Umi Bombs is a delightful arcade throwback for the Commodore 64 that perfectly captures the “one more go” spirit of classic gaming.
You control Umi, a character with a jetpack, who must save a city from the “Emperor of Darkness.” Your mission: collect bombs from buildings and defuse them at a special container on the rooftops. Each building has eight bombs, and you have 60 seconds to clear the screen. You can only carry one bomb at a time, so you’ll be constantly zipping back and forth.
The action is simple but addictive. As you dodge enemies like airplanes, helicopters, balloons, and UFOs, the challenge ramps up with each new level. The game features 12 loopable levels with a final boss, ensuring plenty of content. The time pressure and the need for quick, precise movement keep the tension high.
For a C64 game, Umi Bombs is vibrant and colorful, standing out with a palette that’s often missing in other titles. The two SID music tracks, composed by Esteban Trujillo, are catchy and complement the retro feel perfectly. The sprites, some drawn by collaborator Adrián Bonnette, are charming and well-animated.
Terminal Walker is an ambitious and technically dazzling 3D maze game for the Commodore 64 that pushes the machine to its limits. It is a stealth-puzzle experience wrapped in a sci-fi thriller.
The year is 2029. A rogue AI has enslaved humanity with a video game drug. You, immune to its effects, must infiltrate its underground datacenter and blow up its nuclear reactor. The lair consists of 16 levels of increasing difficulty, connected by elevators that serve as save points.
This is not a run-and-gun shooter. You are a squishy human sneaking past repurposed maintenance robots. Your equipment is weak at first, so stealth and outsmarting enemies are key. You will find weapons and armor upgrades left by the original crew to improve your stats.
The core mission is to disable four preliminary controls to overheat the reactor on the lowest level, then escape within a strict time limit. The game is fast, with smooth 3D rendering, but it has a steep learning curve. Reading the included walkthrough for tactics is highly recommended, as playing it like a traditional shooter will lead to frustration.
The game’s biggest achievement is its incredibly fast and smooth 3D rendering on the C64. It is a technical marvel that looks stunning. The large, well-animated enemy sprites add to the atmosphere. Sound and music are also superb, enhancing the tense, claustrophobic feel of the underground complex.
Kenneth Johansen – CyberCrimeFigther is a Commodore 64 educational game with a unique theme. It tasks you with hunting down a cyber perpetrator across the Nordic region, using your digital crime-fighting skills.
You play as Kenneth Johansen, a cybercrime fighter. Your mission is to track down a criminal through a series of challenges that take you on a digital trip around the Nordics. The game is educational, so expect to learn about cybercrime basic V2 and hexadecimals monitor code entries and concepts. The recent Version 1.1 adds code enhancements, optimizations, an Easter egg, and smaller improvements. The game is available as a D64 disk image for the C64.
H.E.R.O. Is Back is a loving homage to the 1984 classic H.E.R.O. by John Van Ryzin, published by Activision. This version stays faithful to the original while offering 20 completely new, longer, and more complex levels. It runs perfectly on both PAL and NTSC models of the Commodore 64 and 128.
You control Roderick Hero, who must rescue missing miners trapped in the Mount Leone cave system after volcanic activity. Equipped with a backpack helicopter, an integrated helmet laser, and dynamite, you navigate underground pits. Each level starts with full energy and 6 sticks of dynamite. Your goal is to find and rescue all miners, then reach the exit to advance.
The gameplay retains the core mechanics of the original. You fly left, right, and upward, using your laser to shoot enemies (spiders, bats, moths, snakes) or to evaporate walls slowly. Dynamite is used to blast through obstacles – but you must move away quickly after igniting it. You also encounter lanterns that light dark areas (which can be turned off), a heat‑resistant raft to cross magma rivers, and invincible sea monsters that chase you in some sections. The levels are significantly more intricate than the original, with multiple paths and tricky passages. The game saves your progress every four levels, allowing you to practice unlocked blocks. Scoring is detailed, with extra lives awarded every 20,000 points. Options include four different ways to ignite dynamite (joystick down, double down, space bar, or second fire button). Keyboard controls are also supported.
The graphics deliberately mimic the original game’s ECM mode, using a colourful but classic style that nostalgic players will appreciate. Sound effects and music are also true to the 1984 version, with the game’s speed and pitch correctly reflecting PAL or NTSC timing. The developer paid close attention to ensure the feel and physics (hovering, wall positioning, explosion timing) match the original perfectly.
