Commodore 64

Sub Menu

  • FAQ's

  • Emulators

  • GEOS WARP

  • PCGEOS

  • SID player (emulator)

  • Software

  • Other C64 related stuff

  • Newsgroups

  • CBM-FAQ

    The FAQ below is not directly related to emulators, it is covering all aspects of Commodore 8bit computers.
    The newest version of the cbmfaq may be found at
    rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/commodore/main-faq/.
    Or via link try the following:
    There is also a hypertext version available, but I guess it won't be up to date:

    CBM-8BIT-EMULATION FAQ

    The newest version of the cbm 8bit emulation faq may be found at
    rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/commodore/8bit-emulation-faq/.
    Or via link try the following:
    There is also a hypertext version available, but I guess it won't be up to date:
    Emulator Menu C64 Menu

    Emulators

    There is a whole bunch of emulators available. Better see the
    commodore 8 bit emulation FAQ for more information, and better describtion of them. Here I will give just a list of them with a small comment to each I tried. Just one thing, I really like the c64 and I still have much software for it. As much as I'm fascinated by emulators, I like running the programs I've got, so if the emulator doesn't do it's job correctly, it is not usefull to me (concerning the useability of my software). Naturally some emulators are better at that than others. So if I say something about one emulator that sounds unfair, don't be concerned about my opinion, all the programmers are doing a great job, I certainly couldn't do what they are doing and therefor I also couldn't do any better (and I do realize that).
    Here we go:
    (in no particular order)
    News (still sort of a rumor)
    (ripped from VICE homepage)
         The VICE Release 0.11 features...
    
         Much higher compatibility (brand new interrupt code by Andre),
         2.3 times faster CPU emulation (not for x128), more VIC-II effects supported,
         important bug fixes (including the keyboard),
         better VIC-II timing (bad lines, sprite cycles),
         faster sprite-sprite collisions,
         direct T64/D64 image handling... 
    
         Available soon on your FTP provider. (: 
    
         More to come... on VICE 0.12
    
         SID support Pop-up menus 
    
    For a beta release look at:
    ftp://x2ftp.oulu.fi/pub/local/jopi/

    OK after a long wait...
    It's there VICE 0.11, pitty Linux doesn't work yet,... so I can't put it to some tests yet...
    But you can!!! Here is a link:
    ftp://x2ftp.oulu.fi/pub/unix/emulators/vice-0.11.0.tar.gz

    PC64 (DOS)
    First, this emulator was (a long time ago) called C64 NEU or C64 NEW, or something like that. That name is OBSOLETE the name changed, there is NO emulator by that name anymore!!!

    The homepage of
    PC64 is located at ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pc64. Check there for the most recent info on PC64. You may try downloading it via link.
    (Wolfgang Lorenz)
    pc64_e.zip for DOS (English version)
    pc64_d.zip for DOS (German version)
    These links go to ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/c64/emulation/pc64/.

    So what is to say about that one?
    Pros:

    Cons:

    I used to prefer it over the C64S, it just suits me more. I like the styling and the sort of desktop feeling. It's quite comfortable to brows through your directories (there is a bug (feature?) actually, after browsing in a 'deep' directory, and going back, you can't go up (cursor up), you have to go back in the hierachy (cursor left) to be able to go up again, it's a bit annoying). This one never failed me (like some others) concerning stability, it didn't crash my computer even once. But since I've got the registered version of C64S, I've got to admit that I use that one more often nowadays. The first thing one recognizes, is the missing border. If you run both emulators at the same time (or just one after the other), one will see, that the graphics of the C64S are a lot smoother. (they are DOS programs, can't you switch off that HD interrupt?) Overall I would say I'd like to get an emulator with the features of this one and the feeling of C64S...

    C64S (DOS)

