Wish that you could buy a Commodore 64 game, fresh from the presses, tear open the shrinkwrap and slide a brand new floppy into your 1541 drive?  Well you can, and without a time machine!

This time on the C64 Walkabout Podcast I'm covering a new C64 game from Psytronik software along with Kenz of the One Man and His Mic  computer game music podcast!  Kenz also runs the Binary Zone Interactive Retro Store , and was kind enough to add his mellow voice to this episode in the form of a little Q&A. 

The game this time up is Knight 'n' Grail, a 2009 release that I highly recommend to C64 retro gaming fans, new and old alike!

Press play to enjoy the podcast straight from your browser, or use the download link!

Played: 227 | Download | Duration: 00:25:16

        

When someone wants to download an old software title from the 80's, the first impulse might be to go with a program that they assume will be the most compatible with the hardware they are currently running.  For PC users running a Microsoft OS, this would mean downloading an old MS-DOS game and running it in a popular emulation program called DOSBox .  A site like Abandonia can provide the game files, and the program itself, while no longer compatible with Microsoft's modern operating systems, can be enjoyed via emulation.

There are quite a few examples, however, of how running the Commodore 64 version simply makes more sense.  Why not go with the "PC" version when you're running a game on PC, you ask?

Well, besides the fact that you are running an "emulator" via DOSBox anyway, first and foremost the IBM PC, at launch, was a computer for serious business or other productivity use.  The first examples were all-in-one systems that could cost up to $20,000, a huge leap up from the offerings from Commodore and Apple for the home PC market.  The PC was not designed for running games or playing music out of the box.  At least not to the degree that a Commodore 64 or a Coleco Adam was. 

The colors of the PC back in the early 80's were poor, resulting in the nickname I like "IBM Purple Cyan", where three main colors: purple, cyan and white, dominated the typical PC game screen in CGA graphics mode.  Sound was generally a very poor "PC speaker" sound of harsh bleeps and bloops.  This criticism applies to early MS-DOS games, and expansion cards such as sound cards and later graphics modes eventually dealt with these shortcomings.  But for much of the 1980's it was common to see PC games played in CGA graphics mode and with no decent sound.  It wasn't until the early 1990's that PC gaming really started to shine.

The Commodore 64, on the other hand, had many more colors available and a sophisticated sound chip for its time.  This, along with the low price of the computer itself made the C64 a much better choice for gaming back then, and also makes it the better choice when going back to enjoy an old title from the 80's. 

One more reason the C64 shines for emulation of old games today is the ease of emulation.  DOSBox games can require frustrating settings and manipulation of a DOSBox.conf file, putting off casual gamers.  C64 games generally run straightaway in VICE in Windows with little more than the "Autoattach and Load" command - or even easier if you associate all .D64 and .T64 files with VICE - just click and go!

There are other systems, such Commodore's own Amiga, that might offer a better graphical or sound experience for a given game, but the ease of loading and running C64 programs is still hard to beat.  An example I've run across of a good comparison to the C64 are the 8-bit Atari systems.  They are worth checking out.  Namely the Atari 400/800, and versions of games such as Hellfire Warrior, a Dunjonquest game and sequel to Temple of Apshai that was never released for the C64.  The Atari 8-bit computers also have easy-to-run emulation available.  Atari 800 Win Plus is a great emulator, though initially you may encounter the pain of having to search out proper BIOS ROMs before you can run the emulator, something that you don't have to deal with on VICE for Windows.

The Ultima series is a great example of how C64 emulation is superior to the MS-DOS/DOSBox experience, at least for the first five  games in the series.  You get more colors than the PC's Purple-White-Cyan, and great music for Ultima III and Ultima IV.  For Ultima V, start up VICE in Commodore 128 mode and you'll even get music for that game. 

Here is an example from 1986 of the same game (Epyx's "Rad Warrior", AKA Sacred Armor of Antiriad) on the the IBM Purple Cyan side-by-side with the Commodore 64 version.  It's hardly the best example of graphics on either computer, but a good comparison of the CGA graphics on the IBM vs. the C64's colors.  Keep in mind that the C64 version has some great music, too!

