"The Best Of The Amstrad CPC" video - for cpcwiki frontpage?

[Xyphoe]

Hi guys!

This has been discussed in a few topics now, with people not happy about the CPC Insight vid showing deficiencies in the Amstrad etc (eg scrolling!) and I said I would make one, so I'd like to start doing this ... but with your input of course!

Now first order of business is the content .... games only? Or show what hardware can be used, and more serious applications? If the latter I'm not sure how I would do this (suggestions welcome) to be put in the context of a entertaining video people won't be bored or confused by - or just simply not interested. Similarly with demos but I think they can be worked in..... (no scroller text ones though *yawn* ... but stuff like Backtro looks sweet)

My plan at least initially would be to concentrate on the best and most impressive and/or visually appealing games. And plus some that show off smoooooth scrolling 

I'll do a compilation perhaps a few seconds per game backed up by some of the best CPC music.

So I would like to know what games should be included with the focus on ........impressing new comers and people not familiar with the CPC.
Also the best music.

For example the game doesn't have to be great, but could look awesome - eg After The War and Xyphoes Fantasy, essentially the gameplay is a bit a crap but it looks gorgeous!

Any other input and ideas welcome, but lets not go too far off track

Cheers!

[Bryce]

I think it would be cool if it was done like an advert, maybe even starting with one of the old 80's adverts, showing the hardware (fly-by over the mainboard?), then some Mini-Office II charts, maxam screenshot and finally some game highlights.

Bryce.

[ervin]

Maybe a bit of Tasword as well. 

As for games, some of these could fit the bill for technically impressive games:

Sub Hunter
Star Sabre
Dead on Time (seeing a pattern here?)
X-out (of course)
Dark fusion
Forgotten worlds
Gauntlet 2
Stormlord
Savage (predictable, but there you go)
Trantor (same)
Commando (I don't understand all the hatred toward this game; I think the scrolling is excellent)
Shinobi
Titan
Super Cauldron
Prehistorik 2
Mission Genocide
Head over Heels
Batman
Sweevo's World
Tir na nog
Atom Smasher (just kidding about that one)

And some lovely 3d stuff:

Starion
3d Starstrike (1 & 2)
Battle of the planets
Tankbusters
Dark Star

[Devilmarkus]

And, of course, my Advanced Lawnmowing Simulator!!!

[trocoloco]

Well I would suggest games 3D Grad Prix, it has huge sprites and actually a very good speed feeling and Chase HQ of course.

Xyphoe you have to talk about a spanish guy named Fela Borbone that plays his own plastic-made guitar and uses his own invention using a CPC as a musical orchestra/instrument called mierdofon, wich it can be translated to shit-o-phone. This guy is hilarious and a genius at the same time. Obviously it's spanish but please check out a couple of his videos and you'll understand what I'm talking about.

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[sigh]

Definitely Mission Genocide, Star Sabre and Sub Hunter. (3D Wolfenstien demo?)

My Selection:

Chase HQ - good speed and graphics.

Target Renegade - Although there's no scrolling, the fact of a 2 player mode and 6 sprites duking it out without a hint of slowdown, I think is impressive programming skills.

Operation Wulf - Nice graphics and responsive.

Ikari Warriors - Nice scrolling and graphics.

Oriental Games - (though I haven't seen footage of this for a long time....)

[villain]

P47
Sub Hunter (as mentioned above...)
Zap´t´Balls
Orion Prime

[Gryzor]

I'd say no to apps. True, the CPC was unique in hat domain, but they don't make good material for a video! At least not one that aims to catch the eye - I was thinking, exactly, sharp, few-seconds excerpts from fab-looking games with a nice AY carpet...

Speaking of 3D, Freescape would be nice to include (you can even up the framerate  bit )

[Xyphoe]

Some good suggestions so far!

Perhaps a good idea to split into two categories...

