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Commodore 64

Jeri Ellsworth’s Fantastic Inventions

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Jeri Ellsworth is a self-taught computer chip designer and entrepreneur best known for creating a complete Commodore 64 system on a chip within a (Ed: Comp Pro) joystick – the ‘C64 Direct-to-TV’.

Jeri and the C64DTV
C64 DTV combined image

Jeri’s YouTube channel is full of videos showcasing her fantastic inventions – here are just a few:

C64 Purse

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

 C64 Bass Guitar

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

Half-Life Crowbar Controller

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

 Rubik’s Cube & Nintendo Controller Mouse Mods

Source: Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel

 Source: Geekologie; Jeri Ellsworth’s YouTube Channel; Wikipedia

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msausretrogamerMs. ausretrogamer
Editor and Researcher at ausretrogamer – The Australian Retro Gamer E-Zine. Lover of science fiction, fashion, books, movies and TV. Player of games, old and new.

Follow Ms. ausretrogamer on Twitter

 

 

RESET C64 Magazine: Issue 5 Out Now!

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Reset5_coverTime does fly when you are having fun! It feels like yesterday that we wrapped up Reset issue 4 when Kevin Tilley put the call out to contribute once again on the awesomest Commodore 64 magazine.

Well, issue 5 of Reset is hot off the press and is now available for download! The magazine just keeps on going from strength to strength. It is always hard to pick a highlight (Ed: thank god you didn’t pick your own article!), but that great cover by Ant Stiller sets the tone to a wonderful issue.

So, how much does this awesome Reset magazine cost? Relax, it is totally free! Go ahead, download it and get a hit of C64 nostalgia!

 

RESET C64 Magazine: Issue 4 Out Now!

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RESET_titleAugust is always a special month. Not only is it the month that my sibling was born, it is also the month that my favourite 8-bit home computer was released, the Commodore 64.

What better way to make my RESET magazine contribution debut by timing it with the 32nd anniversary of the beloved C64. Issue 4 of RESET is out now and is totally free. Get yours here!

This latest issue is bursting at the seams with all things C64 (Ed: but of course!)! So another big thank you to Kevin Tilley for putting together another great issue and for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this awesome C64-centric magazine. Till issue 5, happy reading!

 

Getting Cosy At The Commodore Club

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On a chilly winter’s day, things were getting quite heated at the Commodore Club meet; from Paul trashing yours truly in a ‘Brazil v Germany’ scoreline in Hat Trick, to Weird and Retro’s Aleks ‘Serby’ Svetislav smashing my time record on Micro Hexagon. I was definitely off my game (Ed: pun fully intended)!

Win or lose, it is always fun playing old school games with friends in the comfort of a nice and warm (Ed: non-hostile?) environment. When it’s cold out there, the Commodore Club is the place to be at. Bring on next month’s meet!

Line’em up baby!
CC_carts

Yours truly impressing the lads in Micro Hexagon!
CC_micro_hexagon

Brazil (yours truly) v Germany (Paul) = FIFA World Cup 2014 scoreline!
CC_trashing

After being brutalised in Hat Trick, I had to test out the equipment. It wasn’t faulty!
CC_equipment_check

Paul (aka: ZenMareRetro) having a crack on Jeff Minter’s Lazer Zone
CC_ZenMareRetro

Get to the choppa! Do it now!
CC_Serby_Choplifter

‘C64: A Visual Commpendium’ – New Stretch Goals

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In case you have been living off the grid for the past month, the Commodore 64: A Visual Commpendium Kickstarter campaign has been funded. Are we rapt? Of course we are! A huge congratulations to Sam Dyer and Bitmap Books for hitting their target.

With a week to go, you would think Sam would take it easy and take some well earned rest. But that is not how Sam rolls. After a fantastic response to the campaign, it doesn’t end there. Sam has been busy behind the scenes coming up with some great stretch goals, pulling together some new pledges and getting some new contributors on-board. Let the drooling begin!

