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Mark R. Jones

@markrjones1970

#ZXSpectrum, #Amiga & #AtariST graphics boy at #OceanSoftware in the late 80s so into #RetroGaming. Big fan of #TheBeatles & #SydBarrett. Get LOAD DIJ DIJ here: http://tinyurl.com/bddrdutk

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06.08.2024
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Latest posts by Mark R. Jones @markrjones1970

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Does anyone else have one of these? An 'interactive VCR game' released by #OceanSoftware, in conjunction with #ABCsports & #Mindscape, in 1987. I knew nothing about it until I was given this one.

Never tried to play it - not interested in sports & have no VCR player #RetroGaming

09.03.2026 12:15 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I was 17 and remember reading about it in the papers

08.03.2026 11:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Well, that didn't take long! Well done. That occurred on 19 August 1987 and the perpetrator used a Type 56 assault rifle, which isn't exactly the same as the gun shown on the ad but near enough for Ocean to change the ad.

08.03.2026 11:15 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Does anyone know the specifc reason why this gun across the bottom of this ad for #Gryzor & #CombatSchool was removed?

Clue: An event occured inbetween the publication of these ads to cause the bosses of #OceanSoftware to amend the advert. #RetroGaming

08.03.2026 10:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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I have no memory at all of the groovy '2nd hand car dealer' coat I'm wearing in these photos, aged 4! #AbingtonPark

07.03.2026 14:19 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Family trip to #AbingtonPark in #Northampton in March 1975. That slide and tower were scarily high to a 4 year old (myself!)

07.03.2026 14:04 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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When I was 3 years old, in the summer of 1973, I liked dressing up & playing the fool. Here's some photos from that time. I would like to point out that since the last photo was taken I have never dressed up in women's clothes since. #Summer #Summer1973

07.03.2026 12:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Me filling up the paddling pool at Allen Road, Northampton in the #summer of 1977. Then I was photographed pretending to piss in it while my sisters were sat in it.
#1970s #Summer1977

07.03.2026 11:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Info on #OceanSoftware's presence at the September 1988 PCW show. This was featured in a show special supplement that came with #Crash, #Zzap64 & #TheGamesMachine magazines.

#ZXSpectrum #Commodore64 #AmstradCPC #RetroGaming

05.03.2026 13:17 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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I interviewed co-owner of Northampton Home Computer Centre, Graham Wilson, for my #LoadDijDij book. It runs for 9 pages. Here's the 1st 4 pages, for the rest you have to download my #MarkJonesBook. Link for it is in my profile description.
#RetroGaming

04.03.2026 16:13 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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& before the #CoOp I had a #paperround in 1985 at what used to be called 'Sydney Childs' on the corner of Lutterworth Road where we lived at the time. 6 mornings a week for a princely sum of ยฃ3.50. It's still there but Sydney is long dead! I was able to afford the odd copy of #Crash & #C&VG magazine

04.03.2026 15:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Before I worked at #NHCC I did 8 hours a week at the #CoOp on the corner of Barry Road in Northampton (which is still there) through 1986 & earned ยฃ10. This was usually spent on a #ZXSpectrum game from #NHCC. Sometimes I'd have change so I could by a Spectrum magazine, usually #Crash

04.03.2026 15:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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A few more games & receipts I bought from #NHCC

#ZXSpectrum #RetroGaming

04.03.2026 14:55 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I've been meaning to take a photo of where #NHCC was for years. Managed it today. Ken & Graham rented the ground floor & cellar (where all the repairs were done). Sky Cars were next door back when I went there & they're still there today. #MarkJonesBook #ZXSpectrum #Commodore64

04.03.2026 14:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The original site of Northants Computer Centre (now Zizou Express). They occupied here until early 1987. This is where I spent hours after school between 84 & 86 & where my Saturday job turned into a fulltime 1.
Great days! I wrote about it lots in my #LoadDiJDij book. #NHCC
#ZXSpectrum #RetroGaming

04.03.2026 14:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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4 games from #BugByte advertised at the end of 1984. I had all 4, on copy, bar Star Trader (which I bought on the #ZXSpectrum as it was in a sale. It wasn't great). My favourite was Turmoil, 1 of the few games my mum actually had a go on.

Did you buy or just play any of these BITD? #RetroGaming

03.03.2026 20:46 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
80s Retro Games The Truth #nostalgia #retrogaming #videogames #80sgaming
80s Retro Games The Truth #nostalgia #retrogaming #videogames #80sgaming YouTube video by Will Harbison

A message from #OceanSoftware artist Bill Harbison - should be interesting! ๐Ÿ‘
youtube.com/shorts/RyPtJ...

#RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum #AmstradCPC #Amiga #AtariST @harbonaut.co.uk

01.03.2026 11:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

This was the only time in my life I knew almost all of the then current politician's names!

26.02.2026 21:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Read my memoir. We were supposed to give them a demo, they didn't get it & used a demo of Athena instead. Maybe they got their revenge on being let down by giving it a shitty, arsey review? I write about all of it in #LoadDijDij

26.02.2026 17:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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While skimming through a 1990 issue of #SinclairUser last night I found a review I'd never seen before of my #Gryzor on the #ZXSpectrum from when it was reissued on #TheHitSquad label by #OceanSoftware

78% isn't too bad considering it was already 3 years old ๐Ÿ˜„
#RetroGaming

26.02.2026 17:27 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Nice to see they used my quote in the headline! ๐Ÿคฃ www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater... #Salford #ManchesterEveningNews #MEN #Dog

24.02.2026 15:04 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Willow's feeling sorry for herself. She was spayed yesterday & had a stubborn puppy tooth out. Duggie's looking after her though ๐Ÿ˜Š #Dog #MansBestFriend

19.02.2026 13:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Those were the days!! Thanks for taking the time out to read it

08.02.2026 14:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Here's mine - 26 July 1983, also aged 13 & about to go in & watch #TheBeatles at Abbey Road video show ๐Ÿ˜€

25.01.2026 23:47 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Can anyone help Martyn Carroll to track down some of the winners of the #UltimatePlayTheGame trophies?

#ZXSpectrum #RetroGaming

24.01.2026 21:16 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
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I managed to get 2 of the Chemistry set I had for Christmas 1981 a few years back. 1 used, the other never touched. Both in great nick, though I didcovered the plastic aprons had disintegrated wh3n I tried to open them.

22.01.2026 20:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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'Legend of Avalon' by Steve Turner & released by Hewson Consultants. The 1st game were I really felt I was visiting another land & time. Creepy as flip and full of atmosphere. A true landmark in #ZXSpectrum games.

AND it came with a beautifully drawn little map! :)

21.01.2026 10:35 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Willow's been to the salon. 1st photo is a Before shot taken yesterday ๐Ÿ˜ƒ #Dog #MansBestFriend

17.01.2026 16:27 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Wanker! #ShitParking

17.01.2026 15:37 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Computer game posters in Gonch's bedroom from Ep 01 Series 12 of #GrangeHill.

I can see Project Stealth Fighter, Freddy Hardest, 4x Imagine games, Dungeon Master & Super Hang On
youtu.be/k04QX-WpFY0?...
#RetroGaming #ZXSpectrum #Commodore64

17.01.2026 12:17 ๐Ÿ‘ 7 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0