1) Best graphics

2) Best scrolling / fast paced action

...cause those are the 2 key areas we can show off about in a YouTube video. I think we're looking for maximum visual impact here - to give that 'wow' factor.


Also suggestions for music?

[ervin]

Music eh?

I've always enjoyed the music on Trantor's options screen.

And Meltdown has perhaps the most epic music heard on the cpc.

Heavy on the Magick's tune is fabulous too.

[sigh]

Some good suggestions so far!

Perhaps a good idea to split into two categories...

1) Best graphics

2) Best scrolling / fast paced action

...cause those are the 2 key areas we can show off about in a YouTube video. I think we're looking for maximum visual impact here - to give that 'wow' factor.


Also suggestions for music?

How many minutes are you looking at for the video? How about 1 video for best graphics/scrolling and the second could be used for best game music?

More on graphics:

Purple Saturn day

Captain Blood

More on scrolling:

Skate Crazy - wonderful multidirectional scrolling in the car park challenge!

Supercycle - I think that this is the fastest and most smoothest racer on the CPC. (even more than Chase and Continental!) Also, the background image of the mountains in the background seems to scroll left and right incredibly smoothly! That's got to be a 1 pixel scroll!

[ervin]

Skate Crazy does indeed has wonderful scrolling.
It looks like the same sort of thing done in Gauntlet, where the entire play area is quickly redrawn each frame.
Could it be the same engine?

Wow - Super Cycle is impressive!
That background scroll is beautiful.
Reminds me of the scrolling ground (under the train) in Express Raider.

As for music, Robocop's menu and in-game tunes are outstanding.

[MacDeath]

Is it me or I don't see Arkanoid series anywhere ?

I mean, Arkanoid2 on CPC was simply the best 8 bit Brickbreaker (how do you call this in english ?)

They display what an amstrad game with no scrolling needed can be...

=redimensionned screen : full vertical...
=sweet action and some good jingles (Arkanoid1 I loved the short musics...)
=Awesome graphics actually.

Those remains to this day the best port on 8 bit of the franchise...


Also : Bombjack 1&2...
I really think they were awesome on CPC...
The playability of the CPC versions is a bit different from other version, and to me it is actually better...

[Axelay]

Skate Crazy does indeed has wonderful scrolling.
It looks like the same sort of thing done in Gauntlet, where the entire play area is quickly redrawn each frame.
Could it be the same engine?

Well they're both Gremlin games, so I just checked and they're both by the same programmer, Tony Porter.  So a variation of the same thing at least I'd suppose.  Nicely spotted there! 


As for Super Cycle, it does look a bit simple graphically, maybe Nigel Mansell's Grand Prix (the martech game) which is by the same guys would be better for a video?


And for my own suggestion, how about Mr Heli, it looks and sounds pretty nice.  Not many scrolling shooters did both at once.

Perhaps a good idea to split into two categories...

1) Best graphics

2) Best scrolling / fast paced action

Would you be presenting those categories in the video like that, only to my mind it would end up suggesting the two are mutually exclusive?

[einoeL]

Skate Crazy does indeed has wonderful scrolling.

The music's good too!
Big fat Ben Daglish power music on the titelscreen!

And yeah, the scrolling of "Commando" is smooth and fast, although it slows down if there are more than a few sprites on the playfield.
But the music could be much better, this is not the maximum the AY can do.

One of the best racing games with one of the best engine noises: "Continental Circus"
It's so fast!

[sigh]

As for Super Cycle, it does look a bit simple graphically, maybe Nigel Mansell's Grand Prix (the martech game) which is by the same guys would be better for a video?

Is it as fast and smooth as Supercycle? Still in serious shock at how fast and silky smooth the game is, even though the graphics maybe simple.

I had a look at the C64 version on the youtube. Don't know if it was the emulator but when the speed reaches to a point, it starts scrolling backwards!

[Gryzor]

Far as music goes, I think it's worth looking into some demos, some really wonderful tunes there (sadly I never remember the names)...