Unless you spent the last days of 2018 fighting aliens in the asteroid belt, you probably know that Netflix released an interactive film under the Black Mirror banner called Bandersnatch, a nod to Lewis Carroll's creature. Beyond choosing the protagonist's path and exploring multiple endings, Bandersnatch is packed with Easter eggs, and one of them hides a ZX Spectrum-compatible game called Nohzdyve…
A Divisive Interactive Film
Opinions about Black Mirror: Bandersnatch are deeply polarized. On one side, those who thoroughly enjoyed the story; on the other, those who claim it lacks the "essence" that defines Black Mirror. Then there are those who dismiss the interactive component as "a simple trick," and finally, those who see the route-choosing process as a distraction. Regardless of where each viewer stands, one thing is certain: the project's creators didn't hesitate to fill it with small details, hidden references to previous episodes, and Easter eggs. One of those eggs is auditory, and it manifests when you reach a specific ending. Most users hear only noise, but veterans of the ZX Spectrum computer immediately understood…
(Editor's note: Massive-scale spoilers. You've been warned.)
The ZX Spectrum Connection
If we recall, the ZX Spectrum loaded data through cassettes, and that data emits a very particular sound. Adventuresome users can feed this sound into a ZX Spectrum emulator or use original hardware, and the result is... a QR code. The code's content presents the Tuckersoft page URL, but that's not all. Delete the "www" from the address, and you'll find an alternative version in which Bandersnatch was never finished, but it does list the rest of the company's catalog, among which Nohzdyve stands out.
Nohzdyve: The Game
This vertical-scrolling action game is based on a man who dives headfirst between two buildings, avoiding a series of giant dentures (rumors? bad press?) while collecting eyes (attention? publicity?) and scoring points.
Playing Nohzdyve
The game is in .tap format, so it can be used directly in a compatible emulator (Speccy is the first that comes to mind) or saved to tape for playback on the original computer. The Tuckersoft page says Nohzdyve is a creation of Colin Ritman (one of the characters in the story), but in real life it was handled by Matt Wescott. The use of the color palette is excellent, and I like the detail of the air conditioning units on the buildings. Even if you haven't watched Bandersnatch, if you're a ZX Spectrum fan, you can't miss this.
https://old.neoteo.com/los-mejores-juegos-de-zx-spectrum/
