The story of the Commodore C64
The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is a home computer that was first released in 1982 by the Commodore International Corporation. The C64 was one of the most popular home computers of its time, and it was widely used for gaming, programming, and home productivity. The C64 featured a 6502 processor, 64 KB of RAM, and a graphics and sound chip known as the VIC-II. It had a built-in BASIC programming language and was capable of displaying up to 16 colors on its screen. The C64 had a wide range of software available, including games, educational programs, and productivity tools, which made it a popular choice for households and schools. It was also popular among hobbyists and developers, who wrote their own software for the platform. The C64 was eventually discontinued in 1994, but it has since gained a cult following and continues to be used and enjoyed by enthusiasts today.
What is inside the C64
The C64 featured a 6502 processor running at 1 MHz, 64 KB of RAM, and 20 KB of ROM. The C64 also had a built-in keyboard and a built-in 1541 floppy disk drive for storage. The C64 had a graphics and sound chip known as the VIC-II (Video Interface Chip II), which was capable of displaying up to 16 colors on the screen and producing sound through its built-in 3-channel synthesizer. It also featured a built-in BASIC programming language and several ports for connecting peripherals such as printers, cassette tapes, and joysticks. The C64 was also known for its SID chip, which was a highly advanced sound chip for its time, allowing for a wide range of sound effects and music to be produced.
The 18 best C64 games
Elite: A space trading and combat simulation game developed by David Braben and Ian Bell. Players take on the role of a spaceship commander, trading goods and upgrading their ship to progress through the game.
The Last Ninja: A martial arts action-adventure game developed by System 3. Players take on the role of a ninja warrior on a mission to defeat the evil Shogun Kunitoki and save the Emperor.
Maniac Mansion: A graphic adventure game developed by Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts). Players control a group of teenagers who enter a strange mansion and must interact with the eccentric inhabitants to solve puzzles and uncover the mystery behind the mansion.
International Karate: A martial arts fighting game developed by System 3. Players can choose to control one of three karate fighters and compete against computer-controlled opponents or other players.
Paradroid: A sci-fi action game developed by Andrew Braybrook. Players control a robot on a mission to eliminate rogue droids that have taken over a spaceship.
Uridium: A sci-fi side-scrolling shooter developed by Andrew Braybrook. Players control a spaceship and must defeat enemy ships and bosses while avoiding obstacles and collecting power-ups.
Boulder Dash: A puzzle game developed by Peter Liepa. Players control a character digging through underground caves and must collect gems while avoiding falling rocks and other hazards.
The Great Giana Sisters: A platform game developed by Time Warp Productions. Players control Giana on a quest to rescue her sister from a dream world.
Impossible Mission: A puzzle-platform game developed by Epyx. Players control a secret agent on a mission to infiltrate a mad scientist’s stronghold and destroy his evil plans.
Winter Games: A sports game developed by Epyx. Players can compete in various winter sports such as ski jumping, bobsleigh, and ice hockey.
California Games: A sports game developed by Epyx. Players can compete in various outdoor sports such as skateboarding, Footbag, and BMX.
Speedball: A futuristic sports game developed by The Bitmap Brothers. Players control a team of players in a brutal version of handball set in a high-tech arena.
Beach Head: A fixed-position, first-person shooter developed by Access Software. Players take on the role of a lone gunner defending a beach from an enemy invasion.
Pitstop II: A racing game developed by Epyx. Players control a Formula One race car and must manage the car’s tires and fuel while competing in a race.
Ghost ‘n Goblins: A platform game developed by Capcom. Players control a knight on a quest to rescue a princess from demons and undead.
The Sentinel: A first-person puzzle game developed by Geoff Crammond. Players control a sentinel, a being with the ability to move mountains, and must use this ability to explore a strange world and solve puzzles.
Head Over Heels: A platform game developed by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond. Players control two characters, Head and Heels, and must work together to solve puzzles and progress through the game.
Monty on the Run: A platform game developed by Gremlin Graphics. Players control Monty Mole, a character who has just escaped from prison and must navigate through various obstacles and enemies to reach freedom.
Please note that this is a subjective list and there are many other great C64 games that could be included. These are just some of the most highly-regarded and popular games for the platform.
Peripherals and accessories
There were many peripherals and accessories available for the Commodore 64. Some of the most popular included:
- Floppy disk drives: The C64 had a built-in floppy disk drive, but external drives were also available for faster loading and storage.
- Cassette tape drives: Cassette tapes were used for storage before floppy disks became popular.
- Printers: The C64 had a built-in RS-232 port, which allowed it to be connected to a wide range of printers.
- Joysticks: The C64 had two joystick ports, which allowed for the use of various game controllers.
- Light Pens: A device that is placed on the screen and used to draw on the screen or for some interactive gaming.
- Memory expansions: The C64 had 64 KB of RAM, but memory expansions were available to increase this.
- Modems: The C64 had a built-in RS-232 port, which allowed it to be connected to a modem for online communication.
- Speech synthesizers: Add-on devices that could convert text to speech.
- MIDI interface: An interface that allows the C64 to be connected to other MIDI-enabled devices such as synthesizers and drum machines.
- Disk-ROM drives: Some external drives had built-in ROM chips that allowed to run special software, games and tools.
Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and there were many other peripherals and accessories available for the C64. These are just some of the most popular and widely used ones.
The successor of the c64
The Commodore 64 was succeeded by the Commodore 128, which was released in 1985. The C128 was fully compatible with the C64, but it also had additional hardware and software features, such as an improved keyboard, more RAM, and the ability to run CP/M in addition to Commodore BASIC. The C128 was not as successful as the C64 and was eventually discontinued in 1989, but it was still an important machine for Commodore as it was one of the few computers in the market that could run both CP/M and Commodore 64 software.
*The article was written with the kind assistance of a KI.
