 Welcome back my lovely little pixelated friends this one is the top 30 arcade conversions to the humble ZX Spectrum. Now I know what you're thinking Mark these games are over 30 years old why are you talking about them well the classics never die and this top 30 I've presented for you is no exception. Now once upon a time gaming was all about the ZX Spectrum. Now I don't know about you but back in the day I spent more hours on my ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC than I cared to admit so when I got the chance to relive those glory days and share them with you all I jumped at it and any excuse I get to talk about the games and the sheer joy of this iconic machine in my book that's time well spent. So whether you're a specky veteran or a curious newbie sit back grab some snacks and let's get our retro gaming on. Sinclair's new ZX Spectrum action pack has a powerful 128k home computer a joystick six very different games and a deadly accurate light gun. Now to keep those droids on the run the new Sinclair action pack puts the set back into computers. So let me tell you about Raston on the ZX Spectrum it was a proper little gem it really was. The way the little chap would run and jump and hack his way through the hordes of monsters was just a joy to behold. The game designers really knew what they were doing the graphics were top-notch and the gameplay was absolutely addictive. I remember spending hours on end playing Raston and I never once got bored it's a proper little belter it really is. Now this is one that really gets the adrenaline pumping now I know some people might say that the graphics and sound effects were a bit basic and they'd be right but you know what it didn't matter the gameplay was so addictive and exciting you didn't even notice you always felt like you were racing against someone though even when you were playing on your own and that's what makes a great racing game I think the sense of competition and of course it's best played in the arcade but even this ZX Spectrum conversion will get your heart racing and your competitive spirit fighter. Oh flipping love this game Shadow Warriors now this wasn't a game you could just breeze through you had to work for your victories and that's what makes a great fighting game a great action game a great ninja game the sense of challenge which is pretty much every ninja game ever released and even today it'll test your skills and keep you on the edge of your seat so for me personally in my humble opinion it's a real classic and it's one I'll probably still be playing years from now. I loved Super Hang-On on the ZX Spectrum I love racing games especially bike racing games and back in the 80s they didn't come much better much faster than Sega's Super Hang-On you were literally racing around the arcade tracks at Brettneck speeds and yes there was a good sense of speed in fact the only thing missing was the feel of wind passing through your hair so Super Hang-On for me was all about going as fast as you could and the rush you got when you hit that top speed it was just incredible I'd love to know what the arcade accurate conversion rate is for the ZX Spectrum because nearly every game I play is freaking awesome now I know what you're thinking not another racing game and I know the graphics were a bit basic like something you'd see on an old calculator or something and the sound effects well they weren't anything to write home about either but the thing is the gameplay was actually kind of fun as you do you have to keep your car on the track and avoid the other races and that was the real challenge now I've got to say the graphics were pretty good for the time I mean it's no PlayStation 5 or anything but it's not bad and I'm sure the version I used to play had music and the sound effects don't make you want to stick a fork in your ears and the thing is the gameplay was actually really fun it did get pretty challenging after a while though the difficulty level kept ramping up and some of the levels were really hard but I guess that just made it more satisfying when you finally beat them yet another great arcade conversion where you've got to dodge bullets and blow up the bad guys now I know what you're thinking it's not exactly time crisis or anything but you'll just have to take my word for it this was an absolute belter back in the day and it's on the list because I think Cabell on the ZX Spectrum is a decent game it's not the best shooter map I know but it's it's not the worst either and if you're into your arcade-style games and you're looking for something to kill some time give it a go just don't expect too much from the graphics and sound department now I'm not sure if this would make anybody's top list for arcade conversions but I really like it you play as a cop who's trying to take down a bunch of drug dealers and criminals and you've got to do this all kinds of weapons from pistols to rocket launchers it's proper Rambo Stallone stuff it's like you're in your own little action movie so it's a great game it's got all the core elements of a classic arcade shooter there's intense action it's challenging there's epic boss battles and if you're into the old-school