Aztec Challenge on a Commodore 64

[@beckys2606]

I remember feeling this same frustration as a kid. This was great. :) Thank you so much.

[@muuuuuud]

The grandfather of "Get over it" :D

[@cenkhanevcil1974]

I'm 46 years old, I NEVER FORGET THIS GAME AND MUSIC, Now I have Xbox one x 😊

[@MrCageman]

Your reaction to dying in the game are truly hilarious. You can hear the combination of frustration and fun at the same time :)

[@Polaventris]

MrCageman You just can't help the yelps :P

[@iuwdbwudbvhwduivhbwduivbii431]

That's because he is Mr Bean !!! 😂

[@moxxiloquita2048]

Omg I LOVED this game back then...And the music from it still is stuck in my head more then 30+ years !!!

[@adroharv9213]

A work of of bloody genius by a guy that new exactly the best technique for creating atmosphere and tension. In a class of it's own and so good that it belongs in a museum. Goes to show that in the right hands, less is definitely more. Where is Paul Norman these days. one of the most if not most exceptional pieces for the C64. This and Forbidden Forest 1 in fact with both of them being also very advanced in terms of a film like quality to them. Paul Norman took what were the tools available and worked with them and in a day where tools are much more advanced, he showed that's not necessarily a good thing. His software deserves place in a museum

[@FinnGamble]

Paul Norman created a whole bunch of c64 classics. He was always a bit ahead of the curve, and took c64 games to a higher level at least three times. (Forbidden Forest, Super Huey, Navy Seal) I think he’s to c64 game design what Rob Hubbard is to c64 music. A true legend.

[@adroharv9213]

@@FinnGamble yes I'd certainly agree with all that

[@Virtualblueart]

​@FinnGamble He really did. The way he f.i. leverages the standard petscii graphics to create giant scrolling backgrounds in Forbidden Forest was mind-blowing.

[@RobDog65]

Not only have you brought back a great memory...but you did it with hilarious "play-by-play". My own language while playing this was far less restrained!!

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching! C64 was the very first computer I got and will always have a special meaning to me.

[@MatthewCaunsfield]

I loved this game as a child, played it over and over and over again. Never got past Phase 2 though - those spears were too fast! 😁

[@superarioman]

I remember playing this when I was a kid. I guess I remember breaking a joystick over this out of frustration. Games those days were much more difficult to beat than now...

[@Polaventris]

I think I broken at least one joystick playing Decathlon myself :P Never could finish this game back in the day.

[@Lazlo23]

Thank you for this. Many hours spent hearing that music. So glad you cured me of my nostalgia for that game.

[@LucianoLombardiMusic]

This video is a real flashback for me: Aztec Challenge was probably the only game I used to play at, when I was a kid. And as other said, your commentary is hilarious! Thanks for sharing it!

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching!

[@Virtualblueart]

Used to play it with my older brother. Hard as nails and some levels were impassible if you didnt have a colour screen. But I loved that the music built up during the levels the further you got, really ramping up the tension.

[@eshim3961]

This is so satisfying to watch. We had a commodore 64 in late '80s, and I think I may have managed to pass level two once. I have no idea why the music popped in my head today, so I'm glad I found your video.

[@Polaventris]

That's what great about retrogaming. You can easily emulate these games nowadays and relive the "good old days". Thanks for watching!

[@RaptureMusicOfficial]

I grew up with that game. One of the best on the C64!

[@belalugosiundead177]

This game was so sick ! So immersive, you couldn't drop an eye during playing it

[@whatever-yi1lf]

Got my first C64 when i was 8 in 1984. This game was one of the games my father bought from a work colleague. It was yet another great game i got well into.

[@Polaventris]

what ever I didn't even have patience to get thru the first stage as a kid :D

[@whatever-yi1lf]

This was in the collection of the first games i had along with Hobbit, a role playing text game and a 747 flight simulator that i had problems loading.The C64 was present from father for educational purposes, that ending in a few progams and then just playing games. I was given an Amiga 500 in 1991 and played many more games, that i liked for quick loading, better sound, graphics. I had many more years of fun with the C64 and less years with the Amiga 500. I bought the games magazines also.

