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The theory, of course, was that kids would develop a taste for these high spec games at their local arcade and consequently go home and pester mum and dad for either more money to play the game that little bit longer or demand a version that they could play at home - although a more expensive short term investment, buying the right arcade conversion could prove to be a better long term prospect for the prudent household!
= Technical aspect <br> = ==Hardwares== Arcade Cabinets and games were often a close combinaison between a game ROM and a Hardware especially designed around it and for it. While the main CPU were often quite common chips, the Video was generaly (if not always) based on a heavy use of Hardwired Sprites and Harwired Scrollings in a custom fashion. A good share of earlier 80's Arcade games were Z80 based. Example :*PacMan : it uses a single Z80 as CPU. *Namco 8-bit Galaxian arcade system board : also use a single Z80 CPU. As Arcade games were to become the more and more complex, the number of CPU also increased. *The Namco 8-bit Galaga per example used three Z80 CPU (as main CPU, Video Co-CPU and Sound co-CPU) *1942 (Capcom) : uses a Z80 as main CPU and a second Z80 to manage additionnal 2x AY8910 Sound processors. '''As a result, the earlier Arcade Games/Systems are not especially more powerfull than an Amstrad CPC computer, but were Discrete Logic and Hardware based while a CPC is mostly Software based.''' Later Arcade system were more often fit with 16bit CPU (68000 is a common example) yet some were still equipped with Z80 as co-CPU. *Sega MegaDrive/Genesis is basically a downgraded arcade system, with a 68000 as main CPU and a Z80 as sound co-CPU. While the Z80 could mostly only used for sounds as a MegaDrive, it was also used to emulate Retro-Compatibility with SegaMaster System console (Z80 based system), provided the right cartridge adaptator. ==Gameplay== Arcade systems and games were mostly centered around Hardwired Sprites and scrolls. This make a good proportion of Shoot'hem Ups (vertical or horizontal), Platformers, Beat'hem Up/All. And quite always action oriented games. Adventure and text based games (or even point and click) were not well represented genres and mostly typically Computer Games. '''Custom Game controller''' could be used. *'''Trackballs''' : Marble Madness kind of games. *'''Circular Potentiometer :''' Arkanoid. *'''Steering Wheel :''' OutRun and quite all Car-Games *'''Joystick with in-built Circular Potentiometer :''' Forgotten Worlds or Midnight Resistance. ==Execution of the ports== Many Arcade Manufacturer saw in the port of their arcade Hit only a way to get some extra cash from the licenses and franchise. Being mostlyJapanese, the Arcade Industry knew nothing about the European Home-Computer market and machines. And they actually had few interest to have Home-Computer ports being as good as the Arcade original, as peoples would then no more pay for Arcade and only play at home. Also the success in Europe/Western World of software based machines such as Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, IBM compatibles (MS-DOS PC) or ZX spectrum would not ease the porting of the games. The Companies which bought the Licenses for the games often only wanted to use the Arcade's success as a good publicity to get fast selling games. They rarely tried to get actually good games but indeed fastly developped cheap games. *Sometimes the original Manufacturer would supply Codes, Datas and/or Arcade cabinet to the porting company... *Other times the porting team would even have to go to the next arcade house and pay to play the original game to see how the game is (= no help from companies). Hence largely unaccurate ports ensue. *It is also to notice that on the Amstrad CPC a lot of great arcade hits had the honnor to be hastly [[Speccy Port|Speccy Ported]]. = List by manufacturer<br> = The following games were ported onto the CPC and have been split into groupings based on their original arcade developeror manufacturer :
== Alpha Denshi<br> ==
