Commodore 64 software

The Commodore 64 amassed a large software library of nearly 10,000 commercial titles, covering genres from games to business applications.

Applications, utility, and business software

The Commodore 64’s slow 1541 disk drive limited its suitability as a business computer, yet it was used for tasks like graphics creation, desktop publishing, and word processing. Info 64, the first magazine produced using desktop publishing tools, was created on and dedicated to the Commodore platform.

Popular graphics software included KoalaPainter, known for its graphics tablet interface, and Doodle!, a widely used drawing program. Desktop publishing tools like The Print Shop and "The Newsroom" enabled users to create signs, banners, and newsletters. Light pens and CAD software were also available.

Multiplan - spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft

Word processors such as PaperClip and Vizawrite were popular, alongside the type-in program SpeedScript, published in Compute!'s Gazette. Spreadsheet programs included Multiplan by Microsoft and Calc Result, while Vizastar offered integrated software features. Office suites like Mini Office II and software from Data Becker were also available.

The GEOS operating system provided a graphical interface akin to the early Apple Macintosh, with office applications and support for peripherals like printers and light pens. It gained popularity for its affordability and capabilities.

Music software included Music Construction Set and MIDI cartridges, with the modern Prophet64 cartridge offering advanced sequencing and synthesis.

Games

Think back for a minute to the first program you ever saw on a Commodore 64. Chances are it was a game, if you've had a 64 for more than a couple of years.

— Compute!'s Gazette, 1986

Ghostbusters by Activision, 1984.

By 1985, games comprised 60–70% of Commodore 64 software, driven by its advanced sound and graphics hardware. Over 23,000 unique game titles were released.

Winter Games: the "Hot Dog" event.

Notable titles included International Soccer, Impossible Mission, and Epyx’s multievent series (Summer Games, Winter Games, World Games, and California Games). Other significant games were Boulder Dash, The Sentinel, and Elite. Budget games from Mastertronic and Codemasters were popular on cassette. In 1993, Mayhem in Monsterland earned a 100% rating from Commodore Format for its graphics and gameplay.

Type-ins, bulletin boards, and disk magazines

Cover of Loadstar #53 (1988)

The Commodore 64 featured a large library of type-in programs published in magazines like Compute!'s Gazette, Ahoy!, and RUN. Disk magazines like Loadstar provided ready-to-run programs. BBSs distributed public domain and freeware software via services like Q-Link and CompuServe.

Software cracking

Software piracy was prevalent, with warez groups like FairLight distributing cracked software via BBSs and sneakernets. Tools like Fast Hack'em bypassed copy protection.

BASIC

The Commodore 64 shipped with BASIC 2.0, limited in accessing advanced features, requiring PEEK and POKE or extensions like Simons' BASIC. Commodore opted for BASIC 2.0 to reduce costs.

Music

The SID chip enabled music software like Kawasaki Synthesizer and Music Construction Set. Modern tools include GoatTracker.

Development tools

Development tools included assemblers like MIKRO and compilers for C and Pascal. Game creation kits like SEUCK and GameMaker were popular.

Modern-day development tools

Current tools include CBM prg Studio, Relaunch64, and assemblers like Kick Assembler and cc65.

Retrocomputing efforts

Preservation efforts involve transferring software to modern media and developing emulators like VICE. The GameBase 64 project catalogs nearly 29,000 titles.

