Top 50 Commodore 64 (C64) games of 1983 - in under 10 minutes

Hello and welcome to the first episode of TOP 50 Commodore 64 (C64) games in under 10 minutes.
1983 was interesting year for Commodore 64 gaming scene because, although there were some great classics released in 1983 for the machine, there were also quite a few games released that were "the proof", that programmers are still getting a grip with hardware features the C64 offered.
Games are, as always, presented in no particular order.
Have fun and let us know in the comments if you agree with our choices (and if we missed a title that should be on the list).

[@TheOriginalNCDV]

Thanks for the reminders of simpler, more enjoyable times! Keep them coming, they're always appreciated! 🙂

[@retrononame]

Thank you! Those were the good times right? :) More "Top 50" coming soon, as well as C64 vs. Atari 800XL 1984 ... and some SEGA content as well.

[@TheOriginalNCDV]

@@retrononame I had (and still have) a C64, but also enjoy seeing what the other systems were capable of! (admittedly I still harbour a bitter rivalry with the Speccy from my school days...😂) The Atari always seemed like an unappreciated gem of a computer, and from what I've seen it would have beat the pants off everything else at the time! Looking forward to it 🙂

[@bbartky]

Thank you for this video! I just gave it a like fir the algorithm. I got my C64 in the summer of 1983 so this brought back so many memories.

[@retrononame]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked the video!

[@robertdecker146]

Forbidden Forest, Lode Runner, Archon, Bandits, Castle Hassle, Diamond Mine, Minnesota Fats Pool Challenge, Choplifter, Congo Bongo, Jungle Hunt, and Trains. They're All Good games from 1983, for the C64. Gridrunner is another one that springs to my mind. I think that That game is from 1982 though.

[@lonardgetchell-bm9lc]

My top 4 favorites that I played on this list. Number 1 is Spy Hunter, loved that game. 2. Pitstop 3. Save New York 4. Beach Head

[@hoagieimpact9189]

Every time Super Pipeline comes up I'm just amazed at how advanced it looks and sounds compared to everything else in '83. My 1983 top 10 would be that game, along with Archon, M.U.L.E., Wizard of Wor, Save New York, Mr. Robot, Donkey Kong, Popeye, Lode Runner, and either Moon Patrol or Jungle Hunt.

[@reinhard3209]

So many milestones! 👍👍

[@ihgday6103]

Great selection, Didn't see any Jeff Minter classics such as Hover bover . Having said that it was good to see some of the my obscure titles haven't heard that tune in Smokie for decades!

[@retrononame]

Thanks! I always try to include at least a few lesser known games (but those that are worth playing IMO) in these lists.

[@Halligen1972]

Thanx for all of the memories you brought back to me!

[@retrononame]

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching!

[@dennyhaynes3]

Great video and thanks for doing the C64 years. So many titles I haven't played 👍

[@retrononame]

Thank you. Will cover other years as well, but will mix it up a bit (so one C64 top video, then another Amiga vs. PC, I have some CPC stuff in preparation, then another C64 year...)

[@robertomartin9124]

Great video!! Waiting for next years tops!!

[@retrononame]

Thanks! I'm glad you liked the video.

[@Simon0]

Nice video! Bought back some memories

[@retrononame]

Glad you liked it and thanks for watching!

[@Konacrusher]

Wizard of Wor. One of the best games ever!

[@sbirchsbirch6232]

Spy Hunter for C64 was released in 1985. The other year is a reference to the arcade.

[@johnlancaster563]

good work thank you

[@retrononame]

And thank you for watching!

[@leeannewillson7342]

played like 95% of theese to death bck in the day , was a few i didnt reconise in that list otherwise it be like prob 100% to death :D

[@nexusvi4373]

W tym czasie były to marne konwersje z popularniejszych platform. Nie ujawniały jeszcze prawdziwych możliwości drzemiących w tej wspaniałej maszynie.

[@sporthaas]

Great video.

[@bigmaxy07]

Lot of games here were my very first c64 games on tape.

[@freshcoat9311]

Bugaboo! I tried for hours one day to recall the name of that game. I remembered the character as a frog or grasshopper. Saw it played once on a friend's C128 while on summer vacation in 1985. Stuck in my head as a vacation memory not as a beloved game. What a joy (and relief) to see it again.

[@simonharding1572]

somw classics right here

[@OLIV3R_YT]

Thanks!

[@retrononame]

You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed the video. More to come soon.

[@HiNRGboy]

For the games that were released for both Spectrum and Commodore, was there one computer in particular that they would be programmed on and released first? Or were they both worked on and released around the same time?

[@retrononame]

I can only guess here. I think that most C64 and ZX spectrum versions of the same game have different programmers in credits, so I would guess that they would work on it around the same time. But it's only a guess. Maybe someone here was in the industry back then and could tell us?

