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A '''Speccy Port ''' or '''Spectrum port ''' is the name given to a game which has been converted directly from the Sinclair Spectrum with little or no changes to the Amstrad CPC. Often the Amstrad version ended up fairing worse than the original Spectrum version (though some games actually ended up pretty decent).

=Why ?Reasons=

The [[ZX Spectrum]] shared the same CPU as the Amstrad CPC and had a simple graphics display. The Given that the Spectrum was very popular with the Amstrad CPC having a much smaller market share. To , to save on time and money(a typical Spectrum port to the Amstrad is said to have been done in 3 days), the Spectrum code was re-used.

Most of them got their graphic totally unchanged, displaying some kind of colour attributes "artefactsartifacts", proof a tell-tale sign of the faulty portagea Speccy port.

A typical Spectrum port to the Amstrad is said to have been done This phenomenon was more prominent in 3 daysthe UK, where the Speccy was the dominant machine.In other markets, such as France of Spain, where the CPC was very popular, games were coded from scratch for the CPC, often using an [[Atari|Atari ST]] for [[Games Crossdev|Cross Development]]

The Amstrad CPC was one of the best 8-bit computers of his its time in term terms of graphical capabilities. But this those advanced capabilities had a price...well, a weight in term of an impact on CPU ressourcesresources. As so many games were ported from the "inferior" Spectrum, a machine with decidedly lower visual specs, the Amstrad range could hardly benefit from its main advantage. Quite disapointing, when you are the happy possessor while lack of a "powerful" Amstrad CPC 6128...with a fast disc drive and 2x64KB of Ram, a good colour palette of 27 shades..optimization meant that aspects as scroll or playing area fared even worse than the Spectrum versions. You have to get a games designed for a cassette 48KB almost mono-colour computer, and not remember that compatible in fact... As a result, so many games were slower, painfully animated, with a bad gameplay... AND had badly ported graphics too. *C64 had better sounds, scrollings and sprites capabilities.*Spectrum had less power resources taken by Video RAM, so could handle animation or scrolling more easily, with less need to precisely program with exceptional care. Amstrad had It is also a misconception to be specifically programmed believe the screen was downsized in order those games to get good animationsgain processor resources. Yet It was only done to use the Speccy ports weren't re-programmed in such way. Also, even graphical data were larger than their Speccy's counterpart... Also, games in Mode 1 could have been good despite the lack of colours...if only those colours were used properly graphics more often. As a resulteasily, most Speccy and C64 fans rarely give Amstrad we can doubt the credit it deserves. On code was (re-)designed so such a more positive tone, those speccy ports had the merit to exist, or else Amstrad may have a lighter games cataloguescreen reduction would even gain CPU resources.

And as said aboveInterestingly, those games weren't all bad, just a bit frustrating most in Mode 1 could have been good despite the lack of timecolours, if only those colours were used properly more often.

Games with no need of scrollings and with re-coded graphics actually could be good..On a more positive tone, those speccy ports had the merit to exist, or else Amstrad may have a smaller games catalogue.

It is also a misconception to believe On the screen was downsized in other hand, as mentioned before, those games to gain processor resourcesweren't always bad... It was only done to use the Speccy graphics more easily, Games with no need of scrolling and we can doubt the code was (with re-)designed so such a screen reduction would even gain CPU resourcescoded graphics could actually be good.

=the The killer-list of the infamous speccy ports of death=Note: these lists are by no means comprehensive, they just include the most high-profile releases.

=='''Computer originals Hits''' ==

I wouldn't count the The numerous CodeMaster or Hewson games..are not listed. Many of them were cheap budget Speccy games to start begin with, and where were quite well ported or remained good...

  =='''Well known franchises :'''==

=='''Adult games''' (sort of)==

=='''Movie Franchises :'''==

=='''Arcade hits :'''==

=='''Special Category of Death :'''==

=='''The Blue game top list of Death :the speccy ports'''*The untouchables    ===The infamous killer list of the shamefull 30 speccy porks of death that killed the Amstrad CPC=== All those games are frequently used in 8bit wars style videos and reviews... Hence they gave the poor reputation of the inferior speccy clone to the Mighty Amstrad CPC. Those games were well known hits ported on quite all computers of their time and very basis of comparison between most systems of this era.

Let All those games are frequently used in 8bit wars style videos and reviews, hence they have served as a counter-argument to the shame begins :CPC's superior abilities. Those games were well known hits ported on pretty much all computers of their time and therefore constituted the very basis of comparison between most systems of the era.