New pledges
These include: signed Psytronik Software goodies, a personalised avatar by legendary C64 artist S.I.T, signed Oliver Frey goodies and a ‘one off’ framed Last Ninja print signed by original artist, Steinar Lund. There will be two more very special pledges coming this week – keep an eye out on the Kickstarter page!

cPsytronik

cSIT

cOliFrey

cLastNinja

New book contributors
Great news on the contributor front as some true legends of the industry have agreed to be involved in the book. The new contributors include:

  • Gary Penn (Zzap!64)
  • Dan Phillips (Armalyte)
  • Stephen Thomson (S.I.T)
  • Jon Hare (Sensible Software)
  • Steven Day (STE’86)
  • Philip & Andrew Oliver (The Oliver Twins)
  • Andrew Hewson & Rob Hewson (www.hewsonconsultants.com)
  • Steve Rowland (Thalamus)
  • Robin Levy (Armalyte)
  • Jacco Van ‘t Riet (Boys without Brains)
  • Jonathan Temples (Thalamus/Codemasters)
  • James Leach (Commodore Format)

Stretch goals
As the campaign goes further over it’s total, the extra money will be used to add extras to the print specification of the book. This will include adding a dustcover, spot varnish to the cover, extra pages to the pagination and finally, an enhanced PDF. All backers will benefit from hitting these goals.

cStretchGoals

If you have pledged already, these new rewards are quite enticing. If you have not yet pledged, then surely it is time to dig deep and support this wonderful Kickstarter campaign.

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c64_SamAbout Sam
Sam has over 10 years experience as an award winning professional Graphic Designer, working for agencies in London and also in the South West of England. His passion for design and also the Commodore 64, mean that he is ideally placed to create this book to the highest possible standard.
Follow Sam (aka: MrSidc64) on Twitter

 

C64_BitmapAbout Bitmap Books
A new publisher specialising in beautifully designed and produced books all about video games. Commodore 64: a visual commpendium is the first book by Bitmap Books.

 

C64: A Visual Commpendium

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c64_BookCommodore 64: a visual commpendium is a book that celebrates the beauty of the greatest home computer ever made.

A campaign to create this book will launch as a Kickstarter on April 1, 2014. This is a call to action and is no April Fools’ Day joke! Mark this date in your diary and support this great campaign.

c64_Comm64Created by lifelong Commodore 64 fan and Graphic Designer Sam Dyer, the final book will feature 200+ pages of lovingly designed and beautifully printed artwork. Unlike other Commodore 64 books, it will celebrate the visual side of the computer in a way that has never been seen before.

c64_Turrican2It will be packed full of artwork by Oliver Frey, game art, reviews, loading screens, game maps and photography. The foreword will be written by legendary Sensible Software Graphic Artist Stoo Cambridge.


source: MrSid64

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c64_SamAbout Sam
Sam has over 10 years experience as an award winning professional Graphic Designer, working for agencies in London and also in the South West of England. His passion for design and also the Commodore 64, mean that he is ideally placed to create this book to the highest possible standard.
Follow Sam (aka: MrSidc64) on Twitter

 

C64_BitmapAbout Bitmap Books
A new publisher specialising in beautifully designed and produced books all about video games. Commodore 64: a visual commpendium is the first book by Bitmap Books.

 

Ultimate C64 Chiptunes

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C64_breadbox

In all honesty, picking my favourite C64 chiptune is like finding a needle in a haystack – it’s impossible. With maestros like Hubbard, Dunn, Follin, Dalglish, Maniacs of Noise, Tinman, Tel, Galway to name a few, the task is all the more daunting.

Like any ‘best of’ list, it is all subjective and down to personal taste. I had the pleasure in narrowing my all time favourite chiptunes to my ultimate top 25.

Let the nostalgic SID sounds wash over you!

#25 Paperboy [composer: Mark Cooksey]

source: gdreyband

Operation Wolf [composer: Jonathan Dunn]

source: NOTHING

Super Monaco Grand Prix [composer: Jeroen Tel / Maniacs of Noise]

source: cheetahman91

Hawkeye [composer: Jeroen Tel / Maniacs of Noise]

source: comppi

Bubble Bobble [composer: Peter Clarke]

source: PeyserCommodore

Run The Gauntlet [composer: Jonathan Dunn]

source: lordtrumpy

Golden Axe [composer: Jeroen Tel]

source: lordtrumpy

Ocean Loader 4 [composer: Jonathan Dunn]

source: PeyserCommodore

WEC Le Mans [composer: Jonathan Dunn]

source: Hans Perters

R-Type [composer: Chris Hülsbeck & Ramiro Vaca]

source: th3l3fty

Parallax [composer: Martin Galway]

source: gdreyband

Sanxion [composer: Rob Hubbard]

source: CaseOfGlass

Comic Bakery [composer: Martin Galway]

source: gdreyband

Red Heat [composer: Jonathan Dunn]

source: NOTHING

The Great Giana Sisters (Menu Theme) [composer: Chris Hülsbeck]

source: PeyserCommodore

Myth [composer: Jeroen Tel]

source: cheetahman91

Last Ninja 2 [composer: Matt Gray]

source: Manialt

Cybernoid [composer: Jeroen Tel / Maniacs of Noise]

source: inphanta

Skate or Die [composer: Rob Hubbard]

source: Darcal2

BMX Kidz [composer: Rob Hubbard & Jori Olkkonen]

source: Manialt

IK/IK+ [composer: Rob Hubbard] – these could not be split! Absolute classics!

source: manialt


source: cheetahman91

Mega Apocalypse [composer: Rob Hubbard]

source: Luzifer217

L.E.D. Storm [composer: Tim Follin]

source: NOTHING

Turbo Outrun [composer: Jeroen Tel / Maniacs of Noise]

source: cheetahman91

Zamzara [composer: Charles Deenen / Maniacs of Noise]  – wait till you get to 1:55 !

source: inphanta

There you have it – the ultimate 25 C64 chiptunes. Controversial list? You be the judge.

Like with any pleasure, there is the agony – the agony of leaving out music from: Arkanoid, Bionic Commando, Robocop, The Untouchables, Rastan Saga, Dragon Ninja, Dan Dare 3, Yie Ar Kung Fu, Midnight Resistance and most agonising of all, Commando – sorry Mr Hubbard.



Commodore 64: The 8-Bit Computing King

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It was 1986 when I got my grubby mits on the new, sleek and all beige Commodore 64C. Like numerous others around the world, I affectionately called it the C64.
The Family Pack it came in was the ‘America’s Cup’ edition. It included various peripherals (joysticks, paddles, datasette) and games (Howzat Cricket, Arnie Armchair’s America’s Cup Challenge, Le Mans and International Soccer) to get started in 8-bit computing and gaming. I truly thought this was gaming nirvana (and a much better option than the Atari 2600).

Our Commodore 64C

The C64 was a versatile machine – it could load games via cartridge, cassette and 5.25″ floppy diskettes.

Loading games on tape wasn’t fun – they took ages to load, and there was a propensity for them to fail. Nothing drove me insanely mad than having to rewind and reload a game and wait another 30+ minutes for it to load. Oh well, it was one way of ensuring we got to play outside while we waited for the games to load.

The best way to experience games was either on cartridge or floppy disks. The majority of games were available on both cassette and disk. Cartridges were too expensive to manufacture and limiting when compared to tape or disk.

The C64 enjoyed many arcade conversions and film tie-in games, like Robocop, Batman, and The Untouchables. Unfortunately, many of the other film tie-in games were sub-par or completely crap. Nevertheless, the trusty C64 had plenty of great games to satisfy everyone’s taste.

In 1987, when the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Sega Master System were released, I had thoughts about selling the C64 and shelling out for the shiny new grey Nintendo shoebox. Finding it hard to part with the C64, I ended up keeping it – which was a great decision!

After all these years, I still have my original C64, I just wish I had kept the box. It has lost some of its beautiful beige colour, but it still looks good to me. It has aged gracefully. I eventually jumped ship onto the Atari ST and then console gaming via the Sega Mega Drive, but the C64 was always close by.

The Commodore 64 had a number of peers in the 8-bit computing market, namely the Amstrad CPC464 and the ZX Spectrum. But at the end of the day, enjoying total global dominance, the C64 was ensured the 8-bit computing throne and its place in retro computing history.

Long live the Commodore 64!