Is It Retro Enough? Opinions Please

[MacDeath]

also wanted to add...
the mono-built-in-speaker is not really part of the Retro experience as well, I was so happy to have my CPC6128 plugged into a proper Hifi stereo as stapple rig...
You could really dig into a proper AY chiptune experience and CPC had terrific Basses (because only 1mhz mostly) and was true stereo of a kind.

[awergh]

As long as the Z80 is doing most of the work I see no problem with making a few enhancements.
I don't always want to load a tape and play on a GT64 but I'm also more than happy to do that when I want to as well.

Also (and this is just me), I prefer to try to make my expansions with as much "retro parts" as possible, ie: chips that existed back then and using methods / layout styles of the time too. However this is not always practicle or possible, especially when the expansion is offering something like USB / W-LAN or other complex ports that weren't around back then.

Do you mean theres no market for a CPC LAN expansion with AUI or 10Base2. 
I'm still hopeful for an ethernet LAN expansion as opposed to a W-LAN one day (I'ts just more convenient for me) but I suspect I'm in the minority here.
As long as its not 10Base5 or tokenring I'm sure that wouldn't be ideal 

[ukmarkh]

Nothing beats the original retro experience, but if hardware can help enhance that experience, with access instantly to thousands of applications, new and old, what's the harm.

[simondo]

Wow! What interesting reading this has made. I didn't think the topic would stoke up so much interest.


As someone has already said, excluding emulators, at the core of it all is the good old CPC. It's amazing to see the support & new technology that has grown up around it.


I love the 'fully retro set up' I described. It takes me back to when I could barely afford all these peripherals and there is something tactile about all the ribbons & cables hanging out the back. I also love the modding to get 3.5 drives going, and switchable operating systems etc.


Having said that, loading up games & programs from Hxc etc is going to make my gaming so much easier.


As another member stated 'each to there own'. I'm just glad there is so many of us enjoying the CPC so many years later in whatever combination of retro/new tech we choose to use.

[MacDeath]

To me the best experience was off course having a computer while being 6-8 years old...
up to now... (my CPC lasted from 6-8 years old into the 13-14 years old) also got an IBM PC (286 AT @12mhz EGA + HD disk drives and 640ko + mouse + HDD80megs (or 40megs ?) and so on, no sound cards anyway yeah)))) around 1990-1992

there every little details were as much improovment or extra new discovery of the joyce.

>> having a computer
>> cool new joysticks such as speedking or megaboards...
>> new games (any of them, wow it is free? thx discology).
>> going from 464 to 6128... (early as 1985-86, yeah)
>> plugging into some hifi to have proper Stereo experience with great basses...
>> more copied games on disk
>> having an old cable to plug the walkman into CPC and run tapes again, to find old games or a big 90 minutes tape full of games such as solomon's keys to copy and play again...
>> gettings hands on SidMeier's Pirates! (6128 exclusive) and learning that some games can get you to play so long that the night has passed out or that the CPC actually crashes (yeah, had to backup / save the game in progress)... 14 years old and full nights to play a game, ouch my live was never the same again and still is not...


thx CPC you opened my eyes to the "nolife" way of life even before internet ever existed.
Damn you lord sugar.

[Gryzor]

Like I said, I miss the tape loading noise for some odd reason, so for me that is part of the retro experience which I miss, it just goes to show you everyones opinions will be different.

I've said it many times myself, I *love* the tape loading sounds. But of course how could it be any different - I've listened to them thousands of times and some of my happiest memories are tied to them; it's like a Pavlovian reflex, after all.