Tomb Raider on the Commodore 64? Four nights. A hundred prompts. A Tomb Raider that actually boots on a Commodore 64 Ultimate. Dave Izon’s Raider 64 is the kind of thing the C64 scene argues about before it finishes loading. He had the idea years ago — Lara-style rooms, climbing, traps, enemies — then parked it, because the graphics in his head never made it onto the screen. This month he handed the art problem to Astra, the model he says finally produced sprites he was willing to use, plus a custom character set he says was better than anything he would have drawn himself. He kept going. Gameplay pieces, a Tomb Raider-flavoured tune. Four nights and well over 100 prompts later, the prototype looks like the game he had been failing to finish by hand. He is blunt about what it is not. He says this is not programming a C64 game, and that people who say so are right. He knows the 6510, the charset limits, and the SID budget. This pass was a test of the toolchain, not a claim that the machine got easier. The needs a RAM Expansion Unit. The 6510 still only sees 64K; the REU is a DMA bank the CPU cannot address directly, so frames get copied into main RAM. I played through on my Commodore 64 Ultimate, the download is still an impressive release. Custom charset rooms, platforms, ladders, hazards etc. It is a prototype / demo that is fully playable and looks amazing. This was my first time playing so just like the OG Tomb Raider I had to nut out the puzzles, and I have to say this is really good. Just 4 days and Dave and his Ai friend produced this. Impressive. So the question worth answering: if the idea is good and the author cannot draw, compose, or finish coding on their own, is a game that exists because of Ai, better than a game that never exists? Or does the scene only count when a human fought the VIC-II for every frame? Is this the future of Commodore 64 games? (For further updates follow Dave's YT Channel and download the playable demo from the links in the comments below).

Introducing SuperAstra: Edit Super Nintendo games live with GPT-6 One of my favorite ways to test new models has been reverse engineering classic games. This is hard because it's raw machine code. Astra is way better than anything I've seen. Download and examples below 👇

Adverts that were so intriguing you NEEDED to know more #SabreWulf #ZXSpectrum #retrogaming . It was Ultimate that was all I needed to know! (Not the most popular game, but I loved it)

Dyna Gear for the arcade (Scarab/Sammy/1994). Prehistoric-themed run-and-gun game where players control a space cop (Roger) or a wolf-man (Wolf) fighting dinosaurs and aliens. The weapons are crazy and nicely exaggerated, and everything is bright and colorful. Absolute hidden gem, specially because it never left the arcade (no home ports).

Massive thanks to Brian for sending us over these photos of him and the Spectrum coding legend that is Matthew Smith!! Great to see his signature on a white The Spectrum 🙏

Commodore and Amiga fans! Reminder… Stoo Cambridge (Sensible World of Soccer) and Tony Warriner (Broken Sword) are at Zzap! Live - tomorrow and Saturday info: tickettailor.com/events/fusi… They hope to see some of you there, signing and demoing their Amiga (dev demo) version of the game Urbx Warriors If you can’t - no problem! You can sign up to get the latest on Urbx Warriors here: brazengameplay.com Plus we will share pics of the show from Stoo & Tony

Are you over 50? Play Commodore 64 games! There are benefits to playing video games: Cognitive improvements — Studies, including those funded by the National Institute on Aging, have found that playing video games like Commodore 64 puzzle-platformers (e.g., Boulder Dash, Impossible Mission), adventures (Maniac Mansion), and action-strategy titles (The Last Ninja, Paradroid)—offer engaging challenges that promote problem-solving, planning, spatial reasoning, and quick decision-making, all of which support cognitive health in older adults. Emotional and mental health — Gaming reduces stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms, boosts mood through dopamine release, and improves overall well-being and life satisfaction. Seniors who game report fewer feelings of loneliness. Social benefits — Multiplayer or online games foster connections, teamwork, and even multigenerational bonding (e.g., playing with grandkids). Are you over 50 and playing video games? If not, buy a Commodore 64 Ultimate and save $10 here -> checkout.commodore.net/refer… Enjoy playing classic games, it could be good for you... and at least you will have fun. We need more fun in our lives! Modern console games can sometimes be overwhelming for aged non gamers, but the simplistic pixel graphics, the iconic SID music and the massive selection of puzzle games, strategy games and platformers on the Commodore 64 could help you more than you realise... and they are fun.