 

There are still many reasons why someone might choose to play an old 1980's MS-DOS game in DOSBox.  Mainly, you'd want to do so for examples of games designed only for the IBM PC.  Or for a late 1980's title where better options for sound and video were available.  But as the screenshots above prove, you'd have to really like purple, white and cyan, enjoy messing with configuration files for DOSBox,  and dislike the sound of the Commodore's SID music chip to want to subject yourself to the IBM PC versions of many games that were available on both platforms.

        

As the years pass by I guess it is inevitable that people become less knowledgeable about how to properly store and maintain vintage computer hardware and software.  Don't assume that people selling Commodore 64 items on auction sites are any more educated than someone who sells Beanie Babies.  I recently was sent a very old floppy disk in a plain manilla envelopethat was irrevocably bent when it was shoved into my mailbox.  The written warnings on the envelope, to the seller's credit, did say "do not bend".  But let's be real - a post office worker sees a mailer like that and it's ripe for folding.  The seller and I worked it out, but that floppy was never going to work again. 

I've also noticed a disturbing number of floppy disk auctions at eBay that have the floppy out of the sleeve and on display.  The worst ones even have the unprotected disks lying out on carpeting!  I'm sure that there are some well meaning and informed auctioneers out there who just want to show that the bottom half of the disk is still intact, but it's more likely that most of these folks just don't get that the disks need to be protected, and that the open portion of a 5 1/4 inch floppy is not something to be touched casually.  And in cases where the sleeve was lost and the item was put up on eBay by someone who doesn't even know they have sleeves?  Well, I would not trust the condition of such a disk, either.

In short, I won't buy a Commodore 64 disk from an auctioneer who has it out of its sleeve, even if well-intended.  Then again, I'm usually searching for documentation or boxes anyway, but if I were to find a rare disk with an image not already up at GB64.com I'd be very wary about the Frisbee/drink coaster treatment such open disks might have encountered.  If the sleeves warned about improper handling back in 1984, imagine what decades of mishandling can do.  I've experienced my share of bad floppies recently, and have no desire to throw money at bad media.

        

It's back to the '80's  - or rather, back to the original style of the first C64 Walkabout podcast, where I open the door and introduce you to a fantastic Commodore 64 title, then let you, the retro computing fan that you are, continue your journey.  This time the spotlight is on a classic C64 title.  You can read more and find the download link here: Realm of Impossibility . 

Click to download for your listening pleasure later on your MP3 player.  If you subscribe to the C64 Walkabout via iTunes and enjoy the podcast, please leave a nice  review over at iTunes  and spread the word to fellow retro gamersI

Next episode I'll dig into a new release from Binary Zone Interactive, Knight 'n' Grail.

Update: A problem with the play link has come to my attention - if the play button takes you to the iTunes site then please use the "DOWNLOAD" link instead, as it apparently works fine. 

Played: 232 | Download | Duration: 00:21:01

        

Within the next couple of days I'm going to release a new format of my podcast.  The episodes will be shorter, the content focused on "game walkabouts", and the sound will be turned way up!  That is, the sound of my VOICE.  Plenty of comments on my podcasts over the past year or so have revolved around my sleep-inducing "whisper" podcasts.  Expect a big change!

The new format will be semi-regular, with an attempt on my part to make them weekly.

Additionally, since I am the only regular Commodore 64 podcaster I know of who focuses primarily on old games and a spoken word podcast, I'm going to let the music remix guys do their thing, and focus instead on the original intent of the 'Walkabout, which has always been on introducing old C64 games.

Lastly, I will be going back and deleting several of the older podcasts, so if you want to download and save them, here's your chance: Archived Podcasts

I hope you enjoy the new format!

        

One of my favorite C64 programs was a hybrid of a game construction kit and store-bought RPG that I've discussed here before, Stuart Smith's Adventure Construction Set by Electronic Arts.  You can read more about the program and a modern remake HERE .

ACS included several mini-adventures in a single "Land of Adventuria" pre-constructed adventure, but it also had a full-length RPG/Adventure game titled "Rivers of Light". 

I had so much fun creating games for ACS way back when that I only ever got around to completing some of the mini-adventures in Adventuria, and only briefly played Rivers of Light.  RoL probably didn't appeal to me as much as a 14-year-old as it does today since the content is more historical than it is fantastic.

