he Commodore 64. My first computer. Great, and at the same time extremely primitive, like many computers in those days. Great sound, but nonsensical graphic limitations. Sprites and multicolor capabilities, but extremely slow tape and disk drive access. Many great games, but poor and slow BASIC interpreter.

It was a pure pleasure to work with, to look at, and to listen to. In fact I'm still listening to SID music right now. My C64 is bust, but there has been an emulator on every computer I have used since then.

You have reached Memory lane (check your GPS, I think it's got issues). If you're like me, then you'll feel at ease. Follow me.

ometimes, when looking at an emulated C64 game, I get a strong urge to take a screenshot, and then try and enhance it, without breaking the limitations of the original computer, so that it could theoretically be possible to actually use the new graphics in the original game.

That's quite presumptuous. In most cases, this is not as easy as it seems at first. But in some rare occasions I come up with some interesting results.

I've even created a small program that checks the picture against the C64 limitations. I know, I know what you think. And yes, I agree.

Now don't you want to see what your favorite game looks like when I'm in charge? Then follow one of the following links and find out.

s soon as I got my hands on my Commodore 64, I started drawing pictures and designing BASIC games. I didn't have any drawing program at the time. Remember, back then, there was no Internet and if you had no friends with a C64, then you were on your own.

So I did what I could. I drew pictures on cross-ruled paper sheets, converted each 8x8 block of pixels to a decimal value by hand, then wrote BASIC programs to store that in the C64 memory, along with color information, using neverending DATA lists and POKE loops.

It was pure madness. It was tiresome beyond belief. It was great fun. Good times.

ere are the 10 Commodore 64 games that had the strongest influence on me over the years. There may have been better games, more beautiful games, but these are the games that matter to me.

For each one, you get a description, instructions whenever possible, some screenshots, and finally a short review of the game.