Locus Eremus is a new labyrinth game for Amstrad CPC by Antero Martinez in three languages : spanish, french and english.

In Locus Eremus you must help Jonathan to escape from the compound in which he is imprisoned; In addition, some curious rules found in the place where he woke up indicate : if you want to escape from the place, you must find the 4 sayings. In our progress, we must feed ourselves with everything we find within our reach, there are also elements that allow us to open doors or carry out certain actions, always associated with mini-games that we must overcome.

PunyInform v4.7 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.

RetroVirtualMachine v2.1.8 by Juan Carlos González Amestoy was released the 1st September 2023. It's an Amstrad CPC emulator for MacOS, Windows and Linux.

L'émulateur Amstrad CPC ACE par Offset n'est disponible que pour MorphOS et Haiku. Il a une fonctionnalité fort intéressante par rapport à d'autres émulateurs Amstrad CPC : avoir un système de plugin pour rajouter le support pour des extensions matérielles.

Mais bientôt avec Ace Hacked par Roudoudou, il sera disponible pour Linux, MacOS et Windows !

AMSnews is a new Amstrad news web site, which is open since the 4th September. Competition is welcome.

AMSnews is looking for help, but to be honest me also as this site is a one man show since the start.

ZEsarUX X (10 years) is a multi platform emulator, Amstrad CPC and PCW (and many others). You can compile the unix sources directly or get a binary for :

• linux 32/64 bits
• Mac OS X
• Windows
• Raspberry pi (raspbian)

Marior Bros by Nintendo is a platform game whic has been ported by Choice Software on Amstrad CPC in 1987. Sadly it was a ZX Spectrum port, see original loading screen and game screenshot :

Today there is a new version Mario Bros 2023 (local download in DSK, CPR and CDT) by JMB (codefix), Onevision (GFX) and Lunoka (music). You can check below the difference :

You can see two videos of Mario Bros 2023 on Youtube by :

• Saberman
• Amstrad Maniaque (see below)

PunyInform v5.0 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.

Ghost Trick by GGP for Amstrad CPC+ and GX4000 is a new game inspired by another on the console Neo Geo pocket by SNK vs Capcom : the match of the millenium and inspired by Ghost's Goblins. Code and sprites are by Ayor61, screens and background by Maitre Joe, music by SuTeKH/Epytheor (featuring a remix of the original music by Mark Cooksey). To finish the game you will have to collect 50 chests, it will take some time.

Amstrad Maniaque has already done a longplay video of Ghost Trick. After having seen the video, gameplay is simple, background and music are wonderful.

For the download link, it's here.

Michael Wessel is the author of several hardware expansions for Amstrad CPC which I let you discover on his github and Youtube channel.

His last making is the MegaLambda-x6(++), an Amstrad CPC expansion backplante with no less than 6 slots. You can desactivate individually each connected card. It features :

• Six standard MX4 expansion slots
• Passthrough edge connector (like LambdaBoard I, II)
• Passthrough pin header connector (like MotherX4)
• Keyhole in edge connector for hardware that requires it (e.g., DKTronics Retro Speech Synthesizer, ...)
• Wide signal traces for good signal conductivity
• Extra wide traces for GND and VCC - unlike other backplane expanders for the CPC, MegaLambda is capable of powering the DDI-1 and DDI-3 without requiring an extra power supply
• Backplane powered from either the CPC or an external 5V power supply via standard barell jack (center polarity positive)
• Double jumpers (for better conductivity) to select between CPC power and external power
• Power LED (only) if external power supply is used - polarity check!
• The 5V / VCC line of the CPC expansion port is physically disconnected from the backplane if external power is used; only GND is shared with the CPC
• CPC Reset button

Several presentation videos are available :

• the initial presentation by LambdaMikel (see below)
• the second presentation by LambdaMikel of the upgraded MegaLambda
• the presentation of Manfred Gross's Amstrad CPC which is using the MegaLambda to connect the Ultimate Midi card (also by LambdaMikel), the RSF3 by TMTLogic, and much more !

Vexed by Under4Mhz is a new puzzle game for Amstrad CPC at the first 2023 semester. Match blocks and dont leave one or you must start anew the level.

Since the initial release, joystick support has been added in v1.08, so you should better download it again if you like Vexed.

