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Post by c64stuff on Oct 20, 2021 13:48:59 GMT
I'm just curious if there's any mini or maxi owners on here who never owned a Commodore 64? If so, why did you buy one and how are you liking it? The C64 (and Amiga) are great gaming platforms. They were both way ahead of their time in price and ability. Many gaming themes that exist to this day were born on both these computers. The C64 had more games written for it than any other computer or console to this day. I think some put the estimate at 25 thousand pieces of software if I remember right. In fact, I can't remember the statistics but it's something like you could combine all the games written for every computer or console including the Nintendo and up to something like the first playstation and it still wouldn't equal the amount of games and other software written for the C64. And the best part is that there's still new games being written for it today, and released on disk, tape, cartridge, or for download. I think that's part of the appeal largely overlooked about the C64. It not only had tapes and disk storage, but also had cartridges and so it appealed to even non computer users who only wanted a cartridge based gaming console. The other reason why so much software was written for it is because anybody could write stuff for it at home, where as you'd have to buy an expensive development system from Nintendo or others and pay a licensing fee to have the privilege to write for their platform. And don't forget the C64 and Amiga was big overseas and the states, so software was being produced from both areas.
With the amount of new games and other software along with modern hardware like the mini or Maxi and new storage and other hardware mods for the Amiga and C64 being made today, we're truly in the golden age of both these computers. No other platform has such as active retro revival of stuff being produced for it.
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Post by parzival on Nov 3, 2021 18:52:31 GMT
I never did. My grandfather loaned me a VIC-20 back in the day, and I did some BASIC programming on it. My friends largely had TRS-80 models, and I had a Timex Sinclair (with the “awesome” 16k plug-in memory cartridge.  ). But when the C64 Maxi was announced, I knew I had to get one! |
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Post by c64stuff on Nov 4, 2021 2:01:08 GMT
Very cool. How are you liking it? Remember there's tons of crap games written for it, but also tons of hidden gems. The trick is finding those. I'd recommend doing a search on YouTube for top ten, twenty, or 100 games. You'll find good ones that way.
My experience is the opposite of yours. I'm now not only exploring the 64 again, but also on my RetroPie setup exploring the Spectrum, Atari, etc that I didn't have too much or any experience with back then. They all have their unique charm, but the Amiga and 64 still rule! Lol. By the way since you had a Timex, I'd check into a great video called something like pushing the limits of the Spectrum ZX80 and 81 on a channel called Sharopilis. It's a fantastic video and the things are even doing color games now. That guy does some fantastic videos on games pushing the limits of the C64, Amiga, Vic20, and other platforms. He's right up there with BastichB, Oldstyle Gaming (Gamer?), and others as to my favorites. Also check out videos called Between the Scan lines. Can't remember the guys name.
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Post by parzival on Nov 4, 2021 4:37:19 GMT
Didn’t really get it for the games, but for having that BASIC programming experience again— though I was pleased to see that the old Temple of Apshai trilogy is on the C64, simply because the ads in Dragon magazine back in the day made me want to play it. Now I finally can!  For old school gaming, I still have my original Atari 2600 VCS with a ton of cartridges, and I pop it out from time to time (but I also bought RetroGames’ Flashback Portable handheld Atari, because It’s A Freakin’ Handheld ATARI!!! ). But I do like programming the C64. Brings back memories of doing the same thing on my high school’s TRS-80s, my grandfather’s VIC-20, and that Timex (which I also still have). Those were golden days, when just figuring out how to program a little glowing box to move back and forth on the screen under my control was an incredible rush. So being able to recreate a text adventure experience, old school style, is a hoot. |
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Post by grhmhome on Nov 10, 2021 5:50:04 GMT
I'm just curious if there's any mini or maxi owners on here who never owned a Commodore 64? If so, why did you buy one and how are you liking it? I never owned a real C64, but am very familiar with retro computers. I played a bunch of DOS and PC games as a kid as I grew up in the 90's. I love collecting retro consoles and retro computers, but was not really familiar with the C64. I knew about about it, but had not really played that many C64 games, maybe 2. I bought a Maxi as I wanted to see what the Commodore 64 had to offer. I chose the Maxi over the Mini as I liked the idea of having a full sized working keyboard with the original keyboard layout. The Maxi looks great, the keyboard isn't terrible, and the games available for the C64 are fun. I was surprised about the amount of games for the C64. I thought someone was over-exaggerating when they said that there are roughly 10,000 games available for the C64, but there are probably that many. I went to Itch.io for homebrew and there are tons of homebrew. Searching the C64 tag on that website shows 675 games and that is just homebrew for the C64 on that site alone. The C64 has so many games and a lot of fun games too. I like my Maxi, even though I modded mine with a FPGA, it is still a nice product. The stock machine is fine as-is, especially if you just want to quickly load up Boulder Dash or Nebulus. The ability to sideload games is also nice. |
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Post by c64stuff on Nov 10, 2021 13:45:49 GMT
Glad you're liking it. You also have to keep in context what outstanding graphics and sound the C64 had at the time, blowing the competition away. Same deal with the Amiga, and both at a price point two or three times less than most computers with way less ability.
