The response to SCRAPYARD SKEDADDLE ZX has been incredibly positive, and some of the Spectrum fans who've enjoyed it have asked for a version with a pixel art loading screen, which wasn't included in the initial release.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've kept an eye out for reviews, and although it's been so well-received, I've found that some users of genuine Sinclair hardware have stated their disappointment when loading via audio-in only to find there was no splash screen. Various people have reached out, including those who enjoy collecting pixel art and creating slideshow collections, and those who showed concern as to whether a newbie's game was actually programmed correctly when the loading screen remained blank.

Some members of the Spectrum community were also very honest, commenting that it was an odd choice for a former graphic artist to pass on a chance to put some art on display. I therefore wanted to rectify this so that anyone who'd like a re-release with pixel art can have one : )

Although I did originally prepare an auto-conversion of the hand-drawn promo 'graffiti on brick wall' artwork, I wasn't keen on the result. After a few failed attempts to tidy it up, I ultimately decided not to include any imagery to accompany the short loading period, knowing also that the game would load instantly on many of the emulators being widely used.

However, I've been spending a little time here and there, doing things the old-fashioned way (pixel-by-pixel) to create a loading screen by again following my original sketch, but this time I've reworked it slightly - Rather than the 'graffiti on the brick wall', we now have Willow leaping against a background of scrap metal patchwork, scattering catnip and toys everywhere, with the baddies surrounding her in exactly the same way (but everyone is tweaked to help with 'colour clash'). Much like in-game characters, only bright [clut 1] colours are used to keep everything stark, with some random hatching to keep the 'sketchy' feel.

I wanted a reasonably faithful conversion of the promo art, much like programmers were contracted to include in their coin-op ports back in the 80s/90s, even if the image source was unsuitable for translating into a low-res rastergraphic - I think starting again from zero was definitely the right move, as I'm incredibly happy with the result now.

Just a note : No changes have been made to the actual game/gameplay, as all bugs were fixed before the initial release. The only thing that I did take the opportunity to do is shift the copyright date into the correct place - Although this wasn't necessary it was on a to-do list that I missed, and it now matches my records, plus I thought it would be a good way to identify the re-release, as nothing in-game has changed. For those who instantly load taps, the inclusion of the pixel art (and date rearrangement) will likely not even be noticed, and it's not necessary to download this version unless having the pixel art appeals to you. Using TheSpectrum2024, in both classic and modern modes, the file loads instantly but shows you a split-second of the loading screen before the game runs, so anyone using similar emulation might get a quick glimpse : )

I hope this adds a little something extra to the experience : )

It's been fun to replay the game again, to ensure nothing buggy has happened since merging the game+pixelart into one file, and hopefully everything is as expected.

The new file name is : SSZXincPIXELART.tap

Anyone who donated for the initial file, SCRAPYARDSKEDADDLE.tap, please don't donate again as nothing has changed in terms of the game.

ARP & CER

P.S.  On a final note, THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH for those who have very kindly contributed so far towards the charity we support. 

Every and all penny and pound / dollar and cent will go the MNDA charity, and for anyone who's contributed via the official website link, THANK YOU, it really has gone to a good cause. Likewise, for those who've given to their own favourite charity instead, you are a star, so again THANK YOU : ) : ) : )