Commodore 64 magazine

Extra! Extra! Reset64 Issue 14 is Out Now!

April 13, 2022 By ausretrogamer

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Your awesome Commodore 64 magazine, Reset64 issue 14 is out now for your reading pleasure!

If you want to read an awesome contemporary C64-centric magazine full of news, reviews, interviews and everything in-between, then you are in luck – go and grab the latest Reset64 mag right now!

This issue’s theme is all about one of our fave gaming genres, run ‘n’ gun. This page turner of an issue was lovingly put together by like-minded (and very cool) peeps. We love Ant Stiller’s cover art and Del Seymour’s amazing editorial illustrations – it’s just full of eye candy!

Grab Reset64 Issues 14 right here!

Image source: Reset64

Yo Commodore 64 Fans, Reset64 Issue 13 is OUT NOW!

February 19, 2021 By ausretrogamer

Are you keeping up with the Commodore? If you aren’t, then you will with the release of the latest edition of Reset64 Issue 13!

Reset64’s Ed, Kev, and the rest of the crew have been working pretty hard on this issue to make it very special. As for our Ed, Alex Boz, he is still going around the office telling all and sundry how proud he is to still be part of the Reset64 team!

What are you waiting for, go and grab the Reset64 issue #13 PDF now – it is free (or pay what you want/can afford). Choo Choo!

Reset64 Magazine 2018 Commodore 64 Game of the Year Award

February 11, 2019 By ausretrogamer

By: Kevin Tilley – Reset64 Magazine Editor

Wow, every year I seem to say the same thing but it always rings true – I’m continually stunned at both the quality and quantity of games released on the Commodore 64. Not only do the developers continue to step up their game, but the publishers continue to increase the quality of their physical products. We’re seeing more cartridge releases, more premium boxed games, and harking back to the good old days of Commodore 64 commercial releases, beautifully printed and written instruction booklets (something that seems to be sorely lacking in modern titles). Overall, the packaging is arguably better than what we got back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and the best part is, the games are stunning!

Something else wonderful happened in 2018. The first C64 commercial game (probably in decades) was released that was available worldwide at normal gaming retail outlets. The PC version of Farming Simulator 19 (Giants Software) was made available in a limited collector’s edition, which included a specially commissioned version of Farming Simulator for the C64. This was in the form of an emulator image on its own CD-ROM, with the CD jacket dressed up as a floppy disk. I know, it’s not quite the same as a standalone release, but as Cameron mentioned, the fact that it even exists is amazing. Giants Software even teamed up with Protovision to release a standalone boxed C64 edition on cartridge. The game? It was OK. Nicely done, but more a gimmick than a commercial quality C64 game.

TheC64 Mini was released by Retro Games LTD and despite a rather disappointing joystick, was an otherwise impressive and well-made piece of kit that brought C64 gaming back on the radar, with more than a hint of nostalgia included. A later firmware update made it easy to play games (including modern/contemporary titles) via a USB stick, and an even later firmware release officially added our 2017 GOTY, Galencia, to the list.

Of course, the big three; Protovision, Psytronik and RGCD continued to release a strong line up of new games, as well as Poly.Play, The Future Was 8 Bit, Pond, Megastyle, CollectorVision and an assortment of other developers releasing a slew of quality titles. On behalf of Reset, we’d once again like to congratulate the developers and publishers who continue making and publishing these stunning games! Also, a quick shout out to Freeze64, Komoda & Amiga Plus, Kilobyte Magazine, Eight Bit Magazine, Zzap! 64 Annual and the other zines and publications that have cropped up over the past few years and continue promoting the C64 and giving these games, developers and publishers some more exposure, which they truly deserve.

Congratulations to the developers of the games that made this poll, which was voted upon by a selection of Reset staffers and contributors. We all picked our top three releases for the year, wrote a bit about each choice and it went from there. If you produced a game that didn’t make the list, congratulations must be extended to you also. Producing C64 games is a difficult, time intensive and challenging task and we acknowledge and appreciate your efforts. To the publishers who put the physical editions together, thank-you and we look forward to even more in 2019. Even though there can only be one GOTY, we take our hats off to all of you.

A massive congratulations to Stuart Collier, Trevor Storey, Saul Cross and Psytronik Software for Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis, which is an amazing game and deservedly awarded as the 2018 Reset64 Game of the Year on the Commodore 64!

We hope you enjoy the article. Afterwards, go out and play these wonderful games! Please remember to support the devs for their hard work, by paying for the games if required, or sending a nice message/email for games that are free downloads.

Kevin Tilley (Editor’s Pick)

#1 – Space Moguls (Carl-Henrik Skårstedt/Protovision)
https://www.protovision.games/shop/product_info.php?products_id=229

Protovision are becoming renowned for their quality releases and Space Moguls, by Carl-Henrik Skarstedt, does everything right. Paying homage to M.U.L.E., the game is impeccably presented with outstanding graphics and sound (with an amazing attract mode). The physical version is amazing with a lovely artwork, quality jam packed manual, glossy box and a few other bits and pieces. The game? It’s damned fun, with up to 4 players competing for wealth and resources from the alien lands. I really, really hope that we get more of this kind of thing on the Commodore 64. Great fun strategy that isn’t over-the-top difficult with super fun multiplayer. Yes!!

#2 – Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (Stefan Vogt/Pond)
https://www.polyplay.xyz/Commodore-64_1

Hibernated hit the C64 gaming scene like a breath of fresh air, with Stefan Vogt regularly posting updates on Social Media during development to whet our appetites for his upcoming sci-fi gem. Releasing a text-only adventure is a brave thing to do in 2018 (and there have been a few less than stellar releases in the past few years) but Stefan didn’t let anyone down with his accessible, clever and witty writing and compelling story. The difficulty was spot on, with the puzzles requiring logical thinking rather than luck. Add to that a lovely loading screen from Vanja Utne as well as an up-coming physical release from Pond Software/Poly.Play which will be an absolute must. Simply brilliant.

#3 – Aviator Arcade 2 (Arcane Productions/RGCD/Psytronik)
http://www.psytronik.net/newsite/index.php/c64/102-aviator
https://rgcd.bigcartel.com/product/aviator-arcade-ii-commodore-64

To be honest, my number three could have been one of several games, but I finally settled on Aviator Arcade 2 because I just couldn’t resist a darn shooter, and this one happens to be particularly good! In development for what seemed like an eternity, Aviator Arcade 2 was a well-cooked beast that was certainly worth the wait. Featuring stunning graphics and sound, it doesn’t necessarily offer anything new to the vertically scrolling shmup genre, but what it does it certainly does well. A highly enjoyable game with gorgeous graphics & sound and fun, hectic gameplay. Aviator Arcade 2 is currently available on cartridge at RGCD and as a digital download at the RGCD itch.io page. A disk edition from Psytronik is also available.

