Hong Kong Phooey (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Richard Morton, Dave Thompson
Publisher: Hi-Tec Software
Released: 1990

Hong Kong Phooey is an action-platformer that was also released on the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

Your task is to navigate a deserted Docklands warehouse in search of Baron Von Bankjob, who has escaped from jail. To defeat his army of thugs you can use punches and flying kicks, while the platforming segments can be negotiated by holding the fire button + diagonally-Up for a long jump. As a whole, the level design is good with an intricate layout that forces you to explore its rather sizeable scope. Plenty of tricky platforming challenges are available to test your skills, such as manoeuvring on a travelator before leaping over toxic waste, and there's even a section where barrels rain down as you try to climb upwards that's reminiscent of Donkey Kong! (1981, Arcades). However, it's not without its problems. For example, after heading downwards for a good few minutes to start the game it then forces you to backtrack to the very beginning in order to hit a switch; it's unnecessary and puts a temporary halt to the action and level progression. There's also a blind leap of faith at the end of the game, and unless you know to hold a certain direction on your descent you'll fall into an inescapable hole with no way out... a very cheap way to 'encourage' replayability! Although the developers did the best they could given the lack of available joystick buttons, the controls are a little clumsy and the need to press a button and then hold diagonally-Up to leap greater distances can lead to inaccuracy; it's certainly not game-breaking and you can adjust to a degree, but there will be times where you'll take unfair damage. The atmosphere does fall flat without music and only limited SFX, but the graphics and animation (especially when Phooey walks) are superb.

Hong Kong Phooey is filled with untapped potential and its unfortunate control issues rear their ugly head far too often throughout the adventure. The level design does have some bright spots though and if you're a patient gamer who can look past the rather wonky inputs you might get some enjoyment out of this one.

Random trivia: The 16-bit Amiga and Atari ST versions allow you to choose between music or SFX.

GFL Championship Football (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Gamestar
Publisher: Activision
Released: 1987

GFL Championship Football is an American Football game that was first released on the Commodore 64 in 1986. 

It adopts an innovative first-person perspective and allows you to compete against either the computer or a friend. There's 28 teams and you can choose to play for either 4 or 7 minute quarters. On Offense, you control either a Receiver (pass plays) or Tailback (running plays); once the ball is snapped, on-screen arrows point you towards your assigned area in order to catch the ball or rush between tacklers. The ability to audible is advanced for the time, but the most impressive feature is the large number of plays on offer that include long/short passes, sweeps, draws and traps. The gameplay is certainly more of a simulation, as (for example) post routes require you to listen for audible clues such as taking six optimum steps forward before breaking off; this is actually quite a fun mechanic and tasks you with learning complete accuracy and skill to run routes most effectively. Defense is where the game disappoints, as you can only call the plays and have no control over what happens on the field. This results in a pure coaching role, but at least there's still tons of options, such as calling blitzes, safety rolls and nickel formations. Special Teams consists of the usual kickoffs, punts and field goals, with maximum distance earned by pushing the joystick button as soon as the ball hits the kicker's foot; again, there's not much input here, but the ability to control distance through perfect timing is enjoyable. The biggest bugbear is the play calling screen, as the controls are reversed (e.g. down is up, up is down) when selecting a play from the vertically displayed list; it's easy to get confused, and the strange, lengthy delay between selecting a play and getting back into the action is tedious.

GFL Championship Football is an unusual American Football game, but despite the presentation quirks and lack of Quarterback control, it works surprisingly well. The deep play choices, ease-of-use and immersive camera angle lead to a fun and unique gaming experience that's very technically advanced for its time.

Random trivia: The game was also ported to the ZX Spectrum in 1987.

Dick Tracy (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Titus

Publisher: Titus

Released: 1990

 

Dick Tracy is an action game that was re-released on the Amstrad GX4000 in 1991 with various enhancements.

