The Commodore 64 vs. The NES - Which Did You Prefer?

vs.

The Commodore 64 was a computer that lasted a long time and had a large library of video games dating from the early 80s all the way into the early 90s. Many say the latter half of the C64's life gave us games that rivaled the quality of NES games.

What do you think?

I loved my Commodore 64 until it died. I learned BASIC programming on it. Some of the first "PC" games I ever played were on the C64. But dang do the load time hurt it, IMO. It literally has some of the worst load times in gaming history. I could set up a program to load, then go in my kitchen and grab some stuff to eat, use the bathroom, come back and still wait a few moments. I've seen the Epyx Fast-Load cartridge, but never did get a hold of one before my C64 died.

The NES wasn't around for as long nor does it have as large of a library of games, but I think the instant load-times and the Nintendo first-party games more than make up for that. And the controller is so much more comfortable to use. I know the C64 has the same connection as the Genesis, which you'd assume you could use a Genesis controller on it like the Atari 2600, but I've heard stories of Genesis controllers being shorted out when used this way on the C64.

I preferred the NES over the C64. But, I preferred the Amiga over the NES.

I preferred the NES, but the Atari 2600 was my favorite console of all time.

I have never played a single game on the Commodore that could rival anything on the NES (except, maybe, Wasteland). The games took forever to load, normally were ColecoVision in gameplay quality, and every C64 I've ever used was finnicky beyond belief.

It wasn't bad by any means, but PC gaming, for me, didn't start until Wolfenstein released.

I have never played a single game on the Commodore that could rival anything on the NES (except, maybe, Wasteland). The games took forever to load, normally were ColecoVision in gameplay quality, and every C64 I've ever used was finnicky beyond belief.

It wasn't bad by any means, but PC gaming, for me, didn't start until Wolfenstein released.

WiiCubeM1

Check this game out, the intro alone is impressive, then you get to the gameplay and it looks like sometihng from TurboGrafx-16 or Sega Genesis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGORGhA6JLA

[QUOTE="WiiCubeM1"]

I have never played a single game on the Commodore that could rival anything on the NES (except, maybe, Wasteland). The games took forever to load, normally were ColecoVision in gameplay quality, and every C64 I've ever used was finnicky beyond belief.

It wasn't bad by any means, but PC gaming, for me, didn't start until Wolfenstein released.

Emerald_Warrior

Check this game out, the intro alone is impressive, then you get to the gameplay and it looks like sometihng from TurboGrafx-16 or Sega Genesis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGORGhA6JLA

Dang. Shut me up on that aspect at least.

I'm not too familiar with the C64 so I can't really comment on it.

I will say that I always felt it's games ran a bit too slow, but there's no denying it had the best western RPGs out of the two (love Pool of Radiance)

also, I always wanted to try this game the version here is the colecovision, but there was also a C64 version

it's like legend of zelda before the legend of zelda :P

I'm not too familiar with the C64 so I can't really comment on it.

I will say that I always felt it's games ran a bit too slow, but there's no denying it had the best western RPGs out of the two (love Pool of Radiance)

also, I always wanted to try this game the version here is the colecovision, but there was also a C64 version

it's like legend of zelda before the legend of zelda :P

rilpas

A better comparison would be Commodore 64 vs Spectrum ZX imo.

Because, you know, they were computers while NES was a games console and more competition for Master System and Atari 7800 (or vice versa).

Anyway, I never played an actual C-64 but I will say that I like the NES the most out of the 8-bit systems (and since I had a ZX I would have to pick the Speccy anyway; I will say that Speccy had more colorful games than C-64, despite a worse sound chip than C-64 and no dedicated graphics chip; It costed less too).

When I was a kid, I mostly stuck to Atari & Nintendo. So I prefer Nintendo, although I had heard nice things about Commodore 64 & it's games in the later years, in fact I never heard of it back then.

A better comparison would be Commodore 64 vs Spectrum ZX imo.

Because, you know, they were computers while NES was a games console and more competition for Master System and Atari 7800 (or vice versa).

