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Spectrum Easter eggs
This page is part of an archive of Easter eggs in Sinclair Spectrum games and utilities.
It includes hidden features, secret messages, and strange game behaviour.
This page deals specifically with hidden content in loading screens.
The Spectrum has an unusual screen format, designed to save memory, where the underlying bitmap is stored separately from the colours, or "attributes". This means that you can hide text and graphics by giving them the same foreground and background colours.
Hover over a screenshot to reveal the hidden content.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: WHAT IS GOING ON ?; 9-4-88; DRAWN WITH TENDER CARE BY [CONRAN]. There is also a hidden mushroom by the soldier's feet.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: THE MAD PROFS FACE; MAD PROFS Finger; POO FART BUM; CND! SAVE THE WHALE; WIL.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: morrissey ok; The Smiths; LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS; Hello There!.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: SJ (artist's initials?).
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There are several hidden Beatles logos in the loading screen.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: DINAMIC: LA PASADA ("the ultimate"). Dinamic is the company that released the game.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: I Horn 1987.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: HELLO! and a smiley face.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JOHN ARMSTRONG.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Brian & Jim.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: FIREFLY; Program: bop (not the name of any file on the tape).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: HELLO RICHY IAN RYAN HUGH + JEFF; HI PHIL !.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JACK.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: By The Laughin' Kipper for [AD].
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: PROTECTION by SOFTLOCK TM.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MATTHEW ARNOLD; DO NOT COPY; MAR 87; HI HACKERS. There are also three logos: the initials MA, a T in a circle, and [find out what the other thing is].
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: CHRONOS (C)1986 STEVEN AND JOHN TATLOCK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. There is also a wide toothy grin hidden below the mysterious pair of eyes.
See also general Easter eggs.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: [COBRA] FARCE. There is also a school of fish.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: ©JOTA; FERNANDO Y CESAR; COMANDO 4.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MEGA SCREEN BY IVAN HORN; ATHENA KICKS ASS.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Screen$ © KENNETH WILLIAMSON.
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There is a bonus CD player demo on the tape, which has hidden text in the loading screen: ELO AGAIN NOT MUTCH ROOM SO IT WILL HAVE TO BE SHORT THIS TIME AAHHH!!; NAFF ALL OUT THIS MONTH IS THERE, CYBENOID'S GOOD BUT THATS IT OH YES I AM OFF SKIING THIS YEAR. OPPS RAN OUT OF SPACE. JABBA. The word JABBA is also hidden in the CD player display.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: KEVIN IS A GNOME; GOODBYE CHRIS; MEGA STEVE; MAGA JABBA; OLD ANDY; CHALL; HELLO TO,PAUL.G,ANDREW.C,&E7, JJ,RJ,SJ,NOT MARK,ANFRACTUOS, AND ALL AT PLAYERS...BYE.JABBA.
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There is a hidden picture in the loading screen. It is a man waving a bottle behind one of the pillars.
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There is a hidden arrow, labelled M.OTTER, that points to the character in the loading screen. (See Hollywood Poker for another reference to this.)
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: AUTOR: VICTOR MORILLA.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: BEATLES; 9.11.88, WED' 2.25 P.M.; BARF!; HI SINGHY!!! HOW ARE YOU?; LARDO WAS HERE!.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: ES EL PASON.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MJM (artist's initials?).
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The badge looks smooth and shiny on the loading screen, but removing the colours reveals it to be worn and battered.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: THE ARTIST (program used to create the screen).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: RG COZ 85.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: THE END IS NIGH..; COS FRED NEEDS YOUR HELP; KEN + ELSIE; JONNY.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: THE MUSHROOM BOYS (accompanied by a picture of a mushroom); 3.2.88.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: screenpic by Mark Wilson; prog Peter Gough Mike Follin Timothy Follin.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: ESCRITO POR: ("written by") PEDRO MANUEL RODRIGUEZ S. -958-332365.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: TLBBS.
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There is a grumpy cartoon head and hidden text in the loading screen: BEATLES; BOO; CONRAD WAS ERE!.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Mike Mar??? 1.8.87. (The name is partially obscured, but was probably Mike Marchant, who did the graphics for Alien Syndrome a year later.)
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: 86 (the year it was drawn?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: ARE YOU READY TO BE.... [Heartbroken]?; Cerius Rules!!!; Lloyd Cole; THE SMITHS.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: C.GRUNES.; GAME DESIGN AND GRAPHICS C.GRUNES; GAME PLAY AND PROGRAM MAX BOUNTY COUNT; GRAFX-C.GRUNES CODE-MAX.B.COUNT. Stuart Fotheringham explains, "We were not allowed personal credits at Odin. 'Max Bounty Count' was Steve Wetherill. I think the best things left in Heartland are my cannabis plant graphics." (Does anybody have a screenshot of these?)
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: SGM (artist's initials?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: LOOK ON ALL MY LOADING SCREENS; HELLO AGAIN ITS ME HAVE YOU SEEN THE DEVIANTS LOADING PIC YET,YES! WELL IF NOT LOOK AT THE LOWER HALF OF THE SCREEN BY THE BODS FEET HA,HA,HA. THIS IS SOME MATE OF ANDYS,HAVE YOU SEEN DENIZEN YET IF NOT THEN WHY NOT COS PAUL AND MYSELF HAVE GOT IT DONE (IT'S NOT OUT TILL MAY 1ST) WATCH OUT FOR OUR SKATEBOARD GAME SOON..BYE.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: A QUIEN PUDO SER Y NO FUE POR SER IGUEL A LAS DEMAS NURIA: YO NO OLVIDO (DABYD). JOOOO! (ZYDRO)TM. SONIA: ALGUN DIA TE PILLARE! (ALBERTO). NO ES ALTA NI ESBELTA,ENTONCES ... QUE CONO ÑE PASA? [FUSTOR]. There are also some symbols hidden between letters of the logo.
Translation: To the person it could have been for — but wasn't, because she was like the others — Nuria: I won't forget (Dabyd). Yo! (Zydro)™. Sonia: Some day I'll catch you! (Alberto). She's not tall and pretty, so... what the fuck is happening to me? (Fustor).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: CODE + BUGS BY DOUGGS; GRAPHIX BY SALAR.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JoF (perhaps for Jonathan "Joffa" Smith).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: SCREEN BY I.WRIGHT.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: TO THE BANUSDOWN GIRL IN SWITZERLAND. FUS TOR; I LOVE TONYE!; I LOVE ALICE!; ZYDRO (twice); A QUIEN PUDO SER Y NO FUE POR SER IGUAL A LAS DEMAS; TO THE MONKEY MAN: SCARES FREE! (with a monkey face); MI ESPERANZA RENACE CON HABERTE ENCONTRADO (ZYDRO); ALBERTO-FOLLA-SONIA; NO ES ALTA, NI RUBIA, NI TIENE OJOS AZULES... THEN, WHY?.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: BY IVAN HORN.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Only Demons Dare! Enter Demonslair!.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her; A "Paul Simon Fan Club" Production.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: FISH (accompanied by a school of fish, with one confused fish going in the wrong direction).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: BY JOHN "GIMME AN ARCADE CONVERSION" STEWART.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MIKE SANDERSON.90; MAS 90; COPYRIGHT-1990.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: DC (artist's initials?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MW (artist's initials?); PETER FAT RAT; PETER FAT WHAT?.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: SALAR.
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There are hidden graphics in the loading screen: an Atari sign on scaffolding and a man in a hat waving a chequered flag. (Actually, these might just be temporarily stored here for retrieval by game code later — can anyone confirm or deny this?)
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MUST PHONE OWL SOFTWARE ?? BYE.; ELO IT'S JAB ERE. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS BEFOR THERE ON AL MY STUF,BUT SOME TIMES KEVIN TAKES THEM OUT, I DON'T KNOW WHY?; THIS IS NOT A BAD GAME AFTER ALL.; JABBS LIST OF THE WORST PROGRAMERS TO WORK WITH; BAD 1.KEVIN.P 2.MICK.B 3.ANDY.S 4.PAUL.G 5.STEVE.B GOOD.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: 20TH MAY 1985 11:11am; TK JL (for authors T Kemp and J Lemmon); CREATED USING THE QUILL by GILSOFT:.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: NAHRÁVA! ("is loading").
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: DR.WHO.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: STEVE; JACK.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JACK.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: DH (artist's initials?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: DH (artist's initials?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: PICTURE BY SHAUN MCCLURE.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: IVAN HORN 1989.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Which 1's Pink? (twice); The Cure; Marrillion; and an anarchy symbol.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Chr; What is a Randox, mummy?; O (by the character's arm); Honest! I Tell you, I'm no fish!; I'm real!.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Leyland Palmer! (a character from Twin Peaks); Eat cheese!; Ouch!; What is a Randox, mummy?; Honest! I Tell you, I'm no fish!; I'm real!; Skeenge & Breenge; DAVID ICKE (!!) (after "Programmed by"); DM (after "Level designs by").
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: LETTERING BY MARK R. JONES.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: IVAN HORN 1990; WHY DO WE HAVE ALL THE TALENT AND THEY HAVE ALL THE MONEY; SOME WORK WHILE OTHERS PLAY.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: S.S CAPTAIN 1989.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JAZ (twice).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: AML; MS; IT'S NOT MORTAL KOMBAT (with an arrow pointing to the main image).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: scr by HSF.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: NON COPIATE! ("do not copy"); ZAMBRINI DANIELE.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JACK (twice); JOHN MARSHALL.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JACK.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: RSPCA DONT CALL ME (with a picture of a fish in a microwave oven); HELLO'S TO: RAIZEN, STU89, SHAUN, ANDY, AND TO JO. THANKS LAST NIGHT IT WAS FUN IF YOU LIKE THAT SORT OF THING (with a picture of two fish in love).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: C.GRUNES.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: TO CALL US FROM WARSAW 826-44-23 (KRZYSZTOF) AND 826-45-32 (ARTUR).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: by Pete Cooke. & JHW.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: Pix by Simon Jay.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: ART THD; A6.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JACK; SOFTEK.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JACK.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: SCR BY MSF; S.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: it looks like MAC 90, but apparently the bottom half was removed before the screen was finalised.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: DEDICADO A ANA ("dedicated to Ana").
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MJM (artist's initials?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: BLITTER 0.6.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: THE BEATLES; FINISHED AT 11.p.m. - 21.4.87.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: The Smiths; Lloyd Cole.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: MEDNONOGOV (for Slava Mednonogov, a.k.a. Copper Feet).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: CONVERTED FROM THE PC BY TAFF'87. This refers to graphic artist Taff Rowan.
See also general Easter eggs.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: A.S.N (artist's initials?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: JACK.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: PROTON.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: HI HELEN; LOVE DAVE; PL DH DK GB JB DS DP RW (developers' initials?).
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: © 1987 A.Pointon.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: ARTWORK BY P.JOHNSON.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: OI! STOP MESSING ABOUT WITH THIS SCREEN$...IT IS COPYRITE.
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There is hidden text in the loading screen: C.B. FRED.
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