Which is Better: C64 or NES? - Let's Compare Games starting with D

Welcome to our channel, where we dive into gaming history and explore the classic titles that have shaped the gaming landscape. In this video, we embark on an epic journey to compare and contrast iconic games starting with the letter "D" on two legendary gaming systems-the Commodore 64 and the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Get ready to experience a nostalgic blast from the past as we delve into the realm of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming!
🎮 The Games 🎮
We'll be looking at ten beloved games, including the arcade masterpiece Donkey Kong, the addictive classic Dig Dug, the medieval strategy game Defender of the Crown, and the innovative Dragon's Lair-famously known for its LaserDisc version, but equally captivating on both the C64 and NES. Join us as we revisit the action-packed Double Dragon series, navigate the mean streets of Dick Tracy, and step into the shoes of John McClane in the intense Die Hard game.
🕹️ The Comparison 🕹️
Our video goes beyond just gameplay footage and subjective opinions. We'll meticulously evaluate these games on both systems through various comparison metrics. Witness side-by-side gameplay, analyze graphics, sound quality, and explore the unique features that set each version apart. From the controllers to the user experience, we'll leave no stone unturned in determining which system shines brighter.
💬 The Audience 💬
This video is a must-watch for all retro gaming enthusiasts, 8-bit and 16-bit aficionados, and anyone curious about the gaming history of the Commodore 64 and NES. Whether you're a die-hard fan of these classic systems or a newer generation of gamers eager to explore the roots of gaming, our video offers something for everyone. Get ready to relive the golden era of gaming and discover why these games hold a special place in the hearts of millions worldwide.
👍 Like, Comment & Subscribe 👍
If you enjoyed this video, don't forget to hit that like button, leave a comment sharing your favorite "D" game, and subscribe to our channel for more gaming content, retrospectives, and in-depth comparisons. Ring the notification bell to never miss an upload, and join our community of retro gaming enthusiasts!
📅 Release Schedule 📅
Stay tuned as we continue to explore the rich history of gaming with more videos comparing classic titles on different systems and showcasing the evolution of gaming technology.
Thank you for joining us on this epic retro gaming journey. Now, let's press play and step into the world of Commodore 64 and NES classics!
Don't miss out on this exciting video! Subscribe to our channel, 'Floppy Deep Dive,' to stay updated on all things retro gaming. Hit the thumbs up button, share your thoughts in the comments, and join our Patreon community for exclusive content and to support future episodes. Get ready to relive the magic of the Commodore 64 and the NES - it's time for the ultimate showdown
See all the C64 vs NES videos here - • C64 vs. NES
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#C64vsNES #RetroGaming #ClassicGaming #Commodore64 #NintendoEntertainmentSystem #GamingComparison #VideoGameHistory #ArcadeClassics #RetroVersus #NostalgicGaming #VintageGaming #RetroGamers #GamingCommunity #GameReview #GameComparison #GamingShowdown #C64Gaming #NESGaming #FloppyDeepDive

[@MONSTERGABhorror]

These comparison videos are just splendid. It's so great to see these games side by side and how they match up. I have fond memories of playing Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr at a friend's house on the NES as a kid.

[@ClassicGameSessions]

I've always loved the NES and the C64. I'm going to lean NES for arcade ports for the most part but C64 does it for me for a lot of other games. Such a great lineup of oldies. Defender of the Crown is superb!

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Me too, it's always great to play these arcade classic

[@theyamo7219]

I agree when it comes to arcade ports ,there are a couple of exceptions such as Gyruss, which I preferred on the C64, but I think the NES was better overall for arcade ports.

[@scottythegreat1]

The thing with the NES versions was that Japanese arcade game makers lightened up the NES versions of their games to make it easier, and mostly did the NES versions on their own. Most arcade games were made by Japanese companies and despite the Commodore 64 being manufactured in Japan, they were never marketed in Japan (Jack Tramiel hated Japanese companies for killing 2 of his previous ventures). So a Japanese company wouldnt have any programmers that would understand how to program for the Commodore 64, and would hire outside developers and publishers to handle the ports over to these systems. Ocean/Imagine Software kept the difficulty the same on these games (they had the contract for Konami and Taito on computers). So, yes! I would agree that the NES was superior when it came to porting arcade games.

[@TheCeleryGod]

Many times, the NES color palette just seems more vibrant, although the SID was way ahead of its' time. Just wish I had two Commodore monitors 😃

[@FloppyDeepDive]

The monitors are the best for 8bit gaming! Thanks for watching!

[@listerofsmeg884]

The SID chip was the greatest aspect of the C64. So many famous game themes sounded so much punchier and rockier

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Agree!

[@V3ntilator]

@@listerofsmeg884 The SID chip is the reason why "modern" game music were invented by Rob Hubbard and Ben Daglish. Then AMIGA 1000 came which could use sampled sound on 4 channels. Even more channels could be used if you had faster CPU.

