AMSOFT

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The software wing of Amstrad, Amsoft was created with one very specific goal: to get software on the shelves for the launch of the CPC 464. Amstrad owner Alan Sugar viewed this as a key element in the succesful launch of the machine was determined not to make similar mistakes to the Dragon 32, Oric, Enterprise and dozens of other would be competitors to the BBC, ZX Spectrum and C64 and first and foremost amongst them was taking on successful brands with a large back catalogue of software.

To do this, Amsoft were given a very simple brief of getting as many games on to the shelves as possible to support the launch and first years of the machine's life, regardless of how good the programme was. The Amsoft priority in the early years was very much quantity over quality, famously refusing to bid for prestigious games like Elite because they could knock out a dozen other games for the price of buying the rights to that one game.

Strictly a third party publisher, Amsoft did no coding in house, instead franchising out to a number of other developers including Indescomp (who published the titles in Spain on behalf of Amsoft), Mr Micro and James Software to name only a few.

In this time the distinctively bright Amsoft branding did it's job and the early games sold well thanks to some savvy marketing and an eye for a good opportunity.

The earliest success for Amsoft, and it's biggest legacy, was the Roland series. Named after Roland Perry the character was used as the basis for a number of games none of which (with the exception of Roland in Time and Roland in Space had anything to do with each other! Instead, the Roland brand was added almost arbitrarily to a selection of games from different developers and despite the generally poor quality of these titles, they still sold by the bucket load!

As games became more advanced and the bigger companies like US Gold, Mikro-Gen and Ocean broke away from the Amsoft branding to publish for the machine under their own labels, Amsoft tried re-branding itself by introducing the Amsoft Gold label. Despite an encouraging start by re-releasing disk versions of Sorcery and Strangeloop (by adding the moniker '+' to both games and including additional areas of gameplay) not to mention a few good original titles like Doors of Doom, it became all too clear that Amsoft Gold had little or no distinction in terms of quality control from plain old Amsoft and the company was quietly disbanded, it's last releases Tapper and Hardball despite being potentially high-profile arcade ports, were sneaked out with little fanfare. Indeed the last game in development for the company, a conversion of the coin-op Spy Hunter, was never actually released by Amsoft, eventually being released on US Gold's budget label Kixx.

Games

This is a list of Amsoft games in chronological order.


Title House Year Soft N. UK Soft N. FR Soft N. SP
3D Boxing James Software 1985 06025 / 07025 46025 / 47025
3D Chess/Cyrus II Chess Intelligent Software 1985 06026 / 07026 - / 47026
3D Grand Prix Exopal Software 1985 961 / 1961 - / 41961
3D Invaders Quark Data 1985 136 436
3D Stunt Rider DJL Software 1985 183 / 1183 4183 / -
6128 Games Collection 1986
Admiral Graf Spee Temptation Software 1984 146 446
Airwolf Elite Systems 1985 06011 / 07011 - / 47011
Alex Higgins World Pool Gem Software 1985 964 / 1964
Alex Higgins World Snooker Gem Software 1985 978 / 1978 - / 41190
Alien Argus Press Software 1985 956 / 1956
Alien Break In Romik 1985 137 437
American Football Argus Press Software 1984 901
Amsgolf Computersmith 1984 185 / 1185 485 / 41185
Assault on Port Stanley Shirekilo 1985 06022 / 07022
Astro Attack Ian Beynon 1984 175
Atom Smasher Romik 1984 139
Beach Head US Gold/Access 1985 07001
Blagger Alligata Software 1984 926
Braxx Bluff Micromega 1985 955 / 1955
Bridge-It Epicsoft 1984 913
Catastrophes Andromeda Software 1985 934 / 1934 4934 / 41934
Centre Court Epicsoft 1984 921 / 1921
Classic Adventure Abersoft 1984 187
Classic Racing Paul Neil 1985 928 / 1928
Codename MAT Micromega 1984 129
Crazy Golf Mr. Micro 1984 149
Cubit Mr. Micro 1985 166
Cyrus II Chess/3D Chess Intelligent Software 1985 06026 / 07026 - / 47026
Detective Argus Press Software 1984 902 4902
Doors of Doom/Les Portes du Destin Gem Software 1985 06047 / 07047
Dragons/The Game of Dragons O. Goodman 1985 977 / 1977
Dragon's Gold Romik 1985 935 / 1935
Electro Freddy Softspot Software 1984 144 / 1144
Fantastic Voyage Edmonds Software 1985 984 / 1984
Frank 'n' Stein PSS Software 1985 907
Fruit Machine Paul Aitman 1984 919
Fu-Kung in Las Vegas Romik 1985 979 / 1979
Gatecrasher Exopal Software 1985 958
Gems of Stradus Kuma Computers 1985 121
Glen Hoddle Soccer Shirekilo 1985 06021 / 07021
Golden Path Magic Logic 1986 07055
Grand Prix Driver Britannia Software Ltd 1984 110
Grand Prix Rally II/Rally II Loriciels 1985 06012 / 07012
Hard Ball Accolade 1986 06063 / 07063
Harrier Attack Durell Software 1984 112 / 1112 412 / 41112
Haunted Hedges Micromega 1984 128
Home Runner Britannia Software Ltd 1984 109
Hunchback Ocean 1985 132 / 1132 432
Hunter Killer Protek Computing 1984 135 / 1135 435 / 41135
Jammin Taskset 1985 911 / 1911
Jet-Boot Jack English Software 1984 172
Laserwarp Micro-Gem Software 1984 126
Les Portes du Destin/Doors of Doom Gem Software 1985 06047 / 07047
Lords of Midnight Beyond software 957 / 1957
Macrocosmica Datacom 1986 06042 / 07042
Manic Miner Software Projects 1984 173
Master Chess Mikro-Gen 1984 125 425
Mr. Wong's Loopy Laundry Artic Computing 1984 923
Mutant Monty Artic Computing 1984 922 / 1922
Nuclear Defence James Software 1986 06031 / 07031
Oh Mummy Gem Software 1984 115
Punchy Mr. Micro 1985 150 / 1150 450 / 41150
Pyjamarama Micro-Gen 1984 943 / 1943
Qabbalah Gem Software 1986 06062 / 07062
Quack a Jack Paul Shirley 1984 181 / 1181 481 / 41181
Raid US Gold/Access 07002
Roland Ahoy! Computersmith 1984 192 / 1192
Roland goes Digging Gem Software 1984 169 / 1169
Roland goes Square Bashing Durrell Software 1984 937 / 1937
Roland in Space Gem Software 1985 927 / 1927
Roland in the Caves Indescomp 1984 117 / 1117
Roland in Time Gem Software 1984 170 / 1170 470 / 41170
Roland on the Ropes Indescomp 1984 118 / 1118 418 / 41118
Roland on the Run Epicsoft 1984 199 / 1199
Satellite Warrior D. M. Lock 1985 949 / 1949
Scalextric 1984
Snooker Gem Software 1984 190
Sorcery + Virgin Games 1985 1983 41983
Space Hawks Durell Software 1984 177 / 1177
Spannerman Gem Software 1984 114 / 1114
Spitfire 40 Mirrorsoft 07052
Splat! Incentive Software 1984 909
Star Commando Terminal Software 1984 147
Stockmarket Argus Press Software 1985 903
Strangeloop + Virgin Games 1985 07058
Subterranean Stryker Insight Software 1985 06010 / 07010
Sultan's Maze Gem Software 1984 113
Super Pipeline II Taskset 1985 987 / 1987
Tank Command Magic Logic 1986 06023 / 07023
Tapper Bally Midway/Sega 1984 06007 / 07007
The Galactic Plague Indescomp 1984 196
The Key Factor Paul Aitman 1985 975
The Prize Arcade Software 1985 952
The Scout Steps Out H.R. Software 1985 988 / - - / 41988
Tombstowne Premier Software 1985 06040 / 07040
Traffic Andromeda Software 1985 929 / 1929

