Top 10 Commodore 64 Games

Top 10 Commodore 64 Games: The Best C64 Games Ever!

Games every Commodore 64 owner should play

I grew up with a Spectrum and a BBC Micro, so the Commodore 64 was always the machine on the other side of the playground argument. That doesn’t stop me having a list of favourites, and this is it: the C64 games that, even 40 years later, I think are the best on the breadbin.

In the playground, Spectrum owners like me boasted about price and the sheer size of our software library, and BBC Micro owners pointed at their graphics and the school connection. C64 owners had the SID chip, hardware sprites that didn’t suffer the Spectrum’s attribute clash, and a machine that kept getting better as programmers learned its tricks. Looking back, they had a point.

Commodore 64 “Breadbin”

There are some notable exclusions, such as the epic adventure of Maniac Mansion, Defender of the Crown’s cinematic presentation, and the Epyx sports series that started with Summer Games. Some of my choices may surprise you – particularly my number one, a controversial platformer that many consider the finest example of its genre on the machine, despite the legal troubles that limited its availability.

Why the Commodore 64 was built for gaming

I have included games spanning the C64’s entire lifespan, from early cassette classics through to mid-era games that showed the platform at its creative peak. The C64’s combination of superior audio, smooth scrolling and colourful graphics made it ideal for polished arcade-style games, and it had a remarkably long commercial life. Remember this was a time when loading a game meant listening to those distinctive warbling sounds for several minutes.

So, here’s my countdown…

10 – Boulder Dash

First Star Software – 1984

Peter Liepa’s underground gem was deceptively simple yet fiendishly addictive. Playing as Rockford the explorer, you had to dig through caves collecting diamonds while avoiding falling boulders and deadly fireflies. What seemed like a straightforward concept revealed incredible depth and strategy.

Boulderdash Commodore 64 screenshot

The physics engine was revolutionary for its time – rocks would fall realistically, creating chain reactions that could either help or hinder your progress. Each of the 16 caves required different tactics, and the construction kit that came with later versions let players create their own challenges.

The game spawned countless imitators but none matched the balance of puzzle-solving and arcade action that made Boulder Dash so compelling. Easy to learn, very hard to master.

9 – Elite

Acornsoft/Firebird – 1985

Space trading has never been more addictive than in Elite. This groundbreaking game featured a massive universe with eight galaxies and 2,048 star systems to explore, all squeezed into the C64’s memory through ingenious mathematical generation techniques.

Elite Commodore 64 screenshot

Starting with a basic Cobra Mk III and 100 credits, you had to trade your way up from “Harmless” to the coveted “Elite” rating. The choice was yours – become a peaceful trader, a ruthless pirate, or a bounty hunter taking on the galaxy’s most wanted criminals. The wire-frame 3D graphics were revolutionary, and the sense of freedom was unprecedented in gaming.

Every space-sim that followed owes a debt to Elite’s pioneering design.

8 – The Last Ninja

System 3 – 1987

Armakuni’s quest for revenge was like nothing seen before on the C64. The Last Ninja combined beautiful isometric graphics with martial arts combat, puzzle-solving, and atmospheric sound design that showed what the SID chip could really do.

The Last Ninja Commodore 64

Playing as the ninja Armakuni, you fought your way across the island of Lin Fen to face the evil Shogun Kunitoki, using a control system that made combat feel weighty and deliberate. The game’s presentation was cinematic, with each screen looking like a work of art.

The learning curve was steep – this wasn’t a game you could master in an afternoon – but persistence was rewarded with one of the most atmospheric adventures ever created on 8-bit hardware.

7 – Paradroid

Hewson – 1985

Andrew Braybrook’s robot-blasting masterpiece proved that original gameplay concepts could still emerge from simple premises. Playing as Influence Device 001, you had to clear a spaceship of rogue droids by taking control of them in a unique puzzle-based mini-game.

Paradroid C64

Each droid had different capabilities, and part of the strategy involved choosing which robots to possess for different situations. The transfer mini-game, where you had to connect circuits faster than your opponent, was genius in its simplicity.

