In the last article, we investigated the impressive (for the time) audio-visual abilities of the C64, which were made possible thanks to its dedicated graphics chip, sound chip and 64K of RAM. We will now take a look at the games on the C64 and what this technology could achieve in-game.
Games
The C64 had an extensive library of games, with some sources stating a figure upwards of 2000 titles. These games covered almost every genre created at the time. As with all systems, these games varied somewhat in their quality. The best of them were among the best games released on any of the 8-bit home computers.
NB – the 8-bit home computers were sometimes referred to as ‘home micros’.
Let’s go through these games by category, starting with…
Coin-Op Conversions
Throughout the 1980s and the first half of the 1990s, Coin-Op video arcades were extremely popular. As such many popular arcade games were ported to the home systems, the C64 included. Although none of the home systems could match the graphics and sound of the arcade cabinets, the C64’s impressive hardware enabled coin op conversions that were more faithful than most.
These conversions varied considerably in quality. Rainbow Islands was one of the best…
Rainbow Islands Arcade
Video by Al82 Retrogaming Longplays
Rainbow Islands C64
Video by Al82 Retrogaming Longplays
Whilst Rygar was one of the worst…
Rygar Arcade
Video by Media Pool
Rygar C64
Video by phoenix1291
For a comparison of almost every Arcade-to-C64 conversion take a look at these videos by Laird's Lair;
One Button Complications
Being limited to a one-button joystick was occasionally a challenge. ‘Up-to-Jump’ solved the problem for most two-button arcade platform games, whilst pressing the spacebar took care of smart bombs in shoot ‘em ups. Unfortunately, arcade games that used a three-buttons-or-more control scheme usually couldn’t be ported satisfactorily. As you can imagine, the arcade conversion of Street Fighter 2 with its six-button control scheme was particularly problematic - as it was for all home computers that were limited to one-button joysticks.
Street Fighter 2 - Commodore 64 - Ryu Playthrough
Video by SoulSnatching
If you would like to find out more about just how bad the C64 Street Fighter 2 port was, take a look at Nostalgia Nerd’s video here.
Multi-Platform Games
The market for games designed for the home computer was arguably even larger. With several different home computers on the market, it made sense for developers to create versions of their games for as many systems as possible - platform exclusivity was a rare thing back then. As a result, the games library for the Spectrum, C64 and Amstrad CPC were broadly similar.
One particularly good example of this being Turrican 2: The Final Fight which was released on nine separate systems. The C64 version was considered by many to be the best of the 8-bit versions, partly due to it featuring gameplay elements that even the 16-bit versions lacked.
Turrican II: The Final Fight C64
Video by Al82 Retrogaming Longplays
The C64 versions of multiplatform games tended to be superior (perhaps arguably) in terms of graphics and sound compared to their Spectrum counterparts. Judge for yourself in the video comparisons below.
ZX Spectrum Vs Commodore 64 (Vol. 1) - Let's compare 50 games!
You might notice some games are completely different on the two systems – Kwik Snax (1:20:21) and Rebel (2:33:09) in particular
Video by Modern ZX-Retro Gaming
ZX Spectrum Vs Commodore 64 (Vol. 2) - Let's compare another 50 games!
Note how the Spectrum’s colour palette makes the games look garish, whereas the C64’s colour palette is more subdued.
Video by Modern ZX-Retro Gaming
8-Bit Home Computer Exclusives
In addition, there were a wide variety of games that were released exclusively for the 8-bit home micros. Ultimate Play the Game was a notable 8-bit video game company that created many highly-rated games for the ZX Spectrum, C64 and Amstrad CPC.
Night Shade C64
Note the ‘Attribute Clash’ - AKA Colour Clash. This was (thankfully) a rarity on the C64
Video by einokeino303
C64 Exclusive Ports
The C64 was more powerful than the other 8-bit micros. As such it received ports of 16-bit games which were not even attempted on the other systems. Armalyte is a good example which was released for the 16-bit Amiga and Atari ST and the 8-bit C64. It should be noted that the C64 game differs considerably from the Atari and Amiga versions. It could be argued that they should be considered separate games.
