The Commodore 64 sure does rule, duddn't it?

[Chris++]

My friend Adam came by last night with three CDs, clearly issued by his favorite record label (Sharpie).

 

After an hour or two, I had an emulator running at speed on my old PC and, although I haven't counted, something like 92165984901946952363286547 games.

 

Awwwwwwww yeah.

 

Not only was the C-64 my first 8-bit and the box I taught myself programming on, but it was the most recent thing I would play games on, thanks to many (ahem) archived floppies, until I caved in and bought a PSX in '98 because of Doom.

 

I've been having a blast revisiting my favorites, titles nobody could possibly hope to top my scores in, if I might say so -- Raid on Bungeling Bay, the insufferably bugged but disturbingly addictive Blue Max, Mr. Do's Castle, Spiderbot, the Zorks, Oil's Well, Miner 2049'er and the underrated and amazing Dino Eggs.

 

I'm surprised I had the self-discipline to leave the house for work this morning. There are so many games to check out that I've never even seen that it feels like, y'know, Christmas or something.

 

Now, if only I could figure out how to make the screen full-size without the side borders disappearing and the graphics being stretched horizontally to a disfiguring degree. But hell, worse things happen at sea. (Especially if you're at sea with a VIC-20.)

[jbanes]

There has never been a better time to be a fan of the Commodore 64.

[n8littlefield]

Why is that? Are the prices really good right now?

[Lord Helmet]

I've been thinking of picking a C=64 up, but I really don't want to mess with a floppy drive. Most of the software available for it is on floppy rather than cart. I guess I'm just spoiled...I don't want to wait for the slow load times from the 1541 drive.

 

I'm sure I'll cave in eventually though. The games are just too much fun on the C=64.

 

I tried the emulator on the Dreamcast, but it was way to slow. i really don't like PC emulators because I like to play games on a tv.

[jbanes]

Why is that? Are the prices really good right now?

The prices are low (I've seen bundles of 3 different Commodore machines CIB go for ~$15), nearly all the old software is available and easy to find (from what I hear, much of it with permission of original authors), there's tons of excellent supporting hardware like the MMC64, and there's replacement hardware on the market just waiting to be hacked.

[jbanes]

Most of the software available for it is on floppy rather than cart. I guess I'm just spoiled...I don't want to wait for the slow load times from the 1541 drive.

MMC64?

[Lord Helmet]

Most of the software available for it is on floppy rather than cart. I guess I'm just spoiled...I don't want to wait for the slow load times from the 1541 drive.

MMC64?

 

Soooo...now I have a good reason to get a C=64!

 

Thanks for the link.

[deathtrappomegranate]

I have 4 or 5 C64s. Never use them.

 

The C64 was a great machine, but the Atari 8-bit computers have much more enduring appeal for me.

[Lord Thag]

I've been blessed with a lot of wild c64 finds, so I have like 3 boxed units, four or five drives, printers and about sixty carts.

 

And not ONE damn disk.

 

I'll have to check out this MMC64. It sounds like a great way to get all the software i want to try over to the unit.

Edited December 15, 2006 by Lord Thag

[BigFairy321]

also try TV-out form your video card (if it has it) and run the emulator on a normal TV. Its near identical to a real c64.

[thomasholzer]

Commodore 64/FDD 1541 ruled in Germany for sure.

I had/have both during the 80s, XE and C-64, so I could continue EA, Origin, Microprose, SSI, Infocom on C-64 when they abandoned Atari 8-bit.

 

Most C-64 programmers preferred the Atari 8-bit, even the UK Commodore ZZAP! 64 magazine mentioned that the Atari XL is the Rolls Royce of 8-bit computers

Edited December 15, 2006 by thomasholzer

[Scream And Fly]

I have a number of C64s myself, but never used them. I was always an Atari 8-bit person, but I would like to check out some C64 games one of these days. I do like the Vic-20 for some reason.

[Gregory DG]

There was only one games for the C64 that had any appeal to me and I think it was because there was no Atari 8-bit version... It was ALIENS from Activision. I thought how cool it was to be able to shoot the aliens and drive the powerloader.

 

Since then, there's been some great ALIEN games. But I still haven't played that C64 game!

[Ross PK]

Same here deathtrappomegranate, the C64 is pretty decent, but it doesn't hold a candle to the superior Atari 8-bit computers.

[Video]

So many great games. I particularly loved Castle of Dr Creep, which as far as I know, this excellent game isn't on any other console out there. To bad too, I'd like to play on PC without fecked up sound.

 

And Mule. That game ruled to the nth degree. It's four playered, and the C64 version (or ours, may have been hacked) unlike the NES version had a "play till you conkered the planet" mode. I can still play that game for hours....if only I had my C64 still.;..

 

Well, I'm going to go to the storage place today to move some stuff out, maybe I'll get the ol 64 out while I do that? I still want to learn more basic programming.

[Spector]

The C64 was great - in fact it almost had as many good games as the Spectrum.

[chuckwalla]

The c64 had its share of great games.

I've found it's best played with the CCS64 emulator (use VICE for text adventures).

