Commodore 64

Review: The Epyx Games – Sports Collection on Nintendo Switch

December 5, 2024 By ausretrogamer

Nostalgia-Powered Sporting Fun! Wish we could use our Suncom TAC-2!

Dust off your retro gaming gear—in spirit, at least—because The Epyx Games – Sports Collection is here to transport you back to the glory days of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming. Released by Pixel Games UK for the Nintendo Switch, this compilation revives eight iconic titles from the legendary Epyx Games series. These games defined multiplayer sports mini-games for an entire generation, and now they’re ready to captivate a whole new audience. Whether you’re a long-time fan who spent countless hours on a Commodore 64 or a curious newcomer, this collection delivers a playful punch of nostalgia wrapped in modern conveniences.

Speaking of modern updates, The Epyx Games – Sports Collection comes with a treasure trove of features: customisable display filters (including retro CRT), flexible scaling options, and save-anywhere functionality. You can rotate beautifully recreated game boxes for a close-up look and even browse fully integrated instruction manuals, ensuring you’re always ready to dive in. Let’s not forget the new right- and left-handed control presets—a thoughtful touch that gamers back in the day could only dream of. Now, let’s dive into each game that makes this collection shine.

Summer Games (1984)

The original Summer Games set the gold standard for sports compilations. Featuring iconic events like pole vaulting, swimming, and diving, this title excels in delivering heart-pounding competition. With its straightforward mechanics and satisfying learning curve, Summer Games perfectly captures the excitement of a global sporting event. Relive the thrill of going for the gold, whether solo or with friends.

Summer Games II (1985)

Building on its predecessor’s success, Summer Games II ups the ante with new events like fencing and cycling. The improved visuals and more dynamic gameplay make this sequel a standout. It’s an ideal way to settle old rivalries or create new ones, as the competitive spirit of Epyx shines brightly here.

Winter Games (1985)

Take to the snowy slopes of Canada in Winter Games, a collection of events that capture the magic of winter sports. From figure skating to ski jumping, the variety ensures there’s something for everyone. The pixelated charm of snowy backdrops and precise gameplay mechanics make this a highlight for retro sports fans.

World Games (1986)

Spanning the globe, World Games brings cultural diversity to the sports genre with unique events like log rolling, cliff diving, bull riding, and caber tossing. The quirky yet skillful challenges deliver a distinctly global flavour that’s as engaging today as it was in the ‘80s. It’s a delightful break from traditional sporting fare. Weightlifting and barrel jumping are the stand out events!

Championship Wrestling (1986)

Is wrestling a sport or dramatised entertainment? Either way, it’s time to grapple your way to victory in Championship Wrestling! This game captures the over-the-top energy of ‘80s wrestling, complete with dramatic moves and crowd-pleasing flair. Perfect for couch multiplayer, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that’ll have you shouting for a rematch.

California Games (1987)

Radical, dude! California Games encapsulates the laid-back vibes of the Golden State with events like surfing, BMX, and frisbee. The sunny aesthetics and carefree gameplay are the perfect antidote to any dull afternoon. It’s endlessly replayable, especially with friends, making it a must-play in this collection.

The Games – Winter Edition (1988)

The Games – Winter Edition builds on the snowy success of Winter Games, adding more variety and depth to its events. Whether you’re skiing down treacherous slopes or competing in the biathlon, this title combines challenge and charm in equal measure. It’s a winter wonderland for retro enthusiasts.

The Games – Summer Edition (1988)

Rounding out the collection is The Games – Summer Edition, the ultimate test of athletic prowess. With its polished graphics and expanded event list, this title elevates the classic summer sports formula. The precision required in these events ensures satisfying gameplay for competitors of all skill levels.