References

  1. ↑ Perry, Tekla S.; Wallich, Paul (March 1985). "Design case history: the Commodore 64" (PDF). IEEE Spectrum. 22 (3): 48–58. doi:10.1109/MSPEC.1985.6370590. S2CID 11900865. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2012. Retrieved 2011-11-12.
  2. ↑ "The Commodore 64: A Cultural Icon". Retrocomputing.net. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  3. ↑ "Info 64: The First Desktop Publishing Magazine". Compute!. January 1985. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  4. ↑ "KoalaPainter Review". Compute!. December 1983. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  5. ↑ "Doodle! for Commodore 64". Lemon64. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  6. ↑ "The Print Shop for Commodore 64". MobyGames. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  7. ↑ "The Newsroom: A Review". RUN. June 1986. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  8. ↑ "Commodore 64 Peripherals". C64-Wiki. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  9. ↑ "PaperClip: A Powerful Word Processor". Compute!'s Gazette. February 1984. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  10. ↑ "Vizawrite for Commodore 64". Lemon64. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  11. ↑ "SpeedScript: A Powerful Word Processor". Compute!'s Gazette. May 1984. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  12. ↑ "Multiplan for Commodore 64". MobyGames. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  13. ↑ "Calc Result for Commodore 64". Lemon64. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  14. ↑ "Vizastar for the Commodore 64". Retrieved 2023-10-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ↑ "Mini Office II for Commodore 64". MobyGames. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  16. ↑ "Data Becker Software". C64-Wiki. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  17. ↑ West, Raeto Collin (1985). Programming the Commodore 64: The Definitive Guide. Compute! Publications. pp. 400–405. ISBN 0-87455-001-7.
  18. ↑ "GEOS: A New Era for the Commodore 64". RUN. December 1986. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  19. ↑ "Music Construction Set for Commodore 64". MobyGames. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  20. ↑ "Prophet64: A Modern Music Tool for the C64". Prophet64.com. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  21. ↑ Yakal, Kathy (June 1986). "The Evolution of Commodore Graphics". Compute!'s Gazette. pp. 34–42. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  22. ↑ Waite, Mitchell; Lafore, Robert; Volpe, Jerry (1985). "The C64 Mode". The Official Book for the Commodore 128 Personal Computer. Howard W. Sams & Co. p. 80. ISBN 0-672-22456-9.
  23. ↑ "Gamebase64 Database". Gamebase64. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  24. ↑ "Top 100 Commodore 64 Games". Zzap!64. December 1989. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  25. ↑ Maher, Jimmy (2012). The Future Was Here: The Commodore Amiga. MIT Press. pp. 45–50. ISBN 978-0262017206.
  26. ↑ "Mastertronic: Budget Games for the Masses". Retro Gamer. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  27. ↑ "Mayhem in Monsterland Review". Commodore Format. No. 38. November 1993. pp. 45–47. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  28. ↑ "Type-In Programs: A Staple of Commodore Magazines". Compute!. July 1984. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  29. ↑ "Loadstar: The Disk Magazine for Commodore Users". LyonLabs. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  30. ↑ Dillon, Roberto (2014). Ready: A Commodore 64 Retrospective. Springer. pp. 120–125. ISBN 978-9812873408.
  31. ↑ Carlsson, Anders (2015). "The Rise and Fall of the Commodore 64". IEEE Annals of the History of Computing. 37 (4): 22–35. doi:10.1109/MAHC.2015.67.
  32. ↑ "Copy Protection and Piracy on the Commodore 64". Compute!. August 1985. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  33. ↑ Zimmermann, Kim (2017). Commodore 64: A Visual Compendium. Bitmap Books. pp. 30–35. ISBN 978-0993012983.
  34. ↑ "Why Commodore Stuck with BASIC 2.0". Ahoy!. March 1986. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  35. ↑ "Kawasaki Synthesizer for Commodore 64". MobyGames. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  36. ↑ "Music Construction Set: A Review". Compute!. November 1983. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  37. ↑ "GoatTracker: A Modern SID Music Editor". SourceForge. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  38. ↑ "Development Tools for the Commodore 64". C64-Wiki. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  39. ↑ "SEUCK: Create Your Own Shoot-'Em-Ups". Zzap!64. May 1988. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  40. ↑ "CBM prg Studio". Ajordison.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  41. ↑ "Relaunch64". Popelganda.de. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  42. ↑ "VICE: The Versatile Commodore Emulator". SourceForge. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  43. ↑ "GameBase 64: Preserving Commodore 64 Games". GB64.com. Retrieved 2023-10-15.