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Commodore 64 For Today

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  • 12-05-2019 5:28pm
    #1
    Francie Barrett
    Registered Users Posts: 16,393 ✭✭✭✭


    My son recently bought a house and he found a Commodore 64 in the attic left by the previous occupant. I owned one of these years ago, and decided to try and get it going again but haven't the first clue on how to do so. It has a tape drive, and a few tapes, but I really couldn't be bothered with loading times for games. Is there some sort of attachment you can buy to fast load games these days?

    Also, it comes with just the one joystick. What would be the best way of getting a second one?

    Finally, I have a modern TV which seems to lack the input that the Commodore uses. I really don't want another tv and more clutter in the house. Is there an alternative to getting this working on a PC monitor, or modern TV?


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    #2
    Doge
    Registered Users Posts: 8,959 ✭✭✭Doge


    If you don't want to spend that much on an SD card interface then the SD2IEC is a nice option for £42, comes in its own case with various ways of powering it, using the cassette port from your C64 to power it is the cheapest:

    https://www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/commodore/sd2iec-c.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw2v7mBRC1ARIsAAiw34-t1a_0aiATG82ADHH9iEa2YDFUtBRfBq54v84yCYjFgdHIHC3k6xgaAqqqEALw_wcB


    It will support most games that used the original Floppy Disks, which have faster loading times than tapes.

    If you want to go all out then theres the 1541 Ultimate II+ cartridge for €140, but its on back order so you'll be waiting for the next batch.

    This can support Cartridge games for instant loading, compatible with every game that used floppy Disks and even supports tape if you hook it upto the cassette port and is self powered by the cartridge slot.

    I have the older non plus version and its awesome.

    https://ultimate64.com/Main_products


    It can take an SD card and even has a usb port for flash drives.

    It also has an ethernet port if you wanted to connect it to the internet, but thats more of a novelty I suppose.


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    #3
    Francie Barrett
    Registered Users Posts: 16,393 ✭✭✭✭Francie Barrett


    Thanks for all the suggestions lads.

    I got an S Video to SCART cable there, hooked everything up and it's all working great. Have a second controller coming in the post, hopefully it should do the job.

    The SD2IEC set up looks the best thing for me that won't break the bank. I will probably get one of those once I go through the box of tapes that came with this.


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    #4
    Tom Mann Centuria
    Registered Users Posts: 10,932 ✭✭✭✭Tom Mann Centuria


    The loading by tape is half the fun. Often more fun than the games. Time to look at the cover art, read the instructions, look at the loading screen, before the actual game loads and disappointment starts!

    Oh well, give me an easy life and a peaceful death.



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    #5
    Stoner
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 10,952 Mod ✭✭✭✭Stoner


    Tom Mann Centuria wrote:
    The loading by tape is half the fun. Often more fun than the games. Time to look at the cover art, read the instructions, look at the loading screen, before the actual game loads and disappointment starts!


    Tapes are no fun.

    I remember using my Spectrum and going over to see my friends new computer. He setup the IK+ disk in his Atari ST, I was crushed.

    I've worn a towel around my waste in the changing room every since.


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    #6
    CiDeRmAn
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 34,536 CMod ✭✭✭✭CiDeRmAn


    Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »
    The loading by tape is half the fun. Often more fun than the games. Time to look at the cover art, read the instructions, look at the loading screen, before the actual game loads and disappointment starts!

    Obviously the non-fun of tape head level adjustments and failed loads are unknown to you.
    Also, fancy manuals and cover art are all well and good, but most of my games collection were on c60s and c90s!


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    #7
    wingnut
    Registered Users Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭wingnut


    if you don't want the hasstle of the experience loading tapes just use an emulator on the pc.


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    #8
    Tom Mann Centuria
    Registered Users Posts: 10,932 ✭✭✭✭Tom Mann Centuria


    Stoner wrote: »
    Tapes are no fun.

    I remember using my Spectrum and going over to see my friends new computer. He setup the IK+ disk in his Atari ST, I was crushed.

    I've worn a towel around my waste in the changing room every since.

    Tapes are still fun to me, still buying them, still sitting there waiting for them to load, or not.
    CiDeRmAn wrote: »
    Obviously the non-fun of tape head level adjustments and failed loads are unknown to you.
    Also, fancy manuals and cover art are all well and good, but most of my games collection were on c60s and c90s!

    Handy thing about spectrums were they weren't proprietary tape connections, unlike Commodore, so if one didn't work, you tried another, and another, they were much less finicky volume level wise than the zx81 so I always found it fairly easy to find the right level (in comparison). As well as tapes I still load semi old fashioned way, with a tzxduino, so you get the wait, the sight and sound but with far fewer tape loading errors. With regards to your piracy, tsk tsk.

    Oh well, give me an easy life and a peaceful death.



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    #9
    OldMrBrennan83
    Closed Accounts Posts: 26,658 ✭✭✭✭OldMrBrennan83


    Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »
    Tapes are still fun to me, still buying them, still sitting there waiting for them to load, or not.



    Handy thingy about spectrums were they weren't proprietary tape connections, unlike Commodore, so if one didn't work, you tried another, and another, they were much less finicky volume level wise than the zx81 so I always found it fairly easy to find the right level (in comparison). I still load semi old fashioned way, with a tzxduino, so you get the wait, the sight and sound but with far fewer tape loading errors. With regards to your piracy, tsk tsk.

    "Or not" being the operative. Three different copies of Nobby the Aardvark I had and all would crash near the end of leading. Still never played that game.

    The cartridges were the business but I think there were only about 4 cartridge games back then I was using one.


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    #10
    squawker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 501 ✭✭✭squawker


    Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »
    The loading by tape is half the fun. Often more fun than the games. Time to look at the cover art, read the instructions, look at the loading screen, before the actual game loads and disappointment starts!


    was thinking the same thing as I read the original post :D

    I loved when you got all the gear with a new game, hours pouring over every detail

    Guild Of Thieves on Amiga is one I remember off the top of my head


    *edit* found an unboxing video :)



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