C64 Games speculation

[SKTTR]

This 30-in-1 joystick proves that some old games have chances to appear on the VC. Almost the whole Hewson and Epyx catalogue is in here.

1. Alleykat (Hewson)
2. California Games (Epyx)
3. Championship Wrestling (Epyx)
4. Cyberdyne Warrior (Hewson)
5. Cybernoid - The Fighting Machine (Hewson)
6. Cybernoid II - The Revenge (Hewson)
7. Eliminator (Hewson)
8. Exolon (Hewson)
9. Firelord (Hewson)
10. Gateway to Apshai (Epyx)
11. Head The Ball (Hewson)
12. Impossible Mission (Epyx)
13. Impossible Mission II. (Epyx)
14. Jumpman Junior (Epyx)
15. Marauder (Hewson)
16. Maze Mania (Hewson)
17. Nebulus (Hewson)
18. Netherworld (Hewson)
19. Mission Impossibubble (Hewson)
20. Paradroid (Hewson/Graftgold)
21. Pitstop (Epyx)
22. Pitstop II (Epyx)
23. Ranarama (Hewson/Graftgold)
24. Speedball (Mirrorsoft)
25. Summer Games (Epyx)
26. Super Cycle (Epyx)
27. Sword of Fargoal (Epyx)
28. Uridium (Heswon/Graftgold)
29. Winter Games (Epyx)
30. Zynaps (Hewson)

Games have been released on VC.

[Angelic Lapras King]

That is, if they get their butts in gear...

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by Angelic Lapras King

That is, if they get their butts in gear...

Have they even fixed Last Ninja 3 yet? What is it now, like four or five months since that game came out?

[kawaiipikachu]

Well i got myself one of these things & it even has a fully working basic prompt via on screen keyboard .
Imaging writing a 300 line program via that method .

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by kawaiipikachu

Well i got myself one of these things & it even has a fully working basic prompt via on screen keyboard .
Imaging writing a 300 line program via that method .

This would actually make sense if there was a way to save your own programs. Same on the Wii.

Who would get a full C64 emulator with the ability to save your own programs and send them from Wii to Wii?
Sure I'll do if it has USB-keyboard support.

People have made great little games that took only 20 lines of basicprogram.

Free trading of C64 machinecode lists.
and self-made programs would jet around.

Imagine a Wi-Fi-C64 inside the Wii, with an additional C64 channel where you can store and manage your self-made-stuff, take it online to send them to people who have their own C64 channel. etc.

An easy way to learn basic programming and reliving the C64 demo scene.
Seems freaky?
Yeh, dreaming... maybe a Homebrew job.

[sponge]

that actually sounds awesome. you could maybe get close using homebrew, couldnt you?

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by sponge

that actually sounds awesome. you could maybe get close using homebrew, couldnt you?

you could get closer by crashing one of the extremely buggy C64 games already available and getting to the C64 blue startup screen. I've done it with Cybernoid twice already (more fun than the actual game!)

[kawaiipikachu]

Originally Posted by Betagam7

you could get closer by crashing one of the extremely buggy C64 games already available and getting to the C64 blue startup screen. I've done it with Cybernoid twice already (more fun than the actual game!)

I believe it .

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by Betagam7

you could get closer by crashing one of the extremely buggy C64 games already available and getting to the C64 blue startup screen. I've done it with Cybernoid twice already (more fun than the actual game!)

Damn, my Paradroid never crashes. I need Cybernoid.

Well, if Cybernoid really crashes that much, then it needs an update (just like Mayhem and Ninja Three); originally Cybernoid on C64 never crashed.

[Jogurt the Yogurt]

Ha! If people were to start using buggy C64 games as a homebrew portal, watch how fast Nintendo would have them all patched up!

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

Damn, my Paradroid never crashes. I need Cybernoid.

Well, if Cybernoid really crashes that much, then it needs an update (just like Mayhem and Ninja Three); originally Cybernoid on C64 never crashed.

Although it never occured to me at the time the amusing thing is that with live pause it should technically be possible to painstakingly type in a programme and make your own game. Provided you never reset and just use live pause the game should work for ever (and probably be better than Cybernoid!). As it is I reset the game in my frustration and didn't think of the possibility.

