Playground Panic (ZX Spectrum Next)

_{ZX Spectrum Next logo by Rick Dickinson, used with respect for the Spectrum Next project.}

A fast, arcade-style playground caper for the ZX Spectrum Next, written in NextBASIC.

Repo: robsoft/PlaygroundPanic (flat layout with screens split into multiple .bas files, plus a data/ folder and a PT3 track).

TL;DR

• Platform: ZX Spectrum Next (real hardware or CSpect / ZEsarUX)
• Language: NextBASIC
• Run: LOAD "PlaygroundPanic.bas" then RUN (NextZXOS)
• Save data: (optional) High scores/name entry screens are included; see below

Documentation

• Developer Notes
• Robs WIP Notes

Premise

The bell rings. Chaos erupts. Keep order on the playground—shepherd kids, dodge hazards, and survive the recess timer. Earn points for tidy routes and quick clears.

Controls

Controls are configurable (see the Keys screen). A common default is:

• Left/Right: O / P
• Jump/Action: Q / A or SPACE
• Pause: SPACE • Quit: ESC

The repo contains dedicated screens like KeysScreen.bas, SettingsScreen.bas, HiScoreListScreen.bas, and HiScoreEntryScreen.bas, indicating key-mapping and score entry support.

Project Layout

The repository is intentionally flat so you can browse and load files quickly on the Next:

/
├── PlaygroundPanic.bas # Entry/loader
├── AttractScreen.bas # Title/attract loop
├── GameScreen.bas # Main gameplay loop
├── GameOverScreen.bas # Game over sequence
├── LevelStartScreen.bas # Level intro
├── LevelEndScreen.bas # Level complete
├── LevelCodeScreen.bas # (Optional) level code system
├── LifeLostScreen.bas # Death/respawn flow
├── HiScoreListScreen.bas # High-score table
├── HiScoreEntryScreen.bas # Name entry for scores
├── SettingsScreen.bas # Options (e.g., audio/controls)
├── KeysScreen.bas # Key mapping
├── CreditScreen.bas # Credits
├── LoreScreen.bas # Story/lore screen
├── Constants.bas # Game constants (palettes, sprite ids, speeds…)
├── Helpers.bas # Common helpers (timers, RNG, math…)
├── GameHelpers.bas # Gameplay helpers (spawns, collisions…)
├── Specials.bas # Power-ups / hazards orchestration
├── _nextlib.bas # Next-specific helpers (sprites, layers, regs)
├── rob4.pt3 # PT3 music track
├── sync.bat # Convenience script (e.g., copy to SD card)
├── data/ # Asset data (levels, tables, etc.)
└── LICENSE

Running the Game

Real Hardware (NextZXOS)

1. Copy the repo folder (or at least *.bas, rob4.pt3, and data/) to your SD card.
2. From the NextZXOS browser:

LOAD "PlaygroundPanic.bas"
RUN

3. Keep relative paths intact (e.g., data/ next to the .bas files).

Emulators

• CSpect: Run in ZX Next mode, mount an SD image/host folder containing the files, then load via NextZXOS browser.
• ZEsarUX: Enable ZX Next features (sprites/layers/copper as needed), boot NextZXOS, and load as above.

Audio

• Background music/SFX are handled via AY; the repo includes a PT3 module (rob4.pt3). Make sure AY audio is enabled in your emulator (or on hardware) for full effect.

Build / Workflow

This is a NextBASIC-first project:

• Develop & iterate directly in NextBASIC on hardware or an emulator.
• Use sync.bat (optional) to mirror files to your SD image/device from a PC.
• If you later produce a .nex binary, document the command(s) here.

Technical Notes (Next Basics)

• Screens split by role: title/attract, gameplay, interstitials, settings, hi-score, etc. The main loader (PlaygroundPanic.bas) chains into these modules.
• Next helpers: _nextlib.bas suggests a small compatibility layer for sprites/layers/ports; keep it loaded before game screens that rely on it.
• Constants & tuning: Gameplay constants are centralized in Constants.bas—start there for balance tweaks.

Data & Persistence

• Level data / tables: stored under data/ (binary or BASIC DATA loaders, depending on your routines).
• Hi-scores: handled by HiScoreListScreen.bas & HiScoreEntryScreen.bas. If you add file-based persistence, document the filename/format here.

Roadmap (suggested)

• Gamepad/Joypad support & on-screen mapping help
• Balance passes: spawn timing, hazards, NPC behavior
• High-score save to disk (NextZXOS file)
• In-game audio toggle; additional PT3 tracks
• Color-palette accessibility presets

Troubleshooting

• Black screen/return to BASIC: check that _nextlib.bas is loaded/merged before screens needing Next registers; verify data/ path.
• No music: emulator AY disabled or PT3 player not invoked on the relevant screen.
• Slowdowns: reduce simultaneous sprites or expensive collision checks in GameHelpers.bas; precompute tables in Helpers.bas.

Acknowledgments

The ZX Spectrum Next logo was created by the late Rick Dickinson and is used here with respect to the Spectrum Next project.
Logo assets were obtained from the official Spectrum Next website and converted to PNG format for inclusion in this repository.
The logo is a trademark of the Spectrum Next team and is reproduced here solely for documentation and attribution purposes.

Contributing

PRs and issues welcome. Please:

1. Keep .bas lines readable (labels + comments for key registers/ports).
2. Group hardware POKE/PORT code inside _nextlib.bas where possible.
3. Include emulator steps when filing bugs.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Additional condition: derivative works may not be distributed under the name Playground Panic. The name is reserved by the original author.