 

There's five stages and your mission is to investigate the disappearance of Lips Manlis, an underworld boss and owner of The Ritz nightclub. Your primary attack is a punch, but ammo can be collected for either a Pistol or Machine Gun. Unfortunately, the gameplay features a few strange bugs, namely that you can't be shot while crouching, which makes the otherwise tough window snipers a breeze! Likewise, you can use the same tactic on incoming enemies as they'll happily walk past you when you're kneeling. The frame-rate is all over the place and sometimes you can't hit an incoming enemy if your sprite overlaps with an already downed opponent! Instead of the smooth scrolling on the GX4000 port, this version flicks between screens once you reach the right-hand edge; while this is understandable given the hardware limitations it does present some problems. Firstly, when entering a new screen you'll frequently be shot before you even have chance to react. Similarly, during Stage 4's rooftop platforming the poor level design means you can straight fall off a building edge as soon as the screen flicks! As a result, you have to jump before the previous screen ends and if you're not pixel perfect you'll immediately be shot and slide backwards to your death. The worst bug occurs in the same stage, as halfway through the jump button becomes unreliable and it's pot-luck as to whether you actually leap over a gap or accidentally walk over the edge. At the end of each stage is a boss battle, but they all stand motionless and can easily be defeated with a quick barrage of gunfire. On a positive note, this version does have an ending screen which is lacking in the GX4000 port.

 

Dick Tracy has various technical problems, ranging from glitches that reduce the gameplay challenge and bizarre bugs that cause ample cheap deaths. My advice is to pick up the GX4000 version instead, as despite some similar flaws it has numerous refinements that make it a much more enjoyable game.

 

 

 

Random trivia: Perhaps the most well-known Amstrad CPC games from Titus are Crazy Cars (1988), Prehistorik (1991) and Titus the Fox (1992).

Wild Streets (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Titus

Publisher: Titus

Released: 1989

 

Wild Streets is a beat-em-up that was later ported to the Amstrad GX4000 console (1990).

 

There's five levels and your job is to take down the organised crime gangs and rescue John Steven, head of the C.I.A. The fire button in conjunction with a d-pad direction allows for various attacks (such as kicks, punches and head butts) and you can also use your 357 Magnum gun (six bullets per level). By your side is a panther called Black Virgin that works independently to fight bad guys. The multi-use d-pad attacks work in a similar fashion to Ninja (1986, Atari 8-bit) and while the controls are fairly responsive they suffer from dodgy collision detection where your fist will clearly overlap with an opponent's sprite. The A.I. is atrocious and most of the time they prefer to punch thin air or stare into space! When you are actually taking a beating, your panther is useless and never seems to react. Enemies constantly respawn anyway so the best method is to exit the right-hand-side of the screen as quickly as possible. The easiest way is to avoid combat entirely by jumping over their heads but in some levels they also have no issue with you walking right past them! These are both cheap techniques but there's really no benefit in hanging around! At the tenth screen of every level you face a boss who must be defeated to progress. Due to the lack of combat so far you can easily defeat them by firing your unused gun; however, activating it is an exercise in frustration as it only works intermittently. Once you've rescued John Steven (who has no walking animation by the way!) you must then protect him by heading back through every single screen in the game; it's a mundane mission and this unnecessary repetition seems like an artificial way to extend the game's short length.

 

Wild Streets has zero redeeming qualities and there's nothing here that's even remotely entertaining or challenging. It's littered with inexcusable bugs and the glaring gameplay issues and broken combat system show that it wasn't play-tested prior to release.

 

 

 

Random trivia: This version at least has an ending screen which is lacking in the GX4000 port.

3D Stunt Rider (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: DJL Software

Publisher: Amsoft

Released: 1985

 

3D Stunt Rider is an extreme sports game that's exclusive to the Amstrad CPC.

