This page presents details on the range of original retail ROM cartridges, along with my custom ROM cartridge board designs (ZXC1, ZXC2, ZXC3 and ZXC4) and new ROM programs that can be run using them. Each new ROM is represented by a thumbnail of the lowest specification custom board that it will run on. Most of the ROMs presented can be programmed into the ZXC3 and ZXC4 using its built-in FLASH programming mechanism, although some are only supported on the ZXC3 when fitted with an EPROM.

Click on the thumbnail images to see more detail about the corresponding ROM cartridge program.



Retail ROM Cartridges

This section describes the ten retail ROM cartridge titles released by Sinclair. The first titles were released around September/October 1983 and were the Psion games Planetoids, Backgammon and Space Raiders. These were followed a couple of months later by Chess, and then the remaining six titles in December 1983.


View Space Raiders ROM Cartridge Details View Chess ROM Cartridge Details View Planetoids ROM Cartridge Details View Hungry Horace ROM Cartridge Details View Backgammon ROM Cartridge Details
SPACE RAIDERS CHESS PLANETOIDS HUNGRY HORACE BACKGAMMON
View Horace And The Spiders ROM Cartridge Details View Jet Pac ROM Cartridge Details View Pssst ROM Cartridge Details View Tranz Am ROM Cartridge Details View Cookie ROM Cartridge Details
HORACE & THE SPIDERS JET PAC PSSST TRANZ AM COOKIE



Custom ROM Cartridges

This section describes a variety of methods for creating custom ROM cartridges, and provides details on the range of PCBs I have produced that use some of these techniques.

View Details About The ZXC1 View Details about the ZXC2 View Details about the ZXC3 View Details about the ZXC4 View Details About Custom ROM Cartridge Designs
ZXC1 ZXC2 ZXC3 ZXC4 CARTRIDGE
DESIGNS
View Details About How To Convert Cassette Programs To ZXC1 ROM Cartridges View Details About How To Convert Cassette Programs To ZXC2 ROM Cartridges View Details About How To Convert Cassette Programs To ZXC3 ROM Cartridges View Details About How To Convert Cassette Programs To ZXC4 ROM Cartridges
ZXC1 CASSETTE
CONVERSION
ZXC2 CASSETTE
CONVERSION
ZXC3 CASSETTE
CONVERSION
ZXC4 CASSETTE
CONVERSION



Test Program ROMs

This section documents a collection of ROM cartridges to help fault find and verify correct operation of Spectrum systems.

View Details About Offical Test Program ROM Cartridges View Details About The Spectrum 128 RAM Tester ROM Cartridge View Details About The ROM Tester ROM Cartridge View Details About The Spectrum Test ROM Cartridge (3rd Party ROM) View Details About The ZX Spectrum Diagnostics ROM Cartridge (3rd Party ROM)
OFFICAL TEST
PROGRAMS
SPECTRUM 128
RAM TESTER
SPECTRUM
ROM TESTER
SPECTRUM
TEST ROM
ZX SPECTRUM
DIAGNOSTICS
Game ROMs

This section documents a variety of games that can be run directly from a ROM cartridge.

View Details About Unreleased ROM Cartridges View Details About The Death Star ROM Cartridge (3rd Party Game) View Details About The Astro 2008 + Toto + Astronave 2021 ROM Cartridge (3rd Party Games) View Details About Cassette Game Conversions ROM Cartridges (3rd Party Games) View Details About The Wall ROM Cartridges (3rd Party Games)
UNRELEASED
CARTRIDGES
DEATH STAR ASTRO / TOTO / ASTRONAVE CASSETTE CONVERSIONS WALL
View Details About The Microman ROM Cartridge View Details About The Snakes ROM Cartridge
MICROMAN SNAKES



Emulator ROMs

This section presents a variety of emulators for making the Spectrum mimic other computers and peripherals.

View Details About The Spectrum 128 Emulator ROM Cartridge View Details About The Spanish 128 Emulator ROM Cartridge View Details About The ZX81 Emulator ROM Cartridge View Details About The ZX80 Emulator ROM Cartridge View Details About The Microdrive Emulator ROM Cartridge
SPECTRUM 128
EMULATOR
SPANISH 128
EMULATOR
ZX81
EMULATOR
ZX80
EMULATOR
MICRODRIVE
EMULATOR
View Details About The Currah µSource Emulator ROM Cartridge
CURRAH µSOURCE EMULATOR



Operating System ROMs

This section presents a variety of customisations and alternatives to the standard Spectrum ROM.

View Details About The Spectrum RS232 ROM Cartridges View Details About The Spectrum With Interface 1 ROM Cartridge
SPECTRUM
RS232
SPECTRUM &
INTERFACE 1
Utility ROMs

This section presents a variety of utilities that run from ROM.

View Details About The Clock ROM Cartridge (3rd Party ROM) View Details About The Globe ROM Cartridge (3rd Party ROM)
CLOCK GLOBE