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General Category => Games => Topic started by: ukmarkh on 20:40, 11 November 15

Title: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: ukmarkh on 20:40, 11 November 15
:D
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Neil79 on 20:45, 11 November 15
Seriously cool vid mate!
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TFM on 21:11, 11 November 15
Nice! But why are all 'homebrew' games missing? And this question goes out to ALL top ten vid makers on the CPC.


What's about integrating them? Or make of Top 10 Homebrew. :) :) :)
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: dodogildo on 21:18, 11 November 15
Awesome compilation, thank you!

But how come Amstrad Action gave only 83% to Gryzor? This is crazy. I never realized that back then...
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TFM on 21:22, 11 November 15
Quote from: dodogildo on 21:18, 11 November 15
Awesome compilation, thank you!

But how come Amstrad Action gave only 83% to Gryzor? This is crazy. I never realized that back then...


Because it has no scrolling. [nb]The truth is that ratings are purely given due to transfer of money to the producer of a magazine, but nobody want't to hear the truth.[/nb]
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Zoe Robinson on 21:33, 11 November 15
No Count Duckula 2? ;)


Seriously though, great selection.


You weren't taking full effect of Renegade's twitchy AI however - if you stand in the top-left corner of the first map, baddies can only get you from angles where you can attack them first; which makes most of that level much easier. :)


Also, nice choice of AA64 for your video thumbnail. That was my first issue, the one with Space Froggy on the covertape. One of these days I'll complete that game. One of these days...
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: ukmarkh on 21:47, 11 November 15
Quote from: dodogildo on 21:18, 11 November 15
Awesome compilation, thank you!

But how come Amstrad Action gave only 83% to Gryzor? This is crazy. I never realized that back then...


I just don't think 'AA' grasped the idea of Gryzor in its entirety. The series is still popular even today and the CPC version apart from the scrolling issue still play's and holds up well.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: ukmarkh on 21:49, 11 November 15
Quote from: TFM on 21:11, 11 November 15
Nice! But why are all 'homebrew' games missing? And this question goes out to ALL top ten vid makers on the CPC.


What's about integrating them? Or make of Top 10 Homebrew. :) :) :)


Because this is a video based on the commercial games of the past. But yes, I've already considered a homebrew vid. R-TYPE would be number 1 - OR would it?  :P
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TFM on 22:18, 11 November 15
I remember at least #1 candidates right now.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 09:42, 12 November 15
Quote from: dodogildo on 21:18, 11 November 15
Awesome compilation, thank you!

But how come Amstrad Action gave only 83% to Gryzor? This is crazy. I never realized that back then...


It lost a few points because of it's difficulty, and let's be honest, it was rock hard in places, as well as the some of the enemies almost blending in with the background on the first level (also a valid point at times), lack of sound on non 128k machines and no real reason to play it once you've finished it.

Personally, I find that final point bullshit. I knew many arcade goers that would play the same game again (and finish it) just to show off.  :laugh:
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TotO on 09:45, 12 November 15
Quote from: dodogildo on 21:18, 11 November 15But how come Amstrad Action gave only 83% to Gryzor? This is crazy. I never realized that back then...
May be because :
- No scrolling
- 2 levels are missing
- Only one area music for all the game and no menu or boss tunes[nb]Here the full game soundtrack :
Title
Introduction
Area 1: Jungle / Area 7: Hanger
Area Clear
Areas 2 & 4: Bases 1 & 2
Area 3: Waterfall
Area 5: Snow Field
Area 6: Energy Zone
Area 8: Alien's Lair
Area 8: Alien Dead
Boss
Credit
Game Over[/nb]
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: dodogildo on 12:04, 12 November 15


Quote from: TotO on 09:45, 12 November 15
May be because :
- No scrolling
- 2 levels are missing
- Only one area music for all the game and no menu or boss tunes

I understand but back then, when I was a child, I never realized these. It was one hell of a game with awesome graphics and incredible pace/playability which was very rare for a CPC game.



Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TotO on 12:52, 12 November 15
Sure you don't, but the reviewers does. ;)
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: EgoTrip on 12:59, 12 November 15
Can't say I agree with the selection, only two of the games featured I'd include (Spindizzy and Switchblade) but the video is well produced.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 17:01, 12 November 15
To be fair, scrolling was rare on the CPC in 87. It's one of the reasons why Richard Aplin was considered somewhat of a mastermind when he did Flyspy that year.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TFM on 17:45, 12 November 15
Scrolling was relative rare, because there were too much spectrum ports. But scrolling on CPC is easy. Doing non-scrolling games in these days (when scrolling would be nice to have) just shows some lack of coding skills imho. Of course a lot of games just don't need scrolling by nature.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: dodogildo on 17:56, 12 November 15
Quote from: TotO on 12:52, 12 November 15
Sure you don't, but the reviewers does. ;)

I'm still not convinced.
Should a review evaluate how faithful is a game to its arcade original? Or how good is a game by means of graphics, playability, longetivity etc?


Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TotO on 18:00, 12 November 15
In this case, the game is good with only one stage...  ;D
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 18:03, 12 November 15
Quote from: TFM on 17:45, 12 November 15
Scrolling was relative rare, because there were too much spectrum ports. But scrolling on CPC is easy. Doing non-scrolling games in these days (when scrolling would be nice to have) just shows some lack of coding skills imho. Of course a lot of games just don't need scrolling by nature.


Nah, I don't think that Speccy ports are even an issue. All you have to do is take a look at Ghosts N Goblins that came out a few months before Gryzor. Not only did scrolling not exist, but when the next page was loaded, it was flickery, ugly and downright dreadful.

Compared to that, Gryzor was Shinobi! xD
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Optimus on 18:23, 12 November 15
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 18:03, 12 November 15

Nah, I don't think that Speccy ports are even an issue. All you have to do is take a look at Ghosts N Goblins that came out a few months before Gryzor. Not only did scrolling not exist, but when the next page was loaded, it was flickery, ugly and downright dreadful.

Compared to that, Gryzor was Shinobi! xD


I remember Ghost and Goblins had quite nice graphics and sprite animation, there was some kind of hw scrolling but only when you reached the end of the screen. And the music rocked!
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TFM on 19:29, 12 November 15
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 18:03, 12 November 15

Nah, I don't think that Speccy ports are even an issue. All you have to do is take a look at Ghosts N Goblins that came out a few months before Gryzor. Not only did scrolling not exist, but when the next page was loaded, it was flickery, ugly and downright dreadful.

Compared to that, Gryzor was Shinobi! xD


IMHO there were lots of well scrolling games, (Trantor, Sentinel etc.). However the lack of scrolling did never matter for me playing Gryzor. It's just a great game!  :)
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: ukmarkh on 15:30, 14 November 15
I used to be massively against CPC games that didn't scroll. But a while ago I realised if flip screen is done correctly, as seen in Gryzor, Renegade and many others (Not Green Beret). It is perfectly playable and acceptable and a fantastic way to work-around the CPC's 64K memory limitations.

Games where flip screen works well:

Gryzor (scrolled about two-thirds of a screen), Renegade, Target Renegade, Cybernoid 1 and 2, Prince of Persia, Mission Elevator (Scrolled two floors at a time), Skweek.

But there are lots of systems that used this technique including the NES, as it could only scroll in one direction unless extra memory was included in the cart.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: dodogildo on 19:25, 14 November 15
Yet Amstrad Action should have gave the points based on players' point of view instead of those technicalities.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: seanb on 19:42, 14 November 15
I rarely cared if a game scrolled or not.
I always took it as that was how the game was meant to be so was never an issue.

Besides I never knew any c64 owners so the apparent lack of scrolling was never something brought up.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 20:00, 14 November 15
Quote from: seanb on 19:42, 14 November 15
I rarely cared if a game scrolled or not.
I always took it as that was how the game was meant to be so was never an issue.

Besides I never knew any c64 owners so the apparent lack of scrolling was never something brought up.


In a similar boat myself. As long as it was consistent throughout the game, it never really affected my playing.
Being honest, the only time I was ever impressed by a C64 owner was whenever The Last Ninja loaded.

