CPCRetroDev 2022 competition has been announced. You can check the details on CPCRetroDev.
You can submit your game between the 14th october and the 2th November 2022.
As last year, the game will be submitted on Itch.io.
Amstrad Eterno 2022 es un evento de Amstrad CPC en Barcelona (España), el 8 de octubre de 2022.
Amstrad Eterno 2022 is an Amstrad CPC event in Barcelone (Spain) on the 8th October 2022 (10am to 8pm).
Francisco Gallego of the studio Byterealms, creator of the CPCRetroDev contest and of the framework CPCTelera will launch Amstrad Eterno 2022 as usual with his conference programming rasters effects in C with CPCtelera.
See also the Amstrad Eterno Facebook page.
These last years several expansions allows you to use mass storage (USB or sd...) on Amstrad CPC, each needing a ROM to use it correctly.
And if you use two of these expansions, you will need to load two ROMs, so less RAM for your Amstrad CPC.
So Offset did write UniDOS and drivers to be able to use another expansion, needing only one ROM with features being the same whatever the expansion. Unidos can manage actually :
Offset also wrote UniDOS Cartridge Creator (v1.4) which is an utility to create Amstrad Plus cartridges equipped with a patched firmware which allows to add UniDOS and its DOS nodes. You can furthermore configure up to 30 additional tool ROMs (such as Utopia, Maxam, Protext..) in the cartridges (compatible with ParaDOS and Burnin' Rubber) without requiring a real ROM board. The tool also let you automatically download the latest UniDOS ROMs from the official web site.
Unidos v1.40 brings the following modifications :
A new version of the Caprice32 emulator maintained by Colin Pitrat is available.
Version 4.6.0 was released the 2th October 2022.
PulkoMandy is the author of the Albireo expansion card for Amstrad CPC which lets you use mass storage (USB and/or SD card) and a serial port.
With the agreement of PulkoMandy, Zik is going to make a new batch of cards (beware without the serial port). It's even possible to use two cards (but needds a cutter and some soldering).
You will need a ROM board and one of the ROM which can manage an Albireo, Unidos for example. The estimated price for the card, shipping cost and maybe a SD card is 30 euros.
If you are interested, go write on the CPCWiki's thread.
A new version of Amspirit, an Amstrad CPC emulator by Dmanu78 is available on the System.CFG forum for windows. There is a 32 and 64bit version. Reading all the thread is a good idea if you didnt read it already as it's a complete genesis of this emulator.
The thread on CPCWiki is here.
Fractoid by the Osmium Path group is an Amstrad CPC demo about Julia fractals. It's written by Optimus (code) and Ham (graphics and music). This little intro was written for the Decrunch demoparty.
After having released a new version of his Amstrad Notepad NC100, NC150 and NC200 emulator, Russell Marks has just released a new version of his version of CP/M for these same machines : ZCN 1.4, the new features are :
Reidrac (Juan Martinez) is actually working on two projects : a RPG (Ultima like) and Hyperdrive which is a shoot them up, whose release date will be December 2022, with a loading screen by Titan.
Missile Command is an Atari arcade game released in 1980, and in 1981 for the Atari VCS 2600, ported by Rob Fulop, which sold over 2.5 million copies.
Cyril GOURET (music, code and sprites) et TITAN (loading screen) are working on a WIP remake of this classic for Amstrad CPC. A working demo was available at the RGC 2022 meeting, the final version isn't available for the moment.
Longshot has released version 1.3 of the Amstrad CPC CRTC Compendium (beware, the english version isn't definitive, only the french one is actually) which is a documentation about the CRTC 6845 (and some others circuits). Note that the CRTC is a generic component used in several computers including the IBM PC.
As seen on CPCRulez, the AMSpiriT emulator by Dmanu78 is respecting by a great margin the SHAKER tests by Longshot than other emulators. SHAKER is a program designed to run on CPC machines produced by AMSTRAD in the 80s-90s. The objective of this program is to carry out extensive tests on the video circuits of this machine. These video circuits are the GATE ARRAY and the CRTC 6845. AMSTRAD produced several series of GATE ARRAY and used CRTC models produced by different manufacturers (HITACHI, MOTOROLA, UMC, AMSTRAD). This has been causing compatibility problems on operations that exceed the functional specifications of these circuits. The identified CRTCs are numbered from 0 to 4.
So AMSpiriT is better especially if you like to see Amstrad CPC demos, and can't be bad either for games. I don't have the time to test extensively all Amstrad CPC games, but for sure I will take time during the Benediction Coding Party #2 to use it.