Honourable Mentions:

So many great games were released this year that it was hard to come up with a top 3. At different times of the year, other games such as Yoomp! 64, MAH2.0, Shadow Switcher, Exploding Fish, Portal, Hunter’s Moon, Rocky Memphis, Dustin’, Conga 4096, Counterweight Kate, Pains ‘n’ Aches, Steel Ranger (I could go on!) could easily have made my list! Ultimately though, I think my top 3 choices are the games I enjoyed the most, and for me, enjoyment is why I play games!

source: Rob Caporetto

Rob Caporetto

#1 – Pains ‘n’ Aches: A Knight ‘n’ Grail Adventure (Wide Pixel Games/Psytronik)

If it’s one thing about the C64 scene in 2018, was that we got some killer exploratory games alongside the arcade fare. Pains ‘n’ Aches is the follow-up to Knight ‘n’ Grail, and takes everything great from it making it more atmospheric and melancholic in the process. The platforming action is as tight as ever, the map as expansive and the results make for one great non-linear exploratory experience. It may have slipped under the radar being so early in the year, but it easily serves as a pinnacle to the Metroidvania genre on the humble C64!

#2 – Aviator Arcade II (Arcane Productions/RGCD/Psytronik)
http://www.psytronik.net/newsite/index.php/c64/102-aviator
https://rgcd.bigcartel.com/product/aviator-arcade-ii-commodore-64

In its post-commercial life, we’ve rarely seen any shmups push the bounds of what the C64 can do. Until Aviator Arcade II that is. The team at Arcane Productions have pushed the bounds of what is capable in 2018, with engaging action, a wide variety of power ups, and lots and lots of blasting joy. Aviator Arcade II really shows the C64 can more than hold its own against its 8-bit rivals in the realms of shmup action.

#3 – Yoomp! 64 (Zbigniew Ross/RGCD/Psytronik)
http://www.psytronik.net/newsite/index.php/c64/100-yoomp
https://rgcd.bigcartel.com/product/yoomp-64-commodore-64

There are plenty of games which push the bounds, then there’s Yoomp! 64. With it’s fluid action, and technical wizardry, it’s a game that no-one thought could actually be done on the C64, yet here it is. There may be some minor details lost in translation, Yoomp! 64 is challenging, tough… and unlike it’s distant, distant inspiration *cough*Bounder*cough* kind of fair. It truly makes for a great example of old arcade concepts being brought into the 21st Century!

image source: Psytronik

Anthony Stiller

#1 – Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (Stefan Vogt/Pond)
https://www.polyplay.xyz/Commodore-64_1

I’ve always loved adventure games and Stefan Vogt’s efforts have paid off in full. Hibernated strikes a wonderful balance between brevity, puzzles, and evocative locations, making it a highly enjoyable and rewarding experience. The age of text adventures returns (finally)!

#2 – Exploding Fish (Megastyle)

The surprise hit of 2018 for me! Chris Stanley’s Exploding Fish may seem like a slow paced collect’em up at first but it’s not long before you’re totally engrossed. A game that joyously reminds me of those quality early 80s releases for the C64.

#3 – Portal (Jamie Fuller/Del Seymour/Roy Widding)

A fantastic example of how to create a demake: The core elements of the original PC game, perfectly condensed. Portal is all charm, with its cute graphics (by our own designer extraordinaire, Del Seymour) and humour. Plus it has mouse controls to boot! A much appreciated release from Jamie Fuller.

Honourable Mention:

Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis. I had to include this game because I was so blown away by its aesthetics and technical achievements. To be honest all of the games in my list were neck and neck. I’m just so happy we have so many great, new games to choose from!

image source: Psytronik

Paul Morrison

#1 – Hunter’s Moon Remastered (Thalamus Digital Publishing)

It seems strange, in retrospect, that all my picks are remasters, conversions or ports. After all, we’ve seen a wealth of quality original releases on the 64 this year. Still, for me, this one stood out above everything else. If ever anyone was to lay down the perfect blueprint of how to remaster an old classic, Thalamus Digital did with Hunter’s Moon Remastered. They’ve done everything right, from expanding the game to adding loads of “quality of life” improvements to making this the best-presented C64 game ever. A great game has become an essential game and for me, it was the best release of the year.

#2 – Knight Lore (Rod & Emu)

I have waited over 30 years for this, and now it’s finally arrived it’s exactly as I’d hoped. I will concede that it’s a bit fiddly to play and other, newer games might have had more going for them, but this is the realisation of a teenage dream here! Pottering about Ultimate’s 3D castle on the C64 at speeds that match the original made me unreasonably happy, and therefore an absolute gaming highlight of my 2018.

#3 – Portal (Jamie Fuller/Del Seymour/Roy Widding)

When I first heard that Portal was being converted to the C64, of all machines, I was pretty sceptical. I didn’t see any way that it could be done. Fortunately, and as usual, I was wrong because this is a brilliant effort. It does take a while to get used to, possibly because it’s wildly different to playing the version you’re used to. Get into it though, and it all makes sense. Portal was a hugely ambitious project, so for it to have been pulled off this successfully is quite an achievement.

image source: Psytronik

Louie Dimovski

#1 – Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis (Icon64/Psytronik)

A perfect example of where game design comes together all so well. Clever and fair puzzles accompanied by beautifully drawn hi-res graphics blended with multi-colour and background tune that will have you whistling well after you stop playing the game. Just when you thought you’ve seen all of the game, you discover the moonlight mode which alters the way that the game is played. The inclusion of a good and not-so-good ending is a nice touch.

#2 – Steel Ranger (Lasse Öörni/Psytronik)

Persistence and continual refinement to the underlying game engine pays off for Lasse Öörni and his team as Steel Ranger provides a far more enjoyable experience than its inspiration predecessors (Hessian & Metal Warrior series). A great modern day 2D platform/shooter with some puzzle elements that features high production values, a vast game world, smooth scrolling and steady pacing. The game’s soundtrack is worth a special mention, it changes from one location to another and it does a great job of giving an epic vibe and further immerses you within the game. How does this game fit all on a single side floppy disk?

#3 – Shadow Switcher (Dr. Wuro Industries)

Shadow Switcher delivers the best quality old school arcade gaming experience with a clever character switching twist that will hook you in from the very start. 40 levels of single screen platform fun that is addictive right from the beginning thanks to its clever level designs and fluid and responsive controls. The Lazy Jones inspired electro-pop soundtrack is great and fits the game perfectly.

Cameron Jackson

#1 – Dustin’ (Graham Axten/Pond)

Submitted as part of Reset 64’s ‘Craptastic’ competition it is anything but crap. Dustin’ has a hook that balances frustration with that I can do better next time, one more go feeling. The music is excellent and suits it perfectly. Enjoyed this more than any other game this year.

#2 – Shadow Switcher (Dr. Wuro Industries)

Great concept and graphics that give an early days feeling. The game gets pretty hectic at times and love the strategy element in positioning your shadow. Excellent physical release.

#3 – Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis (Icon64/Psytronik)

The collector’s edition is truly a joy. Presentation is top notch with excellent graphics, sounds, puzzles and goodies. Recreates that Indy feeling.

Honourable Mention:

Exploding Fish. I enjoyed playing it. Good concept, some humour (the boat called Unsinkable II) and cover artwork I just love.

image source: Dr. Wuro Industries

Graham Axten

#1 – Shadow Switcher (Dr. Wuro Industries)

Shadow Switcher. As soon as I saw the early 80’s inspired graphics for this game, I knew that I would like it. And I did! It’s one of those games that takes me back to simpler times, but the mechanics feel very modern and keep me coming back to it. It’s perfect for short blasts, or extended sessions. And it has a level editor!

