C64 Gamers’ Choice 2018 Award…and the Winner Is?

The Commodore 64 gaming scene has had one of its most productive years in decades. We’ve been fortunate that C64 gaming enthusiasts have seen the scene kept alive in the last 10 to 15 years by a number of dedicated hobbyist programmers who have utilised their spare time to create new titles for the Commodore 64. But it feels like that 2018 has been a stand out for quality releases.

When my RetroGamerNation YouTube channel’s coverage of Reset64’s Game of the Year 2017 sparked so much debate almost 12 month’s ago, I knew back then that I just had to run my own Award for 2018 but to have the result determined by those that matter…the C64 Gamer.

The 15 nominees for the RetroGamerNation C64 Gamers’ Choice Award 2018 were determined by selecting my best commercial and freeware titles made available during 2018. The only exception to the eligibility criteria were remastered titles like Hunters Moon and Speedball 2 Ultimate, as I wanted to ensure that the spotlight was on  titles with new IP so that we could continue receiving great new C64 titles for the many years ahead.

I am grateful to have partnered with RVG and ViTNO to help with the running of this Award and for providing the vehicle for you, the C64 Gamer, to have had the opportunity to let us know what your favourite C64 titles for 2018 were. The voting process was constantly monitored to ensure the results were not impacted by either excessive spam voting or votes coming in from Developer’s family/friends who perhaps have not switched on a Commodore 64 in over 30 years (if ever).

And now to the Top 5 results…

5th Place – Aviator Arcade II (Mark Hindsbo / Psytronik Software)
The final game to have qualified as a nominee for this year’s Award, Aviator Arcade II provide great shoot’em up action with smooth scrolling and great visuals.

4th Place – Exploding Fish (Chris Stanley / Megastyle)
Very good first up effort by Chris Stanley that provides a classic ‘old school’ single screen arcade game play where the focus is more on patience and timing rather than fast paced action.

3rd Place – Steel Ranger (Lassi Oorni / Psytronik Software)
Wonderful 2D shooter/platform arcade adventure that offers a massive game world and 17 different environment locations. Would have been the favourite to win this Award during the first half of 2018.

Runner Up – Portal (Jamie Fuller)
Well the gimmick of providing a 2D adaptation of the great PC game was always going to garner a lot of interest. Fortunately, Portal for the C64 was a fully fledged, albeit short, game that provides a fun experience.

Winner – Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis (T Storey & S Collier / Psytronik Software)

A classic example of where great game design and quality coding can propel a title to greatness. The Legend of Atlantis had me hooked and would not let go until I had completed the game…looks like many C64 gamers had the same experience. I still cannot stop whistling Saul Cross’ music track to myself. A very well deserved winner of the inaugural RetroGamerNation C64 Gamers’ Choice Award.

To see the full results of the Poll, check out the video below.

Louie Dimovski

Retro gaming journalist promoting NEW C64, Amiga, Amstrad CPC & ZX Spectrum games. Runs the Retro Gamer Nation YouTube channel and is a contributor to RVG and Vintage is the New Old blog sites, Komoda & Amiga Plus magazine and various other publications. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/retrogamernation Website: http://retrogamernation.com Email: retrogamernation@gmail.com

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