[@delcanfisher8496]

Thanks for posting this! I love how you captured all of the game-accurate sounds, including the frustrated groans.

[@Polaventris]

It is a difficult and frustrating game for sure. Thank you for watching!

[@ninerings6498]

This brings back memories. But nothing so fun as this guys commentary! Great morning laugh.

[@Polaventris]

+Ron Cianciulli Thanks for watching!

[@sikeyimboyleisi]

The first ever video game I ever played and one of the earliest memories I can still recall from childhood. Big feels. Thank you for the video!

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching!

[@boboutelama5748]

One of the rare games I didn't finished. The amount of difficulty is legendary.

[@Polaventris]

I never could get thru even the first stage back in the day.

[@Virtualblueart]

I got up to the piranha bit but had a b.w. monitor that made them fade into the background making it impossible to progress. 😂

[@GregJoughin]

All I could remember about playing this game as a kid was the Gauntlet section, and my friend coming up with the mantra, "Don't fall on my head little arrow; don't fall on my head gold brick!" Because there are no gold bricks nor anything falling on anyone's head in The Gauntlet, I couldn't remember why he'd have said that. But at the 8-minute mark, it all made sense again!

[@Polaventris]

Hope it helped at least a bit.

[@okdadi]

I love this game, many hours spended playing it, thank you

[@lukcaluwaerts1689]

What an fantastic game !! The gameplay is awesome. A real thriller

[@lukcaluwaerts1689]

And I love EGYPTIAN temples and stuff !!! It's my dream country; and I must visit one day. A FULL cruise on the NILE with many excursiants.

[@Matt314159]

Thanks for the video, I used to play this game on my grandmother's C64 when I was a kid. Spent hours playing that game. Watching you play it brought back my same frustrations, I even swore a few times :) Good times!

[@Polaventris]

I don't think there is a living person who wouldn't cuss while playing this game. Thanks for watching!

[@TheCodedtestament]

The tantalizing music...the amazing graphics...the mysterious temple awaiting to be entered...it's fun, it's furious, it's Aztec Challenge!

[@OsmanKazdal]

My childhood stress... Watching this makes me anxious

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching!

[@andreasoberg2021]

This is the second game I ever play on a computer. I was hugely impressed but man not the easiest game to start with when you are 8! I think its quite cinematic that the pyramid is getting bigger.

[@ruthlessdragonslayer8571]

I loved this game so much !!! FANTASTIQUE RETRO !!!!

[@hupekyser]

I was around 10 years old trying to play this. Was kind of addictive but also annoying as hell. But i loved the music. C64 was a very special machine

[@paulshamul6502]

Never heard of this game but I definitely love it!

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching. Took a bit over half hour to grind thru it :)

[@Beaudin74]

Childhood memories right there...This and Forbidden Forest...

[@Polaventris]

Forbidden Forest was so scary back in the day!

[@Technolocaust]

Thx for doing these C=64 Retro reviews, I grew up with this system *best times ever*

[@jtpinnyc]

I used to play this at my friend's house on his black and white TV. It was great until you reached the piranha level - the piranhas were invisible in black and white because they were the exact same brightness as the water.

[@noxure]

+jpinnyc Yeah, I had the same problem, lol. Eventually I found out that by maxing contrast and lowering the brightness I could vaguely see the piranha's. :)

[@rajrenuka6666]

Remember that game aztec challenge, c64, pure old school. Wos the best computer out, back In days, 80s,..amiga,the best💯

[@Polaventris]

Yeah, Amiga was awesome!

[@rajrenuka6666]

@@Polaventrismicra wos also good

[@rajrenuka6666]

Did have 800xl, also 130xe,,,,atari 520st,,i would recommend amiga. In the days

[@jack002tuber]

I played this a lot. Its a hard game with great sound

[@Polaventris]

jack002tuber Cosmi games always have a very creepy mood.

[@SaturnJap]

Indeed. That's why I like em all.

[@syntaxerror3669]

This game was so frustrating :O

[@MrGareth1973]

Thx for this m8. And your reactions! I was so frustrated by this game. What a torture... :)

[@Polaventris]

thanks for watching! never got thru the first stage back then...