Of course, it would take nearly 30 minutes for that to happen, and I was usually bored by that stage...  :laugh: :laugh:
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: ukmarkh on 20:42, 14 November 15
The Amstrad could of ace'd a full colour version of Last Ninja, that should of looked and played better than the C64 effort, as the CPC holds the crown for isometric 3D games... We were robbed! 
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 21:11, 14 November 15
Quote from: ukmarkh on 20:42, 14 November 15
The Amstrad could of ace'd a full colour version of Last Ninja, that should of looked and played better than the C64 effort, as the CPC holds the crown for isometric 3D games... We were robbed!


Lazy spectrum port. Only it played so slowly that it was damn near impossible garner interest in the game.
It's slowness made it rather difficult to cross the street in level 2 alone. xD
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: ukmarkh on 21:52, 14 November 15
There's good, bad and ugly Speccy ports... Last Ninja is definitely in the bad category. Screw you System 3! 
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: AMSDOS on 22:13, 14 November 15
Quote from: Zoe Robinson on 21:33, 11 November 15
Also, nice choice of AA64 for your video thumbnail. That was my first issue, the one with Space Froggy on the covertape. One of these days I'll complete that game. One of these days...


Comes as a surprise hearing about Space Froggy. No Space Froggy 2 for you until 1 is complete!  :D


There's some nice type-ins in that issue too!  ;)
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 22:18, 14 November 15
Quote from: ukmarkh on 21:52, 14 November 15
There's good, bad and ugly Speccy ports... Last Ninja is definitely in the bad category. Screw you System 3!


I have somewhat of a tolerance for speccy ports. But when the speed is gone, it's just awful.
Wonderboy in Monsterland was a good example of this. Loved it in the arcade, could have worked if the game had speed, but alas, no.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: AMSDOS on 22:34, 14 November 15
Quote from: Shaun M. Neary on 22:18, 14 November 15
Wonderboy in Monsterland was a good example of this. Loved it in the arcade, could have worked if the game had speed, but alas, no.


I only ever played this on a Sega Master System II, though I didn't think it was any faster than the CPC version, though I am going back to 1993 when I played it.


The game for me which needed more speed on a CPC was Mario Brothers. The Atari 2600 version blitzes it, I think the mistake Ocean made was making it Mode 1 instead of Mode 0. The 7800 version screenshot I've seen of it emphasises Colour.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 22:44, 14 November 15
Quote from: AMSDOS on 22:34, 14 November 15

I only ever played this on a Sega Master System II, though I didn't think it was any faster than the CPC version, though I am going back to 1993 when I played it.


SMS port was shockingly bad. It was rushed and it showed. It barely resembled it's arcade counterpart at all.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Gryzor on 17:20, 15 November 15
Ah, really enjoyed the video, and it was very well produced :) Of course I disagree with the selection to a large extend, but hey, we all do, always. So what. Thanks man!
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: dodogildo on 18:31, 15 November 15
Quote from: Gryzor on 17:20, 15 November 15
Of course I disagree with the selection to a large extend, but hey, we all do, always.


What about organizing a big poll of best CPC games in the forum?
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Gryzor on 18:33, 15 November 15
Quote from: dodogildo on 18:31, 15 November 15

What about organizing a big poll of best CPC games in the forum?


Ohhh man are you trying to start wwiii? :D
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: TotO on 11:36, 16 November 15
Quote from: dodogildo on 18:31, 15 November 15
What about organizing a big poll of best CPC games in the forum?
To see peoples voting for Gryzor, Renegade, Barbarian and Arkanoid?  :-\
It can't be objective, because most known few games and only let speak the nostalgia... The result will be the favorite game, not the best.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: MaV on 14:03, 16 November 15
Ok, here's my totally subjective list of top ten games for the CPC:

Starglider
Sorcery+
Head over Heels (or Batman)
Trantor
Dark Side (or Driller)
Get Dexter
Get Dexter 2 (Crafton & Xunk)
Spindizzy
Pirates!
Renegade

