That C64 app has since been removed, due to the accessibility of the emulator's built-in BASIC system, according to Pocket Gamer. While dire, it appears that one shouldn't abandon all hope.

The developer, Manomio, is apparently hard at work on addressing that little problem, so don't be surprised if the app quickly makes a reappearance. If you were lucky enough to secure a digital copy, consider yourself lucky.

Hopefully Manomio will make it worth your while to upgrade to a newer version — say, with a copy of International Karate, as previously teased? Yeah, don't count on it.

C64 taken down from the App Store due to BASIC glitch [Pocket Gamer]

It includes five "classic" games (though "classic" might be a bit of a stretch), those being Dragons Den, Le Mans, Jupiter Lander, Arctic Shipwreck and Jack Attack. What, no International Karate? Even though it's in the demo video below? Hopefully that's coming later.

[C64 @ manomio]

That C64 game was actually one of the first I ever remember playing, and the entire I time i had a Commodore 64, I played the shit out of it. So it's nice to see the developers of the latest Ghostbusters game, Terminal Reality, paying homage to it in the above screenshot.

If you head upstairs in the firehouse in the new game, you'll see the terminal above displaying a weird message. Confused? It's the endgame screen you got in the old C64 game should you ever actually manage to finish the thing (pictured below). Which, for me at least, didn't happen very often.

[thanks Fareo!]

Not only is this amazing because it's a Commodore 64 laptop, it's amazing because it's just the perfect mix between keeping it retro and keeping it classy. Example: It's got a C64 keyboard and power switch, but folds into a thin, good-lookin' clamshell case.

Being a Ben Heck custom job, it's a one-of-a-kind. Which is a shame. Because I'd buy one. Maybe even two.

Commodore 64 Original Hardware Laptop [benheck]

Yes, the clues in last week's Wii Update led us to one inevitable conclusion: Commodore 64 games were coming to North America. We just didn't realize it would be so soon. Three C64 titles drop this morning on the Virtual Console, each ringing in at 500 Wii points a pop. Battle it out ferociously as The Last Ninja, or grab International Karate if you prefer your martial arts in a more formal setting. If kung-fu fighting isn't your bag, there's also the high-speed excitement of Pitstop II, featuring six of the world's top tracks rendered as only the Commodore 64 could - poorly.

For those of you craving something new, this week also sees the release of Hudson's first-person shooter Onslaught for WiiWare (1,000 points), which features online play for up to four players as the forces of the Elite Interstellar Strike force battles evil insectoid aliens.

Check out the full game descriptions below, along with an explanation of the clues from last week's Wii Update. I don't know if I will be picking up any of the C64 titles, but at least they kicked things off with the appropriate amount of ninja goodness.

WiiWare

Onslaught (Hudson Entertainment, 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen-Animated Blood, Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Onslaught is an FPS that puts you in the middle of a futuristic war between humans and insectoid aliens. Become part of the Elite Interstellar Strike Force and fight against an overwhelming onslaught of alien life forms. Enjoy the rush of mowing down wave after wave of aliens with machine guns, grenades and more. Feel your heart pound as you battle gigantic boss aliens. Beyond the normal game, Onslaught includes additional modes that let you play with rivals from around the world using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Team up with as many as three other players in Free Battle mode, or compete on special maps to see who can get the most points by killing enemies before time runs out in Ranking Battle mode. (Router and broadband access required for online play. For more info, go to www.nintendo.com.)

Virtual Console

The Last Ninja™ (Commodore 64, 1 player, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Animated Blood, Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): The evil Shogun Kunitoki has long envied the powers of the Ninja brotherhood and would do anything to acquire their knowledge. To this end, he has sworn an oath to their total destruction. Once every decade, all Ninja must travel to the Island of Lin Fen, where they pay homage to the Shrine of the White Ninja and receive further teachings from the Koga Scrolls. Seizing the opportunity, Kunitoki summoned forth all the spirits from the depths of the Nether World and flung their full force against the amassed Ninja. None escaped the wrath of Kunitoki. Word of this unnatural disaster soon reached Armakuni, the last Ninja. Gathering all his courage, he has sworn to wreak a terrible revenge on the Shogun and all his followers. What unforeseen hazards await him?

INTERNATIONAL KARATE™ (Commodore 64, 1-2 players, Rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older-Mild Violence, 500 Wii Points): INTERNATIONAL KARATE is a simulation of a karate tournament in which one person can play against the computer or two players can compete against each other. During the game, you'll fly to various locations around the world. In all stages of the game, a wise old judge will watch over you and award you either a half-point or a full point, depending on how successful a hit has been.

