Top 50 ZX Spectrum games of 1985 - in under 10 minutes

Hello and welcome to the fourth episode of TOP 50 games in under 10 minutes.

We go back to 1985 today to check what kind of games we played on our beloved ZX Spectrum back then and to see the games that we think are the top 50 games for ZX Spectrum in that year.

Looking back, the 1985 was a year that shown us what can be done with the little old "Speccy".
The graphics and animations in Robin of The Wood, Nodes of Yesod, Mikie and Way of The Exploding Fist were really first class. And we can't forget the 3d masterpiece that was Elite from Firebird Software. We also got some fantastic shooters that year, like Commando and Rambo.

Games are, as always, presented in no particular order.

Have fun and let us know in the comments if you agree with our choices (and if we missed a title that should be on the list), and see you in the next one!

[blackporscheroadster]

I got a Spectrum for Xmas in 1985. I remember ripping off the wrapping paper and seeing the rainbow Spectrum logo and I was delirious. The graphics are amazing for their time and the games were so playable. The Spectrum changed my life as I am now a graphic designer. I was always blown away by the colour magenta - a colour you very rarely ever see in real life. Another notable thing is that it never had the colour orange, which I always thought was strange.

[GMT]

I want to go back to these times and stay there.

[digimaks]

OMG, West Bank! What a simple, yet fun game!!! It was getting hard as hell when you start to get enemies that you have to wait and not shoot until they draw. Hardest ones were the fat guy and dude that either draw weapon or pulls up cash bag. That was just evil!

[sambas]

It's incredible to watch how much Zx Spectrum games changed from 1982 to 1985. Just three years but they seems two platform generations.It's not only the graphic but also the pacing and the gameplay

[icekitty]

Remember getting the 5 game pack with my spectrum. I think the games were. Zx Chess, Survival, Scrabble, Horace goes sking, and Chequered Flag.

[jkeelsnc]

We didn’t have this system in the US but some of these games really look like fun. Also, given the limitations of the system the graphics and animation are impressive.

[SLOPPY]

I got a ZX Spectrum 48k about 1985 and I was over the moon. My dad who had little money managed to surprise us with a 50 game cassette, wow it kept us going for years. Amazing how little dots on a screen made us think it was state of the art.
He also got a cartridge called currah speech that worked with a selection of games, we had snooker and every now and again the spectrum would try to sound like a commentator lol
Some of the games in your video have brought back some fantastic memories, commando, hypersports, dinamite dan, spy hunter. Just brilliant.
We also had a game called fruit machine, that had me and my mate laughing our heads off trying to win the jackpot.
Also, Bover Bear where you had to climb ladders and walk past a battery to drop it down to your car to make it to the next level, I remember getting all excited spending hours making it to level 3, being excited to see what the level was like only to accidentally pull the power cable out of the back of the spectrum while trying to get comfy, never seen that level to this day.
Thanks for the video 😁👍

[stuke]

What an unbelievable year for games, so many classics there. Amazing. Thanks.

[kins]

That has to be the best year ever for Spectrum games, so many amazing titles

[nickgodfrey]

1985 was a hell of a year for the Spectrum: Saboteur, Commando, Popeye, Way of the Exploding Fist, Yie Ar Kung Fu, Hyper Sports, Nodes of Yesod, Monty on the Run, Dynamite Dan, Robin of the Wood, Starquake, Bruce Lee, Gunfright, Everyone’s a Wally, Back 2 Skool, West Bank, Cyclone.

Had all on this list and I played them constantly.

We had it good back then.

[stewsretroreviews]

A lot of classic games here. Spectrum at its best!👌🏻

[hyperboreal]

What a huge wave of nostalgia watching these clips. Spy Hunter, Commando, Saboteur, Gunfright and West Bank my favorites.

[gipgap]

Great selection of games. 82-86 were the golden years for the spectrum I feel. 87-88 had some great arcade conversions but the computer had been pushed to its processing limits by then.

[julianfogarty]

Nostalgia overload! I remember getting Starquake and Fairlight for Christmas that year. But 85 was a great year for Speccy games. I had most of these ones, tape to tape copies from mates at school mostly 😊

[mattx]

What is great about these old games for such limited hardware is that people had imagination to come with even most absurd ideas for a game with really outlandish characters and could achieve something atmospheric and interesting. It's great that there are so many indie developers that still create games for these old platforms (and modern too) trying to revive that artistic trend in gaming. I'm not into modern games with super realistic graphics and sophisticated gameplay. I want to see what people can do with simple graphics and sound. It's fascinating.

[CastleKnight]

Wonderful nostalgia! I remember having a blast with my friends on the Speccy with almost all of those games. Thank you for taking the time and trouble to upload this collection.

[shanetheundertaker]

Ahhhh. . .
My wasted youth !
Such good memories.
Thank you 😊👍

[cardgamerdebu]

Awesome video - thank you for putting so much time and effort into it! I've learned two things today; a) 1985 was a bonanza for the ZX Spectrum, and b) Ultimate Play The Game *really* like isometric adventure games. And now... back to 1983, to check out what people were playing when I was but a sprog! :)

[robclarkson]

I loved the ZX Spectrum. Those days were the only time I played computer games regularly. Fond memories. Glad of these videos. Thanks for uploading.

[TheOriginalChazno]

When I got my ZX Spectrum 48+ for Christmas I was over the moon with excitement. Little did I know the ZX Spectrum would shape my entire childhood, teenage years and get me into programming and P.C.'s. Cauldron and Saboteur were two games I loved playing. All the games though look brilliant!!