Needless to say, the great amount =The 3 levels of awesome adventure games that CPC had and spectrum could not even dream-of are never shown in such crossed reviews.Speccy porting=

=The 3 levels Of course the level of Speccy portages=porting could greatly depend on whatever strategy the programmers/graphists used to get rid of the poor Video speccy's specificities for the original game.

A monochrome The game could remain monochrome or be recoloured is exactly as on CPC... the Spectrum, even displaying graphical artifacts as Colour attributes and/or only parts of it (only sprites or Tiles monochrome display for the game's window but not both... mostly only spritesalways the HUD, which may even often feature extra colours thanks to Raster colour changes, yet this doesn't really help to see what happens on the game's window.)

A coloured game Also sprites may display Transparency/translucency with design-wise graphics (character based design) could be the exact same yet with even less colours..background's colour, a typical Spectrum "feature".

Or Tiles/sprites could simply be completely well re-done/re-drawn, even in Mode 0 sometimes... ===Rushed and Lazy=== The game is exactly as on speccy, even displaying graphical artifacts as Colour attributes, and/or monochrome display for the game's window (a shame on a computer told as Colour Personnal Computer) but not always the HUD, which may even often feature extra colours thanks to Raster colour changes, yet this doesn't really help to see what happens on the game's window. Also sprites may display Transparency/translucency with background's colour, a typical speccy "Feature" ("not a bug, a feature"... sic...). Probably achieved by using almost the almost exact Speccy Spectrum code and emulating the Speccy specificities (Attributes) Spectrum attributes on the CPC. It is to notice that it wasn't especially the Programmer's fault, the Game Companies were ordering them to do so... Coders weren't "lazy", it was the Company investment which was lazy...

 *'''PacMania '''

Typical exempleexample, yet it managed to be a nice game despite this. The title screen and HUD shows the color attributes and were almost completely unchanged, yet with less colours on screen than the Speccy version.

The title screen and HUD shows Ironically, the attributes game manages to display 6 colours in the 4 colours Mode1 - yet the game's area remains completely monochromatic (as artefacts...coded in 1 bit) and were almost completly unchanged, yet with less colours on screen than the Speccy versioncolour attributes artifacts are still present.

Ironically*'''[[Black Tiger]]''': Same as PacMania*'''Super Hang On''' : graphics Transparency/translucency*'''Enduro Racer''' : same as Super Hang On, even more displayed as Sprites more often cross the different colored parts of the screen (while jumping)*'''Bionic Commando''' : there are even inverted/negative colored sprites*'''Sabrina''' : same as Bionic commando*'''Gauntlet 3''' : HUD is properly recolored (3 shades) but in-game manages to display 6 window is monochrome (1bit coded sprites and tiles)*'''R-type''' : Monochrome background while sprites still are "coloured" as with Colour attributes, hence even featuring less colours in than original Spectrum game, while the entire screen still displays more than the only 4 colours Mode1colours... Yet the game's area remains completely monocolour (coded in 1 bitHUD raster trick) and "colour attributes artefacts" are still present.This game was done in 3 weeks by only one man, who simply emulated the speccy stuff on CPC. Given that the Spectrum game was a great release the CPC port is not too bad.

 *[[Black Tiger]] : Bad, bad, bad, such a shame as the Arcade game was awesome. monochrome game with multicoloured HUD. *PacMania : same as Black Tiger, yet even displaying Attributes artifacts/remains.*Super HanG on : graphics Transparency/translucency*Enduro Racer : same as Super Hang On, even more displayed as Sprites more often cross the different coloured parts of the screen (while jumping).*Bionic Commando : there is even inverted/negative coloured sprites.*Sabrina : same as Bionic commando...*Gauntlet 3 : HUD is properly recoloured (3 shades) but in-game window is monochrome...(1bit coded sprites and tiles) *R-type : Monochrome background while sprites still are "coloured" as with Colour attributes, hence even featuring less colours than original speccy game, while the entire screen still display more than the only 4 Mode1 colours...(HUD raster trick...)This game was done in 3 weeks by only one man, who simply emulated the speccy stuff on CPC (couldn't do better in 3 weeks). Thank god the speccy version was so good this game is still decent on CPC. Some of those games were still good, as they were yet very good on Speccy, the Amstrad Portage wasn't enough to waste it. But those remained inferior to their original Speccy counterpart (which was often smoother or faster...). ===Semi-lazy===

