Spectrum Next Fundraising Campaign Smashes Goal in Seven Minutes
Gamers who are fans of retro systems are suffering an embarrassment of riches at the moment. Between Commodore being back under a unified team and new retro handhelds hitting the market, there’s now good news for fans of Spectrum. The Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 is a modern update and evolution to the classic ZX and its recent Kickstarter campaign has already exceeded its £250,000 ($336,759) goal.
A UK-based company, SpecNext, is behind it, but the team includes international talent such as Fabio Belavenuto, a key figure in the MSX hardware scene in Brazil, and Henrique Olifiers, the dev behind Surgeon Simulator and I Am Bread. Crucially, the company also includes key Spectrum personnel from the original run, including game developer Jim Bagley and Dickinson Associates, a design team responsible for the original ZX.
“No, wait, this can’t be right, can it?” Olifiers posted on the official Kickstarter page. “Not only we got funded in mere minutes, we’ve beaten the entire first Kickstarter in just three hours, and the second Kickstarter Day 1 funding in under five hours.”
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A Modern Evolution of Retro Design
The original Sinclair ZX Spectrum was released in 1982 and went on to sell over 5 million units, making it one of the best-selling home computers of the era. However, subsequent devices failed to sell as well as hoped, and Sinclair sold the rights to its computer products, and brand name, to Amstrad in 1987.
Now, SpecNext is keeping the flame alive with its Spectrum Next. It follows a similar design principle to the original ZX, but modernized with everything from a dedicated FPGA to a built-in micro SD card reader, normal SD card slot, and the capability to run original Spectrum cassettes.
Games are the main focus on the Next, including multiple stretch goals in the Kickstarter campaign. Classic titles such as Deathchase, Captain Square Jaw, and Target: Renegade have already been unlocked as upgraded versions, plus an untitled new game and a multiplayer soccer game.
Not Just a Spectrum
The Next, like the original ZX, can also be used to code games. But that’s not all: thanks to its FPGA it can also be configured to run as a Sinclair QL (the original successor to the ZX), and even a Commodore 64, making this a competitor for the new Ultimate 64.
The included micro SD card comes loaded with classic titles, including some that appeared on the ZX and C64 like Castle Master (a primitive 3D adventure game) and Driller (another low poly 3D game). Crucially, it also plays modern games created by homebrew studios and Spectrum enthusiasts, like Xeno Brigade (Greenman Software) and Shovel Adventure: The Next Quest (Pat Morita Team).
If the campaign reaches £1.5 million $2,021,878) then a brand new 3D game will be developed. At the time of writing, it was over £1.3 million with over three weeks left, so it’s possible.
