8-bit Computer Games
Created | Updated Jul 26, 2003
When I was about 10, I used to have a C64, Atari 65XE and a Spectrum 128k.
Back in their day, games where written by individuals and focused on gameplay over graphics. One of my favourite games of all time was Chuckie Egg - the Atari 65XE version.
The Atari 65XE, while graphicaly superior to the Spectrum and almost on par with the C64, did not have as much software support, and died out in the late 80's. The last official games for it where made in 1990. It also took much longer to load a cassette on an Atari. It did have a cartridge port, but the games for it where too expensive. Out of the 3 machines, this was my personal favourite.
The Spectrum 128, while not having very good graphics or sound, was the most popular of the 8-bit computers. Almost every game had a picture to look at while the games loaded along with a timer. Graphically it was very limited, but it had the best software support out of all 8-bit computers. All of it's games where mainly played using the keyboard, there was an option to play with the Kempston or Sinclair joysticks, but these where crude and unresponsive. It's very last official game was released in 1993, Streetfighter 2. Strictly a 16 bit game, this should never have been attempted to convert, it had ridicilous long loading times.
The C64, while still popular, was overshadowed by the popularity of the Spectrum. For those who didn't own more than one 8-bit computer, a bitter rivalry existed between them and whoever owned any other machine than their own. Most of the C64's games had joystick support. Spectrum owners prefered using keys, but C64 owners mainly used joyticks.
These computers are very hard to get hold of nowadays. I have these on my PC via emulators, they don't have the same feel to them, but it's as close as it gets to ressurecting their games if you no longer have the machine. Emulators have the advantage of extra options as well as the fact that the games now load straight away, instead of the average 15 minutes loading times while you go and make a cup of tea. Some emulators actually let you load them the old tape way, for retro freaks only.
My personal favourite 8-bit games where (and still are): Chuckie Egg, the Dizzy series, Dizzy Dice, Feud, Pacman, Star Raiders, Robocop, Ghostbusters, Batman, Garfield, IK+, Commando, Star Wars, Creatures, Green Beret, Killer Cycle, Tron, Boulder Dash, Survivors, Skool Dayz, Barbarian, Thrust, New Zealand Story, Sabateur, Bubble Bobble, Trashman, Double Dragon, Target Renegade, Gauntlet, Rastan, Pacland, and many more.
Back in their day, games where written by individuals and focused on gameplay over graphics. One of my favourite games of all time was Chuckie Egg - the Atari 65XE version.
The Atari 65XE, while graphicaly superior to the Spectrum and almost on par with the C64, did not have as much software support, and died out in the late 80's. The last official games for it where made in 1990. It also took much longer to load a cassette on an Atari. It did have a cartridge port, but the games for it where too expensive. Out of the 3 machines, this was my personal favourite.
The Spectrum 128, while not having very good graphics or sound, was the most popular of the 8-bit computers. Almost every game had a picture to look at while the games loaded along with a timer. Graphically it was very limited, but it had the best software support out of all 8-bit computers. All of it's games where mainly played using the keyboard, there was an option to play with the Kempston or Sinclair joysticks, but these where crude and unresponsive. It's very last official game was released in 1993, Streetfighter 2. Strictly a 16 bit game, this should never have been attempted to convert, it had ridicilous long loading times.
The C64, while still popular, was overshadowed by the popularity of the Spectrum. For those who didn't own more than one 8-bit computer, a bitter rivalry existed between them and whoever owned any other machine than their own. Most of the C64's games had joystick support. Spectrum owners prefered using keys, but C64 owners mainly used joyticks.
These computers are very hard to get hold of nowadays. I have these on my PC via emulators, they don't have the same feel to them, but it's as close as it gets to ressurecting their games if you no longer have the machine. Emulators have the advantage of extra options as well as the fact that the games now load straight away, instead of the average 15 minutes loading times while you go and make a cup of tea. Some emulators actually let you load them the old tape way, for retro freaks only.
My personal favourite 8-bit games where (and still are): Chuckie Egg, the Dizzy series, Dizzy Dice, Feud, Pacman, Star Raiders, Robocop, Ghostbusters, Batman, Garfield, IK+, Commando, Star Wars, Creatures, Green Beret, Killer Cycle, Tron, Boulder Dash, Survivors, Skool Dayz, Barbarian, Thrust, New Zealand Story, Sabateur, Bubble Bobble, Trashman, Double Dragon, Target Renegade, Gauntlet, Rastan, Pacland, and many more.