You can download the issues 3 (December 2022) and 4 of the frenc Amstrad CPC fanzine ùCPM by Titi. The issue 4 is out just today.

This year a remake of a Game and Watch by Nintendo was released by Team Galaxy : Octopus for Amstrad CPC+ and GX4000. Today it's still the same game but pimped for the CPC+ and GX4000 : Octopus Deluxe !

Both games were programmed by Maxit (and vocal digitalization) and Kukulcan, graphics by Titan and music by Pulsophonic.

See below for a vidéo of Octopus Deluxe. If you wish to see a video of Octopus, there is one by Amstrad Maniaque.

It's on the Facebook page of the web site that I saw CNR Team (Crack'N Rom) which working on their web site about their Amstrad productions, the fanzines Crack'N ROM and pour ses créations Amstrad CPC, les fanzines Crack'N ROM and the Carnard déchainé (wild duck).

Also mentionned on CNR's Facebook page, Toug who participated to Crack'n ROM has written a paper zine in January 2023 which I missed : CPC Fan BZH n°1 (sweet name), the second issue will be out on November 2023.

Xyphoe has written in 2022 two articles without knowing its use. Well now he knows, it's for a one time paper magazine : Amstrad Addict by David Crookes (WACCI, Amstrad Action...). This issue has an exclusive interview of Alan Michael Sugar (unknown date) and certainly an article about the racing game Vespertino by Batman Group. To order this issue of Amstrad Addict, it's here.

Retro Maniac has done an interview of Patrick HINRICHS (The Fraggle) at the end of August 2023. It's in spanish, but there is an english traduction at the middle of the page.

The Return of Traxtor is a reflexion game by Reidrac (Juan Jose MARTINEZ) first released on Amstrad CPC (v1.1 de 2016) and now for msdos and CGA, so you can run it on any Amstrad PC.

Ci-dessous une vidéo de Return of Traxtor par Saberman.

Narciso Quintana has made several musical remake of 8bit games, including Commando.

Frédéric MANTEGAZZA and Laurent DIEUDONNE (his cousin) are the authors of an Amstrad CPC game edited by Lankhor : Fugitif. Drawing are by Jean-Paul RENAULT (read the description on CPC-POWER about the drawing, it's interesting), music by Laurent MOLLARD and box cover by Stéphane POLLARD.

It was made in mode 1 using rasters to show more than 4 colors. Frédéric has lost the original source code, so he disassembled the program and commented it (download available).

For more details, read the AMSnews article on the game.

A solution of Fugitif is available if you are blocked somewhere. And you can also check the video by Amstrad Maniaque below.

Frédéric is working on a new release of Fugitif, to address the main issue of the original game: at the time, he was unable to do anything else during the raster display. The new release will use demomakers tricks to display a hud below the image. This hud will non longer be icons-based, but rather a console, whith a syntax interpreter, as in many adventure games in this era (and something he originaly wanted to do). The game will be translated in other languages.

Play on Retro is selling physyical editions of several Amstrad CPC games :

• Baba's Palace (2017), a reflexion game by Rafa CASTILLO and John McKlain
• Castaway (2022), an action game by the T Team
• Jax the Dog (2023), a platforma game by Capasoft and Digital Studio
• Shadow Hunter (2023), an action game by Mananuk, Xavisan, Xenomorph, Titan
• Space Saga which includes Space Panic (2022) and Spaceman Kerl (2022), two action games by Fitosoft
• Transylvanian Castle DX2 (2022), a RPG game by Fitosoft, adapted from a ZX Spectrum version which is also included

A new production by Oneman : USS Cygnus 192, an Amstrad CPC+ and GX4000 demo.

A video is available of USS Cygnus 192 by Oneman.

Thanks to Youtube which showed me a video of Chloe aprende a Reciclar by Francisco José Poyato Falero (Churrosoft), which did lead to his other platform game : Rigor Mortis, which I had both missed at their release (about 2 months ago, seing the download date).

A bit late to announce, but Amstrad Eterno 2023 is an Amstrad CPC event in Barcelone (Spain) on the 30th September 2023 (10am to 8pm), more detals on their site, notably Roland Perry, Batman Group and much more.

Booty the remake first released on ZX Spectrum in 2019 by Salvador Cantero is a remake of the original game still for ZX Spectrum in 1984 by Firebird Software and in 1986 on Amstrad CPC. This remake is now released on Amstrad CPC, see the announcement on Twitter.

