Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago

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ZX Spectrum 128k

Travel Through Time - Volume 1: Northern Lights, A free downloadable racing game from ZOSYA Entertainment released in 2021.

zosya.net/2021/06/24/travel-through-time-volume-1-northern-lights

"Having started participating in amateur racing in Sweden in the 50s, you will go through an amazing story through decades, watching the development of the automotive industry and the life of one family."

• 6 playable cars of 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
• Storyline and cutscenes.
• Various racing types: challenge, time trial, duel, checkpoints etc.
• Night racing, winter racing.
• Many types of road objects.
• Bridges, overpasses with dynamic shadows, tunnels.
• Roadmarks and road signs.
• High frame rate (up to 25 FPS).
• AY music and engine sound.

Well here in a very interesting racing game for the Spectrum. Sort of like Chevy Chase in a way but with cutscenes and plenty of interesting effects. My only gripe is that it is maybe too long. After 20 levels it starts to feel like a chore and after 40 I just wanted it to end. 60 plus 20 bonus levels is just too damned much and reveals negative thoughts towards the game. You do get a password around level 39 so you don't have to play in one sitting. At the end of the game you get a code for 20 extra levels.

The game plays well enough but some time limits and requirements can be frustrating when there are a lot of tight turns requiring some feathering of the accelerator to get round. The story is interesting to unlock as you play and there are several different race types. Its a shame that the chase hq inspired level appears only once though. Maybe we could have had some evade the cop races to add to the mix.

Overall it is very well presented and stands out amongst Spectrum racing games, perhaps even shaming racing games on better platforms. It is a single load 128k game. There are a few pieces of music in the game and I try to let them playout at least once when the appear. Well worth the free download and you can also pre order a physical cassette and ost cd version.

I have played with Spectaculators RF TV Filter in this video as it adds a nice touch. However I will upload a pure rgb version to the Longplays channel.

00:00:00 Titles
00:02:35 50s
00:43:30 60s
01:26:05 70s
01:47:20 80s
02:03:32 Evas Race