[@scottythegreat1]

@@listerofsmeg884 Its only a shame that several Commodore 64 engineers quit a few months after the Commodore 64 was released after they were told to stop working on an electronic keyboard peripheral that they were working on. Unfortunately, Jack Tramiel didnt want to enter the music business and wanted to remain in the business machine business. These engineers wanted to continue, so they quit (and co-founded Ensoniq).

[@listerofsmeg884]

The C64 had some wholly original games that would blast the NES out of the park: Turrican 1 & II, Creatures II , Mayhem in Monsterland, Last Ninja 2, Armalyte. Just comparing ports doesn't really do the breadbox justice. interesting video non-the-less

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Agree!! I’m selecting games that were released on both systems and going alphabetically. If it’s not on both systems, then I can’t compare. Thanks for watching, and glad you found it interesting!

[@scottythegreat1]

One of the downfalls to the NES was that Nintendo ruled the console market with an iron fist. One of the rules was that a publishing house could only release 5 games per year for a console (but a publishing house could own multiple publishing houses in the same office building). If Nintendo wouldnt have done that, some of these publishing houses may have been more receptive to port games over from other systems (including the C64), it would have beefed up the library of NES games.

[@davidaitken8503]

Comparing ports doesn't do either system justice. Their are certainly games far more technically impressive on the NES then any of the Commodore 64 games you mentioned, though. It really isn't even close. Batman: Return of the Joker from Sunsoft comes instantly to mind.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

@davidaitken8503 Its all in fun.

[@JustMe99999]

The graphics on Donkey Kong look MUCH better on the Nintendo to me, based on your video (disclaimer: haven't played either one first hand). I'm surprised you said that they're better on the C64.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Might be my roses colored C64 glasses got the better of me on that one.

[@ps-lover8380]

Plus the audio is much better on nes

[@theyamo7219]

There were also two official ports of Donkey Kong on the C64. The other one was from Ocean Software.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

I prefer the Atarisoft version. Thanks for watching!

[@jeremygregorio7472]

The trouble with the commodore 64 is that most games needed to load off a cassette because they were going to be sold in the UK where cassette drives on the primary storage device. That meant a lot of games for only 64k total cuz you wanted to do the entire game in one load because it took 5 to 10 minutes to do a load.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Never an issue here in the US where floppies were king.

[@scottythegreat1]

Thats why Ocean Software's games had loader music. Even then, some games took a few minutes to load in the US, even with an Epyx Fastload attached to the keyboard. Can you imagine playing the 2 Dragon's Lair games back then?? You watch the game take 3 minutes to load one level, and you play a level that takes 2 minutes to complete. You spend more time waiting to play a level than you do playing the game. The only game that took advantage of this slow disk drive issue was Law of the West, you never knew how long it would take to load before the robber would come at you with a gun (you could sit there and not be ready to draw your gun).

[@RandomBitzzz]

You nailed these Tom. A lot of great games start with D - who knew? DK Jr will always hold a special place in my heart. I received DK Jr and Excitebike one Christmas morning, which expanded my NES library from 2 games (Gyromite and Duck Hunt) to 4. I played the heck out of them for months before finally getting my hands on SMB. I was so glad that someone released an updated version of DK Jr for the 64. The gameplay on it is amazing. You can't go wrong with the NES version or this updated C64 version. I didn't know they made Double Dragon for the 64. In all seriousness, it's really hard for a 2 button action game to translate over to the 64. It reminds me a lot of the Street Fighter 2 port for the 64. These ports were destined to fail...

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Right! We just needed a 2 button controller for the C64! Let's see how many games start with E! As always thanks for commenting and watching! My community regulars are the best!

[@gaminglazarus4343]

@@FloppyDeepDive hi good video on youtube . c64 games vs nes games .

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks

[@Schattennaseweis]

There is another version of Donkey Kong on the C64 made by Ocean in 1986. Not sure which one plays better, but I think the Atarisoft doesn't have all levels and the Ocean one does.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

I liked them both!

[@V3ntilator]

Amiga 1000 from 1985 vs NES comparison would be great as they are almost equally old, but it also depends what library that existed on first gen Amiga of course. NES were great, but overall i loved Commodore 64 a lot more for various reasons. AMIGA were the best because of it's OS too. Anyway. Commodore 64 and Amiga is still supported in 2023. New games, scene demos etc.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Agree 100%! Thanks for watching!

[@V3ntilator]

@@FloppyDeepDive Your welcome, and thank you.

[@scottythegreat1]

The Amiga was a way for Commodore to get away from the Jack Tramiel era, to build a high end computer, but still marketable to the general public, not a computer for the masses.