    Well I guess that's the comercially most successfull c64 emulator. It started of as a shareware emulator, as far as I know it sold quite well. As a matter of thanks for many people registering they crippled the newer shareware versions. You are only permitted to try the newer versions for about ten minutes, then it will exit gracefully...
    (needless to say I don't like that) (are they hoping for more people to register or what?)
    I recommend therefor to get an old version of the c64s as far as I know up to version 1.0c this nice new feature wasn't implemented. Get
    c64s10cd.zip at frodo.hiof.no/pub/c64/emulator. (there are newer versions, look for them yourself...) They tell us a new shareware (V 2??) version will be out someday, but as a matter of fact, it seems like they are forgetting it... .
    I don't know what it's like in other countries, since Germany got another distributer than the rest of the world, but here the update policy is handled very strangely... You have to buy 'tokens' of some kind (by registering you get 3 tokens for 'free'). If you want to upgrade your registered version you have to tell them your token number (which in turn have to be registered), depending on the kind of update you need more than one token... . Extended support too costs one token (again, needless to say that I DO NOT LIKE that).
    The current version of the emulator has difficulties with soundblaster settings (I've got a soundblaster pro compatible card), I asked them what went wrong, they said it's a known problem perhaps it will be fixed some day (I didn't have any problems with the old shareware version (DON'T run the config program ever without '-s' option (if you don't want to take a high risk of having to reboot))). They gave me the tip I should put soundblaster settings in the 'autoexec.bat'. Great tip, that I got allready out of the handbook, after all I'm able to read. OK, after they couldn't help, I did a little experimenting. I don't know if that is true for all versions but it heavily seems to depend where in the 'autoexec.bat' the settings are set and in what order they are set. If you do have the same problem just try experimenting with these two factors in mind (eventually it did (and still does) work for me)(there is a third factor, rumors tell, that it matters if the setting are written in capitals or not!!!).


    If you close your eyes concerning what I said before, you'll get a fine emulator. I do not feel quite as comfortable with it as I do with PC 64, but once you get it going it certainly does feel more like a C64. It has some sort of fastloader support (V20a) (you can configure it that it emulates a 1541 in all details, including processor...)). It's annoying that you cannot switch between the two floppy-emulation modes online. If a game really uses a fastloader (on your real c64), it will thus be turned into a slowloader (kind of funny isn't it?) (hey, that's just a fact, I can't do any better..).
    (BTW, I can't set the default D64 directory, am I dumb again or is it a feature?)
    Upon registering you also get a small bunch of utilities with some (not up to date) documentation. (Again, that's just my experience). I like the transfer utility (com1541), though it's documentation is more than spartanic, the program itself even crashed quite a few times... but don't get me wrong, I really like it. (I transfered about 1.000 disks with it, since I was running DOS, some crashing is to be expected). (I'm in a bad mood today, you might have noticed!)
    So what is to say about that one (V20a)?
    Pros:

    Cons:

    If your are still interested, try contacting www.seattlelab.com.
    If your are still interested, try contacting in Germany (europe) (email) PHS EDV Beratung GmbH.
    If you want to contact the author directly try (both and the others as well, to be sure you get'em)at:

    (when I'm allready at it, try the newest (crippled) shareware version anyway http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Nemo_Pohle/c64s20bd.zip)

    NEW There is a new version out v2.5. It is only available for people who registered in Germany. THIS VERSION IS NO FAKE VERSION!!! It has some enhancements over 2.0a, but to tell the truth, I have more trouble with it than with the last. My PAS 16 soundcard flatly refuses to work with that version on native conditions (allways have to switch to sound blaster). Even than one has to fine tune some settings to get bearable results. A new video mode is available for users who had problems with the more exotic modeX resultion. It no supports vesa modi, though that is quite a bit slower. The tools which come with the emulator have (thank god) been greatly enhanced, so it is now possible to transfer copy protected disks to a *.d64 file. Even the emulator supports no 'enhanced' *.d64 files (which it claimed befor, but didn't). If the emulator would only hold what it promises it would be great... but it doesn't. I for one am glad I didn't have to pay for that update. And I still can't wait that Wolfgang finishes his PC64Win (though 1998 sounds a bit far away now). Ralph what happened to you promising emulator?

    C64 Alive (crippled DOS)
    Well, here we go again. Some things in advance, I had (some time ago) some sort of correspondence going on with the author. I have to admit that I don't like him. (he sort of told me that I am a lamer and the programs I've written were pathetic, I could go on telling what I think of him, but then again why should I...)
    Since I'm in a mood to look rather at bad things than at good things...
    In the headline I mentioned crippled DOS with that I mean no memory manager allowed (that switches to protected mode, are there others?). Usually that means rebooting befor starting, which I think is very annoying. Playing a game on a c64 emulator means (for me) an entertainment in between... if I have to boot my pc every time just to play a game, it's not in between anymore (one usually has to go back to the configuration one started with too (using WIN95 that means ages...)). Many PC users are actually unaware of the capabilities of their computer (and how to configure it), so it happened quite often that people had no clue at all how to even start the emulator. It's a nice feature to access the pc filesystem via the c64, but somehow I find it dangerous, pc programs look very strange listed on a c64, but than again it is not as easy to delete something on a disk with a c64 than it is on a pc (via del...). It disturbs somehow my sense of neatness to brows through my pc directory and seeing strange files with even stranger extentions, 'cause the emulator uses filenames up to 11 characters (using the extentions...). So this is a solution in between, you are able to use the hardware of a pc, but the filename convention of a c64 (16 characters) is crippled.
    The author prides himself having used some fastest possible machine language routines (his fabled base-system) and so on, the emulation still requires at least a 486 with a fast video card (but I do believe him that it's well programmed, he seems to be quite competend). The emulation's supposed to be quite ok, one of the first games I allways try (it's one of my alltime favourites) is ARCHON, the sprite collision detection didn't work, so I droped the whole subject... . Demos and the like are supposed to work very well with it though. You may contact the author
    Frank Littmann, or if you are interested, I found a recent beta version of C64 Alive at http://www.aloha.net/~bstaggs/c64.html.
    C64 (DOS hercules graphic card)
    Well, I can't say much about that one. All I know is that it's old and it exists. You can get it for example at
    frodo.hiof.no/pub/c64/emulator. It's there as c64.zip.
    It needs an hercules graphics card.
    C64sally (DOS)
    Well a pitty I can't say much about this one either. It's very old and abandoned. I don't even have it anymore (I used to have it, but somehow it escaped me). There used to be a copy at
    frodo.hiof.no/pub/c64/emulator, but there is none anymore. Anybody got a clue where else a copy may be hidden? Even the FAQ doesn't mention it anymore, but it DOES exist.

