The best thing you'll see today: Guitar Hero for the Commodore 64

47 Comments by Justin McElroy Mar 11th 2008 1:00PM
Filed under: Retro, Rhythm

After Guitar Hero made its way to mobile phones, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise: The game has (unofficially) made its way to the Commodore 64. Creator Toni Westbrook calls it Shredz64. We call it a ridiculously cool labor of love, and the best thing we've seen today.

Far from master tracks, the game only plays SID files, but for the decidedly (and necessarily) retro graphics of the game, it totally works. If you need proof, skip to about 4:30 in to see Toni wail through the Legend of Zelda Overworld theme. There's another equally impressive song after the break if you're interested. And if you're not, we're totally breaking up.

Tags: commodore64, guitar-hero, guitarhero

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

Jerk Face: Mar 11th 2008; 1:13PM

I love seeing stuff like this. The sheer lack of necessity is what makes projects like this intrigue me so much. I am not that kind of dork - the kind who will devote countless hours to making GH on the C64 or blistering their thumbs making speed runs on Mario levels that THEY THEMSELVES CREATED. I am not that kind of dork, but I am really glad that someone else is!

Bucket: Mar 11th 2008; 2:32PM

C64 is great.

Let's see him play along to that song that Timbaland ripped off.

Deck: Mar 11th 2008; 4:27PM

@ Bucket: You mean Apologize by One Republic?

Satertek: Mar 11th 2008; 5:23PM

It was the Nelly Furtado song 'Do It'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4KX7SkDe4Q

FrankTheCrank: Mar 11th 2008; 1:18PM

Sorry, but the best thing I saw today was a chick working at Gamestop, yes Gamestop, with big juggies. And she was cute too.

Now that's the best thing I've seen all day.

todd: Mar 11th 2008; 1:23PM

Got two at mine, both are well... not so hot.

Noga: Mar 11th 2008; 4:54PM

Pimps

Ghen: Mar 11th 2008; 9:13PM

Fortunately I have the whole internets for juggies. Real life just doesn't compare most days.

ShooterFan: Mar 11th 2008; 1:19PM

Thats Cool! What's a commador 64? JK

MGSLOL: Mar 11th 2008; 4:39PM

Phew, good thing you told me you were kidding. What would I have done? I would have lived the rest of my life not knowing whether or not that comment was in jest, and my life would surely have become a beacon of suffering.

Thank you, O Wise One, for alerting me to your joking ways.

todd: Mar 11th 2008; 1:22PM

Nice shirt.

Jevanzz: Mar 11th 2008; 1:25PM

Damn, you beat me to it :(

madshafter: Mar 11th 2008; 5:18PM

Damn, ME too!

Jevanzz: Mar 11th 2008; 1:24PM

I'm totally digging his rad shirt, yo.

todd: Mar 11th 2008; 1:26PM

ha...

roach: Mar 11th 2008; 1:33PM

sweet haircut too.... he just oozes awesomeness

Evan: Mar 11th 2008; 1:37PM

"The best thing you'll see today"

Actually, it was the best thing I saw YESTERDAY on Engadget. Get with it!

some person: Mar 11th 2008; 6:51PM

It's a concept I saw on Hackaday sometime last year

Ranus Studios: Mar 11th 2008; 1:49PM

I don't know about everyone else, but MY face just got rocked.

richard: Mar 11th 2008; 1:51PM

OMFG!!!! I have a commodore 64 and I need this. Is there any way to get a copy of this to work on my 64 without having to mod it. So I guess I could be a keyboard hero until I was brave enough to mod my 64??

Marcus Albers: Mar 11th 2008; 2:35PM

Actually, if I understood correctly, the "PSX64" is a custom interface he designed to plug PS2 controllers into the joystick (DB-9) ports of the C64, so you wouldn't actually need to mod the 64 itself. You just need to wait until the PSX64 interface is in production (which he said they were working on).

Silky Johnson: Mar 11th 2008; 1:57PM

What song was he playing there? was that mega man?

deaftly: Mar 11th 2008; 4:07PM

And you call yourself a gamer. SHAME ON YOU!

Mills and Boom: Mar 11th 2008; 2:03PM

The shock for me was learning the C64 did well outside of Europe. Never thought I'd hear a yank mentioning the name of my fave microcomputer.

horngreen: Mar 11th 2008; 2:07PM

I call BS on this. It is obvious from his shirt and his store bought haircut that he is indeed a time traveler and this footage was shot in the 80s. He came to our time, bought GH and took it back to the 80s and made this video. I'd even bet it was shot on a VHS camcorder. There is more to this than meets the eye.

nook: Mar 11th 2008; 2:14PM

robots in disguise?

zelderman: Mar 11th 2008; 2:32PM

No it was a betamax recorder

x silence x: Mar 11th 2008; 3:40PM

This encounter could create a time paradox, the results of which could start a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy the entire universe! Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to our own galaxy.

Dauragon88: Mar 11th 2008; 2:13PM

holy shit......this could be awesome for SID composers.

I could totaly rawk out to some Syphus tracks like this xD

Ben: Mar 11th 2008; 2:22PM

That is definitely the most awesome thing I've seen today. Nice Job.

JNYCE: Mar 11th 2008; 2:25PM

yeahi saw a hot girl at gamestop on sunday when i got my ssmb damn she had big boobs

Mills and Boom: Mar 11th 2008; 2:42PM

omg really?

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force): Mar 11th 2008; 7:38PM

One shan't drool in front of Tomb Raider promotional posters.

Dannybuoy: Mar 11th 2008; 2:35PM

Yeah.. the C64 has a great music chip....... not sure why he did this.. yeah it's pretty cool.. but what's the point???

Saneless: Mar 11th 2008; 3:31PM

Point? Well, what are you on Youtube for that's clever?

timnc: Mar 11th 2008; 3:15PM

Is it just me, or can you not tell when he hits or misses a note?

TomCo: Mar 11th 2008; 3:18PM

Now do it on the Amstrad.

Bucket: Mar 11th 2008; 3:27PM

This is awesome. I pity everyone who is too young to have owned a C64. Nice shoutout to the HVSC, too.

If you don't think C64 chiptunes can rock, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObnM0JXCTN0

The Mog: Mar 11th 2008; 3:48PM

I love what this guy has done, but damn does he ever talk too much, and not terribly accurately as well.

"A lot of people think the Commodore 64 is just capable of bloops and bleeps" - NOBODY thinks that the C64 is just capable of bloops and bleeps, c'mon.

Fook: Mar 11th 2008; 4:27PM

the fuckin race is on for someone to put it on a DREAMCAST! F THE COMMODORE!

DRICAS!DRICAS!DRICAS!DRICAS!DRICAS!DRICAS!DRICAS!

Shmil: Mar 11th 2008; 4:39PM

psshyeah like anyone will play shred hero once Block Band comes out

x silence x: Mar 11th 2008; 5:08PM

Well played sir.

Orionsaint: Mar 11th 2008; 7:17PM

Why? I guess to see what GH would have been like if it was invented in the early 80s?

driven2sin: Mar 11th 2008; 7:17PM

the notes weren't matching but i guess that wasn't the point

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force): Mar 11th 2008; 7:40PM

IT'S A GUITAR HERO SIXTY FOOOOUUUUURRR!!!

Rob Accomando: Mar 11th 2008; 8:54PM

that was awesome.

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