It is programmed with the collaboration of Beyker, Brundij and Atila Merino. The game will be showed on the Play on Retro stand at AmstradEterno. Check the short video of Booty the Remake on Twitter.

A new plugin for the ACE the Amstrad CPC emulator by Offset is available : Play2CPC (on ACE site). The Play2CPC was created by Abalore and TotO, it adds a cartridge port to any CPC old and 3 more son channels (and more).

Due to hasard, I found the Github of Jason Brooks (Argonaut) where you will be able to find the source code of his Amstrad CPC programs (1985 to early 1990). You can read there that he was mostly programming in assembler, ADAM (Assembler, Disassembler and Monitor) was his tool of choice as it was fully relocatable, could be loaded into a ram bank on a 6128 and was very capable when hacking and reverse engineering code and protection systems in its day

First announced in a tweet, the modula Amstrad CPC by Bread80 is presented by himself in the CPCWiki forum with more informations.

Why playing to Amstrad CPC games with a keyboard or a joystick (original or USB) when you can play differently : with an IR remote control ? It's what has done Poulette73 but you will need the RSF3 expansion by TMTLogic. And the programs must be adapted as you will see in two videos :

• Tetris DotBAs (Francesc ALCAUCER) (see below)
• Nibbler (Mosaik Software) and Devil Highway (L.M.C. Software)

Poulette73 is presenting the RSF3 on CPCRulez.

Roland Retires is a new Amstrad CPC game by Brick Fabrik near completion which will be presented at the Amstrad Eterno event at Malaga on the 30th September. Code and design are by Mode 2 and music by Riskwood (you can hear the music here.

Doh sorry for tonight but copy/paste the french text (hit the french flag up there to the right) in google translate if the photo below make you drool. Will try to translate it myself tomorrow, sorry.

To make it short, there are 7 models of the protection :

• french, english and spanish CPC 464 (472 for the spanish one)
• french and english CPC 664 (there is no Azerty 664, so the difference is just on the disk drive, both keyboards are Qwerty)
• french and english CPC 6128

Price is 17 &euros; including shipping for France and 20 &euros; for Spain (shipping included too). For any other international shipping, contact him first.

Included in the packaging :

• protection folded in its sealed cellophane
• documentation for washing and ironing
• protective bubble envelope
• shipping with tracking number
• a small gift to boost your happiness

For ordering, you must :

1) payment with Paypal of the good amount (number of order x price : 17 or 20) to fredisland at acpc dot me. You cant ask to reserve for later.

2) at the same time you pay on Papyal, you can leave a message, it's really important as you must leave your postal address, which protection you want and how many, or send these informations as a private message on Facebook or by email.

Frédéric will confirm your order (by PM or email) that your order will be processed (well if you leaved all the needed informations). As his original message was in August and as he has now the protections in stock, shipping should be quick but don't forget he is a one man show not Amazon, sometimes humans needs to eat, sleep, work too (Genesis8bit opinion, not a translation of Frédéric's words).

Lee Smiths Workshop has done a video to use a retro keyboard (including an Amstrad CPC 464) as an USB Keyboard thanks to a Raspberry Pico. The code is available on this Github.

Last time I announced a new version of FutureOS for Amstrad CPC was in 2018..., even if there were several new versions since. So this version is written by Gunhed (5-6 years ago by TFM).

The most important feature of this new version is the support for the excellent M4 board expansion by Duke.

Under the download links, you will find a link named M4-Folder which seems to be very useful if you have a M4 Board.

The video below (french) is one year old and is presenting FutureOS, done by Eric BOULAT.

Génération Micros made three videos about the history of the Amstrad CPC (french) :

• Part 1 : HIFI to familial computer : Amstrad CPC 464
• Part 2 : release of the 664 and 6128 till 21th
• Part 3 : life and death of Amsoft (1984 - 1989)

Other videos are about individuals games, I invite you to check them too.

Looking at videos on Youtube, I stumbled on the New Retro Show and two of his series of videos :

• new games for DOS part 15 (see below)
• new games for Amstrad CPC part 12

One nice game in the video is Cara Grabs Antimatter which is playable on the page (finished it in 11:22 with some time off keyboard). The game is using CGALIB by Cyningstan, a library for Open Watcom C.

A good part of the DOs games showed will work on CGA and 8086 processor.