Retro Computing / Sinclair Computers / ZX Spin – Paul Dunn – V 0.622
Available for Windows
ZX Spin was really the first piece of software I tried recently, so I it’s still very fresh in my mind. It emulates the Spectrum perfectly, and as far as I can tell, is the most accurate representation of the various models of Spectrum – along with a few of the clones that were produced in Russia.
The basic download comes complete with all of the Spectrum ROM files, so if you are having difficulty in getting them with another emulator, it’s worth the download just for that alone.
You can load games in real-time, which has to be my favourite mode for that "authentic" feel. However, if the good-old-times aren’t top of your list and playing Manic Miner is, ZX Spin does have two other methods to load games. The fastest, which doesn’t always work – depending on the type of game is called "Byteload/Flashload." The most compatible and almost as quick method is the "Edge Loader."
Games are faithfully represented. One of my favourites, Jetpac, I had loading on ZX Spin in real-time, as well as on a real ZX Spectrum +2 – in 128K mode. Both versions bombed out shortly after the game loaded – which prompted me to try 48K mode! It is testament to how well the Spectrum is emulated with this program.
I did however find problems with the sound quality. It appears that if you use ZX Spin with the default settings, the sound on XP can become corrupted – forcing you into a reboot. This was particularly obvious when trying to use Windows Media Player after ZX Spin. I also noticed that Paul Dunn’s website is down, so hopefully ZX Spin will continue to be supported. However, the pros much outweigh the cons. ZXSpin supports SNA, SZX & Z80 snapshot files, TAP, TZX, BLK, CSW & WAV tape files and the DSK +3 floppy disk formats. The emulator can also output the sound and video to various formats, and can, for the real purist, allow a tape recorder to be connected to your computer, with the emulator using the audio input to load games.
Rating: 4.5/5
Machines Emulated: Spectrum (16K & 48K), +, 128, +2, +2A, +3, +3e (ROM Project), Pentagon 128 (Clone)