Final Thoughts

Diving into The Epyx Games – Sports Collection felt like reuniting with an old friend—a joyous return to the classics that shaped a generation. Each game in the compilation retains its charm, standing the test of time with flying colours. As a lifelong fan who spent countless hours on my Commodore 64, I’m thrilled by how lovingly these titles have been preserved. Epyx’s knack for creating engaging, high-quality games shines through once more, and the added modern features enhance the experience without overshadowing its nostalgic roots.

This collection is a treasure trove of sporting events, especially when shared with friends. While there’s no online multiplayer, the in-person fun more than makes up for it. The integrated instruction manuals are a godsend, ensuring you can quickly pick up any event. Whether you’re revisiting childhood favourites or discovering these gems for the first time, this collection is an absolute win. Grab your controllers, rally your friends, and let the games begin!

Where to buy: Nintendo Switch eShop
Release Date: Out Now
Price: AU$22.99

Disclaimer: The EPYX Games Sports Collection was kindly provided by Pixel Games UK for this review.

The 1980s Most Popular Christmas Toys

November 15, 2024 By ausretrogamer

Just in time for Christmas!

Now this is my kind of post! We can all agree that the 80s decade was the best, especially for toys! Yeah, the 90s were ok too, but they take a back seat to the 9th decade of the 20th century.

This video by Rhetty for History takes us right back 40+ years ago when we used to get excited over (awesome!) presents we received for Christmas – if we were lucky enough 😉

source: Rhetty for History

Stepping Back in Time: PAX Aus 2024’s Classic Gaming Area Celebrated the Golden Era of Gaming

October 19, 2024 By ausretrogamer

Reliving the magic of retro gaming with arcade classics, vintage consoles, and amazing pinball machines at PAX Aus 2024’s ultimate nostalgia-filled showcase!

PAX Aus 2024’s Classic Gaming Area was a nostalgic paradise for retro gamers (as it always has been!), offering a thrilling dive into gaming history. The area featured a stunning lineup of vintage arcade cabinets, classic consoles, and pinball machines that transported attendees straight back to the golden age of gaming. From old-school favourites like Rampage and Popeye to lesser-known gems, the collection was a dream for retro enthusiasts and curious newcomers alike.

This year, the focus on pinball was a highlight, with rare and new machines on display and freeplay sessions for anyone to enjoy. The Australian Pinball Museum’s exhibit was back, showcasing unique memorabilia. Another major attraction was the collaboration between Weird and Retro, Press Play On Tape, and other contributors, who created a vibrant, interactive space full of classic gaming and amazing displays!

Attendees could also explore the console freeplay section, where systems like the Atari VCS and Atari 400, NES, Sega Mega Drive, iMac, G4 Cube and the original PlayStation – which were the tip of the nostalgic iceberg of system to play, let gamers relive their childhoods or discover these iconic machines for the first time. The event wasn’t just about playing games but celebrating gaming culture, with a strong sense of community and inclusivity in the air.

A personal favourite of mine was checking out the amazing array of old school machines that Octamed (aka: Cameron Bonde) had brought to the area for attendees to enjoy. Oh yeah, the museum display cabinets were also full of droolworthy retro goodness! I honestly had to pick my jaw off the floor. But the absolute highlight for us (as always) was catching up with our many wonderful friends, all whom work extraordinarily hard to bring the Classic Gaming Area to life – they all rock!

All in all, the Classic Gaming Area at PAX Aus 2024 was a delightful tribute to the games and systems that shaped the industry, ensuring that retro gaming remains a beloved part of PAX’s annual offerings.

2024 4KB Craptastic Game Competition Preview

August 11, 2024 By ausretrogamer

The Reset64 Magazine 2024 Craptastic Game Dev Spectacular Preview

Development for the 2024 4KB Craptastic Game Competition is in full swing. With the deadline fast approaching (August 31st), we thought we’d give you all a quick look at what some of the very talented devs are up to for this coding competition.

Best of luck to all the competitors and we can’t wait to try all of your craptastic creations!

