GLAZX

a small, open-source game for ZX Spectrum 48/128 in classic arcade style.

The game is developed on С and Z80 assembler with using Z88DK dev kit and Sprite Pack / SP1 library. The GLAZX is designed as local multiplayer game and the current version only supports multiplayer for two players. The game was created as an interesting challenge and dev experience for the computer on which I played my first game sometime in 1992.

How to play

The GLAZX is a very simple action game in which the reaction speed is more important than solving puzzles or strategic planning.

The glazes are placed on a grid-like map with passable cells and obstacles, and can be moved to the right one cell. The glaz emits deadly rays. The wall prevents your moving and stops rays. Randomly bonus boxes will appear on the map with energy, additional rays and other bonus abilities. Immediately after damaging the glaz can not shoot for a while and can not be damaged again. It's called "ghost time". The winner is the glaz that destroyed all opponents.

There are several modifications of the game which can be selected in the options. "NORMAL" and "PRO" slightly different lives and rays count, and other parameters. In the "NO GHOST" there are a lot of lives and there is no ghost time. In "ONE SHOT" you have only one shot, the bonus also gives only one extra shot, but the bonuses appear frequently.

The game includes 12 maps (+ 4 secret map), 4 types of bonuses, 4 game modes, 2 special attack movements. Zx 128 version contains AY chip title music and advanced sound effects.

Bonus boxes:

• Live - adds 1 life.
• Ammo - refills ammo. Adds 5 rays.
• Super ghost time - adds 10 sec. The glaz can shoot during the super ghost time.
• Rocket Sight - adds 1 shot of instant death ray, it is impossible to avoid this rocket ray.

Special moves:

• Curved ray - the glaz can turn the ray after the shot. Press and hold Fire + move in the any direction except forward.
• Fast ray - the glaz can emit a super fast ray. Wherein the hit probability is 50%. Also with a 50% probability the ray can go through the wall. Press and hold Fire + forward direction move. (in the same direction the shot was made)

Keyboard control:

• GLAZ 1 - W, A, S, D, F
• GLAZ 2 - I, J, K, L, O
• Pause game - N, Exit game - M

In the options menu you can choose the alternative control including Kempston and Sinclair joystick.

Download

Ready for play .tap files:

• GLAZX v1.0 for Spectrum 48
• GLAZX v1.0 128 for Spectrum 128
• Also, the game is available on Itch.io: https://eugenyn.itch.io/glazx

How to load

• Spectrum 128/+2/+3: to load the 128 Version select "Loader" from the main menu and press ENTER, then PLAY on tape.
• Spectrum 48/+: to load 48 Version type LOAD "" and press ENTER, then PLAY on tape.
• If you don’t have the hardware, you can still play it in an emulator. E.g. you can use Fuse for Windows and Linux.
• You can also play it online using Qaop/JS or R.A.Z.E.

How to build (for Windows)

• Z88DK installation:
  • Download the latest precompiled version of z88dk from site and unpack the archive for example in c:\z88dk. The game can also be compiled on early versions of z88dk. See comments in src/compile.bat
  • Set the environment variables using libs/setenv-z88dk.bat. We assume sdk is installed in the c:\z88dk. More information about the z88dk installation and manual compilation can be found here.
• SP1 library compilation:
  • Enter make sp1-spectrum from the {z88dk}/libsrc directory to build the library. Header file sp1.h will be created in the {z88dk}/include/sprites directory.
  • Then enter make install to copy sp1.lib from {z88dk}/libsrc to z88dk/lib/clibs
• Or you can download z88dk with precompiled and installed sp1.lib here.
• GLAZX compilation:
  • To build resources, compile and create a .tap file use src/buildbins.bat and src/compile.bat.

The machine RAM and resources of the Z80 processor are very limited, so we use various optimization tricks: there are no dynamic data types, it's used minimum variables on stack, global variables are reused, data compression algorithms (rle, appack) are used, bit shifts instead of multiplication and division. The code and resources should be directly mapped in RAM to specific addresses, memory paging are used for 128 ver. Debugging is only in assembler.

To do

• AI and pathfinding.
• Support for 3 and 4 players / cpu opponents.
• More maps, more modes, more optimizations.

Credits

• Idea, code and graphics: Eugeny Novikov
• Additional art: Lorc, Delapouite, font: "I can remember" NES game, and tiles from some retro games.
• AY title music "Red Alert! (conversion from Metal Gear game)" by WYZ
• Beeper title music "Grandstand Theme" by Chris Cowley, some SFX by Shiru

Third party code and tools:

• Z88DK and Sprite Pack / SP1 library by Alvin Albrecht
• The Mojon Twins tools, ideas and code samples.
• png2sprite tool by Juan J. Martinez
• PSG Player by WYZ, Phaser1 player by Shiru, Beepola by Chris Cowley
• aPPack decompressor by dwedit, adapted by Utopian and optimized by Metalbrain
• Mappy used for maps creation.

License

Copyright (c) 2019 Eugeny Novikov. Code under MIT license. Art under CC-BY-SA 3.0.