Acorn Game Loader
A comprehensive GUI application for loading Acorn Electron and BBC Micro games onto original hardware with advanced tape control and save state functionality.
Acorn Game Loader Interface
Features
Core Functionality
- Game Browser with instant search (supports multi-term filtering)
- Screenshot Viewer (supports JPG, PNG, GIF)
- Manual Viewer (TXT format)
- Supports .uef game files
- New in v1.2.0: Edit Mode with game management tools
Tape Control
- ▶️ Play: Start/Resume game playback
- ⏹️ Stop: Halt playback
- ⏏️ Eject: Completely end playback
- ⏪ Rewind: Move back 1 tape block
- ⏩ Forward: Jump to next tape block
- 🔢 Block Counter: Shows current playback position
- 0️⃣ Counter Reset: Mark reference point (e.g., after loading screens)
- ↪️ Jump: Jumps to block set by Counter Reset
Save States
- 💾 Save Game Progress:
Records audio from Electron/BBC Micro's EAR port
Auto-detects signal start/stop - 📂 Load Game Progress:
Browse and select saved .wav files
Simulates tape loading process
Status feedback during operation
Convenience Features
- Remember Last Game: Auto-reopens your last-played game
- Customizable Folders: Set paths for games, images, manuals
- New in v1.2.0: Drag-and-drop support for adding games/images/manuals
- New in v1.2.0: Right-click context menu for game management
- New in v1.2.0: Updated in-app manual with Edit Mode documentation
- New in v1.2.0: About dialog with version/license info
Requirements
- Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
- .NET Framework 8.0
- Python (embedded in distribution)
Installation
- Download latest release
- Extract to preferred location
- Run Acorn Game Loader.exe
- Optional - Download Assets.zip (Contains screenshots and game manuals/info rename your uef files to match)
- Optional - Download the Games Pack
Usage Guide
First-Time Setup
- Open Settings (Menu → Settings)
- Configure folders for:
- Games (.uef files)
- Images (screenshots as .jpg/.png/.gif)
- Manuals (.txt files)
- Enable "Remember Last Game" if desired
Playing Games
- Select game from list (use search to filter)
- View screenshot and manual
- Click Play to start or resume playback (after Rewind/Forward/Stop)
- Use Stop, Rewind, Forward as needed
Edit Mode Features (New in v1.2.0)
- Enable Edit Mode (Menu → Edit → Editor On)
- Select the game and right-click for options:
- Rename: Change game name while keeping all associated files
- Move: Relocate game to different folder
- Delete: Remove game (sent to Recycle Bin)
- Drag and drop files directly onto:
- Game list (to add .uef files)
- Image panel (to update screenshots)
- Manual panel (to update documentation)
Saving Progress
- In-game, select or type the save command, it will then say "Press Record Then Return" or something similar.
- Click SAVE in the Game Saves section (button changes to STOP).
- Wait for "Waiting for signal..." message.
- Press RETURN on the Electron/BBC Micro and wait for save to finish.
- Click STOP to end recording.
- Application will automatically:
- Detect the signal
- Save as timestamped .wav file
Loading Progress
- In-game, select or type the load command.
- Click LOAD in Game Saves and choose the desired .wav file.
- File should begin loading on the Electron/BBC Micro.
File Naming Convention
All supporting files must match game filename exactly:
- Game: GameName.uef
- Image: GameName.jpg/png/gif
- Manual: GameName.txt
Technical Details
- Save system works with standard audio cables
- Optimized for 44.1kHz mono WAV files
Troubleshooting
- No sound during playback? Check audio cable connections
- Save/Load not working? Ensure:
- Adequate volume during save
- Minimal background noise
- Correct WAV format (44.1kHz mono)
- Game missing from list? Verify:
- Correct folder location
- Proper file extension (.uef)
- File integrity
- Edit Mode features not appearing? Ensure:
- Edit Mode is enabled (Menu → Edit → Editor On)
- You're right-clicking on a game in the list