Multi-Platform Arcade Game Designer
A downloadable tool for Windows
Simply put, the most powerful user-friendly tool there is for creating games for 8-bit computers. Supported formats include the ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC, BBC Model B, Dragon 32/64, Acorn Atom, Enterprise and VZ200 with more on the way. Create blocks, sprites and screens, knock out a few lines of code in the simple scripting language (inspired by BASIC) or get the tool's script generator to produce the code for you and create a fast, smooth 8-bit game that would have graced any software house's catalogue back in the day. Just hit F5 and MPAGD will build your game then automatically fire up an emulator and load it for you to play. No prior programming knowledge is required, this is an excellent tool for learning to code or for teaching kids to code as Class P6 of Bearsden Primary School discovered when they used the tool's predecessor tocreate their own games.
Far more powerful than the original AGD with new commands and extra functionality, MPAGD comes complete with comprehensive documentation, a demonstration game and example code templates. It includes tools to convert graphics between 8-bit formats, generating placeholders that can then be edited. MPAGD will even import snapshots of games written using AGD 4.0 and above or AGDx and allow you to change or expand them.
Free to download with no obligations, I don't expect anything in return. It is not my intention that anyone should ever pay royalties or subscriptions for a game developed with any of my game designers. MPAGD is free and always will be. If your game makes a bit of money you don't owe me anything. Ever. However, should you absolutely insist on contributing towards the cost of a pint of beer you can make a donation or go and buy one of my Egghead games or game development tools (Shoot-Em-Up Designer, Platform Game Designer) fromwww.cronosoft.co.uk
Documentation is comprehensive but to get the best out of MPAGD you can join the community of AGD and MPAGD developers over at theforums where help and support are available. There is aFacebook group and tutorial videos are available below. Note that since these were recorded MPAGD's build process has been simplified.
If you're an experienced 8-bit developer and would like to add your favourite computer to the list of supported machines, get in touch.
Credits
Compilers and engines: Jonathan Cauldwell, Kees van Oss, Jose Luis Tursan, Kieran Connell, Pere Serrat, Noel Persa, Jason Oakley.
Windows editors: Jonathan Cauldwell.
Build suites: Kees van Oss.
Fonts: Damien Guard.
| Status | Released |
| Category | Tool |
| Platforms | Windows |
| Rating | Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars (46 total ratings) |
| Author | Jonathan Cauldwell |
| Tags | 2D,8-Bit,acorn,amstrad-cpc464,Arcade,Game engine,GameMaker,MSX,Retro,ZX Spectrum |
Download
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Development log
Comments
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Anyone having an issue with shrapnel never despawning if the window size is full screen:Go to the folder SuiteZX/AGD within the MPAGD folder, and edit EngineZX.asm:
Around line 799, replace the right edge detection code with this:
inc hl ; point to right edge. ld a,(hl) ; fetch window edge X add a, 15 ; add width of sprite cp 255 ; ARLASOFT - is on screen edge? jp nz, nowrp ; ARlASOFT - no, dont worry ld a, 251 ; ARLASOFT - yes, move boundary far enough left to catch fast travelling particlesnowrp cp (ix+5) ; compare with window limit. jr c,kilshr ; off screen, kill shrapnel.
I’m surprised the chatter hasn’t gone into overdrive for a Next version which would make use of the extra features and memory.
Being able to develop on the PC using MPAGD and then output a .nex file would be a thing of beauty and something I would pay for.
I think this is where the Next is lacking in having a full out of the box dev environment.
As an update, we have just opened a limited audience beta for the new MPAGD support for Vic 20. And two games for Vic 20 made with MPAGD are arleady available to play and download:B-Squared Vic-20 by kamaleon70 and slASHer ViC 20 by ZXAMAZE
It is possible to make turn based games with that tool?
I wanna to make game like Stoneshard on ZX Spectrum
or maybe likePrincess Paisley game on itch_io.
Hello there, i'm very impressed with this program.
i've been fascinated with ZX Spectrum Games and Graphics for a few months now and i'm liking to use this program, this is very cool.
