Tech Review: Bluetooth Recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum/ ZX Spectrum Vega

Through the misty veil of nostalgia, the ZX Spectrum has become a console of great beauty. In reality, one of the ’80s most popular entertainment systems was a rubberkeyed misfit. Yet the ZX Spectrum had some amazing games, which is why – over 30 years after the machine was first released – it is now enjoying a comeback.

Two Spectrum emulators were launched in late 2015. The Bluetooth Recreated Sinclair ZX Spectrum lets you programme your own retro games using BASIC, and hooks up to iPad or Android devices to play original titles. Alternatively, plug a ZX Spectrum Vega into your TV. The Vega’s gigantic controller suggests technology has not advanced since the moon landings – but the packaged 1,000 games are pixellated bliss. 1980s Spectrum gamers had to load their games on cassette. Thankfully, both devices caught up with the times.

Top Speccy games included Manic Miner, which featured a deranged soundtrack and insane levels of difficulty, and Jet Set Willy, a cross between Monty Python and a head trauma. Other eccentric English titles included Back to Skool and Pyjamarama. Jet Pac and Chuckie Egg were worthy of 1980s arcades, and space sim Elite is still spoken about in hushed tones. Also check out Sabre Wulf and Attic Attack.

The Spectrum is clearly going through a renaissance. Last month, Vega raised £150,000 in three days to fund the Vega+ handheld console: a taste of the ’80s on an LCD screen.