Machine of the month
Commodore 64
With a manufacturing lifespan of 12 years, the Commodore 64 is one of the most popular computers in history, with an astonishing library of games, business apps, and multimedia demos. However, this is not simply an old games console. For most software, you can’t just press the On button and get started – there are machine quirks to contend with, command prompts to learn, and multiple storage formats to master. So, how do you even get started?
We will show you how to emulate the machine and hit the ground running with the best choice of emulator, how to get your virtual Commodore optimised before gaming, how to load software, and where to find it. Along the way, we’ll explore the history of the Commodore 64, with its clever choice of hardware, legendary gaming scene, and expansion into the worldwide market. We’ll examine the machine’s death and resurrection, following the shift from the booming market of the ’80s to the budget gaming scene of the ’90s, and explore the boutique industry that keeps the Commodore 64 running today.
Birth
The Commodore 64 (or “C64”) was a powerhouse computer that reflected the bullish aggression of the company’s CEO, Jack Tramiel. Although somewhat expensive on launch, Tramiel took the machine on an all-out price war that would win its place as the best selling computer of all time.
Named after its 64KB of RAM, the Commodore 64 was designed to be a great games machines from the outset. At its heart was a MOS 6510 CPU – a variant of the trusty MOS Technologies 6502. Despite being technically slower than much of the competition, it was easier to program than Z80 computers, and custom chipsets powered functions separately from the CPU.
Graphically, the powerful VIC-II chip gave the Commodore 16 colours, multicolour hardware sprites, smooth scrolling, and an impressively high resolution for its time. The SID sound chip was developed by an actual musician, Ensoniq’s Robert Yannes. Unimpressed with the primitive state of computer audio, Yannes designed a chip that wiped the floor with the competition, and is still used for certain musical applications today – there are even live C64 cover bands!
Commodore’s choice of hardware for its budget hit a sweet spot that punched well above its weight. By prioritising gaming, the C64’s hardware enabled users to have graphics and sound head and shoulders above the competition, quickly establishing the Commodore as the gaming computer of choice.
Most notable was its use of hardware sprites. That may mean little nowadays, but in modern terms, the difference is a bit like having a dedicated graphics card rather than just onboard video. While other machines may have had more RAM or better BASIC, their screens had ugly tearing, colour clashes, or inferior audio through cheap sound chips.
Taking care of business
Commodore’s market dominance and cheap price also gave it a healthy business market. Why pay thousands for an Apple or IBM PC when you could spend a few hundred on something that just uses a television?
Although American audiences had moved on by the late ’80s, the C64 enjoyed a resurgence in the early ’90s, where it was sold as a budget games machine, winning more users than Nintendo’s Entertainment System in many areas. Despite Commodore’s eventual bankruptcy in 1994, Eastern Europeans kept using C64s until the late ’90s.
The Commodore’s ubiquity has guaranteed its place in the retro scene, where it is one of the most popular collector systems. Not only did it receive a “Mini” remake in 2017, but the last decade in general brought renewed support. Not only was there new hardware, such as upgrade boards and SD card readers, but new commercially available software is still being written by indie publishers, such as 2017’s Planet X2 from YouTube’s The 8-Bit Guy.
How to emulate
Our main choice of emulator is VICE. This is the most maintained
project with very accurate emulation, and many recent improvements have been made to the interface. VICE supports Windows, Linux, MacOS X, and a range of obscure platforms. VICE not only emulates the C64, but also supports other Commodore machines, such as the Pet, 128, and VIC-20.
For the Windows version, head to http://vice-emu.sourceforge. net and download the latest build. Most of these files use the 7zip format, so you may need a separate application for that. VICE doesn’t come with an installer, so after extracting the package, you’ll have to go into the folder and manually open x64.exe – you might want to make a desktop shortcut!
For Linux users, VICE is available in the repositories, but is probably missing key files (chiefly its “kernal” file) because of licensing restrictions. You can get these files from a source tarball, but it’s easier to install a Snap or Flatpak package. Both versions should install entries in your system menu. Snap users can find the package on the Snapcraft store (free) under the name vice-jz. If you prefer Flatpak, install VICE with the command:
$ flatpak install flathub net.sf. VICE
Usage
Before you get started on any games, define how you will use joysticks – whether they be keyboard emulated, or by a proper external device. From the system menu, choose “Input devices > Joystick settings.” You really need two ports; most games use joystick port 2, so whatever you intend to use most, set that keyset or joystick to use port 2, and have your backup on port 1. Save your configuration via “Settings > Save settings.”
Although cartridges were available, most C64 software came on tape or disk, which will be in T64 or D64 file format. The easiest way to load something is by clicking “File > Smart attach disk/tape.” Choose your file and click “Attach.” VICE now automates all the usual loading processes, entering the BASIC commands for you. If you get stuck at a BASIC prompt saying “LOADING, READY” with a blinking cursor, try typing “RUN” and pressing Enter.
Alternate option: CCS64
Windows users might consider trying CCS64 (http://ccs64. com), which is an older emulator with cool tricks and hacks you won’t find elsewhere, such as shortcuts for BASIC. There are newer versions for modern Windows using DirectX 9.0, older versions that work on DOS, and a very old version for Linux (good luck getting it working now). CCS64 isn’t the most intuitive of interfaces and is primarily keyboard-driven. F11 and F12 are quick load and quick save, which you’ll use a lot. On the plus side, it’s very easy to forget you’re using a PC, because the interface is highly immersive, feeling almost 8-bit itself.