The Commodore 16 was my first computer... I will never forget the "out of memory error" and my futile attempts to optimize my programs, which leaded to selling it, and buy a 64C. Nostalgia hurts!
@@OldAussieAds Switching to C64 definitely solved the problem with BASIC programs. The programs there consisted mainly of the DATA, READ and POKE commands.
This video takes me back. I loved playing XZAP on the C16. Not sure if that was an exclusive. This was also the first computer that i wrote my first game on. It was just naughts and crosses, but i was only 11 at the time and was really chuffed with myself.
I got my C16 from a friend after I blew up my ZX Spectrum by pulling out the interface one too many times. Mastertronic owned this system. Big Mac. Squirm. Powerball. All amazing games. As for the music on Tutti Frutti. Disagree with you on this one. It's a beautiful tune that's stayed with me throughout my childhood and adulthood.
I need to get games for my Plus 4. I only recently got it and it was in exceptional functional and cosmetic condition. Fun little computer. Imagine what could have been if they put sprites in TED, and even if the voices weren't quite as good, if it had a couple more to more closely match the SID capabilities. They were so close to godlike gaming machines at the time, the tech to do it existed, but Commodore just didn't put things together the way they should have.
I don't why, but the graphics of Tube Runner and Auto Zone amazed me in some way. Last week I've found a CIB C16 at a flea market for just 20€! I gave it to my cousin, which is a serious collector of Commodore stuff, as a late Christmas present! It worked and..the C16 works (the most important thing)!
O' Riley's Mine was one of the best C64 games in 1983, so we're already off to a great start. The box art of Prospector Pete seems to be drawn by the same guy who made the box art for Feud. It's a very distinctive style.
My 1st home computer and I'd only played Petals Of Doom and Tutti Frutti from this list. Time to check out the rest of these titles. Thanks for the memories :)
Loved my commodore 16 plus 4 back in the day, thanks for the memories remember a great game called magician's curse and kirkstart was pretty fun, I remember Tower of evil was the first game I ever completed. Just the fact it came with ten games was amazing, enjoyed fire ant and treasure island that came with it.
Clocked at a much higher speed than c64. Faster floppy drive too. Built in dissembler. you could access with reset button(and hack games if you like). So it’s not all bad.
"Extremely limited 16k of RAM". VIC-20 has entered the chat! BTW, the first computer I went online with was a VIC-20 and a 300 baud modem. I was the only person on the local BBS's with one and was surrounded by C-64 and Atari 800 owners. Reason: I paid $10 for it and was broke at the time.
@@TheLairdsLair In the USA, though, where the VIC-20 was designed, the 1977 Apple ][ was rapidly standardizing on 48K, and the 1979 Atari 800 was headed that way. The VIC-20's low RAM design is a result of happenstance - there was a transient supply issue that caused RAM prices to spike. Rather than wait and hope for RAM prices to fall again, Jack demanded a cheap computer to get out there ASAP. He was obsessed with the incoming flood of cheap Japanese home computers (which never actually arrived). HOWEVER, the thing about ~1980 is that all of the popular computers had expandable RAM. The Apple ][ ... the Atari 8-bits ... the TRS-80 ... at the time, they all had low base RAM configurations, with expansion RAM being common and expected. So, designing the VIC-20 to have low base RAM and RAM cartridge expansion seemed to make sense enough.
Look at this: * Blaze * Cuthbert Enters the Tombs of Doom (Catacomb) * Fire Ant * Kikstart * Major Blink * Skramble * Timesleep * Tutti Frutti * Xargon Wars
I loved my C16 but I had to play it on a black and white tv and some games like Harvey Wallbanger were impossible to play in black and white. This is the first time I've seen Tutti Fruiti in colour.
Keep in mind cartridge games aren't really limited by the computers memory. I picked one up back when they were being sold for almost nothing to clean inventory.
There is still some modern games coming to he platform occasionaly. Alpharay or Pets rescue blew my mind on whats possible on the C16 (but require 64k Expansion or a plus4)
Dorks dilemma was one of the games I played on the c16, was pretty much a puzzle maze type game, but was kind of addictive, I think there was a space panic type game too but that wasn't a exclusive more of a knock-off.
7:16 Megabolt looks really interesting to me. It could use a fan port to C64 to gain more attention. It has a feeling similar to some classic VIC-20 games, but I think those were all single screen.
