Taken from http://commodore-16.110mb.com with permission

I have to include Elite in my list of favourite software houses because they were one of the only companies who dared to take on the task of producing coin op conversions for the C16. The games they produced were not the best in the world but a least they were willing to have a go for us C16 owners we just wanted to feel part of the latest craze. Good on ya Elite for giving it your best. Sadly though I only think three games are worth trying out.

Commando

 At number one in the coin op conversion list is Commando. The much loved arcade game that everyone wanted to play in the arcades as well as own the conversion. The aim was simple rescue the hostages from the enemy forces and avoid been shot. The graphics were of an ok standard you could make out the bad guys and the good guys so what more did you need for them to do. Disappeared was the dreaded sprite block as well so at least you looked like you weren’t just walking in space. Sound was kept to a minimum with effects for when you fired or when you were shot so again they were adequate. Game play was frustrating as your character moved slower than the many bullets being shot at you so you had keep your wits about you or lose life after life without progressing very far. On the down side of things it was a very short game to play with just one long level which could be quite easy to complete when you got used to your slow moving character and also the level didn’t really resemble any of the other versions, there were parts in there that looked similar but not many. It wasn’t the best game but at least we were given something of a coin op conversion and I forgot to mention the title screen which was the same as other versions. It was a good attempt by Elite though.

Paperboy

 Next on my list has to be paperboy. I played this game in the arcade for many years and never quite got the hang of it but the need to play it was there. The aim again as with most coin op conversions was a simple one deliver papers to the right houses without breaking there windows or landing the paper in a puddle of water and on the other side do as much damage as you could to houses that weren’t on you delivery list. There were also objects like dogs and kids on skate boards to avoid if you could just to make matters worse. The graphics for the C16 version were colourful like the original although a little blocky and the bike kinda resembled a bike if you looked at the right angle but movement was nice and smooth. Sound was kept to a minimum with crash noises when breaking a window or getting knocked of your bike this was becoming the norm for coin op conversions on the C16. Game play was ok although it could get a little boring after a while but it was Paper Boy on the C16

Ghost’s N Goblins

 Ghost’s N Goblins comes in at number three. Although I slated it elsewhere on this web site is still ranks in my top three. This game was as difficult to play as its arcade big brother was. The aim being to rescue your princess while avoiding being eaten by zombies and other weird and wonderful creatures. The graphics for this game where a bit of a miss match I guess you could say at times they were very detailed like the large end boss for example and then terrible like your character Arthur who just looked like a white blob thing with a big black background round him. The later being down to the sprite problem the C16 was known for. Sound was very bad with almost no sound at all just the odd bleep here and there. Having said all that game play was quite good but it was a tuffy so you had to stick with it. It wasn’t a very long game with just one long level but tough enough for you to keep coming back to play. Why put it in my top three I here you say, because this was the finest arcade game that every one wanted to own even if you had a C16 you still wanted to play this game at home enough said. Good on Yer Elite.

Elite Catalogue 

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites