Atari zone :: Old news

It's been more than two months since we entered the 26th year of CEZ... To commemorate the end of the 25th year, we've created a dark mode (you can select it in the bar above), the usual colors of the page in its beginnings. We hope you enjoy it.

Another year, we have come to Barcelona, ​​specifically to Hospitalet de Llobregat, to attend a new edition of Retro Barcelona, held, as usual, at the La Farga shopping center.

We have been mulling over the need to give the main page a touch-up for some time, to give more visibility to the content, and a few days ago we finally got around to it. There are two new features, beyond the aesthetic changes: a new box where you can see the latest added cards (not the reviews, which remain where they were) and the recovery of the news in a prominent place. First, because the time to write needs inspiration, but to add cards it doesn't, and it is something we have been doing without the necessary notoriety. Second, because we can write on social networks, but it is also important that the information is in its place of origin. The idea is to go deeper into automation, so that everything is fluid and does not involve an excessive effort. We are on the way.

We have a new Twitter account; in it we explain how we knocked down the previous one: D. So if you missed not receiving news, you are slow to follow us ... And if not, too ;): New CEZ Twitter account

If you want to be informed about the most important updates of Computer Emuzone, just join our Facebook page. We're waiting for you.

One year more, we celebrate Christmas with you. In 2011 we added a lot of material to the existing cards, thanks to your contributions, but also we have completed, at last!, all the game cards had no review, and we have added a significant number of new ones. Next year we'll try to follow that path. Cheers, retrofans!

Jonathan "Joffa" Smith, coder of unforgettable games like Green Beret, Hyper Sports, Cobra or Batman the Caped Crusader, has dead. From CEZ we want to give him a little and modest tribute with this lines. He will be alive forever through his games.

We continue making a few changes in CEZ. Days ago we added the last five comments in the right column, and since today you can view the votes given to each game, dissagregated, in their cards (next to the rating box).

For some time, websites feature, in each story or article, links to the major social networks to share what we find interesting with other people. With some delay, we've added it to CEZ.

What you'll find here in 2010? Certainly, all will be almost like now. We'll try to add new games and to complete the actual game cards, without forgetting the pending Arcade zone. And not much more. :)
Now we left you with the best game of 2009 for ZX Spectrum, Sgt. Helmet Zero. Absolutely brilliant.

We have recovered the fantastic illustration made by Pagantipaco (Retroworks) in 2008, to celebrate this Christmas.

What you'll find here in 2010? Certainly, all will be almost like now. We'll try to add new games and to complete the actual game cards, without forgetting the pending Arcade zone. And not much more, but it's enough. :)

So... We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy 2010!

A lot of things have happened since August 3th of 1999, but here we are, with more or less intensivity, commited to preserve all the spanish entertainment soft. We thought about publishing an article about these 10 years, but the lack of time is usual when we talk about hobbies; maybe in a future. While... Cheers!

Past June 29th we've added visits count in each of the cards, interviews, articles and tutorials available at CEZ. It's also available a new statistic, accesible from the menus, of the most viewed game cards.

The last game published by the extinct CEZ GS, Captain 'S' - The Remake, has been nominated for best game of the year, in the amateur category of the "Desarrollador_es" prizes. We'll have the results on July 31th. Thanks to Lord Fred, Benway and the rest of the development team.

Since the release of the last game of CEZ GS, there have not been news in CEZ.
The extinction of our videogames seal have not been any problem, because two groups born inmediately, The Mojon Twins y Retroworks, integrated both of them by almost the former members of CEZ GS, although the new groups have not any link with this page.
So, the problem was what to do with CEZ. Less free time, less desires, so we opted for the most confortable way: the automation. Due to this fact, this news section was minimized as you can see.
We'll continue here, but without rush. Step by step, when we want, as we want... As it was in 1999, now when we're near to the 10th CEZ anniversary.

Finally, the moment of RanaRemake release has come. The awaited remake of Ranarama, the classic created by Steve Turner and published by Hewson, is the first Pagantipaco's game published by our videogames label.