games and you're looking for a real challenge give it a go I've played gauntly on absolutely every system known to man naturally I prefer the arcade version but the ZX Spectrum and the Amstrad CPC arcade conversions for me are absolutely fantastic I kid you not it had everything you could want in a game graphics it was surprisingly good for the spectrum smooth controls and an infinite supply of enemies to mow down gauntlet also came with a multiplayer mode practically unheard of back in a day four players join bub and bob they're on the rob it was a game that was so good it was like a warm blanket on a winter's night a cross between Super Mario and bubble bath except instead of water you had dragons and bubbles it was cute and it's still lovable and even now the controls are really tight and responsive and the gameplay is simple yet still addictive it's like trying to stop eating a bag of skittles after just one handful now let's talk about one of the coolest games to ever hit the ZX Spectrum chase HQ now if you know me you'll know that I love speed and excitement and this game has it all you play as a police officer chasing down criminals in a high-speed car chase you'll need to maneuver your car through traffic take tight turns and catch up to your targets before they get away so let's buckle up and take a ride into the world of chase HQ to start off I must say this is intense you basically play as a soldier on a mission to rescue hostages and take down enemy forces you have to shoot your way through waves of enemies while dodging their bullets and grenades it's not easy but it's incredibly satisfying when you finally complete a level it's like your living room has been transformed into a war zone and even today it's a thrilling pulse panic experience that should in theory even today keep you on the edge of your seat oh god I love Bob Jack but what really sets Bob Jack apart is its gameplay it's a perfect balance of strategy and reflexes like a game of chess played at warp speed you'll need to plan your moves carefully to collect all the bombs in the right order but you'll also need lightning fast reflexes to avoid the enemies that keep trying to stop you but honestly play it once and you'll be hooked faster than a fish on a line now first off I must admit I'm not really a sports person myself per se I'm more of a cream tea sort of guy but even so hypersports is a pretty good game and the best part is you don't even have to be good at sports to enjoy it in fact I'm quite rubbish at most events but I still had a while of a time playing this so if you are a couch potato like me there's something here for everyone so put on your sweatbands grab your joystick and let's get sporty what a fantastic game now Arkanoid is one of those games that takes us right back to the 1980s the mullets were all the rage and neon was king so this game is just pure fun it's like a time capsule from the 1980s when everything was loud and colorful and a little bit cheesy and when you hit that power-up that gives you a bigger paddle or multiple balls I mean it's like finding a hidden stash if you know what and the sound is good as well it's all bleeps and bloops that make you feel like you're in a cheesy sci-fi movie oh my this one is a proper blast from the past you must punch kick and headbutt your way through hordes of bad guys using every trick in the book it's one of the best nights out you can have on a zX Spectrum and then there's the music oh the sweet music renegade's theme tune is an absolute banger it's like a cross between the rocky theme and unskinny bop but get this I've been rescuing the same woman for three decades now you can't have a top specky arcade conversions without commander yes it's like Rambo but without the muscles or the head buns but the thing about commando on the zX Spectrum or any arcade conversion is that it's really hard I mean seriously hard you're gonna die a lot but that's okay because the death is just part of the game part of the experience you respawn and you keep going like a little digital phoenix rising from the ashes ah spy hunter now the graphics are a bit basic I won't lie to you but that's to be expected with a game from the 1980s the sound effects are decent I'm not sure they had much to the overall experience but let me tell you there's nothing quite like the feeling of smashing through a barricade and taking out a whole bunch of enemy cars in one go and we can all see for ourselves it might not be the flashiest or the most sophisticated game out there but it's a lot of fun and it'll give you a taste of what gaming was like way back in the day first of all the graphics are quite impressive for the zX Spectrum colorful backgrounds and characters really pop out the animation is not the smoothest but it's well done but what I appreciate about Rainbow Islands is that it's a challenging game but not in a frustrating way so I think Rainbow Islands is a really solid game for the zX Spectrum and it's got great graphics fun gameplay and a unique mechanic that sets it quite apart from other platformers and it must be good because I can't stop playing it some two three decades later and my kids like it as well oh Green