Roudoudou has updated his Amstrad CPC+ demo CRTC 3, you can download CRTC 3 v2 : several bugfixes in order to keep a proper 50Hz at transitions, fix some visual glitches, a new screen conversion for the Serval, more colors, better palette choice, better dithering, and the final Wasp is now truly interactive.
Released in August 2022, Space Rescue and Baseball are two new games by Antero Martinez for Amstrad CPC.
PunyInform v4.0 by Fredrik Ramsberg and Johan Berntsson is a library written in Inform 6 to create adventure game (pure text, no graphic support contrary to DAAD) using the Z-machine virtual machine which will run on 8bit computers (or more recent computers too). PunyInform has a parser, knowing of common verbs and a framework to write adventure games.
PunyInform is based on the Inform 6 library written by Graham Nelson. Its goal is to make easily adventure games in Inform 6, with a manual describing the differences between the official library and PunyInform..
Games using PunyInform can be compiled in z3, z5 and z8 format (z3 being the best format for 8bit computers, other formats have more features). Compared to the Inform 6 library, it means that there is no support for the Glulx virtual machine but z3 format is important as Inform 6 doesnt support it.
To compile games written with PunyInform, you should use the Inform 6 compiler maintained by David Kinder. Binaries are available on if-archive. PunyInform needs Inform v6.35 (or more).
They are tutorials to write adventure game with PunyInform (end of the page) and all the documentation including a 8 page cheat sheet (quick reference)..
To try your game after compilation, you can use WinFrotz by David Kinder, to create map easily you can use Trizbort.
And finally, to create an Amstrad CPC and PCW disk image, you will have to use the Puddle BuildTools.
VEZZA by Shawn Sijnstra (and Stefan Vogt) is a new Infocom/Inform/Z-machine interpreter for Amstrad CPC and PCW (and other computers) to play adventure games without needing a memory expansion (Inform format v1 to v8), under CP/M and not Amsdos.
The program you need to dowload is different if you are using an Amstrad CPC (vezza-nb.com) or a PCW (vezza-90.com).
Due to compatibility problems between the Amstrad Plus ASIC memory mapping and existing memory expansions, PulkoMandy has designed its own : Gemini.
This is a 1 Mb expansion with a switch to force it to 512K (in case you hit compatibility problems with something). Unlike other RAM expansions, it tracks the status of the ASIC to avoid conflicts if software attempts to map both the ASIC and expanded memory to the same address. At the moment the only software known to hit this situation is the Soundtracker DMA. But let us know if you find (or make) more :)
More info on Gemini's PulkoMandy web page.
Compatibility chart :
Availability : for now PulkoMandy has built a very small batch of 3 cards, and all 3 are already sold (someone really wanted to own the one with serial number 0). But he will build more (parts are on the way) and he will take preorder to know how much I need to build.
The price is 35 € including worldwide shipping. Reduced price if you come to my home to get it, or if you buy it from me during a meeting or demoparty (but tell him beforehand, so he knows how many he should bring).
Grumpy Wave is working on their Amstrad CPC racing game : Color Jetz for the CPCRetroDev 2022 contest.
Heaven Studio is working on their Amstrad CPC game The Angel's Choice for the CPCRetroDev 2022 contest.
Check also the Twitter account before its release.
Panetonent is a group of 3 students who are working on their Amstrad CPC game for the CPCRetroDev 2022 contest. I like their first look of the game. For the moment the page of the game on Itch.io doesn't exist, but it should soon. And their tweets are in spanish and english, that's nice.
Druid & Droid by Leosoft is an arcade game, with all the informations about the history and play mode. The concept is simple, two characters, one must take some items which the other must NOT take, and vice-versa.
Check also the Twitter account before its release.
Farming Spirits by Truncado Studios is an arcade game, more informations on their Twitter account before its release.
It's officiel, AmstradGGP has announced the availability of Toki for Amstrad CPC. Have fun.
On the download page, you can send by email a screenshot of your score for the hall of fame, can you beat MaitreJoe ?
Well it's one of the first Amstrad CPC game which will be released for the CPCRetroDev 2022 contest.
The first one is Bubble Duck by MT Studios, a platform game for which a demo is already available.
Ping Pong by Konami is a great classic which I discovered first on the MSX of a friend. Like a lot of people, I did play a lot of this game which had sometimes a graphic bug : a part of the ping pong racket and/or the ball stay on screen.