As always, thank-you to our competition sponsors and supporters:

Bitmap Books

Protovision

Ausretrogamer – retrogaming and pinball

Title: Weights and Crates

Author: TND Games

Status: In Progress

Synopsis: You are a worker at an explosives factory. You have been sent outside to the water logged shipping yard, where you are operating a conveyor belt, with crates on board. For every crate that passes points are scored. Yellow crates give 100 points and red crates award 200 points. Landing on yellow crates will stun you for a bit. If you are pushed to the central point of the red rollers, a fault occurs on the belt, resulting in you falling into the water. If you land on red crates or getting hit by falling 10 ton weights will result in instant death.

Title: Shark Under The Sea 4K

Author: SkyBerron

Status: In progress

Synopsis: You take on the role of a hungry shark. Eat small fish, avoid depth charges and don’t let yourself be hunted by the hunter divers.

Title: MoruBOOST

Author: Alexander Martinelle, Cogitare Computing

Status: Submitted

Synopsis: Speed across the alien planet dodging your alien captors!

MoruBOOST is a game of timing and luck. Use the robotic guinea pigs speed to dodge enemies and reach the end of the level as fast as possible to gain as many points as possible.

Title: Nightmare 4k

Author: PATAGONIA – Juan Castiñeira

Status: Submitted

Synopsis: Ghosts will take over your dark and scary house, you must escape from them. Your only safe zone is to stay under the light, that’s when the ghosts disappear. Take the key and find the exit door.

Title: Hydrogen

Author: Chris Stanley / Megastyle

Status: Submitted

Synopsis: Taking the form of a traditional ‘brick breaker’, Hydrogen is a game in which you must battle your way through twelve chambers of an alien space station to achieve victory. Use your effector and power spheres in order to decimate all the defence cubes. Liberate canisters containing one of four isotopes of hydrogen fuel, each providing the player with a different and useful ability to help win the day!

Title: Escape from the Metaverse

Author: Space Moguls / Carl-Henrik Skårstedt

Status: In progress

Synopsis: You’re trapped in the metaverse! Escape a fractured universe where gravity is not a constant and try to get the fastest time possible.

Title: Geom4K

Author: Oziphantom

Status: In progress (hopefully I make it)

Synopsis: It’s a twin stick shooter with geometric shapes that hunt you.. Needs two joysticks to play or two mapped to a good enough keyboard in an emulator. Currently supports 3 different enemy types. Hunter, Boxer and Kamikaze! Can currently handle 32 enemies at 25fps, but I will either add “superior hardware” support that hopefully gets it locked 50 or make a new version for the better platform.

Title: Drone Zone

Author: Code/Design: Carleton Handley, GFX/Music: Saul Cross

Status: Submitted

Synopsis: A racing game with a drone. Fly around six tight, small courses inside caves for the fastest time. Whilst you can fly around slowly the game is designed as a time attack game. All courses can be completed in under 20 seconds with practice, I’m hoping somebody can finish the easier course in under 10 seconds after release.

Title: The Revenge of the Blobby Thingies

Author: Martin Piper

Status: Completed

Synopsis: This is you, the other monsters are jealous of your light green colour. Find freedom from the monster factory! Shoot the monsters. There are 65536 types of monsters in this game. Each has their own characteristics and animations.

Title: Jerry Kavinsky versus Space Goblins

Author: Bago Zonde / Commocore

Status: In progress

Synopsis: “Jerry Kavinsky versus Space Goblins ” is going to be a loose tribute to the game “Jim Power”. In the game we play the role of Jerry Kavinsky, a time warp hero whose mission is to rescue the kidnapped President’s daughter from the hands of mutants. Mutant goblins and mutant plant spikes will do everything in their power to stop Kavinsky. On top of that, Kavinsky must be careful not to fall into the abyss. Otherwise he will be forgotten forever. Not mentioning the President’s daughter!

