Which system?

[Videogamecollector123]

ok right now I've narrowed it down to between the Commodore 64 and Apple II. I do need to know some things about them though. Which version to get, and the game quality, also can the apple II plug into a normal tv like the commodore? That and the essential peripherals for each

[Mirage]

Not all Apple ]['s can plug into a TV. There is a separate TV adapter. You will pay more for an Apple ][ setup, and there are a lot more configurations to worry about... what sort of video, different revisions (][, ][+, ][e, ][c, and there are a few variations on those). There are compatibility issues between each of them. The sound is typically inferior to C64 or A8. Plus there were different sound cards. IMO, the games were typically not nearly as technically advanced (read: color/sound/speed) as for C64 or A8. But, you can get a ][-to-PC adapter for the Apple ][ as well, so even there you shouldn't have to mess with floppies unless you really want to.

 

Overall, what do you want to do with this machine? If it's for gaming and gaming only, I really would avoid the Apple ][ if you're just getting one or the other. You'll find a lot more games/software for the 64 or A8, and overall just much easier to work with. I mean, a C64 is a C64, but like I said, there's lots of incompatible variations on the ][. Why mess with all that just for games? On the other hand, if you want a machine to really tinker with hardware-wise, get the ][ for sure. But, I get the feeling that's not what you're after.

 

And I do own all 3: Apple ][e setup, A8 and C64.

 

As far as essential peripherals for C64. That's the cool thing, it's so simple... all you really need is a nice working C64 (generally, they're pretty reliable), and something to use as a disk drive. Either get a stock Commodore floppy drive (1541's are cheap but heavy, so shipping is a killer), or one of the solutions I mentioned above depending on how much you want to spend. But... a solution like that is WELL worth it. Think about it... you buy even a $200 1541ultimate, but then you can play most any software that you download off the internet for free, and mostly trouble-free. OR, you get a 1541 that has issues (they all do, trust me), mess with all those floppies, and have the expense of getting floppies that work (or don't!), storing them, paying to have them shipped to you, and so on... all that can add up to $200 and a major headache really quick.

 

The one I couldn't think of before is called the C64TPC. Here is the link to the site:

 

http://www.cancarpet.com/saymantek/c64tpc_en.html

 

It's $39+shipping. It's not nearly as compatible or feature-rich as the 1541ultimate, but it's cheaper and easy to use. You do need to connect it to a Windows PC though, through the serial port (or using a serial->USB converter), so that's either an issue for you or it's not. It will play many cracked disk images that you can get off the internet, but some images with copy protection are still an issue, where that is not nearly as true for the 1541ultimate (the developer of C64TPC is working on all this though, but who know to what success or when this will happen). So, those are the big trade-offs for saving some money. It is a good product though, and I do recommend it, and you will be able to run tons of games/software with it.

 

The only other thing I would recommend for a C64 setup is a good monitor. Commodore made a lot of nice monitors and you can get one of those pretty cheap, or one from a third-party company. Either way, you'll have a far better picture than with a TV. But, if you're only playing games on the machine, a TV isn't so bad. If you're using it for programming or anything other than games, you will probably not want to use a TV unless you have a modern one with a good picture maybe (I haven't tried an LCD TV with one, maybe that would be okay?). Even for games though... you'll be better off with a real monitor.

 

Good luck and have fun!

Edited November 25, 2009 by Mirage1972

[Videogamecollector123]

With that information, Commodore does look the way to go, where do you get your images? I'm still interested in the Atari XEGS as well seeing how it plays all Atari 8-bit games as well. That and it has majority cartridge support which I like as I'm wary of anything cd or other limited life storage or devices.

[Mirage]

With that information, Commodore does look the way to go, where do you get your images? I'm still interested in the Atari XEGS as well seeing how it plays all Atari 8-bit games as well. That and it has majority cartridge support which I like as I'm wary of anything cd or other limited life storage or devices.

 

Disk images for C64 (or A8) are all over the internet. I wish I could just give you a link to an archive offhand, but I've had all my disk images for so long, I don't even remember anymore. There's also several compilations that you can get burned, through a service like MAMEburners (google it), or even from torrents. But the torrents are just going to be partial compilations but will get you a start.