*HeroQuest : still has monochrome feeling (2 blue shades being used) while actually being properly 2 bit re-coded... Ditherings use 3 colours gradiants instead of the Speccy's 2, and the grey add a bit more colour feeling...sort of ... but it fails due to a poor colour strategy. *Strider has recoloured sprites, displaying no attributes, but Backgrounds remains monochrome, and the game sluggish (because CPU must still convert 1bpp graphics into 2bpp), yet the HUD+Raster trick enable a 6 colours displayed on screen and the HUD looks good. *Shadow of the Beast : (perhaps...) No real 3-4 coloured ditherings or even "additional colours" thanks to dithering the 2 medium colours together in many graphics (Exteriors or for many sprites), yet the square speccy attributes are not displayed, while the speccy version remains monochrome (in game window, not HUD) in order to simply advert Colour clashes. Would have needed more development time and a real CPC version. ===Good Job=== 

Graphics, despite sharing a common ancestry, are well redone, and take into account the Amstrad power. After all, despite being slower, this is not an excuse to get the same awful looking graphics... Sometimes those games are not that well "ported", yet its their concept and gameplay is are such that this is not That that important, : the game is simply too good to be wasted annoyed by such detail as the use of Mode1, and it was they were still sufficiently re-done.

*'''Head over heels'''

On the other hand, this This one was the prime exemple example of what every speccy Spectrum port should have been. Even the C64 version was totally like the Speccy version (monocolor monochromatic game's area) while the Amstrad graphics were perfectly recoloured to use so well the lack of and colour attributesclash was avoided. Also as this games didn't need scrollings, scrolling the animation was almost as good as in other 8 bit versions, and colour palette often changed inks, to actually get a colourfull colourful feeling all along around.*'''[[Deflektor]]''' : example of a good speccy "cross development", thanks to a clever concept. Could perhaps have been better yet the concept of the gamemakes it a clever port. No attributes and Details like the no-rastercolourchange policy Tape version loading parts or the good chiptunes enable to not waste CPU ressources uselessly, while a proper CPC experience.*'''Switchblade''': the only 4 colours are cleverly chosen and used GX4000 cartridge version displays extra features such as large vertical ditherings in a cartoon styled madness.lot of Red shades (sky) or PLUS Hardware sprites "patches" as extra coloured tiles.This is more than enough to get a properly coloured feeling.

*[[Deflektor]] : exemple of a good speccy Some Speccy port "cross developmentdone right", thanks to a clever conceptmay also use Mode 0 instead of Mode 1. Could perhaps have been better Hence being graphically fully CPC (yet tiles or sprites are still comparable in dimensions). The result may vary from awful (the concept of code is not optimised enough for CPC) great.This can be seen in '''Space Gun''': Mode 0 and even PLUS features, yet the game makes it a clever portattribute-designed-unmasked sprites remain, also details like the Tape version loading parts or the good chiptunes enable in a proper CPC experiencesluggish game.

Some Speccy port "done right" may also The use Mode 0 instead of Mode 1Mode1 enabled the CPC to keeps the same graphics as Spectrum, in appearance only.While the square pixels looks almost the same, the code was completely different.. hence being graphically fully Also, the CPC (yet tiles or sprites being set for a 320x200 display instead of a 256x192 display, the pixels are still comparable in dimensions)fact smaller on screen, hence a bigger border was needed for the exact same resolution.

The result may vary from awful This (the code is not optimised enough for CPClarger border) led to great (alles ist richtig...)the false argument that this was the CPC resolution and therefore it was inferior to the Spectrum one, although the amount of pixels on the screen is the same.

Example of such games : *Space Gun : Mode 0 and even PLUS features, yet While some Spanish companies reduced the attributescreen in order to get the game better running in low-designed-unmasked sprites remainspec 464, in the infamous speccy ports just ran a sluggish gamereduced screen so the ZX Spectrum's code and graphics could run almost "unchanged".

=Technics used=Real-Time Conversion of 1bpp graphics==

===Mode1 A common way to get the Speccy game running on a CPC was to get some routine to convert the existing and screen dimensions===already coded 1bpp Speccy's Graphic Data (tiles and sprites in equivalent to Mode2 on CPC) into 2bpp datas (proper Mode1) when put into the video RAM. Needless to say, this enabled the port without the use of additional graphics artists, or a coder to redo the RAM mapping/addresses of such data.

The use But this came at a cost, CPU-wise since the CPU instead of Mode1 enabled simply having to take some bytes of data from reserve into the CPC Video RAM has to keeps convert them in real time, with the same graphics result being that a character couldn't use/display more than 2 colours while CPC had not such thing as Spectrum, in appearance onlycharacter attributes.

