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#1

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Memorable CPC game intros ...

Last post by dodogildo - Today at 14:48

And I remember the games from Bollaware:

- Back Land
- FresFighter

Wow both are great!! 

#2

A

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Memorable CPC game intros ...

Last post by andycadley - Today at 14:29

After The War was mentioned, however it's awesome intro was not included in the 64k version.
Chase HQ's speech was somehow made to work on 64k on the GX4000 conversion, but certainly was absent on the tape version. Maybe it worked on 64k disk with the extra storage, I dunno...

Most 128K games are just using the extra 64K to store static data. That's not really an issue on the GX, since you can just keep it in ROM on the cart and access it from there. So there is rarely any reason for a GX game not to just match (or exceed) the 128K version, aside from the need to update the code to access ROM rather than RAM (which is the stumbling point with most modern CPR conversions)

#3

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Memorable CPC game intros ...

Last post by lmimmfn - Today at 14:21

Trantor has a great intro sequence.
After the loading screen appears, the game says "Trantor, the last stormtrooper" using some pretty good speech.
Then after the game finally loads, there is a great sequence of Trantor's ship descending to the planet's surface (accompanied by some nice music), and suddenly exploding/disintegrating as he dives to safety.
After this the letters of PROBE Software's logo bounce up and down beautifully.
When you FINALLY get to the game's main menu, one of my favourite pieces of music in a CPC game is played.

It's a fantastic intro sequence.
The only downside is that it takes longer than it should to get to the actual game!
(Maybe that's not such a bad thing, considering how short the game is!)

Thanks for posting! Trantor was my first thought too. 
And I remember the games from Bollaware:
- Back Land
- FresFighter


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzqlNuZJZSU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh0XrLhHiUg

Very nice, i must say Back Land intro which i didnt see before is very impressive especially with the length of it and looks like the zooming is realtime calculated vs pre-calculated.

#4

General Discussion - Introductions / Re: Memorable CPC game intros ...

Last post by GUNHED - Today at 13:54

Trantor has a great intro sequence.
After the loading screen appears, the game says "Trantor, the last stormtrooper" using some pretty good speech.
Then after the game finally loads, there is a great sequence of Trantor's ship descending to the planet's surface (accompanied by some nice music), and suddenly exploding/disintegrating as he dives to safety.
After this the letters of PROBE Software's logo bounce up and down beautifully.
When you FINALLY get to the game's main menu, one of my favourite pieces of music in a CPC game is played.

It's a fantastic intro sequence.
The only downside is that it takes longer than it should to get to the actual game!
(Maybe that's not such a bad thing, considering how short the game is!)

Thanks for posting! Trantor was my first thought too. 
And I remember the games from Bollaware:
- Back Land
- FresFighter


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzqlNuZJZSU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh0XrLhHiUg

#5

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: EME-101 Cumana Drive on Eb...

Last post by GUNHED - Today at 13:52

Never seen an EME-101 before...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/135047634465

Cumana was well known back the day in Germany at least.

But that one on ebay seems to be the thing out of the swamp. 

#6

Amstrad CPC hardware / Re: I found it. My DIY hardwar...

Last post by GUNHED - Today at 13:47

I had a diagram for ST mouse from a German magazine. It needed two small chips, each with two NOT gates, but they were probably too slow because CPC checked state of directions so often that it checked each pulse twice before it disappeared, so it moved pointer every 2 pixels instead of every 1. And that was disappointing.

That sounds like a software problem. Not an hardware issue.
It's just more easy for the software to move the pointer 2 pixels each.

#7

Applications (CPC and CPC-related) / Re: HDCPM - boot and run CP/M ...

Last post by GUNHED - Today at 13:45

Interesting! I don't know, but has been CP/M prepared in the past for such kind of things (mounting activities) or did you change something?

CP/M Plus natively supports devices up to 16 MB. In addition it's the only native CPC OS which allows to use the full power of the Z80 - means use 2nd register set. This can speed up applications up to 30%-40% compared to a Z80 which does waste the 2nd register set for f.e. interrupt handling like the native OS (you see, they worked on 8080 before). Since CP/M 2.2 is using the Firmware as BIOS it also doesn't allow to use the genius 2nd register set sadly.

#8

News & Events / Re: Release of Amstrad Cpc Crt...

Last post by GUNHED - Today at 13:32

Thank you very much! Always good to have a real CRTC documentation! 

#9

News & Events / Re: AMSTEAM: WIP game streamin...

Last post by GUNHED - Today at 13:27

Theoretically it is compatible with the X-MEM software with little adjust, just before and after writting, commands for unprotect and protect the flash must be issued via OUT (operation which is done by moving a switch in the X-MEM if I'm not wrong). Anyway, I can send you the source code. Right now I'm working in a |FLASH,"filename.rom",slot command which is installed by running a program from disk and has same parameters than the one used by the X-MEM, so from BASIC there is no difference. I'll send you a PM with the sources when they are finished and tested.

Ah great! X-MEM compatibility is a very nice and decent feature! 

Can you please test if ROManager (2.4.6 from 2024) for FutureOS does work with it?
All you need to do is to start ROMananger with your Flash-Box connected. It should show 'Device: X-MEM' in the upper middle of the screen.

Also, can you please try if FutureOS installs correctly when using 'Install to X-MEM'?

In both cases the software protection of the Flash Chip will be used to have everything save...

If it doesn't work then I'm willing to receive your source code and add support to all my software for your Flash-ROM - if you like. 

[Compendium (v1.8, 288 pages)]

#10

News & Events / Re: Release of Amstrad Cpc Crt...

Last post by Longshot - Today at 13:17

Hello,

A new version of the Compendium (v1.8, 288 pages) is available here:
http://logonsystem.eu/html/engdownloadlogon.htm

The Shakerland portal will be updated soon.
https://shaker.logonsystem.eu/

@SerErris :
I think I have accurately specified the number of the T cycle in an M cycle but I did not go into detail about the M cycles of the Z80A (I use the same references)
I also explain that the Opcode Fetch is done during M1 a little before when I describe the opcode fetch.
The cycle indicated TW in the IO REQ is the 3rd of cycle T of cycle M, even if T3 in the nomenclature is the 4th.
Even if the objective of the document is not to further describe the internal workings of the Z80A, I thank you for the precision and I have clarified the cycle number M.
What is this project you are currently working on regarding Vortex?

@Wanderer : Thks