 

If you can afford the $ and the space, you would be well-served gaming-wise to get both a C64 and an Atari 8-Bit, either 800XL or XEGS or whatever you want. They're both fantastic systems with so many games you could play them often for years and never run out of fun.

[Videogamecollector123]

With that information, Commodore does look the way to go, where do you get your images? I'm still interested in the Atari XEGS as well seeing how it plays all Atari 8-bit games as well. That and it has majority cartridge support which I like as I'm wary of anything cd or other limited life storage or devices.

 

Disk images for C64 (or A8) are all over the internet. I wish I could just give you a link to an archive offhand, but I've had all my disk images for so long, I don't even remember anymore. There's also several compilations that you can get burned, through a service like MAMEburners (google it), or even from torrents. But the torrents are just going to be partial compilations but will get you a start.

 

If you can afford the $ and the space, you would be well-served gaming-wise to get both a C64 and an Atari 8-Bit, either 800XL or XEGS or whatever you want. They're both fantastic systems with so many games you could play them often for years and never run out of fun.

Thank you, your information has been very helpfull

[Austin]

This may have been mentioned already, but the arcade ports on the Colecovision are excellent. That would be my main reason for getting one.

[vcsdream]

ok right now I've narrowed it down to between the Commodore 64 and Apple II. I do need to know some things about them though. Which version to get, and the game quality, also can the apple II plug into a normal tv like the commodore? That and the essential peripherals for each

 

I found this info on Apple ][ right here on AA. This is from Electronic Games magazine 1985 (dunno the month).

So Apple ][ must have the biggest software library since it was going til 1992.

[accousticguitar]

Here's a good site for Atari ATRs.

http://www.mushca.com/f/atari/index.php?idx=6

[BydoEmpire]

I'm going to say the Intellivision. The games are very unique, and you'll find a lot of games you can't play on the systems you already have. I still have my Inty 2 from back in the day, and almost all of my carts. It's reliable. The controllers aren't that bad (the originals are much better than the Inty 2's), and definitely better than the stock CV controllers. While most of the sports games are 2 players, that's not true for the system's games as a whole. There's a whole lot of one-player love on the Intellivision. Games are generally cheap and easy to find. Imagic worked magic on the Inty: Demon Attack, Dracula, Microsurgeon, Beauty and the Beast, Atlantis...

 

Atari 8 bit (I'd go for an 800xl or XEGS) - tons of great games, but there's a lot of overlap with the 2600, 5200 and 7800. You can't go wrong with it, though, I love my XEGS. Games seem to be pretty hard to find in the wild.

 

Commodore 64 - I adore my 64, and there are a million great games, but I had very few on cart. A lot of carts were made, I just never see them around.

 

Colecovision - I'm just not a big fan. I've owned several over the years, sold the lot, then re-bought the system again. The games feel slow and jerky to me, especially compared to the 5200. And the controllers are my least favorite of any classic system. If you go this route, you must get the Super Action Controller (the joystick). It makes all the difference in the world. On the plus side, there are a lot of arcade ports you won't find elsewhere.

 

[Edit] - I just read the rest of the thread. I would pick the c64 over the Apple 2 for gaming any day (I have both now, and had both back in the day). They're both great, and both have tons of great games, but the c64 is just a better gaming machine. More high quality games, better graphics and sound, and traditional Atari-compatible joysticks.

Edited November 26, 2009 by BydoEmpire

[+Ransom]

For depth and breadth of games, you'd have to go for one off the 8-bit computers. Apple ][ and C=64 have the largest libraries, but the A8 is no slouch either. I prefer the A8, but I loved my Apple ][ (and it has some games unique to it that are just wonderful). Never did get into the C=64 much, but it got ports of popular games long after the others had stopped being actively supported by the biggies.

 

Of the consoles, I'd say get the Intellivision if you want the broadest selection of unique games. Get the ColecoVision if you'd prefer arcade ports. But in either case, check out the controllers first. Each has its fans, but each also has its critics.

 

All in all, I'd say get an Inty. Lots of games, easily available in boxed format, and most of them inexpensive. Plus, the emulation possibilities are pretty weak, while for every other system you mentioned it's quite possible to experience everything they have to offer via emulation.