MobyGames now has entries for 1000 games for the Amstrad CPC system. Launched in late 1984 by Alan Sugar (who now runs the UK TV version of 'The Apprentice'), the system was usually in the shadow of the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 in the UK, although most popular games released for the Spectrum were also released for the CPC, as it shared the same processor. Sadly, a lot of these were straight ports which did not use the Amstrad's superior graphics power - Strider and Pit Fighter are particularly glaring examples. The situation was similar in Spain, where the Spectrum, Amstrad and MSX gave the Z80 processor a market dominance.

It was in France where the Amstrad flourished. As the top 8-bit machine, it received many games which were not released for other 8-bits. Arcade adventure Crafton et Xunk / Get Dexter, the action sport Disc, and Pang clone Zap'T'Balls all show the machine's power. The later Plus model and its spin-off GX4000 console were less successful, but produced several enhanced titles; Prehistorik II is particularly impressive.

Xyphoes Fantasy is another example of impressive French CPC development (I think Zap't'Balls was German, where there was also a bit of a following of the "Schneider CPC").

How come the database says there are only 996 Amstrad CPC games?

database stats are cached i think. they may be a bit behind.

And how is the Spectrum doing? That was my first gaming computer, and it will always keep a special place in my heart (L)

Too bad I can barely remember any titles or anything to help it grow here at MG.

Too bad I can barely remember any titles or anything to help it grow here at MG.

I am thrilled that I've managed to pin down and identify 99% of all the games of my youth, across all my friends' different microcomputer flavours. From Radical Castle on the Mac to Imogen on the BBC to Swiss Family Robinson on the C64 to DROL on... whatever it was. The only holdout is an old corporate mergers + acquisitions tape game for the CoCo.

Yesterday, the Spectrum celebrated its 25th birthday.

The Spectrum already has more than 1,300 games. You can check all our Database Stats in that link to the left, between Top Contributors and Most Wanted.

I must've added at least half of them....

I think I just found the secret behind getting 53 000 points.

There is a niche market of 10,000 J2ME games if you have some spare time.

They're too good (I never though I would say that). There are some hundred Dragon 32 games to add yet.