[@gametimewithunclejer]

One way or another, you never fail to make me laugh, Tom. Keep on keepin' on... 😁

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Lol! I’ll take it!

[@madcommodore]

Had software publishers supported the genius work of John Twiddy and Mev Dinc for the 64GS 512kb cartridges in 1990 it might have been a fairer fight.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Preach! 😁

[@madcommodore]

@@FloppyDeepDive It's a bit of shame how badly Commodore did the 64GS combined with how little effort publishers put into bespoke 512k cartridge games. It's not like the C64 hardware is worse than the Famicom hardware. Plenty of awesome single load tape games from just £2 on a real C64, they could have put 8 of the best on a £25 cart too like Bubble Bobble, Buggy Boy, Wizardry, Terra Cresta etc. They could have put Epyx's Sumer 1,2 Winter and World games on a single cart too. All we got at best, which is TOKI, was a bog standard single disk sized game plopped onto the cartridge. If the publishers had put in the effort they could have given the C64 computer a real boost in sales in 1990-1992. In the end people just bought a Sega SMS or NES and Commodore, Atari and Amstrad sold next to nothing. Shame like I said, missed opportunity.

[@RacerX-]

Cool! The C64 does a decent job at some of these ports. I agree with your take 100%. Funny as the only place I could play Donkey Kong back in the arcade days was at a 7-eleven where we used to buy candy. haha. Same deal, do I spend it on candy or Donkey Kong or Track and Field as that was the other arcade game there. The Donkey Kong was replaced by Defender, though, leaving no place to play it for a while until we got a full blown Arcade across the parking lot.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

We lived a very similar childhood! Everything from our systems to our hangouts. So cool! Good to hear from you!

[@vaderbase]

The number of sprites is important and the NES has 64 (8x16 pixels) while the C64 has only 8 (24 x 21 pixels). Armalyte shows the real magic of multiplexing the sprites by raster interrupt. But still the NES is superior.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

It's incredible what they did with the C64 and its limitations!

[@IsaacKuo]

The USA C64 port of Donkey Kong lacks Mario's butt flip at the top of ladders. I think the PAL c64 port of Donkey Kong actually has the butt flip, so I don't know what the deal was with cutting out the butt flip from the USA version.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

I'm not sure what the butt flip is so I will have to check it out. Lol 😆

[@barcodebattler2587]

Came for defender of the crown love that game.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Yep, it's a classic! Thanks for watching

[@robc5768]

I would rather end a day gaming without caluses on my thumbs anyday. And the winner is Commodore 64 with the Epyx 500

[@IsaacKuo]

FWIW, they made an NES version of that joystick. However, it was ... ugh ... flawed. The select and start buttons were flat membrane pressure buttons, but they failed and even before failure they were hard to press. A lot of NES games required use of those buttons to access inventory menus and such, so this was really bad!

[@FloppyDeepDive]

I didn't know that; I always learn something from Isaac! Thank you, sir!

[@phantomharlock999]

The problem with most of these C64 vs NES comparisons is that on almost every game past SMB the NES with its 4k of ram and 48k game limit gets hardware help from extra chips on the cartridges. C64 games, on the other hand, are purely driven by the Commodore itself with no help (can't put extra chips on a disk or tape). Also, just a heads up, you describe the terrible American Double Dragon for the C64 by Mastertronic but the video you used is of the equally terrible UK Ocean version. I actually prefer Double Dragon II on the C64. I felt it was a total redemption for the first game. The soundtrack, in my opinion, is even better than the arcade version, shame you can't really hear it in the vid. Anyway, keep on keepin on man!

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks for your excellent insight and heads-up! Double Dragon II was pretty good on the C64 compared to the first one. When I prewrite my scripts and then add a video, I need to make sure my version matches; thanks for keeping me honest; I didn't even notice in the edit. Always trying to get better. Appreciate it and thanks for watching!

[@Kenneth-cn8dx]

You should try Dick Tracy on the master system, great game.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out!

[@aussie_retro_dude9253]

Grew up with the NES. Personally i think most games in comparison are better on the NES but i can still see the charm of the c64 versions. Arch Rivals was also a classic NES basketball game that is worth checking out.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

I enjoyed Arch Rivals!

[@ArttuTheCat]

I still meow as a big fan of the Commodore 64 - as you may have guessed 😹👍. DEFENDER OF THE CROWN looks better on the Commodore 64 😺👍 than on the NES. DONKEY KONG looks and sounds much better on the NES 😺👍🕹️ than on the Commodore 64 😹. DIG DUG looks and sounds actually as awesome on the Commodore as on the NES 😺👍🕹️🕹️. DRAGON'S LAIR seems much better on the Commodore 64 😺👍🕹️ than on the NES 😹. And finally, DOUBLE DRAGON II is a legendary and brilliant classic arcade conversion on the NES 😺👍🕹️. Thank you 😸😺👍.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Like your review of them! Thanks for watching!

