17/03/2025

Happy St Patrick's Day! Here's how I focused on Ireland's contribution to #zxspectrum culture, over on the SpectrumComputing forum...

A BASIC program on the ZX Spectrum that draws the island of Ireland.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 11/03/2025

The rise and fall of the ZX Spectrum games market. I decided to chart, year by year, the Spccy gaming output of 10 publishers I regard as the major full-price labels...

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 02/01/2025

Ah, the arse end of the #ZXSpectrum meant things like this: "GAMES SOLD AS BLANKS. IF YOU GET A FAULTY ONE USE THE TAPE AS A BLANK."

CASTLE SOFTWARE
2 WILLIAM CLOWES STREET, BURSLEM, STOKE-ON-TRENT, STAFFS ST6 3AP
4
TEL:-0782 575043
SPECTRUM GAMES 30P
TURBO
OUT RUN
YES THATS RIGHT/ONLY 30P
DRILLER
WE ARE SELLING ALL OUR SPECTRUM GAMES OFF TO CONCENTRATE ON CONSOLES.
TO MOVE LARGE QUANTITIES OF STOCK IN ONE GO WE ARE SELLING 25 DIFFERENT GAMES TAPES FOR £9.99
THATS ONLY 30P PER GAME.
ALL GAMES ARE NEW + ORIGINAL FROM OUR SHOPS AND MARKET STALL AND ARE A FRACTION OF THEIR ORIGIONAL PRICE. (LOTS OF TOP TITLES).
TO SAVE ON POSTAGE WE ARE SENDING CASSETTES ONLY, WHO WANTS THOSE BIG BOXES ANYWAY.
LAST CHANCE AT THIS PRICE 25 DIFFERENT GAMES TAPES ONLY £9.99+£1.00 P+P
R-TYPE
GAMES SOLD AS BLANKS IF YOU GET A FAULTY ONE USE THE TAPE AS A BLANK.
shinobi
Post to:
CASTLE SOFTWARE Castle House,
2 William Clowes Street,
Burslem,
Stoke-on-Trent
ST6 3AP
Please rush me-
Title
P(if applicable)
Total amet
Sped Amount

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 20/12/2024

Bug-Byte put out a lot of games for the #ZXSpectrum, but which was best? Unsurprisingly, Manic Miner won my poll. Very predictable! But look at the second place... spectrumcomputing.co.uk/forums/viewt...

Loading screen for Manic Miner on the ZX Spectrum.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 19/12/2024

Another #ZXSpectrum Doodlebug. Humour may settle in transit. No refunds.

My drawing of two Friday Night Dinner characters. Jim is saying to Jackie: "SLALOM, JACKIE", and she's reacting disdainfully. Jim is holding a copy of the ZX Spectrum game Horace Goes Skiing.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 18/12/2024

Today's Doodlebug will be appreciated by #ZXSpectrum users aligned to that area east of the Pennines.

It's York Sinclair, the number one magazine for North-Yorkshire-based ZX Spectrum entertainment. Featuring reviews of Advanced Viking Simulator; Thro' The York Wall and Chocolatier Manager.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 16/12/2024

Today's Doodlebug concerns The Lords of Midnight for the #ZXSpectrum, #AmstradCPC and #Commodore64. Well, I draw this one about three years ago. Some things never change though.

EDGELORDS OF MIDNIGHT
Some characters from Lords Of Midnight with very pro-Trump vibes.
First speech bubble: "FACTS DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS! ALL LIVES MATTER! FEMINISM DOESN'T WORK! SCREW YOUR PRONOUNS! JORDAN B PETERSON IS MY SAVIOUR!"
Second speech bubble: "GET RED PILLED, YOU SAD SOCIALIST NPCs! I DRINK LIBERAL TEARS! GO WOKE, GO BROKE!"
You get the idea.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 13/12/2024

You #ZXSpectrum fans will be overjoyed/mildly pleased/indifferent/not bothered/appalled by this Doodlebug!

Did you know? A typo on the casting list ruined the first day of filming Jet Set Willy.
Illustration shows Nintendo's Mario in place of Willy's wife, who is called... oh come on, you know.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 12/12/2024

Metrocross fans, enjoy my Doodlebug.

A metro train that's somewhat anthropomorphised, as I've given it eyes and a mouth. It's angry and is shouting: "HURRY UP AND GET ON YOU THICK NEW YORKERS, I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!"

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 11/12/2024

More low grade humour from my Doodlebugs of past, as I cover the #ZXSpectrum #Commodore64 game Firefly.

Two flies. One has a massive speech bubble: "YOU'RE FREQUENTLY UNDER THE FAECAL CONSUMPTION QUOTA, YOU HARDLY EVER HASSLE HUMANS AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A PASSING INTEREST IN JAM, SO, DEREK, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND, WE'RE LETTING YOU GO, PICK UP YOUR PAPERWORK FROM H.R."

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 10/12/2024

ON A SATURDAY!!!???!!!! * * = Oh, wait, it's Tuesday.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 10/12/2024

Space Prick never gave me a blue tick, but I now have BlueSky's equivalent.

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Reheated Pixels @reheatedpixels.com · 08/12/2024

Former games writer Stuart Campbell has had a 'spot of bother' recently. Perhaps the Somerset-based Scots nationalist should try gaining a soul at some point.

Tweet from @WingsScotland: "So, I just took on a new accountant, and a few hours later this happened."
Screenshot of an email: "Hi Stuart
I know this is going to come across as really annoying but we've just had a look at your website and I am really sorry but I just don't think it would be right for us to act for you.
We have a few transgender clients (who are incredibly lovely people) and it just doesn't sit well with us to act for people with such opposing views to ours.
We'll delete all your information from our system so please don't worry about that.
I'm really sorry and I hope you understand.
Best wishes"

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