As most already know, it infamously used a “bug” in the graphics chip, which allowed entire screen scrolling and therefore much smoother and faster gameplay. There was no question of this not making the Top 10, what with it being regarded by many as the C64’s last great release both in terms of gameplay and sheer technical achievement. A superb conversion that shouldn’t be missed. It might not feature all the secrets that appeared in the original arcade game and having to press up on the joystick in order to jump is no substitute for a proper fire button, but if you’re looking for an extremely competent conversion of a classic arcade hit, look no further. From its cute, vibrant – if slightly squashed looking – visuals to the outstanding, bouncy music, the C64 perfectly captured the spirit of the original arcade hit and proved to be the perfect game to show-off to your Spectrum and Amstrad owning mates. There have been plenty of classic coin-op conversions on Commodore’s mighty 8-bit, but Bubble Bobble ranks as one of the best. The fluidity of control made it easy to initially play, but this was backed-up by a complex system which rewarded continued practice. Music was by Rob Hubbard and while there was only one background, it was filled with many clever Easter Eggs (those joyous bonuses you could spend months discovering). It revolutionised the mechanics of games like Way Of The Exploding Fist and Karate Champ, and also incredibly well on the humble C64. There had been previous games involving the slamming of bodily appendages against each other, in a sweaty contest of stamina and skill, but it was Archer Maclean’s IK+ which was first to ménage-à-trois with the concept – metaphorically speaking. Best of all, emulation means you no longer have to endure those lengthy screen loads. Haunting and with a meticulously designed game engine that gives a tremendous sense of scale and depth, Crammond’s Sentinel was one of the best strategy games on the C64 – although to be fair, it initially appeared on the BBC Micro – and even today offers a worryingly addictive challenge. Geoff Crammond’s name may be synonymous with racing games, but when he wasn’t pouring his heart and soul into his latest Grand Prix title, he was adept at turning his hand to all sorts of different genres, with The Sentinel being a perfect example of his handiwork. We’re worked hard to narrow the list down though, so take a look at it and tell us if we’ve got things right or wrong (we’ve got it right). It’s incredibly hard choosing just ten premium games for Commodore’s 8-bit machine, mainly because it has so many incredible gems on it.

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