[@MrGareth1973]

@@Polaventris Me neither... but I remember as a kid that I was somehow fascinated by the game :) ahh to be a kid again :)

[@999NicoIcon]

thanks for sharing! nice to hear the soundtrack again. I remember really liking it!

[@vrod2144]

When u2 video for “lemon” came out, I remembered this game instantly

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching :) It can be quite hard not to swear when playing games like these...

[@BOARDNBIKES]

Best 8.22 rofl thx for this video. played it as kid when it was released but never went this far

[@Polaventris]

+Ad Vu Thanks for watching !

[@kimursin5374]

I went crazy on this game more than once!!

[@djimplant]

Haha we played this a lot, thanks for taking your time and uploading this. This stuff was extremely difficult to play.

[@DrMcFly28]

Man I was so great with this game. I think parts of it aren't actually completely random because as I remember after a while I unconsciously knew how to pass it without thinking (the temple part specifically was extremely easy once you get the hang of it). The game also looks much worse than I remember. Ah, nostalgia.

[@fabiofreire8538]

This is one of the funniest videos I've ever seen. The comments are just hilarious. I don't know if that was the intent but there you go

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching!

[@raulbodio4141]

OMG thank you so much bro!! i remember when I and my mommy spend hours for try to finish this game. Greetings from Italy

[@Polaventris]

I never could finish even the first stage back in the day :D

[@ademcan2475]

Thank you very very much sir ! 😍💫

[@sairhug]

I'm currently learning Finnish ... I was very proud to have identified your accent as Finnish :) Kiitos for this video ... it took me back to my first boyfriend who used to play this and Forbidden Forest (better music), amongst many others.

[@Polaventris]

Good luck with your Finnish studies! Forbidden Forest is another C64 classic for sure.

[@paulshamul6502]

I never heard of a game based on an ancient civilization before! Very cool 😊

[@MichaelSollienmusic]

The 80s game designer were such sadists :) This was a very fun watch. I have never managed to get past the first level. Didn't own this as a kid, so only played it on emulator. You must be a very patient man :)

[@Polaventris]

I usually am not that patient either, but I guess I had eaten the right vitamins before I recorded this one.

[@MichaelSollienmusic]

You must have :) Great entertainment. Luckily you get to continue at the same level when you die. It would have been a contender to most frustrating game ever otherwise. Love your videos by the way. Found a lot of C64 games I didn't know about by watching your videos

[@Polaventris]

Michael Sollien Thank you for watching!

[@pinkelephantz286]

aztec challenge and many games were truly challenging back then , i also remember the first level been hard as hell aswell !

[@Polaventris]

As a kid I never got thru even the first stage... Sad but true.

[@Halligen1972]

Great Game! I´ve spent many hours in my childhood with that one...

[@chrisdrummer86]

its a very hard game. I remember playing it over and over again on my comodore when I was a kid! omg man, so many memories! I even remembered the sounds and soundtrack!! thank you so much for making me feel 6 years old again ! :)\

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching!

[@chrisdrummer86]

thank you man! i'm watching this and feeling so nostalgic :)

[@Polaventris]

I had that feeling many times when I started making C64 videos. So many games I had totally forgotten about but I remembered instantly when I saw the graphics or heard the title music.

[@chrisdrummer86]

have you maybe done a video on spy vs spy? i used to love that one too

[@Polaventris]

Makes the video just a little bit easier to watch :D

[@ZelenaVizija]

I played this on monochrome tv, and this fish cannot be seen so i did never finish this belovd game. :(

[@Polaventris]

Aw too bad! Pretty poor design flaw too. B&W televisions weren't that uncommon back in the day.

[@torstenschmidt9230]

Mee too

[@gadgetuk48]

Never had such a good laugh with the oh crap 🤣😂 loved this game and the Erie music.

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching! I never got past the first stage back in the day.

[@iuwdbwudbvhwduivhbwduivbii431]

this guy is Mr Bean 😂

[@Polaventris]

@@iuwdbwudbvhwduivhbwduivbii431 Shhh, don't tell anyone!

