Archives for the month December 2021 of Genesis8 Amstrad Page





Compilation of 3D isometric Amstrad CPC games by Amstrad CPC World

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A few days ago Amstrad CPC World did post a video about an Amstrad CPC game in 3D isometric : Sepulcri, which I didnt know. Then I found on his channel a compilation of many 3D isometric games for Amstrad CPC (January 2019), a lot of them that I never knew !

P.S. : graphics in Sepulcri are done by Jill Lawson, use the link to the what she did, it's beautiful.



Kilobyte Magazine issue 1 of 2021 is available

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The first issue of 2021 of the Kilobyte Magazine is available for download. This newspaper is about consoles and computers from another time.



Black Sea a WIP Amstrad CPC game by Mananuk

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Black Sea Treasure Hunters by Mananuk is an Amstrad CPC which beta version is available if you order the physical version. The game is already available on ZX Spectrum. You can see a video of the game Black Sea by Xenomorph.

The story of the game is the following : submarine Captain Robinson goes deep into the Black Sea to search for treasures and discover all the secrets that those waters hold. The small bathyscaphe has a very limited oxygen deposit, so you will have to go to the nearby ports to recharge the cylinders. You must be careful not to disturb the inhabitants of the sea if you do not want to end up in the depths of the Black Sea.



A french tutorial to write adventure games with DAAD in french

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Uto has written a tutorial to write adventure games with DAAD. This tutorial has been translated in french by Hugo Labrande who is the author of the game l'Ile de Tristam actually in english but soon with a french version.



Remake of the game Head over Heels on Nintendo Switch

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Head over Heels is a classic game released in 1987 by Ocean Software and written by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond. A remake was written in 2003 by Tomaz Kac (without IP rights) and freely available on Retrospec.

This remake is also on Steam by Piko Interactive which bought the IP rights. There is a longplay of this remake on Youtube.

And now there is another remake available on Nintendo Switch (eShop), which you can discover in a video.



WIP remake of Las Tres Luces de Glaurung by CheapeeSoft (and a 2006 remake)

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Reading three recent tweets by CheapeeSoft :

they are working on a WIP windows and android version of the spanish game Las Tres Luces de Glaurung. You can see a video of the original Amstrad CPC game par Jgonza.

Il est à noter qu'il y a déjà un remake de Las Tres Luces de Glaurung par M.A. Software (Miguel Ángel Jiménez Santana). Dont hesitate to see all the games he wrote as there are other remakes.




Xmas2021, an Amstrad CPC demo by the group Impact

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Seen on CPCWiki, Xmas2021 by Impact is their latest production, an Amstrad CPC demo.

The demo has been written by :

  • Demoniak (code)
  • Kris (graphics)


Just Get 9, a reflexion game for Amstrad CPC by cpcitor and the other days

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Just Get 9 is atile-based puzzle game for the Amstrad CPC. If you like 2048, tetris, coloris, color flood, you’ll like it. You can visit the Itch.IO page of Just get 9 which includes a trailer video, and :

  • one-click play in-browser
  • download zip, play on your favorite emulator
  • zip contains disc image, tape images and even audio files for easy transfer to a real CPC

The beta version was awarded in CPC GAMEDEV CONTEST 2020 in Facebook group "Amstrad CPC pour toujours and beyond !". The final version is enhanced in many aspects for your gaming pleasure :

  • a gameplay based on alignment of tiles, which changes when tiles disappear, letting new ones fall and fill the gaps
  • rich dynamics making gameplay entertaining as you progress in skills
  • play with joystick or keyboard (arrows, qaop)
  • a big colorful playfield (vertical overscan 256x256 instead of the normal 320x200)
  • animation at solid 50Hz
  • music
  • digitized speech!
  • a few bells and whistles to be discovered…

Direct credits (see more credits in the zip and the game) :

  • project, coding, text, video, by cpcitor
  • music by The Other Days


It's Behind you : the making of a computer game by Bob Pape about the R-Type game

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You can download the book by Bob Pape : It's behind you : the making of a computer game which is about the game R-Type that he wrote at the time on ZX Spectrum. The game was released in 1987 on Amstrad CPC with a remake by Easter Egg in 2012 (which you can see a video on Youtube).