A multiplatform remake, with great deal of care in each detail, and wich will set people talking a lot.

Where to get it? In its card on the CEZ GS page... Where else?

Test it, play it, and don't doubt to comment your impressions on our forum.

We've finished uploading all the previous available coverscans.
Now it's the moment for uploading all of them we have and we couldn't upload yet, due to technical reasons. A lot of them will be available thanks to WOS and SPA2 (Spectrum), MSX Archive (MSX), Lemon 64 (C64) and a lot of personal providers.
While we're waiting for the RanaRemake release, we updated the site wiht those ones:

-Army Moves (spanish version) -> 3 Spectrum (box, box -MicroHobby edition, normal and orange), 1 Amstrad (normal), 1 MSX (normal)
-Army Moves (european version) -> 2 Spectrum (Imagine french and italian, Summit), 2 C64 (disk, Summit)
-Astro Marine Corps (spanish version) -> 1 Spectrum (+3)
-Aspar GP Master (spanish version) -> 1 Spectrum (IBSA)
-Aventura Original, La -> 1 Spectrum (IBSA)
-Aventura Espacial, La -> 1 Spectrum (IBSA)
-Megaphoenix -> Front
-Mot -> Back, 1 Spectrum (Portugal)
-Narco Police -> Back, 2 Spectrum (IBSA, GBH)
-Navy Moves (spanish version) -> 1 Spectrum (orange)
-Navy Moves (versión UK) -> 1 Spectrum (The Hit Squad)
-Satan (spanish version) -> 1 Spectrum (IBSA)
-Satan (versión UK) -> 2 Amiga (budget, front and back)
-Viaje al Centro de La Tierra -> 1 Spectrum (Portugal)

After nearly 3 years of development soon we'll be able to enjoy a "remake" highly anticipated by CEZ regular visitors.

It all dates back to 1987, when Hewson Consultants published "RanaRama" a game produced by Graftgold Ltd. and programmed by Steve Turner on the platforms Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. Perhaps it went unnoticed by many because it had a somehow confusing gameplay, incorporating elements of Gauntlet and a bit of RPG in terms of the evolution and improvement of the main character.

The remake resembles the original in terms of basic gameplay but reinterprets not only graphics and sound, but also other elements to enhance it. In general there are many changes and some surprises.

On the technical side we must mention the importance of checking the requirements of the computer. This is a game programmed in Java, therefore needs the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) preinstalled. This, although it might be a problem for some, results in the advantage of the program being multiplatform without changes, and therefore will work on Windows PCs, Linux and Mac in their 32-bit versions (64-bit OSes aren't supported). In advance to the installation of the game, we invite you to go check and prepare the environment with the procedure shown at the end of the article.

We won't tell more details at the moment and until the day of publication, enjoy the pictures, the original game in any of its versions and we also invite you to participate in our forum.

REFERENCES:
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World of Spectrum
Wikipedia


SET-UP:
------------------------
+ Check that JVM is installed:
    - Open a commandline tool.
    - Write the command "java - version" without quotation marks and followed by ENTER.
    - Check the response:
      - Program not found or so: you need to install Java.
      - A response like this:

            java version "1.6.0_05"
            Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.6.0_05-b13)
            Java HotSpot(TM) Client VM (build 10.0-b19, mixed mode, sharing)

       Check that version 1.5.11 or newer.
       Check that the client brand is "Java HotSpot", others are not supported.

+ Getting JRE (Java Runtime Environment):
   - Open an internet navigator and access this link.
   - Choose the option "Java Runtime Environment (JRE)" and the button labeled "Download".
   - In the next page, choose platform and language, check the checkbox "I agree..." and click "Continue".
   - In the next page, choose the way to download and install.

+ Updating Java (only if you have a version lower than 1.5.11):
   - Normally JRE updates automatically, if it doesn't you need to get and install a new JRE as above.