 

As a daredevil biker, your job is to set a new world record by leaping over London buses. There's an increasing number of buses to jump and the opening scene takes place in a P.O.V. perspective, with the fire button accelerating, and Up and Down controlling wind resistance. You must also adjust for the side wind and aim for the centre of the ramp to avoid crashing into a bus. If successful, the action then moves to a side-on view and leaning back at the top of the ramp gives you an even greater height and distance. With the bike in the air it now needs to be carefully controlled to ensure the wheels land perpendicular to the road; a safe landing earns you 100 points for each bus cleared, but experts can net an additional 1,000 point bonus by landing on the down ramp. As you set off, the first-person viewpoint is spectacular with responsive controls, neat scaling effects and an impressive sense of speed. While the graphics are lacking in detail I love how your rider's hand is animated when he changes gear! Controlling the bike in mid-air is intense and it's enjoyable tussling to land it at the correct angle. Doing so is satisfying but landing on the down ramp for bonus points is seemingly impossible due to the exact timing, speed and control it requires. An obvious feature that's missing is yard markers during a jump; this could have worked similar to the javelin event in Track and Field (1983, Arcades) to challenge you to try and beat your previous best distance. As a whole, the action is okay in short bursts, but after a handful of levels you find yourself repeating the same thing with the strengthening wind acting as the only additional gameplay mechanic.

 

3D Stunt Rider is an above-average sports title and its mini-game style simplicity makes it easy to pick-up-and-play. While there's no extra modes or options to sink your teeth into, what's here is fun and you'll likely find yourself booting it up for an occasional ten minute blast.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game also features speech if an Amstrad SSA-1 Speech Synthesizer is plugged into your CPC.

Trashman (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: New Generation Software

Publisher: Virgin Games Ltd

Released: 1986

 

Trashman is an action game that was also released on the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

 

The challenge is to empty all the bins from each road into a dustcart and return them to their original spot. To make things more difficult you must also avoid cars, as failing to do so results in an instant Game Over. An important part of the gameplay is your ever-decreasing bonus score which needs to be topped up by completing tasks set by local residents; these simply involve entering their house once you've emptied their bin. However, accidentally walking on their grass rapidly depletes your score, ruins your chance of getting a bonus from them, and puts you at risk of being bitten by a dog, causing you to limp! If the score runs out completely you lose one of your three attempts to avoid being fired. Parts of the gameplay remind me of Freeway (1981, Atari 2600) but without the smooth controls. For example, there's a split-second delay in inputs registering which can cause you to overshoot your intended pathway and end up on the grass, or worse yet, in the direct line of a vehicle. Your binman also moves sluggishly and it's difficult to avoid speeding cars as they're too fast and you have little time to react. The most criminal control issue though is that your bin-man sometimes takes another step forward despite you clearly pressing back to dodge a collision; it's utterly ridiculous and makes success reliant on luck as much as skill. The action is also repetitive with no additional hazards or street scenery to break things up as you progress. The game does have a good sense of humour but many of the jokes are repeated and bizarrely focus around the ZX Spectrum computer. Speaking of which, the graphics are ported straight from the Speccie and look appalling.

 

Trashman is plagued with dodgy controls and a lack of gameplay prowess to back up its neat core idea. It's also a lazy port with no attempt to take advantage of the CPC's enhanced colour pallete, and unless you have some deep-rooted nostalgia for the game it really can't be recommended.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The next game in the franchise was called Travel with Trashman (1986, Amstrad CPC).