Anyway, I never played an actual C-64 but I will say that I like the NES the most out of the 8-bit systems (and since I had a ZX I would have to pick the Speccy anyway; I will say that Speccy had more colorful games than C-64, despite a worse sound chip than C-64 and no dedicated graphics chip; It costed less too).

nameless12345

You've got to be mixed up somewhere. ZX Spectrum had limited color, Commodore 64 didn't have this problem at all. Here's an example with a common game, Double Dragon:

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

A better comparison would be Commodore 64 vs Spectrum ZX imo.

Because, you know, they were computers while NES was a games console and more competition for Master System and Atari 7800 (or vice versa).

Anyway, I never played an actual C-64 but I will say that I like the NES the most out of the 8-bit systems (and since I had a ZX I would have to pick the Speccy anyway; I will say that Speccy had more colorful games than C-64, despite a worse sound chip than C-64 and no dedicated graphics chip; It costed less too).

Emerald_Warrior

You've got to be mixed up somewhere. ZX Spectrum had limited color, Commodore 64 didn't have this problem at all. Here's an example with a common game, Double Dragon:

the best computer to compare the C64 to , would be the Atari 800XL , both have their advantages over the other.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

A better comparison would be Commodore 64 vs Spectrum ZX imo.

Because, you know, they were computers while NES was a games console and more competition for Master System and Atari 7800 (or vice versa).

Anyway, I never played an actual C-64 but I will say that I like the NES the most out of the 8-bit systems (and since I had a ZX I would have to pick the Speccy anyway; I will say that Speccy had more colorful games than C-64, despite a worse sound chip than C-64 and no dedicated graphics chip; It costed less too).

Emerald_Warrior

You've got to be mixed up somewhere. ZX Spectrum had limited color, Commodore 64 didn't have this problem at all. Here's an example with a common game, Double Dragon:

Depends which game:

C-64 had a bit washed-out colors (right one is CPC btw).

By far, the C64 version of games were the better version. There are exceptions, like with any comparisons, but it's not the norm, by any means.

By far, the C64 version of games were the better version. There are exceptions, like with any comparisons, but it's not the norm, by any means.

Emerald_Warrior

The argument was that Spectrum had a more "vivid" color pallete (hence the name of the system).

Of course C-64 was better at graphics and sound due to dedicated hardware, but it also costed considerably more.

[QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

By far, the C64 version of games were the better version. There are exceptions, like with any comparisons, but it's not the norm, by any means.

nameless12345

The argument was that Spectrum had a more "vivid" color pallete (hence the name of the system).

Of course C-64 was better at graphics and sound due to dedicated hardware, but it also costed considerably more.

[QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

By far, the C64 version of games were the better version. There are exceptions, like with any comparisons, but it's not the norm, by any means.

nameless12345

The argument was that Spectrum had a more "vivid" color pallete (hence the name of the system).

Of course C-64 was better at graphics and sound due to dedicated hardware, but it also costed considerably more.

To each his own, I guess. But I don't see how anyone could consider a small handful of unrealistically bright colors looks better than the various natural colors of the Commodore 64.

The one thing I will say about the C64 is it had much better sound than the NES. I think the NES beats it in most other regards though, esp. as far as the games library and controllers are concerned.

NES is WAY better for fast and exciting games, but it's not quite comparing an apple to an apple. The C64 is more like a computer and the NES is purely a console.

My neighbor had a C64 growing up, and I loved it. "Turican", killer ports of stuff like "Dig-Dug"... I recall a text-based adventure of "Nine Princes in Amber", and even "ZORK" if I'm not mistaken. The NES was good, but the 64 had more depth, over-all, possible.

I think I still have cuts and callouses on my hands from "Summer Games" on the 64. "Meeeeemo-rieeeeees, like the corners of my mind..."

:lol:

NES is WAY better for fast and exciting games, but it's not quite comparing an apple to an apple. The C64 is more like a computer and the NES is purely a console.

Talldude80

Yes, but the C64 was the most console-like computer out there. It definetly had a much larger focus on gaming than other computers at the time. And it even hooked up to your T.V. like a console.

[QUOTE="Talldude80"]

NES is WAY better for fast and exciting games, but it's not quite comparing an apple to an apple. The C64 is more like a computer and the NES is purely a console.

Emerald_Warrior

Yes, but the C64 was the most console-like computer out there. It definetly had a much larger focus on gaming than other computers at the time. And it even hooked up to your T.V. like a console.

[QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

[QUOTE="Talldude80"]

NES is WAY better for fast and exciting games, but it's not quite comparing an apple to an apple. The C64 is more like a computer and the NES is purely a console.

Darkman2007

Yes, but the C64 was the most console-like computer out there. It definetly had a much larger focus on gaming than other computers at the time. And it even hooked up to your T.V. like a console.

To be honest all popular 80s 8-bit home computers were game-oriented as they had limited business and artistic capabilities.

People who were dealing with graphics and sound were mostly using Amiga and people who were doing business were mostly using IBM PC or Apple 2.

So the 8-bit machines were mostly used for simple programming and gaming (altho Commodore did try to market the C-64 as a cheap business/work machine; Besides running games.).

And the C-64 did get a console version - the C-64GS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_Games_System

[QUOTE="Darkman2007"][QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

Yes, but the C64 was the most console-like computer out there. It definetly had a much larger focus on gaming than other computers at the time. And it even hooked up to your T.V. like a console.

nameless12345

To be honest all popular 80s 8-bit home computers were game-oriented as they had limited business and artistic capabilities.

People who were dealing with graphics and sound were mostly using Amiga and people who were doing business were mostly using IBM PC or Apple 2.

So the 8-bit machines were mostly used for simple programming and gaming (altho Commodore did try to market the C-64 as a cheap business/work machine; Besides running games.).

And the C-64 did get a console version - the C-64GS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_Games_System

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="Darkman2007"] I don't know, the Atari 8 bit computers were very game oriented, hardware and all. if anything Id say the PC was the one probably least suited to gaming, really until the very late 80s there were always better computers out there for games, be it the C64 and Atari 8bit early on , or the Amiga and Atari ST later on.Darkman2007

To be honest all popular 80s 8-bit home computers were game-oriented as they had limited business and artistic capabilities.

People who were dealing with graphics and sound were mostly using Amiga and people who were doing business were mostly using IBM PC or Apple 2.

So the 8-bit machines were mostly used for simple programming and gaming (altho Commodore did try to market the C-64 as a cheap business/work machine; Besides running games.).

And the C-64 did get a console version - the C-64GS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_Games_System

But for business use Apple II and IBM PC were dominating, regardless of their worse graphical and sound capabilites and higher price.

[QUOTE="Darkman2007"][QUOTE="nameless12345"]

To be honest all popular 80s 8-bit home computers were game-oriented as they had limited business and artistic capabilities.

People who were dealing with graphics and sound were mostly using Amiga and people who were doing business were mostly using IBM PC or Apple 2.

So the 8-bit machines were mostly used for simple programming and gaming (altho Commodore did try to market the C-64 as a cheap business/work machine; Besides running games.).

And the C-64 did get a console version - the C-64GS:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_64_Games_System

nameless12345

But for business use Apple II and IBM PC were dominating, regardless of their worse graphical and sound capabilites and higher price.

I preferred the NES over the C64. But, I preferred the Amiga over the NES.

jun_aka_pekto

I had a friend who owned an Atari 800, and we used to go to the computer store and damned if this fool wouldn't just shop-lift the PISS out of the place, over and over and over... Games back then were on floppies, and the bags for them were often just zip-locks (I'm sure the games were run off onto disc, and bagged up by the guys who programmed them) - There were no security systems, so he would purchase a game and go lift about four more... This was the EARLY 1980s, and I'm not proud of him, or my complicity... But it was a different time. We were punk kids. Listening to Sex Pistols records and thumbing our nose at the conventional world.

:oops:

Anyway, he had just about every game there was for that thing. We played ALL the early "Ultima", there was a fantastic treasure hunting game about salvaging stuff from ship wrecks... Things seemed so new and impossible. A new wonder was just a bike ride and some stolen discs away, and we were ADDICTED.

I had a gigantic exposure to early gaming because of this klepto-idiot friend of mine... He would even lift stuff for another friend of ours who had an Apple II, "Wolfenstein", "Wizardry".

I had an IBM 286, so I had stuff like "ZORK", and "Microsoft Adventure", and "Oubliette" which was an OUTSTANDING game...