Title: Cavern Drone Race

Author: Geir Straume

Status: In progress

Synopsis: This is a drone racing game, in which you compete against two AI controlled drones. The race takes place in a large cavern, and you have to successfully fly through some checkpoints before completing the race, or you will be disqualified.

<SURPRISE, no screenshot>

2024 Reset64 4KB CRAPTASTIC Game Competition

March 17, 2024 By ausretrogamer

Craptastic has been a huge success since the first competition in 2016, and we’re very excited to be doing it all again in 2024! This year’s competition theme is once again…. Craptastic!

“What the bloom’n heck does craptastic mean?”, I hear you ask.

It certainly doesn’t mean crap, although it can! Craptastic can mean ludicrous, bonkers, outrageous, funny, wacky, far out, and silly. The theme simply implies that the compo is just for a bit of fun, not a serious coding competition. You are more than welcome to make an excellent game to submit for the compo. Your game may contain some humour or silliness to fit more with the theme, but it doesn’t have to!

2022 Craptastic Comp Winner: Marble Boy (Roman Werner)

In our previous competitions, some entries were truly excellent, others excellent but silly, others truly awful but funny! It’s just a chance for people to do something a little different if they wish and explore ideas/concepts that wouldn’t normally work well in a more serious compo.

Please remember that this competition is limited to 4KB. Yes, any entry submitted can be no more than 4KB when compressed. If your game is more than 1 file, then all the game files put together must not exceed the 4KB limit. This includes hi-score save files.

We want craptastic game entries. Remember, the key word here is fun. We want both coders and players alike to have fun and enjoy this comp!

Submit your entries to RESET64 (via email: resetc64@gmail.com) by 31st August, 2024 (23:59:59 GMT).

Take a look at our previous Craptastic compo entries to help draw inspiration!

RULES

Basic rules are as follows:

The competition deadline is 23:59:59 GMT on the 31st August, 2024. All entries to be submitted to resetc64@gmail.com by the deadline or will be deemed ineligible.
All entrants must register at resetc64@gmail.com
Entrants are free to preview screenshots and videos of their game(s) to other publications/websites.
The competition will only begin when there are at least 5 registered entrants.
All submitted games MUST be 4KB or less (when compressed or uncompressed), and executable on a stock C64 on either or each of tape, disk and cartridge. Your submission may have a separate docs file (either as a C64 executable or a txt file, which doesn’t count towards the 4KB cap). However, hi-score saver files will count towards the cap.
The games must be previously unreleased and be your own work, whether that be by yourself or as part of a collaboration.
PAL must be supported, with additional NTSC support optional (but encouraged).
Participants may submit multiple entries, either as an individual or within a team. Team entries must be registered by an individual, and any potential prizes will be sent to the registered individual only.
Entries should be submitted exclusively to RESET64 by the competition deadline. Please feel free to share your entry as you wish after the competition has ended (after the compo deadline has passed).
There will be a panel of judges (TBA), and entries will be scored on a point distribution basis across several criteria. The decision of the panel is final.
Games must be submitted as freeware.
Games will be published by Reset64 (not necessarily exclusively) on a future disk compilation for the whole world to enjoy, after the competition has concluded. All entries will be made available on the Reset64 itch.io after the compo concludes.
Games must not be released before the competition deadline, or they will become exempt from scoring and will be deemed ineligible. Games can be submitted after deadline but will be counted as *out of competition* and will be ineligible for a placing.

We reserve the right to change, add or delete rules during the competition if deemed necessary!

2nd place in the 2022 Craptastic Comp: Circles by James

SCORING SYSTEM

The scoring system used for Craptastic is very simple. Each game will be scored against 7 criteria, each worth 5 points. An entry can score up to 35 points. When the panel has scored each game accordingly, the totals for each individual game will be divided by the number of judges to produce a mean average. The average will be the game’s final score.