[@Adropacrich2]

Bloody hard but bloody excellent. Beautifully executed game.Great example of tension in a world of games where such design is often at this expense ie save states. Paul Norman's other work of art

[@mavit76]

I was really good at this game..Good Memories...Thanks you so much for sharing this :)

[@Polaventris]

Thank you for watching!

[@urbsurbisf]

I don't know what put the thought of this game in my mind, but I couldn't have found a better playthrough. I love the way you die in the spear falling rooms 😁

[@Polaventris]

Imagine playing this with black and white TV! Talk about another level of unfairness!

[@urbsurbisf]

Oh, I did. For a long time there was only the black and white option except when the folks weren't home and I could get everything in the living room...

[@TamasKalman]

it's pain and entertainment in the same time.

[@Polaventris]

For sure. If this was a modern game you would have QuickTime Even with every spear, arrow and boulder.

[@tykve]

I made it to last level as a little kid but never managed to beat it. My father spent whole night trying and next day angrily stated fuck this game, it repeats but slightly faster:D this, montezuma and river raid were my favourites

[@Freddyfan1428]

Don't feel bad! I myself had this game many years ago and made many oaths of rude origin against it and the makers of said game (I think I broke at least one joystick on games such as this, too! lol!) Although is it just me or does the music remind you a lot of Forbidden Forest? (Another legendary game! :-D ) Wonder if the dame person wrote the tunes for both games?

[@001lessie]

That was great entertainment. One of the most frustrating games on the C64. 8:04 LOL!!

[@bastiaan0741]

Also, what software did you use to 'float' title screens acros the screen, and fast-forward the game?

[@BuckandOden]

These were the days, when there was no save and you had to start all over from the beginning.

[@Polaventris]

No saving, no regenerating health, no difficulty settings and no tutorials.

[@retrobeastgames]

Classic nice gameplay, great video mate, cant beat some c64 :o)

[@Polaventris]

It definitely is one of those games that you just keep coming back for "one more try" just to see if you can make it to the next stage.

[@avatarmxru]

I want cry. OMG I’m old 😭😭😭

[@1977Eelco]

Great game...pretty difficult because it really tests your reflexes well :)

[@Polaventris]

That it sure does!

[@badgebadge8946]

Very difficult game, might still have the original in storage somewhere

[@Polaventris]

True classic Paul Normal game, for sure. Spent quite a long time playing thru it :D

[@thegrayknight71]

Ï still have nightmares about this game.. Years after i played it.

[@Polaventris]

Time to start it up again (with a trainer this time) and finish it!

[@DarkOmegaMK2]

Man, you sound so lethargic, i love it!

[@Polaventris]

Thanks, I guess :P

[@DarkOmegaMK2]

***** You're welcome! I'm not being sarcastic, by the way, i don't know what it is about it, but the video is real funny to me.

[@chemfreak53]

+DarkOmegaMK2 I laughed the whole time... Oh crap

[@arnislapsa1619]

oh the frustration...

[@adamszilvasi3682]

I played it on B&W Russian small screen TV. The piranha lake was quite random... :)

[@Polaventris]

I can imagine it being even more difficult without colors...

[@adamszilvasi3682]

@@Polaventris Still managed to finish though...

[@MrComaToes]

Hello from Las Vegas, Nevada USA, I enjoyed this vid, especially when you got frustrated! I saw your comment on Pisserschannel and I came to check your channel out. Subscribed

[@marcusbrown4724]

One of the best games ever and the music was awesome !!! Ps where did you get the bezel from ???

[@Polaventris]

+Marcus Brown I took the background picture myself of the actual C64 I got in 1986 and the one I used to record these videos.

[@derkernspalter]

Wtf, when you can see the entrance, you've finished the 1st stage? I just just saw that entrance when i tried the game a couple of hours ago and probably got his by the last spear then.

[@coyoteofcns]

Very much like your game shows!

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching!