#2 – Exploding Fish (Megastyle)

This game reminds me of Scuba Dive on the ZX Spectrum – which is a very good thing! I have really enjoyed making my way through the levels and figuring out the most efficient routes to complete each screen. The password system is very welcome, and together with the excellent music and graphics keep me playing again and again.

#3 – Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (Stefan Vogt/Pond)
https://www.polyplay.xyz/Commodore-64_1

Hibernated. It has been a long time since I really got into an adventure game (or even attempted one, to be honest) but the combination of sci-fi and horror tempted me in and kept me gripped throughout. The writing is superb and really conjures up images in your mind meaning there is no need for fancy graphics or sound. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and can’t wait to hear more about the universe of Hibernated.

Jari Karjalainen

#1 – Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis (Icon64/Psytronik)

Probably my most often played new C64 game of the year. The Legend of Atlantis does what Joe Gunn did back 11 (!!) years ago, but with everything brought up to a completely new level. The graphics, sounds and gameplay are everything – and more – what everyone expected of an Indiana Jones game on a C64 back in 1989, which we never got back then, but better late than never, eh? Still waiting for the C64 conversion/demake of Temple of Ophuxoff, but as I have yet to complete this beast, no hurry…

#2 – MAH v2.0 (Retream/RGCD/Protovision)

Well, MAH isn’t really a new game as such, but the v2.0 was released this year, and with that, the game finally got its physical release. The only reason I can’t call MAH the game of the year is, because it was already a masterpiece two years prior, when the first versions got out. Saimo’s unique vision and knack of getting the most of the C64 out with his wonderfully weird concepts is mesmerizing, and MAH is one of the rare modern games I will be sure to come back to every now and then.

#3 – Shadow Switcher (Dr. Wuro Industries)

Perhaps the most unexpected gem of the year. This one got me excited like an 8-year old kid when it first came out, and a brief test of the free download made me order a physical copy of it. Shadow Switcher looks and plays like a game from 1984 – in the best possible way, but the ability to switch your controlled character is much closer to this millennium. Since it also features a level editor, there’s a good chance of Shadow Switcher becoming a cult classic, and had it been released 34 years ago, I’m absolutely certain it would be a proper classic.

image source: Poly.Play

Mat Allen

#1 – Hunter’s Moon Remastered (Thalamus Digital Publishing)

Yes, it may be a reissued version of a thirty-year-old title, but Hunter’s Moon never got the attention it deserved back in the day, and this is no ordinary remaster. Like a hobbit, it’s tricksy and devious and will keep hold of the precious, each system introducing new features and terrible surprises lurking within that must be solved if you’ve going to make it home. A much longer journey now as over fifty levels have been added to proceedings, some of which will test your skills and patience to the maximum. Add to this the level designer, built-in trainer, foreign languages, improved off-duty mode, new music, massive intro sequence… there’s an awful lot more for your money. In conclusion, if you didn’t take to the original then you may be persuaded to try again, but if you loved it like me, then this is everything you could wish for and more.

#2 – Steel Ranger (Lasse Öörni/Psytronik)

Comparisons to Metal Warrior and Hessian were inevitable, but Lasse Öörni once again delivered an epic exploratory tale of carnage and destruction, with a more action orientated bent to proceedings (hello Turrican!). The focus here was more on shooting than adventure, the player left to obtain key cards, upgrade weapons, and perform a lot of killing to work their way through the underground base and remove the rogue AI presence within. There are lot more secrets and less micromanagement of inventory than Hessian, which was good, but on the other hand, less puzzles and a bit less plot. It’s staggering how much can be compressed into one disk side, and Steel Ranger certainly hit the sweet spot in all areas, stairs be damned!

#3 – Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis (Icon64/Psytronik)

There have been a few Indiana Jones-inspired games over the years, but what I loved about Legend of Atlantis was the balanced gradient of welcoming the player into the game, and slowly introducing new puzzle types and features the further you delve. None of the puzzles are too infuriating, but you certainly benefit from making a map and notes as you progress, and the internal satisfaction from nailing a particular sticking point is immense. There are a couple of niggles, no save points and the large inventory to cycle through but overall, it’s a hugely satisfying game and I wish it could have gone on longer than it did.

image source: Thalamus Digital Publishing

Stefan Vogt

#1 – Space Moguls (Carl-Henrik Skårstedt/Protovision)
https://www.protovision.games/shop/product_info.php?products_id=229

Why is Space Moguls winning? Easy to answer. Space Moguls is a complex strategy game and fortunately NOT another platformer. I hate the genre monotony of recent releases so I’m glad I can now finally conquer the final frontier and the economy of strange alien planets turn by turn. Also the feelies in the box of the physical release are brilliant. The box generally is brilliant.

#2 – Exploding Fish (Megastyle)

I do like the unique concept of the game. It’s rare you see some original ideas these days. It’s quite a hard one, but it’s fun to play, and I liked the physical release a lot. The tape looks amazing.

#3 – Portal (Jamie Fuller/Del Seymour/Roy Widding)

I was just one step away from giving Jamie Fuller’s Portal demake 2 points, because that is where it would belong in theory. The only thing that bothered me though is that I “playtested” shortly after the release and I “accidentally” played it through in roughly 30 minutes. It just has 20 linear levels and that’s it, leaving me more with a proof-of-concept impression in the end, rather than the feeling I played a full-featured game.

Honourable Mentions:

I’d also need to give a shout-out to Dustin’ by Graham. It’s a brilliant game, so it was really tough for me not having that in the top 3 list.
I see so many thumbs up for “Legend of Atlantis”, Vinny from Freeze64 even made it the game of the year. I appreciate the work the author put in there, it looks nice, but the concept of the game is not very original IMHO, which makes me like it but it’s not sufficient enough for me to include it in my list of top games at all.

image source: Protovision

Roy Widding

#1 – Aviator Arcade 2 (Arcane Productions/RGCD/Psytronik)
http://www.psytronik.net/newsite/index.php/c64/102-aviator
https://rgcd.bigcartel.com/product/aviator-arcade-ii-commodore-64

First of all, people who knows me must think I’m crazy even mentioning this game in a game of the year ranking, as it is a Shoot’Em Up, and I don’t like Shoot’Em Ups! But I gave it a try and I was blown of my chair. I told my friends that they had to try this game, and I showed them some screenshots of this game. One of my friends replied: “Another SEUCK game??”

No this is so far from SEUCK you can get, as the game has a lot of “non-SEUCK features” like homing bullets, health bar, scrolling stops before boss fight and no sprite glitches. Music is just excellent. If there was a Game Soundtrack of the year, I would put this as my number one!! Graphics is excellent, game design is excellent and atmospheric. I just love this game, I love the arcade feeling it has. It is my most booted game so far in 2018, and that says a lot since the game was released only a few weeks before I wrote this…. three points to Mark Hindsbo, Saul Cross and Thomas Petersen.

#2 – Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis (Icon64/Psytronik)
http://www.psytronik.net/newsite/index.php/c64/97-atlantis

Trevor Storey is one of the best C64 game designers around, and probably the most productive one too. And with Stuart Collier and Saul Cross, they have once again shot bullseye with Rocky Memphis and the Legend Of Atlantis. Great atmosphere with good graphics and music. I love all the puzzle elements in this game, and the whole package is just tempting me back to play again and again. Two points to Trevor and his crew.

