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Commodore 64 software

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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

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The Commodore 64’s slow 1541 disk drive limited its suitability as a business computer,[1] yet it was used for tasks like graphics creation, desktop publishing, and word processing.[2] Info 64, the first magazine produced using desktop publishing tools, was created on and dedicated to the Commodore platform.[3]

Popular graphics software included KoalaPainter, known for its graphics tablet interface,[4] and Doodle!, a widely used drawing program.[5] Desktop publishing tools like The Print Shop and "The Newsroom" enabled users to create signs, banners, and newsletters.[6][7] Light pens and CAD software were also available.[8]

Multiplan - spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft

Word processors such as PaperClip and Vizawrite were popular,[9][10] alongside the type-in program SpeedScript, published in Compute!'s Gazette.[11] Spreadsheet programs included Multiplan by Microsoft[12] and Calc Result,[13] while Vizastar offered integrated software features.[14] Office suites like Mini Office II and software from Data Becker were also available.[15][16]

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.[17] It gained popularity for its affordability and capabilities.[18]

Music software included Music Construction Set and MIDI cartridges,[19] with the modern Prophet64 cartridge offering advanced sequencing and synthesis.[20]

Games

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Main article: List of Commodore 64 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[21]
Ghostbusters by Activision, 1984.

By 1985, games comprised 60–70% of Commodore 64 software,[22] driven by its advanced sound and graphics hardware. Over 23,000 unique game titles were released.[23]

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).[24] Other significant games were Boulder Dash, The Sentinel, and Elite.[25] Budget games from Mastertronic and Codemasters were popular on cassette.[26] In 1993, Mayhem in Monsterland earned a 100% rating from Commodore Format for its graphics and gameplay.[27]

Type-ins, bulletin boards, and disk magazines

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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.[28] Disk magazines like Loadstar provided ready-to-run programs.[29] BBSs distributed public domain and freeware software via services like Q-Link and CompuServe.[30]

Software cracking

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Software piracy was prevalent, with warez groups like Fairlight distributing cracked software via BBSs and sneakernets.[31] Tools like Fast Hack'em bypassed copy protection.[32]

BASIC

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Main article: Commodore BASIC

The Commodore 64 shipped with BASIC 2.0, limited in accessing advanced features, requiring PEEK and POKE or extensions like Simons' BASIC.[33] Commodore opted for BASIC 2.0 to reduce costs.[34]

Music

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Main article: Commodore 64 music

The SID chip enabled music software like Kawasaki Synthesizer and Music Construction Set.[35][36] Modern tools include GoatTracker.[37]

Development tools

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Development tools included assemblers like MIKRO and compilers for C and Pascal.[38] Game creation kits like SEUCK and GameMaker were popular.[39]

Modern-day development tools

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Current tools include CBM prg Studio, Relaunch64, and assemblers like Kick Assembler and cc65.[40][41]

Retrocomputing efforts

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Preservation efforts involve transferring software to modern media and developing emulators like VICE.[42] The GameBase 64 project catalogs nearly 29,000 titles.[43]

References

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  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". Archived from the original on 2013-04-21. Retrieved 2023-10-15.
  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.
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