Rollaround (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Mr Chip Software

Publisher: Mastertronic

Released: 1988

Rollaround is an isometric action-puzzler that was also released on the Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

 

The object is to acquire crosses while avoiding aliens, death traps and the ever-decreasing time limit. These crosses come in different colours and you must only obtain the correct amount in each level, the requirements of which are displayed at the top of the screen. Controlling the ball requires precision, as a slight misstep will push it over the edge, squandering one of your ten lives. The aliens have unique abilities, including some that home in on your direction, and others that create holes in the floor. To help, you have the ability to jump which comes in handy for quick escapes. Being used to Marble Madness (1984, Arcades), the controls here are finicky, mainly because your movements are 'block-by-block' based rather than relying on rolling momentum; therefore, it's easy to accidentally overshoot a platform and fall to your death. It's possible to adjust after extended play but rarely was I comfortable due to constant overthinking. The game can be cheap and it's possible to legitimately die by touching an enemy, only to repeatedly respawn on top of them until all your lives are depleted. It's infuriating, especially in the later levels where you're desperately trying to conserve balls. I also didn't like that some levels offer you no grace period when they begin, meaning enemies swarm in while you're trying to see which coloured crosses are required. However, it has a maddeningly addictive quality and the short level lengths result in a 'just one more go' mentality that provides the main hook for the player. Completing a level is satisfying and the fact that new enemies and mechanics are slowly introduced keeps you motivated.

 

With a few tweaks to the controls and gameplay options Rollaround could have been a real gem in the Amstrad CPC library. It's certainly addictive, but ends up being too punishing for its own good, and the constant need to wrestle with the inputs dampens any initial enthusiasm you might have.

 

 

 

Random trivia: In 1988, Mr Chip Software changed its company name to Magnetic Fields (Software Design) Ltd.

Postman Pat 3 (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Alternative Software

Publisher: Alternative Software

Released: 1992

 

Postman Pat 3 is an action game that was also released on the Commodore Amiga, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

 

Your job is to drive around Pencaster and deliver all the telephone directories within five days. To do this, you simply throw them at houses marked with a numbered doormat, while avoiding obstacles such as cyclists and road works; if you crash too many times your damage metre fills up and it's Game Over. You can also meet the same fate by taking too long, running out of petrol (refuelling at the garage is essential) or by missing multiple deliveries. It clearly takes inspiration from Paperboy (1985, Arcades) but adopts a top-down perspective instead. There's both Easy and Hard modes, and the former is (as you would expect) not very challenging, as you can pretty much stick to the left side of the road to avoid everything. The slow gameplay never excites and feels more like a leisurely, scenic drive than an action-packed adventure. Each of the five working days is exactly the same so once you've memorised spawn patterns the whole game is a breeze; not that it's worth it anyway as there's no ending screen to reward you for your hard work! The Hard mode introduces more obstacles and speedier drivers that constantly try to crash into your vehicle. It does make things moderately entertaining, but even then the simple spawn patterns and mundane action force you to lose interest rather quickly. The controls can't be faulted as they work perfectly and offer a great level of precision for quick-second movements. The hit detection is good too and you'll never miss a delivery throw to anything other than bad aim. There's a competent version of the theme tune, but there's no option to turn it off and it has some weird speed issues during gameplay!

 

Postman Pat 3 is a mediocre title that you'll most likely play once and then never touch again. It does have a few bright spots and shows some initial promise, but ultimately the desperately sluggish gameplay combined with repetitive level design is never a good formula for an enjoyable action game.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The next game in the franchise wouldn't appear until 2007 when Postman Pat and the Greendale Rocket was released on the Game Boy Advance.

Autocras (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Diabolic

Publisher: Zigurat Software

Released: 1991

Autocras is a bumper cars style game that was also released on the ZX Spectrum (1991).

