News about Amstrad CPC, PCW, Notepad NC100 NC150 NC200, PDA600 and also Amstrad PC






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).


Youtube video



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.


Youtube video



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.



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)

Youtube video



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

Youtube video



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.


Youtube video



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.


Youtube 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.


Youtube video