Needless to say, this list is subject to change as soon as I will take a look at it again (in a few hours, days.) :P

Also, notice that these are all games from the 80s, because everything was better then (and always will be by decree)! :P :P
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Gryzor on 16:06, 16 November 15

In no particular order (other than the order they came up in my head):

Gryzor
Krakout
Classic Aliens
Axiens
Chase H.Q.
Operation Wolf
Speed King
R-Type
Wonder Boy
Cyrus II Chess
Teenage Queen


So yeah, I did a small experiment here, and just wrote down the ten titles that came to mind first. Interesting...
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Bryce on 16:13, 16 November 15
"No particular order"?? And Gryzor is first in the list? Yeeeeaaaah sure! :D

Bryce.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Gryzor on 16:15, 16 November 15
Description amended.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 16:53, 16 November 15
In no order:


Chase HQ
Fantasy World Dizzy
Renegade
Nemesis (none of you expected THAT, did you?)
Strider
Batman, The Movie
Robocop
U.N. Squadron
Bruce Lee
Yie Ar Kung Fu

I just think all of the above are quite strong. Nemesis is still quite fast paced to this very day and often gets overlooked.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Gryzor on 16:55, 16 November 15
Ah!!!! Nemesis! Didn't think of that, though I had spent so much time on it. Or rather, should I say, staring at its lovely box art (yes, another one of my precious original packages).
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: dodogildo on 17:46, 16 November 15
The Island Of Dr. Destructo (*)
Ikari Warriors
Rick Dangerous 2
Nemesis
Renegade
Commando
Kane
Elite
Hitchhiker' Guide to the Galaxy
North and South

(*) this one had excellent two player action. I built my 2nd joystick kit just for this game, in 88  ;)
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Puresox on 20:44, 16 November 15
Quote from: Gryzor on 16:06, 16 November 15
In no particular order (other than the order they came up in my head):

Gryzor
Krakout
Classic Aliens
Axiens
Chase H.Q.
Operation Wolf
Speed King
R-Type
Wonder Boy
Cyrus II Chess
Teenage Queen


So yeah, I did a small experiment here, and just wrote down the ten titles that came to mind first. Interesting...
Wonderboy? Really. You enjoyed that version did you ?  That one is the only real shocker IMO the rest have there merits . Please don't be offended cos I question it . I have no problem, people like what they like.  Just surprises me.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Gryzor on 20:56, 16 November 15
Oh, but I don't consider these to be the best games. I did say they're the first that came to mind, which merely means they're the ones I spent the most time with or just stuck with me for some reason. It's strange indeed, especially since i never got far into the game, but as a kid I grew a soft spot for Wonderboy. That's all.


Otherwise I wouldn't consider Speed King or R-Type or Classic Aliens or Axiens among the best. As I said, just an experiment.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: dodogildo on 22:26, 16 November 15
But you wouldn't spend so much time with a game if at least it didn't have good playability or any other good qualities. So, apart from being experimental, those are your choices.. All good games ;)

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Gryzor on 06:57, 17 November 15
Not necessarily. A kid's mind works in mysterious ways :D For instance, I just expanded that 'first to come to mind list" to all platforms in my mind, and the first title that came to me was Joust on the 2600. A game that I absolutely hate, but it was the first time I saw a video game and a TV becoming interactive, so it stuck with me. I just... liked Wonderboy as a kid and look back to it fondly, but I do recognise it's not one of the CPC's best moments.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: Shaun M. Neary on 07:23, 17 November 15
I loved the CPC version of Wonder Boy. Granted it veered away from the arcade original, it still had it's charm. It was a large game that didn't require multiload and graphically was pretty decent for 87. Music got a bit annoying after a while but at least it could be toggled off.

I always found Rick Dangerous II over-rated. It was too big, and maybe I just ran out of patience but I don't think I could get past the second level. I might give it another try though.
Title: Re: Top Ten Amstrad CPC Games
Post by: villain on 07:59, 17 November 15
I start my list now:

Paperboy
Super Cycle
Pirates
Fruity Frank
P47
Megablasters (Multiplayer)

More will follow. Probably. :-)
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