The objective is to build up speed, hit your opponents' car hard enough so they eject, and then run them over as they attempt to enter another vehicle. The velocity of all vehicles on the track is displayed in the top-right and each time you're ejected you lose one of your six lives; however, being run over by another player while on-foot results in an instant Game Over. While the core concept is repetitive, there's some nice variety as you progress; for example, in some levels you need to target cars in a certain order (highlighted by an arrow over the necessary opponents' vehicle), while others task you with avoiding deadly electric generators around the outside of the track. The gameplay initially disappoints due to the choppy frame-rate, and the fact that your vehicle accelerates slowly. However, there's still lots of fun to be had and splatting an enemy as they desperately try to run away is always satisfying! Being able to see your opponents' speed adds a great deal of tension too, as it forces you into evade or stalk mode depending on how fast you're currently travelling in comparison. The developer did miss a trick though, as all 13 levels look the same apart from a palette swap on the floor; it's a shame more inventive tracks and environmental hazards weren't included to spice up the gameplay more. The most obvious thing missing from the game is a two-player death-match option; this would have been an absolute blast and the competitive nature of friends trying to run each other over holds a lot of wild promise! The graphical style is quite garish but I love the scaling effect when a driver is ejected and launches towards the screen!

 

Autocras is a fantastic concept that's fairly well executed and a modern day update with online play would be brilliant. While it does feel a bit half-baked (possibly due to the system's memory limitations), there's still just enough content here to keep you occupied for 30 minutes of mindless fun.

 

 

 

Random trivia: Diabolic also developed Formula 1 Simulator on the ZX Spectrum in 1991.

Ninja (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Icon Design

Publisher: Entertainment USA

Released: 1987

 

Ninja is a multi-screen action game that was released on various 8 and 16-bit home computers.

 

Your mission is to travel through the Palace of Death, collect the seven idols and return to the opening screen. The door to the seventh idol only opens when you have the first six and their locations vary on each play-through, which enhances replayability. By pressing anywhere on the d-pad while holding fire your ninja can execute attacks such as punches and flying kicks. When you start the game, you're equipped with a Samurai sword, but you can pick up spinning death-stars and throwing daggers along the way (up to three of any combination at once). Being familiar with the other ports of Ninja, I was immediately struck by the weird frame-rate issues, as your ninja moves way too fast when not engaged in combat, and then slows down rapidly when an enemy appears. During combat, the collision detection is spotty to say the least, and your sprite pretty much needs to be overlapping your opponent to even register a hit; this makes it pot-luck as to whether you make contact or take damage, and there's no consistency to the outcome. I also didn't like how throwing all three death-stars rarely results in your opponent's life-bar being completely drained (unlike other 8-bit ports), meaning using the hit-and-miss close range attacks is unavoidable. To top it off, the death-stars and daggers sometimes appear at the very edge of the screen, making them impossible to collect due to your character exiting to the next scene! All of these technical issues result in a game that's much harder than the other 8-bit computer ports, for all the wrong reasons. There's also no music during gameplay so the action has little atmosphere compared to the Atari 8-bit version. The only real competent part of the game is the decent looking sprite animation.

 

Ninja on the Amstrad CPC is full of programming errors and the fact that it doesn't always follow the original source material is weak. Playing this port will give you the wrong impression of the game so do yourself a massive favour and stick to the superior Atari 8-bit version (developed by Sculptured Software instead).

 

 

 

Random trivia: An Arcade version of the game was released in 1987 under the title Ninja Mission.

Gryzor (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: John Brandwood

Publisher: Ocean Software

Released: 1988

Gryzor is a run 'n' gun game that was originally released in the Arcades as Contra (1987).

It supports 1 or 2 players (turn based, not co-op) and your objective is to stop an alien race from taking over the world. Your Pea Shooter is always available but you can pick up a number of automatic weapons such as a Laser, Fireball and Spread Gun. One downside is that the screen doesn't scroll in the horizontal stages and instead there's static screens that change once you reach the right-hand edge. It's not a huge problem but it can be a bit jarring as it leaves you with less time to react to enemies. Considering the lack of buttons available the controls have been ported across well; movement and shooting feels responsive and you can fire diagonally which helps to clear enemies on lower / higher platforms. However, you can't jump and fire straight downwards which can cause issues in later levels. The variety in the Arcade original was outstanding and it's pleasing to see that almost everything has made the transition to the CPC; in fact, the only parts I noticed were missing were the Snow level and the section in Hangar where mine carts appear. Even the Waterfall stage is here and the screen orientation changes to portrait mode for some smooth vertical scrolling. The 3D corridor battles are amazing with great sprite scaling when your character moves towards the next area. The bosses are gigantic and play exactly the same as in the Arcades. The game is tough and requires memorisation but the shooting action is so satisfying that it makes you want to keep progressing. 6128 users can load the entire game into memory but unfortunately you have to choose between SFX or music and the main theme isn't even present. The graphics look fantastic though with rich, vivid colours and tons of detail in the backgrounds.

