Steve AJ Broad
{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Steve AJ Broad|timestamp=20250525071519|year=2025|month=May|day=25|substed=yes}}
{{Short description|Game writer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Steve AJ Broad
| website = www.stevebroad.co.uk
| birth_place = London
| years_active = 1982 to now
| known_for = Retro Computer Programmer
}}
Steve AJ Broad is well known for writing games on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer from the early 80s until recently.{{cite web |title=Everygamegoing – Explore Millions of Retro Games, Screenshots & Memorabilia |url=https://www.everygamegoing.com/lauthor/Steve-AJ-Broad/5890/games/ |website=www.everygamegoing.com |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Steve A.J. Broad |url=https://gamesdb.launchbox-app.com/developers/games/32372-steve-aj-broad |website=LaunchBox Games Database}}{{cite web |title=Steve A.J. Broad |url=https://worldofspectrum.net/publisher/13853/ |website=World Of Spectrum Classic}}{{cite web |title=World of Spectrum - Steve A.J. Broad |url=https://worldofspectrum.org/archive/people/steve-aj-broad |website=World of Spectrum}}{{cite web |title=ZXInfo - The open source ZXDB frontend |url=https://zxinfo.dk/author/Steve%20A.J.%20Broad |website=zxinfo.dk |language=en}}
Games writing
Steve started writing serious games in 1983. It all started with a game called "3D Pyramid" which was a simple game where you had to find your way out of a pyramid. The game was written in Basic language.{{cite web |title=3D Pyramid |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3954/ZX-Spectrum/3D_Pyramid |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}
The following year in 1984, many games were written. Steve created a new character called "Goolf" which was based on a golf ball. The first game entitled "Goolf" was a platform game where you had to role Goolf along the platforms, piching up items and timing movements so that the spring would push Goolf up to the next level.{{cite web |title=Goolf |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2100/ZX-Spectrum/Goolf |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} There would be more Goolf games written including "Goolf Returns".{{cite web |title=Goolf Returns |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2101/ZX-Spectrum/Goolf_Returns |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} In 1985, "Bunker Swamp" which stared Goolf in a graphic text adventure.{{cite web |title=Bunker Swamp |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6054/ZX-Spectrum/Bunker_Swamp |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} "Goolfs Exit" appeared in 1986.{{cite web |title=Goolfs Exit |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2102/ZX-Spectrum/Goolfs_Exit |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} This was another platform game.
Steve also created other games and utilities in 1984 starting with "Alien Rupture" which was a simple alien shooter.{{cite web |title=Alien Rupture |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/154/ZX-Spectrum/Alien_Rupture |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} A utility called "Drum Machine" which was a drum sequencer.{{cite web |title=Drum Machine |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/8128/ZX-Spectrum/Drum_Machine |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} An educational game called "Humpty".{{cite web |title=Humpty Dumpty |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2379/ZX-Spectrum/Humpty_Dumpty |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} A game called "Pad Painter" which was another simple game where you had to point the screen.{{cite web |title=Pad Painter |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/3586/ZX-Spectrum/Pad_Painter |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} The final game of 1984 was another basic game called "Crisp Snatcher".{{cite web |title=Crisp Snatcher |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/31264/Misc/Crisp_Snatcher |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}
1985 would see more games and utilities being produced, starting with "Attack of the Alien Waters".{{cite web |title=Attack of the Alien Waters |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/324/ZX-Spectrum/Attack_of_the_Alien_Waters |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} A fruit machine.{{cite web |title=Fruit Machine |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/1900/ZX-Spectrum/Fruit_Machine |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} A utility called "UDG Machine" which was aimed at creating user defined graphics.{{cite web |title=UDG's Machine |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/8917/ZX-Spectrum/UDGs_Machine |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}
Finally in 1986, a print compiler utility was produced.{{cite web |title=Basic Print Compiler |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/7949/ZX-Spectrum/Basic_Print_Compiler |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}} This was followed by a graphic text adventure called "Dog Weazle" {{cite web |title=Dog Weazle - The Megaventure |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/6190/ZX-Spectrum/Dog_Weazle-The_Megaventure |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}
Return to ZX Spectrum Games Writing
In 2013 Steve started writing games again as a hobby. The game "My Rendition of Horace to the Rescue" was written and was based on an unreleased game called "Horace to the Rescue". It was how Steve imagined the game would be. However, after some leaked images of the original appeared on the internet, Steve's version was completely different. Steve's game was noted in Edition 125 of the Retro Gamer magazine.