Also CPC being set for Having a 320x200 display instead of monochrome playfield on ZX Spectrum is a 256x192 display, the pixels common way to have no colour clashes - simply because there are in fact smaller on screenno colours to clash! Also, hence a bigger border most of those games then had masked sprites. This meant that each set of sprites had another "sprite set" for the exact same resolution..mask, being actually 2x1bpp (bit per pixel) sets of data.

Biased argue is Some games coders actually used this to say that get the CPC resolution is therefore inferior to spectrum's Sprites coded in 2bpp and used oneof the 4 inks in mode1 to be the mask. This then took up more RAM used by data than the original. As a result some of those speccy ports have sprites in another colour than the background, because there which is a large border on CPC while ZX Spectrum displays a smaller borderactually better in terms of playability/look.

The amount An example of pixels is exactly the same, and this looks is '''Super wonder boy''' which could have even used one more detailed and finer on CPCcolour for the sprites, but didn't.

While some Spanish companies reduced On the screen in order to get the game betterly running in lowother hand, some games, despite having such Masked sprite totaling 2bpp had absolutely no sprite re-specs 464code at all (although this could have easily been prevented)... the infamous speccyports just ran a reduced screen so the ZX Spectrum's codes and graphics could run almost "unchanged"''Black Tiger''' is such a case.

===Real-Time Convertion Nevertheless, those games had one advantage : the smooth movement of 1bpp graphics===sprites.

A common way to get the Speccy game running on Some (rare) games actually used a CPC was to get some routine to convert mask for the existing and already coded 1bpp Speccy's Graphic Datas (Tiles and spritesBakcground tiles too.This explains why they could be fully recoded with no notable additional weight for the data.. in equivalent to Mode2 on CPC) into 2bpp datas Such games are often Isometric games and are considered among the good speccy ports (proper Mode1or actual Cross-Dev) when put into the video RAM.

Nor a coder to re-code the RAM mapping/addresses of such datas... But this have a cost CPU wise... the CPU instead of simply take some bytes of datas from reserve into Video RAM, have to convert this along the way too. And the result was that a character couldn't use/display more than 2 colours... while CPC had not such thing as character attributes. ===Monocolour playfield and Sprite Masks=== *Having a monocolour playfield on ZX Spectrum is a common way to have no colour clashes... Simply because you have no colours. *Most of those games then had masked sprites. This means that each set of sprites have another "sprite set" for the mask, being actually 2x1bpp (bit per pixel) set of Datas. Some games coders actually used this to get the Sprites coded in 2bpp and used one of the 4 inks in mode1 to be the mask. This then made no more RAM used by Datas as the original. As a result some of those speccy ports have sprites in another colour than the background, which is actually better in term of playability/look. '''exemples :Heroquest''' *Super wonder boy : could have even used one more colours for the sprites, but didn't..*Double dragon 3 : this one had the Sprites actually in a monochromatic 3 colours. Needless to say, the Background Tiles and Letter fonts were still in 1bpp converted ATM of display... so the CPU had no rest and such games weren't faster nor that much better looking. '''Some games, despite having such Masked sprite totalling 2bpp... had absolutly no sprite re-code at all... while they could easily had this.''' *Black tiger is such an infamous case. Those games had one advantage : the smooth movement of sprites. ===Masked Backgrounds=== Some (rare) games actually used a mask for the Bakcground tiles too. This explains why they could be fully recoded with no notable additionnal weight for the Data. Such games are often Isometric games and categorized into the GOOD speccy ports (or actual Cross-Dev). '''exemples :''' *Heroquest : the Background tiles are also in 3 colours. Yet there is a really poor use of the mask colour used for the mask. *'''Head over Heels ''': probably... yet the colours are betterly better used than in Heroquest. If you look carefully, there are 2 kind of "background" elements...