[@MegaasAlexandros]

Enjoyable video. In it you showed the U.S. version of Double Dragon which no doubt was ordinary, the European version for those that don't know (although hard to believe) is worse still. I like the game selection as these comparisons could have been made with literally hundreds of games but the ones chosen are some of the most popular and iconic ones which I'm sure people appreciate. Back to Double Dragin, I believe it's a Melbourne house produced game, as a citizen of Melbourne all my life ild like to apologise for tormenting and disappointing the c64 gamers world over.

[@jorgeandrade20]

The C64 was released in 82 and the NES in 84 so it's expected that NES would outperform the C64 in my opinion.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks for watching!

[@paulcanniff4308]

NES ports are better 95% of the time. I play C64 for the games I can't play on NES, like text adventures, the Windham Classics games (Below The Root, Alice In Wonderland, etc.), and a lot of obscure games that you can't play on NES.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Those are great games! Thanks for Watching!

[@dempseydiscus]

Thanks for the video, I would say, that the NES mostly - well not exactly wipe the floor with the C64, but the NES seems superior in comparison.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks for watching!

[@LUCKO2022]

The problem being is the NES had all the good developers locked up in exclusive contracts while C64 got the leftovers sadly. The C64 is quite a capable machine when in the right hands. It still surprises me when people come up with games like Sam's Journey or Souless 2 and stuff like that.

[@scottythegreat1]

@@LUCKO2022 I wouldnt go that far. Most good C64 games were released before the NES took the market by storm (it really took until 1987 before the NES was huge). Japan never got the C64, and its mostly because Jack Tramiel was very anti-Japanese. Japanese companies had exclusive contracts. American and European companies were hesitant to sign up as an exclusive developer (Acclaim/LJN and Rare being the big non-Japanese companies). Not only that, but a lot of non-Japanese companies didnt like the high cost of making the games that had to be paid up front, be told how many cartridges Nintendo would make only Nintendo would make the cartridges, they couldnt do it themselves, and that Nintendo had to approve every game so it would be non-religious, and not excessively violent and had a game name that was approved by Nintendo (ie. Final Fantasy 1,4 and 6 were 1,2 and 3 in North America because 2,3 and 5 werent released in North America. But when Squaresoft moved over to Sony, it was Final Fantasy 7 in all regions. Sony didnt care, Nintendo did).

[@SlickyNL]

why is your video titel in dutch?

[@FloppyDeepDive]

I do subtitles for my videos. I assume you are in a Dutch region for KZbin to show it in Dutch.

[@saddq1]

Ik zou toch duidelijk zeggen dat de NES betere graphics had

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks for watching!

[@Mentally_Ill_Simp]

YEEHAW!

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Yippe Ki-Yay!

[@dennyhaynes3]

This is in my opinion, i appreciate people have others. 1. Donkey Kong, both good versions but I'd say the C64 takes this round. 2. Dig Dug, id say a draw on this one. 3. Defender of the crown, definitely the C64 version. 4. Dragons lair, i had the C64 version and i did like this format. NES, nope. 5. Double Dragon, i dont like with but nes takes this round. 6. Dick Tracy, big pass on both. 7. Die Hard, C64 for me. 8. Double dragon 2, NES takes this round. 9. Donkey kong jnr, both look great. 10. Double dribble, to be honest this game isn't my thing, both look ok.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Great list!!

[@tallguy0076]

Double dragon was a disappointment for us on the c64. I don't remember playing it on nes, I was late getting a nes as my dad wouldn't buy it.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

It sure was!

[@marcin.the.gamer.]

These games are outdated, way beyond C64 capabilities. Just look modern games on C64. They look just like 16 bit quality. C64 overall is greater machine, because NES does.not have and isnt capable of any 3D games. While 3D have hindreds of old and new 3d games. That makes him overall much greater and more universall gaming machine. 3D is big business.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks for watching!

[@davidaitken8503]

Ugh. These port comparison videos are a waste of time if you want to show off what either of these systems were truly capable of.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

It's more about comparing games. Thanks for Watching!

[@davidaitken8503]

@@FloppyDeepDive I know, but it just seems like the most interesting games were usually system exclusives.

[@janhallholm9043]

Commodore 64 Rules And NES Sucks

[@FloppyDeepDive]

Thanks for watching!

[@LUCKO2022]

Hey, why did you only show the Ocean Double Dragon for C64? What about the even shittier Melbourne House version? It deserved to be featured to to show how shitty it is.

[@FloppyDeepDive]

I agree 100% I should have shown the MH version.

[@LUCKO2022]

@FloppyDeepDive I remember getting the MH version for Xmas the year it came out. So disappointed. I knew the C64 could do better.