My first brush with gaming wasn’t on the ZX Spectrum, but rather in video game clubs with Ataris (think arcades but with TVs and Atari bootleg versions). But the ZX Spectrum? That was my true introduction to the gaming world, and did it shape my life. Growing up during the USSR’s turbulent times, the Spectrum was a beacon. It was affordable, hooked up to a TV, and ran games off tapes. And, well, let’s just say copying those tapes was our version of “sharing” games. Piracy? We didn’t even know the term back then. Well, and even if we did, we didn’t have a choice to buy original games.
Those weren’t high-end tapes, mind you. They taught me my first hardware tricks – like splicing and fixing tapes, and even tinkering with the tape recorders. And let’s not forget, the ZX Spectrum wasn’t just for games. It was my first dip into programming, trying to get that “Hello World” on screen without any guide to help. But, back to games. Those pixelated adventures, despite their technical constraints, were my gateway to so many genres. Puzzles, quests, and oh, Elite Dangerous? Countless hours spent star-hopping and trading. What was your first gaming platform, and how did it shape your world?
#videogames #gamesdesign #gamedev #indie #zxspectrum
