Deal: Relive the C64 glory days – 99,000 games free to play

The Commodore C64 is a home computer that gained great popularity in the 1980s - not least because of the many games that were one of the most important selling points for the computer. It is estimated that between 12.5 and 30 million C64s were sold worldwide in the 11 years since its launch in 1982.

Although there are no official sales figures, the C64 was the best-selling computer of its time. Company founder Jack Tramiel summed it up perfectly: "We need to build computers for the masses, not the classes!" 

Almost every major computer game of the 1980s was developed for the C64, including classics such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, the Nintendo's Mario-inspired Great Giana Sisters, International Soccer, Katakis and numerous arcade games.

Even in the early 90s, C64 games still dominated the scene, and still today (hobby) programmers are developing new titles for the C64. If you want to get an idea of the early days of the games industry, you should take a look at the Internet Archive which offers almost 99,000 games and applications free of charge - conveniently playable in your browser. There is also a small selection of games for the Amiga and Atari. The collection of free games is not new, but certainly still unknown to many.

Popular C64 games and famous publishers

 It is difficult to compile a list of highlights, as the sheer number of games available means that different titles leave a deep impression on each individual. For action fans, we recommend Airborne Ranger, Apocalypse Now, Choplifter and Wings of Fury. For sports enthusiasts, Ballblazer, Summer Games, Decathlon, Hyper Sports or Winter Games are worth mentioning.

Many of the publishers of the time were pioneers and shaped the C64 era, but have since disappeared - including Epyx, System 3, Mastertronic and Ocean Software - although some, such as Activision, Electronic Arts and Konami, have made it to the present day. If you love retro games, want to learn more about them, or just want to relive the golden age of computing, the Internet Archive has a huge selection of games for you to play. 

Prices are subject to change. The offer was available at the time of publication of the article, but may be limited in time or quantity. All information without guarantee.