Retro Computers Homepage at Old School Gamer
Apple II Series including Apple II, II+, IIe, IIc, IIgs
Atari 8 Bit Series including 400, 800, 1200XL, 600XL, 800XL, 65XE, 130XE, 800XE and XEGS
Atari ST Series
Early IBM Compatible DOS Computers
Any other platforms we should add?
Tandy 1000 or CoCo, Amiga, DOS PC’s?
Musings of a Retro Gamer: Sick Day Staples
As I've spent the last 5 days sick as a dog, trying desperately to focus enough to accomplish even the most basic tasks, I'm taken back to my childhood in the '80s. Back then, a sick day was a careful balancing act between not feeling well enough to go to school and...
Nebulus Ported to the Game Boy Advance
On January 30th, Retro Room Games made their Game Boy Advance port of Nebulus available to purchase in their online store. Produced in collaboration with Rebellion, Nebulus is a classic puzzle platformer dating to 1987. Originally released for home computers...
Bringing the Arcade Home: The most faithful arcade ports to the C64
There is a particular kind of magic to an excellent arcade conversion on the Commodore 64. It is not just the thrill of seeing an arcade hit appear on your home computer, though that was absolutely part of the draw. A faithful conversion has to reproduce the arcade...
Anyone Can Make a Game: Construction tools on the C64
The dream of many a gamer is to turn their big gaming ideas into reality. The 8-bit micros of the 80s came with the tools to do so built in, with BASIC baked into the system. But, even with the extensive manual provided by Commodore for the C64's Microsoft BASIC v2.0,...
Typing in Dreams: How a generation learned to code by accident
For years, software was distributed on cartridges, cassette tapes, or diskettes. While programs were available via modem from BBSes, downloading in general wasn't as ubiquitous as it is today. As 8-bit microcomputers gained popularity, one of their big selling points,...
Late to the Game: Gaming gems that appeared late in the Commodore 64’s life
The Commodore 64 had an exceptionally long life. Introduced in 1982 and not officially discontinued until 1994, the intervening 12 years saw the release of upwards of 10,000 entertainment titles. While European C64 users saw releases right up to the very end, the...
Playing the Movies: The Best and Worst Movie Tie-Ins for the Commodore 64
The 1980s to the early 2000s are generally considered the golden age of the movie tie-in video game. If there was an angle to a hit (or potential hit) movie that could be adapted to the arcade or home systems, developers were there to exploit it. Some turned out good,...
Musings of a Retro Gamer: Loading Games from Cassette
Modern game systems load games almost instantaneously, it seems. In general, most mobile games are at your fingertips with minimal loading time, while larger PC and console games may take 30 seconds to load their data into memory. Our expectations, as modern gamers,...
SNK vs Capcom: Stronger Edition – Interpreting a portable classic
When it comes to one-on-one fighting games, the Commodore 64 is generally not the go-to system. While there were a few impressive entries during the long history of the system, such as Way of the Exploding Fist and the International Karate series, C64 gamers never...
Should Have Stayed in the Arcade: 5 Commodore 64 Arcade Port Fails
When the Commodore 64 was still being produced, arcade boards were much more advanced. This made bringing popular, current arcade games home to the 8-bit home system a challenge at the best of times. Even though concessions would be made to bring them home...
Spooky 64 Skirmishes: 5 games that are more treats than tricks for your Halloween
It's October 31st. You sit patiently, waiting for little ghouls and hobgoblins to run down the street, seeking treats from your orange plastic pumpkin (excluding the "samples" you've sneaked). But what to do to pass the time between groups of gremlins? There's only so...
Commodore International Corporation Acquires Original Brand and 47 Trademarks, Ending Decades of Cryogenic Sleep
Full acquisition of Commodore Corporation B.V. secures all official Commodore trademarks dating back to 1983 DOVER, Del – July 31, 2025 (OSG was given permission for early publishing) – Commodore International Corporation today announced a monumental milestone:...
It’s In The Game Episode 1 Review: Amazon Prime Documentary Covers the Madden Franchise to 1990
It's a bit strange to think of Madden Football in retro terms. Yes, the franchise dates to the eighties- but it still exists today, debatably as the most popular video game of our era, just not one we generally describe as a part of video game culture because,...
The Atari 8-bit Computers: Home Computing Pioneers with Arcade Souls
The Atari 8-bit computers represent a fascinating paradox – simultaneously pioneers, icons, and emblems of a turbulent period within the blossoming personal computing space. Their influence upon shaping expectations for home computers, both positive and negative,...
The Apple II: A Computer That Sparked a Revolution
In the annals of technological history, few machines hold a place as revered as the Apple II. While its 8-bit processor and limited memory might seem quaint today, its impact was immeasurable. The Apple II didn't just sell well; it transformed our relationship with...
The Commodore VIC-20: The Little Computer That Could
The Commodore VIC-20, with its iconic beige case and membrane keyboard, represents far more than a piece of retro computing nostalgia. It was a pivotal force in the burgeoning home computer revolution, its influence rippling across decades to touch the digital world...