Upgrading an Amstrad MegaPC with the MegaCard by Keropi

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You are the happy owner of an Amstrad MegaPC Amstrad and you wish to offer it to me for Christmas ? So don't hesitate to buy first the MegaCard to upgrade your computer and offer it the following features :

  • ALS100 sound controller chip providing SB/SBPRO/SB16 compatibility
  • real Yamaha OPL3 FM chip
  • Realtek 8019AS network controller providing a 10mbps ethernet connection and boot rom support for XT-IDE BIOS
  • scandoubler that makes possible for the onboard MegaDrive to output a standard VGA signal
  • an optional exclusive Serdaco MIDI daughterboard - the X3GS with a 16MB Roland-licensed GS soundbank (same core features as X2GS)
  • ISA header and MIDI I/O + routing configuration for an upcoming PCMIDI MPU upgrade db

For more informations on this card and photos, go read the thread on Vogons.

You can see a video of RMC - The Cave which shows the MegaCard on Youtube.

You can also check the Amstrad PC group on Facebook where it has been showed several times already.



PunyInform v3.3 by Fredrik Ramsberg and Johan Berntsson to write text adventure games

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PunyInform v3.3 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.



Amstrad noob, an interesting Amstrad CPC blog

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On CPCWiki some time ago I discovered the Amstrad Noob blog with a Youtube channel, but I didnt take time to write about it. It's now done, I recommend to read this blog. The last article is about the RGB2HDMI (youtube video) that I saw already being used by Retro Theory.



Version 3 of the adventure game Tristam Island by Hugo Labrande (and incoming french version)

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The version 3 of the english adventure game Tristam Island by Hugo Labrande is available for 3,99 dollars (25% cheaper starting 20th december). The demo version is limited to the first chapter of the game for a game time estimated to 1 to 1h30 hour which will let you discover the game before buying it if you are interested at this low price.

This adventure game is using the framework used by Infocom's games, the Z-Machine, which was reversed-engineered and documented in the 90s and implemented on dozens of platforms. This is how "Tristam Island" is able to be released on 36 computers (8, 16, 32 and 64 bits), including the Amstrad CPC and PCW. The game uses a library optimized for speed and size, PunyInform by Fredrik Rasmberg and Johan Berntsson.

A french version will be available this coming monday 20th december 2021 with as usual a french demo version.

If you buy either the english of french version, Itch.IO cannot permit to get the other version freely. But with the low price you can buy both : a traduction needs a lot of work and all work merits some payment. But Hugo Labrande will give you a key of the version you didnt buy if you ask him.





Roland Goes Rescue 2 by Zoe Robinson, save Santa Claus and Christmas on your Amstrad CPC

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Roland Goes Rescue 2 is the latest game by Zoe Robinson. It's of course an Amstrad CPC platform game in the spirit of Roland in Time. You can see a video of Roland Goes Rescue 2 gameplay by Amstrad Maniaque on Youtube.

You play as Roland, a hapless assistant to Father Christmas, who is tasked with rescuing all the gifts Santa had planned to deliver to the good little girls and boys of the world. Why does Roland have to do this? Because the naughty goblins have stolen all the presents!

Guide Roland around all the weird and wonderful locations in the game to collect the gifts so Santa can deliver them. If you fail, Christmas is ruined – but don’t worry, you’ll be able to try again because it’s only a game… isn’t it ?



The Errand Boy, a graphical adventure game by Dwalin

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After Las Aventuras de Rudolphine Rur released in April 2020 by Dwalin, he just has released a new graphical adventure game : The Errand Boy which you can play online if you have no read Amstrad CPC computer or emulator.

The Errand Boy» is a short conversational adventure, originally written for MSDOS by Dwalin in 2021, using JSJ’s SINTAC G3 parser. Later it has been ported to DAAD, and also published for Spectrum, Spectrum Next, Amstrad CPC and MSX2. It is the first adventure that I translate into English (with the help of Jade, @lecambre and @buleste), so I hope you can forgive any mistakes I may have made. The history is the following : your boss reintroduced you as «the errand boy» … and you’re done! A thousand years of service does not deserve this, and someone will pay for it.



An unofficial Amstrad CPC mini by Retronano

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Retronano is making miniatures computers in 3D with a Raspberry PI inside, for example an Amiga 3000, Macintosh 2, etc...

This time the target is a miniature (20% of the real size) Amstrad CPC 6128 with a Raspberry PI zero (knowing that the zero 2 is out since not very long and much more powerful). The SD card goes into the not for real disk drive of this miniature 6128, it's a nice idea.

