Archives for the month April 2024 of Genesis8 Amstrad Page





Echoes of the future, a text adventure game WIP by DaReInt (and three other games)

-

DaReInt is working on a text adventure game : Echoes of the Future (WIP) in english which will be available on Amstrad CPC and already downloadable in .Z3 format to be used with WinFrotz for windows so you can give feedback to his author.

He has written other adventure games for ZX Spectrum in spanish, three of them are available on Amstrad CPC thanks to DAAD :



Redux, a text adventure game by Shawn Sijnstra for Amstrad CPC et PCW (and more)

-

Shawn Sijnstra (and Stefan Vogt) are working on VEZZA his 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).

For the 4th PunyJam contest PunyJam he wrote with the PunyInform library a text adventure game : Redux (December 2023). The game is an exploration into the mind of the protagonist, and has a highly unusual gameplay.



J'AI PÉ-TÉLÉCRAN, an Amstrad CPC demo able to show 4k on original Amstrad CPC monitor !

-

Benediction, Dentifrice and Arkos have released a new Amstrad CPC demo : J'AI PÉ-TÉLÉCRAN (local download) during the Revision 2024 demo party. The code is written by Krusty, graphics by Exocet, music by Targhan.

But the most astonishing fact of this demo is that it is capable to use a 4k definition on an original Amstrad CPC mionitor due to an unknown use of the Gate Array and CRTC. As you can expect, everybody at the Revision 2024 had their eyes who were popping out of their orbits. Sadly no actual Amstrad CPC emulator is able to show such a new feature, you will have to wait a bit for that and must at the moment see this demo on an real Amstrad CPC to enjoy it at fullest. It's no surprise that the name of the ZIP is GPTLECRAN (translated it means I broke the screen) as before discovering this ground breaking feature, no less than three Amstrad CPC monitors were definitively broken. But the result is worth this loss.



Fujinet on Amstrad CPC is a possibility

-

P.S. : short and quick article, I didn't have time to read Fujinet web site extensively, but I will.

An interesting thead of February 2024 is on CPCWiki about the Fujinet card which may arrive on Amstrad CPC.

I invite you to discover this Fujinet card on their web site and in a Youtube video. This card was made first for Atari 8bit then for Coleco Adam (this computer made me dream after seing it mentionned in a french newspaper, Tilt or Jeux and Stratégie) then on Apple 2. Development is work in progress for the C64 and the Spectrum.

For short (taken from the web site), this card is a multi-peripheral emulator and WiFi network device for vintage computers. What sets FujiNet apart from other WiFi devices is the new Network Device (the N device, or NDEV). The N device allows vintage computers that do not have enough processing power to handle TCP/IP connections talk to the modern internet over WiFi. Virtual adapters have been created for many protocols including: TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, TNFS, HTTPS (SSL/TLS), SSH, TELNET, WebDAV and JSON parser. It also features mass storage emulation, printer emulation with PDF export, vocal synthesis (from what I read on CPCWiki).

My personal opinion is that another hardware expansion for the Amstrad CPC is a good thing, especially as it is already used on several other 8bit computer : one for all and all for one (the four musketeers) ! If you want to participate to this adventure, then go to the Fujinet's discord.




New version of the ACE-DL emulator by Roudoudou today

-

New version today by Roudoudou of his ACE-DL Amstrad CPC emulator.

After downloading the emulator, you can also get a SymbOS disk image or OPL3 music to be used with the Willy OPL3 plugin.

This new version features mostly joystick and FDC ameliorations.



A new version of Martine by Impact is available (v0.40) today

-

Martine v0.40 is an utility written by the Impact group :

  • converting JPG and PNG images to Overscan screen or window for Amstrad CPC (and Plus series)
  • new tile map mode, which allow to analyze an image of a level game, and produce .imp and .til readable by tile tool from Impact

This version is available as today. It is available for Windows, MacOS, ARM64 and linux.



Nibbler DX v0.9 by David Moore, an action Amstrad CPC game

-

Nibbler DX v0.9 is an action Amstrad CPC game by Dave Moore, a remake of the Nibbler game, that you can see in the video by Saberman. It uses the CPCTelera library and Arkos Tracker 2. The v0.9 is bringing music by Roald Strauss.

He is also writing a remake of the great classic Wizardry 1 (originally on Apple 2).



Présentation of the M4 wifi board (Duke) in video by Stephbb75

-

Stephbb75 is presenting in video (in french, you can use automatic subtitles) the Amstrad CPC expansion card : the M4 wifi board made by Duke on Youtube.