I'm having some issues envolving the exporting of the project, it creates the .agd file, it asks if you want to create a .tap file, but it never creates it, which is a problem.
I would be very thankful if you know what could i do to fix this.
(sorry for my English, it's not my main language.)
Off the top of my head I'm not sure what the problem is. If you post onthe forums maybe someone who has had a similar issue will remember what the solution was.
No, it wouldn't be straightforward to do that because the extra RAM is banked. MPAGD would have to spit out multiple listings and the user would have to manually assemble them individually then save them out as multiple code blocks, not to mention writing a BASIC loader program with some machine code to load the code files into the relevant RAM banks. Anyone capable of doing that is already capable of taking the existing assembly language listing and modding it to use the extra memory.
Not yet, we're still looking for a C64 expert to convert the engine and make the few necessary mods to the compiler (easier than it sounds). I'm always happy to work with a volunteer, add the editors to the Windows tool and output the graphics in the required format. Likewise for any other machines.
We have engines and compilers for Z80, 6502 and 6809 machines so it's probably an idea to start with one of the 6502 models. Modding the compilers is probably the simplest job, that's written in C. The engines take a bit more converting, obviously the way sprites and display routines are handled differ tremendously between formats. Kees van Oss did the Z80->6502 conversion so he's the best person to ask. He's on the MPAGD forums and in the Facebook group. I'd be doing the Windows editors so you'd need to let me know what you want and how you want graphic data output for the compiler. The best place to chat about all of this might be Facebook
Hi jonathon , I had no problems using your brilliant software , but where does it store the finished .tap ??? . Am i doing something wrong ? the game builds and runs in the built in emulator but when i look for the finished product i cant find it , could you please explain the process for the export.(i was writing games for the spectrum but the only tap file i found said it was a c64 tap file is this the right thing ??
I don't recall off the top of my head but there should be a couple of batch files within the "Suite ZX" subdirectory, one called build.bat and the other export.bat. If you look in there you should get an idea, you can even modify them to copy the .tap anywhere you like for convenience. If you have any further questions they're probably best answered over at theAGD forum.
Hello everyone!!!
I created my first game for Amstrad CPC thanks to WinAGD and some wonderful people.
You can play and test it athttps://capasoft.eu/amstrad/jax-the-dog-amstrad/
Thank you very much Jonathan.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOW ! I'm not a good programmer in fact I only use programming a bit as a hobby but I really would have liked to create an 8bit game! You've made my day, it's even making me want to get out my little simple game engine with which I'm creating a simple game to make it functional haha greetings!
Thank you, I hope you have fun with it and get to create an 8-bit game. MPAGD is designed so that the user can create games regardless of programming experience. It can create the initial scripting code for you, which can be amended later when you feel confident enough to make changes - small at first, bigger changes later on. As your experience grows you'll start to realise just how powerful the tool is
Hi! I'd like to contribute to the C64 compiler and maybe to the engine as well, I developed an NES emulator and am making a C64 emu now, and also a 6502 user-friendlier assembler.
Haven't made C64 games, but I know the platform quite well.
Please check my code: https://github.com/Drean64
At present I don't know of anyone working on a C64 compiler or engine so feel free to make a start. The best place would be with the compiler and engine for an existing 6502 machine; Kees van Oss did the initial Z80->6502 conversion work so he's the best person to talk to about that. You'd also need to tell me about the graphics format you want so I could update the Windows editor and output data in the correct manner for the compiler/engine to use.
This is really a superb tool and engine, really love using it.
either a feature request or a how do you do.
Constants
SPEED = 6
MAXBULLET = 20
things like that, in the same way devpac would them replace them in code during a pass
IF A = MAXBULLET
instead of having to replace 20 in several places if I want to change MAXBULLET
They don’t use up any variables this way.
again superb engine thank you.
I have a Next engine and compiler but it's based on the TC2048 versions. Hoping to add Next sprites at the very least before releasing it and maybe adding more functionality later. Until then you could use the 8x1 attribute mode of the Timex to create more colourful games for the Next and other machines that support that mode
