Source: Amstrad Computer User – January 1987
Amstrad made a number of different computers over the years, including PC compatibles. However, their original Z80 based CPC 464 with built-in cassette drive was probably the most popular, at least in Europe. It was not something a North American audience would have likely have even heard of. Amstrad Computer User covers this and other compatible successors as well as the PC clones. The January 1987 issue includes:
Regulars
- News – MicroProse announces Silent Service and AcroJet for the CPC, Advanced Memory Systems develops Max – a Gem like front end for CPC computers, and more.
- Letters – Letters from readers on various topics, including a question about the various Amstrad computers and compatibility, using a CPC 6128 for business purposes, and more.
- Gallup Chart – A list of the top 20 games for the CPC. Some games on the list familiar to me include Trivial Pursuit, Ghosts & Goblins, Tempest, and Druid.
- Least Significant Bit – Odd news and rumor including a rat stolen at a software release party, a computer monitor that flew first class, and computers melting.
Reviews
- Mini Office II – An all in one office suite for the Amstrad CPC featuring a word processor, database, spreadsheet, presentation, terminal, and label printing programs.
- Model Universe – A 3D modeling package for the Amstrad.
- Games for the PC – An overview of popular PC games at the time that would work on the Amstrad PC1512. Titles mentioned include Seven Cities of Gold, Championship Golf, F-15 Strike Eagle, Pinball Construction Set, Boulder Dash, Boulder Dash 2, and Hacker.
- StarGlider – There were quite a few of these wire frame space flight simulators around in the 1980s. Elite and Echelon are two others that come to mind. Most of them are pretty good, including this one.
- Jailbreak – A lesser known arcade conversion and the first by Konami for the Amstrad.
- Game scene – Reviews of the following games for the Amstrad CPC:
- Hardball – Classic baseball action from Accolade. I had this one for my Commodore 64.
- Druid – A gauntlet like game that I loved. Again, I had it on my Commodore 64.
- They Stole A Million – A game that allows you to become a criminal mastermind.
- Glider Rider – An interesting plot but it plays as a somewhat confusing maze game.
- Light Force – A vertical shooter with excellent graphics and game play.
- Werner – Mach Hin! – An odd German game that plays out like a comic strip.
Competitions
- Win a Jailbreak – Possible win a Jailbreak arcade machine by answering four trivia questions correctly.
- Citizen printer – Identify the 10 differences between two pictures to possibly win a Citizen LSP10 dot matrix printer (and two ribbons).
Programming
- Making Mallard fly – Some BASIC programming tips and tricks for Mallard BASIC on the Amstrad PCW.
- Assembly point – Addition and subtraction using machine language.
- Hidden MS-DOS files – All about file attributes in MS-DOS and how to hide files.
- Crawler – This type-in game for the CPC appears to be a Centipede clone.
- Split screens – A type-in program that allows you to create a split screen with unique content, colors and resolutions.
Features
- Protext people – An article about Arnor, a software company working exclusively on the CPC.
- Frost Byte mapped – A complete map of the game Frost Byte for the CPC.
- Hairy Hackers Haunt – Some hacks for games and other programs including Commando, The Apprentice, Hacker, LocoScript, and Defend or Die.
- Psst – wanna cheap call? – Apparently, PSS was a service you could call to connect to remote BBS systems instead of having to call long distance. The advantage of course was lower costs.
- Behind Biggles – The story of the making of a game based on a movie with a time traveler.
- Seek and ye shall find – An article on adventure games. Inheritance: Panic in Las Vegas by Infogrames, The Snow Queen, and After Shock are featured.
…and more!
