Originally developed by RetroSouls for the ZX Spectrum in 2018, Old Tower was a competition entry inspired by the mobile hit Tomb of the Mask, notable for being the Spectrum's first ever multicolour scroller. Fast forward to 2026, and Scottish programmer Jim McKay has delivered a ground-up, bespoke conversion for the Sinclair QL that is, in many ways, the definitive version.
Every one of the 21 levels is faithfully recreated, but the QL port adds thoughtful enhancements: full colour graphics, smooth vertical scrolling, and optional AY music via QSound with automatic fallback to IPC beeper for unexpanded hardware. McKay even offers two editions: a lean 57KB build for 128K machines and a generously expanded version with five compressed music tracks for systems with 256K or more.
It runs from a single Microdrive. The controls are tight, the challenge is and the presentation is polished to a professional standard. Old Tower is not merely a competent port; it is a masterclass in how to translate a Spectrum game to the QL platform with love, technical skill, and deep respect for the source material.
With the arrival of the QL core for the Spectrum Next, there seems to be renewed interest in in Sinclair's ill fated quantum leap - I hope there are many more new games to come!
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