14 DAY TRIAL // Originally rejected by Apple’s review board, the Commodore 64 application is now available for immediate download via the iTunes App Store, according to the people at TouchArcade. Despite being officially licensed from both rights holders of the Commodore ROMs and the individual games, the emulator was rejected by Apple in June for violations of the SDK agreement.
Manomio LLC, the developer of C64, says, “Ever wondered where the 80’s went? Well, they’re back! Kiloo and Manomio bring you the best selling personal computer of all time: Commodore 64! This app is an authentic reproduction of your favourite computer, to take with you everywhere. We have also included five amazing games for free – just to get you started.” Touted as “some of the best games from the golden era,” the bundled titles (Dragons Den, Le Mans, Jupiter Lander, Arctic Shipwreck and Jack Attack) all sport the following key features, according to the iTunes description:
- Authentic C64 gaming experience; - Portrait and landscape play; - Classic sounds; - Fullscreen gaming; - Auto-save, to continue exactly where you left off.
Manomio also says that these five games are just the beginning. Also coming in the C64 series are Bristle, Astro Chase and the Commodore Sports Pack I. “Keep checking back for more C64 games, as we will be releasing numerous titles in the near future,” the company adds on its website.
About Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 was an 8-bit home computer released by Commodore International in January, 1982. Priced at $595, the machine followed in on the footsteps of the Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore MAX Machine. The “64” dubbing comes from the 64 kilobytes (65,536 bytes) of memory with sound and graphics performance that were superior to IBM-compatible computers of that time. Commonly referred to as the “C64” or “C=64,” and occasionally “CBM 64” (Commodore Business Machines Model number 64), or VIC-64, the Commodore 64 also bore the nicknames “breadbox” and “bullnose.”
Download C64 for iPhone ($4.99) (requires iPhone or iPod touch running OS 2.2 or later)