Format Differences

[Mataeus]

Okay, so we've all gotten used to the differences between the 8 and 16 bit versions of the Dizzy games (particularly aesthetic) but what's the differe,ce puzzle and landscape wise, between the 8 bit ones? Especially has the C64 had 2 versions? It's been a while since I played the Spectrum one, and I never played the Amstrad one.

[AndyC]

I've never really played the 8 bit version very much (a couple of goes of the Spectrum version via. an emulator is as far as I got). One difference I did notice however is that in the 8 bit versions if Dizzy falls a long way (so that he has to rub his head and get up) he lost some energy from his energy bar. This didn't happen in the 16 bit versions, as far as I can remember.
I've always thought that that must make the 8 bit versions far more difficult, as this is probably the game where, more than any other, you need to keep your energy bar topped up as much as you can.

[AJC24]

I never played the 16 bit versions... but I have played both the Spectrum and C64 versions of Spellbound Dizzy. In terms of the technical aspect of the game (controls, map, graphics etc) both are identical. However, the C64 version is significantly slower moving than the Spectrum one. Dizzy walks alot slower, and screen updates as you walk around the very large game map also seem to take alot longer on the C64 than on the Spectrum.

Also, in the Spectrum game, when Dizzy falls a great distance he loses energy and is momentarily paralysed as he shakes his head from the long fall. In the C64 version, this idea was not implemented. You can fall great distances without any problems with losing health.

Other differences? Well... for reasons unknown Codemasters made a smaller version of Spellbound Dizzy on the C64 which had a significantly smaller game map which was also completely different to the bigger version. God only knows why they did that... then again it does take FOREVER to complete Spellbound Dizzys full map version. It really is a very long and hard game to complete.