Spring Break
Ian Grogan does the 80s
This week's guide to Commodore 64. video gaming's original god
Ian Grogan
Issue date: 5/9/08 Section: Diversions
Video games these days are mind-blowing, using handy tools like HD technology, online play and some hardcore music soundtracks. We know that 20 years ago we didn't have the technology. Therefore I bring you the Commodore 64 in all of its 8-bit glory.
In the late summer of 1982, a whole new world opened to the public: the C64. Its original price was $595, and it offered its fans 8-bit graphics and 64 whole kilobytes of RAM.
Forget going out to the arcade and wasting quarters; stay at home, grab a Jolt Cola, relax and be amazed.
To this day, the C64 is the top-selling personal computer, dominating the IBM and Apple systems.
In 1984, the Commodore yet again astounded audiences when it released its SX-64, the first portable color computer with an integrated floppy disk drive.
In 1986, the Commodore shocked the world again as it released the 64C. Higher RAM and cartridges were finally available on the market, and the Commodore took hold and held its popularity for several years after.
Sadly, when the C64 was released it got wrapped up in the video game downfall of the '80s, yet it managed to survive and become one of the leaders of the gaming industry.
Now let's get to the good part, just a few of the games the Commodore 64 brought to the world of quarter-less arcade gamers.
Early versions of games came in "text-only" styles, which play out exactly as they sound. A situation arises, and the text pops up on the screen. It's up to you to decipher and type what you are going to do at that point.
One such game is "The Farmer's Daughter." You are a traveling salesman whose car just broke down. As you try and find help, you are greeted by a beautiful young girl who is in need of a man. The plot of the game is to find several items and meet the girl in the hay-loft after. The catch is that you only have a certain amount of movements before it's "game over." This game is quite funny because while it is a vivid, X-rated game, it's text only - or nerd porn to the extreme.
In the late summer of 1982, a whole new world opened to the public: the C64. Its original price was $595, and it offered its fans 8-bit graphics and 64 whole kilobytes of RAM.
Forget going out to the arcade and wasting quarters; stay at home, grab a Jolt Cola, relax and be amazed.
To this day, the C64 is the top-selling personal computer, dominating the IBM and Apple systems.
In 1984, the Commodore yet again astounded audiences when it released its SX-64, the first portable color computer with an integrated floppy disk drive.
In 1986, the Commodore shocked the world again as it released the 64C. Higher RAM and cartridges were finally available on the market, and the Commodore took hold and held its popularity for several years after.
Sadly, when the C64 was released it got wrapped up in the video game downfall of the '80s, yet it managed to survive and become one of the leaders of the gaming industry.
Now let's get to the good part, just a few of the games the Commodore 64 brought to the world of quarter-less arcade gamers.
Early versions of games came in "text-only" styles, which play out exactly as they sound. A situation arises, and the text pops up on the screen. It's up to you to decipher and type what you are going to do at that point.
One such game is "The Farmer's Daughter." You are a traveling salesman whose car just broke down. As you try and find help, you are greeted by a beautiful young girl who is in need of a man. The plot of the game is to find several items and meet the girl in the hay-loft after. The catch is that you only have a certain amount of movements before it's "game over." This game is quite funny because while it is a vivid, X-rated game, it's text only - or nerd porn to the extreme.
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