Halloween 2024 on Antstream Arcade
Are you looking for some spooky games to play this week on Antstream Arcade? Look no further, as we present a spectral septet of some of the spookiest games ready to stream, for free, right now! From classic Eighties horror to goblins, ghouls, vampires and slobbering...
Why Paradroid for the C64 Was Awesome!
The Commodore C64 was a great little machine for its day, and its games were worthy successors to the Atari games which came before it. One game will always stand out for me as particularly enjoyable, due to its innovative concept, progression, style, and overall...
The Story Of Millie & Molly
Commodore 64 puzzler Millie & Molly became one of Antstream Arcade’s first homebrew indie games in 2021. Antstream Arcade sent Graeme Mason to chat with its creator, Carleton Handley, about how this brilliant game came about. The Game: Millie & Molly...
The Story Of Reckless Rufus
Puzzle-themed budget games dominated the latter years of the 8-bit computers, and here on Antstream Arcade, we have one of the finest of its kind. Released by Alternative Software in 1992 and created by Mike Berry, this is the story of Reckless Rufus. The Game:...
The Atari ST and The Lost Dutchman Mine – The Movie
What does it mean to finish a computer game? Why are people sometimes compelled to get to the end state of a game decades after they first played it?What if that game is so obscure, almost no one alive even remembers it even exists. What if the developers never made...
My First Game: Jon Williams and Jet-Boot Jack
Everyone has to start somewhere. Even the most dedicated and renowned game developers began with a straightforward idea, polishing and honing it until their first game duly appeared. Sometimes these would be released virtually unnoticed; on other occasions, they’d hit...
Quasimodo’s Christmas Caper – An in development festive C64 game gets another teaser
We have recently found out through Facebook that as of December this year, Robert Wilson will be releasing his upcoming C64 game of 'Quasimodo's Christmas Caper'; An in development Arcade Platformer which is a spin off to Hunchback Redux (currently in development)...
Santa Claus – A family friendly C64 game by IntoInside for Christmas
With Christmas being about two months away you'd expect to see a number of Christmas themed games appearing on Indie Retro News in the lead up to the 25th. Well that's certainly happened this week, as the first game to be mentioned on our site is a Christmas game by...
Santa’s Workout – The first of many C64 games for Christmas, with Vector5games latest release!
Christmas is here and you'd expect to see lots of Christmas themed games appearing on Indie Retro News in the lead up to the 25th. Well that's certainly happening this week, as the first game to be mentioned on our site is a Christmas game by Vector5games for the C64...
Did The Atari ST Midi Support Ruin Our Favorite 80’s Rock Band?
It's nearing the holidays, so we won't have anything brand-new to post until 2023. So instead, please enjoy an episode of our podcast from a couple years back where we explore The Atari ST Midi support, and how the ST was used by just about every band who recorded...
Some Of The Very first Atari ST Entertainment Programs Finally Archived
Tech blogger Josh Renaud has rescued some of the earliest entertainment software for the Atari ST, snatched directly out of the jaws of the bit-bucket. Back in 1985, Israeli cartoonist Yaakov Kirschen’s released "Murray and Me" and “Mom and Me” for the Atari...
Five Great ST Games From 1986
When the 520 Atari ST was released in the summer of 1985, it wowed computer journalists with its high-resolution Mac-alike monochrome display, and its 16-color (from a palette of 512) 320 x 200 graphics mode aimed squarely at the games market while "The 520 ST has...
My First Game: Chris Shrigley and Bounder
Everyone has to start somewhere. Even the most dedicated and renowned game developers began with one simple idea, polishing and honing it until their first game duly appeared. Sometimes these would be released virtually unnoticed; on other occasions, they’d hit the...
Nox Archaist: An 8-bit RPG for Apple II, Mac, and PC
A retro computer game inspired by Ultima and The Bard's Tale. Playable on Apple II or on a modern Mac or PC. Defend the realm! https://nox-archaist.myshopify.com/collections/games CLICK TO JOIN THE KICKSTARTER Nox Archaist by 6502 Workshop, LLC Nox Archaist is...
50th Anniversary of Atari Pong – Pong50(Amiga), Space Pong(Amiga) and PongClone(C64)
In the 1970's Bushnell and another guy called Alcorn released a Pong prototype at a local bar named Andy Capp's Tavern, yet it wasn't until 1975 and through a long history that Pong actually appeared in our homes, and on my very own Atari 2600. Thankfully others see...
Two Brothers and their Atari ST
Part 1: Rediscovering The Atari ST In 2018, after our mom passed away and we spent months cleaning out her house, we decided, as twin brothers who quite literally “grew up Atari”, that we would start a podcast about retro gaming for Atari platforms. That podcast...
Bring back more bones 4k – A rather small yet unique Dungeon Crawler for the C64 by Commocore
Another heads up for you all fine folk, as if you're a fan of the Dungeon Crawler genre, with games such as Eye of the Beholder or Dungeon Master, then it might be worth your time checking out Commocore's latest release of Bring back more bones 4k; a rather quick and...
My Apple IIc
"Recreating 1986 in West Des Moines" Upon attending the Vintage Computer Festival Midwest, I went on a mission to recreate my computer experiences of the late 1980s. For me, that meant an apple ][c computer, a standard green screen monitor, a joystick, and a bunch of...