#3 – Scuttle Butt 64 (Eweguo)

This is my humour! Karl Hornell’s game has all the toilet humour, one liner jokes and the perfect nostalgic feel you can wish for. Graphics are cartoonish and nice, music is simple but it doesn’t make the game worse, it just fits everything. And gameplay is funny, my kids laughed and I laughed and Wifey thinks we have no sense of good humour….one point to Karl Hornell.

Honourable Mentions:

2018 had so many great titles, and games like Pains’n’Aches , Steel Ranger and Sydney Hunter are all beautiful games that deserve to be mentioned here. But I have also rated the games after how much I have played them, and then the top 3 choice was easy to do…

PS: I would also like to give a little attention to the game Tower Of Rubble 64 too. Graphics are simple, but animation is great, music is catchy and the gameplay… Gameplay is just wow!! I love small games like this!

Merman

#1 – Portal (Jamie Fuller/Del Seymour/Roy Widding)

Have your cake and eat it – a 2D version of the classic PC game, this retains the original’s sense of humour and is very well presented. The end sequence is spot on, with Jonathan Coulton’s Still Alive turned into a SID. The combination of mouse and keyboard controls may be unusual on the C64 but it works. It’s just a shame there are only 20 levels to beat – making the level designer accessible or a new set of levels would extend the longevity no end.

#2 – Space Moguls (Carl-Henrik Skårstedt/Protovision)
https://www.protovision.games/shop/product_info.php?products_id=229

Reaching back into the past has been a theme this year, and the classic strategy game MULE received an amazing tribute in the form of this new game. Presentation is outstanding, the computer AI makes a strong opponent and the multiple planets adds to the depth. The boxed edition from Protovision is very nicely put together too.

#3 – Hunter’s Moon Remastered (Thalamus Digital Publishing)

Thalamus Digital sets off on a new mission in spectacular style. The fact that Martin Walker and Matt Gray have both been involved gives the project so much credibility, and the new Oli Frey artwork is beautiful. From the outstanding new intro (with the animation sequences looking so crisp) to the level editor, the whole package is worth every penny. And if the new stuff doesn’t appeal, the complete original 1987 version (a game I adored anyway) is in there too. Simply stunning.

Top 5 Placings:

#1 – Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis (Icon64/Psytronik)

#2 – Hunter’s Moon Remastered (Thalamus Digital Publishing)

#3 – Space Moguls (Carl-Henrik Skårstedt/Protovision)

#4 – Shadow Switcher (Dr. Wuro Industries)

#5 – Hibernated 1: This Place is Death (Stefan Vogt/Pond), Exploding Fish (Megastyle), Aviator Arcade 2 (Arcane Productions/RGCD/Psytronik)

Reset64 Magazine 2017 Commodore 64 Game of the Year Award

January 8, 2018 By ausretrogamer

It really seems that each subsequent year for modern C64 game development improves on the previous, and 2017 has been no different! On behalf of the staff at Reset Magazine, I would like to congratulate all of you who have been involved in C64 gamedev in 2017, whether as an individual or as part of a team. 2017 has been nothing short of stunning, beginning with The Bear Essentials (released digitally in 2016, but physical version with a 2017 © stamp released later), and finishing in style with the long awaited Sam’s Journey on Christmas Eve (with a few releases making it out before the new year, too). In between, well, we were spoilt for choice.

The physical releases from the likes of Protovision, RGCD, Psytronik and Poly.Play also impressed, with each distributor/publisher raising the bar for the presentation of their physical releases – perfectly complimenting the outstanding quality of the games themselves. So much thought went into the packaging, artwork, labels, instruction booklets etc. to keep us collectors more than happy!

We will look at 2017 as an amazing year for Commodore 64 games of a quality that could arguably challenge many of the years during the computer’s heyday. It was great to see so many of the contemporary developers remaining so active, old timers returning as well as a host of first time coders, artists and musicians joining in all the fun. Make no mistake, gamedev on the C64 is a challenging and time consuming task, and we are truly appreciative of the efforts and hours that everyone involved has put in.

So to sum it all up, although there can only be one game awarded GOTY, we truly believe that you all deserve to be congratulated (whether or not your game or crew is mentioned within this article), and we take our hats off to everyone involved in the 2017 C64 games development scene.

Kevin (Unkle K) Tilley, Reset64 Editor.

Kevin Tilley (Editor’s Pick)

#1 – Sam’s Journey (Knights of Bytes/Protovision):
Sam’s Journey is a truly astonishing C64 platformer that, amazingly, lives up to all of its hype! Breathtaking presentation, colourful and fast graphics; Sam’s plays like a high-end Amiga platformer with mechanics and design sensibilities not seen in a C64 game before. Beautiful to look at and fun to play, it’s my GOTY and a truly amazing game from Knights of Bytes. Nailed the physics too, KoB 😉

#2 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
Jason Aldred came from nowhere to deliver this superb Galaga/Gaplus inspired shooter. Incredibly polished, with wonderful presentation, graphics (the animations are superb) and a suitably stunning soundtrack from Pulse Bot. It’s one of those games that you can come back to again and again and it is incredibly addictive. The physical release from Protovision is stunning, and that box-art by Lobo!! An amazing effort from Team Galencia!

#3 – The Bear Essentials (Graham Axten/Pond Software):
Graham Axten produced a game that tugged right at my nostalgic heartstrings with The Bear Essentials. Bear could easily have been a full price release from Thalamus and contains more than one nod to the games from that legendary Commodore 64 games publisher from back in the day. It’s one of the most charming games I’ve seen on the C64, and the final level blew me away. I’m tearing up right now thinking about it!

Honourable Mentions:
There have been so many other games I would have loved to have voted for. Rescuing Orc is another favourite – it is such a beautifully designed and playable game. I also loved LuftrauserZ, Platman Worlds and John Darnell’s charming Sleepwalker amongst many others. Oh, and then there’s Frogs, which is another absolutely charming multiplayer game from Dr. Wuro Industries. Any of these games could have featured in my top 3, they’re all so good!

image source: Jason Aldred & Protovision

Cameron Davis

#1 – The Bear Essentials (Graham Axten/Pond Software):
I’m thrilled that games like this exist on our beloved micro – it’s just so charming! With plenty of secrets to discover, a wild array of cute (but deadly) creatures to avoid and great platforming action, The Bear Essentials has provided me with more joy than any other recent C64 release I can think of. A world without this Essential game is something I couldn’t Bear to think about. (You’re fired – Ed)

#2 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
Planet Golf is the demanding but beautiful girlfriend of Commodore 64 games. You’ll be driven mad with its fiendish level layouts and excruciatingly annoying traps, but when you do everything right it’s the best feeling in the world. I love this game even though it feels like an unhealthy relationship at times!

#3 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
This modern spin on the Galaga formula is not just a technical marvel – it’s by far the best shmup to hit the C64 in years! The movement of all the ships (oh, so many ships) feels nice and fluid, the blasting action satisfyingly explosion-filled, and there’s a real sense of accomplishment to survive the first few levels! We really are lucky to have games of this calibre grace our system.

Rob Caporetto

#1 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
Arcade-esque games are totally a ‘been there, seen that’ proposition on the C64 in the homebrew age, where many try to rekindle the feel, but most I’ve felt have always missed that something. Galencia, on the other hand? Nails it. From its old school difficulty curve, its high level of polish, and the overall polish of the package, it’s a labour of love which totally, totally manages to feel fresh, and challenging for 2017!

