GDE GAME INFO DATABASE
Version 2.1

 

Introduction

Designed for the Spectrum Next by Richard Szerman. Your companion for the multitude of games you don't have game details
for. A database covering over 4,800 entries full of hidden gems.  The information has been gathered from different corners of
the Internet, especially converted for your pleasure. It was going to be part of Next Launcher but the project became so massive
it needed its very own release. Of course it is completely compatible with it if you want to integrate both.
 

About the software

I don't think there has ever been a database of this capability ever produced before, running "directly on a Spectrum" without
the need of the Internet. I am really delighted to be sharing this news with you as a hobbyist coder. Supporting
thousands of titles (and it is expandable believe it or not).  Pretty much the entire back catalogue, searchable directly from your Next
in one place. No internet required

I have written a special search engine to work with it, giving auto indexing capability. In other words if you drop a GDE in one of the
A-Z folders it will know it has to index that file in your next search when using the tool. It keeps track, and not limited as it might otherwise
be on a lesser Spectrum.

No temp files being written to your SD means this will not wear our your SD card on multiple use. Everything is streamed in and
out of memory with the optimized search. The content is also readable direct in GDE format to boot - which is the Spectrum Next
equivalent to PDF format. So even if you do not use the search engine I designed you can manually navigate and open the content
directly and seemlessly.

It covers an A-Z of:

1. Game Hints
2. Game Tips
3. Game Cheats
4. Game Instructions
5. Game Control Keys
6. Game Reviews on some titles
7. Specialist Next search program, or browser based search built in with this new release.
8. Game instructions in English, and some in Spanish and even some in other languages

HOW TO SETUP

1. Extract the GAMEINFO folder into ROOT of your SD Card
2. Plugin your SD to your Next or N-Go
3. Run GAMEDB.BAS in the GAMEINFO folder to use.

IN USE

After starting the program you can Run a search, or type
BROWSE to navigate directly to a chosen folder to find the game detail
to display. The browser opens GDE format files, while the search
hunts down the game for you and offers you the option to view them
or not.

HOW TO EXPAND THE DATABASE

You can add more content to the database but you need to observe these
guidlines for them to be indexed at runtime.

1. Test GDE file check it looks correct and works before hand.
2. The filename has to be in capitals with no spaces separating the words
of the file name. So, game for example "Pinball pro expert.gde" becomes
PINBALLPROEXPERT.GDE and so on.
3. Save the game in the correct folder under the GAMEINFO folder that the
first letter of game starts with. Pinball should be in the P folder.

Try out some retro Specy games inside your browser no download required !!  Click HERE

CONTRIBUTE THIS IS CHARITY AWARE

This software has been developed over many hours and available for you as a unrestricted download for you for FREE.
If you intend to use this Software, we ask you to consider a donation of your choosing to our Cancer Research Fundraiser
for vital research. It is for the greater good, for everyone. 1 in 3 of us will get cancer in our lifetime, your donation will
help to beat it. Your Donation, however small, to Cancer Research via this link is my inspiration to develop great Spectrum software
for you - while keeping our retro community healthy as we grow old.

PLEASE VISIT www.gofundme.com/f/u2canstopcancer We hope to raise £1,000 this year. Every little bit helps!

GDE GAME INFO DATABASE

Ensure you have the latest Next Distribution installed on your Next (Available from from www.specnext.com)
Designed for: N-Go/Spectrum Next with NextZXOS v2.07 installed on SD.
 

1. Download the ZIP file
2. Extract the Gameinfo folder into root of your SD Card that you use for your Next
3. Plugin your SD to your Next or N-Go, and boot up.
4. Run GAMEDB.BAS in the GameInfo folder to use.

More information on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/nextlauncher