Thursday, November 17, 2011

10 Quintessential Commodore 64 Games

Welcome to the newest series of Retro Treasures features: the quintessential games. We start off with the Commodore 64 and ten of its most important (and better; and subjectively chosen among the dozens of true classics) games; ten games that actually helped define this micro as a quality games machine. Here goes:

Creatures
It might look like another cutesy platformer, but a) this was a puzzle/platformer, b) it sported amazing graphics, and c) it did feature cartoon torture. Oh, yes. At the end of each level you had to save one of your fellow creatures from a puzzle screen of death or see him brutally and hilariously murdered.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Maniac Mansion
Ron Gilbert's first point-and-click adventure for Lucasfilm, that also happened to become the most influential adventure game ever. Its (evolved) UI is still being widely used, but Maniac Mansion is much more than an influential genre offering. It remains an excellent adventure by itself, what with its multiple endings, choice of player-characters, excellent b-movie setting, smart puzzles and quality humour.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Paradroid
A masterpiece with simple graphics that deceivingly looks like a mere shoot-'em-up? Yes, it is, but Paradroid also is one of the best puzzle/action/tactics hybrid ever designed and the game that Retro Gamer's readers voted as the best C64 offering ever. A definite must-play.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Impossible Mission
Entering the (stylish) shoes of a James Bond-esque character, you infiltrate the lair of evil scientist Elvin Atombender in a frantic race against time. Amazing animation, a digitized taunt and the combination of platforming and puzzle-solving make this an undeniable and fondly remembered classic.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Mayhem in Monsterland
Possibly the last truly great release for the C64 and a game that dared compare itself to both Sonic and Mario, Mayhem is a technical, multi-scrolling, sprite-infested and brilliantly colourful marvel. It also is a really great and impressively fast offering, that has happily been re-released.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Elite
Not a C64 exclusive, not by far, but it did get a decent port and I really can't imagine a C64 (or any other 8-bit micro) without a copy of Elite. It is after all an amazing space exploration game with thousands of planets, that lets you fight, trade and even try some special missions in the distant future. The game has yet to be bested.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

The Sentinel
One of the weirdest games I've ever encountered and a true psychedelic masterpiece. Playing as an incorporeal entity, you have to navigate a 3D world, absorb trees, teleport yourself, avoid the Sentinel's energy-draining gaze and finally absorb said Sentinel to oblivion. A masterpiece by Geoff Crammond featuring 10,000 levels.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Wizball
Think I could forget Sensible Software? Of course not and this weird shmup staring a wizard and his cat encased in magical balls, is a prime example of the team's creativity. Fight and restore colour to the game's worlds in a truly unique and thankfully best-selling way.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

Project Firestart
A relatively obscure Commodore 64 exclusive that managed to push away the one text adventure I had decided to include on this very list? Yes, indeed, for Project Firestart is quite possibly the first survival horror game ever and a truly excellent romp through a nasty spaceship.

Find it over at eBay.com.

Turrican
Turrican, though bested by its sequel, is a fantastic run and gun game set in a visually stunning world filled with enemies and lovely power-ups. It was also an incredibly popular showcase of what the Commodore 64 could do with visuals. And fluid gameplay.

Find it over at eBay.com and eBay.co.uk.

12 comments:

  1. No Mercenary: Escape From Targ, Armalyte or Hunter's Moon?

    :(

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  2. Nope. And we could really go on listing more classics that have been left out. Where's miner Willy, where's Monty Mole, where are the text adventures etc. Not much point, is there? It's 10 great games that helped define the C64; that's all.

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  3. An excellent selection indeed, dear Gnome. Project Firestart is one of those games anyone should really know about.

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  4. Thank you dear Mik. And I absolutely agree. Project Firestart is a criminally overlooked and wildly innovative gem.

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  5. great selections Gnome and can't say I've ever heard of Mayhem in Monsterland so I'll have to check that one out. I would also like to give a shout out to an old personal favorite of mine called Space Taxi.

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  6. Thank you my friend! As for Mayhem in Monsterland, well, it was a 1993 release, that really wowed. I do remember even PC/Amiga gaming mags writing about it; a technical masterpiece. Oh, and Space Taxi was brilliant. And addictive as hell. Have you tried its DOS reimagining "Ugh"?

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  7. Nope, never heard of Ugh! I saw a semi-official PC sequel to Space Taxi a couple of years ago but never played it either. Thanks for the tip on Ugh! - I'll check it out.

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  8. Here's handy link:

    http://www.abandonia.com/games/26

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  9. Why, thank you very much Josepzin. And welcome to Retro Treasures!

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  10. Good ol' Abandonia. Thanks for the link Gnomey!

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  11. A pleasure. Have fun! If I remember correctly it will simply run like a dream too.

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