#2 – LuftrauserZ (Paul Koller/Stein Pedersen/RGCD):
I’m a sucker for games involving air-combat, and working around gravity, both of which are core to this C64 adaptation of the indie hit. What blows my mind away the most though? The fact that the original game has been squeezed over into a C64 cartridge. In full. The pace is even more frantic, the controls flow excellently, and the challenge on offer is intense – for anyone after a fresh twist on arcade action, LuftrauserZ is easily one of the best picks you can go for!

#3 – Rescuing Orc (Juan J. Martinez/Vanja Utne/Poly.Play):
One of the great things with the homebrew community is in seeing less visited genres make an appearance on our favourite micro. Rescuing Orc brings over the tradition of the exploratory platformer, with an old-school difficulty to match. The challenge of course being to locate your friend said Orc, whilst exploring the world, and dispatching the devious hordes who stand in your way. Compared to some of the other releases in 2017, that level of challenge may be a turn off, but despite some misgivings, it’s a throwback release, which is well worth checking out!

Honourable Mentions:
Sam’s Journey (Knights of Bytes/Protovision):
The Knights of Bytes crew have been working on this one for a long time, and it truly, truly shows on so many levels. Compared to many other platformers on the C64, it’s expansive, packed to the brim with levels, and power ups and features. If I’d been able to spent more time with it before submitting this GOTY, I expect it would have made the top 3. But considering I’ve not put anywhere near enough time in, an honourable mention will have to do…

Petunia Pickle’s Pumpkin Preview (Anthony Stiller/Vanja Utne/Pond Software):
Seeing new faces start off with amazing releases is something I always find mighty positive. It might sound a little too biased here, but I had a lot of fun with this little preview, and it being by a good friend is just the icing on the cake.

image source: Knights Of Bytes & Protovision

Paul Morrison

#1 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
I’ve been playing arcade shmups like Galaxian since the 1970s. I love them, so it always rankled with me that the Commodore 64 didn’t really have any that could truly stand among them. Consider me rankled no more. Galencia is an incredible clone of Galaga which has kept me playing since its release date. I’ve played it more than most of the PC and PS4 games I’ve bought this year, and I’m going to keep playing it. It may have been 35 years in coming, but it’s the best game of its type on the C64, and it’s my Game of the Year.

#2 – LuftrauserZ (Paul Koller/Stein Pedersen/RGCD):
The original PC game was a simplistic but fast-paced shoot ’em up which featured an absolute mountain of extra weaponry to experiment with. That Paul Koller has replicated the game so accurately on the 64 is nothing short of miraculous. I’ve got a pretty sweet crate right now, but I’m looking forward to unlocking more and seeing just how destructive I can become.

#3 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
I played Desert Golfing and Stick Golf on my phone for far too long, becoming totally addicted to seeing how far I could progress or if I could whittle down my best scores. Planet Golf captures the feeling of those games emphatically, whilst adding a flavour that could only have come from our beloved C64. It’s hair-tearingly frustrating at times, but that one-more-go factor is in full effect.

Anthony Stiller

#1 – LuftrauserZ (Paul Koller/Stein Pedersen/RGCD):
Paul Koller’s demake of Vlambeer’s aerobatic blaster is a miracle. Somehow Paul has captured the frenetic feel of the original and crammed in almost all of the features. Fast, furious and more fun than a barrel full of barrel rolls. Buy this game immediately.

#2 – The Bear Essentials (Graham Axten/Pond Software):
Graham Axten of Pond Software brought so much joy to my C64 when he released The Bear Essentials. A delightful, highly playable platformer, polished like a shiny red apple, Bear is what C64 gaming is all about. Check out Graham’s dev diary, too, if you get a chance.

#3 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
Jason Aldred turns run-of-the-mill Galaga up to 11 with the exhilarating Galencia. With superb design, crisp graphics, and faultless gameplay, Galencia is a marvel to behold and has been a firm favourite in the RESET offices. A stellar release!

Honourable Mention:
Rescuing Orc
Juan J. Martinez’s wonderfully named game, Rescuing Orc, is everything I love. An adventurous romp with sword in hand, perilous leaps, varied enemies, deep caverns, and bats! Bats are great and so is Rescuing Orc.

Merman

#1 – Argus (Trevor Storey/Achim Volkers/Saul Cross/Psytronik):
From the moment I saw the preview video on YouTube, I knew this was going to be special. The first-person view of the action is superb, there is a huge and involved quest to complete and Psytronik pulled out all the stops with the amazing Ultimate Edition (cramming loads of extras into the box, including the poster with the all-important map of the land of Argus). A landmark RPG for the C64 and my game of the year.

#2 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
Antonio Savona strikes again with a beautifully crafted game. The physics of the golf ball – and the fast-forward option – work really well, but it is the superb presentation that stays with me. The clear sampled speech and the amazing introduction sequence (with digitised graphics) set a high bar for others to reach.

#3 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
A very polished shoot ’em up, particularly the mutating aliens. It really captures the Galaga style and brings it up to date with great graphics and sound. So glad it was finished.

Honourable Mention:
Just sneaking into 2017 was the digital release of SAM’S JOURNEY. I have only had time to play it briefly but it looks amazing – it could already be my game of the year for 2018!

Richard Bayliss

#1 – Sam’s Journey (Knights of Bytes/Protovision):
I purchased a digital download of Sam’s Journey on Boxing Day 2017. The game has very stunning presentation. The game is really colourful, but when it comes to playing it, I was almost late for work, due to its pure addictiveness. The game has a fun story line, and each world is well crafted. The ideas put into this game really pushed the Commodore 64 to its limits. There are some very colourful maps, cute enemies, which Sam can jump on (or avoid). The power ups are truly amazing. This game gets my vote to be the best ever game of 2017.

#2 – Slipstream (Bauknecht/Psytronik)
I always wondered what the Commodore 64 could spin out for the C64 gaming world. We have seen many C64 demos, and demo coders of big groups today continue to show off their talent. Now what if you had this idea to produce a game, which uses some of the demo effects, such as realtime, vector animation? Bauknecht has proven this by developing something spectacular. The game has stunning presentation, along with some very amazing animated effects. The concept was quite original. You take control of two different modules through a simulation. This game reminds me a little of Domark’s Star Wars. Slipstream has very slick presentation, thumping soundtracks, and is also addictive to play. I love this game for the originality and addictive game play. It is very difficult to master at first, but you’ll get used to this game after a few attempts. Slipstream is a stunner.

#3 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
I always loved a good and decent shoot ’em up. Looking at this game. It takes me back in time and reminds me a lot of Galaxians, Galaga, Gaplus blended in together. This game is well designed, has some good bonus rewards for the play. Some alien attack patterns can end up as a little surprise. The Galencia like to transform into different types aliens. There are plenty of in game options, to enhance game play even more. You can even select competition mode, which is a real challenge. This is a really good retro-standard shoot ’em up. Nicely animated sprites, graphics, loading picture, music, etc. I enjoyed this game a lot, due to the quality arcade standard, presentation and excellent music. Some funny boss fights in between. Nice loading and intro graphics. Great series of options.

image source: Psytronik

Damian Caynes

#1 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
Antonio Savona’s Planet Golf was not only a very playable game, but had superb production qualities and awesome digital sound. The intros were brilliant, and the game itself was difficult and addictive.

