Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

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JohnsBargs
Posts: 169
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:22 am

Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by JohnsBargs »

I've always loved the arcade game The Pit, and was super-excited to discover a great ZX81 version apparently existed, called Caverns.

caverns.jpg

Thing is, I can't find a download of it anywhere. You can play it in a browser here:

http://www.zx-gaming.co.uk/games/caverns/default.htm

but the original seems to have vanished from the face of the Earth. It was written by a guy called Martin Ruffe and I managed to track down an archived version of a page here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20090729060 ... verns.aspx

The download there is of his PC browser remake, though. Anyone track down the original?
Lardo Boffin
Posts: 2160
Joined: Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:42 am

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by Lardo Boffin »

I’m not near a PC to download and test but what about this?

https://romsmania.cc/roms/sinclair-zx81 ... -nl-250643
ZX80
ZX81 iss 1 (bugged ROM, kludge fix, normal, rebuilt)
TS 1000 iss 3, ZXPand AY and +, ZX8-CCB, ZX-KDLX & ChromaSCART
Tatung 81 + Wespi
TS 1500 & 2000
Spectrum 16k (iss 1 s/n 862)
Spectrum 48ks plus a DIVMMC future and SPECTRA
JohnsBargs
Posts: 169
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:22 am

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by JohnsBargs »

Nope, found that one in TOSEC too but it's not it :(
krowne
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 5:44 pm
Location: Chester, Cheshire

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by krowne »

JohnsBargs wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 12:23 am I've always loved the arcade game The Pit, and was super-excited to discover a great ZX81 version apparently existed, called Caverns.


caverns.jpg


Thing is, I can't find a download of it anywhere. You can play it in a browser here:

http://www.zx-gaming.co.uk/games/caverns/default.htm

but the original seems to have vanished from the face of the Earth. It was written by a guy called Martin Ruffe and I managed to track down an archived version of a page here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20090729060 ... verns.aspx

The download there is of his PC browser remake, though. Anyone track down the original?

Hi John Try and contact through his current photography website;
http://www.martinruffe.co.uk/

Brian
JohnsBargs
Posts: 169
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:22 am

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by JohnsBargs »

Yup, have already dropped him a line via Twitter, fingers crossed :)
JohnsBargs
Posts: 169
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:22 am

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by JohnsBargs »

Martin very kindly got back to me and had a chat today, but sadly it's bad news - the tapes are long gone and he doesn't have a digital version of the game. Although he said he might try to recode it one day :)
castiglione
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat May 28, 2011 6:45 pm

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by castiglione »

I got curious, tried to play the game on the browser and now I've got a big question:

How do you get by the "X" without getting killed? I can't seem to get by them. I tried shooting them (no worky). Given how many of those are on the map, if you can't get by them, you're basically stuck.
castiglione
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat May 28, 2011 6:45 pm

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by castiglione »

n/m - figured it out. You just have to run like a manic and do a "hero run".

Pretty fun and addictive.
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GCHarder
Posts: 427
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2013 7:46 pm

Re: Anyone know where to get hold of this fantastic lost ZX81 game?

Post by GCHarder »

The original programmer has uploaded this video, for those interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEy5sDJWLnM

Regards;

Greg
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