The criteria that each game will be evaluated on are:

Originality – New idea or “rip off”? Off the wall ideas encouraged.
Concept – Quality of game design, is it fun, is it bonkers, is it craptastic?
Execution – Execution of design, taking into account controls and other factors such as excecution.
Presentation – Quality of graphics, audio and overall presentation. Supremely bad can be seen as a positive in some cases!
Gameplay – A measure of how enjoyable the game is to play.
Lasting Appeal – replay value, addictiveness.
OMG factor – when you see it, do you think “wtf!?” This is the true measure of craptasticness!

If a panel member has entered a game themselves, then the number of points that they can award will be adjusted (in this example, to 5) and they will not score their own release.

CSDB will not be used for voting. Also, entries should not be uploaded to CSDB, or elsewhere until after the competition has closed. Feel free to post screenshots or info though.

PRIZES

A craptastic gaming comp requires craptastic prizes, right? We have some fantastic prizes lined up for this year’s compo thanks to some very generous sponsors.

A big thank-you to the following sponsors and supporters:

More sponsors to be announced.

Unkle K / Reset64
Official Twitter account for Reset64 Magazine – dedicated to the world’s favourite 8-bit computer!

Follow Reset64 Magazine on Twitter

10 Years Of Classic Gaming at PAX Aus

October 11, 2023 By ausretrogamer

Cheers to 10 years of inducing intoxicating gaming nostalgia at PAX Aus!

Another PAX Aus is done and dusted, but this was no ordinary year, it was the 10th year the event had been held here in Melbourne (Australia, not Florida).

For this celebratory year, the Classic Gaming (CG) area was moved from its usual Freeplay section to the main Expo Hall, rubbing shoulders with modern AAA gaming heavyweights and indie devs.

Starting the Classic Consoles (as it was known back then) area in 2013 with Retrospekt, Retro Domination and our (Ausretrogamer) team, we knew it would be a hit with attendees of all ages – which not even Melbourne’s inclement July weather could stop anyone getting their nostalgia hit at the inaugural PAX Aus event.

Over the years, the Classic Gaming area has grown from strength to strength, with its popularity ensuring that it returns at every PAX Aus – with an even bigger floor space! The inaugural teams may no longer be involved, but the baton change with the Weird and Retro and the Press Play On Tape Podcast crew has ensured the growth and sustained popularity of the Classic Gaming area.

For the tenth anniversary, the Classic Gaming area didn’t disappoint, with a plethora of amazing machines from yesteryear to tickle every nostalgic nerve in the body. From all of our old favourites from the 8-bit and 16-bit era (hello Atari, Commodore, Sega and Nintendo) all the way through to some darn awesome old-school PC power – and whomever thought of using the Dance Dance Revolution mat to control your (Doom Slayer) character in Doom (cheekily christened Doom Doom Revolution) should be given a knighthood! We hear that we have to now call Aaron (aka: Blahjedi), Sir Aaron of Press Play On Tape podcast, from now on 😉

Doom Doom Revolution!

image & video source: Aaron ‘Blahjedi’ Clement – PPOT

Back in 2015, Skott Kellett proposed to include pinball in the Classic Gaming area, which was an instant hit! The pinball section has now become a permanent fixture of the Classic Gaming area, ensuring gamers can get their mechanical hit via the silverball game. Skott is still the main wrangler of the pinball section, with games provided by Reality Games Australia, Mr Pinball Australia and the Australian Pinball Museum. We were lucky enough to experience some quite rare and hard to find pinball games, from Dutch Pinball’s The Big Lebowski, CGC’s Cactus Canyon Remake, Pinball Brothers‘ Queen, to American Pinball’s amazing Galactic Tank Force, complete with tank tracks and backbox turret!

But wait, there was more! PLAION Australia had the yet-to-be released Atari 2600+ console on display, which was impressive. We have been quite critical of Atari over the years, but even we are quite excited to get our hands on the new 2600+ console!

Last but not least, it is the people that bring the Classic Gaming area to life that we love the most, from the CG showrunning team members to the PAX Aus Enforcers, and the public that come in and reminisce with us about systems and games from a long long time ago.

