Retro Gamer - Issue 191
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
I loved my Amstrad CPC and friends did too. A lot of Amstrad versions were better than the Spectrum equivalents.
Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
How many games did you have for your Amstrad? I had about 50 original games and maybe 400 copies. I can't say that I felt missing out having an Amstrad. A good RGB monitor, a fair selection of quality programs even in ROM, OK keyboard, 80 coloum display, good BASIC, colour graphics with real colour, very fast diskdrive and it could be used for games too.
In the rights hands the hardware performs quite well, smooth full screening scrolling at 50 Hz, a lot of colour and great gameplay.
Pinball Dreams for the Amstrad CPC https://youtu.be/_DetN_pol6g
I guess most of you will be surprised that a machine that many believe can't scroll, can do this.
Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
At least two hundred I'd say, and we still have them. Many on single cassette tapes (we didn't have many disks) and compilations too. I can't remember the names, but some of the compilations have 10+ games on. It was a 6128 and we eventually upgraded to a colour monitor.ivarf wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2019 2:43 pmHow many games did you have for your Amstrad? I had about 50 original games and maybe 400 copies. I can't say that I felt missing out having an Amstrad. A good RGB monitor, a fair selection of quality programs even in ROM, OK keyboard, 80 coloum display, good BASIC, colour graphics with real colour, very fast diskdrive and it could be used for games too.
In the rights hands the hardware performs quite well, smooth full screening scrolling at 50 Hz, a lot of colour and great gameplay.
Pinball Dreams for the Amstrad CPC https://youtu.be/_DetN_pol6g
I guess most of you will be surprised that a machine that many believe can't scroll, can do this.
But yeah - I didn't feel like I missed out at all, and many conversions on the Amstrad beat the Spectrum easily. I think the CPC is unfairly maligned (not actually by RG - they seem fair on the conversion roundups). I discovered a great game I hadn't played before (maybe thanks to RG) as recently as last year; They Stole A Million. It's basic but very compelling (and also on Spectrum).
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
'Many' is stretching things. A select few Amstrad games are better. The majority are much worse.
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
I have changed my view on Amstrad over the years, I admit, and reading RG has done that for the most part.
I had a 464, and while loved the monitor at the time in an age buying a portable TV or monitor was expensive, I felt the software selection was lacking, and thought that for years.
This was due to poor selection locally, little coverage in the multi format magazines I bought, and pre internet days of course where the world seemed a much larger place! I assumed there were few games out for the Amstrads aside from the Amsoft stuff that were in our stores with the hardware. In hindsight it had been an ignorant point of view with little research done.
I'm not saying it's library quality or quantity was better than C64, Spectrum, or Atari...just that it did get an unfair reputation. IMO.
I had a 464, and while loved the monitor at the time in an age buying a portable TV or monitor was expensive, I felt the software selection was lacking, and thought that for years.
This was due to poor selection locally, little coverage in the multi format magazines I bought, and pre internet days of course where the world seemed a much larger place! I assumed there were few games out for the Amstrads aside from the Amsoft stuff that were in our stores with the hardware. In hindsight it had been an ignorant point of view with little research done.
I'm not saying it's library quality or quantity was better than C64, Spectrum, or Atari...just that it did get an unfair reputation. IMO.
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
Nope. It's reputation is entirely deserved.
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Tom_Baker wrote:I just finished watching a film about Stockholm syndrome. It started out terrible but by the end I really liked it.
Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
The Amstrad MP1 is just cheap crap, its output reminds med of my Nintendo 64. Awful.Antiriad2097 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2019 3:25 am
The modulator quality was fine for the time. It could never compare to the colour monitor, but it was 'good enough' for most considering the price. If that wasn't the case, we'd have seen RGB Scart cables as standard on everything that followed instead of the crappy composite cables that continued to be shipped with consoles right up until the arrival of HDMI, well after RGB scart was standard on every telly.
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
Of course it's cheap crap, it's Amstrad.
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Tom_Baker wrote:I just finished watching a film about Stockholm syndrome. It started out terrible but by the end I really liked it.
Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
The return rate of new Amstrad CPCs was much lower than other home computers of the era. Interestingly for Sinclair made Spectrums it is highly recommended to change all electrolytes, on the Amstrad made Spectrums its not a problem.
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
Was the return rate lower because not many were sold?
Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
This might just be your part of the world, where I'm from, the Spectrum and Amstrad had similar reputations, neither was considered better than the other - and the C64 was thought of well above them.
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
Your region was misinformed 

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Tom_Baker wrote:I just finished watching a film about Stockholm syndrome. It started out terrible but by the end I really liked it.
Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
C64 totally outsold the competition in Europe and C64 was considered by most people to be the best games machine.
The return rate (for repairs) is a percentige %, so the number of machines sold isn't important in this context. Basically it tells something about the build quality of the machines.Crusty Starfish wrote: ↑Sun Mar 03, 2019 7:17 pmWas the return rate lower because not many were sold?
3 million Amstrad CPCs were sold.
The Retro Gamer Amstrad 35 years aniversary article was a great read.
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Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
I don't see the relevance of this to the Amstrad being cheap crap. We know the C64 and Spectrum are the superior gaming platforms, this is well established fact.
The Retro League - Where skill isn't an obstacle
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Retrocanteen, home of the unfairly banned
Tom_Baker wrote:I just finished watching a film about Stockholm syndrome. It started out terrible but by the end I really liked it.
Re: Retro Gamer - Issue 191
Are you still a moderator of this forum?Antiriad2097 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:19 amI don't see the relevance of this to the Amstrad being cheap crap. We know the C64 and Spectrum are the superior gaming platforms, this is well established fact.
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