Gryzor is an impressive conversion of the Arcade classic and it's a credit to the developers that they managed to cram so much in. While it's not the longest game in the world it's very addictive and the diverse gameplay styles ensure that the action never gets boring.

Random trivia: The ending in this version is bizarre as you're congratulated before being told that by defeating the final boss you've activated a self-destruct mechanism that destroyed the entire planet!

Prehistorik 2 (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Titus Interactive
Publisher: Titus Interactive
Released: 1993

Prehistorik 2 is a platform game and one of the final titles to be released on the Amstrad CPC.

The premise is simple and sees you playing the role of a caveman on the hunt for food. Your main weapon is a Club but you can access a Big Hammer (powerful but slow), an Axe (projectile but doesn't do much damage) and a Big Swirling Axe (most powerful but very slow). You start off with four lives and the heart counter in the bottom-right shows how many hits you can take before losing one. In an amusing twist whenever you take damage and then defeat that enemy six bones fly out into the scenery; if you quickly collect them all you'll gain a heart back! Although jumping is a bit floaty the platforming action is solid with large levels, a wide range of enemies and smooth scrolling. You're encouraged to explore your surroundings as there's level warps and tons of hidden rooms. I really liked that you can hold the Fire button to repeatedly use your weapon and that it can be swung Up or Down depending on enemy locations. Later in the game bottomless pits are everywhere and some parts are annoyingly maze-like but there are some cool moments like the underground pit where you ride moving platforms while fending off bad guys. The graphics look astonishing and really push the humble CPC to its limit; however, it does come at a cost as there's tons of slowdown when too many enemies are on screen. While it's not a huge problem it does make the controls a bit sticky and occasionally unresponsive. There's a couple of bosses spread throughout the game and although their patterns are simple they have impressive looking sprites and are enjoyable to fight. There's only one music track and while it's good it resets every time you enter a new location or cave making it very repetitive.

Prehistorik 2 has a few technical issues but thankfully they don't mar the game too much and it's still a top notch platformer. The action is fantastic with just the right level of challenge and overall it's a fitting swansong for Amstrad's 8-bit machine.

Random trivia: The game was also released on DOS in 1993 and was later ported to the Game Boy in 1996 as Prehistorik Man.

3D Grand Prix (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Exopal Software
Publisher: Amsoft
Released: 1985

3D Grand Prix is a racing game that was also released on the Super Sport II compilation.

Eight real-world tracks are on offer that take place at Zandvoort, Silverstone, Anderstorp, Jarama, Roeun, Brands Hatch, Kyalami and Mosport. Each consists of three laps and you must finish in third place or better to move onto the next race. To accelerate and brake you simply use Up / Down on the joystick, while the fire button changes gears. The game is more of a simulation than an arcade take on the sport and the amount of realism is stunning. Going round a corner too fast will see your controls locked as you skid off the track and eventually come to a halt. The 3D first-person viewpoint looks amazing for the time and the action moves along at a brisk pace. It's all very impressive and little details such as a moving steering wheel and tires that roll with the scenery are all present. There's a nice scaling effect with the cars and scenery and it's even replicated in your wing mirrors. It does take a bit too long to complete a singular lap but the racing is fun and engaging. The tracks are unique and well represented graphically but they're incredibly narrow which makes passing the bulky cars in front of you a real challenge. This certainly adds realism but it can lead to frustration as there are limited straights in each track where you can just speed past them on the outside. The handy wing mirrors do help here though and the key is to use them to see whether you've passed an opponent before heading into a corner, otherwise you'll crash into them. In the first few races crashing isn't a big issue but in later tracks it can seriously hinder you as it's tough to catch up with your speedy opponents. The challenge is fair though and increases steadily so it's possible to see a few of the tracks on your first go.