Click on the link above for more informations including price :

  • 40€ for the model alone without electronics
  • 99€ for the model with Pi zero, sdcard with cpc emu, hdmi adapter and micro usb hub (only 4 in strock)

He takes orders by message, payement by paypal, delivery 6€ for France and 12€ for europe.

It's very nice but I have already 3 raspberry PI at home with installed Amstrad CPC emulator and in fact I am using my good old Amstrad CPC 6128+ instead or plain 6128. So I dont feel the urge to buy oe for myself.




Merry Christmas 2021

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Merry Christmas 2021, happiness and health for all people you are caring for.

And a lot of new Amstrad CPC software, with also new hardware expansions, I am thinking about the incoming Play2CPC for example.




Amstrad CPC CRTC Compendium v1.1 by Longhsot, and a new version of Amazing Demo

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Longshot has released a new version of Amazing Demo and the Amstrad CPC CRTC Compendium 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.

He made this demo compatible with all CRTC. The choice of Amazing Demo isnt harmless. A benchmark program : SHAKER (V1.8) comes with the compendium and shows several things stated in the document. Dont hesitate if you have a idea to add something in this document. A english version is being translated at the moment.

NoRecess wrote about this (in english)



A serial port for 15 euros for your Amstrad CPC by Kiragregis

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After sending a SMS on his Amstrad CPC (with a lot of humor), Kiragregis is back for something else.

This time it's a fois-ci c'est un RS-232 project (using 12 volts whereas a TTL is using 5 volts, like the Usifac) for only 15 euros of electronic components. You can see his RS232 project being showed in video (french inside).

Electronic plans are available in the next message following the video on CPCWiki.

Beware, with this RS232 expansion, dont forget to connect the serial cable with the Amstrad CPC switched OFF !



CPCemu v2.4, an Amstrad CPC emulator by Rainer Loritz is available

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Rainer has released CPCemu v2.4. It's available for MacOS, Android, iOS, Linux (x86_64 and ARM, in particular on Raspberry Pi) and Windows.

New version features :

  • Original (virtual) CPC keyboard in 4 different languages. Click/touch near the bottom border to get it
  • Loading firmware ROMs (0 and 255) from the running emulator (setup menu)
  • Upgrade to the latest SDL version (2.0.18). If you don't get the virtual keyboard, the on-screen joystick and the graphical main menu on Linux (Intel and ARM/Raspberry) I recommend upgrading your installed SDL version
  • Correction of many errors (M4 file names, M4 sockets, sound output, restart of emulation, error tolerance, screen layout, Z80 R register)


WIP Tetris DotBAS by Francesc ALCAUCER for Amstrad CPC

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Tetris DotBAS is the latest WIP project by Francesc ALCAUCER after these two programs also written in Locomotive Basic :



SymbOS v3.1 by Prodatron is available for Amstrad CPC, PCW, MSX and EP

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SymbOS v3.1 by Prodatron, the multitasking operating system for Amstrad CPC and PCW, MSX and Elan Enterprise can be downloaded now.

There is an updated documentation in english of Symbos 3.1.

boot image of SymbOS v3 by Prodatron for Amstrad CPC

Release notes for 3.1 [30.12.2021]

Extensive hardware support

- Graphics9000 for CPC and EP: The V9990 based graphic card with its MSX origin, probably the most powerful one for 8bit systems, can be used on both the Amstrad CPC and the Enterprise 64/128 now, too. Resolutions of up to 1024x212 with 16 colours and fast graphic output is possible now on nearly all supported SymbOS platforms. This makes it possible to run about 50 different applications on three different platforms with this graphic card.
- SYMBiFACE 3 for CPC and EP: USB-mouse, realtime clock and USB memory stick with up to 2TB is supported directly in the operating system on both the Amstrad CPC and the Enterprise 64/128. Additional features of this extensive all-in-one hardware by TMT Logic can be used in specialized applications.
- PCW with uIDE and HxC direct access support: The Amstrad PCW is now able to access huge mass storage devices as well with sizes of up to 2TB. The uIDE8 interface by Jon B is supported for fast CF card access, which makes even video playback possible on the PCW. HxC direct SD card access is available as well.
- Graphics9000 with hardware mouse pointer: All G9K versions of SymbOS do now use the hardware cursor in bitmap mode, which makes a fast and flicker free mouse pointer possible.
- M4Board network RTC support: The NTP based Realtime clock of the M4Board is supported in SymbOS CPC.