[@sithsmasher7685]

The gfx were crappy as hell (looking like a Basic game), but the music was epic. As for the difficulty level, yes it was damn hard. I could handle the first two difficulty runs but the 3rd was too much if I remember right. The docs said the 4th run was at night. Your comments made me smile, it's so fitting for this frustrating game. And your FFWD sections make you sound like the Bynars from Star Trek TNG. XD

[@kovacsandras8405]

Thanks, that was amazing with the narration. I remember the same confusions: (1) How I survived this? (2) Why I just died? The piranha death scene was extremely long for me too. :-)

[@Polaventris]

Kovács András This game is a test for your persistence. At least you don't have to start from the first stage if you die at the later ones. That would be just way too cruel.

[@xjaja1975]

You sounds just like me when I try play this one.

[@muratgunaydin2509]

harvester of sorrow çalıyor sanki o yıllarda acelemizde yoktu ne kadar hız aşığı olmusuz

[@ssidiouss]

holy shit that inside the temple run part was funny

[@Polaventris]

And annoying as hell to play!

[@teffers134]

yea, in the part that was fast-forwarded, he jumped right into the ravine when he just came through the door. I haven't a good laugh + nostalgic feelings like this in ages. :P

[@summerlaverdure]

1:30,, going by your final spedup run, i counted 17 spearmen, also watching it sped up made me realize that they shoot pretty consistently ( i dunno how many seconds inbetween but it seems to be an even amount)

[@neb7813]

beautiful game,thanks for sharing!!

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching!

[@cannatastico]

I felt that Kaaabbblluusshhhh at 8:01 lol

[@Polaventris]

Goddamn bricks! I told them to use proper cement instead of that cheap knock off brand...

[@eekeek433]

This game was fiendish and very unforgiving :( but 3 cassette tapes later and a lot of anger as a 9 year I finished the game. Yes I either would smash the cassette at the wall or bite it in half if I couldn't complete the later levels like the BRIDGE, I hated that level. LOLS

[@djzestman]

Hey thanks man. That was brilliant. I just shown my son. We were splitting our side's laughing at you getting bingo'd by the many perils of Aztec challenge. My first ever game in 1984 I think. I was 12. Whereabouts are you from mate?

[@Polaventris]

Thanks for watching! I'm from Finland. I was 10 when I got my C64 in 1986.

[@djzestman]

Polaventris I knew you were from Finland you know as I've listened to podcasts with Finnish people and Finnish surgeons worked on my son as a baby. Best ever you guys. We are in Liverpool. I've subscribed so we shall be contributing.

[@Polaventris]

Thank you. Haven't done videos in long time, but I do plan to make a proper comeback at some point. Then again, there is over 600 C64 videos on my channel already :D

[@inphanta]

Do you remember how long you spent playing this in realtime? It looks like at least a good hour or two. I would've had to have stopped playing by the 4th stage though. That was a little too hard on the eyes for me.

[@Polaventris]

It was about 45 minutes if I remember right. I got very lucky with few of the stages.

[@Polaventris]

Certainly has Paul Normans hand mark all over this game. Challenging but not impossible :)

[@MrHearnz]

I love how the audio is on while you fast forward! :P

[@simplayer666]

Have you ever heard of an action replay cartridge? I've been told it may help me loading some of my disks, I've seen a few on Ebay but they ain't cheap, don't want to spend money on something that won't help...

[@gary72carol61]

Loved watching this, wow it takes me back. my brother and I used to play this for hours, we loved it. I laughed so hard at listening to your frustration playing especially at 8:02 when the boulder falls onto your head. I don`t know what the first word you said was but I like how you said CRAP! and at 8:22 WTF we deserve an explanation. I always said that the games in those days were mega hard! and as if you needed to die entering the next room for nothing. Brilliant upload I have subscribed.

[@cannatastico]

This is intense!

[@Tuttigiu]

This game expresses the struggle of normal people trying to beat illuminati and nwo

[@DocsterMe]

hehe. This made my day! "pffff... Crap!". :P Thanks for sharing Polaventris! :)

[@TuxedoPanther]

Well done :D

[@THOMASSU63]

Rrroggntuddjuu! I admire your perseverance. I remember a similar experience when trying to beat Snokie on the Atari 8-bit back in the days. After a while I wanted to smash the computer every time I died.