MetroSpec Beta - Sinclair ZX Spectrum 16k / 48K Emulator

[GlennEdwards]

Hi All,

You may or may not have seen the sneak preview article WPCentral put up on MetroSpec the other day Hands-on with upcoming Windows Phone's first generic ZX Spectrum emulator - MetroSpec | wpcentral | Windows Phone News, Forums, and Reviews

I gave a quick walkthrough of the app with Rich Edmonds from WPCentral, and gave a quick play of Manic Miner

MetroSpec is a fully functionaly Sinclair ZX Spectrum 16K/48K Emulator for Windows Phone. Full sound, save state import and export, multiple game lists, virtual keyboard, pin to start, favourites, kempston joystick emulation, save screen shots to pic library, import .Z80 or .SNA format games from Skydrive or web, touch controls, reconfigurable controls per game, motion control and much more.

For those of you think what the heck is a ZX Spectrum (as Ryan and Travis Lowdermilk did on The Metro Developer Show podcast did), it was a computer released by Sinclair Research in 1982, and along with the C64 kick started the home computer boom in the UK and probably the rest of Europe too.

In the US, the computer was licensed by Timex, upgraded, and released as the Timex Sinclair TS2068.

Any how I've got about 40 beta tester so far from my recent app exposure on the front page of WP Central, and the resultant twitter feeds etc. So if you want to help me beta test, then PM me your live id, or send an email to metrospec.beta@starquakemobile.com . The beta test is ready to submit, I just need the email addresses of any other beta testers before doing the final button push. I think it then takes 24 hours or so to become available.

Please do play with it, import some games, play the built in games, reconfigure the controls per game, use the motion control in games for which it might be appropriate (manic miner?) etc.

I'm mainly looking for bug reports, for items that i need to get fixed before the imminent marketplace release. Feature requests are welcome, but aren't my priority at the moment.

When you have the beta, please email any feedback to metrospec.betafeedback@starquakemobile.com

Thanks,

Glenn

 

[GlennEdwards]

Thanks guys, for all your emails regardring the MetroSpec beta test.

The beta test registration is now closed, as I have more than enough beta testers registed. In fact I have more testers registered, and interested, than Microsoft actually allow

Keep an eye out for the full release of MetroSpec in the coming weeks. I'm hoping to get it out within 2 weeks, depending on fedback etc from the beta

Regards,

Glenn Edwards
Starquakemobile.com

 

[D.Zigns]

Looks neat! Shame I was too slow lol.

 

[GlennEdwards]

Looks neat! Shame I was too slow lol.

Thankfully due to Microsoft's recent improvements to the Windows Phone developer portal, we're not allowed up to 10,000 beta testers. Previously it was limited to just 100, and I'd reached that limit.

So if anyone is still interested in beta testing MetroSpec before it's final release, then please drop me a line with your Microsoft Account Id (formerly known as Windows Live Id) to metrospec.beta@starquakemobile.com

Regards,

Glenn

 

[GlennEdwards]

Due to the recent improvements to the appgub, and renaming it to the Windows Phone Dev Center, the MetroSpec beta is now open to new registrations again

Microsoft have increased the beta tester limit to 10,000, up from the old 100, that I'd reached.

So if anyone would like to beta test MetroSpec before it's final release, please send me an email with your Microsoft Account Id (formerly known as the Windows Live Id) to metrospec.beta@starquakemobile.com

Many Thanks,

Glenn

 

[D.Zigns]

Yay! E-mail sent!