I have a Plus 4 which is... Commodore should have spent the money from TED, and instead reduced the chip count on the C64, like integrating SID and VIC 2 Chips and more. This alone would have allowed Commodore to quickly reduce the production cost of the C64, and allowed them to just focus on that instead of a handful of 8 bit machines.
That wouldn't have changed much, considering the C64 utterly destroyed the low end competition anyway. What Commodore really needed was a higher end upgrade to the C64, and the Plus/4 didn't come anywhere near to making the grade. As things shook out, Commodore would oust Jack, and then swipe Amiga out from under Atari Jack. This gave them the higher end "upgrade", but it wasn't so much an "upgrade" and more of an awkward step-uncle. We'd never find out what Commodore might have done with a serious C64 upgrade. The C128 would be an uncomfortable stop-gap that would be not TOO powerful, in order to avoid competing with Amiga. But if Commodore hadn't acquired Amiga, they might have been forced to go all in on an advanced C128 or maybe C192. After pondering the many possible strategies, I imagine the best thing Commodore might have done is a Commodore 192 which does NOT attempt to replicate C64 functionality with a new chipset (like the C128). Instead, it simply slaps an existing C64 chipset on the mainboard, while also adding a fast secondary system. The secondary system has an off-the-shelf 4MHz WDC 65C816 and a very simple 4MHz video chip to provide next generation graphics frame buffer, and 128K of RAM. The point is ... the historical C128 had a bunch of development problems with maintaining compatibility and integration with the troublesome third party video chip. It was a nightmare. The TED also had troublesome development due to its complexity and trying to do so many things with a single chip. My imagined strategy avoids all those problems by simply keeping the C64 half as-is, and keeping the secondary system simple.
I always wondered what commodore were smoking when they released the C=16 and Plus 4. Now I know better (The Boss wanted something to compete with the Japanese and Sinclair Spectrum end of the market) but think doubling down on the C-64 chipset would have made more sense., Now if it had been more peripheral compatible with what commodore had already released then only available as a single 32k or 64k version without the silly "unproductivity" software built in would have made a bit more sense, not much more, but a bit more.
Whoa...what is a Commodore 16? I know about the PET, the Vic 20, C64, C64 consoles, C128, Amiga, and Amiga 32. I thought that was basically the entire line (basically) that Commodore had before going under. So, I'm guessing based on Commodore's naming practices, it was after the PET but before the Vic 20. Am I close? Edit* Nope, I was wrong. It was a replacement for the Vic 20. That doesn't make any sense at all. Why would they go backwards with RAM...the Vic 20 had more RAM right? Then they give the C16 more colors than the C64? Again, they go backwards. Call me perplexed.
While some of these games seem somewhat fun to play, what I'll remember most from this review is annoying sounds! "Get to the next game already!" I thought over and over again! I'm sure my mom is glad I didn't have that machine back in the day!
And for good reason: none of the Berks Trilogy were exclusive to the C16, and nor was Timeslip. Berks was released on the Spectrum, Major Blink was on the C64 and Atari 8-bit, and Berks 3 on the CPC. Timeslip was on the Atari 8-bit.
@@TheLairdsLair I thought you said you did extensive cross referencing, and I believe I told you about "Oblido" and "G-Man" (if not "Zodiac") before. "Oblido" is such a cool game, that it should be ported to other computers.
I had never made a C16 video before this one, so I'm not sure where you would have told me about these games, they certainly didn't come up when I was looking. I will consider them for the follow-up video I am planning to do at some point. Also G-Man isn't an exclusive, there are Commodore 64 and Spectrum versions too.
Tbh id take this over the 64 anyday. The 64 has the most dull, boring and mured colours Amstrad cpc 464 for me though is the best of both worlds...great games and best colours
Something seriously wrong with your version of Auto Zone, it should not be making that nasty electric buzz sound. If it's not the game or file, it's the hardware or emulator. Yape is regarded as the best C16/Plus4 emulator.
@@TheLairdsLair VICE does that on some games and there’re a couple more it won’t run playably or at all (esp. the “high-end” Alpha Ray, Pets Rescue, Majesty of Sprites). Xcellor8 shouldn’t have suich jerky vertical scrolling either. I second the Yape recommendation…
Jack Attack is a great exclusive C16 game that is missing from your video. Some of the games on your list are not what I would classify as amazing. Megabolts and Auto Zone seem to both be total crap.
I remember back in the 80's seeing the C16 and C64 being sold in the post office, and I really wanted the C16 more because the keyboard and housing looked soooo much nicer than the C64. Yeah, I based my choice on aesthetics! But I ended up getting a Speccy!