[@TheFanOrTheMask]

love spyhunter

[@retrotronics1845]

Manic Miner 1983 is the Spectrum Bug-byte release. Nobody reviewed the Software Projects C64 port until Spring of 1984 so pretty sure that is a 1984 C64 game.

[@retrononame]

That's the problem with these early releases from almost 40 years ago - sometime it's difficult to get the right info for them games. For Manic, C64 wiki says 1983 and Lemon64 got it on 1983 lists. I went by these fact. However, it could very well be that you are correct.

[@retrotronics1845]

@@retrononame I always thought Manic Miner was 1983 as well. Turns out that was Bug Bytes original Spectrum release with no support for joystick control. If you check out Sheldon Cooper's comments in the comments on the Lemon64 page for the game he lists all the magazine review issue/dates. I don't know why Lemon64 doesn't isolate all the hard work Sheldon did doing this for hundreds of games on Lemon64 and putting them along with ZZAP!64 review dates instead of getting buried under other comments. That's nothing, Gamebase (and Lemon?) have Interview by Frontrunner software listed as half a decade later than it actually came out (I have the original game on tape with copyright date on it lol).

[@becomeanolive1637]

Aztec by Datamost should be there, it’s my all time favourite video game

[@IsaacKuo]

Very much the wrong version of Wizard of Wor - that's the inferior Ultimax version. The lack of Archon, Lode Runner, and M.U.L.E. are puzzling to me. Obviously there's an element of personal preference, but these were really big and influential, at least in the USA.

[@retrononame]

Yeah I missed them three (Archon, Lode and MULE) - was sure they were released in 1984 - should've checked. Never played Wizard Of Wor back in the day, so I trusted the download I found on C64 sites. C64 is very much a research project for me too, as I owned Spectrum back in the day and am not familiar with all C64 games (although did play them a lot on my cousin's C64 machine). And there will always be a game or two missed in long lists like this one. Thanks for pointing it out though, it's appreciated.

[@hoagieimpact9189]

Agree. Might add Jumpan Junior, Donkey Kong, and Mr. Robot as well.

[@alabardaspaziale3208]

My youth 🕹️😭

[@Edgel-in6bs]

Spy hunter arcade was 83, but c64 version was 84/85

[@retrononame]

Found it on 1983 list both on Lemon64 and C64-Wiki. I do believe you however, as general Spy hunter wiki page implies that you are indeed correct. Thanks for pointing it out!

[@IsaacKuo]

@@retrononame Yeah, it's pretty tricky figuring out the true release year for "the" C64 version a lot of the time (I say "the" because there were, of course, often different release dates for PAL vs NTSC and such).

[@gustavocapo5975]

Great video but you have a mistake with wizard of wor, the c64 version is different is way better!!

[@MephProduction]

not sure what bear George is doing in this list.

[@retrononame]

To be honest, I think it's quite a nice little game for 1983 and I played it a lot. Could be just a personal preference though...

[@MephProduction]

@@retrononame I was surprised you included zong, I didn't think anyone else played it, it was probably the first game I played.

[@neilthomas8070]

More games I didn't play. The graphics look primitive compared to later 64 games; it's the play value that counts.

[@jasonk795]

So many versions of the same game.

[@rayalexander411]

Too many great games missing.

[@retrononame]

Hi, Can you please explain which ones I missed (I'm sure I missed a couple!). Keep in mind though, that this video covers only games released in 1983 (check the title). And thanks for watching!

[@rayalexander411]

@@retrononame Sorry it's a bit nostalgic. (I'm an - older Scottish muso living in the city). Tapper looked cool to me when I was 10 as I had a ZX48K and was insanely jealous of the SID soundchip. But that's not really got anything to do with Tapper It was because arcade conversions looked good on the C64 as opposed to the Spectrum eh? Rob Hubbard to me was the John Williams of computer games in the 80s. I have VST SID soft-synths throughout my early recordings. Great work man. Your stuff is much appreciated - time is short - "keep on keepin' on".

[@Sprocketjoo]

Where is M.U.L.E?

[@retrononame]

My bad. Was 100% that M.U.L.E., Archon and Lode Runner (all absent from the video) were 1984.

[@klaushoschi2143]

...Or Forbidden Forest... Who would guess that such masterpieces were made in 1983 already? ... But with those commonly known ones left out, I could discover some unknown titles, which is even more exiting for me. Thnaks!

[@darrenb1969]

I’m looking for someone to copy some of my favourite commodore 64 games onto a floppy disc for me. I could put money through PayPal or e-transfer. Do you know of anybody there’s about 20 games total

[@RossellaCalio]

Qualcuno ricorda un gioco chiamato "Bimbo e Gibba"?

[@foxgloves321]

Ms Pac man, crazy caveman and miner 2049er in a top 50 of all time c64 games list? More like 50 random c64 games in 10 minutes.

[@retrononame]

This video is about Top 50 C64 games in 1983 (not all the time) - it says so in the title ;)