The 10 Best Commodore 64 Games... Ever.

(According to Lunduke)

What follows is the most important list of Commodore 64 games ever assembled.

This is not your traditional, run-of-the-mill “top 10 C64” list. No sir-ee-bob. You won’t find “top 10” list staples like IK+, The Sentinel, or Wizball here.

What you will find are games that Lunduke deems “totally awesome.” Games so good — so absolutely amazing — that their mere existence immediately makes the Commodore 64 a “must own” computer for gaming.

And, just to make it hard on myself, I’m going to rank them. Starting with number 10…

#10 - Bubble Bobble (1987)

Bubble Bobble is a staple of nearly every 8-bit computer and gaming platform. It’s simple, fun, and easy on the eyes. Is it the absolute best game for the C64? Not a chance. But it is always a welcome addition to any collection.

#9 - M.U.L.E. (1983)

M.U.L.E. is not the most graphically impressive game on this list. No. That’s an understatement. It is, without question, the ugliest game on this list. And the controls are a bit funky.

But, you know what? It’s tremendously fun. A simple, approachable, and infinitely re-playable strategy game.

#8 - Maniac Mansion (1987)

I’m a big fan of adventure games — of all varieties. And Lucas Arts made some truly spectacular versions of two of their earliest point-and-click adventure titles available for the C65. Their most famous, Maniac Mansion, is an absolute marvel. A tremendously impressive example of what you can accomplish with a mere 64k of RAM.

Even though Maniac Mansion may have been their most well known adventure game for the 64… it wasn’t their best. That one comes later…

#7 - Wasteland (1988)

Wasteland is one of the most legendary RPGs for any system — it paved the way for so many games that came after it. Imagine Ultima… mixed with Fallout. Sorta. An apocalyptic future (in this case, the far distant future of… 1998… lol). Deep role playing. Excellent story line. Rewarding (and fun) exploration.

Wasteland is hard to beat. If you enjoy RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play through this one.

#6 - Prince of Persia (2011)

This one is a fascinating addition to the list… as it was released in 2011.

Seriously.

The Prince of Persia port to the C64 wasn’t developed until close to 30 years after the computer was first released. It was based on the source code for the original Apple II version of the game — and was lovingly ported as a passion project.

The result? Beautiful graphics. Amazingly fluid animation. This game pushes the C64 to its limits and beyond.

#5 - Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar (1986)

The first 6 Ultima games all had releases for the Commodore 64… but the one to beat remains Ultima IV.

Volumes could be written about the impact of the Ultima series (and Ultima IV, in particular) on the video game world — and, heck, on the overall world of fantasy role-playing. But, suffice to say, the C64 port (from the Apple II original) of Ultima IV is simply a fantastic game.

The graphics are… completely ok. Wasteland (#7 on this list) is far superior in that realm. But the gameplay and legacy of this game makes it a top 5. Easily.

#4 - Elite (1985)

3D space flight simulation. Dogfighting spaceships. Flying around between planets, trading goods.

Elite remains one of the most re-playable games for any platform.

Elite has found its way to so many 8-bit platforms. Which platform is best for playing Elite has been debated for years. Personally I enjoy the C64 version over the BBC Micro version. Though I may be in the minority on that one.

According to Ian Bell, one of the developers, “The best conversions were for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Acorn Archimedes.” Though Ian also handled the ports to the C64 (from the original BBC Micro) and Apple II.

#3 - Pirates! (1987)

#2 - Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (1988)

When people think of “Lucas Arts Adventure Games”… there are so many great titles that spring to mind. Two great Indiana Jones games. Maniac Mansion. Day of the Tentacle. Monkey Island. Sam & Max. Classics. All of them.

But there’s something truly excellent about Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders. Goofy as all heck. The plot is all over the place. The jokes are utterly ridiculous. This game is, in a word, unique.

Better than Maniac Mansion (which is superb). A classic that deserves its time in the spotlight.

#1 - Defender of the Crown (1987)

I love this game. It’s great for the Amiga. Great for the NES. Great for every platform it was ported to. And the C64 is no exception.

Simple, but challenging strategy. Easy to pick up, hard to master.

Plus a number of fun “arcade-ish” mini-games. Sword fighting. Jousting. Catapult launching to lay siege to castles. All of the mini games are short, simple, and add to the overall game-play.

The graphics on the C64 version are excellent. While it may not be as visually stunning as the Amiga original… it’s still pretty gosh darned impressive.

Thus, even though this is a port, it solidly earns the #1 spot on my list.

Go ahead. Disagree with me. If you dare.