Here is a snippet describing the game that I scanned in from the manual:

Rivers of Light

This new Stuart Smith epic is set in ancient Egypt and the Near East at the dawn of human civilization. The goal is the essence of Osiris, god of the dead and giver of eternal life. Your quest begins in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the cradle of civilization. Your first problem is that the world map is full of uncrossable rivers-uncrossable, that is, for those who don't know how to swim. The old woman and the hunter can help.  If you locate the Tigris and Euphrates rivers on a map in a good atlas, you'll know where to look for Egypt on the world map of "Rivers of Light". The adventure is historically accurate in many other details as well.

A few words of friendly encouragement and advice. "Rivers of Light" is a classic adventure filled with challenging puzzles. There's a powerful weapon, for instance, in Assur, available to all who can find it. And there's a substance with great healing power in the Ancient Valley where the old woman and the hunter live.  Poke around as you adventure. Look for messages, for hidden doors and treasures, for things which reveal themselves only after you've crossed a particular space while carrying a particular item.

The intro is a bit bare, but one of the great features of the game is in the ability to add full screen text descriptions of locations, conversations with NPC 's and introductions where needed, and RoL took advantage of every opportunity, more than making up for the lack of direction given in the manual.

As a traditional Western RPG type of Adventure game, where you go and what you decide to do is more or less open ended.  That said, you'll find some obstacles that need be overcome to allow progression into other parts of the map.  While you can see a few places on the main map once you load RoL, you have no skill at swimming and need to obtain that ability first.  Head to the mountain pass or cave-looking spot to your northeast in the mountainous area.  The cave/entrance is easy to miss unless you're looking for it, and you'll see a few of these in other parts of the game, so watch for them.  In fact, there's another cave/hole immediately inside the Ancient Valley.

There are stores to purchase items, quests to complete, and items to collect, so be sure to thoroughly scour the Ancient Valley.  When you need to give an item to an NPC, just use the "Drop" command and drop it onto the person you're interacting with.  A hint:  you'll need to drop a statue onto the hunter who teaches you how to swim, and getting it made will require interacting with another NPC in the area.

Gameplay is straightforward and joystick-driven.  The green bar on the left is an indicator of how far you can move before other creatures have an opportunity to move (or appear on screen).  While it makes sense from a game mechanics standpoint given that monsters might be moving from off-screen into the area you are in, the pause between moves can be a little sluggish and annoying.  Press the fire button and check out some of the options available to you.  Make sure you keep track of what's in your inventory and what you have equipped.  I recommend both saving in-game and taking a snapshot in your emulator for ease of loading. 

Speaking of sluggish and emulators, please take advantage of the Warp Mode function in the VICE emulator to beat load times between sections of the game if they begin to annoy you.  Don't forget that ACS games are not 100% turn-based, and your move time will eventually dwindle down to allow the monsters a chance to move if you do not. 

Now, on to actually obtaining and playing the game.  You can download ACS and the game Disk image HERE (at the "Latif" link).  The game disk for Rivers of Light has already been created, so when asked to "insert" that disk, just "attach" the disk image ADVCSET2 that has "Rivers of Light" in the disk directory.  The original game came with a single floppy disk and required that you create game disks with frequent disk swapping, so this is a nice convenience.

If you are unfamiliar with how to run Commodore 64 emulation on a PC, check out my tutorial here: Step by Step - How to Play Commodore 64 Games on a PC

Here are some sample screens from gameplay:







Happy adventuring!  If you get to writing your own ACS game, send me a link to the file (or the file itself) and a description of the game and I'll be happy to feature it here at the C64 Walkabout.

        

Back in 1984 Spinnaker released a now obscure program called simply "Aerobics".  Spinnaker primarily made educational programs and games for young children such as "Kidwriter" and "Fraction Fever", and was not a software publisher that I was particularly interested in at the age that I owned a Commodore 64.  They made the sort of titles that a parent might buy for a child with the ad tag-line "Now Developing a Child's Mind Can be Fun For the Entire Family".

Aerobics was one of the few Spinnaker programs that was less directed toward young children and pre-teens and could be easily enjoyed by adults as well.  It had some pretty jazzy music for 1984 -- click HERE to bring up a small player window where you can hear the songs (there are 9 tracks).