If you decide on an original hardware setup, try to find a power supply with voltage regulation as those babies were notorious for frying RAM/Logic chips. By the end of the 1980's I was on my third 64 before my Dad had his techs build a customized power supply for me that kept the computer going for another ten or so years (I should have kept that damn power supply ).

Edited December 16, 2006 by chuckwalla

[shadow460]

No love for Apple here, I see. I've actually been thinking about emulating a IIc myself, but I'm not sure how it would work.

[thomasholzer]

Yes, very sad to see 'no love for Apple ][ here' especially from Americans, it being the ruling USA 8-bit computer of the 80s

[PressureCooker2600]

grew up with a c64 and i love it still......games like Aliens, Knight Games, Toy Bizarre, Dino Eggs, Gateway to Asphai, Jumpman series, Maniac Mansion.......... so many classics

 

the C64 joystick PnP is pretty good......its got a decent port of Impossible Mission and Jumpman Junior among others....and i picked one up for a good price

[Video]

Yes, very sad to see 'no love for Apple ][ here' especially from Americans, it being the ruling USA 8-bit computer of the 80s

 

The Apple II was probably not loved much, because it was a poor gameing computer. IMO anyways, as all the games I played on both the Apple II and C64, were always better on the C64, graphically if nothing else.

 

The problem is, the Apple II tried to be a total 'do all' personal computer, while the C64 was really built ground up as a gaming computer, that just happened to be good at other things. We used a C64 as a business computer back when we had a petshop here in town, and used one as a controller for a thermostat for a few years befor the transformer fried it.

 

Being all built in together, not requiring a monitor, and costing a few hundred instead of a few thousand definately didn't hurt it either

[thomasholzer]

I posted this on here before, got a lot of stick from some stupid 'I don't know anything German',

but the Apple ][ did very well in the USA gaming scene according to EG magazine (May 1985 issue) (and also I own the 'Triumph of the nerds' video, which gave many 'firsts' to the Apple ][, eg floating on the stock exchange, companies were formed to supply Apple software, first 'killer app. (VisiCalc)', most used in USA schools etc...

 

Edited December 16, 2006 by thomasholzer

[deathtrappomegranate]

I like the Apple II. I have one. I like the C64. I have several.

 

I prefer the Atari 8-bit machines. They were computers, not just consoles. Every owner could write programs for them, and some of them ended up being published by Atari. They were designed to use cartridges, just like consoles, but were also meant to be user-programmed, like the hobbyist computers of the time. But they offered the possibility of bridging the gap between "serious" hobbyist computers, and "toys" like the 2600. They were nearly perfect.

 

In 1979/80, the Atari 800 was the "most wanted" item for everybody I knew who was interested in computing. If it hadn't cost six times as much as a Sinclair ZX80, then the world of computing might have been very different, and not just in the UK.

[MacbthPSW]

Yes, very sad to see 'no love for Apple ][ here' especially from Americans, it being the ruling USA 8-bit computer of the 80s

In the early 80s yes, but the C64 way way outpaced it in terms of sales and general popularity when you take the entire decade in. Yes, 1985-1989 *were* part of the 80s.

 

BTW, have you found those thousands of missing Apple II games yet? Last time I counted you were about 7,000 short in your claims...

[Video]

EEW, look at those aweful screenshots (and those are some of the better ones I've seen on Apple II) Most notably, three right, one down. The nice lovely Green, yellow, and blue line, and all the sprites being....white? In fact, counting Black, and White as colors, not one of those screens shows more than five colors at once. And C64, while a chunk of games are simple, and/or ugly, can do 16 colors.

 

Also, notice it says "apple SOFTWARE hits 16,000" It says nothing of games. And it's been my experiance, that many of those games, will be mild hacks, or blatant rippoffs of each other, with different names. And I'm not just dissing Apple here either, everybody did it. Commodore probably did it just as much, but I don't know. I remember reading that there were 11,000 games for it at one time, but I think that's BS too.

 

BTW, what Apple II's started haveing color monitors anyways? Our schools had several versions, and I know, not a single one had a color monitor. Most had the nice green monochrome. Drawing vector graphics on it was cool though.

 

Pluss, you going to trust a magazine? Who's soul purpose in existing is to make money? Who are probably paid by companies (apple) to post this info about them? I don't trust any modern mags either. Especially multi format mags as they are always biased. Some more than others, but they always have some. You want more accurate info about your system, and have to go the mag rout, at least get a mag that's talored to your system. They probably won't be accurate either, but not biasing against other systems will probably pull them more in line with the truth.

 

Side Note

 

Well, I dug my C 64 out of storage today, yay, Man, I forgot how filthy that thing is, I need to wash it. I just hope it still works. I have the old fat one, and the newer sleek one, as well as a 128, so one of them should work. I also have all two cart games, and a couple dozen disc games that I haven't located yet. I may have to go to Radiosack and get some floppies to format so I can try to see if the drives work.

 

I hope it does, and I hopw I find my games, I loved those old C 64 games.

Edited December 17, 2006 by Video