**and masked elements such as...Sprites, Doors, Platforms... which are 3 colours only. ===Unmasked games and CPC colour clashes=== Such a shame... the laziest amongst the worst and the Bad. *Bionic Commando : need I say more ?*Enduro Racer : turn based racing? (Dixit ssg, thx for the snipe, mate...) ===Attribute based Sprites and Animation=== Such games had no smooth movement of sprites. You moved the sprite "character per character". As such the sprites are unmasked, being not really more than tiles-mapping... This means the sprites must actually fill the characters or you get the unmasked character's corner artefacts. This was a "good" other way to get rid of Attributes Clashes and having actual "colours" on ZX Spectrum. But some speccy ports were then emulating the attribute system... which can be quite bad because CPC in Mode1 has Half colours the Speccy has.So on CPC... this was often not ported that properly.  *R-Type. *Space gun : this game being quite late in CPC era... it is not really good and was probably rushed to the release. Yet the Character based engine enables "enormous sprites", but lacks the smooth movement. Such technic was actually used for quite a good amount of Mode0 games... This is not "Speccy port" speccyfic (Pun!) but it is good to have it mentionned, as a common game design technic for both machines. *AMC (astro Marines corps) : done well.*Satan : done well too. Thx to spanish game-makers... ===Rasters=== A common cheat was to get some Raster interrupt colour change so you could argue that the game is actually displaying more than 4 colours on screen while being Mode1. This is only to mimic some sort or Raster based Colours attributes. And this is actually not a clever move in many way as getting some raster interrupt may have some heavy-weight on the CPU. And despite the game "displaying more than the allowed colours on screen", the games playfield was still monocolour !!! All this did was getting the game even slowlier. On the other hand this could also be done right. *Deflektor : Raster done right.*Strider : Raster done right. (useless but good looking)  *Thundercats : ok, this one actually add "playfield colours".. sort of.  *R-Type : Failed!*PacMania : Failed!*Black Tiger : every thing is desperatly failed on this one ! Many (if not all) of those games can actually run faster just by getting rid of this CPU-wasting rasters..! Providing a game had to deal with 1bpp to 2 bpp convertion, Software Sprites and Scrollings... and complicated gameplay... adding some Raster interrupt to the equation is a real dickmove and a good way to waster further more CPU time. ===Partial code re-use for proper CPC games=== Some CPC games are in mode0 yet the similarities with the speccy version are still obvious. OCEAN was actually a lot into this... but thx to a more professional Graphic treatment (compared to many other british companies) and actually good portage policies (not that always) this produced some of the finest CPC games.

Those ==Unmasked games are exemples and CPC colour clashes==This category includes some of Cross-dev done right. They remains quite playable because the CPU don't waste time worse examples, since actual Spectrum deficiencies were ported to decipher 1bpp graphics or get Rasters interruptsthe CPC.

*Robocop.'''Bionic Commando'''*Chase HQ.'''Enduro Racer'''

Some of those ==Attribute based Sprites and Animation==Such games were Mode1 but fully supported the 2bpp re-coding had no smooth movement of graphics done right (by a human beforesprites. The sprite moved "character per character". As such the sprites are unmasked, being not by the CPU afterreally more than "tile-mapped"...) hence got properly coloured BackgroundsThis meant the sprites had to actually fill the character tile or there would be artifacts introduced for the unmasked character's corner.

The problem : those would have needed more tight coding This was a "good" other way to get rid of Attributes Clashes and having actual "colours" on ZX Spectrum. But some speccy ports were then emulating the attribute system, which can be quite bad because those are big games..CPC in Mode1 has half the colours the Speccy has.

*Shadow of the Beast '''R-Type'''*'''Space gun''': basically an almost playable Amiga Demo from this game, although coming in the startCPC era is not really good and was probably rushed to the release.Yet the Character based engine enabled enormous sprites - but lacked smooth movement.. this just turns into Such a technique was actually used for quite good speccypork on CPCa fair amount of Mode0 games. The This is not "cartoonish border SnakesSpeccy port" are infamous though..but it is good to to mention, as it was a common game design technique for both machines.*Midnight resistance : some elements such as the "projectiles" sprites '''AMC (bullets, explosionsAstro Marines corps) are certainly far too big on CPC to get this smooth and fast enough. Also some animations should have skipped a few frames to lighten the thing. But hey, this is quite some exemple of Mode1 looking good...'''*'''Satan'''

On the other hand this could also be done right:*Wec le Mans '''Deflektor''' : excellent CPC versionRaster done right. Just slightly slow... Burnin*' Rubber is the Plus version of this game, sort of''Strider''' : Raster done right.(useless but good looking)*'''Thundercats''' : (though there are more playing area colours)*'''R-Type'''*'''PacMania'''*'''Black Tiger'''

Anyway, Many (if not every thing is bad..all) of those games can actually run faster just by getting rid of CPU-wasting rasters.

Z80 machines shared Providing a game had to deal with 1bpp to 2 bpp conversion, Software Sprites and Scrolling and complicated gameplay, adding some Raster interrupt to the same CPU equation is a really bad move and a good code remains a good code, provided it let enough "space" for heavier Video systemsway to waste even more CPU time.

Such games as Robocop, Batman, chase HQ or Wec Le Mans weren't as fast as on Speccy on ==Partial code re-use for proper CPC... yet the great graphisms and sounds were more than enough to compensate well.games==