ZX81 Caverns

zx81

The ZX81 has been away too long, and to commemorate 20 years since I first wrote the game CAVERNS - never released on ZX81 - I decided to reissue it for the PC. The game originally 16K of Z80 machine code took over a year of hard slog to write as a 16 year old with multiple crashes and 15 minute save and load times on tape recorder each time it crashed. Now older and wiser I decided to see how long it would take to write using a modern programming language - Delphi. Less than a week.

Are you ready for ZX81 gaming heaven? :-) DOWNLOAD CAVERNS HERE

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The first screen of the game was loosely based on an arcade game I played in the eighties underage in a pub - thanks to Dan Edenhofer for identifying it as 'The Pit' - it had a chamber in the bottom centre like the first screen. I wonder if anyone can remember it?

You must snatch three loads of Mithril (M) before your spaceship takes off. Jewels (*) may also be gathered. The keys are:

A -
up

Z - down

comma - left

fullstop - right

> -
laser right

< - laser left

M - Menu

S - Start

R - Refresh

E -
Edit screens

T -
Next Man

 

Martin xx

Retro Remakes site review 'the game is lovingly restored in all it’s ZX81 style glory. It has jewels, dwarves, aliens, lasers, Balrogs and spaceships. Now, by my reckoning that’s only a pirate, fez and a ninja short of everything you could ever want in a game......' (by oddBob)

Tested on Windows 2000 & 98, 200+MHz


 


 

   

Download game

 

Version

1.0 Started working on the game

 

1.1 Five caverns working

 

1.2 Sixth cavern added

 

1.3 Laser and Balrog working

 

1.4 Dwarves added and Intro completed

 

  

There is a preview video of Caverns here

  

Martin Ruffe

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Comments

Dan Edenhofer wrote 'I was reading your website on your ZX81 game "Caverns" and you mentioned an arcade game that you played in the 80's but can't remember the name. Perhaps the game you played was called "The Pit" by Centuri. You had to collect diamonds in the dirt and there was a chamber at the bottom of the screen. Check out www.klov.com and go to the games listed under "P" for "Pit, The". It will show you a couple of screenshots. Hope that's it!'

kendo wrote 'just downloaded the fungaloids conv - wow what a blast from the past - 1981 it was my fave!! thanks'

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