A new version of the ANSI-C compiler SDCC v4.4.0 is available since the 29th January 2024 for windows, linux and MacOS.

Star Cadre : Combat Class by Cyningstan Retro">Cyningstan Retro is a game for msdos with CGA card. If you liked Rebelstar 1 and 2 on Amstrad CPC which is a part of the inspiration, then you will like Star Cadre. More informations on the developpment of Star Cadre : Combat Class on the web site.

No dosbox, PCEM or PC XT ? It's not a problem, you can play to Star Cadre : Combat Class by Cyningstan Retro in your internet navigator.

There are also other games on Cyningstan Retro web sites, including two C libraries used for the programming of these games : CGA library and keyboard library.

News about No Recess, first an interview done by Dr JVTek, second some news about Sonix GX for Amstrad GX 4000.

Orgams is an assembler in ROM for Amstrad CPC, created by Madram, Drill and Hicks. A new version GG beta 6 is available (5th August 2024).

The documentation in french and english is available on Orgams' wiki.

PunyInform v5.5 by Fredrik Ramsberg and Johan Berntsson is a library written in Inform 6 to create adventure game (pure text, no graphic support contrary to DAAD) using the Z-machine virtual machine which will run on 8bit computers (or more recent computers too). PunyInform has a parser, knowing of common verbs and a framework to write adventure games.

PunyInform is based on the Inform 6 library written by Graham Nelson. Its goal is to make easily adventure games in Inform 6, with a manual describing the differences between the official library and PunyInform..

Games using PunyInform can be compiled in z3, z5 and z8 format (z3 being the best format for 8bit computers, other formats have more features). Compared to the Inform 6 library, it means that there is no support for the Glulx virtual machine but z3 format is important as Inform 6 doesnt support it.

To compile games written with PunyInform, you should use the Inform 6 compiler maintained by David Kinder. Binaries are available on if-archive. PunyInform needs Inform v6.35 (or more).

They are tutorials to write adventure game with PunyInform (end of the page) and all the documentation including a 8 page cheat sheet (quick reference)..

To try your game after compilation, you can use WinFrotz by David Kinder, to create map easily you can use Trizbort.

And finally, to create an Amstrad CPC and PCW disk image, you will have to use the Puddle BuildTools which works under linux, windows 1x with WSL2 or MacOS with Intel processor and OrbStack.

Orgams is an assembler in ROM for Amstrad CPC, created by Madram, Drill and Hicks. A new version Flappy Flags is available (28th January 2024).

The documentation in french and english is available on Orgams' wiki.

Reidrac (Juan Martinez) has released yesterday the Heart of Salamanderland v1.0, a platform game for the Amstrad CPC(+) and GX4000. Beware, if you did download this version, then get v1.01 which corrects a sync bug on CPC+ and GX4000. As usual it is recommended to read the manuel (RTFM !).

PunyInform v5.4 by Fredrik Ramsberg and Johan Berntsson is a library written in Inform 6 to create adventure game (pure text, no graphic support contrary to DAAD) using the Z-machine virtual machine which will run on 8bit computers (or more recent computers too). PunyInform has a parser, knowing of common verbs and a framework to write adventure games.

PunyInform is based on the Inform 6 library written by Graham Nelson. Its goal is to make easily adventure games in Inform 6, with a manual describing the differences between the official library and PunyInform..

Games using PunyInform can be compiled in z3, z5 and z8 format (z3 being the best format for 8bit computers, other formats have more features). Compared to the Inform 6 library, it means that there is no support for the Glulx virtual machine but z3 format is important as Inform 6 doesnt support it.

To compile games written with PunyInform, you should use the Inform 6 compiler maintained by David Kinder. Binaries are available on if-archive. PunyInform needs Inform v6.35 (or more).

They are tutorials to write adventure game with PunyInform (end of the page) and all the documentation including a 8 page cheat sheet (quick reference)..

To try your game after compilation, you can use WinFrotz by David Kinder, to create map easily you can use Trizbort.

And finally, to create an Amstrad CPC and PCW disk image, you will have to use the Puddle BuildTools which works under linux, windows 1x with WSL2 or MacOS with Intel processor and OrbStack.

Julio Merino is the author of EndBASIC (available on github, the 2022 release isn't up to date, pull the code instead). You can test EndBASIC online at this address.

Why am I writing about EndBASIC ? Well it is an interpreter for a BASIC-like language and is inspired by Amstrad's Locomotive BASIC 1.1 and Microsoft's QuickBASIC 4.5. Like the former, EndBASIC intends to provide an interactive environment that seamlessly merges coding with immediate visual feedback. Like the latter, EndBASIC offers higher-level programming constructs and strong typing.

EndBASIC offers a simplified and restricted environment to learn the foundations of programming and focuses on features that can quickly reward the programmer. These features include things like a built-in text editor, commands to render graphics, and commands to interact with the hardware of a Raspberry Pi. Implementing this kind of features has priority over others such as performance or a much richer language.

EndBASIC is written in Rust and runs both on the web and locally on a variety of operating systems and platforms, including macOS, Windows, and Linux.

P.S. : short and quick article, I didn't have time to read Fujinet web site extensively, but I will.

An interesting thead of February 2024 is on CPCWiki about the Fujinet card which may arrive on Amstrad CPC.

I invite you to discover this Fujinet card on their web site and in a Youtube video. This card was made first for Atari 8bit then for Coleco Adam (this computer made me dream after seing it mentionned in a french newspaper, Tilt or Jeux and Stratégie) then on Apple 2. Development is work in progress for the C64 and the Spectrum.

For short (taken from the web site), this card is a multi-peripheral emulator and WiFi network device for vintage computers. What sets FujiNet apart from other WiFi devices is the new Network Device (the N device, or NDEV). The N device allows vintage computers that do not have enough processing power to handle TCP/IP connections talk to the modern internet over WiFi. Virtual adapters have been created for many protocols including: TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, TNFS, HTTPS (SSL/TLS), SSH, TELNET, WebDAV and JSON parser. It also features mass storage emulation, printer emulation with PDF export, vocal synthesis (from what I read on CPCWiki).

My personal opinion is that another hardware expansion for the Amstrad CPC is a good thing, especially as it is already used on several other 8bit computer : one for all and all for one (the four musketeers) ! If you want to participate to this adventure, then go to the Fujinet's discord.

Saimazoom was at start an action game in 1984 for ZX Spectrum by Dinamic Software (Spain).

The Mojon Twins are working on an Amstrad CPC version of Saimazoom (short video on Twitter).

The last version of the C compilator for PC and MacOS targeting Amstrad CPC, notepad NC100/150/200 and PCW z88dk v2.3 is out since December 2023, more details here.

Z88dk supports many more platforms.

New 30th January 2024 version by Roudoudou of his ACE-DL Amstrad CPC emulator.

After downloading the emulator, you can also get a SymbOS disk image or OPL3 music to be used with the Willy OPL3 plugin.

This new version features mostly FDC ameliorations.

The last version of multi platform assembler for Amstrad CPC RASM (v2.1.6) was released two weeks ago on Github.

This multi platform assembler for Amstrad CPC (for linux, windows, and also for MorphOS on Amiga) let you program for Amstrad CPC. It's recommended to use it with the new emulator also by Roudoudou : ACE-DL released today, to get symbols and breakpoints importation and much more.

Reidrac (Juan Martinez) is actually working on the Heart of Salamanderland, a platform game for the Amstrad CPC, which you can follow the development on his Mastodon account or on CPCWiki. A short video is available on Mastodon.