Beret on another day this could have been number one but trust me this is difficult I have to admit though right from the get go you really do feel like you're on a mission deep behind enemy lines and there's never a dull moment but essentially this is a game where split second decisions can make all the difference and trust me if you ever finally make it to the end and take out the final boss there's a real sense of accomplishment it's got everything you could want in a war themed action game and more the 80s and early 90s were obsessed with bouncing balls and after revisiting this recently I can see why the first time I ever played this was on an Amstrad GX 4000 and that blew me away I know I'm serious though I'm being deadly serious it was brilliant and like that version it's simple but addictive and as you progress through the levels it gets proper tricky but the thing that really sets this one apart is the two player mode so get a mate round and you'll be laughing your heads off as you try to pop each other's bubbles UN squadron is a classic arcade style shooter game but still holds up today with its tight controls great graphics and sound variety of missions and planes and a high replay value it's easy to see why this game was such a hit back in the day if you are a fan of shooter games or just looking for fun and challenging gameplay then I highly recommend giving UN squadron a try now I don't know if it's just me but the graphics look absolutely fantastic I mean come on this was 1990 on a ZX Spectrum now I was never a fan of Enduro Racer in the arcade yes it had the novelty because of the handlebars and this that and the other but it was the ZX Spectrum where I really enjoyed it the most like most games there's a few downsides the sound is a bit weak and the difficulty can be a bit unforgiving what mistake and you'll be right up against it but when you consider the thrill of the ride these are just minequibbles there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is one of the best arcade conversions to the ZX Spectrum now Flying Shark is another classic shooter that'll have you hooked in no time and this is one of those games where you'll need to upgrade your weapons and power-ups if you are to stand anything that resembles a chance it's a cracking game on the ZX Spectrum it's got great graphics solid sound and addictive gameplay and it's a classic shooter mug that's well worth your time even today what a fantastic arcade conversion for the Humble ZX Spectrum now don't let the graphics fool you this game packs a serious punch and I can't work out which one I prefer this or Goals and Ghost they're both unbelievable arcade conversions and I played the tape out of both of them but I think this is the one I always went back to the most and this one well both really and not for the faint-hearted extremely tough games and it's not for everyone if you're looking for an easy ride you're in the wrong place I had Bionic Commando for the Amstrad CPC but it was a bit of a disaster for one it was bugged as hell two you had to wade through like treacle and three there was no music but there's a forfe as well the end of level boss you couldn't beat it was bugged damn you to hell you are scald but on the ZX Spectrum it was a completely different game all together and one of the best arcade conversions I've ever played talking about one of the best arcade conversions ever played how about this one Midnight Resistance I'll tell you what the ZX Spectrum when it came to arcade conversions lived a charmed life honestly on any other day this could have been number one easily without question this is the best we could have hoped for from the standard run and gun style shoot-em-up sure I could point out a few things but really considering the whole package I'd just been nitpicking so repeat after me I love this game Cowabunga dudes it's pizza time easily one of the best one of the best games that I've ever played I just can't get enough of it I'm absolutely mad for it and it plays just like the arcade original I've got no idea how the programmers even pulled something like this off it's games like this that stopped delayed me from upgrading to 16-bit because with games like this this quality the 8 bits were still a viable gaming platform let me add affordable to that Ikari Warriors is why it's probably impossible to do a list like this the quality of these arcade conversions are just too good the quality is there for everybody to see it's a fantastic game brilliant graphics it's got the speed of the arcade original in fact all of these games are a testament to not only the ZX Spectrum hardware but also to the clever buggers banging away at the keyboard that produce these results so what an unbelievable back catalog of arcade conversions the humble ZX Spectrum has got it had to be it had to be didn't it Bobpapes R-Type it has no equal it's a one in a million on the ZX Spectrum the likes will never see or witness again so I hope you've enjoyed this video if you did please like subscribe leave a comment or a big massive thank you right I've got to go I'm absolutely shattered this video took what feels like a millennia to make so until next time bye