One month ago, he made a first video where he is presenting his Amstrad CPC 6128.



Le Dernier Serment by Narkhos, a graphical adventure game for Amstrad CPC in french

-

Le Dernier Serment par Narkhos is a new french graphical adventure game for Amstrad CPC.

Seing the posts on CPCWiki, it is appreciated. But if you are loading too many ROMs, it can be a problem as the program is using a lot of RAM.

The video of Le Dernier Serment is made by Xenomorph.



Auto Amy by EgoTrip, a puzzle game for Amstrad CPC

-

Auto Amy by EgoTrip is a new puzzle game for Amstrad CPC.

It may be possible that the user &E5 may lead to a door for better understanding of our universe and the meaning of life. But shhhhh, its 's a secret.

The video of Auto Amy is made by Saberman.




Babaliba WIP, an Amstrad CPC game by ESP Soft

-

Babaliba by ESP Soft is a work in progress remake(advanced beta) of the original game Babaliba by Dinamic Software on ZX Spectrum in 1984.

The history of the game it the following, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Babalas wars, the self-proclaimed new sultan of Turkey, Hosmimumarack, has begun to hoard all the treasures of the Middle East in his palace. Among them is a pendant found in a den of thieves in Arabia that grants the sultan almost unlimited supernatural power. With each passing day its power increases, threatening Western countries. The sultan's daughter, the result of a relationship with a queen from northern Europe, is in charge of guarding her father's pendant. For Hosmimumarack both are his most precious jewels. The British government, aware of the sultan's power, has sent several agents to the site with the aim of recovering the mysterious pendant. None have managed to return alive. Hosmimumarack Palace is an almost impregnable bastion. No one can enter or leave as an invisible force acts around the premises. But an agent has discovered a way to get in, notifying his superiors by radio and being taken prisoner shortly after. His last transmission turns out to be a mystery for the British secret service: "Johny, friend... I found it... spell... BABALIBA...".

So now Johny Jones, Saimazoom's explorer hero, returns in a new adventure full of challenges. This time the United States government, collaborating with the British government, entrusts him with a suicide mission : travel to the Hosmimumarack palace, rescue his companion who is imprisoned in the dungeons of the palace, kidnap the princess, daughter of the sultan. and bearer of the pendant, and recover the treasures looted during the Babalas wars. The palace consists of several rooms and several floors connected by stairs. In order to advance it is necessary to find a green key and a red key, located somewhere in the gardens, which open the access doors to other rooms of the palace, full of dangerous enemies and guards armed with scimitars. Be very careful with the wells or Johny will suffer an agonizing death in the jaws of the sultan's ferocious crocodiles. To succeed in his mission, Johny has 20 bombs and a limited time. Once you have achieved your goal, you must return to the gardens and orderly gather the letters that form the BABALIBA spell, with which you will be able to leave the palace. If you do not collect the letters in the correct order your mission will fail.





Hypernoid Zero, an Amstrad CPC game by Bitplane Technomantes (Revision 2024)

-

At the Revision 2024, Bitplane Technomantes has released a shoot them up Amstrad CPC game : Hypernoid Zero (local download). If you did like Cybernoid 1 and 2 that you found too easy, then Hypernoid Zero is made for you ! But beware, it's more than a simple shoot them up, when you enter a new room, take some time to analyze it as there may be some surprises, puzzles. Don't take the low bounty option if you plan to upgrade your armament, and be aware of possibles secret rooms where some new armament could be found, but shhhh it's a secret !

The design is by Axelay and Rexbeng, programming is by Toms (intro) and Axelay, graphics are by Rexbeng, music is by Tom et Jerry.

They won the third place at the game development compo.

The video below is from Amstrad Maniaque (map not totally discovered), but there is also the video of Hypernoid Zero by Metr81 (only half of the map discovered though).



Submarine Sabotage, a text adventure game by Garry Francis for Amstrad CPC et PCW

-

For the 3th PunyJam contest PunyJam Garry Francis wrote with the PunyInform library a text adventure game : Submarine Sabotage (February 2023).

You are currently serving aboard the USS Ibis, the first of the US Navy's top-secret Puny class submarines. The Puny class is an attack submarine that packs maximum firepower into a minimum-sized hull. It relies on speed and stealth to surprise the enemy.

The USS Ibis is currently on a training exercise in the North Atlantic, just off the coast of Newfoundland. You were doing some routine maintenance at the aft end of the submarine when the sirens sounded. You thought this might have been a training exercise until you noticed a whitish-coloured gas approaching you from the aft bulkhead. Training and instinct took over. You couldn't get to a gas mask in time, so you dived into the nearby airlock and closed the air-tight hatch behind you.

