This mashup speccy pixel design pays tribute to many of our favourite speccy favourite sports games and the 2024 Paris Olympics, with a little daft humour thrown in!
For anyone who grew up in the 80s, the ZX Spectrum was a gateway to a world of imaginative and addictive games. Two games that stand out in the realm of sports simulation are Daley Thompson’s Decathlon and Hyper Sports. Both of these titles are iconic not just for their engaging gameplay but for the sheer physical endurance they demanded from players—especially their fingers!
Daley’s Decathlon
Daley Thompson’s Decathlon (1984), developed by Ocean Software, put players in the shoes of Olympic legend Daley Thompson, where they could compete in a series of decathlon events ranging from the 100m sprint to pole vault and javelin throw. The game was infamous for its “joystick-killing” controls, requiring rapid button mashing to sprint and perform other actions. Despite this, it captured the thrill of multi-sport athleticism and quickly became a hit. Players loved the challenge of mastering the ten events and trying to break records. The combination of fast-paced action and simple graphics made it a true test of speed, timing, and stamina.
Hyper Sports
Following the success of Daley Thompson’s Decathlon, Hyper Sports (1985) expanded the scope with a new set of Olympic-inspired events. Also published by Ocean Software, Hyper Sports offered a mix of activities like swimming, skeet shooting, and weightlifting. It retained the signature button-mashing mechanics but introduced new gameplay elements requiring precision timing, such as shooting clay pigeons or hitting bullseyes in archery.
Both games epitomised the competitive spirit of the time, often resulting in epic showdowns between pals to see who could push their scores higher and achieve gold medals. As a tribute to these, along with some other sporting classics from the speccy heyday and the 2024 Paris Olympics, I bring you this design: SpecOlympics – The Agony and The Ecstasy!
SpecOlympics – What’s In It?
The top scene shows the torch and rings from Micro Olympics and the Paris Cityscape from Jet Set Willy in Paris. The track includes competitors from Hypersports, Daley’s Super-Test, Daley’s Decathlon, Pogo Olympics, Video Olympics and Micro Olympics. The field and podium sections includes Daley’s Super-Test and Hypersports. There were many other excellent contenders, but I ran out of time and space!
SpecOlympics Paris – ZX Spectrum Computer Game Fine Art Print
This is a tribute retro computer game themed art print, featuring redrawn graphics from ZX Spectrum games. This print pays tribute to many of our favourite ZX Spectrum favourite sports games and the 2024 Paris Olympics, with a little humour thrown in! The top scene shows the torch and rings from Micro Olympics and the […]