How to play Antony Crowther's C64 games in 2026 — software emulation,
FPGA hardware, and browser-based options.
Play options
All of Crowther's C64 titles are effectively abandonware — the publishers are defunct
or inactive, and the games have no active commercial life. The best way to experience them
is via emulation or original hardware. The options below range from zero setup (browser-based)
to the most authentic experience (original C64 hardware via FPGA).
Blagger (C64, 1983) — playable today via VICE emulator with the original .d64 disk image.
VICE — Versatile Commodore Emulator
VICE is the gold-standard C64 emulator for desktop. It is free, open-source,
and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. VICE accurately emulates the C64's MOS 6510 processor,
SID chip (via reSID or reSIDfp), VIC-II graphics, and all peripheral hardware.
For Crowther's games, use disk image files (.d64 format), which can be downloaded from
Lemon64. VICE loads them directly. The SID chip emulation in VICE is the closest software
approximation to hearing Crowther's compositions on original hardware.
Recommended settings: Use reSIDfp for SID emulation. Set the chip model to
MOS 6581 (the original chip in most 1983–1986 C64s) for Blagger-era music, or MOS 8580
(the revised chip from 1987) for Skimmer and later titles.
TheC64 (from Retro Games Ltd) is a hardware product that replicates the
Commodore 64 using FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) technology. Unlike software
emulation, FPGA implementation reproduces the actual circuit behaviour of the original
hardware, including the SID chip's analogue quirks that software approximations sometimes
miss.
TheC64 runs C64 games from USB drives (using .d64 disk images) and outputs via HDMI.
It supports joystick input via USB and includes a replica keyboard. For Crowther's games,
which depend heavily on tight joystick control, TheC64 provides the most authentic play
experience short of original hardware.
The TheC64 Maxi includes a full-size replica C64 keyboard. The TheC64 Mini is a smaller,
lower-cost option without the full keyboard.
The Internet Archive hosts browser-based C64 emulation for a growing library
of classic titles. No download or installation required — play directly in a modern
web browser using keyboard input.
Browser emulation is the lowest-friction option for trying a game for the first time.
The SID chip emulation via browser is less accurate than VICE, but sufficient to get a
feel for the gameplay and music.
Search for Blagger, Aliens, or other Crowther titles in the Archive's software collection
to find browser-playable versions where they have been uploaded.
A working Commodore 64 with a 1541 disk drive remains the ultimate way to experience
Crowther's games as originally intended. Original hardware is available through eBay,
retro computing fairs, and dedicated dealers in the UK and Europe.
For the SID chip specifically, original hardware matters. The MOS 6581 and MOS 8580 are
analogue chips — their exact sound varies by manufacturing batch, capacitor age, and
circuit board condition. Crowther composed his SID music hearing it through a specific
chip with specific analogue characteristics. Nothing replicates that perfectly, but
original hardware comes closest.
If using original hardware, disk images can be transferred to real 1541 disks using a
ZoomFloppy interface, or games can be loaded from an SD card via an
SD2IEC device (a modern replacement for the 1541 drive that reads
.d64 images from SD card).
Getting the Game Files
D64 disk images for Crowther's titles are available from:
