A work in progress version of GrafX2 is available to draw "mode 5" pictures for Amstrad CPC.

GrafX2 is a bitmap paint program inspired by the Amiga programs Deluxe Paint and Brilliance. Specialized in 256-color drawing, it includes a very large number of tools and effects that make it particularly suitable for pixel art, game graphics, and generally any detailed graphics painted with a mouse. The program is mostly developed on Linux and Windows, but is also portable on many other platforms.

NoRecess is still working on a secret project since last december, about at 40% completion, which should be available for next xmas.

In the mean time, you can go on his web site to read an interview of Prodatron - SymbiosiS, the author of demoes and the Amstrad CPC multi-task GUI SymbOS.

The last version of the CPCDiskXP utility is available on CPCMania.

You will also find various programming tutorials, especially tutorials about using C compilers like Z88dk and SDCC, or assembler compiler like Pasmo.

The Iphone/Ipad port of Lords of Midnight by Chris Wild is still on the way. You can see a video of the game running on Youtube.

While waiting for this precious gem, you can either play the original Lords of Midnight game with an emulator, or with one of the various following ports :

• Icemark
• Midnight/MU (online multi-player)
• War of the solstice
• Midnight Flyer
• LoM and DDR for GameBoy Advance

GrafX2 is a bitmap paint program inspired by the Amiga programs Deluxe Paint and Brilliance. Specialized in 256-color drawing, it includes a very large number of tools and effects that make it particularly suitable for pixel art, game graphics, and generally any detailed graphics painted with a mouse. The program is mostly developed on Linux and Windows, but is also portable on many other platforms.

GrafX2 v2.3 has been released in April 2011. It can of course be used to draw Amstrad CPC screens.

You can download the latest version of ccz80 (v3.1.3). The ccz80 language has a syntax based on C language, to program for Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and MSX on a PC.

This new version corrects some Amstrad CPC librairies (and more).

P.S. : see CCZ80++ now.

Phactory v2.2 by NoRecess is available.

This new version of this development environment targetting Amstrad CPC adds a new user interface, overall speed improvements thanks to a new plugin system, a new source code editor featuring Z80 assembly syntax highlighting and some minor bugs fixed.

At the moment there is no documentation, no examples, no templates and no support.

To program in C on Amstrad CPC there are several compilers :

• Small-C
• Arnord-C
• Hitech-C
• Small-C
• PhrozenC (on AND for Amstrad CPC as it also exists for windows)

But you can also program in C for Amstrad CPC on another platform. First,the multi-platform C compiler SDCC v3.1.0 targetting Z80 is out.

To use this compiler you can use an IDE : either Code::Blocks with its SDCC template by Octoate, or Phactory v2.1 by NoRecess with the help of SDCC2Pasmo v1.5(wich comes with sources). SDCC2Pasmo takes an .ASM file created by SDCC and converts it to used with PASMO (a Z80 cross assembler) which is compatiblewith Maxam (Amstrad CPC Z80 compiler, WinApe too).

You can find tutors for using SDCC on NoRecess web site or on CPCWiki.

If you are interested in using SDCC, you should read this CPCWiki forum thread about SDCC possible problems and anotherabout sMIDP2lib : a SDCC framework library by Mr Lou (which has now its own page on CPCWiki.

SDCC isnt the only compiler you can use, there is also :

• Z88dk v1.9 with cpcrslib (Amstrad CPC library for Z88dk), check this CPCWiki forum thread about Z88dk. There is a modified cpcrslib and starkos library byKevin Thacker in his Blue Angel 69 game.By the way, the developers of Z88dk are currently in the progress to allow SDCC to be used as a backend for Z88dk.
• CCZ80 v3.1.2 by Emilio Guerrero. There are 2 Amstrad CPC librairies usable for CCZ80 : cpcrslib (adapted from cpcrslibfor Z88dk) and sprutilcpc (included with CCZ80)

ESP Soft's blog (google translation herein english) has informations about using Z88dk (librairies like cpcrslib and cpcwyzlib) and ccz80 (earliest news).

What about an Odiesoft interview as a starter, then an update of ManageDSK and SDCC2Pasmo for the main dish and dessert on NoRecess web site ?

Guess what, Axelay is working on a port of Edge Grinder (see below), so says one of my numerous spies, who assured me that it isnt a secretand safe to be announced.

Edge grinder is in fact a work in progress C64 game at the start, the first Format War "Collabortition" (a combination of collaboration andcompetition) with the plan being for programmers on other 8-bits to consider ways to convert it from the C64 to their platform of choice. So on the Format War web site you can download all you needto port the game, source code, map, background and sprite data.

Kevin Thacker's conversion of a Magic Bytes reflexion game released in 1989 : Blue Angel 69 (written by Winfried Stappert) is now available. The original game is turn based (vs computer or another player). The screen draws a 8x8 chessboard filled with positive or negative numbers. Each turn, the player must choose a number whichs on the same linge (or column for the other player) that the last chosen number. Once chosen the number est removed from the chessboard and added or substracted from the player score. The goal of the game is of course to have more points than your adversary at the end of the game (where you will see the sexy robot fully).

Blue Angel 69 has been programmed by Kevin Thacker, graphics by Markus Hohmann, CAT art, inlay, disc label by Kukulcan, Blue Angel 69 website hosted by Markus, created by Kukulcan.

You can download the FULL game and source from Kevin Thacker's website.

In the sources you will find a library to use StarKos from z88dk, and within morelib some extras for loading/saving files using amsdos, displaying double height chars and more. The code also includes a modified version of cpcrslib which Kevin modified to try and make the code smaller. Kevin hope others using z88dk to make games will find these sources useful.

All build files and tools (excluding z88dk) are in the download. Kevin Thacker provides all so that you can learn from it, and that's a very good idea.

You will also be able to download it from cpc-power, and here you will also find cassette inlay and a disc label, both created by Kukulcan.

Cpcdsdk is a project aiming to collect the various bit of existing sourcecode in one common place for the linux OS relative to the Amstrad CPC, add the missing features, and make life easier for all developpers :

• The Caprice Reloaded emulator, with integrated assembler and debugger, for windows and linux,
• gfx2crtc, a tool to convert pictures to the amstrad sceen format,
• An imporved version of Ramlaid's cpctools, now running under linux, with (limited) support for usb floppy drives
• A special version of STSound from Leonard, modified to emulate an AY3 more accurately (the original emulates the slightly different YM chip used in the Atari ST)
• Hideur Maikeur by Downwater for handling AMSDOS headers
• iDSK from sid for manipulating dsk images and files inside.

You can download Arkos Tracker v1.0 beta 2 for PC by Targhan.

Here's the changelist :

• Complete coding of the sound generating and outputing by myself. The emulation is more accurate, and will allow the implementation of samples and Sids in the future,
• Plug in your best MIDI Keyboard or any MIDI-In device, play and record your music with it,
• 150hz and 300hz replay modes are now available. They are very slightly slower than on a real CPC. Nothing you should notice...
• CPCBooster output is now very accurate,
• Ability to save Interleaved/non-Interleaved YM6 format,
• AKStoBin : a command line software to converts any AKS song into a binary to use on hardware (warning, you still need .Net to use it),
• STKtoAKS : a command line software to converts any STarKos songs into an AKS song (warning, you still need .Net to use it).

You can download the latest version of ccz80 (v3.0.0). The ccz80 language has a syntax based on C language, to program for Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and MSX on a PC.

P.S. : see CCZ80++ now.

An update of GrafX (v2.2) is available.