Retro Gamer - Issue 191

[TheAlex]

I loved my Amstrad CPC and friends did too. A lot of Amstrad versions were better than the Spectrum equivalents.

[ivarf]

I loved my Amstrad CPC and friends did too. A lot of Amstrad versions were better than the Spectrum equivalents.

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.

[TheAlex]

I loved my Amstrad CPC and friends did too. A lot of Amstrad versions were better than the Spectrum equivalents.

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.

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.

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).

[Antiriad2097]

'Many' is stretching things. A select few Amstrad games are better. The majority are much worse.

[kiwimike]

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.

[Antiriad2097]

Nope. It's reputation is entirely deserved.

[ivarf]

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.

The Amstrad MP1 is just cheap crap, its output reminds med of my Nintendo 64. Awful.

[Antiriad2097]

Of course it's cheap crap, it's Amstrad.

[ivarf]

Of course it's cheap crap, it's Amstrad.

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.

[Crusty Starfish]

Of course it's cheap crap, it's Amstrad.

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.

Was the return rate lower because not many were sold?

[antsbull]

Nope. It's reputation is entirely deserved.

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.

[Antiriad2097]

Your region was misinformed

[ivarf]

Your region was misinformed

C64 totally outsold the competition in Europe and C64 was considered by most people to be the best games machine.

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.

Was the return rate lower because not many were sold?

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.
3 million Amstrad CPCs were sold.

The Retro Gamer Amstrad 35 years aniversary article was a great read.

[Antiriad2097]

Your region was misinformed

C64 totally outsold the competition in Europe and C64 was considered by most people to be the best games machine.

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.

[ivarf]

Your region was misinformed

C64 totally outsold the competition in Europe and C64 was considered by most people to be the best games machine.

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.

Are you still a moderator of this forum?