Full setup guide, controls, quirks & BASIC programming
G'day guys! If you grew up in the UK in the 80s, or if you're into retro computing, you probably already know the ZX Spectrum.
Released in 1982, it was built to be affordable, and went on to sell over 5 million units. Fast forward to today, and you can run it perfectly on your R36S.
This guide covers everything: setup, controls, game quirks, and even BASIC programming.
Most commonly used format:
Place your Games in /easyroms/zxspectrum/
There's nothing to configure initially - just load a game.
ZX Spectrum games do NOT use standard controls. You must configure input per game.
RetroArch Menu > Quick Menu > Controls > Port 1 > Device Type
Common joystick types:
Default mapping:
Press Select to open the keyboard.
Each key has multiple functions - this is where things get confusing.
Use the D-pad to select a key and the A Button to enter it.
To enter BASIC:
Retroarch Menu > Close Content > Load Core > Sinclair ZX Spectrum > Start Core
There are 3 input modes:
Press Symbol Shift + Caps Lock using the On-Screen Keyboard to toggle between modes.
In Keyword mode (K), the keys will enter the keyword on the bottom of the key like PRINT, GOSUB, etc
In Letter mode (L), the keys will enter the character in the middle of the key, like the alphabet and numbers
In this mode, CAPS LOCK does what you would expect and toggles between upper and lowercase
In Extended mode (E), you can enter the green text above the keys like SIN, COS and TAN
Pressing SYMBOL SHIFT in this mode will let you instead enter the red text below the keys like some special characters and other functions
PRINT "HELLO"
This should print HELLO at the top left of the screen after hitting RETURN
You need to enable it in Retroarch Settings before you can use it
Retroarch Menu > Back to Main Menu > Settings > Input > Max Users > 2 Back to Main Menu > Quick Menu > Controls > Port 2 > Device Type > Sinclair Keyboard
By default, a lot of hotkeys will also be configured to keyboard keys (like P for Pause). You will need to unbind these to gain access to the full keyboard.
Retroarch Menu > Back to Main Menu > Settings > Input > Hotkeys Unbind any Hotkey mapped to a Keyboard Key by pressing Y
Make sure to save the settings once you are happy with it
RA quick menu > Controls > Manage Remap > save either GAME or DIRECTORY if you want it for all ZX Spectrum games
Works for Games, but is tricky to use in BASIC without custom ZX Spectrum Keycap Stickers so you know what each key does.
Classic, tough-as-nails platformer
Huge map, very unforgiving
Fast-paced and addictive
Simple but super fun combat platforming
Fast dungeon exploration classic
Stealth-action with great atmosphere
Arcade-style action
Classic top-down shooter
Brilliant isometric puzzle game
Revolutionary early 3D-style gameplay
Complex isometric puzzle adventure
Open-ended prison escape strategy
Charming and accessible puzzle adventure
Unique school-life sandbox experience
Expanded sequel with more freedom
Multi-character gameplay with puzzle elements
Impressive arcade conversion
Fast horizontal shooter
Classic vertical shooter
Smooth and responsive gameplay
Despite its age, the ZX Spectrum still has a massive library of great games, and most run perfectly on the R36S.
BASIC programming is more of a novelty here, but it's cool that it works at all.