Popular games for platform Sinclair ZX81

Inspired by the 1983 ZX Spectrum game.

A Defender like (right only) side scrolling shooter. You are equiped with a laser to shoot enemies and a few super bombs destroying all enemies. While fighting of enemies you have to rescue prisoners on the ground by flying close to them (whatch for gravity pulling you down). This "high-resoluation" game runs on a standard ZX81 with a 16K memory expansion module.

Chase is somehow similar to Gnome Robots but in real-time game and with several items and power-ups.

Cassette 50 is a compilation of 50 games that was released for a variety of 8-bit home computers, albeit with different selections of games on different computers. The majority of games within the collection were programmed in BASIC and are widely considered to be of poor quality.

1K Games Pack is a collection of 11 games and programs on one tape. The collection consists of: Slot machine: You have 10p and you play a slot machine for 1p a go trying to get three numbers the same (10p) or the numbers add up to seven (5p). Etch and Sketch: This a program that allows you to draw pictures and shapes with a cursor. Slalom: Gates move down the screen and you have to align yourself to go through them without hitting them or missing them altogether. Catch me if you can: You must move an X to catch a O that moves about the screen. Space Pirate: You must attempt to dock your spaceship as it moves down the screen with another ship that moves left and right across the screen. Spacefire 1: You are on the left of the screen while the computer is on the right, firing bullets at each other attempting to hit the other player. Spacefire 2: Same as 1 but now the computer moves left across the screen. Car Crash: You must drive your car down the screen avoiding the other vehicles and the sides of the road. Man-Eating Budgies: You are on the top of the screen and Budgies move up the screen and you must avoid them while collecting their eggs. Maze: You are on the top of the screen and a maze moves upwards and you must navigate through it without hitting the walls. The Wall: You move right across the screen and you must remove every part of a wall that moves slowly upwards.

Dodgems and Connect 4 is a double games pack that contains: Dodgems: You move a vehicle around lanes eating dots while avoiding another vehicle because if you hit it then you lose one of three lives. Your vehicle is always moving forwards but you can change lanes through openings of the lanes. Before the game you can select the speed of the game (1-9). Connect 4: A strategy game where a player either plays the computer or another player on a 7 x 6 grid dropping counters down each column. The idea is for a player to make a row of four counters in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal line to win the game.

Comboio Espacial is a game for the Sinclair ZX81, where you must protect your convoy by destroying enemy ships and avoiding hitting the space mines.

During the American Gold Rush you are digging for gold. While excavating gold you must be aware of giant rats and a vicious Gremlin which comes to infest the mine. Snakes can be used to eat the rats. This a 16K program which uses "high-resolution"graphics.

3D space shooter

3D Grand Prix (for the ZX81 with 16K memory expension module) is a racing simulator with a first person view. You race against others on random generated track. You have to accellerate, brake, steer and switch (6) gears.

Subespaço is a game for the Sinclair ZX81 where you are the commander of the subspace ship Pegasus and your mission is to dismantle the enemies' supply network, depriving them of their vital supplies.

You have five days to escape from the Oracle's Cave and gather as much treasure along the way as possible.

The game is cleared when all the stars are taken. The cracked floor disappears when you pass over it, so you can only pass through it once.

Casca a Cobra is a strategy game where you need to chase a snake and eat its body up to the head.

Tenseiryuu: Saint Dragon is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up video game originally released as a coin-op by Jaleco in 1989. It was converted to several home computer platforms by Storm Entertainment in 1990.

An unofficial port of Atari's Centipede made by Jeff Minter in the early years of Llamasoft.

USS-Enterprise is an unofficial strategy game based on Star Trek, where you are James Kirk, and your mission is to destroy all Klingon ships in the galaxy.

An obscure compilation consisiting of six games for the ZX81.

Endurance is a motorcycle racing simulation game released in 1985 for the Amstrad CPC and Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Up to five players compete in turn-based races across various tracks, managing speed, endurance, and strategy. The game features alternating turns and was praised for its realism and challenge.

Galaxians & Gloops is a double game pack that contains: Galaxians: Based on the arcade game, you control a craft at the bottom of the screen, moving left or right, blasting alien ships in formation above firing missiles at you. As you blast the aliens, some aliens will swoop down firing missiles as well. If you are hit by an alien or its missiles then you lose one of three lives. Before the game you have a number of options that can be selected and they are speed (0-9), firing rate (0-9) and how many swoop at one time (0-9). Gloops: A Pac-Man clone that has you moving about a maze eating all the dots to clear the maze. As you eat the dots, Gloops move around the maze as well and if you touch one then you lose one of three lives. There are power-pills and if you eat one then you can eat the Gloops for a short time. Before the game you have two options that can be selected and they are speed (0-9) and a choice of ten mazes.

Thro' The Wall also Scramble is a double games pack that contains: Thro' The Wall: A Breakout clone where you control a bat on the bottom of the screen moving left or right, to hit a ball upwards and remove bricks above. If the ball goes past the bat then you lose one of three lives. There is a choice of the speed of the ball and they are Normal, Fast and Superfast. Scramble: You view your craft from the side as it flies from left to right horizontally constantly, and you must avoid or shoot ground installations and enemy craft with your missiles. You can use a smart bomb to destroy everything on the screen but you only have one and if you hit the ground or any enemy then you lose one of three lives. You have the choice of ten speeds (1-10) with one being the fastest.

Artic Computing's take on Reversi

Aventuras na Selva is a text-based adventure developed by Renato Degiovani and published by the magazine Micro Sistemas.