Pitstop II™ (Commodore 64, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Pitstop II was the first game that brought serious auto racing action to the computer screen-the thrill of battling an opponent, the excitement of fighting for the lead out on the track, and the suspense of struggling to be the first out of the pits. Third-person graphics and a split-screen display allow one or two players to experience the challenge of car racing head-to-head. Six of the world's toughest tracks are waiting, from Brands Hatch and its hairpin turns to the mile-long straight of Vallelunga. You can practice against the computer, but nothing will compare to the fun of racing against another person. Indeed, Pitstop II proves that car racing was never meant to be a solo sport.

As promised, here's a list of the Commodore 64-related clues that were embedded in last week's newsletter:

• In the second paragraph, each sentence contains exactly 64 letters and numbers (not counting spaces or punctuation).

• U.S. Route 64 runs from Arizona to North Carolina.

• The third sentence ends with a comma and the word "door," hinting at the name Commodore.

• "Brick House" was a hit for R&B group The Commodores.

• The athletic teams of Vanderbilt University are known as the Commodores.

• Pennsylvania's Route 286 passes through a town called Commodore.

• The phrases "birthday greetings" and "who could ask for more?" are found in the classic Beatles tune "When I'm 64."

With over 18 Commodore 64 titles already released on the European Virtual Console, it's a safe bet that we'll get a good idea of what's in the works simply by looking at what Europe already has. They've seen a steady stream of releases since March 28th of last year, when Uridium and International Karate made their debut, since then adding such classics as Jumpman, Boulder Dash, California Games, and the Last Ninja series.

Despite having been heavily immersed in Commodore culture back in the 80's, I am honestly hard-pressed to name any large Commodore exclusive titles, having played mainly ports of games that were created with other PC systems in mind. Add to that the fact that many of the games I played back then were text-based adventure titles, and the list narrows down even further.

When it comes right down to it, there really aren't that many Commodore 64 titles that you can't just find floating about the internet somewhere, so I'm not sure I can see myself forking out $5 for a Commodore 64 game, as novel as the idea might be.

Take a look at Wikipedia's gigantic list of Commodore 64 titles and see if any of them tickle your fancy, or at least stir the sort of fond memories that are worth 500 Wii points.

Foldskool Heroes [Marshall Alexander]

And yes, that Portal fan mod can sling its hook too. The Commodore 64 remake 'Shotgate' has rendered both games utterly pointless.

Yes, it's a Portal clone for the C64. No, it's not in 3D and - yes - it does look quite like that Flash tribute from last year.

This little fella was made in just 4K of C64 assembler for the Mini Games Comp 2008. If you like the look of it, the programmer is actually selling it in C64 cartridge form in a limited edition run of 20. Buy now to avoid/ensure disappointment.

Shotgate [Quernhorst.de]

Remember Shredz64, Toni Westbrook's Guitar Hero retro port to the Commodore 64? What was once nothing but a fun concept is now a reality, with a playable C64 version of Harmonix's rhythm game that uses a standard guitar controller. It doesn't play stock tunes, as you might expect, but SID files, which Westbrook demonstrates in the above clip. The tune? The Legend of Zelda Overworld Theme, something that only makes us pine for Nintendo remixes in future Wii versions of Guitar Hero.

For more, without all the exposition, check out the second clip.

The only thing that could possibly make this better is a cease and desist from Activision. We know you want to, Activision legal team, so let's just get it over with. Thanks!

It seems that Toni Westbrook thinks so, as he's fashioned the PSX64 controller adapter to work with a Guitar Hero guitar controller—the PlayStation 2 type—and is hard at work on the C64 port of the game.

Lo-fi hacking at its best!

Shredz64 [The Shredz64 Project via Waxy.org]

How darling! Insert Credit points to Jason Winters and his Commodore 64 palmtop. Backstory: Jeri Ellsworth created a line of C64 plug 'n plays that were sold to Walmart and the like. The interesting part was that she put the entire thing on a chip, making it possible to create devices like this truly cool C64 palmtop. Nice work. Brian Ashcraft

The C64 Palmtop [Insert Credit]

[Thanks, Tobias]

Details are few and far between. Alls we knows is that this is a giant Commodore logo with a monitor and working C64. Cool, but where the hell ya supposed to put it? Brian Ashcraft

Big Ass Commodore Thingy [Cathode Tan]

Hardball And Summer Games Beadwork [Aeropause]