Let’s continue my look at old ZX Spectrum 8-bit computer magazines and take a look at the next issue of Your Spectrum, this time from August 1985.

All images are taken from the ever-awesome Internet Archive. Here is the full magazine if you want to take a closer look. https://archive.org/details/your-spectrum-magazine-17

As a Glaswegian, and a Rangers supporter and lover of the Old Film (Rangers v Celtic) derby, I was intrigued by the ‘Celtic Ranger’ cover feature. I’m guessing that was a play on words on purpose.

Another interesting tidbit of info above about Sinclair becoming skint and at this point Robert Maxwell trying to muscle in.

I think I’ve said it before in a past article, but I think this Spectrum physical on-off switch is a genius idea.

Only 3 games by Ultimate in this Top Ten list. Maybe they’re starting to lose their grip!

Some more great Nick Davies art.

Here we go. Unfortunately not a Rangers v Celtic football game on the Speccy.

Very cool illustration here to complement the game graphics.

I love a good map in a magazine.

I’m not sure you could make the gender joke these days that they make in the above survey!

This is very clever though, letting people cut out and fold the survey into an envelope. A good example of design improving the chances of somebody actually posting the survey back to them.

Very cool how they wrote their own ‘Castle Rathbone’ adventure game that you could type into your computer. When I later read Your Sinclair I used to be obsessed with this ‘Castle Rathbone’ persona that they gave their offices. I was very disappointed when I visited London and my Dad took me to see the very plain door outside the offices in Rathbone Place, just off of Oxford Streete. My heart sunk and I felt like I grew up a bit and lost my innocence that day!