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Touching the Sun by Virtual Vision Group
screenshot added by RCL on 2025-11-02 15:50:50
platform :
type :
release date : november 2025
release party : Demosplash 2025
compo : oldskool demo
ranked : 2nd
  • 15
  • 2
  • 0
popularity : 51%
 51%
  • 0.88
alltime top: #25400
added on the 2025-11-02 15:50:49 by RCL RCL

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Great
rulez added on the 2025-11-02 16:30:38 by Fell Fell
Cool, style. Nice for platform.
rulez added on the 2025-11-02 16:59:25 by Optimus Optimus
Nice atmosphere! And the greets twister looks very cool!
rulez added on the 2025-11-02 17:06:13 by Olympian Olympian
yes
Some background info: we did not want to create a "wannabe Amiga demo" but work out the Next's own, specific style, rooted in its ZX Spectrum heritage. Hence we're using 256x192 maximum (which is also much easier to handle on a 8-bit processor!) and a limited palette of 21 colors (placing it strategically so colors can be added/subtracted to without caring of the saturation).

The demo also pushes the hw quite a bit. No known to us ZX Next emulator atm can show it properly :)
added on the 2025-11-02 21:03:04 by RCL RCL
This was nice to see on the big screen, and chat with RCL about :)
rulez added on the 2025-11-03 14:15:30 by FishGuy876 FishGuy876
slick show, with its own distinct style - also good to see ZX Next getting more demoscene love, as it was was with other enhanced speccies back then :)
rulez added on the 2025-11-03 14:59:52 by wbcbz7 wbcbz7
Finally, work on Next showing that it is not “just” a Zx clone, but something much more. Very good demo - I'm waiting for more! ;)
rulez added on the 2025-11-03 18:51:13 by Dalthon Dalthon
damn son
rulez added on the 2025-11-04 14:36:25 by Grongy Grongy
The guys really did a great job! Digital music and interactive effects control are fantastic.
rulez added on the 2025-11-05 10:00:11 by aGGreSSor aGGreSSor
Very important moment in history of ZX Next:) First demo that bends the limitations.
Incredible work.
rulez added on the 2025-11-07 11:49:06 by Pator Pator
good
rulez added on the 2025-11-09 12:29:20 by SiR SiR
amazing demo, this should have won!!!
rulez added on the 2025-11-09 12:56:45 by gorgh gorgh
nice
rulez added on the 2025-11-14 04:15:05 by provod provod
I'm still wondering when did NЁXT become retro (according to the compo this was shown at)
added on the 2025-11-16 20:16:12 by lvd lvd
What would you call Next, then? Certainly not a modern computer that should have competed in the Modern demo compo instead, it is not qualified by any stretch. The 8 bit machine is much, much weaker (like 100,000x slower) than the weakest smartphone you can buy. It is as retro as the Sprinter, ZX Evo and other ZX Enhanced platforms.
added on the 2025-11-17 03:33:56 by RCL RCL
Quote:
What would you call Next, then?

I'm not here to invent names, I just wanted to point that it is definitely *not* retro.

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Certainly not a modern computer

Then some fantasy 'consoles' are also definitely not a 'modern computer', nor a retro as well. Or are they?

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The 8 bit machine is much, much weaker (like 100,000x slower) than the weakest smartphone you can buy.

Which still does not make it retro. Imagine going into some superscalar Z80 running at 50 MHz with IPC of 2..3. Still retro?

Quote:
It is as retro as the Sprinter, ZX Evo

Sprinter, as architecture, was completed to the end of 90ies/beginning of 2000ies. No significant changes ever since. So if we'd agree that something from 1999 is retro then Sprinter definitely is.

ZX Evo with base config *mostly* emulates the features of the older design that comes from 1991, thus as well *mostly* retro.

Some other ZX Evo's config, in this relation, is very much like NЁXT (having some crazy far-fetched gfx features), thus not a retro again (unless we'd say 2013 is already retro).

Finally, for NЁXT even the the date of its appearance, does not make it retro.
added on the 2025-11-17 10:57:15 by lvd lvd
Of course any appropriately limited fantasy console is retro. And Z80, even running at 50Mhz, is still a 8-bit CPU.

Come on, 68060 is a retro CPU. Anything that has capacities 1/100 of that is a deep deep retro.
added on the 2025-11-21 13:23:50 by RCL RCL
If you want another perspective: a 1989-class PC with 386 @ 28Mhz and 4MB RAM with a VGA card is retro, isn't it. So, Next is much much weaker than a 386 at the same Mhz, and it also has poorer resolution than VGA and less memory.

So here you go. Calling Next a "modern computer" is ridiculous. It is still an 8-bit design which can be squarely compared to Sam Coupe.
added on the 2025-11-21 13:31:15 by RCL RCL
Nice demo, next rulit!
rulez added on the 2025-11-25 21:48:14 by razer36 razer36
Stylish demo, that has an idea.
Finding individuality, related to the classical ZX.
Strong, platform-specific code.
rulez added on the 2025-11-26 07:00:50 by lemic lemic
Quote:
any appropriately limited fantasy console

define 'appropriately'

Quote:
And Z80, even running at 50Mhz,

And even at 500 MHz?

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68060 is a retro CPU

If we'd assume anything from 1994 is old enough to be retro.

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Anything that has capacities 1/100 of that is a deep deep retro.

Then SUDDENLY it is no more about some old hw but just some 'capacities'.

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a 1989-class PC with 386 @ 28Mhz and 4MB RAM with a VGA card is retro, isn't it

If 1989 is already a retro.

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Next is much much weaker than a 386

nёxt is not from 1989, nёxt has some gfx hw more advanced than primitive VGA.
Definitely not retro by date, either not retro even by (loosely) defined 'capacities' comparison.

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has poorer resolution

orly? Poorer HDMI resolution than gross 28MHz pixelclock super-modern VGA has?

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less memory.

Less than 4 Mb? Really? Even zx evolution from 2009 had all the way its 4 MB (not retro BTW). What a greedy MFs must be those who created nёxt then.

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Calling Next a "modern computer" is ridiculous.

Calling it "retro" is crazy.

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It is still an 8-bit design

So 8bit is necessary and sufficient to be 100% retro? Or what?
added on the 2025-11-26 21:10:29 by lvd lvd

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