[theme music]
To millions worldwide, the defining computer of the 1980s is the Commodore 64.
Following up the success of the VIC-20,
Commodore needed a new computer
to set the benchmark of what 8-bit computing could achieve,
in direct competition to the Atari 8-bit series home computers.
Not only was the machine very technically capable,
it was also a more affordable price point than other systems on the market.
Initially, the 64 was marketed as a business computer,
but due to the excellent sound capabilities of the SID chip,
and 64K memory, along with the great graphical options,
such as hardware sprites and bitmapping,
the 64 was set to become the leading 8-bit games machine.
Often overtaking competitors, such as the Atari and Sinclair machines.
In many ways, the 64 was a reworked VIC-20.
It used the same body style, but in a different color,
used many of the same peripherals and cables,
but the features of the 64 quickly made it obvious
that this was a computer on an entirely different level than the VIC.
This led to wide acceptance of the machine.
And literally thousands upon thousands of software titles were developed for it and are actually still being developed.
So that's enough history. Let's get to the good stuff.
When you're looking to get a 64,
you will no doubt see several different types.
The first machine is commonly known as the "Breadbox" or "bread bin" model.
Earlier model Breadboxes had these orange-yellow function keys,
as opposed to the later model, which has gray keys.
A few years after the Breadbox, Commodore started making the 64C, or cost-reduced version.
It included a new version of the VIC-II chip, but also a revision of the SID chip,
which led to a slightly altered sound that not everybody likes.
There's also a portable version of the 64,
known as the SX64,
which included a built-in screen and a disk drive.
Also interesting is the Educator 64,
which looked like a Commodore PET, basically, and was aimed at schools,
with a simple all-in-one design.
Not very common.
Near the end of the 64's life came the C64GS.
"Game System."
It was essentially a 64 cost-reduced version with a new case and no keyboard,
however, it's not fully compatible with all the software and games.
The Commodore 128 is also worth noting real quick,
as it has 128K of RAM,
and is basically the same, compatible with most of the software.
I got my early-model 64 for about $25.
But it didn't work.
So make sure that you get one from a reliable source
and not some idiot on eBay who doesn't know what he's talking about.
'Cause there's about a million things that can go wrong on the thing,
and unless you have the proper hardware to test chips and fuses
and find out exactly what's wrong, you're screwed.
So, soon after, I got a gray-keyed Breadbox version for about $50.
I was willing to pay a little bit more
to make sure it was clean and working.
And also from another collector, and not just some moron
who happened to find it in an attic and tried to make a quick dollar.
You'll also need a 64 power brick. Most of the VIC-20s are not compatible.
The 64 does have a built-in RF modulator so you can connect it to a switchbox
or a phono converter
and change the channel between 3 and 4.
You can also use a composite connection, which I *highly* recommend,
or a Commodore monitor cable, if you have an appropriate monitor.
Like the VIC-20, you can use pretty much any DB9 game controller,
so Atari joysticks and paddles and Sega stuff is pretty much fair game.
You can also use a mouse, like the Commodore 1351,
which is extremely useful for applications and some games.
It's not really needed, though.
Software on the 64 is what's so great about it, really.
There's no shortage of disk games, and although some disks are starting to go bad by now,
most of them still work.
Expect to pay about $5-10 for a good game with manuals and stuff,
or you can do what I do and buy a whole bunch of disks for really cheap and see you get.
Of course, boxed games can go for considerably more.
In the U.S., most games came on cartridges for the first year or so,
and then pretty much everything was on 5 1/4" floppies.
A lot of U.K. software, which had many of the better games, I would say, came on cassette.
So having a Datasette to use would also be nice.
The 1541 is the most common floppy drive,
and there are multiple variations of it.
This is the one that I use.
There's also the 1541 drive for the 128, which works fine,
and the less-common 1581, which used 3 1/2" floppies,
You'll need to know the LOAD commands to get the disks up and running.
Just look online and you'll find them. They're not that hard to do.
Put simply, the C64 is capable of so much, it is insane.
Remember, it was developed in 1982, so games like Turrican II
and Nebulus are an absolute wonder to behold.
I really don't even know where to start. There's just so many awesome games. So here's just a few of note.
[arcade sound effects]
[8-bit music and sound effects]
[8-bit car engine revving]
[soft beeping]
[8-bit footsteps]
[golf swing]
[arcade music and sounds]
Of course, there's plenty of the expected arcade conversions.
Most of the classics like Frogger and Ms. Pac-Man are awesome.
But of course, in the late '80s, as arcade games got better, the ports just get worse in comparison.
So I would avoid those, like Outrun and Street Fighter II.
They just don't look good and don't play that great, either.
For the most part.
But what if you want to access all of these games, but can't get a hold of the real disks?
Well, you could emulate the machine.
And there are many programs to do it, such as CCS64 and WinVICE.
Of course, that's not the only solution. The Commodore 64 basically got piracy started.
Finding and downloading pirated games is pretty easy. They're all over the Internet in different places.
You can transfer disk images like these to a real floppy with devices such as the XA-1541,
which connects to a newer PC's parallel port.
There's also other solutions for using flash drives and things like that with the machine.
However, I do have to bring up a somewhat sad note.
I live in America.
Normally, that's not a huge problem,
but with the C64, it completely sucks!
American TVs use NTSC,
and most of the best games that I listed earlier are in PAL format.
So that presents a huge problem. Getting those games to work properly on an NTSC Commodore 64
is one of the biggest pains ever.
It's my same huge complaint with the Amiga.
I mean, the U.K. simply made the best games in the '80s, without a doubt.
And it is an absolute shame
most of them weren't available in the U.S.
And if they were, they were hard to find.
Games like 1942 and Klax just don't work properly
They'll freeze, they'll play too fast, or sometimes they just don't even turn on.
And almost all of the hacked games you can find to download online are not an NTSC version.
So you really have to look for a good disk image if you want to try the transfer method.
So this is why I end up not playing my actual C64 as much as I would like,
and end up just playing them on my Dreamcast or something,
since I don't have a huge collection of real American disks.
So, is the Commodore 64 worth buying?
Why are you still watching this? Why are you listening to me?
I think the games and the system's capabilties
should speak for itself. Even if you're in America,
the price really isn't that bad.
You can usually find one,
you know, around $40-50 for a good tested one that comes with some accessories, and maybe even some software.
So for being the ultimate computer of the '80s overall, in my opinion,
I say of course it's worth it.
It's even more worth it if you're in the U.K.,
which, from what I've seen on eBay and some other places like that, you might be able to get it even cheaper.
Plus, you have tons of cassette games, which go for basically nothing. I mean, you know, less than a pound.
Half the time, at least in my experience.
So, yes, it's worth it. What kind of crazy question is that?
It's the Commodore 64!