See you at PAX Aus 2024!

We are going home – to the Classic Gaming Area!

Here are a few of the nostalgia inducing systems and displays!

Pinball in the Classic Gaming area is as popular as ever!

Classic Gaming is nothing without the awesome people that make it happen and for those that come and visit!

Stunt Car Racer Coming To The Commodore Plus/4

August 17, 2023 By ausretrogamer

Brrrrrrrrrmmmmm, brrrrrmmmmm, brrrrrrrmmmmmm

Geoff Crammond’s Stunt Car Racer (SCR) on the C64 was our most played car racing gaming (sorry Buggy Boy) back in the day. Surprisingly, it has held up quite well and is still a joy to play.

Hungarian developer, Gergely Patai, had reversed engineered this superb racing game on C64 and modified its physics to run at 50 FPS – yep, you read that right, 50 (freakin!) Frames Per Second! You can grab the SCR C64 50FPS version here.

To our astonishment, Gergely is now porting this marvel to the Commodore Plus/4! With plenty of limitations to work around, we are darn impressed with Gergely’s achievements and devleopment skills in squeezing SCR to play on the Plus/4. Not bad for two weeks worth of effort!

Gergerly notes the challenges he had porting SCR to the Plus/4:

The biggest limitation was RAM space. The original game doesn’t leave much of the C64’s memory untouched, and the Plus/4 has less accessible RAM while needing an extra 1K for colour information. For the time being, my solution was to remove load/save functionality and the ability to change key bindings, so I’d be able to get a working game and have some breathing room to shuffle things around. At the moment I have a bit over 2K memory left, so I should be able to restore some of the missing bits.

We can’t wait to see the finished product!

BBC Archive: Imagine Software – 1983

July 10, 2023 By ausretrogamer

Cast your mind back to 1983, when Imagine Software were the pop stars of video games development!

Now this is a blast from the past! Imagine Software, the video games development superstars from Liverpool were going gangbusters when this video was aired on the BBC almost forty years ago on October 23, 1983. Who didn’t love Green Beret, Arkanoid: Revenge of Doh and Hyper Sports to name just a few.

We all know what followed – the high-profile demise of Imagine a year later in 1984 – but for now, let’s just cast our minds back 40 years and enjoy this vid!

source: BBC Archive

DOOM on the Commodore 64 is so RAD!

March 20, 2023 By ausretrogamer

DOOM has been run on a multitude of devices – if it has a screen, then DOOM has ran on it! With this being the case, why not have DOOM run on the trusty 8-bit micro, the Commodore 64?

As you can see from the video below, that is exactly what we have here – a DOOM tech demo going by the title of RAD-DOOM which enables gamers to play DOOM on their Commodore 64 via the RAD Expansion Unit by Frenetic.

The RAD Expansion Unit contains a Raspberry Pi that takes the role of a CPU replacement for the Commodore 64. The graphics are still rendered by the original VIC-II chip. All technical details of RAD-DOOM can be found in Frenetic’s GitHub repo.

The gameplay starts off with keyboard controls, with the 1351 mouse control enabled later on. The special settings menu is visible from time to time where graphics rendering options and screen presets are available.

It’s amazing (and darn awesome!) what is still possible on the 41 year old 8-bit computer! Long live the C64!

source: emulaThor

The Commodordion: The C64 SID Piano Accordion

October 25, 2022 By ausretrogamer

It’s great to have friends that look out for you that bring stuff to your attention when you may have missed while being bombarded with stuff on social media.

Our very good friend Cam informed us of this rather cool C64 piano accordion creation, dubbed cleverly as The Commodordion, which turns two Commodore 64 computers into a single darn awesome instrument! But wait, there is more! The bellows are made out of floppy disks! Ok, our mind has well and truly been blown – wow!

image source: Linus Åkesson