Far as games go, I'm probably wrong but I thought the estimate was somewhere around 25 thousand games exist for it? Then again this might be the total pieces of all software written for it including productivity software. I think Game Base, which is a PC emulation compilation of all software known to exist for the 64, is somewhere around 25 thousand, but they keep adding to it so it may be way higher now.
One great way to discover hidden gems on the 64, besides watching videos on people's choices as their top 10, 20, or 100 games, is if you have a raspberry pi setup with a RetroPie image that has attract mode preview videos. Set the attract mode to launch at say 30 seconds of inactivity, and for each video preview to only be say 20 or 30 seconds. Grab some beers and sit their and watch the show. Write down any interesting ones to save later as favorites. It's better than watching most crap on TV. Lol
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Post by vividpixel on Dec 8, 2021 0:58:18 GMT
I'm 30 as of recently, and I have never owned, touched, or even seen a Commodore 64 in person, but I am quite fond of retro technology with a small collection of game systems (mostly Nintendo). I knew this would be a great system to have in my collection and probably the only chance I'd have to get an authentic experience. I mentioned it in passing to my girlfriend who took note and bought it as a gift for me, along with many other spectacular things!
It's been fun experiencing the built-in games for the first time, typing my first Hello World in BASIC, and in some ways I still get the joy of nostalgia doing things like playing Adventure A: Planet of Death, because as a kid I do remember playing at least one adventure game in MSDOS.
If I had one of these when I was a kid, I would've loved it, as I did spend a lot of time messing around on computers. Now I work with computers professionally! Even though I use and enjoy plenty of new technology in my life, it's nice to go back to things that are a little more basic. And older tech always gives me such an appreciation for the stuff we have today.
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Post by aileron on Dec 18, 2021 0:48:32 GMT
First computer was a TI-99/4A. Didn't care for it that much as all the cool stuff was on the Apple II+, Atari 800, or C64. My parents broke down and got me a used Apple II+ with Z80 card, 80 column card, 2 disk drives, 300 baud hayes modem and a Green apple III monitor. So I was all set... all because my best friend had an apple II+ and I loathed my 994a limited game/software selection. Grew up in the 80s with all the other Nerdy teenagers bantering about how apple better, commodore better, atari better, yada yada yada. But was curious of them all, and if I could of, I would of owned them all. Luckily I got to play with them all a little bit through friends- Apple to the TRS-80. So I still think fondly back to all of them, and when the C64 mini came out was thinking of getting it. Though when I would play with C64 Vice emulator the keyboard was a drag because there was always this hunt and peck for 'where is the right key' to do something (Run/Stop, Restore, etc.) This because I was trying to read a c64 manual or book. So I heard rumors of Maxi and waited and bought mine from the UK when they came out and had it shipped to the US. I wasn't really interested in the games as much as the experience I missed; even though I was blown away by what the atari and c64 audio was like. Damn the Antic and the SID are amazing for the 80s! The mockingboard sound card for the apple was awesome but expensive and limited in software that used it. So few had it, my friend did but not me just the speaker.  So I never got into programming machine language because I was a bit dense on how to do it outside of peeks and pokes and a couple simple things with Call-151 to the monitor in apple. For some reason just struggled with it. So I'm interested in learning about the C64 and the Atari 800 now days plus revisiting the Apple for nostalgia. I just don't want to toy with keeping hardware going as much as play with the systems. Wish they all were available like the maxi--- but I do have a mister to scratch the itch -minus writing capabilities except for the C64. Go figure. The Maxi has allowed me to go through the complete C64 users guides to learn the machine and the basic language that came with it and explore what I missed as a child. Thank god for the full keyboard.... well okay I missed the floppy drive sounds or plugging in cartridges/hardware and printing.  Plus I've been able to see a ton of demo scene software that I didn't even know about. Wow! One of these days I'm gonna tackle machine language on it. But boy some of the old books can be really expensive now days. I got two I think waiting for that day. I had a blast just going through the user guide and trying all the software and playing around with games and stuff. So totally worth it for me. Plus I always liked the bread bin c64 look when I was a kid programming the computers in the mall. Now if someone could figure out how to get internet access so I could play with BBS's on the Maxi that would be awesome. |
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Post by c64stuff on Dec 18, 2021 1:25:54 GMT
These have all been great stories. Thanks for sharing. I only learned machine language by necessity because I wrote and ran a BBS for the 64 in basic and needed to speed up one routine, in particular the reading of sequential text files like message forums text to spit out to the modem.
It's funny many say retro computers back in the day got them into IT fields. I dropped out of college in computers because what they wanted me to do with business related stuff was boring. But that logical thought process of what I taught myself in the years prior to college on my 64 and also the Apple II line in grammar school taught me the analytical skills to pursue and excell at a career in troubleshooting electrical and mechanical equipment as a technician. Every breakdown call I live for, and it all comes down to paying attention to the little clues that adds up to a probable cause.
Too many people these days are so called highly educated, but they get ahead of themselves and can't even tie their own shoes, so to speak. You have to be painfully detailed in your examination of a problem. To find the issue most miss because they generally have the attention span of a mouse. I always gave credit to my youth troubleshooting code days for that, and say it makes me good at what I do in life, but makes me bad at everything else, including women. Lol.
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). But when the C64 Maxi was announced, I knew I had to get one!
Plus I've been able to see a ton of demo scene software that I didn't even know about. Wow!