3D Grand Prix is a technical masterpiece with some solid gameplay to back up the visuals. It's still very playable today and although I'm not usually a fan of racing simulations this one is enjoyable with just the right level of challenge.

Random trivia: Exopal Software also developed another game for the Amstrad CPC that was published by Amsoft in 1985; it was a strategy title called Gatecrasher.

Shinobi (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Binary Design
Publisher: The Sales Curve
Released: 1989

Shinobi is a port of the arcade classic which was released alongside many other versions for European home computers.

Unlike the PC Engine port this Amstrad CPC 464 version includes almost every stage from the arcade original. Even more impressive is that it features the first person bonus stage that wasn't available on the Japanese console! The levels are shorter but they're very faithful and you'll see many familiar features such as the picture of Marilyn Monroe in the second Ken Oh stage. The scrolling is a bit jerky and the screens can sometimes take a while to move ahead. A lot of the animation has also been stripped so once you beat the bosses the 'Round Clear' message will pop up without seeing them explode or fall to the ground. The bosses aren't too tough apart from the Mandara statues as the time limit is way too short. One of my main criticisms of the game is that you can't jump directly from a standing position; instead, you always take a step forward before jumping meaning you'll fall off ledges unless you factor this in. As a result it's difficult to make quick second reactions, especially in the Lobster stages which are full of tough enemies and tricky platforming. The most disappointing thing about this port is that the final boss doesn't actually appear - imagine working your way through the game, learning attack patterns in repeated playthroughs and finally reaching the end of the Masked Ninja stages only to be greeted with a congratulations screen without seeing the main protagonist! This is a massive oversight whether it was through lack of time or memory restrictions and it leaves an emptiness to the whole experience. There's no music or SFX in the 64K version but this is pretty standard due to memory limitations. The graphics are okay but tend to look a bit washed out and muddy.

To be fair, this Amstrad CPC port plays a lot like Shinobi and is reasonably fun to play. It's easy to say that it just needed a few tweaks but in reality most of its issues are probably due to the limitations of the underpowered 464.

Random trivia: The game's code features a hidden rant by developer Richard Aplin where he discusses some of the challenges he faced while working on the CPC conversions of Shinobi and Double Dragon!

Turbo the Tortoise (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Visual Impact
Publisher: Hi-Tec Software
Released: 1992

Turbo the Tortoise is a side-scrolling platform game that was released towards the end of the Amstrad CPC's life.

The game consists of six zones that take you through periods such as the Ice Age, Medieval Times and The Future. You work your way from left-to-right while jumping on enemies, leaping across platforms and avoiding the many obstacles in each level. The gameplay reminds me a lot of Yogi's Great Escape (1990, home computers) which was also published by Hi-Tec Software. Along the way you'll find items such as health, temporary invincibility and ammo. If you have the latter you can fire your weapon to take out bad guys from a distance. I'd recommend saving the majority of your ammo until the end of the level though as it makes the boss encounters much easier. Each boss has a pattern and once you know it they're complete pushovers. There's lots of interesting gameplay mechanics throughout the zones including Ice Age where you pick up blocks and throw them into the water to get across safely. Later levels allow you to pick up a bubble and a jetpack - however, these only last for a few seconds and the level design doesn't really allow them to be used to their full potential. The enemies are fairly generic but there's a wide range of sprites and some that are only available in certain zones. The controls are responsive and it's easy to make quick second reactions when enemies suddenly enter the screen. The scrolling is very smooth for a CPC game which is quite a rarity! The graphics are superb with nice texture details, a wide range of colours on display and some large boss sprites. Unfortunately there's no music (probably due to space restrictions) which can leave the action lacking a bit of atmosphere.

