Before you can run any Commodore 64 programs on a PC or Mac, you will need two important things:

1. Program files - images of disks or tapes in formats such as .D64 found around the web at sites like C64.com

2. An Emulator - such as VICE to simulate running a C64 in a window (or full screen, if you like) on your PC or Mac

If you want to keep it simple, that is ALL you need, and you can stop reading here until my next tutorial on the VICE emulator.

But a sure way of getting a huge database of games and everything you need to emulate a C64 is to download a compilation such as a torrent for GameBase64 Collection v05.  You don't need this -- you could just as well individually download programs from the "latif" links at the GameBase64 website - a site dedicated to the collection of old C64 games that is a work in progress, and download VICE for the VICE website to run them.  But there are thousands of games, and the GameBase front end database makes choosing the games that are right for you simple and fun, after jumping through a couple of setup hoops (see below), that is.

If you've never downloaded a Torrent then that may be a bit much for you to swallow right now (so just grab VICE and go to one of the sites above to get program files), but if you have, it is well worth it to Google "GB64 v05 Torrent" and download it.

It should take you about 20 minutes to get everything in the right locations and set up correctly once you've downloaded your torrent.  Have patience, it's worth it!

The collection v05 has 2 discs - 1 CD and 1 DVD.  You will need both to enjoy the ease of the GameBase tool with all of its screenshots and simple execution of game programs arranged nicely in a large database.

After running the autorun program on CD1, an important document will be displayed - read it closely.  When you get to installing GB64v05.exe, follow the instructions below (from one of those install screens you might normally just click "next" on) to the letter, or you'll be left with a tool that is empty, useless and frustrating to get working:

Installation Instructions for 'The GameBase64 Collection v05'
=============================================================

1) If you haven't already done so, download and install the latest version of the GameBase frontend (from http://www.bu22.com/).

2) In the next setup screen, choose your GameBase folder from the Browse dialog.  GB64 v05 will then be installed in a subfolder called GBC_v05.

3) Once installed, *** BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING *** please backup the database file "\GameBase\GBC_v05\GBC_v05.mdb" somewhere safe.  This backup may be needed when we release future updates to the GB64 Collection.  IF YOU DO NOT KEEP THIS BACKED-UP DATABASE, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT ANY FUTURE GB64 DATABASE UPDATES YOU RUN WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.

4) If you have downloaded the GB64 screenshots, sids, extras etc., GameBase will run more efficiently if these are placed on your hard-disk rather than on a CD or DVD.  Note:  This database is set to work with the HVSC update #47, available from http://hvsc.c64.org/.

5) Download and install any C64 emulators that you wish to use with your games.

6) Once you have run GameBase and have The GB64 Collection database loaded, you will need to do the following before you can use the database: -

 - Setup your emulators (if you didn't already do it as GameBase loaded)

 - Setup your options (Tools-->Options)

 - Setup your paths (Tools-->Paths)
 
 - Tell GameBase which files you have (Tools-->Verify Available Files).  Please note, you do not need to perform CRC checks for any games you have installed.  This will just slow down the verification procedure.


Set your paths -- for example set your screenshot path wherever you copied your "screenshots" folder on your hard drive:



Once you've done that you'll see the screenshots for THOUSANDS of games...and your GameBase program will look something like this:




Now in the GEMUS menu, go to Manage Emulators and choose x64.exe from the folder you installed VICE into (I try to keep all of my folders together, so note my folder is in the GBC_V05 folder):
 


Follow these steps from the Help button:

1. Click the New Emulator button (the first button in the toolbar).

2. Enter a name for your emulator, select it's executable file, tick the Use short (8.3) filenames checkbox, un-tick the filetypes box and enter the filetypes of the games your emulator supports (e.g. T64;D64;PRG;CRT), and accept the default GEMUS script* by clicking OK. Give your script a filename when prompted and click Save. Now click OK until you are back to the main GameBase window.

3. Go into Options (from the Tools menu in the main GameBase window) and add the path where your games/roms are stored. (Note: GameBase doesn't support rom directories (i.e. single games having their own rom directories) so you'll have to zip your roms if you want GameBase to support them).

4. Press CTRL+INS to add a game, pick one of your Game Files/Roms, then click ok. Give the game a name and any other details until it appears added in the game list.

5. Select the game and click the Play Game button!

Yes, you read that right - you have to add a game (per step 4) before it gets put into your database with a little joystick icon beside it and becomes playable directly from the database.  Once you've done that -- let the fun begin!

That's it for today's tutorial -- next up I'll explain some of the ins and outs of VICE, and using a joypad with it.