C64 Round Up: March 2023 - New Games and Flashback!

[@Miyagi1980]

Thanks for the Roundup and mentioning my Evil Dungeon!

[@erikrounds]

Thanks for the video! I enjoyed A Pig's Quest and I'm glad it is doing so well. Cipher Patrol looks fun, I'll be sure to check that one out as well. I actually didn't realize that SEUCK was available on the Commodore 64. I had a copy of the Amiga version and used it to make some simple games.

[@RetroGamerNation]

Thanks for the feedback Eric, you will find a plethora of SEUCK based games released over the past 30 years or so on the C64. Also, apologies that I didn't acknowledge your valuable contribution in this episode. I will make up for this omission in future episodes.

[@trwijbenga]

Thanks for bringing this monthly roundup to KZbin man, it's a joy to watch!

[@Woodwerker]

Great job as usual! Keep up this great channel!

[@TheHobbyLodge]

Another cracking episode, glad Pig Quest is doing so well I am looking forward to getting my physical copy. Real shame about the floppy disk issue but it had to happen eventually, I have a significant collection of the Psytronik and other homebrew games on disk but will be switching to tape and cart. Thanks for the news!

[@TheRetroGamePlanet]

I think I'm going to have to jump onto the Pig Quest bus and get myself a copy. It's great to see it and others doing so well in 2023.

[@Mayhemerz]

Many of the programmers actually appreciate me commenting on their posts that their games are going to be featured in a future issue of Zzap so… maybe ask them too? And A5 is not dinky. Matchbox cars are dinky.

[@eleanorburns8686]

I appreciate the positive review of Cipher Patrol 2, and attributing the low difficulty to the lack of AI in SEUCK and not simply a reflection of my own dire gaming skills... ;) xxx

[@hai.1820]

I'll play em all, 100%! Thanks man! I can get the joystick running though..

[@rootbeer666]

Bofh is definitely a game that punches well above the c64 weight. Definitely one of my favorites on the system, really wish the controls could be proved to enjoy it more.

[@nircada5975]

Thanks!

[@tROnIx-tECh]

Again a superb Video 👍🏻 thank you🙏🏻

[@andrewdupuis1151]

its nice they are still making new games for c64 my fav computer of all-time i use c64 for ever on pc and on my the c64 mini

[@EdwardianTeaChest]

Commodore Connection has a nice rendition of the Tchaikovsky music from the arcade game.

[@michaelhill6453]

Solid gold as usual.

[@jackdaniels1883]

TND often stands out with SEUCK trash. But the story of CP2 will also give head scratches to future freudians. ;)

[@RetroGamerNation]

Got to be honest, i was scratching my head on the story concept.

[@eleanorburns8686]

I like steampunk style, so Victorian / East India Co. setting just seemed to come naturally. I'm no writer, though, and I admit to thrashing out most of the plot after every single tile and sprite had already been laid out and tested. Whether or not I make any more C64 software, this will definitely be my last SEUCK game. The more I try to twist it with hacks, the more brick walls I run into (for example, this was supposed to be a side scrolling game. The Hobgoblin-esque flick screen "scrolling" was a sad compromise after I discovered my platform hacks didn't work nicely with the SEUCK scrolling engine). I did enjoy TND's SEUCK competitions - once upon a time a nice little jolt of annual motivation - but I'm pretty sure Richard's done with them, so little reason to be treading old ground.

[@chandro7780]

thanks for your job, a pig quest is the best game i've played for c64, it's an italian game by Antonio Savona, fantastic in everything, music, graphics and programming.... sorry for my english and thanks again

[@RetroGamerNation]

Thank you, your english is perfect...much better than my italian.

[@MentatOfDune]

Its a shame Psytronik are ending sales of the disks (though I understand it). I was one who'd buy disk over any other format as you still got the tactile retro feel along with fastload capability and game saves etc.

[@sporthaas]

Why blame them?

[@RK-fy9zx]

Issue 12 of Zzap64 was also the last to be published with a cover disk.

[@C64Scene]

Indeed as Psytronik Software kindly produced our coverdisks.

