STARBALL 

For the  ZX Sinclair Spectrum 128k & 48k

AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OR TAPE CASSETTE

You can download the .TAP to play on your favourite emulator or if you want a true spectrum experience, you can purchase the tape cassette.

Starball.zip includes:

1. Starball.tap (Game)
2. Instructions.txt (Instructions)

Our mission was simple. We wanted to keep Starball fun, accessible, and endlessly replayable. A game you can pick up instantly and return to time and time again.

Starball features a clean HUD, easy-to-read color-coded level progression, catchy music, and solid, dependable mechanics. There are no overcomplicated power-ups, no impossible goals, and no frustrating bat-and-ball behavior.

Starball is a game anyone can play. Age does not matter. If you can press a button, you can play.

Your mission is clear. Smash as many Star Rocks as possible and build a huge score. It sounds easy, until you remember this is the ZX Spectrum.

You have three minutes per level to blast your way through 20 exhilarating levels, weaving across the map to the sounds of Cyndi Lauper and Starship filling your speakers.

The more rocks you destroy, the higher your score climbs. Finish quickly and leftover time is added as bonus points. Take too long and your score begins to drain away. Space and time can be your greatest ally or your worst enemy.

You start with five lives, with chances to earn extra ones as you play. Survival requires quick reflexes, smart decision-making, and steady control.

Two power-ups are available to help you. One unleashes a self-destruct pulse that clears nearby blocks while keeping your life intact. The other super-sizes your comet. It is slow and devastating. Keep it alive long enough and it will supernova.

You also have four rockets that wipe out entire columns. Use them wisely. When only one block remains and the clock is ticking, it can be tempting to fire one off, but the choice is yours.

Collect keys to unlock doors, plan your moves carefully, and stay one step ahead of danger. Keep your focus, keep moving, and whatever you do, never switch off.

Do you have what it takes to beat the odds, top the high-score table, and become the ultimate Starball champion?

Anti-Cheat

Starball includes our newly developed anti-cheat system called Byte Watch. It was created to introduce something fresh while respecting original hardware.

Byte Watch actively monitors the game while it is running and is fully self-contained within the code. It was designed specifically for real ZX Spectrum hardware. When running on a PC without external verification, its abilities are naturally more limited.

This is only the first phase of Byte Watch. For this release, the focus is on protecting the lives and the power ups on the system. Future updates will expand its capabilities. The intent is to keep gameplay fair while keeping everything light-hearted and fun.

It is important to note that Byte Watch was designed for a ZX Spectrum cassette environment, not modern operating systems or development tools.

Game Objective

Destroy all blocks to advance to the next level. The more blocks you destroy, the higher your score. Finish quickly and any remaining time is added to your score. Some levels require keys to unlock doors and progress further. Power-ups are available to help you clear obstacles. Take too long and time will be deducted from your score.

Controls

Press 1 – Huge Explosion
Press 2 – Doubles the ball size and slows it down then explodes
Press 3 – Launch rockets

Move Left – O
Move Right – P

Understanding Trajectory

Controlling the ball’s trajectory is one of the core challenges in bat-and-ball games. Many titles rely on a three-angle system, which often results in repetitive and predictable gameplay.

Adding too many angles can create the opposite problem, making the game feel random rather than skill-based. This is because the bat has very limited pixel space to register each angle accurately.

After testing multiple approaches, we settled on a five-angle system. This strikes a strong balance between control and precision, giving players meaningful influence over the ball.

The angles used are 135°, 120°, 90°, 60°, and 45°. Extra emphasis is placed on the wider 120° and 60° angles, allowing for better shot control and more strategic play.

Your HUD

You start with 5 lives.
Your score increases as you play, and sections advance through gameplay.
The timer begins at 3:00 minutes.
Blasterwaves start at 3.
Metorshocks start at 3
Rockets are set to 4.