Armalyte C64
Note how smooth the game runs. Armalyte makes good use of the C64’s hardware.
Video by Al82 Retrogaming Longplays
Armalyte Amiga
Note that the differences are not merely cosmetic
Video by World of Longplays
C64 Exclusive Originals
There was no shortage of games developed exclusively for the C64 either. Some of these games looked noticeably better than multi-platform C64 games. This was due to these games being designed from the ground up to take full advantage of the C64’s hardware. The aforementioned Mayhem in Monsterland is a standout example, as was Creatures 2.
Creatures 2: Torture Trouble Longplay (C64)
Video by Al82 Retrogaming Longplays
Mouse Driven Games
Due to the C64 being compatible with the 1351 Mouse, games such as Lemmings were able to take full advantage of mouse control. Ports of Lemmings to systems that lacked mouse control were often frustrating affairs.
Lemmings C64
Video by Commodore & Amiga Constellation
3D Games
Although the C64’s hardware was well suited to 2D scrolling and sprites, it struggled with 3D rendering. Its VIC-II graphics chip was not optimised for 3D. As a result, the C64’s relatively underpowered 1MHz CPU had to do much of the polygonal ‘heavy lifting’, resulting in frustratingly low frame rates. Driller, released in 1987, is an excellent example of this.
Driller (1987)
Check out that frame rate
Video by Ultimate History of Video Games
3D games with wireframe graphics - such as Elite - fared somewhat better due to their less demanding graphics.
Elite 64
Compare this with Elite Dangerous. 3D games have come a long way
Video by DerSchmu
Online MMORPG
The C64’s internet capabilities allowed for the world’s first MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), Habitat (also known as Club Caribe). Although primitive by today’s standards its success proved the viability of the MMORPG concept. This ultimately led to modern-day MMORPGS such as World of Warcraft and online virtual worlds such as Second Life.
Lucasfilm's Habitat Promotional Video C64
Video by F. Randall Farmer
Magazines and Cover Tapes
The C64 spawned several C64 focused video game magazines, such as ZZap!64 in the UK. Magazines such as these featured news, reviews and irreverent comedy articles. For gamers in the pre-internet ‘80s and ‘90s, magazines such as these were the best way to keep up-to-date with what was happening in the C64 gaming scene.
They were also the best place to find honest reviews from people who knew what they were talking about. Other than word of mouth from friends, this was the only way to ensure the games you had your eyes on were not complete dumpster fires.
As an added bonus, many magazines came with cover tapes. These usually contained playable demos of upcoming games, indie games and various programs, including loadable cheats called POKEs.
Legacy
The C64’s popularity worldwide ensured it would have a persistent legacy. In fact, interest in the C64 has been reinvigorated recently due to the release of the C64 MINI, another retro-mini system with built-in games intended to appeal to gamer’s nostalgia.
What’s more, the C64 cemented the idea that a multi-function home computer could double as a high-end gaming machine. The C64’s relatively high performance and competitive price ensured that it would make its way into the homes of millions of people worldwide, and it would take this idea with it.
This set the stage for the 16-bit home computers, such as the Amiga and Atari ST. These home computers would be designed with gaming in mind, and it would show. But that is a story for another day…
Conclusion
Although both the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 were extremely successful, they did not have the market to themselves. There was a third ‘80s 8-bit home micro which gave them a serious run for their money - the Amstrad CPC 464 - the topic of the next article. See you all there.
Did you own a C64 back in the day, or knew anyone who did? If so, what were your experiences? How did you find gaming on the C64? What were the best things about it as a gaming machine, and what were the worst? How did it compare to the games in the arcades, other home computers or the 8-bit consoles? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Iain is a 40+ author and gamer from England, who started his gaming journey on the Atari 2600 36 years ago. His specialities include obscure cult classics, retro games, mods and fan remakes. He hates all sports games and is allergic to online multiplayer. Since he is British, his body is about 60% tea. He can be reached via Twitter at https://twitter.com/IainBaker17, and contacted via email at the_nomad78@outlook.com
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