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The [[Commodore 64]] amassed a large software library of nearly 10,000 commercial titles, covering genres from games to business applications.

== Applications, utility, and business software ==
The Commodore 64’s slow 1541 disk drive limited its suitability as a business computer,<ref name="ieee85">{{cite journal |last1=Perry |first1=Tekla S. |last2=Wallich |first2=Paul |date=March 1985 |title=Design case history: the Commodore 64 |journal=IEEE Spectrum |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=48–58 |doi=10.1109/MSPEC.1985.6370590 |s2cid=11900865 |url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/ns/pdfs/commodore64_mar1985.pdf |access-date=2011-11-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513181613/http://spectrum.ieee.org/ns/pdfs/commodore64_mar1985.pdf |archive-date=May 13, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> yet it was used for tasks like graphics creation, desktop publishing, and word processing.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Commodore 64: A Cultural Icon |url=https://www.retrocomputing.net/commodore64/ |website=Retrocomputing.net |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> ''[[Info 64]]'', the first magazine produced using desktop publishing tools, was created on and dedicated to the Commodore platform.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Info 64: The First Desktop Publishing Magazine |magazine=Compute! |date=January 1985 |url=https://archive.org/details/1985-01-compute-magazine |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

Popular graphics software included [[KoalaPad/Painter|KoalaPainter]], known for its [[graphics tablet]] interface,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=KoalaPainter Review |magazine=Compute! |date=December 1983 |url=https://archive.org/details/1983-12-compute-magazine |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> and Doodle!, a widely used drawing program.<ref>{{cite web |title=Doodle! for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=1234 |website=Lemon64 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> Desktop publishing tools like [[The Print Shop]] and "The Newsroom" enabled users to create signs, banners, and newsletters.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Print Shop for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/print-shop |website=MobyGames |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Newsroom: A Review |magazine=RUN |date=June 1986 |url=https://archive.org/details/run-magazine-30 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> [[Light pen]]s and [[Computer-aided design|CAD]] software were also available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Commodore 64 Peripherals |url=https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Peripherals |website=C64-Wiki |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

[[Image:C64 Multiplan.png|thumb|[[Multiplan]] - [[spreadsheet]] program developed by [[Microsoft]]]]

Word processors such as [[PaperClip]] and [[Vizawrite]] were popular,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=PaperClip: A Powerful Word Processor |magazine=Compute!'s Gazette |date=February 1984 |url=https://archive.org/details/1984-02-computegazette |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Vizawrite for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=5678 |website=Lemon64 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> alongside the [[type-in program]] [[SpeedScript]], published in ''[[Compute!'s Gazette]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=SpeedScript: A Powerful Word Processor |magazine=Compute!'s Gazette |date=May 1984 |url=https://archive.org/details/1984-05-computegazette |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> Spreadsheet programs included [[Multiplan]] by [[Microsoft]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Multiplan for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/multiplan |website=MobyGames |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> and [[Calc Result]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Calc Result for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=4321 |website=Lemon64 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> while [[Vizastar]] offered integrated software features.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vizastar for the Commodore 64 |url=http://www.personalcomputernews.co.uk/pcnb/html/075/personal_computer_news_075_vizastar.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130421030635/http://www.personalcomputernews.co.uk/pcnb/html/075/personal_computer_news_075_vizastar.html |archive-date=2013-04-21 |access-date=2023-10-15 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Office suites like [[Mini Office II]] and software from [[Data Becker]] were also available.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mini Office II for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/mini-office-ii |website=MobyGames |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Data Becker Software |url=https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Data_Becker |website=C64-Wiki |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

The [[GEOS (8-bit operating system)|GEOS]] operating system provided a graphical interface akin to the early [[Mac (computer)|Apple Macintosh]], with office applications and support for peripherals like printers and [[light pen]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=West |first=Raeto Collin |title=Programming the Commodore 64: The Definitive Guide |publisher=Compute! Publications |year=1985 |isbn=0-87455-001-7 |pages=400–405}}</ref> It gained popularity for its affordability and capabilities.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=GEOS: A New Era for the Commodore 64 |magazine=RUN |date=December 1986 |url=https://archive.org/details/run-magazine-36 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

