Machine of the Month: the BBC Micro (1981)

YOU’LL NEED THIS

WINDOWS OR LINUX PC

These emulators run on any modern PC, but Linux users need a stable version of Wine.

JOYSTICK

A USB joystick makes life easier in some games.

YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD of the BBC Micro, but in ’80s Britain, this beige box with its cool red function keys would find its way into almost every school in the nation. For many Brits, the BBC Micro would be their first experience using a computer, inspiring new coders across the country. With a production run reaching into the mid-’90s, it was a national institution. Indeed, it was the BBC Micro that inspired both the Raspberry Pi and its Model A and B naming scheme.

Although the BBC Micro was too expensive to be a popular home games machine, those who indulged it and Nevertheless, BBC Micros are hard to find in the US (never mind the issues with power supplies and PAL to NTSC conversion), leaving emulation as Americans’ only real option. So, join us as we take you through a history of the BBC Micro, and provide instructions for getting you gaming in the fastest, most painless way.