Game name: Krunel
Type: logical
Author/group: speccy.pl
Platform: ZX Spectrum + AY interface
Also works on: ZX Spectrum 128K+, Timex 2048/2068, SAA 1099

Game is the competition entry for RetroKomp / LOAD ERROR 2013 Game Compo.


Idea and coding: Tygrys
Graphics and tests: Atom
Music and sound effects: V0yager
Loading screen: CatMan
Additional tiles sets: CatMan, Slayer, Ziutek
SAA 1099 music: Ziutek
YouTube: http://youtu.be/wrr_2G3kIe0

Copyright (C) 2013 Speccy.pl
speccy.pl - waking up the polish demoscene

Files can be downloaded at http://www.speccy.pl/archive/prod.php?id=245

Available polish and english version in formats: .tap, .dsk (TOS FDD3000 version), .trd



The game is a clone of a japanese Puyo Puyo (attempt to compete with Tetris in the logical games market) for one player. Player's aim is to match the at least 3 tiles of the same type vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Increse of game level increases speed of the falling blocks. To make the game more attractive you can select one of the 16 different tiles sets. During the game you can switch between the music and sound effects pressing F. You can also hold the game and display game statistics pressing H.

Keyboard control:
Q, M SPACE - rotate block
A or Z - drop block
O - move left
P - move right
F - switch between music and sound effects
H - hold game and display statistics

Joysticks: Kempston, Sinclair I or II, Times Computer 2068 port 1 or 2.
Up - rotate block
Down - drop block
Left - move left
Right - move right
Fire - rotate block

Timex Computer 2068 / Unipolbrit 2068 was a licensed ZX Spectrum clone popular in Portugal and Poland equiped with 2 joystick ports and AY-3-8912 sound chip working on different I/O ports than the ZX Spectrum 128K+. For many years no program was created that would use full capabilities of this computer. Krunel is the first modern game that does it fully.

There is a separate version of the game for TC2068 without the ZX Spectrum ROM cartridge. There is no support for SAA 1099 in this version as it couldn't be used anyway. This version also works on standard ZX Spectrum.

Before that Timex 2068 cupport was implemented in another - as yet unreleased in final version - game also by speccy.pl - "Dziurak - go to hole". The game will be published as soon as levels design will be finished.

SAA 1099 is a sound generator chip used in Sam Coupe and in early models od Sound Blaster PC sound cards. The game can use this chip only to play some music - there is only one track and no sound effects.

For testing SAApierdalator interface from zaxon was used. It's based on VELESOFT's design. SAA chip works with the same ports as Sam Coupe's version - 255 and 511. It's not compatible with Timex computers - in this case SAA can't be used.

As all chip's registers are write-only there is no way to detect it's presence. If the game can't detect the AY chip it defaults to SAA, otherwise user is presented with the sound chip choice.

SAA music was made by Ziutek/ESI - a famous musician. Especially for Krunel he did some changes in the track he made over 20 years ago - cover of Moby's 'Sea of Love'.