BeeNext
A downloadable NEX file
🕹️ About the Game
BeeNext is a full-featured, fast-paced vertical arcade shooter built from the ground up to push the hardware limits of the ZX Spectrum Next. Featuring gorgeous Layer 2 visuals, smooth multi-layered hardware sprites, custom Copper raster effects, and a pounding multi-chip sound track, BeeNext delivers an authentic 1980s arcade experience right to your Next or emulator.
You play as a brave little bee fighting across five distinct, hazard-filled worlds to save the fairgrounds from robotic bosses and chaotic enemy swarms!
✨ Key Features
- 5 Unique Worlds + 1 Secret Holiday World: Journey through Honey Grove, Candy Canyon, Coral Carnival, Clockwork Kingdom, and Frosty Fairground, plus a secret unlockable Yuletide Workshop bonus stage!
- TurboSound 6-Voice Chiptune Soundtrack: Powered by 3× AY-3-8912 chips delivering rich, multi-voice melodies, harmonies, arpeggios, and custom boss themes ("Pressure Hull", "Escapement", "Avalanche") alongside an ending credits ballad ("Home Again").
- zxnDMA Percussion: Crisp, sampled 8-bit DAC drum kits streamed via hardware DMA for driving arcade rhythms.
- Advanced Hardware Effects: Layer 2 backgrounds, smooth hardware scrolling, Copper raster color bands, time-shift bullet-slow zones, ice-skating momentum physics, and freeze-beam hazards.
- Arcade Boss Encounters: Dedicated multi-phase boss battles complete with destructible armor plates, rotating shield rings, hatch-seeking bomb mechanics, and cinematic entry sequences.
- High-Score Persistence & Attract Mode: Fully functional Top 5 high-score table saved directly to your SD card (
BEENEXT.HSC) via esxDOS, accompanied by a multi-stage looping attract demo. - Holiday & Password Secrets: Automatic December date-recognition via the Next's Real-Time Clock (RTC) opens the Yuletide Workshop, or players can input classic passwords (
XMAS/YULE) or joystick cheat codes on the title screen!
📋 System Requirements
- Hardware: ZX Spectrum Next (2MB RAM model required due to dedicated bank-swapped asset pages).
- Storage: esxDOS-compatible SD card (for high-score persistence).
- Emulators: Fully compatible with cycle-accurate emulators like ZEsarUX and Klive.
🎮 How to Play / Controls
- Movement: Directional keys / Joystick / Joypad (Supports ice-skating momentum sliding on World 5).
- Fire / Shoot: Primary weapon.
- Bomb: Drop downward-firing heavy bombs to destroy ground targets and score critical hits on open boss hatches.
- Pause: ENTER, H, or Start button (
Mtoggles music on/off,Qquits to title).
🔑 Secret Codes & Cheats
- The Classic Code: Enter
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Fire(or corresponding joystick/d-pad inputs) on the title screen to instantly unlock the secret Yuletide Workshop bonus stage. - Password Entry: Select the
[ PASSWORD ]prompt on the title screen and typeXMASorYULE. - Seasonal Auto-Unlock: Playing during December automatically decks the title screen in festive cheer and opens the holiday workshop!
📦 Downloads & Files Included
BeeNext_v1.1.nex
(© 2026 ROMAN126 V1.1 — Developed for the ZX Spectrum Next)
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- BeeNext V2.0.219 hours ago
Comments
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nice and addictive .. under Cspect is playfield smaller than a whole visible screen ??
not tried under Cspect, only MiSTer, Zesarux and Jnext, but full screen under those...
You cant use the full play area on the Zed-Next emulator. There is an area about an inch in size either side of the play area where the ship will not enter.
yes, not tried Zed-Nex before, so just tried it, tbh, its the sme with Zesarux and Jnext in that there is a portion to the left and right hand side that you cannot enter. Do you think you should be able to move edge to edge? does it affect gameplay?
Hi, I'm not sure it affects gameplay, I am enjoying it and think its lots of fun, so can't be affecting my thoughts on the game. I did think it was strange when I first realised it but wasn't sure is this was as it was meant to be. So just passed on the info about Zed-next after seeing the comment from mance.
I appreciate it and the feedback, I can rework it if you feel it would be beneficial to gameplay, if anything else needs tweaking just let me know and thank you for introducing me to Zed-Next ☺️
I appreciate it and the feedback, I can rework it if you feel it would be beneficial to gameplay, if anything else needs tweaking just let me know and thank you for introducing me to Zed-Next ☺️
are you reffering to a margin on the left and right sides? its the same with the other emulators ive tried on Windows, does it affect gameplay do you think snd would you rather have movement right to the edge on the left and right sides?
Nothing serious... It was just that the game was running in a window about 256 pixels wide, but the graphics were displayed at 320 pixels wide, so it looked like there was an invisible barrier separating them from the game...
Even those flower petals—or whatever they are—that scroll in parallax don't appear across the entire width of the game window.
Does the latest update make much difference?
You know the legacy Speccy. The screen has a wide BORDER where no graphics are displayed. The game runs “in the center,” and the border is all around it. In your game, there are scrolling graphics in the border, but neither the player nor the NPCs can get there.
Thanks I’ll copy this to Claude and see what’s suggested 👍
Great game, really enjoying this. Please continue to release great games.
Thank you :-)