Screenshot of Chaos Rising

Chaos Rising

(EgoTrip, 2018)

Reviewed by Missas

Amy returns in another adventure full of danger and excitement! She has to move through a variety of screens, avoid enemies and solve puzzles in order to gather all the precious jewels. The game offers Mode 1, four-colour graphics with the palette changing between screens. The predominant colour schemes used are green, blue, white and black. The sprites are nicely designed and they move fast, and there is an in-game tune as well. The gameplay is interesting and challenging but the game itself is rather short. Overall, it is a worthy addition to the Amy series.

See also: Concave, Ice Slider, Jewel Warehouse, Potato Rescue, A Prelude to Chaos.

More information on CPCSOFTS

7

Screenshot of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

(Hill MacGibbon, 1985)

This adaptation of Roald Dahl’s much-loved children’s book is very poor indeed. There are two sub-games and a platform game which can only be played properly if you complete both the sub-games first. In the first sub-game, you must guide Augustus Gloop through a network of pipes. As you walk left and right, the pipes re-arrange themselves. It’s confusing and very difficult indeed. You play Violet Beauregarde in the second sub-game. You carry a board in front of you and must guide the blueberries into the hole so that the juice can be extracted from them. The main game is a standard platform game in which you collect Willy Wonka tokens. This is also very difficult. The graphics are crude and blocky and the gameplay is totally uninspiring.

More information on CPCSOFTS

2

Screenshot of Charly Diams

Charly Diams

(Loriciels, 1987)

Reviewed by John Beckett

It came to Charly in a dream – a cave filled with blue diamonds. And the way to find that cave – to first find seven magical flowers. And so Charly’s journey begins. And what an epic journey it is! Swimming the Bay of Bengal, meeting belly dancers in the desert, trudging through the Arctic, negotiating treacherous jumps in the Andes, all the while changing your outfit to whatever best suits the environment – for example, you can’t swim in your hiking gear, but at the same time, you can’t jump in your swimming trunks. This game is beautiful, colourful and has a great tune playing throughout. It’s great fun, though it’s hampered by the high difficulty level and the annoying way you are sent back to the start whenever you lose a life!

More information on CPCSOFTS

7

Screenshot of Chase HQ

Chase HQ

(Ocean, 1989)

You’re an American police cop with an ultra-fast sports car, and have to chase criminals in it and arrest them by ramming their car – although this isn’t something I would want to do to a car as expensive as that! You’re also racing against the clock, and Nancy, your boss, is not someone you want to mess with. This is a truly great game with some very good graphics, and it’s fast as well! The sound isn’t too good – engine noises and not that much else – but if you have 128K, then you’ll be treated to some stunning digitised speech. This is definitely a game that is not to be missed.

More information on CPCSOFTS

9

Screenshot of Cheman

Cheman

(The Mojon Twins, 2019)

Cheman wants to go to a metal concert tonight, but a batucada music festival is also taking place nearby, and the batucada fans are getting in Cheman’s way. As Cheman, you must clear the batucada fans from the neighbourhood by jumping on them, and you must also collect power medallions (which look like pumpkins) and bring them to power statues that can be found on each level. This is a platform game with very colourful, cartoon-like graphics and a great, if short, tune. However, there are only two levels, and while the first level is fun to play, the second level has only one power statue where you can deposit the medallions you collect, which means you have to go back and forth repeatedly between the same screens as you explore the level, and it soon becomes rather tedious.

More information on CPCSOFTS

6

Screenshot of Cheril of the Bosque

Cheril of the Bosque

(The Mojon Twins, 2010)

Reviewed by Missas

In the Badajoz jungle lives Cheril, who one day decides to go to the city. The problem is that before leaving the jungle, Cheril needs to collect food for the journey: thirteen giant nuts! This is a pure arcade adventure where you need to open doors, find items in order to advance, explore the map and avoid enemies of the wilderness. The game opens with an atmospheric tune, which plays throughout the game and is really nice. The graphics are well drawn in a Japanese cartoon fashion, and they are colourful too. The gameplay is enjoyable, while the difficulty level is correctly set and the game itself is rather big. The grab factor is high. Taken as a whole, it is a game that retro gamers definitely need to have a look at.

See also: Cheril of the Bosque en Otro Bosque.

More information on CPCSOFTS

9

Screenshot of Cheril of the Bosque en Otro Bosque

Cheril of the Bosque en Otro Bosque

(The Mojon Twins, 2018)

Cheril escaped from the Badajoz jungle, only to find herself lost in another forest – and she has used up all the food she gathered previously. Can you help Cheril to escape from the forest? You have to search the forest and collect all the food, and also find and speak to various characters from The Mojon Twins’ other games in the correct order. The order is determined randomly each time you play, but each character will tell you who you need to find next. You also need to watch out for cannons, animals and other scenery that will cause you to lose a life if you touch them. The graphics are colourful and the music is reasonably good, and while there’s nothing original or remarkable about the game, it’s still fun to play for a while.

See also: Cheril of the Bosque.

More information on CPCSOFTS

7

Screenshot of The Chessmaster 2000

The Chessmaster 2000

(Ubi Soft, 1990)

The Chessmaster series of games, with its image of a wise man with a long hair and beard looking thoughtfully at a chessboard, has been going strong since the first release in 1986, which was adapted for the Amstrad CPC several years later. It isn’t called “the finest chess program in the world” for nothing; I’m a novice at chess, and even on the lowest of the eight skill levels available, the computer always beats me, but if you’re an experienced player, you’ll obviously want to play a challenging opponent. I also think the 3D view of the board is ugly and the pieces are difficult to distinguish – but most chess players will probably stick to the default 2D view anyway.

More information on CPCSOFTS

7

Screenshot of Le Chevalier Blanc

Le Chevalier Blanc

(Cobra Soft, 1987)

The White Knight was taking a walk in the forest with the beautiful princess when they are ambushed by demons, who steal the Knight’s sword, shield and helmet and capture the princess, taking her away to the castle. Playing the White Knight, you must rescue her – but first you’ll have to get your horse back, and then travel through the dangerous marsh to collect your belongings in the correct order. Once you’re safely on the other side, you must then work out how to enter the castle while dodging the cannonballs being fired at you. The princess is being held behind one of the many doors inside the castle – but which one? This is a delightful little game at first, with excellent animation, although you may want to turn the sound down! However, it’s much too easy to complete; must people should be able to do this after a few attempts.

More information on CPCSOFTS

6

Screenshot of Chevy Chase

Chevy Chase

(Hi-Tec Software, 1991)

Hit the road in a classic 1959 Chevy car as you drive across America to reach your girlfriend. The game consists of four stages, each divided into four sections. You’re racing against the clock, and the other drivers on the road don’t make life easy. As you progress to the next section, the sky changes colour and your time is extended, and at the end of each stage, it’s time to rest and relax. There are also ‘auto centres’ on each stage where you can upgrade your car. The graphics are marvellous and really colourful, and you can even choose the colour and model of your own car. The music at the start of the game isn’t that good, but the game is great fun to play and the difficulty level is just right.

More information on CPCSOFTS

8