Music software included [[Music Construction Set]] and [[MIDI]] cartridges,<ref>{{cite web |title=Music Construction Set for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/music-construction-set |website=MobyGames |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> with the modern [[Prophet64]] cartridge offering advanced sequencing and synthesis.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prophet64: A Modern Music Tool for the C64 |url=https://www.prophet64.com/ |website=Prophet64.com |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== Games ==
{{main|List of Commodore 64 games}}

{{quote|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<ref name="Yakal198606">{{cite magazine |last=Yakal |first=Kathy |date=June 1986 |title=The Evolution of Commodore Graphics |url=https://archive.org/details/1986-06-computegazette/page/n35 |magazine=Compute!'s Gazette |pages=34–42 |access-date=2019-06-18}}</ref>}}

[[Image:C64 Ghostbusters.png|thumb|''[[Ghostbusters (1984 video game)|Ghostbusters]]'' by [[Activision]], [[1984 in video gaming|1984]].]]

By 1985, games comprised 60–70% of Commodore 64 software,<ref name="128book">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/The_Official_Book_for_the_Commodore_128#page/n91/mode/2up |title=The Official Book for the Commodore 128 Personal Computer |publisher=Howard W. Sams & Co. |author1=Waite, Mitchell |author2=Lafore, Robert |author3=Volpe, Jerry |year=1985 |pages=80 |isbn=0-672-22456-9 |chapter=The C64 Mode}}</ref> driven by its advanced sound and graphics hardware. Over 23,000 unique game titles were released.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gamebase64 Database |url=http://www.gamebase64.com/ |website=Gamebase64 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

[[Image:C64 Winter Games.png|thumb|[[Winter Games]]: the "Hot Dog" event.]]

Notable titles included ''[[International Soccer]]'', ''[[Impossible Mission]]'', and Epyx’s multievent series (''[[Summer Games (video game)|Summer Games]]'', ''[[Winter Games]]'', ''[[World Games (video game)|World Games]]'', and ''[[California Games]]'').<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top 100 Commodore 64 Games |magazine=Zzap!64 |date=December 1989 |url=https://archive.org/details/zzap64-issue-056 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> Other significant games were ''[[Boulder Dash (video game)|Boulder Dash]]'', ''[[The Sentinel (video game)|The Sentinel]]'', and ''[[Elite (video game)|Elite]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Maher |first=Jimmy |title=The Future Was Here: The Commodore Amiga |publisher=MIT Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0262017206 |pages=45–50}}</ref> Budget games from [[Mastertronic]] and [[Codemasters]] were popular on cassette.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mastertronic: Budget Games for the Masses |url=https://www.retrogamer.net/profiles/company/mastertronic/ |website=Retro Gamer |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> In 1993, ''[[Mayhem in Monsterland]]'' earned a 100% rating from ''[[Commodore Format]]'' for its graphics and gameplay.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Mayhem in Monsterland Review |magazine=Commodore Format |date=November 1993 |issue=38 |pages=45–47 |url=https://archive.org/details/commodore-format-38 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== Type-ins, bulletin boards, and disk magazines ==
[[Image:Loadstar-53.jpg|thumb|Cover of ''Loadstar'' #53 (1988)]]

The Commodore 64 featured a large library of [[type-in program]]s published in magazines like ''[[Compute!'s Gazette]]'', ''[[Ahoy!]]'', and ''[[RUN (magazine)|RUN]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Type-In Programs: A Staple of Commodore Magazines |magazine=Compute! |date=July 1984 |url=https://archive.org/details/1984-07-compute-magazine |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> Disk magazines like ''[[Loadstar (magazine)|Loadstar]]'' provided ready-to-run programs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Loadstar: The Disk Magazine for Commodore Users |url=https://www.lyonlabs.org/commodore/loadstar/ |website=LyonLabs |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> [[Bulletin board system|BBSs]] distributed [[public domain]] and [[freeware]] software via services like [[Quantum Link|Q-Link]] and [[CompuServe]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Dillon |first=Roberto |title=Ready: A Commodore 64 Retrospective |publisher=Springer |year=2014 |isbn=978-9812873408 |pages=120–125}}</ref>

