ZX Spectrum returns from the deadMumbai, Mar 14(AZINS) Chris Smith explains why he decided to recreate the console

When did you first get involved with the ZX Spectrum?

My first computer was a Sinclair ZX81, followed by the ZX Spectrum in 1983 when I was 13 years old. I learned to programme on those computers, and I learned about digital electronics by experimenting with those computers. I wrote a few games for Mikrogen software at around 1986, while I was still at school.

What inspired you to recreate the ZX Spectrum?

I had the ambition to design my own computer but didn't have the experience to do that when I was 15 years old. I did not know how to generate a TV picture. So, in 2007, after many years experience, I thought about the problem again and decided to design and make my own ZX Spectrum clone from scratch, and make it timing accurate to the original ZX Spectrum, which no one had done before. This became the Harlequin project and has since been made into electronic kits that people can build themselves.

After this, I reverse engineered the ZX Spectrum's custom chip, the ULA, and wrote the definitive book about it (The ZX Spectrum ULA - How to design a microcomputer).

I then started a project to design a single-chip ZX Spectrum, and this became code-named the "SpectraStick" which eventually became the ZX Spectrum Vega.

What was it about the original ZX Spectrum that captivated your attention?

Computers in the 1980s were simple. Single user, no hardware assist for anything. GPUs did not exist, audio chips were in their infancy. The Spectrum was no different to the other computers, but it was cheaper and it was simpler, none of the hardware was hidden. If you wanted to do something you had to be creative, and it was usual that the thing you were trying to do would be pushing your limits as well as the machines limits. Take moving an animated graphic across the screen - you have to write to video memory every byte in that graphic yourself, then to move it, you have to manipulate the bytes by bit shifting and writing all the bytes again. It's quite easy to do, if you only want one graphic and don't mind it flickering, but if you want a higher number, then it starts to get challenging very quickly. It is not trivial. It is as difficult to do today as it was in the 1980s, which is why there are still many people writing games for the ZX Spectrum: Some of it is nostalgia sure, but often it is because of the raw computer science challenge if presents. The intellectual exercise. That's why I loved the ZX Spectrum and still do.

Are you going to stop manufacturing ZX Spectrum Vega now that ZX Spectrum Vega+ is in crowdfunding?

No, there is still an audience for the original Vega, those who really want to play in front of their television. You can do this also with the Vega+, but its market target is different. In the end, customers will decide what they want and we will manufacture accordingly.

How many units of the ZX Spectrum Vega+ are you planning on getting to the market?

We want to take over the world! But seriously, we can manufacture rapidly, so we will be able to respond to market demand, so we do not have a figure set. At this moment in time, we've already "pre-sold" 3000 Vega+ through the Indiegogo crowdfunding website, so we are very excited about its reception!

Are you going to be shipping these consoles worldwide?

We currently ship worldwide with the original Vega and are starting to establish distribution partners within countries where we see the most demand. This will continue and get stronger with the Vega+.

How many games do both the consoles ship with? Can you name some of your favorites?

There are 1000 games on the Vega. Though the actual number is 1066, because some of them are multi-part games. They are split into around 300 adventure games and 700 arcade games. I'm not really a game player. Never was - I liked writing games instead! However I really love Sabre Wulf, a real classic, but I also play some of the modern games that have been written recently, such as Farmer Jack.