Lode Runner on the ZX81 - Part 2 (Level Design)

There are going to be numerous challenges facing the design and implementation of Lode Runner on the ZX81, and one of the first I need to consider is level storage. The original Apple II version of Lode Runner comprised 150 levels, these were loaded from disk when required. The ZX81 doesn't afford us the luxury of being able to load from a disk or tape without clearing the running application and memory. So even if we assume our ZX81...

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Advancing along with the Retrofitting of a ZX81

At the end of the last article, 'Simple Start To Retrofitting A ZX81', a new power supply was sourced and a composite video mod was fitted. This entry sees the near completion of the internal retrofitting project; where some capacitors are replaced, a new voltage regulator is fitted, a lower Amperage CPU inserted and some heatsinks affixed. Replace Those Old Capacitors Over a number of years, particularly if exposed to continual high...

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Simple Start to Retrofitting a ZX81

My Sourced ZX81 was Modified for the American Market Having played around with emulating the ZX81 as part of building a Raspberry PI / Arduino platform in the AZ15, I thought it might be fun to revisit the real device. To start I'd be needing a ZX81, a process that proved trickier than anticipated. There should be no shortage of ZX81s in Australia, yet they seem sparse enough to command high-ish prices, high enough to send me searching...

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