CPCRetroDev

CPCRetroDev (or #CPCRetroDev) is an annual Retro Game Creation contest that started around 2013 in Spain.

Origins

Started by a teacher from the Alicante University who happened to be part of the Amstrad Spanish retro-scene. He found that having modern students to try to code ona machine from 1984 (with very limited RAM and CPU ressources) is a challenging and excellent exercise to prepare them for a proper course in computers.

Sponsored/hosted by Alicante University, its first aim was to have student to try their hands on some antique coding machine : the Amstrad CPC and tryign to get a project into realease state, as those students are expected to work in video game industry after graduation.

This contest rewards the best and most creative developers in the retro scene, capable of making the best video games for Amstrad CPC 464. A Ceremony is organized, with livestream broadcast and many guests figures from the current or historical Video game industry and scene personnalities.

While originally opened to student from the university, it went on to be a more open contest, with veteran sceners as well as past students and contestants trying to progress or win some of the prizes.

Each year, a huge batch of productions (of various quality standards) are realeases thanks to CPCRetroDev. The top 10 usually display proper quality on par with historically commercially release games .

On of the main rule is to stricktly adhere to Single load CPC464 specs and limitations, but some contestants would release updated/upgraded version of their game after the contest to allow for RAM extentions or Multiloading or extra content.

With time, more Prizes, rewards and categories are now distributed.

Physical copies of the productions are available each years : a Tape Compilation of the released games can be purchased each year to run on real Tape based Amstrad CPC.

Some specific set of tools such as CPCtelera were developed to help the contestants and students.

Time Line and Winners

2014

• 16 games released

• 1st place Winner : Super Retro Robot Rampage , by Vortex

• 2nd place Winner : Orc’s Dungeon, by Fracture Games

• Best game coded in Basic : Auxilio Aereo , by Antonio Corpas

2015

• 36 games released

• Space Moves by Toni Ramírez, 1st place PRO

• Frogalot by CNGSoft, 2nd place PRO, best technical achievement

• Top Top by Rantan Games 3rd place PRO

• Regreso al CPC by Antonio Corpas Cuenca 1st Best BASIC game

• Junior! by MiguelSky 2nd best BASIC game

• Mas To The Past by Ántrax CPC Devilish Games – Videojuego Más Original

2016

• 34 games produced.

• 1) Outlaws RetroBytes (9.05) PRO Winner, Dinamic Mention, Gominolas Mention, Jon Ritman Nominee

• 2) Hire Hare CNGSoft (8.98) PRO Second, Jon Ritman Mention, Dinamic Nominee

• 3) VirusDog CPC-Power (8.40) PRO Third

• 4) Dragon Attack Bitplane Technomantes (7.26) Cátedra Santander-UA Innovative Game Development Mention, PRO Nominee, Gominolas Nominee

• 5) Hair-Boy Carlos Sevila (7.09) PRO Nominee, Cátedra Santander-UA Engaging Gameplay

• 6) The Grenades Conquest SubXplosion (7.01) PRO Nominee

• 7) Ice-Slider EgoTrip (6.82) Gominolas Nominee

• 11) El Reino Del Color Antonio Corpas (6.12) BASIC Winner

• 15) Firewall Wars Navy Xicken (5.33) Dinamic Nominee

• 26) Fitzroy-and-the-power-wells awergh (4.41) Jon Ritman Nominee

Links

• CPCRetrodev Website : http://cpcretrodev.byterealms.com/en/