History Platform / AmstradCPC

Amstrad was a British manufacturer of consumer electronics, and in the early 1980s decided to get into the home computer market, which at that time was dominated by the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}} and UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum. Amstrad decided to develop a Z80-based system that was similar to the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum, but technically better. The new system's video hardware offered resolutions similar to the UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer's Color Graphics Adapter, but with a low-resolution 16-color graphics mode replacing the text modes and an expanded color palette that allowed for more vivid colors than on the [=C64=] or Spectrum (though this often didn't show when Speccy games were cheaply ported to the CPC). Also built into the hardware was a three-channel sound generator, rather than a beeper as on the Spectrum and IBM PC of the time.

** ''Shadow Dancer''

* ''VideoGame/WonderBoy''

Amstrad is a British manufacturer of consumer electronics, and in the early 1980s decided to get into the home computer market, which at that time was dominated by the UsefulNotes/{{Commodore 64}} and UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum. Amstrad decided to develop a Z80-based system that was similar to the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum, but technically better. The new system's video hardware offered resolutions similar to the UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer's Color Graphics Adapter, but with a low-resolution 16-color graphics mode replacing the text modes and an expanded color palette that allowed for more vivid colors than on the [=C64=] or Spectrum (though this often didn't show when Speccy games were cheaply ported to the CPC). Also built into the hardware was a three-channel sound generator, rather than a beeper as on the Spectrum and IBM PC of the time.

The new computer was released in 1984 as the Amstrad Colour Personal Computer 464. It had 64K of [[UsefulNotes/RandomAccessMemory RAM]], a built-in cassette drive (another thing lacking in the Spectrum), and came with either a green phosphor or color monitor. With a proprietary monitor, it could avoid the problem of different TV standards in different countries (a huge problem for other computers of that time, as most of them had TV output). It was marketed all over Europe, and was a huge success, selling over 2,000,000 units. Amstrad also succeeded in establishing the CPC as a game computer by releasing many games under the Amsoft label, even though the early Amsoft releases suffered from a notorious lack of quality control. The Spanish company Indescomp developed several Amsoft games as a condition for obtaining the distribution rights for the Spanish version of the [=CPC464=], the [=CPC472=].

* ''IndianaJonesAndTheFateOfAtlantis''

* ''VideoGame/{{R-Type}}''

* ''La Abadia del Crimen''

* [[GraphicsProcessingUnit GPU]]: Combination of a Motorola 6845 and a custom gate array.

The new computer was released in 1984 as the Amstrad Colour Personal Computer 464. It had 64K of [[RandomAccessMemory RAM]], a built-in cassette drive (another thing lacking in the Spectrum), and came with either a green phosphor or color monitor. With a proprietary monitor, it could avoid the problem of different TV standards in different countries (a huge problem for other computers of that time, as most of them had TV output). It was marketed all over Europe, and was a huge success, selling over 2,000,000 units. Amstrad also succeeded in establishing the CPC as a game computer by releasing many games under the Amsoft label, even though the early Amsoft releases suffered from a notorious lack of quality control. The Spanish company Indescomp developed several Amsoft games as a condition for obtaining the distribution rights for the Spanish version of the [=CPC464=], the [=CPC472=].

Amstrad is a British manufacturer of consumer electronics, and in the early 1980s decided to get into the home computer market, which at that time was dominated by the {{Commodore 64}} and UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum. Amstrad decided to develop a Z80-based system that was similar to the UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum, but technically better. The new system's video hardware offered resolutions similar to the IBMPersonalComputer's Color Graphics Adapter, but with a low-resolution 16-color graphics mode replacing the text modes and an expanded color palette that allowed for more vivid colors than on the [=C64=] or Spectrum (though this often didn't show when Speccy games were cheaply ported to the CPC). Also built into the hardware was a three-channel sound generator, rather than a beeper as on the Spectrum and IBM PC of the time.

The lineup (464 and 6128) remained unchanged until 1990, when Amstrad decided to improve them to a standard closer to the UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}} and AtariST. The new models were the 464plus, the 6128plus, and the UsefulNotes/GX4000 game console. ("CPC" was not officially part of these model names.) They had a new GPU with a 4,096-color palette and hardware sprites; a less processor-intensive sound system; and support for analog joysticks and cartridges up to four megabits. They were also completely backwards compatible. But they were still based on an 8-bit CPU, so they were obsolete in an industry of 16- and 32-bit computers, and failed in the marketplace. Amstrad apparently wanted games using the extra Plus features to be released on cartridges only, with only a few Plus games being released on disks starting in 1992; cartridges were more expensive but were the only format supported by the failed UsefulNotes/GX4000. The CPC was also more complex than the Spectrum, so it didn't have the second life in eastern Europe that the Spectrum had.

The lineup (464 and 6128) remained unchanged until 1990, when Amstrad decided to improve them to a standard closer to the {{Amiga}} and AtariST. The new models were the 464plus, the 6128plus, and the UsefulNotes/GX4000 game console. ("CPC" was not officially part of these model names.) They had a new GPU with a 4,096-color palette and hardware sprites; a less processor-intensive sound system; and support for analog joysticks and cartridges up to four megabits. They were also completely backwards compatible. But they were still based on an 8-bit CPU, so they were obsolete in an industry of 16- and 32-bit computers, and failed in the marketplace. Amstrad apparently wanted games using the extra Plus features to be released on cartridges only, with only a few Plus games being released on disks starting in 1992; cartridges were more expensive but were the only format supported by the failed UsefulNotes/GX4000. The CPC was also more complex than the Spectrum, so it didn't have the second life in eastern Europe that the Spectrum had.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pit-Fighter}}''

The lineup (464 and 6128) remained unchanged until 1990, when Amstrad decided to improve them to a standard closer to the {{Amiga}} and AtariST. The new models were the 464plus, the 6128plus, and the GX4000 game console. ("CPC" was not officially part of these model names.) They had a new GPU with a 4,096-color palette and hardware sprites; a less processor-intensive sound system; and support for analog joysticks and cartridges up to four megabits. They were also completely backwards compatible. But they were still based on an 8-bit CPU, so they were obsolete in an industry of 16- and 32-bit computers, and failed in the marketplace. Amstrad apparently wanted games using the extra Plus features to be released on cartridges only, with only a few Plus games being released on disks starting in 1992; cartridges were more expensive but were the only format supported by the failed GX4000. The CPC was also more complex than the Spectrum, so it didn't have the second life in eastern Europe that the Spectrum had.