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History
In March 2000, Amstrad released the Amstrad E-mailer, and upgraded version of the PB1500 featuring an LCD screen and limited Internet dial up and email messaging capabilities. The phone used a Pay-as-you-use business model where Internet and email access were made via a premium-line phone number, engendering cost to the user. In fact, the E-mailer was even sold to the customer at loss hoping that they would recuperate the money overtime. In 2002, Amstrad decided to upgrade their offering with the Amstrad E-mailer Plus.
Release
The Amstrad E-mailer Plus added the ability to play ZX Spectrum Games on the E-mailer. The game would be played from the keyboard as were played on the original ZX Spectrum hardware. As for the email and Internet connection, the gaming services used a Pay-as-you-use business model. Games were “rented” for a period of time after which they would delete themselves. The cost was either 50p for 4 days or £1 for 4 weeks. As the E-Mailer had a limited amount of space, each game would also consume a number of blocks depending on its size. Smaller games were 1 block while the vast majority of games would be 5-6 blocks. The E-mailer would allow up to 35 block to be stored at one time on the phone.
Demise
In 2004, the E-Mailer Plus was discontinued and replace by the Amstrad E3 E-Mailer.
Games
The E-Mailer Plus had lots of games divided in five categories :
- Arcade / Shoot ’em Up Games
- Arcade / Platform Games
- Action / Adventure Games
- Sport / Simulation Games
- Puzzle / Strategy Games
Within each category, a number of games could be downloaded. With new games were being added from time to time. We weren’t able to find a full list of games, but here’s the one we have confirmed:
- Space Raiders (2 blocks)
- Galaxians (2 blocks)
- Missile Defence (3 blocks)
- Hostile All-Terrain Encounter (6 blocks)
- Silkworm (5 blocks)
- Eliminator (3 blocks)
- Pheenix (2 blocks)
- Cosmic Debris (Asteroid) (2 blocks)
- Moon Cresta (5 blocks)
- Donkey Kong (5 blocks)
- Bubble Bobble (6 blocks)
- Jet Set Willy 2 (6 blocks)
- Bomb Jack (6 blocks)
- Turbo Tortoise (4 blocks)
- Prison Riot (5 blocks)
- Manic Miner (5 blocks)
- Rolling Thunder (5 blocks)
- Tetris (? blocks)