Castle Climber – Another crazy climbing C64 game is here and this one is from Nello Galiano
Another retro gaming article to keep you company and yes there's certainly been a lot today already, is a brand new game for the C64 called 'Castle Climber'. This game developed by Nello Galiano for the Retro Programmers Inside competition, is a vertical scrolling...
The History of Ultima Part 1: Humble Beginnings and Zip-Top Bags
The humble plastic zip-top bag is great for storing a sandwich, but what does it have to do with old school gaming? Quite a bit, in fact! Back in 1979, a young man programmed a video game that was distributed in a zip-top bag, which would come to spawn a trilogy of...
Puzzle Bobble – ACIED, NM1564 and Hend’s C64 release of the Arcade classic gets a new v1.21 update
Remember when we featured the exclusive news story of the brand new Arcade conversion of Puzzle Bobble, which was released for the Commodore 64 thanks to ACIED, NM1564 and Hend as a 100% replica of the Puzzle Bobble arcade version? Well here's some great news for all...
Lemmings – Deater has released a proof of concept of Lemmings for the Apple II!
Lemmings was a game published by Psygnosis way back in the early 90's for the Amiga, Atari ST and PC and regarded by many as one of the greatest games ever, especially as it featured many blue, green haired Lemmings that could be blown up, ripped apart and dropped...
Tutankham – A C64 port of Tutankham, an arcade game developed by Konami in 1982.
Even more retro games to get through now, as thanks to a late hour heads up from Saberman, we've just been told LC-Games has released the new C64 game of 'Tutankham'; A C64 port of Tutankham which was originally an Arcade game developed by Konami in 1982. To coincide...
Knights & Slimes – An in dev Arcade platformer for the C64 by Monte Boyd gets another tease
Another C64 news story for you all, and one I think many will still be interested in playing when it gets an eventual release, is the upcoming game of Knights & Slimes for the C64 by Monte Boyd. Yes indeed thanks to another shout out on Twitter, not only is Monte...
Riviera Story – A new arcade platformer is previewed for the C64 by Bladawietz
Even more C64 games to get through today, as trawling through the CSdb database we've come across a new C64 game as a preview called 'Riviera Story' by Bladawietz(?). This game available to try, looks to be an Arcade platformer in which you play as Fred and must...
Metal Slug gets a beta port for the Sega Mega Drive and Atari STE
I can say for sure there's probably not many of you that haven't heard of 'Metal Slug', a game in a series of games that are well known in the community, going back to the days of the Neo Geo system. This game has plenty of humor, while remaining action packed...
Don Bluth’s Dragon’s Lair and Dragon’s Lair II available for the Apple IIgs!
Now I remember Dragon's Lair very well, from the Amstrad version with the jumping of platforms or trying to stay on the spinning disk without being blown off, or the interactive animated version which appeared as a laserdisc in which you needed to press a specific...
SNK vs CAPCOM for the C64 looks super cool in this new footage! ( Demo Available! )
Once again there's another fighting game that's well worth a mention, as thanks to Jon Eggelton letting us know through our Indie Retro News Facebook group, we've been told that he and Gianluca Alberico is working on a new game for the C64 called 'SNK vs CAPCOM'; a...
The Apple II Meets Sir Tech – by Kevin Butler
Back in the early days of computers, if you wanted a program or specific function, you programmed it yourself. A couple of companies formed in the 1950s would become the first independent software companies. These companies included Computer Usage Company, Applied...
Berzerk – Classic 1980’s Arcade game by Stern gets a C64 Conversion v1.1 update via Arlasoft!
A Monday morning news story, as trawling through the CSdb website we've just found out that Arlasoft, who was behind great Arcade conversions such as Donkey Kong Jr, Fastfood, Galaga and Galaxian DX has released a new 1.1 update to his unofficial port of the original...
Pacman – An awesome Arcade conversion of a classic game arrives on the C64!
It wasn't long ago now that here on Indie Retro News, we did multiple features of both the hit classic's Pac-Man and Ms Pacman over to the Amiga by JOTD as two great Arcade conversions. Well here we are with another Pacman game! As thanks to Per Ola...
New Rally-X – An Arcade conversion of Rally X for the C64 is in the works and it’s fab!
It wasn't too long ago that many of us had the pleasure of playing Allan Turvey's Terrapins RX; a Rally X Remix demo which was based on the 1980 game by Namco and official conversion Maze Death Race which was released later in 1983 by PSS for the ZX Spectrum 16K! Well...
Farawaydius – A super tiny Gradius inspiration for the C64 gets a preview
We've just received some rather interesting news from a good friend of ours, especially if you've got a C64 or emulator at hand, as if you loved playing the classic game of Gradius/Nemesis; a side scrolling shoot-em-up that was originally released as a Japanese coinop...
Polar Bear in Space! – An Action packed game through Psytronik Software and RGCD gets a C64 release
What a great December this is turning out to be and it looks like the C64 goodness hasn't finished with us yet. As trawling through Facebook, we have just found out that the previously announced in development game of 'Polar Bear in Space!' is now available for...