The problem seems to have its origin in an overflow in add a,b instruction at $4fad when calculating the difference in height to be added to the ball and its shadow later at $5003 and $5016. There is a modified disk image by MaV with the correction by 40Crisis. Thanks to them.
El Gerente is an enterprise simulation game in spanish released in 1984, written by DIMensionNEW and edited by Idealogic.
Enrique Buzon and Targhan has released a rameke of this game this time in spanish and in english.
They both have released a remake of the physical game Simon for the CPCRetroDev contest in 2020 : Memtrainer.
Fitosoft has released no less than three Amstrad CPC games in 2022 :
Impact has released a new Amstrad CPC+ demo : Veteran Megademo during the Benediction Coding Party #2, for the CPM's anniversary. The code was written by AST, Sid, Demoniak and Kris, graphics by Demoniak and Kris, music by Madmax.
Resistance has released a new Amstrad CPC demo : Sphere during the Benediction Coding Party #2. The code was written by Roudoudou, graphics by Beb and Hwikaa, and music by Tom et Jerry.
Pulpo Corrosivo has released a new Amstrad CPC demo : Foursome during the Benediction Coding Party #2. The code was written by Toms and graphics by Beb.
Here is a video by Old Style Gaming in coopération with Xyphoe on the 20 best Amstrad CPC games released after the CPC demise.
You can download the second issue of the Amstrad CPC ùCPM fanzine.
It was created with an Amstrad CPC 6128 with colour screen and gotek drive, with the Micro Design+ software. Illustrations were done with the VIDI digitalizer.
You certainly know Eric Cubizolle (Titan) for his marvelous Amstrad CPC loading screens remakes.
But did you know that he is as good with 3D printing models ? I let you see his 3D models including the one for the Octopus game in video.
Seen on AUA, Future Knight DX by John32B is of course a remake of Future Knight, a platform game released in 1986 by Gremlin Graphics Software.
This version is an adaptation from the Amstrad CPC game, and is different than his first remake which design level was done from scratch.
CPCEC GTK by NoRecess is an Amstrad CPC(+) emulator under linux, a fork of CPCEC by CNGSoft. Its features are turned especially for people who develop Amstrad CPC software under linux.
There is already an ISA interface for Amstrad PPC done by Retro Theory. Retro Erik let us discover in a video another ISA interface for Amstrad PPC by Enide. You can buy this card in his Tindie shop (assembled or not), the stock is 0 at the moment so join the waitlist to let Enide you want one. More informations on Enide's web site.
As explained in the video, Enide's interface doesn't have a power input like the one by Retro Theory, but the PPC has enough power for a possible hard disk (on a few PPC sold only) and two 3,5 disks drives, so it should be able to provide power to up to 3 ISA boards without a problem. Retro Erik recommends to check the video by Gouldfish on Games where the card has been installed inside the Amstrad PPC. But if one day you replace the internal screen by a new LCD screen, you should check if there is enough power with the ISA interface used.
I was lucky to be able to buy the card by Retro Theory on System.CFG's forum.
Ramiro el Vampiro was at the start a platform game for ZX Spectrum par The Mojon Twins, released in 2013, with an upgraded version in 2016.
The Mojon Twins were working since 2021 on Ramiro el Vampiro 3 for Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum, it's now done for your gaming pleasure.
You can download a tape image or a snapshot, in spanish or in english.
Loopz was released in 1991 by Audiogenic. It's a clone of Pipe Mania. Thyphoon has released this year Loopz Remix (windows) if you like reflexion games, which needs also good some reflex.
I just discovered on MO5 that Arkanoid Eternal Battle was just released. Sadly the test period on Steam is finished (27th to 29th october). Final price will be 29,99 euros, at the moment a promotion for 26,99 till the 3th November. I let you discover the video to see the new features (including retro and versus mode).
SMFX is an Atari ST demo group, they have released their first Amstrad CPC demo : FMR CPC during the Benediction Coding Party #2. The code was written by spkr, graphics by Exocet and music by Crazy Q.
Zilog Games is working on their Amstrad CPC game The Wormhole for the CPCRetroDev 2022 contest.
It's a platform game. Don't hesitate to go check their Twitter account or their blog on Itch.IO, notably for their nice introduction of the game.
The STNICCC2000 demo by Oxygene is a classic on Atari ST, which was ported on many other machines. In 2022 it now works on any PC with msdos, even on a 8088/8086, but a 80286 is preferred for a reasonable speed.
You can see the demo running on an Amstrad PC 3086 (video by FreddyV, see below) or the official video of the Revision 2022.
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