{{cite book |last1=Kelk |first1=Jason |title=Homebrew |date=6 February 2014 |publisher=Future |location=UK |page=105 |edition=132}}
More unofficial Horace games were written for the online community. This included a part two of "Horace to the Rescue" called "Horace to the Rescue 2". Two platform games based on the Horace character were written. "Horace Miner" and "Horace Miner 2".{{cite web |title=Horace to the Rescue 2 |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/30090/ZX-Spectrum/Horace_to_the_Rescue_2 |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Horace Miner |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/30065/ZX-Spectrum/Horace_Miner |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Horace Miner 2 |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/30112/ZX-Spectrum/Horace_Miner_2 |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}
The game "Horace Miner 2" was reviewed in Edition 132 of the Retro Gamer magazine and scored 86%.
{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Darran |title=Homebrew |date=14 August 2014 |publisher=Future |location=UK |page=107 |edition=132}}
All four unofficial Horace games were compiled into a ZX Microdrive cartridge as a present from the game character. {{cite web |title=A Present From Horace |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/30314/ZX-Spectrum/A_Present_From_Horace |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}
Steve continued to write games in 2015 and produced an unofficial game on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum called "Merry Christmas from Horace". The game was reviewed in Retro Gamer magazine and scored 80%. The game package also includes a small game called "Frankie The Rescuer".
{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Darran |title=Gamers Homebrew |date=29 December 2016 |publisher=Future |location=UK |page=106 |edition=163}}
Steve was interviewed in the Retro Gamer magazine edition 162 on the 30th November 2016.
{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Darran |title=Homebrew Heroes |date=30 November 2016 |publisher=Future |location=UK |page=105 |edition=162}}
Things went quiet until 2020 because Steve had been working on a large space shooter game called "Cygnus Alpha". The game was entered into the Yandex Retro Games Battle 2020 and came in at 7th place. The game was so huge and complicated that it has only ever been released as a Beta. The loading screen and many of the in-game graphics were created by retro games artist Andy Green. The loading screen was featured in the book called "Better Late Than Never: Andy Green Pixel Art"{{cite book |title=Better Late Than Never: Andy Green Pixel Art |date=5 September 2019 |publisher=Andrews UK Limited |isbn=978-1789821529}}{{cite web |title=Яндекс |url=https://rgb.yandex.ru/2020 |website=rgb.yandex.ru |language=ru}}{{cite web |title=Introducing Cygnus Alpha - New 128k ZX Spectrum Game from Steve Broad | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq4_iIISDts |date=29 November 2020}}
In 2024, Steve continued to write games. The latest game is called "No Future" and was released in August 2024.{{cite web |title=No Future |url=https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/43611/ZX-Spectrum/No_Future |website=Spectrum Computing |language=en}}{{cite web |title=No Future : Homebrew from 2024 - on the ZX Spectrum 48K !! with Commentary | website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCMRuH8x7Us |date=23 October 2024}}
Software titles
Other games and utilities written by Steve Broad for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum:
| class="wikitable"
|+ Software Titles | |
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
| Frankie the Rescuer | |
| Crisp Snatcher | |
| 3D Pyramid | 1983 |
| Alien Rupture | 1984 |
| Drum Machine | 1984 |
| Goolf | 1984 |
| Goolf Returns | 1984 |
| Humpty Dumpty | 1984 |
| Pad Painter | 1984 |
| UDG's Machine | 1985 |
| Attack of the Alien Waters | 1985 |
| Bunker Swamp | 1985 |
| Fruit Machine | 1985 |
| Basic Print Compiler | 1986 |
| Dog Weazle - The Megaventure | 1986 |
| Goolfs Exit | 1986 |
| My Rendition of Horace to the Rescue | 2013 |
| Horace Miner | 2014 |
| Horace Miner 2 | 2014 |
| Horace to the Rescue 2 | 2014 |
| Merry Christmas From Horace | 2016 |
| Cygnus Alpha | 2020 |
| No Future | 2024 |
| No Future 128K | 2024 |
{{cite web |last1=Broad |first1=Steve A.J. |title=Steve A.J. Broad |url=https://worldofspectrum.net/authors/13853/ |website=World of Spectrum}}.