Dynamic driver system for CPC and EP

- Hardware autodetection: During the booting process SymbOS CPC and EP is autodetecting all available and supported HID, RTC and mass storage hardware.
- Hardware autoselection: Available hardware will be autoselected with prioritisation of newer devices.
- CPC 1MB support: Memory expansions with 1MB or more are supported again. SymbOS will automatically switch to 1MB support during booting, if more than 576KB Ram are detected, so there is no need for a seperate version anymore.
- Minimal config for 128K systems: If SymbOS detects a system with only 128K, all additional features (extended desktop, screen saver, desktop background picture) will be deactivated automatically during booting. You will always have 31K or more free on your system.

SymAmp with advanced audio hardware support

- New driver system: A new driver-like system for including and managing hardware and sound module support has been added to SymAmp. All detected hardware is listed in a new dialogue window where you can select your prefered sound device.
- Enterprise 64/128 Dave AY emulation: The AY emulation by IstvanV and Geco is now official part of SymAmp and can play Soundtrakker 128, Starkos and PT3 modules with the Dave soundchip of the Enterprise 64/128.
- MP3 for nearly all platforms: MP3MSX and compatible sound cards (SE-ONE, SYMBiFACE 3) are now supported on the Amstrad CPC and Enterprise 64/128 as well.
- CPC PlayCity 6 channel Dual PSG: Finally we have PlayCity support integrated in the official release version of SymAmp.
- MSX Darky 6 channel Dual PSG: 6channel PT3s can be played on the MSX with the Darky catridge.
- PCW Dk'tronics AY board: SymAmp is now able to play Soundtrakker 128, Starkos and PT3 modules on the Amstrad PCW as well, if a Dk'tronics AY hardware expansion is connected.

Kernel improvements


- Memory management: The memory management has been optimized again. The system now searches for free transfer area space starting at the very end of the memory, when loading an application. This reduces memory fragmentation again.
- Relocation table handling: During loading an application the temporary relocation table is loaded to any free memory location, which can be in any 64K ram bank. This makes it possible to load applications which are using the full available 63K of one bank.

Graphics9000 fullscreen game mode


- P1 patternmode support: The Quigs IDE is now supporting screen mode P1, which provides two pattern layers, 127 sprites and up to 61 colours with a resolution of 256x212. Flappy Bird is the first game, which is using this and running on all supported platforms (Amstrad CPC, MSX, Enterprise 64/128)
- Graphics9000 interrupt handling: The kernel supports the handling of V9990 line interrupts. This can be used for enabling splitscreens in fullscreen games and will be supported by the Quigs IDE soon.

Desktop Manager

- Context menus: This new features allows an application to open a context menu at any place on the screen.
- Frame resizing and movement: The user can resize and move a dotted frame on the screen. This makes screen area selections possible.
- Modal window unclick events: The GUI sends an event, if the user is clicking outside of a modal window. This can be used for creating own complex dropdown menus.
- Transparent bitmaps: a new graphic control allows bitmaps with a transparent colour (0).
- CPC mode 1 textoutput speed: The speed of the textoutput routines has been increased on the Amstrad CPC in mode 1.

New applications since 3.0


- SymbOS E-Mail: The full functional E-Mail client is now available for SymbOS 3.1 (by EdoZ, using Quigs).
- Flappy Bird: This is the first game which is using the new Quigs IDE feature for creating fullscreen games on the Graphics9000 graphic card (by EdoZ & Trebmint, using Quigs).
- Sokoban: A very advanced implementation of the classic Sokoban game.
- ChessSym: The first chess application with a strong AI for SymbOS (by Trebmint, using Quigs).
- Doom: Play Doom in SymbOS - even multiple times! This 3D egoshooter has been ported from a TI-calculator to SymbOS (by zDoom team, NYYRIKKI, Prodatron)
- 2048: Another well-known game is now available for SymbOS as well (by Trebmint, using Quigs)
- DiskDumper: This dumps a complete floppy disc to a DSK file, used by Amstrad CPC emulators.
- VDP screen adjustment tool: Adjust the screen position and screen frequency of your MSX VDP or Graphics9000.
- Hexe: Simple Hex monitor and editor.

Miscellaneous

- Bug fixing: Bugs have been removed as usual, including the boot logo on the Amstrad CPC and PCW and the joystick handling on the Enterprise 64/128.



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