You are now alone and have no idea what is happening throughout the rest of the sub. You can't leave the airlock through the inner hatch (the one you entered by), or you'll get gassed, and you can't leave through the outer hatch, or you'll drown. What can you do ?

You better have to download the Airlock Collection pack v5 for its Amstrad CPC/PCW disk image, the Itch page has only a Z3 and Z5 infocom file.



Lucid Night, a text adventure game by Dee Cooke for Amstrad CPC et PCW

-

For the 3th PunyJam contest PunyJam Dee Cooke wrote with the PunyInform library a text adventure game : Lucid Night (February 2023). You've always been a lucid dreamer, but these days your dreams never last very long. If only you could get some rest... You better have to download the Airlock Collection pack v5 for its Amstrad CPC/PCW disk image, the Itch page has only a Z3 and Z5 infocom file.



The Fantasy Dimension, a text adventure game by Johan Berntsson for Amstrad CPC et PCW

-

For the 3th PunyJam contest PunyJam Johan Berntsson wrote with the PunyInform library a text adventure game : The Fantasy Dimension (February 2023). Embark on a thrilling adventure through a fantasy world, starting at an enigmatic airlock. You better have to download the Airlock Collection pack v5 for its Amstrad CPC/PCW disk image, the Itch page has only a Z3 and Z5 infocom file.



Falling to Pieces, a text adventure game by Gianluca Girelli for Amstrad CPC et PCW (and more)

-

For the 3th PunyJam contest PunyJam Gianluca Girelli wrote with the PunyInform library a text adventure game : Falling to Pieces (February 2023). It's a short and dark text adventure, you wake up in a decompression chamber with an alarm ringing in your ears, you are feeling that something is really wrong... You better have to download the Airlock Collection pack v5 for its Amstrad CPC/PCW disk image, the Itch page has only a Z3 and Z5 infocom file.



A Clean Gateway, a text adventure game by Michael Bub for Amstrad CPC et PCW (and more)

-

For the 3th PunyJam contest PunyJam Michael Bub wrote with the PunyInform library a text adventure game : a Clean Gateway (February 2023). You better have to download the Airlock Collection pack for its Amstrad CPC/PCW disk image, the Itch page has only a Z3 and Z5 infocom file.



Blorp!, a text adventure game by Shawn Sijnstra for Amstrad CPC et PCW (and more)

-

Shawn Sijnstra (and Stefan Vogt) are working on VEZZA his 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).

For the 3th PunyJam contest PunyJam he wrote with the PunyInform library a text adventure game : Blorp! (February 2023). This is a short adventure set in an underwater brewery. You left your rather expensive experiments in the hands of your friend Dave, but you know something isn't right. You better have to download the Airlock Collection pack for its Amstrad CPC/PCW disk image, the Itch page has only a Z3 and Z5 infocom file.



EndBASIC by Jmmv, Locomotive basic inspired on windows, mac, linux, RPI

-

Julio Merino is the author of EndBASIC (available on github, the 2022 release isn't up to date, pull the code instead). You can test EndBASIC online at this address.

Why am I writing about EndBASIC ? Well it is an interpreter for a BASIC-like language and is inspired by Amstrad's Locomotive BASIC 1.1 and Microsoft's QuickBASIC 4.5. Like the former, EndBASIC intends to provide an interactive environment that seamlessly merges coding with immediate visual feedback. Like the latter, EndBASIC offers higher-level programming constructs and strong typing.

EndBASIC offers a simplified and restricted environment to learn the foundations of programming and focuses on features that can quickly reward the programmer. These features include things like a built-in text editor, commands to render graphics, and commands to interact with the hardware of a Raspberry Pi. Implementing this kind of features has priority over others such as performance or a much richer language.

EndBASIC is written in Rust and runs both on the web and locally on a variety of operating systems and platforms, including macOS, Windows, and Linux.



First WEC le Mans then Burning Rubber, what next ?

-

WEC le Mans is first an arcade game by Konami, adapted on sur Amstrad CPC old by Ocean Software under the label Imagine Software, theprogrammation is by Jon O'BRIEN, Robert HEMPHILL, Mike LAMB and the music by Jonathan DUNN. Then here comes the l'Amstrad CPC+ with its cartridge including the basic and also Burnin' Rubber still by Ocean Software, the programmation by Jon O'BRIEN, graphics by Robert HEMPHILL and mmusic by Jonathan DUNN and Matthew CANNON. So it's not astonishing that the two games looks alike a lot.