== Software cracking ==
Software piracy was prevalent, with [[warez groups]] like [[Fairlight (group)|Fairlight]] distributing cracked software via [[Bulletin board system|BBSs]] and [[sneakernet]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Carlsson |first=Anders |title=The Rise and Fall of the Commodore 64 |journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=22–35 |year=2015 |doi=10.1109/MAHC.2015.67}}</ref> Tools like [[Fast Hack'em]] bypassed copy protection.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Copy Protection and Piracy on the Commodore 64 |magazine=Compute! |date=August 1985 |url=https://archive.org/details/1985-08-compute-magazine |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== BASIC ==
{{main|Commodore BASIC}}

The Commodore 64 shipped with [[Commodore BASIC|BASIC 2.0]], limited in accessing advanced features, requiring [[PEEK and POKE]] or extensions like [[Simons' BASIC]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Zimmermann |first=Kim |title=Commodore 64: A Visual Compendium |publisher=Bitmap Books |year=2017 |isbn=978-0993012983 |pages=30–35}}</ref> Commodore opted for BASIC 2.0 to reduce costs.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Why Commodore Stuck with BASIC 2.0 |magazine=Ahoy! |date=March 1986 |url=https://archive.org/details/ahoy-magazine-27 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== Music ==
{{main|Commodore 64 music}}

The [[MOS Technology SID|SID chip]] enabled music software like ''[[Kawasaki Synthesizer]]'' and [[Music Construction Set]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kawasaki Synthesizer for Commodore 64 |url=https://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/kawasaki-synthesizer |website=MobyGames |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Music Construction Set: A Review |magazine=Compute! |date=November 1983 |url=https://archive.org/details/1983-11-compute-magazine |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> Modern tools include [[GoatTracker]].<ref>{{cite web |title=GoatTracker: A Modern SID Music Editor |url=https://sourceforge.net/projects/goattracker/ |website=SourceForge |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== Development tools ==
Development tools included assemblers like ''MIKRO'' and compilers for C and Pascal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Development Tools for the Commodore 64 |url=https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Development_tools |website=C64-Wiki |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> Game creation kits like [[Shoot-'Em-Up Construction Kit|SEUCK]] and [[Garry Kitchen's GameMaker|GameMaker]] were popular.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=SEUCK: Create Your Own Shoot-'Em-Ups |magazine=Zzap!64 |date=May 1988 |url=https://archive.org/details/zzap64-issue-037 |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== Modern-day development tools ==
Current tools include [[CBM prg Studio]], [[Relaunch64]], and assemblers like [[Kick Assembler]] and [[cc65]].<ref>{{cite web |title=CBM prg Studio |url=https://www.ajordison.co.uk/ |website=Ajordison.co.uk |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Relaunch64 |url=https://www.popelganda.de/relaunch64.html |website=Popelganda.de |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== Retrocomputing efforts ==
Preservation efforts involve transferring software to modern media and developing emulators like [[VICE]].<ref>{{cite web |title=VICE: The Versatile Commodore Emulator |url=https://vice-emu.sourceforge.io/ |website=SourceForge |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref> The [[GameBase 64]] project catalogs nearly 29,000 titles.<ref>{{cite web |title=GameBase 64: Preserving Commodore 64 Games |url=https://www.gb64.com/ |website=GB64.com |access-date=2023-10-15}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Commodore International}}

[[Category:Commodore 64 software| ]]

Commodore 64 software - Revision history

imported>EditAndLetDie at 16:03, 15 May 2025