With 20 decks to clear and increasingly dangerous opposition, Paradroid offered perfect arcade action with a strategic twist that kept you coming back for “just one more go.” I’ve written up the full story behind Paradroid, including the diary Braybrook wrote for Zzap!64 while making it.

6 – California Games

Epyx – 1987

While Summer Games established Epyx’s reputation, California Games perfected their formula. This celebration of 1980s West Coast culture featured six events that captured the laid-back California lifestyle, from skateboarding to surfing.

All 6 events in California Games C64

Each event was perfectly crafted, with the BMX racing and skateboarding events being particular highlights. The game oozed personality, from its sun-drenched graphics to the brilliant soundtrack that made perfect use of the SID chip’s capabilities.

California Games let up to eight players take turns, which made it a natural party game, and the sun-drenched graphics made everyone want to grab a board and head to the beach.

5 – Impossible Mission

Epyx – 1984

“Stay a while… stay forever!” Professor Elvin Atombender’s taunting voice welcomed players to a game that lived up to its title. This platform-adventure hybrid tasked you with infiltrating the professor’s underground complex to stop his doomsday device.

Impossible Mission C64

What made Impossible Mission special was its non-linear structure. You could tackle the rooms in any order, searching for puzzle pieces while avoiding the deadly robots patrolling each area. The digitised speech was groundbreaking for 1984, and the smooth animation made your secret agent character feel incredibly responsive.

It was genuinely difficult, requiring both quick reflexes and puzzle-solving skills. But when you finally cracked that safe combination, the satisfaction was immense.

4 – Wizball

Ocean – 1987

Sensible Software’s psychedelic shooter was like nothing else on the C64. Playing as a wizard transformed into a green bouncing ball, you had to restore colour to a world drained of its vibrancy by an evil force.

Wizball Commodore 64

The physics-based movement took some getting used to – your wizard-ball bounced constantly, and controlling direction required careful momentum management. But once mastered, the game revealed incredible depth, with different power-ups and the ability to control a cat familiar adding strategic layers.

With its surreal humour, innovative gameplay mechanics, and gorgeous graphics that showcased the restored colours beautifully, Wizball was a one-off. Some might call it weird, but that was the point.

3 – International Karate + (aka IK+)

System 3 – 1987

The sequel to International Karate refined everything that made the original great and added a crucial third fighter. The three-way battles were intense affairs where timing and strategy mattered more than button-mashing.

International Karate + (IK+) on the Commodore 64

Each fighter had multiple moves, the animation was smooth and realistic, and the sound effects had real impact. This was as close as you could get to being in a kung-fu movie.

The two-on-one dynamics created unique strategies – sometimes you’d find temporary allies, other times you’d be fighting for your life against two opponents. Every match felt like a story unfolding.

2 – Bubble Bobble

Taito – 1987

Bub and Bob’s quest to rescue their girlfriends created one of the most addictive co-operative experiences ever designed. This deceptively simple platformer had you trapping enemies in bubbles and popping them for points across 100 increasingly challenging levels.

Bubble Bobble Commodore 64

The genius was in the details – the way bubbles behaved, the variety of power-ups, and the intricate level designs that rewarded both cooperation and competition between players. The cute graphics belied a game of surprising depth and challenge.

Playing Bubble Bobble with a friend was gaming perfection: shared triumphs, shared disasters, and desperate attempts to rescue each other from seemingly impossible situations.

1 – The Great Giana Sisters

Rainbow Arts – 1987

Yes, it was clearly inspired by a certain Italian plumber’s adventures, but The Great Giana Sisters was brilliant enough to stand on its own merits. This platformer featured some of the smoothest scrolling and most responsive controls ever seen on the C64.

Great Giana Sisters C64

Playing as Giana (and later her sister Maria), you explored 32 levels of pure platforming perfection. The power-up system that transformed you from a small girl to a powerful punk was brilliantly implemented, and the level design was consistently excellent throughout.

The soundtrack by Chris Hülsbeck was superb – catchy tunes that perfectly complemented the on-screen action. Nintendo’s lawyers made sure it didn’t stay in the shops for long (more on that in the FAQ below).

