Commodore 64 Games System
The Commodore 64 was one of the earliest and most popular personal computers, because it could be easily plugged into the living room TV. Like the Atari and the NES, it also featured a cartridge slot for loading software if you didn’t want to invest in a disk drive, but loads of games too. For a lot of kids who grew up in the ‘80, the Commodore 64 was their first console, and the company ran with that idea with the Commodore 64 Games System, released in 1989 to compete with Nintendo.
Streamlining the C64 for gaming seemed like a great idea, and while the Commodore 64 Games System was compatible with the game cartridges released for the original C64, most were dependent on the computer’s built-in keyboard to load or navigate menu options: a feature the Games System lacked. Many games were specifically released for the Games System, but not enough to save it from being a failure that only sold around 20,000 units in Europe.
