"Fast" Loaders (Spectrum)

[roberthazelby]

Can any of you guys remember what the first fast/hyper/speed loader game you released for the Spectrum? I've always been under the impression it was `Daley Thompsom's Decathlon`, but would appreciate an `official` answer.

I rarely had problems with the Ocean fast loaders, althought there were two that gave me headaches - Daley Thomson's Decathlon and Rastan.

DTD - OK, this was a copy (hey, I was only 9/10 when it was released) but it worked fine on a mates setup. On my system you had to do all manner of praying, rain-dancing and the like to get it to work. Normally the loading screen would appear all screwy and the Spec would reset, or it would get to the end and then reset.

Rastan - This was the full price original. I couldn't get this to work on my tape recorder for love nor money. The only way I could get this to work was to hitch my ghetto blaster (remember those) up to it, and fartarse around with the volume controls for 5 mintes.

Apart from those two titles I did find Ocean games were pretty darn reliable in the loading department. Mikro-gen on the other hand - all of its games were swines.

Rob

[Mark Jones Junior]

IIRC it was 'Decathlon' that was the first Ocean hyperloader. I remember it WAS a bugger to copy too. I was 14 and me and my cousin tried for DAYS to copy it, finally succeeding after about 20 trys. Those clicks on the headers!!

Wasn't the first ever Speccy hyperloader 'Automania'? It came in a cassette case with 'HYPERLOADER' emblazoned acorss it in big white letter.

[roberthazelby]

Mark said:

IIRC it was 'Decathlon' that was the first Ocean hyperloader. I remember it WAS a bugger to copy too. I was 14 and me and my cousin tried for DAYS to copy it, finally succeeding after about 20 trys. Those clicks on the headers!!

Wasn't the first ever Speccy hyperloader 'Automania'? It came in a cassette case with 'HYPERLOADER' emblazoned acorss it in big white letter.

Thanks for the Decathlon confirmation.

Yes, I have a feeling Automania was the first Hyperloader.

[Mark Jones Junior]

I wasn't at Ocean at the time but had a good circle of mates at school who we'd swap games with, we had between us, everything, and that was the first Ocean one we came across.

[Bill Harbison]

I remember the days of getting my little philips screwdriver out and altering the azimuth head on the tape deck to get certain games working. You also had to get the volume just right.

What a pain in the arse.

[Mark Jones Junior]

'Full Throttle' by Microsphere was one of the first too and that was nigh on impossible to copy.

[Bill Harbison]

My nemesis was Ghostbusters. Could I get that bugger to work? Could I fuck! Even bringing my mate's whole setup to my place didn't work, must be something to do with my haunted house.

[Mark Jones Junior]

And it was cack!

[Bill Harbison]

That's not the point!

[Dean]

If you were after a nightmare loader, what about Racing Destruction Set (the tape version !)

4 tapes, 120 minutes each -

'please insert tape 1 and press play' (20 minutes later)
'please insert tape 4 and press play' (20 minutes later)
'please insert tape 3 and press play' (20 minutes later)
'ERROR'

Cock and arse !