#2 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
One of my favourite arcade games as a kid was Galaga, and Jason Aldred’s Galencia hits all the buttons. It has bright, colourful graphics and excellent fx, as well as masterful attack waves and bosses. Well worth the asking price, and I can’t wait to get it on cartridge.

#3 – The Bear Essentials (Graham Axten/Pond Software):
I really hate to give this game one point, but there have been so many great games in 2017. Graham Axten’s Bear Essentials has a lot of similarities with the style of Creatures 2, but is an awesome game in its own right. Pond must be very proud of this release

Roy Fielding

#1 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
From the moment I first heard of this game, I knew it was one for me. Antonio certainly delivered with a splendid and very professional game. The physical release is sublime with great original artwork by none other than Oliver Frey. Top notch game with oodles of replayability. This game will remain one of my faves, alongside the likes of the Leaderboard range.

#2 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
A very close second is Galencia. This game came out of nowhere for me and really grabbed my attention immediately. I am a big fan of early arcade shooters like Galaxian/Galaga so this game really ticked my box on that score. The game looks and plays wonderfully and will certainly be a game to return to time and time again. Very high production value and again, we have a super physical release, with lovely original box art by Fleming DuPont. A wonderful game just slightly pipped (for me) by Planet Golf.

#3 – Sam’s Journey (Knights of Bytes/Protovision):
This was a very close call between this and Paul Koller’s excellent Luftrausers demake. I went with Sam’s Journey as it is an original title and has one of the most beautiful scrolling engines I’ve seen on the C64, with such vibrant use of colours. A very playable game, albeit probably not one I’d return to as much as #1 and #2. It’s still super impressive and delivers on the early promises and smashes away the doubts people had that it was not for real. I cannot comment on the physical release as it wasn’t available at time of writing.

Simon Quernhorst

#1 – Rescuing Orc (Juan J. Martinez/Vanja Utne/Poly.Play):
A very nice and atmospheric game, which I really liked playing through the end!

#2 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
A perfect arcade game with fun graphics and always good for a round now and then.

#3 – Frogs (Dr. Wuro Industries):
What a fun game when playing with four players… always great to push ’em into the water.

Roy Widding

#1 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
I decided to give my top 3 points to Antonio and his addictive and funny golf game! Nice graphics, nice music and addictive. Very addictive!

#2 – Sam’s Journey (Knights of Bytes/Protovision):
I struggled a bit to play the digital version on my real hardware, but except for that, the game is amazing. A brilliant story, a nice plattform adventure, and it is not too hard, so I have kept my interest for this, and I think I still will have that interest when I receive the physical cartridge. (2 points to Chester)

#3 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
The game is so well made/polished/full of details that you can’t leave it out of a top 3. Even if I’m not such a huge shooter fan, I have played this game several times, and it is not one of the games you try and forget… (1 point to Jason)

Honourable Mentions:
I have bought all commercial releases this year, and kept my eye on all free games too. I might have missed some, but I have placed my votes on the ones I kept coming back too and enjoyed playing. There were some games like Bear, Orc, LuftrauserZ and some other Psytronik titles that I liked too, but I had to leave some out of the top 3 so it ended with these.

image source: Usebox.Net & Poly.Play

Jari Karjalainen

#1 – Sam’s Journey (Knights of Bytes/Protovision):
It definitely came close for not happening in time, but my vote for GOTY goes to Sam’s Journey, without a shred of doubt. It’s not only a logical continuation of new hardware exploitation from Prince of Persia made for EasyFlash, but also yet another thus far missing link between the old C64 games and 16-bit games from all platforms – impressive in every expectable manner, and definitely lives up to its hype.

#2 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
If Sam’s Journey hadn’t made it this year, its place would have been taken by Planet Golf, which will now take the #2 spot. I thought the preview already was fantastic, and the full version is definitely one of the most intriguing, impressive and unique C64 golf games of all time. Definitely worth having in anyone’s collection.

#3 – Planet X2 (The 8-Bit Guy):
My vote for #3 was much more difficult to choose, since there were so many fantastic games put out this year – the Bear Essentials, Galencia, LuftrauserZ, Slipstream and Argus to name but a few, each very impressive in their own ways. In the end, I settled for Planet X2, because it represents a genre that hadn’t been explored on the C64 before, and rather well at that, too.

Frank Gasking

#1 – Sam’s Journey (Knights of Bytes/Protovision):
When playing Sonic 1 on the Mega Drive or Mayhem on the C64 that I remember the goosebumps first I had, experiencing something unlike i’d ever seen before. Although a predictable number 1 from me, Sam’s Journey this Christmas has given me just those feelings. Combining some of the best features from various 16-bit platformers, the game is a sight to behold, and it lives up to all the hype it has deservidely had.

#2 – Galencia (Jason Aldred/Team Galencia/Protovision):
I’m a big fan of single screen shooters like Galaga and Gyruss, so Galencia was a very welcome release to see this year. There are some wonderful touches throughout the game and little sub sections which make this one of the best games of its genre on the C64. It’s been great to see yet another ex-C64 developer come back to the platform too.

#3 – Planet Golf (Antonio Savona/Aldo Chiummo/Gaetano Chiummo/Ilkka Sjöstedt/Massimilano ‘WiZkiD’ De Ruvo/Psytronik/RGCD):
An extremely frustrating, but fun game, where any errors are your own fault and not the game. Deviously designed courses with some great gravitational effects on later planets make for a game that will keep you playing for a long time. The added polish of the crisp graphics/smooth animation and speech effects round off a great release.

….AND THE WINNER IS!

It is with great pleasure that we announce Galencia, by Jason Aldred and Team Galencia as the 2017 Commodore 64 Game of the Year, as voted by the Reset Magazine staff & contributors. A worthy winner, Galencia oozes quality from a coding perspective, as well as featuring the highest quality aesthetics and super addictive gameplay. It’s the perfect all rounder. The physical edition from Protovision was stunning and extremely high quality, everything from the beautiful art, labels, feelies, posters and that lovely green cartridge! Galencia also achieved the highest number of individual votes in this count and was a hot topic of discussion on social media and retro gaming forums for much of 2017.

Congratulations to Jason, the rest of Team Galencia and Protovision on your achievement!

image source: Jason Aldred & Protovision

Final Standings:
#1 – Galencia (Protovision)
#2 – Planet Golf (Psytronik/RGCD)
#3 – Sam’s Journey (Protovision)
#4 – LuftrauserZ (RGCD), The Bear Essentials (Pond Software)
#5 – Rescuing Orc (Poly.Play)
#6 – Argus (Psytronik)
#7 – Slipstream (Psytronik)
#8 – Frogs (Dr. Wuro Industries), Planet X2 (The 8-Bit Guy)

Honourable Mentions:
Platman Worlds (Psytronik), Sleepwalker (Psytronik), Petunia Pickle’s Pumpkin Preview (Pond Software).

