Depends, my youth is fulled with ZX Spectrum memories and zero about C64, because in the Iberian Penisula and UK it was nowhere to be found.

If I remember correctly the Spectrums could display more simultaneous colors than the C64. Not sure about this.

Sound was improved in the +2 and +3 series, although it wasn't SID like.

Heh heh, I know the Spectrum was a big deal in Spain. Not so much in South America. There's a lot to love about that computer, but the C64 was technically superior: I had a C64 and my friend had a Speccy, and I remember games looked better on the C64. Of course, the Amiga blew both out of the water, but I didn't know anyone who owned one...

> If I remember correctly the Spectrums could display more simultaneous colors than the C64. Not sure about this.

Pretty sure it was the other way around. The Speccy had a limitation where some graphics modes had colors in horizontal "bands", so games had to be designed around this limitation. And when a sprite crossed bands, it changed colors! This didn't happen with the C64.

> Of course, the Amiga blew both out of the water, but I didn't know anyone who owned one...

I did, when time came to move into 16 bits, I felt unlucky 386SX PC owner when joining the gaming/demoscene parties we would spend weekends doing.

On the other hand, having a PC payed out thanks to Commodore running the company into the ground.

I've seen colour clash fixed in a recent game. Shame it's 30 years too late!

Awesome. Which game, out of curiosity?

I must say the color clash and that weird "in color, but oddly monochromatic" vibe of Spectrum games has a certain charm.

Googled it, think it's an engine called Bifrost*. Here's a game that uses it: http://retroasylum.com/knights-demons-for-zx-spectrum-releas...

At the higher end of -reissues-

Yes. However, because there's nothing like a 35-year-old platform war, I feel obliged to add that the C64 was not so overwhelming when it came to vector games or other things outside the 2D-sprites-and-scrolling sweet spot it was so capably optimised for: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-face-off-zx... . Which also turned out to be pretty much the DOOM of the Amiga foretold, come to that.