[@RetroMarkyRM]

Shame about the end of the floppy disk releases. I love carts but the prices are a lot more. I like the floppy disk artwork too but I did wonder how long they could get the floppies for.

[@ag9hj]

I'd really like to see ToS part 2!

[@RetroGamerNation]

Yes i saw that Claus started coding part 2 but unfortunately the project seems to have been stalled since 2019.

[@C64Scene]

Thanks for another update! "Dinky A5", meh. :)

[@Charleshawn66]

A Pig Quest is GREAT! I bought it on day 1 and with the conversion to U.S. dollar it cost me $11.17 and well worth that!! You said it is already #2 in sales of modern-day games with 1700 copies sold. What date is the start of modern-day sales? I ask because there have been games coing out every year for 40 years and now at least one a month. Is it considered 2000, 2010 or 2020? You said its #2, what game is still holding on as #1 and what are their sales numbers?

[@RetroGamerNation]

Naturally modern day will have different meaning to each person but to me this would probably be from around 2016 onward where there was a noticeable resurgence in people and coders coming back into the scene and are far great commercialization of games and peripherals . I think the level of interest has no reached a peak point of saturation and its now just a matter of seeing how long the current level of interests can be sustained. Sam's Journey is the most successful commercial game with sales somewhere around 2600-3000. The 8-Bit Guy's games would have numbers around the level of A Pig Quest and then we would be looking at Sarah Jane Avery's games following these. Most commercial games are lucky if they sell 300, so anything above 1000 is very strong (think about Antonio's previous game Monstro Giganto maybe selling about 400 or so).

[@Charleshawn66]

@@RetroGamerNation that is kinda funny but why I asked what game is in 1st place. I own 8-bit guys attack of PETCII robots boxed and I own everyone of Sarah Janes games. I was thinking it might be one of them.

[@RetroGamerNation]

Both Sarah and 8-bit guy will make reference to their sales from time to time. I am privy to how Planet X2 sold and I do recall last year in one of his video making an indirect reference to about 1400 physical disks of Petscii Robots being shipped out for the C64 so I am thinking that 8-bit guy would be in the 1700 to 1900 range for Petscii.

[@Charleshawn66]

@@RetroGamerNation Side note, I know we are counting C64 games sold, but that game came with C64, PET & VIC20 on the disk. I have also bought the plus/4 lite (disk & manual) and bought the C128 lite (disk & manual). I love the C128 putting the game map onto a 2nd monitor just like they have done with Eye of the Beholder. The 3 disks and 3 manuals just fit into the C64/PET/VIC20 box. If 1400 bought the boxed or lite and have a physical disk, don't you think the number who bought the digital download would be many times that? Like me, I bought A Pig Quest, Rogue64 and all of Sarahs games as digital only.

[@RetroGamerNation]

I understand where you are coming from in respect to the 8-bit guy games and digital but unlike APQ or Sarah's games, his demographic buyers will be mainly physical purchases. It helps that his physical products are more reasonably priced than what you get from European publishers. But this is mainly all guess work from me, I am just extrapolating out info I happen to know about but I could be wrong.

[@zero-zs8sm]

what exactly does USB tape mean?

[@RetroGamerNation]

A USB stick in the shape of a cassette. Here is one example: psytronik.bigcartel.com/product/binary-zone-interactive-the-complete-c64-collection-c64-usb-tape

[@zero-zs8sm]

that's actually really cool, I assume it's for use with things like THEC64 by retro games ltd? i might get some of their games in this format as i plan to get a THEC64 but it's proven difficult as i live in the states and they're only available in the uk. EDIT: sorry it says clearly on the website that it is for use with emulators my bad.

[@zero-zs8sm]

@@RetroGamerNation I just thought of something. what if, someone made a USB hub that looks like the commodore datasette that you could put the USB cassette in.

[@RetroGamerNation]

Yes you can use it with THEC64. Psytronik Software these days always includes a digital build specifically for THEC64.

[@RetroGamerNation]

That is an awesome idea. I know I would be down for something like that.