RETRO The Spectrum - Page 31

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Loading your own programs
beeps, ashing screen border, visual loading effects and delay while the data is loaded.
Alternatively, .tap les simply contain the program that was encoded onto the cassette
tape and so load instantly.
Each cassette le will show TAP, PZX or TZX below the cassette icon to indicate the type.
Cartridge le support
A handful of software titles were produced as cartridges to be used with the Sinclair
Interface 2, an accessory for the ZX Spectrum produced by Sinclair research. Cartridge
les will have a .rom extension and should not be confused with operating system
ROM les that have the same extension.
Snapshot le support
The Spectrum supports the .sna snapshot format that was commonly used by third-
party ZX Spectrum peripherals such as the Multiface range, which were able to dump
the ZX Spectrum memory to external storage.
Also supported are the more reliable snapshot formats .z80 and .szx that were later
developed for use with ZX Spectrum emulators.
All of these formats load instantly.
Multi-cassette game support
The Spectrum supports the loading of multi-cassette games by allowing you to select
multiple cassette les at once, and ip between them while the game is running.
When you select a cassette le from the USB stick contents list by pressing M, the
behaviour is to replace the previously selected cassette le. To select multiple cassette
les (for example cassette 1 of 3, cassette 2 of 3 and cassette 3 of 3) you rst select
cassette le 1 by pressing M and then add the additional cassettes tape les 2 and 3
by pressing K.
Launch the game in the usual way by pressing ENTER. When prompted to change
cassettes by the game, press and hold the HOME button and then press S. This will
advance the “inserted” cassette to cassette 2, then to cassette 3, then back to cassette
1, and so on.
You can choose a maximum of three cassette les at once through this method, so for
games with four or more cassettes, a playlist le is required.