    I've got a copy now (thanks to "bduncan"), it starts up and shows the C64 screen, that's all I can say right now, didn't do any testing as yet...

    NEW
    You'll find c64sally at ftp://ftp.uni-duisburg.de/pub/msdos/emulators/c64/c64sally.zip.

    WIN64 (Windows)
    This one looks very promising. Can't really say many bad things about it. (apart from this being very beta, not many games are running, no fastloader support, no fixed speed as yet, no sound...).
    It's a pitty that no new versions are coming... The author seems quite occupied. It's the only emulator that supports four of the most used file formats (D64, T64, PRG (called C64), P00). It is very userfriendly in its design and looks like being very fast. If this project is being continued it might just be that this is going to be my favourite.
    (I liked the story why he did start it...) A recent beta version can be found at
    frodo.hiof.no/pub/c64/emulator, or try at http://www.aloha.net/~bstaggs/c64.html which is a very good C64 page. Or try a link download win64b02.zip.
    (BTW the adress given in the help file is obsolete)

    New (Note from the author... (May '96))
    
    Another note about Win64
    I have a newer version of it .03 that does all kinds of new tricks   
    including sound and full screen mode. At the moment though my spare time   
    is non existent, and taking a program from a debugger to a zip file with   
    all the other things like help files and fixing all those tedious things   
    that make it only work well in the debugger take time.
    
    
    (please don't bug him about it, it'll be released in due time...)
    PC64WIN (Windows (WING, better DirectX))
    This is another beta emulator, it too is very promising. A new beta release is due in a few weeks. It's being programmed by
    Wolfgang Lorenz, the one that did PC 64. Therefor one should expect that his experiences will make a very nice emulator indeed (he abonded (still releasing bugfixes) PC 64 in favour of this new project). It doesn't emulate to much yet but shows a lot of promise (borders are now handled, I like the possibility of resizing windows). Be sure to have a look at it. Get it at his homepage at ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pc64 or via link as http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pc64/pc64w212.exe (notice, frodo wasn't up to date the last time I checked).
    Activision Game Pack for C64 (Windows 95)
    Oh that's sad!
    Did you know that Jeff Vavasour programmed this emulator?
    Actually a fully working C64 emulator for Windows 95 and it is crippled!!! You are just able to run the 15 games supplied with it. Activision, don't you think it would have been more succesfull to release the emulator as a fully working one and give us the games as a bonus? I bought it anyway, but I'm sort of a collector... .
    I bet you could have easily sold more copies of that emulator than they did of C64S. Really a pity.

    For more information about it go to the section of Activision's Commodore 64 15 Pack in the CD ROMS section of my Emulators page.

    Hardcore c64-emulator fans might look at emulators in emulators... (Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh), some emulators reportedly do run on the appropriete emulators... .
    Emulator Menu C64 Menu



    Frodo
    Allright, Amiga people should know what to expect. This emulator is no newbee, it has some past... It is well known as resource hungry, the info says it will satisfied with a medicore pentium though. It tries to emulate the graphics of the c64 down to the last detail. I haven't run it yet, since my Linux is not set up properly. It was advertised as a port to BeBox computer, the UNIX (LINUX) version sounds like some sort of bonus to me... but reportedly it does run. There is a homepage available for it, have a look at:
    http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002
    Or try a download via link:
    http://www.uni-mainz.de/~bauec002/FrodoV3_0.tar.gz
    Emulator Menu C64 Menu




    Last Updated: 20. September 1996 Malban