This footy / Renegade speccy game mashup was inspired by England getting through to the final in the Euro Cup in 2024, but like the speccy games involved, the design is intended to live on!
The ZX Spectrum played host to some truly iconic football games that defined the genre for an entire generation of players. During the 80s, football games on the ZX Spectrum brought the thrill of the beautiful game into our homes.
Match Day Series
One of our earliest and most beloved football games was Match Day (1984), developed by Jon Ritman. It set the standard for football games at the time, offering smooth gameplay and a unique ball control mechanic. Its sequel, Match Day II (1987), refined the formula with better ball physics and smoother animation, making it a fan favorite.
Emlyn Hughes
Another popular title was Emlyn Hughes International Soccer (1988), which introduced tactical elements alongside more fluid gameplay. Named after the famous English footballer, this game was praised for allowing players to control various aspects of the game, like formation and strategy. It was one of the first Spectrum games to truly let players feel like they were managing a team, not just playing the matches.
Football Manager Series
No discussion of ZX Spectrum football games would be complete without mentioning the iconic Football Manager series. Football Manager (1982), created by Kevin Toms, was a revolutionary title that shifted the focus from on-pitch action to the strategic side of the sport. You take on the role of a team manager, making crucial decisions on tactics, transfers, and finances. Its simple text-based interface, combined with stick-man graphics that showed the progress of the game, made it an instant hit.
The sequel, Football Manager 2 (1988), built upon the original’s success by improving the match engine, adding enhanced visuals, and a more refined user interface. These games pioneered the football management genre, laying the foundation for more complex simulations like Championship Manager and Football Manager series. On the speccy, Football Manager gave players a true taste of what it was like to sit in the dugout and mastermind their team’s success.
These football games brought excitement, strategy, and competition to fans of the sport. They laid the groundwork for the football simulators we enjoy today.
Making of a Mashup: Speccy City vs Renegade Rovers
I wanted to celebrate these and a bunch of other footy classics, along with my personal favourite beat-em up (which just happens to have around 11 characters). This design shows Rene teaming up with his Renegade co-stars to take on Speccy City, with players from: Footballer of the Year, Super Soccer, Emlyn Hughes International Soccer, Football Manager 1 and 2, Matchday 1 and 2, Street Cred Football, Street Gang Football, Peter Shilton’s Handball Maradonna and Peter Beardsley’s International Football. The pitch from Football Manager 2 has been recreated in the subway from level 1 of Renegade, giving Rene and co the home advantage!
The infographic below shows which graphics come from which games.
The very landsape design was intended to serve as wraparound print on a mug, available to buy below.
Speccy City vs Renegade Rovers Retro Art 11oz White Mug
This is a tribute retro computer game themed art print, featuring redrawn graphics from ZX Spectrum games. This mug shows Rene teaming up with his Renegade co-stars to take on Speccy City, with players from Footballer of the Year, Super Soccer, Emlyn Hughes International Soccer, Football Manager 1 and 2, Matchday 1 and 2, Street […]