The Amstrad CPC (Colour Personal Computer) produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990, are a series of 8-bit home computers. This CPC was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Its unique selling point was the comparatively low price for a complete computer system with dedicated monitor, high resolution monochrome text and graphic capabilities and the possibility to run CP/M software also rendered the system attractive for business users as it was also pitched for home computers to play video games. The Amstrad CPC gained its popularity mainly in Europe where it successfully established itself as a major competitor in the European home computer market. The series produced models such as; the CPC464, CPC664, CPC6128, 464plus, 6128plus, and a repackaged game console known as the GX4000.
Their computer-in-a-keyboard design came with remarkable features like an integrated storage device, compact cassette deck or 3 inch floppy disk drive, its matte black console case with sharp corners and narrowly rectangular form, the keyboard's distinctly coloured special keys, and the unique power supply hook-up with one lead going from console to the monitor and one lead going the other way. The main units were only sold separately with either a coloured green-screen or monochrome monitor that also served as the main unit's power supply. In addition, a wide range of first and third party hardware extensions such as external disk drives, printers, and memory extensions, were also made available.
As of 1990 the Amstrad CPC had faded out, but memories of some great Amstrad CPC Games still remained. And even though the CPCs are no longer readily available, you can still find Amstrad CPC ROMs online to play on your PC and other devices easily for free. These ROMs are files where the original version of the Amstrad CPC games has been saved in your device storage to enable you play on other devices aside the CPC. These free CPC ROMs have been customized to allow you install and play games at the highest quality that is available right from your device browser.
Best Amstrad CPC ROMs
Some of the best games that fondly came with the Amstrad CPC include: Prince of Persia, Fallout ROMs, Dragon ball zeta, Total Eclipse, Galactic Conqueror, Chase HQ, Thanatos Diver, Psycho Pigs UXB, the Guild of Thieves and a ton of other great games. From adventures, to puzzles and other arcade style games, there is something in there for every gamer to relive nostalgic moments and also build new ones.
Amstrad CPC Games Emulator
Before you can play any of the Amstrad CPC ROMs without the CPC, you will need to install an emulator. An emulator is simply a software that mimics play of the saved file format on your device. Below is a list of 10 of the best CPC emulators that support Amstrad CPC ROM games:
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CaPriCe32
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Arnold
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MAME
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SugarBox
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CLK
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Roland
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XCPC
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Droid-CPC
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WinCPC
Note that before you download any of these emulators you can also check the compatibility list on each emulator download site to know which games can be played using the emulator, so you know which emulator suites your gaming needs best, before you go on to download.
Platforms That Support Amstrad CPC ROMs
Before you start an emulator download, it is important to note that some emulators are compatible with only specific Operating Systems. Below is a guide on which emulators are most suitable with your Windows, Linux, Android and iOS devices
iOS Supported Amstrad CPC Emulators
If you are looking for the best emulators to play CPC ROMs for iOS either on your iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Mac devices then these ones listed below are sure to provide you with the best simulation of your PS2 games and of course great entertainment. Note that it is advisable to have an iOS X version or higher before downloading any of these emulators:
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CaPriCe32
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Arnold
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MAME
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SugarBox
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CLK
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Roland
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XCPC
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Droid-CPC
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WinCPC
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Pandora CPC32
Windows Supported Amstrad CPC Emulators
One great thing about Windows is that it supports almost all the emulators out there. Most often these emulators are supported on a wide range of Windows OS, so you are easily able to play all you CPC ROMs on your PC. The most compatible emulators for Windows include:
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CaPriCe32
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Arnold
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MAME
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SugarBox
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CLK
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Roland
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XCPC
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Droid-CPC
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WinCPC
Android Supported Amstrad CPC Emulators
Some of the emulators for CPC ROMs for android can be found on the Google Play Store for download (most of them are free). These emulators are often compatible with the Android 4 (KitKat) and other newer versions of Android. Some of them likewise support older versions of Androids:
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Droid-CPC
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CPCDroid
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Pandora CPC32
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CPCE
Linux Supported Amstrad CPC Emulators
With these emulators listed below you are sure to get the best game play either by playing online or downloading the CPC ROMs to play all on you Linux devices. Compatible emulators for Linux include:
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CaPriCe32
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Arnold
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MAME
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SugarBox
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CLK
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Roland
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XCPC
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Droid-CPC