Bomb Jack GX: a faithful arcade homebrew port lands on Amstrad CPC Plus and GX4000

The Amstrad homebrew scene keeps pushing the Plus hardware further with Bomb Jack GX, a new port by AnthonyFlack that adapts Tehkan's 1984 arcade classic to the extended capabilities of the Amstrad CPC Plus and the GX4000 console.

This port directly leverages the hardware features specific to the Plus range, namely its extended palette and hardware sprites, to deliver an experience faithful to the original: 50Hz animation, dozens of simultaneous on-screen sprites and up to 50 colours displayed at once, quite a feat for an 8-bit Amstrad.

Built with both original hardware and modern cartridges in mind

Bomb Jack GX runs on any computer in the Amstrad Plus range as well as on the GX4000 console, and the developer specifically recommends using it with a Pico-GX cartridge, which also allows high scores to be saved persistently, as does the ACE-DL emulator for those who prefer to play on PC.

The game is available for download on AnthonyFlack's itch.io page, where the author also details the recommended setup. For players who want to run Bomb Jack GX on real Amstrad hardware, the CPCWiki guide explains how to transfer and run software on an actual Amstrad CPC Plus or GX4000.

Source: itch.io (AnthonyFlack)