I saw this tweet by Jonathan Thomas who is working on the spiritual son of WEC le Mans and Burnin' Rubber on ... Atari STE (50 Mhz). Since this tweet, the game zone went from 3 sections of road to 4. So if you are interested in the future release it's here.



Microweb, a web navigator in 16 colours on Amstrad PC 1512 by James Howard

-

James has modified Wolfenstein 3D to work on a PC XT in CGA and also wrote a web navigator : MicroWeb for Intel 8088 or compatible CPU, CGA, EGA, VGA or Hercules compatible graphics card, network interface (it is possible to use your machine's serial port with the EtherSLIP driver), mouse is desirable but not 100% required, 640k RAM is desirable. EMS/XMS are not required. And thanks to the author of the PicoMEM, MicroWeb is now supporting the CGA 16 colours of the Amstrad PC 1512 (was monochrome before, and GIF support too), but I dont see a new release in the github, so wait a bit.



Kommando Urbex by Altanerus Dog, an adventure game for Amstrad CPC

-

Kommando Urbex by Altanerus Dog is an adventure game for Amstrad CPC (remember Amélie Minuit ?) in spanish and english. Urbex means urban exploration : exploring abandonned places.

You can download it on the web page of the game. There is also a new page with a Dandanator ROM of all games by Altanerus Dog. It's a great idea, maybe we will have all the games as a CPC+/GX4000 cartridge ?




PunyInform v5.4 by Fredrik Ramsberg and Johan Berntsson to write text adventure games

-

PunyInform v5.4 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 which works under linux, windows 1x with WSL2 or MacOS with Intel processor and OrbStack.



New version of the ACE-DL emulator by Roudoudou yesterday

-

New version yesterday by Roudoudou of his ACE-DL Amstrad CPC emulator.

After downloading the emulator, you can also get a SymbOS disk image or OPL3 music to be used with the Willy OPL3 plugin.



Pirate ship drawing on Amstrad CPC by Colin Thomson

-

The latest Amstrad CPC artwork by Colin Thomson is a pirate ship. You can also see his two others Amstrad CPC drawing :



40 Years Of The Amstrad CPC 464 with ChinnyVision

-

I do hope that we won't be faced with a midlife crisis, as this year the Amstrad CPC 464 is just 40 years old. I leave you to the good hands of ChinnyVision who will talk about it better than me.



Amspirit v1.0 RC1, an Amstrad CPC emulator by Dmanu78

-

A new version of Amspirit, an Amstrad CPC emulator by Dmanu78 is available on its own web site now for windows. There is a 32 and 64bit version.

This version features :

  • IPF and HFE file formats are now supported
  • Binary files (with AMSDOS header) can be loaded into ram by dragging them onto emulator's window
  • More and better command line options. Common file formats are automatically detected
  • Improved UX and interface
  • Extended RAM support, up to 4 Mb
  • And as always, some bug fixes, including a major AY emulation fix, FDC timings adjustments, and a better handling of a couple of Z80 opcodes

The next major version will feature CPC+ and GX4000 emulation.

The thread on CPCWiki is here.



Space Debris ported on Amstrad CPC by BSC

-

space_debris.mod in a well known musical file for PC, to be read with Mod Master for example.

BSC did port Space Debris on Amstrad CPC and it's simply wonderful ! Well in fact this video is one year old, too bad I missed it before.

You can check his Soundcloud page.




Microweb v2.0, a web navigator pour msdos et 808x (+) by James Howard

-

MicroWeb v2.0 par James Howardest un navigateur web pour processeur Intel 8088 (et +), CGA, EGA, VGA ou Hercules, interface réseau ou port série et driver EtherSLIP), souris recommandée non nécessaire, 640 Ko de mémoire recommandé, EMS/XMS non nécessaire (mais permets de charger des plages plus importantes en taille). Cette nouvelle version apporte les fonctionnalités suivantes :

  • Support for more video modes, including monochrome and colour modes (including Amstrad PC 1512 in 16 colors mode)
  • GIF images are now loaded
  • PNG and JPEG dimensions are loaded but not the content
  • Improved font rendering and better Unicode support for accented characters
  • More HTML tag support including tables and forms
  • Can now leverage EMS memory (if available) for larger pages and images



The Key, a point and click adventure game using the Paket engine available the 27th April 2024

-

The Key is a point and click Amstrad CPC graphical adventure game using the Paket engine discovered in 2019 in this video of the demo game Escape the ROM created by Jordi Sureda (graphics) and Santi Ontañón (code). The game is available in spanish and english on their web site



For more news, Go to home page