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by Betagam7

Although it never occured to me at the time the amusing thing is that with live pause it should technically be possible to painstakingly type in a programme and make your own game. Provided you never reset and just use live pause the game should work for ever (and probably be better than Cybernoid!). As it is I reset the game in my frustration and didn't think of the possibility.

Yeh, at least you can program and save one file.

I would have wanted to try some things out...
When in-between-loading is emulated (like in the Games-series and the Last Ninja-series) then there must be an emulated floppy disk drive.
And if there is any, there must be some room left on the emulated disk.
I'd love to try SAVE"progname",8

Next time it crashes, try to type in LOAD"$",8 (ENTER) LIST (ENTER) (you know, the basic command to show the disk directory.

But maybe they sorted all the code out in the VC games, to make them run like a cartridge based game (which none of those games actually were - they came on tape or disk) then there's little chance that there's a floppy drive to use for saving your own progs.

[kelvingreen]

I believe that Last Ninja 3 was released as a cartridge title.

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by kelvingreen

I believe that Last Ninja 3 was released as a cartridge title.

No way. It was released on disk only.
The last official cartridge was released in 1987.
Even datasette tape games were produced for a longer period (was cheaper to produce)
Disk versions were the definite and best solution for C64 games.
They were cheap, rewritable and had fast loading times.


From http://gtw64.retro-net.de/articles/carts.php :

Last Ninja 3 - 1991 - System 3 - Hmmm... this one was actually advertised heavily as being on cartridge. Even one magazine stated cartridge only!.... so did they have a cartridge to review from??? Cart copies were apparently made according to Dan Phillips, but the game was never sold in that format and the carts were all internal System 3 carts. I know for a fact that Mat Allen is watching with eagle eyes for when it ever (if ever) it comes up on ebay... aren't you Mat? ... In recent times we have been chasing up those involved, and Stan Schembri was contacted and confirmed prototypes were made, but he didn't have one anymore. The last person to chase up is John Twiddy.... most likely to have something of the game...

[Mayhem]

Well that's my name mentioned... again. But yeah it was planned but didn't come out on that format. Last cartridges were released in 1992 after the failed launch of the C64GS. Oh and LN3 did come out on tape too btw... bloody long loading though (mind you, the disk wasn't much quicker!).

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by Mayhem

Well that's my name mentioned... again. But yeah it was planned but didn't come out on that format. Last cartridges were released in 1992 after the failed launch of the C64GS. Oh and LN3 did come out on tape too btw... bloody long loading though (mind you, the disk wasn't much quicker!).

Last cart in '92?? Which cart was that?

And LN3 on tape?? How does that work?
System 3 is a group of weird people if that's true.
Even all C64 magazines came with a disk at that time,
so I'm a bit confused as why a game developer would release such a cassette-unfriendly game on tape when everyone at the time had a floppy-diskdrive?

And eh... come on, disk loading is a million times faster than cassette.
I can remember LN1 and LN2 are running with a fastloader. It only took a few seconds until the next stage was loaded. I'm confident such a late game like LN3 had a fastloader too.

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

Last cart in '92?? Which cart was that?

And LN3 on tape?? How does that work?
System 3 is a group of weird people if that's true.
Even all C64 magazines came with a disk at that time,

in the UK at least Commadore Format magazine always came with a tape. Right until its death and it was the most popular C64 magazine going at that point i believe.

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by Betagam7

in the UK at least Commadore Format magazine always came with a tape. Right until its death and it was the most popular C64 magazine going at that point i believe.

That's funny. How different it is from country to country...
Which UK magazine was that?


In Germany we had loads of Commodore 64 magazines.

64'er (came with a disk)

Magic Disk (came with a disk)

Game On! (came with a disk)

Golden Disk 64 (came with a disk)

oh INPUT 64 ... i forgot that one! It came with a tape! (but only until '86 I think, then they swapped to disk too)

Here's a link to all German C64 magazines (and they all came with a disk)

[kawaiipikachu]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

That's funny. How different it is from country to country...
Which UK magazine was that?


In Germany we had loads of Commodore 64 magazines.