Making Of Reset C64 Intro

August 20, 2017 By ausretrogamer

By Andrew Burch

While immersed in Syntax 2015 and beginning work on an intro for Hokuto Force (which went on to be released as “Technic” shortly after), I was approached by a familiar face. Unkle K sat down and we had a great chat about family, the C64, my intros and naturally, the Reset magazine. During the chat, he asked if I was interested in doing an intro for Reset64. Given Reset is an Australian magazine and I loved the work they put into it, how could I refuse? Time passes too quickly these days and it would be another 9 months before I’d start to form the basis of the intro. But once started, it came together quickly over the following weeks and I was pleased to be involved in the Reset #10 release with an intro and this write up to accompany it.

Rather than just put a bunch of things on screen, I like to focus on the design of my intros so the effects fit with the music and there is a smooth flow to the experience. Because I have so few SID contacts to help with the music, I begin most of my intros using sidplay2 and HVSC (High Voltage SID Collection) to look for existing tracks which I think I could design an intro around. Often I have an idea of how much memory I want to allocate to music, so this means I can focus on SID files of a certain size. I have a simple script that digs through the HVSC folders looking for SID files under (or between) a certain size and then copying them to a separate folder. I then create a play list from that folder in sidplay2 and explore for suitable tracks. This allows me to create a short list of music, which I will then listen to on repeat as I begin designing the flow of the intro. For this intro, I ended up settling on a track from ECO (Raik Picheta), which I had been wanting to create an intro around for quite a while. I’ve used a few of Raik’s tracks now and love what he creates.

My goal was to create the biggest (and hopefully best) Reset intro to date. I wanted the intro to be more than just a simple greets list, scroller and logo. This meant it had to have multiple parts instead of a single screen. The chosen music track suited a multi-part intro, so I was keen to flesh out something larger than the normal intro that accompanies each issue of Reset. Because this is a milestone release, the intro should celebrate the previous releases in some form and also acknowledge the Reset64 staff. A nice transition of some kind from the start screen to the intro is always a must for me and something I would incorporate into the intro. When designing the flow of the intro, I don’t necessarily know exactly how each part will appear on screen. Mainly, I focus on what each part will represent and build on that. With these few things in mind, and the music track selected, I came up with the flow to use:

Transition from BASIC to intro
Introduce Reset intro
Reset team credits
Show logo
Intro credits
Final part (continuous play)

With some design down for the intro, I now got cracking on writing the code. With every intro I’ve done, I always have multiple parts under development at the same time. I find it a good way to avoid getting stuck on a certain bit for too long and it also helps give an early idea on how well the implementation matches what I envisioned. Each part is developed within its own assembly file, which helps avoid working in large files. For some of the larger parts, I will even split them into smaller assembly files and code each sub effect first before bringing them together. For example, the final part which has a logo swing, cycling text, scroller and border sprites started life as four separate “effects” which were eventually brought together with their own transitions into a single assembly file, which then got merged into the final release file. I’ve found this method allows me to tweak and tune parts and their transitions easily before considering them complete and ready to move into the intro. It also makes it easier to sort out bugs before intro parts are merged together. An added bonus to this is it means I can quickly test each piece in both PAL and NTSC modes too. The final intro file will contain a small section at start up that detects NTSC mode (by peeking at the value in $02A6) and adjusts some variables & instructions to improve stability under that mode.

The assembly files won’t run themselves though and need to be compiled. My choice in compiler is win2c64 which was written by Aart Bik. There are more flexible cross assemblers around, but I found Aart’s to be very easy to use and haven’t had a reason to switch. For code writing I use Sublime Text 2 and a custom syntax colouring scheme I wrote (which I could not live without!). I make use of several common C64 cross development tools like Timanthes, CharPad, SpritePad, Sidplay2 and of course VICE.

Another tool I make use of is Beyond Compare 4, which is great not only for comparing source code changes, but also comparing images. I used this in the Reset intro where I had run the logo data through some conversion routines and wanted to make sure that the before and after output was the same. So before and after screen shots were taken from VICE and fed into Beyond Compare, which can then highlight pixels (bottom panel) where my conversion had faults.

A final piece of software I make frequent use of is Fraps. This tool allows me to capture the intro running in VICE to a video file for playback. This is extremely handy when graphical glitches occur on screen and you can then go back and watch them frame by frame to help diagnose the cause. This was used a few times on the Reset 10 intro where the transition code between parts had some conflict, which resulted in brief graphical glitch flashes and some cases where rasters were flickering. I often find the cause is usually raster interrupts fighting or a timing issue.

Along with the software mentioned, I also have a library of Lua scripts I have developed over the course of my C64 projects which are used to export and transform data into a state ready to be used in one of my assembly files. This includes things like data exporters for sprites, fonts, music, logos and scroller message formatting. There are some days where I spend more time tweaking and improving my tools than I do coding intro parts, simply because of the benefit they offer to the current and future projects. My choice in Lua is simply because, at the time I got back into C64 coding, I was working in the games industry on PS3 & X360 games and used Lua daily. So I found it quick and easy to get my early script library together. I’ve not yet had a reason to switch to something stronger.

I always like to see a transition in an intro from the start screen as I think it’s a nice presentation touch and starts the intro off nicely. For this intro I settled on fading each line of the screen to black (in a pattern), while leaving a nice bright RESET tag in the lower right corner. I use a colour table to ensure that the fade to black looks reasonable no matter what the colour ram, background and border colours are at the time the intro is run. It does however make an assumption the colour RAM is consistent across the screen. You’ll note that the border colour for each 8 pixel high character line also fades out with it, which requires raster interrupts all the way down the screen. It’s actually the same interrupt repeating all the way down, with each row containing its own indexes into the colour table. It’s a simple transition, but gets the intro off to a nice start and something I felt lacking in previous Reset intros.

With the transition done and the intro now starting, I wanted to include something that acted as an “intro to the release”. Reaching issue 10 is a nice milestone for Reset and something for Unkle K and the team to be proud of. I thought it might be good to look back at the previous releases, to see the important dates in their journey so far and then acknowledge their latest release date as part of that. There’s nothing too tricky in terms of code in this part, although originally the dates were not animated using the hardware scroll register. I added the animation to give the screen a little more life as each date fades in and out.

I wanted to dedicate a part of the intro to the team behind Reset who put it together for us to enjoy. It can be thought of as a shout out to the guys who “power” Reset64. This part went through a few design changes before the final was settled on. Originally it started a lot darker, with the scrolling text lit up using white and greys. The colour cycling was also intended to be more of a light source, circling around the text. The names were always going to glow in colour and it was hoped the darker background would put strong emphasis on the name. But the lack of colour felt dull and the “lighting” effect not as good as I imagined it would be. The light source was changed to cycling the colour RAM and brighter colours added. The scrolling “RESET64” text is achieved by rolling character data left and right, which is more efficient than using the hardware scroll and actually scrolling 12 lines of screen data. It leaves plenty of cycles free to scroll the colour ram instead. The top and bottom borders are also open, with sprites waving within. This is actually a really easy trick to perform, and requires you to switch the screen mode to 24 row mode just before the bottom border begins to render. This tricks the VIC into thinking the border is already being rendered, so it doesn’t bother starting it at raster line 250. You simply need to restore it to 25 rows somewhere in the next screen update (I usually do this as part of the frame set up in the top border).

The intro was really starting to come along at this point and I was in need of a logo. Unkle K put me in contact with Shine. This was excellent as I had been looking forward to working with him for a while. Because I wanted to swing the logo (along with bouncing it with Flexible Line Distance), I was keen for a 3 colour logo that could be converted to a character set. Keeping it at 3 colours means the colour RAM does not to be updated during the swing effect. This allows me to spend time doing other things on screen. However, this then places an annoying limit on any artist, but Shine did well to put together a logo (40×8 characters).

