The Commodore 64 amassed a large software library of nearly 10,000 commercial titles, covering genres from games to business applications.
The Commodore 64’s slow 1541 disk drive limited its suitability as a business computer,[1] yet it was used for tasks like graphics creation, desktop publishing, and word processing.[2] Info 64, the first magazine produced using desktop publishing tools, was created on and dedicated to the Commodore platform.[3]
Popular graphics software included KoalaPainter, known for its graphics tablet interface,[4] and Doodle!, a widely used drawing program.[5] Desktop publishing tools like The Print Shop and "The Newsroom" enabled users to create signs, banners, and newsletters.[6][7] Light pens and CAD software were also available.[8]
Word processors such as PaperClip and Vizawrite were popular,[9][10] alongside the type-in program SpeedScript, published in Compute!'s Gazette.[11] Spreadsheet programs included Multiplan by Microsoft[12] and Calc Result,[13] while Vizastar offered integrated software features.[14] Office suites like Mini Office II and software from Data Becker were also available.[15][16]
The GEOS operating system provided a graphical interface akin to the early Apple Macintosh, with office applications and support for peripherals like printers and light pens.[17] It gained popularity for its affordability and capabilities.[18]
Music software included Music Construction Set and MIDI cartridges,[19] with the modern Prophet64 cartridge offering advanced sequencing and synthesis.[20]
Think back for a minute to the first program you ever saw on a Commodore 64. Chances are it was a game, if you've had a 64 for more than a couple of years.
— Compute!'s Gazette, 1986[21]
By 1985, games comprised 60–70% of Commodore 64 software,[22] driven by its advanced sound and graphics hardware. Over 23,000 unique game titles were released.[23]
Notable titles included International Soccer, Impossible Mission, and Epyx’s multievent series (Summer Games, Winter Games, World Games, and California Games).[24] Other significant games were Boulder Dash, The Sentinel, and Elite.[25] Budget games from Mastertronic and Codemasters were popular on cassette.[26] In 1993, Mayhem in Monsterland earned a 100% rating from Commodore Format for its graphics and gameplay.[27]
The Commodore 64 featured a large library of type-in programs published in magazines like Compute!'s Gazette, Ahoy!, and RUN.[28] Disk magazines like Loadstar provided ready-to-run programs.[29] BBSs distributed public domain and freeware software via services like Q-Link and CompuServe.[30]
Software piracy was prevalent, with warez groups like Fairlight distributing cracked software via BBSs and sneakernets.[31] Tools like Fast Hack'em bypassed copy protection.[32]
The Commodore 64 shipped with BASIC 2.0, limited in accessing advanced features, requiring PEEK and POKE or extensions like Simons' BASIC.[33] Commodore opted for BASIC 2.0 to reduce costs.[34]
The SID chip enabled music software like Kawasaki Synthesizer and Music Construction Set.[35][36] Modern tools include GoatTracker.[37]
Development tools included assemblers like MIKRO and compilers for C and Pascal.[38] Game creation kits like SEUCK and GameMaker were popular.[39]
Current tools include CBM prg Studio, Relaunch64, and assemblers like Kick Assembler and cc65.[40][41]
Preservation efforts involve transferring software to modern media and developing emulators like VICE.[42] The GameBase 64 project catalogs nearly 29,000 titles.[43]
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