64'er (came with a disk)

Magic Disk (came with a disk)

Game On! (came with a disk)

Golden Disk 64 (came with a disk)

oh INPUT 64 ... i forgot that one! It came with a tape! (but only until '86 I think, then they swapped to disk too)

Here's a link to all German C64 magazines (and they all came with a disk)

Well my father wouldn't be able to use those disk's as he opted in for the much cheaper datasette (correct me if im wrong on the spelling) drive over the expensive disk drive .
A disk drive would have coasted him $900AU & compair that to a Commodore 64 $600AU price point .
It is no wonder he decided for the tape drive .

[SKTTR]

Originally Posted by kawaiipikachu

Well my father wouldn't be able to use those disk's as he opted in for the much cheaper datasette (correct me if im wrong on the spelling) drive over the expensive disk drive .
A disk drive would have coasted him $900AU & compair that to a Commodore 64 $600AU price point .
It is no wonder he decided for the tape drive .

Woah, we had a datasette and 3 floppy's in the 12 years of using our Commodore 64 ('82-'94).
We also had a printer and at least 10 joysticks
Man, we had 3 C64's until '94... then I got a SNES and a Game Boy.

The prices for hardware in Germany were very different I suppose.
The C64 monitors were expensive though. We paid 1300DM for a new one when the old screen died.

[Betagam7]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

Woah, we had a datasette and 3 floppy's in the 12 years of using our Commodore 64 ('82-'94).
We also had a printer and at least 10 joysticks
Man, we had 3 C64's until '94... then I got a SNES and a Game Boy.

The prices for hardware in Germany were very different I suppose.
The C64 monitors were expensive though. We paid 1300DM for a new one when the old screen died.

Monitors? We just used the good old TV set in my house

Joysticks were a right pain for breaking though. I remember for about a year at one point the left microswitch had gone in our joystick and my Dad wouldn't by a new one. Solution: only play games where you don't have to move left! Utter lunacy!

[Mayhem]

Originally Posted by SKTTR

Last cart in '92?? Which cart was that?

And LN3 on tape?? How does that work?
System 3 is a group of weird people if that's true.
Even all C64 magazines came with a disk at that time,
so I'm a bit confused as why a game developer would release such a cassette-unfriendly game on tape when everyone at the time had a floppy-diskdrive?

And eh... come on, disk loading is a million times faster than cassette.
I can remember LN1 and LN2 are running with a fastloader. It only took a few seconds until the next stage was loaded. I'm confident such a late game like LN3 had a fastloader too.

I'm known as THE guy regarding Commodore cartridges... Ocean released Double Dragon, Space Gun and Robocop 3 in 1992 on cartridge. The vast bulk of the new wave came out in 1991 though, I'm guessing before the true flop nature of the console became apparent.

As for LN3 on tape, well it worked the same way as on disk; load game, load level one, beat level, load next one. Least it was a serial type of game, rather than a dynamic one, so there was no need to forward or rewind the tape at any point other than when you wanted to quit. I had LN3 on disk when it came out (that's the format I reviewed it on) and each level took a good 2-3 minutes each to load. Made me wonder if there WAS a fast loader being used for it hah hah... or the manic copy protection at work (witness its effect on the VC version!).

Even during the peak of its popularity, only about 10% of C64 owners in the UK owned a disk drive. It was too blimming expensive until the late 80s due to Commodore's silly price plans. By deduction this meant 90% of the buying public had only tape to work with, hence all the tape games in the UK. And why a lot of classic UK developed games were single loaders.

[Rhymetyme91]

Originally Posted by Jogurt the Yogurt

Ha! If people were to start using buggy C64 games as a homebrew portal, watch how fast Nintendo would have them all patched up!

Lol! Sad but true.

[Betagam7]

Maybe for October Nintendo can throw a few spooky Halloween offerings our way and what better than

Cauldron:



and its sequel Cauldron 2:



I always loved how in the first game the witch was the heroine living in a ramshackled cottage and trying to break the Evil oppressive Pumpkin's spell, then in the second game the Witch after gaining power had become a corrupt tyrant living in a big castle and the pumpkin was the hero trying to defeat her.

Who says videogames can't do social commentary

[Betagam7]

Another Spooky childhood fav of mine that might make a suitable Halloween releasse:

FRIGHTMARE, 1988, CASCADE GAMES





It was a sort of exporation platform shooter. I remember you had to work your way up from "Bad Dream" to "Nefarious Frightmare" by killing more and more gruesome badies in order to wake yourself up from the nighmare you were having.

Wouldn't mind playing it again with a suspend feature.