Spectrum Games - Zzoom - Classic ZX Spectrum Game

Zzoom ZX Spectrum
This really is a classic game from the earlier years.

 Imagine Software (pre Ocean Software takeover) released this game way back in 1983.

 It was quite a revolutionary game with it's 3D graphics and fast paced action. This is back when any sort of 3D was pretty much visually amazing.

As the ZX Spectrum became more popular this game was talked about quite a lot until 1984 when other more polished titles pushed the level of arcade games further.

Let's take a look at an earlier classic.

Zzoom. It's not an ice lolly

The object of the game was to protect refugees (who ambled along the horizon) from enemy aircraft, tanks and submarines.

Taking the first person view the game showed the viewpoint from the cockpit of your advanced fighter. For a game released in 1983 this was quite something!

Along with the visual forward view you also had a radar which was basically a small scale version of the whole of the landscape. This radar only displayed enemy to you, friendlies had to be picked up visually. It sounds really 'Top Gunny' already doesn't it?

A handy counter on the console indicated how many people you had saved so far. A refugee was saved when by walking onto the screen and making it safely back off again. Any refugees left on the horizon after each attack wave are added to your refugee counter and then the bonus was totalled up.

All of these arcade games had bonus totals eh?

Points were earned by destroying the enemy aircraft, tanks and so on. To make things seem even more futuristic an autopilot was engaged between each attack wave. This gave you a little break between levels.

Dakka Dakka Boom....

Every time you were hit by the enemy your shields were worn down a notch. If your shields were fully depleted and you suffered a hit then it was game over.

You also had to keep an eye on your height otherwise you would find yourself crashing and burning. It was 'Goose' all over again...

One aspect of the game that was a talking point was the was your little men flew up in the air majestically as they were mowed down by enemy fire. If you were feeling vindictive you could also mow them down yourself! Come on, admit it, you sometimes loaded the game up just to do this...

On Release:
This classic game was quite highly regarded when it was released, with players praising the 3D effect and high speed action. It was generally well received and managed to gain some attention from magazines that started publishing a few months after the game had hit the high street. At £5.50 it was regarded as pretty good value for money too.

The Test Of Time:
Unfortunately old father time has not been kind to this game. It has bucket loads of retro-charm but those 3D graphics really look their age. It's fun for a while but when compared to later ZX Spectrum titles it really shows it's deficiencies. Still, for a game released in 1983 it is very good.

We recommend getting hold of the real hardware - otherwise download a ZX Spectrum emulator and grab Zzoom from World Of Spectrum. 

GENRE: Arcade Game
RELEASE DATE: 1983
RELEASED BY: Imagine Software
DEVELOPER(S): Steve Bower, John Gibson, Mark Butler
PRICE: £5.50

3D Arcade Action:


Arcade Games, Classic Games and ZX Spectrum Games