22 Best Commodore 64 Games for Handheld Emulation

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The Commodore 64 was the best-selling computer of its era, and its game library is enormous and strange in the best way. Emulation on a handheld is light work, since even a budget device runs a C64 with room to spare. The catch is controls. Many C64 games were built for a one-button joystick, so they map cleanly to a D-pad and a face button. Others used the keyboard, so a device with good button mapping or a touch overlay helps. If you have not set up a C64 core yet, our Commodore emulation guide walks through it.

We frame all of this around games you already own and want to preserve.

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Action and Platformers

Turrican (C64) — A sprawling run-and-gun with huge levels and a legendary soundtrack. One of the technical showpieces of the machine.

Turrican II (C64) — Bigger, smoother, and even more impressive. A high point of C64 action gaming.

The Great Giana Sisters (C64) — A famous Super Mario homage that plays wonderfully. Charming and tightly designed.

Rick Dangerous (C64) — A trap-filled platform adventure with a wicked sense of humor. Deaths come fast, which suits short sessions.

Mayhem in Monsterland (C64) — Often called the best-looking C64 game ever made. Fast, colorful, and a real technical marvel.

Bruce Lee (C64) — A minimalist action-platformer that still holds up. Simple controls and quick, replayable rooms.

Arcade and Shooters

Paradroid (C64) — A top-down action game with a brilliant droid-takeover minigame. A genuine C64 classic and a cult favorite.

Uridium (C64) — A fast, metallic side-scrolling shooter with silky-smooth scrolling. Short waves make it ideal on the go.

Armalyte (C64) — A gorgeous horizontal shooter often compared to arcade greats. A showcase for the hardware.

Wizball (C64) — An inventive, colorful shooter with a unique control scheme. Weird and wonderful.

Katakis (C64) — An R-Type-style shooter that pushed the C64 hard. Intense and impressive.

Adventure and Strategy

The Last Ninja (C64) — An isometric action-adventure with a famous soundtrack. Atmospheric and ambitious for its time.

The Last Ninja 2 (C64) — A stronger sequel set in modern New York. Even better puzzles and combat.

Impossible Mission (C64) — "Another visitor. Stay a while, stay forever." A classic search-and-flip platform puzzler with unforgettable speech.

Elite (C64) — The open-ended space-trading epic. Enormous scope, and a landmark in game design.

Pirates! (C64) — Sid Meier's open-ended adventure of sailing, trading, and sword fights. It uses the keyboard for many commands, so set up key mapping first. Endlessly replayable in short bursts.

Sports, Puzzle, and Deep Cuts

International Karate + (C64) — A three-fighter martial-arts game with great animation. A perfect quick-session competitive pick.

Boulder Dash (C64) — A dig-and-collect puzzle classic with tight, tense levels. A pick-up-and-play staple.

California Games (C64) — A collection of extreme-sports minigames. Bite-sized and fun.

Summer Games (C64) — Epyx's Olympic-event collection. Button-timing events that suit short sessions.

Creatures (C64) — A cute but brutal platform-puzzler with a dark streak. A beloved cult title.

Maniac Mansion (C64) — The LucasArts point-and-click that started it all. A great adventure to explore on the go.

A Note on C64 Controls

Most action games use a joystick and one fire button, which maps perfectly to a handheld D-pad and a face button. Keyboard-driven games like Pirates! and Elite need a device with flexible key mapping or an on-screen keyboard overlay. Android handhelds and Linux devices running RetroArch both handle this well once you set the controls up.