The logo arrived in the form of a bitmap, which I then wrote a conversion script for that converted it into unique character data and also a display matrix that could be used to render the characters to screen. This resulted in a set of 194 unique characters for the logo. Part of the conversion process was to also standardise the use of the character colour and the two multi colours. Because the logo started as a bitmap, the multi colours and character colours were not uniform across the logo. An inspection (and adjustment) of the bits for each character byte was done as part of the conversion to ensure the colours were standardised. Beyond Compare was very useful here to verify the output against the original and would highlight where bits had not been converted properly.

Although the logo would be bouncing and swinging across the screen, it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted to give the logo a little more life and decided to add some animation to it. Getting another colour on the logo might be good too, so I added sprites that flash across the letters and Shines tag. I also decided to animate the stars that appear in the top left and right of the logo.

Next I thought about how I could introduce the logo onto the screen. When it appears in the final part of the intro, the logo will swing across onto screen – so that one is easy. But I want to introduce the logo earlier, right after the Reset team credits have been shown. There is a perfect part of the music where this can happen and from the first time I heard the track, I had a mental picture of a logo vertically scrolling up. I settled on using a small “trick” of the VIC hardware, which stops rendering colour and simply renders black if you have both multi-colour and extended colour modes enabled at the same time. Putting this together with a Flexible Line Distance effect, I could make the logo begin to appear from half way down the screen. This was then finished off by rendering a line which the logo could appear from, bounce on and then disappear behind again. You’ll notice in the final intro that the word “MAGAZINE” appears in the bottom half of the screen in a wave pattern. These are sprites and are not affected by the multi-colour + extended colour “trick”.

This trick was used again for the intro credits part, but this time it also hides sprites by having their colour set to black. This way the role and credit can appear from the line in different directions. One is hidden by multi-colour + extended colour being enabled and the other is simply sprite colour changing at a certain raster line. To make the sprites appear, their y position is simply updated. The text appears by again using FLD (Flexible Line Distance) to push the character data down.

With all these parts getting to their completed state, I was able to begin creating the “final” assembly file. This is where all the parts get merged together for the final release of the intro, which means I now need to think seriously about memory layout. For this sort of intro, memory size isn’t an issue – I’m not going to run out. But I’m forever conscious about what memory I’m using and where it makes sense to compress or optimise things. The code will start at $0810 and I’ll have exomizer prefix it with an auto run block on the final build. I’ll be using memory around $0b00 to $0fff for sprite data and some table data. Music will live at $1000 and the logo character set at $2800. The main 1×1 font will live at $3000 and is made up of 64 characters. The larger 1×2 font will live at $3200, followed by animated characters used in various parts. I know I’ll need to allocate a little more space for sprites based on my estimates, so will set aside some memory here for those too. I want all graphics data sitting before $4000 so I don’t have to think about bank swapping. I built in some buffers to each of the key areas to allow for change right up to the last minute. In the end those buffers will either compress right down using Exomizer, or I’ll juggle some data tables around to fill them. The rest is free for code and data tables. With that decided I create a new assembly file with the above memory mapped out, ready to start merging parts together.

Merging everything and their transitions together can be tedious work. It can also be rewarding as you see the intro finally coming together in its final form, but it can be slow going as you realise the transitions you’ve created don’t gel well with the previous part, which then requires some juggling. Or new bugs get introduced, which can be “fun” to hunt down. I’m also more mindful at this stage of memory alignment with certain code blocks and where some bits best fit together. As I bring each piece together I test both PAL and NTSC modes. This way I can see early on where there is flicker (usually in NTSC mode) and do my best to get both running well so by the time the intro is completely together there are minimal changes required to have it run under either mode.

At this stage the intro was really flying along, but I still need to code up the final part. The final part will remain on the screen until the system is rebooted. This screen will contain a few different effects, all happening at once. It’s probably one of the trickiest parts to get complete as you not only need to get each effect running, but they have to run side by side with everything else going on screen and everything needs to transition in smoothly. I manage this with some raster interrupt juggling as each effect transitions on screen until finally it just loops forever.

When designing this part, I knew it had to have the logo and it would swing and bounce (using FLD and the hardware scroll register). This would take up the first 10 rows of screen display. When using FLD to bounce the top section of the screen, you need a second FLD effect further down to balance it out. As the top FLD increases in height, the lower FLD decreases. That way the lower section of the screen remains stable all through the bounce.

In the bottom section of the screen I wanted to put the scroller and settled on a 4×4 scroller. Instead of taking up more memory with a new 4×4 font, I wanted to dynamically create a 4×4 version of the 1×1 font already in use. Creating a scroller like this isn’t too difficult (I’ve created a tutorial on my site www.0xc64.com for those that are interested). It requires 16 characters, which make up every combination of 2×2 pixel data. Then using a bit mask and some shifting as each 2×2 bit block is processed, the scroller code creates an index into those characters to build the required 4×4 version.

That left the middle of the screen empty to do something with. I thought it might be nice to show off what features would be appearing in the release. Originally this was just a blue background with colour cycling over the text. It felt too dull and as always I wanted to put more on screen. I ended up with a parallax starfield, which was split in the middle of the screen. This had stars rolling left on one side and right on the other, keeping the flow of the colour cycling on the text. Because the new issue would contain many features, I rotate through new features every so often. With the old feature being hidden with blue colour. The update code detects this and then begins to render the next feature while the colour ram and background colours match. This way the next feature smoothly transitions on to screen.

As a final touch for this part, I opened the top and bottom borders again and added some sprites with a subtle wave to give them some life. Once all the pieces of the final part were brought together (with their transitions), it was added to the final release file.

Quite often as parts evolve, I have to juggle where updates and transitions occur, as adding more things to the screen takes up more raster time. I use a simple method of changing the border colour using an inc and dec on $d020 to see roughly how many scan lines certain update / render routines are taking up. In the screen shot below for example, the final part has several interrupts performing update and rendering for various things going on in the frame. The big gap at the top is reserved for the music, frame prep and top border sprite set up. As you see down the screen, the border changes colours at certain spots, showing the rough start and end raster lines for different routines. Often these will increase and decrease depending on what code is executed in the update. Where I have routines that execute on alternating frames, I can combine these into 1 block to try and get more effects into each screen.

At this point, the intro was ready. The scroller text and feature text are placed right at the end of the intro, which makes them easy to update. I always put these sorts of things at the end since they are variable in length and I don’t want to have to shuffle code or data around if their length exceeds what I had allowed for.

Working on the intro for Reset #10 was a great experience. It came out better than I had planned and certainly hope everyone can enjoy it. Congratulations to Reset for reaching 10 releases and let’s hope there are many more to come.
One part that you’ll never see in the intro is this one. Originally it was going to form the basis of the final continuous play part of the intro. A parallax star field, with a huge vertical logo on the right. It was intended the logo be made of multi-colour sprites, which could be moved around separate to the starfield. Text would be displayed on the right, acting as the scroller. It was ditched as I wanted to do far more on the screen and felt limited by the design. The white lines at the bottom is the raster time the star field animation is taking up.

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