Speccy Nation Volume 2 by Dan Whitehead - Book Review

A few years after writing Speccy Nation, Dan Whitehead decided to revisit the gaming riches of the good old Spectrum, but this time framed within the concept of nostalgia of his (and coincidentally my own) childhood. Indeed, it is the selection of topics within which the featured games are grouped that not only gives the reader a solid grounding in gaming on the Spectrum, but also provides a window into the popular culture of the decade from 1982 to 1992 from a British 8-bit computing perspective.

Ah, yes! The 1980's! Feels like such a long time ago, especially if, like me, you're heading towards your fifties and looking back. What once seemed fresh and new is now just a faded memory - or an everyday sight on the high street, as you watch the same fashions, trends and (shudder) hairstyles from your childhood bequeath themselves on the youth of today. That raises a very good point (which Dan makes in the Introduction, and considering that this was written seven years ago, demonstrates how little things have changed in the intervening years) about what children and teenagers today will consider nostalgic when they reach their fifth decade. Given that, for example, superheroes have been cinematic stars for the last twenty or so years, will today's twenty-somethings feel that pang of history when yet another fucking Superman or Spider-Man origins movie hits whatever passes for the cinema in the 2050's? Unless they're too busy still fighting the Subwar that begins at the start of that decade... (one for the 16-bit fans out there).

Anyway, back to this book, and the games that arrived on the Spectrum which also defined a lot of the popular culture between 1982 and 1992, where anything and, indeed, almost everything, could be turned into an 8-bit Spectrum treasure (sarcasm alert, by the way). 

Handily, since I have already mentioned movies, this is where Mr Whitehead begins, with a run through of the silver screen "classics" where a licence was acquired, before detouring into the world of 007 (I remember my cousin getting The Living Daylights and loving it - he was young, he was still learning), before American TV shows rock up, and wow, did that section bring back some memories. Airwolf, Blue Thunder, Streethawk! Ah, just pure class. And no, never watching them again as that would totally bleach the rose tint from my spectacles.

Toys and Cartoon-based games come next (loved Centurions, even if it made absolutely no sense), then it's on to Comics. Kids TV, Quiz shows, Music games and food based titles, before ending with a British Telly section, and a smorgasbord of 1980's pop culture that never made it to the Spectrum, 

If it sounds dry, it really isn't, as there are jokes, commentary and nods, making it a superb read. The author begins each entry with an explanation of the original work before delving into the highs and lows of its 8-bit compatriot. This isn't just any 1980's walkthrough, this is the author's own history, and certainly mine too. Every Second Counts, remember it well. Bullseye, still watch the odd episode on Challenge TV just to remind myself how "different" the 80's were. And as for Supergran, well, that was a childhood favourite, but that theme song - it has not aged well. 

Funny, self aware, but with a reverence to the topics of both the culture of the period and the videogames it spawned, Dan has created the ultimate reference to being a British kid at a time when nuclear war was a possibility, strikes were rife and the government gave no shits for anyone other than its rich friends*... actually, hold on...

Before everyone gets too depressed and starts watching Threads (which I suggest you do at some point in your life anyway, as it is a superb, yet harrowing, piece of television!), consider this: you don't have to be a fan of the Spectrum to buy Speccy Nation volume 2, as you'll get something out of it if you had a CPC or C64, and hell, if you didn't experience 8-bit gaming back then, then pick this up for the perambulation down cultural memory lane anyway. To paraphrase slightly: the past is a different country and they do things (very) differently there, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn about it anyway (now there's a deep thought for a computer game book review!).

You can pick up Speccy Nation Volume 2 direct from Amazon here, and follow the author on Twitter here. 

* I know, I know, all governments are like that, to a greater or lesser degree, but then I am more than a tad cynical.

Speccy Nation by Dan Whitehead - Book Review

The Sinclair Spectrum and its many variants are almost a national institution when it comes to the computing history of the UK. It was the little machine that could, from the company that at times really couldn't,* and despite being an Amstrad product for the latter half of its commercial existence, there is a nostalgia for the 8-bit wonder and the games that it hosted. This is where Dan Whitehead's 2012 tome, Speccy Nation, comes in.

It's a slim volume, coming in at just over 120 pages. There's no colour either but that really isn't an issue and there is something quite calming about poring over the mono screenshots. It means you can't see any colour clash for a start!

As you can see from the contents page, this is a bit of a love letter to the 8-bit legend, with the page layout following the format of BASIC commands. There's an foreword from Phil South before the introduction by the author. Here, he sets out why this book was written and what he hopes to achieve from it. Anyone familiar with that period of home computing in the UK will understand perfectly where he is coming from. 

Of course, it is the games that matter here, and the author covers fifty titles picked from the Spectrum's library of near two thousand (if that quick search is to be believed). The cataloguing of this small selection is quite neat too. The Classics features the likes of Jetpac, Manic Miner and Horace Goes Skiing, whilst The Pioneers allows Skool Daze, Dark Sceptre and the yet to be surpassed Deus Ex Machina to shine. The Greats puts the stone cold classics on display - Cybernoid, Jack the Nipper and Turbo Esprit to name but three. 

The Dark Horses covers those games that the author considers more interesting that you might imagine, and although I was primarily an Amstrad lad back in the day, I still remember playing How to be a Complete Bastard on a mate's +2 during the summer holidays. As for Death Wish 3, well, that could be an emulator job in the future. The final section for games is entitled Never Again, and covers mostly licensed games and "homages" to more famous names. Trashman, I was familiar with, and the idea of a game based on Give My Regards To Broad Street fills me with dread - the film was bad enough. 

What makes this little menagerie of games great fun to read is the author's approach. There is a great deal of appreciation for some of the titles and love, yes actual love, for the platform itself. These mini-reviews not only tell you what you need to know, but also the context where appropriate. Most games get a couple of pages, and there is even some cover art included too. 

The book ends with a further reading section, listing websites and resources if you want to know more, and the author's biography, with a couple of teasers for some of his other works, two movie-related titles that are going on the wish-list now.

Speccy Nation is a perfect introduction to the highs and low of gaming on the Spectrum. Well written, informative, and with a great sense of style, this is definitely a keeper. There is a follow up which is currently on my "to read" pile, so expect a review of that in due course. In the meantime, you can pick up a copy of volume 1 here, and follow the author on Twitter here. 

* If you've ever read much about Sinclair Computers, there always seems to be a number of common themes: late to market, supply problems, quality control issues (both hardware and software) and the outright prickly behaviour of Sir Clive.