Educational Software


Title House Year Soft N. UK
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral Bourne Educational Software 1984 104
Happy Letters / Les Lettres Magiques Bourne Educational Software 1984 105 / 1105
Happy Numbers / Les Chiffres Magiques Bourne Educational Software 1984 102 / 1102
Happy Writing / L'Ardoise Magique Bourne Educational Software 1984 106 / 1106
Map Rally Bourne Educational Software 1984 148 / 1148
Osprey! Bourne Educational Software 1984 947 / 1947
Pitman Typing Tutor Pitman Publishing 1984 924 / 1924
Star Watcher Triptych Publishing 1984 915 / 1915
Teach Yourself Amstrad Basic - A Tutorial Guide - Part I Amsoft 1984 111
Timeman One / L'Horloger 1 Bourne Educational Software 1984 107 / 1107
Timeman Two / L'Horloger 2 Bourne Educational Software 1984 108 / 1108
Wordhang / Le Pendu Bourne Educational Software 1984 101 / 1101
World - Wise Bourne Educational Software 1984 103 / 1103
Xanagrams Dean Software 1984 133

Utilities

Title House Year Language:english Soft N. Language:spanish Soft N. Language:german Soft N. Language:french Soft N.
Amsbase S-501
Ams Calc Saxon Computing 1984 153 S-153 253 453
Amsdraw AMC-703
Amstest 06017
Amsword Tasman Software 1984 164 / 1164 S-164
Cashbook Accounts Saxon Computing 07014
Decision Maker Triptych Publishing 918 / 1918
DFM Database + Labels Dialog Software 941 / 1941
Easi-Amscalc Saxon Computing 1984 153 S-153 253 453
Easi-Amsword Juniper Computing 1984 154 S-154 / AMC-502 254
Easy-Topcalc Saxon Computing 1984 153 S-153 253 453
Easy-Topword Juniper Computing 1984 154 S-154 / AMC-502 254
Entrepreneur Triptych Publishing 917/1917
Forth Abersoft 188 / 1188 AMC-705
Hisoft Devpac Hisoft 1984 116 / 1116 S-116
Hisoft Pascal 4T Hisoft 1984 155 / 1155 S-155
Home Accounts Manager DJL Software 942 / 1942
Invostat Dialog Software 1984 939 / 1939
Mastercalc Campbell Systems 1985 905 / 1905 AMC-510
Masterfile 464 Campbell Systems 1984 914 / 07060
Microfile / Microword Saxon Computing 07053
Micrograph Saxon Computing 1014
Micropen Intelligence 1011
Microscript Intelligence 1010
Microspread Saxon Computing 1012
Procesador de Texto Juniper Computing 1984 154 S-154 / AMC-502 254
Project Planner Triptych Publishing 916 / 1916
Screen Designer DJL Software 197 / 1197
Shape and Sound Gem Software 06037 / 07037
Stock-Aid Dialog Software 940 / 1940
Transact Dialog Software 938 / 1938

Storage / Media

Links