Turbo the Tortoise is an excellent platform game that deserved more attention from the gaming public. It's no rival to Super Mario Bros. (as Amstrad tried to convince us!) but it's a well crafted title that has just enough variety to put it towards the top of the genre on the CPC.

Random trivia: I'm not sure if it's intentional or not but the Prehistoric Zone boss looks like Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the Future Zone boss is a spitting image of Kid Chameleon from the Sega Mega Drive game!

Donkey Kong (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Arcana Software Design
Publisher: Ocean Software
Released: 1986

Donkey Kong was originally released in the Arcades in 1981 and was later ported to most home computers.

 

Instead of stretching everything to 4:3 the developers retained the portrait look of the arcade version which gives the game a greater sense of scale. The first screen takes place at the bottom of a construction site and you must reach Lady while avoiding barrels that DK throws at you. Being used to the NES version I was taken aback by how tough this initial screen was. Barrels come at you from everywhere and it will take a few attempts before you reach the top. The main advantage of this port is that it includes the arcade version's second screen called Cement Factory. Unfortunately it's the most boring screen in the whole game - it's main gameplay mechanic involves conveyor belts and moving ladders but they're more of an annoyance than anything else. In the third screen you use moving elevators and make some tricky platform jumps; it's probably the closest thing to a typical Mario game! The final screen takes place at the top of the construction site and your task is to remove eight rivets that are scattered around. If you manage to do so DK will fall  and Jumpman will be reunited with Lady. The game then loops and you move on to the next difficulty level. If you're used to later Mario platform games the controls might seem a bit stiff - you quickly adjust to them though and I like that you can jump backwards to avoid enemies if you're facing the wrong direction. While the animation is primitive and the arcades' cut-scenes are nowhere to be found, the graphics look amazing for a CPC title and each stage is beaming with colour. The music and SFX are nothing special but all the familiar sounds of bouncing springs and DK falling at the end of screen 4 are present.

Donkey Kong on the Amstrad CPC is one of the best versions I've played of this classic arcade game. Not only is it the one of most complete home ports you'll find, it controls amazingly well and is still a joy to play.

Random trivia: If you've never seen it check out the movie called The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters - it follows a group of retro gaming enthusiasts as they try to beat the world record in the arcade version of Donkey Kong.

AMC – Astro Marine Corps (Amstrad CPC review)

Developer: Creepsoft
Publisher: Dinamic Software
Released: 1989

AMC is a side scrolling shooter that shares a few similarities with the game Gryzor (Contra).

It takes part in two different stages - the first sees you dropped off on Planet Dendar where you face a wide range of enemies including killer worms, giant robots and carnivorous plants! There are a few power-ups you can collect along the way including three-way shots, shields and a fire flame - however, it's best to avoid the latter as it doesn't fire rapidly and can leave you exposed. The stage is split up into 8 phases (or checkpoints) so it's very lengthy and you will die repeatedly as you try to progress. The second stage sees you dropped off at the Deathbringers planet and the difficulty ramps up even further. Once you've reached the central base you'll face all manner of cannons, ballthrowers, and laser barriers, and the time limit is very strict (too strict in my opinion). Stick with it though as the final boss is one of the most impressive things you'll witness on the Amstrad CPC (spoiler alert: it's bloody huge!).

Unlike some other graphically stunning games on the CPC that lack substance (After the War, I'm looking at you!), AMC actually has the gameplay to back it up. Sure, the trial and error can be frustrating and the time limits are a bit too harsh, but you'll keep coming back to see if you can get just that little bit further.

A classic Amstrad CPC game that's worth repeated play-throughs.

Random trivia: Enter CREEP as your name in the high score table and you'll be invincible.