This was the C64 at its absolute peak – a game that showed what the machine could do in the right hands.

The best Commodore 64 Games that didn’t make the top 10

Ocean, System 3 and Rainbow Arts all made the countdown, and any of them could have had more places. Here are the five I came closest to including:

• Maniac Mansion – Lucasfilm Games’ adventure masterpiece that pioneered the SCUMM interface and launched a thousand point-and-click adventures
• Turrican 2 – Manfred Trenz’s late-era technical masterpiece that pushed the C64 beyond what anyone thought possible, with some of the most impressive graphics and sound ever achieved on 8-bit hardware
• Kick Off 2 – Dino Dini’s football simulation that captured the beautiful game like no other
• Defender of the Crown – Cinemaware’s medieval strategy game that showed what cinematic gaming could be
• Summer Games – The Epyx sports classic that started the Games series phenomenon and revolutionised multiplayer sports gaming

From the Spectrum side of the playground, the C64 was the machine with the better tunes and the smoother scrolling, and my top three (Giana Sisters, Bubble Bobble and IK+) show why better than any spec sheet. VICE or TheC64 (see the FAQ) is the easiest way to try them now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the best-selling Commodore 64 game?

While exact sales figures are difficult to verify, games like Summer Games, California Games, and The Bard’s Tale were among the biggest commercial successes. However, “best-selling” doesn’t always mean “best” – many of the most beloved C64 games had smaller commercial runs but huge cultural impact.

How many games were made for the Commodore 64?

Estimates suggest there were between 10,000-15,000 games released for the C64 during its lifespan, making it one of the largest software libraries of any home computer. This includes everything from major commercial releases to homebrew titles and demos.

What made Commodore 64 games different from other platforms?

The C64’s standout feature was its SID sound chip, which delivered music and sound effects far superior to competitors like the ZX Spectrum’s simple beeper. The machine also excelled at smooth scrolling and colourful graphics, though it did suffer from some limitations like sprite flickering when too many objects appeared on screen.

Were Commodore 64 games better than Spectrum games?

It depends which side of the playground you stood on, and I was firmly on the Spectrum side. C64 games generally had better sound and smoother graphics, while Spectrum games were cheaper and the platform had a larger overall software library. Many games appeared on both systems, often with notable differences – C64 versions typically had superior audio and visual effects. My Top 10 Spectrum games gives the other side of the argument.

Can you still play Commodore 64 games today?

You can use emulators like VICE (free) on modern computers, or purchase mini retro consoles like TheC64 Mini/Maxi. Many classic C64 games are also available on modern platforms through digital stores, though purists prefer the authentic experience of original hardware or accurate emulation.

What was the last game released for Commodore 64?

Commercially, games were still being released into the mid-1990s, and titles like Sam’s Journey (2017) prove the homebrew scene keeps the platform alive. The C64 had an incredibly long commercial lifespan compared to other 8-bit machines.

Why was The Great Giana Sisters banned?

Nintendo’s legal team issued cease and desist orders due to the game’s obvious similarities to Super Mario Bros. This forced Rainbow Arts to halt distribution, making original copies incredibly rare and valuable today. Ironically, this controversy has made it one of the most famous C64 games.

Which Commodore 64 games are worth money today?

Original boxed copies of rare games like The Great Giana Sisters, certain Ultimate titles, and limited releases can fetch hundreds or even thousands of pounds. However, condition is crucial – boxed games in mint condition are worth significantly more than loose cartridges or damaged packaging.

Did the Commodore 64 have better games than consoles?

The C64 competed admirably with consoles of its era like the NES/Famicom. While consoles had some advantages in terms of dedicated gaming hardware, the C64’s computer capabilities allowed for more complex games, better music, and genres like adventure games and simulations that were rare on consoles.

What was the Commodore 64’s biggest advantage over other computers?

The SID sound chip was revolutionary – nothing else in the 8-bit computer world could match its musical capabilities. Combined with competitive pricing, decent graphics, and a huge software library, it made the C64 the complete package for home users who wanted both gaming and computing capabilities.