So why was "Aerobics" forgotten where the Wii Fit is reportedly the 3rd best-selling "game" of all time?  Well, console games have always enjoyed a wider target audience, for one.  The C64 had its share of interactive accessories like music keyboards, writing tablets and even robots, so a feedback device like the Wii platform would not have been impossible if Spinnaker had wanted to design one.  The biggest problem was probably that the program was not very practical for the user base.  Despite the C64 frequently being set up with a regular TV, I never knew anyone who had a Commodore sitting by the family room television.  The keyboard on a C64 generally lent itself better to a desk, connected to a small, 13-inch television.  Now imagine following moves in the image below while standing in front of your desktop.  Awkward?  I think so.



An idea far ahead of its time, and made perhaps for the wrong computer platform, Spinnaker's Aerobics is still fun to check out.  And maybe you'll even burn a few calories.

You can find the file HERE at the "Latif" link.

Go here for a tutorial on Commodore 64 emulation on your PC: Step by Step - How to Play Commodore 64 Games on a PC

        

While living and going to college in Japan in the 90's I took piano classes from a Japanese girl about my age.  One day about a month or so after I started taking classes, while playing around with my Sound Blaster audio card on my PC, I ran across some bundled software that allowed me to make sheet music of any MIDI song.  Being a fan of Commodore 64 and Ultima game music I had collected some MIDI files from different Ultima games.  It seemed to me that Ultima III: Exodus' iconic Wander theme would be perfect for playing on a piano, but my playing skills were not (and to this day are not) advanced enough to tackle it, so I brought printed sheet music from the Ultima III game to the session with my tutor. 

I didn't want to reveal myself as a total nerd, so I didn't tell her what it was, just a "song that I liked".  So I got to experience watching a serious musician, her hair fanned out over her shoulders, arms poised and fingers energetically hammering the ivories, play a very good rendition of Ultima III's wander tune.  She liked it so much that she insisted that I tell herwhat it was.

When I told her (while cringing inwardly at an expected negative response) she laughed and revealed that she enjoyed games as well and then proceeded to play a game tune from memory for me that I didn't recognize from some Japanese RPG like Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest.  It was a shared moment of geeky-ness that I recall fondly to this day.

I have the music here for you to give a listen to so you can imagine how, especially when the extra "voices" kick in, it would sound quite nice on a piano!

Here's a good MP3 of the original SID chip tune: Ultima III Wander MP3   (Use the "Click here to start download.." link on the right for these MediaFire hosted files.)

And here's the MIDI file : Ultima III Wander MIDI

If you're interested in a MIDI to Sheet Music converter, there are several around the web for download.

If you want more Commodore 64 files in MIDI format, check this out:  SID 2 MIDI - And a little present for the holidays

        

Muffy St. Bernard, blogger and musician, also has programming skills and has given details on how to hack the Dunjonquest games by Epyx.  If you are interested in tweaking and learning things about an old BASIC program I suggest that you check it out, it's quite neat! - Hack Your Dunjonquest

Interested in playing the games?  As far as I know there are no maps out there in the typical FAQ type places online for Temple of Apshai and Hellfire Warrior series games, but Muffy has some great Apshai-related maps here, complete with secret doors and all, and is working on Hellfire Warrior as well:

Dunjonquest: Temple of Apshai

Dunjonquest: The Upper Reaches of Apshai

Dunjonquest: The Curse of Ra

The actual game files for these can be found in the "Trilogy" here: Temple of Apshai Trilogy

The room descriptions for all 3 Apshai titles and instructions can be found in a text file here: Temple of Apshai Trilogy Docs

Other manuals for most of the Dunjonquest titles, including Hellfire Warrior scans from my own personal collection:

Dunjonquest Manuals and Docs

If you are new to C64 emulation or want some tips, check out my easy to follow tutorials:  Commodore 64 Emulation in PC Windows Wrap-Up

        

Do you remember the tales of Brian Hammerhand from the Dunjonquest games?  Did you pore over the Book of Lore that came with each Ultima game before diving in to the game itself?  Did the background stories for Science Fiction or other genres that accompanied the software in game boxes keep you entertained while away from your Commodore 64?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then OldGameFiction .com will likely appeal to you with scans of those old stories from games like Questron, Exile, Rescue at Rigel and more.  By hovering over the right hand side of the first scan in each series you can easily flip through the "pages" of the manual scans.  If you're tempted to get into the old games again, links for each provide more info on the games themselves.  At the very least you can enjoy some nice retro fiction from the days when computer games relied on the extra flavor they could bring.

Check out OldGameFiction.com HERE