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"The Gamebase Collection"
Coming Soon! - Download the Game List

What is The Gamebase Collection of Information?

The Gamebase Collection of Information is a collaboration of efforts from a group of like-minded C64 enthusiasts. In its simplest term, it is a database of C64 games, but dig under the cover and you will find the most complete and accurate archive of C64 game information that has ever been compiled. Currently the collection has around 14000 individual game entries, but still it is growing as rare games are being found and added to it all the time. The Gamebase Team is constantly working on the database, adding new games and gathering more information on existing games.

The Gamebase Collection will be online at or about the same time the official non-beta GameBase program is released. We plan to have the collection in both offline and online formats. The offline version will be available for download with GameBase, while the online version will be right here on Gamebase64.com, and will come with a versatile search engine. You'll be able to search the whole collection by Game Name, Publisher, Programmer, Genre, Musician, Cracking Group and more! All the screenshots should be online, as well as game docs and other extras.

Our Philosophy

The Gamebase Team are aware that there are numerous versions of many of the C64 games available on the web and in individuals' collections, and since the project began we have made every effort to include only the *best* found versions of these games, i.e. versions with multiple trainers, highscore-savers, loading/title-pics, included docs etc. Where possible, and where necessary, we have merged different game-versions into one new version for the collection.

Since our number of 'Unchecked' games has reached zero for some time now, let's explain what we mean when we say 'we check' a game: -

a) We load it up and scan it for the information that needs to be added to Gamebase's database fields (that is programmer's name, mucisian's name etc.)

b) We play it a little bit in order to check if it looks OK, doen't crash etc. This along with Michael's checking the game's files for bad sectors etc when copying them to fresh D64 or T64 images, is our possible quality-check at the moment.

With the above we want to point out that when we say 'checked' we don't mean checking it in every possible way. It would be impossible to release Gamebase if we had to make every check possible to each game we include, especially if you consider that some games, for example RPGs, need months in order to be checked properly. Once the collection is released, though, we will rely on you, the Gamebase user, to report any bug/defection you notice in the games you play. We will then check the information you submit and, if found to be valid, will add it to the relevant comment field of the game concerned. This way everyone will be aware of the faulty game version and will be able to help us with submiting an okay copy he may have for inclusion in our next update.

Database Fields

For each game in the database, we store the following 'Game Info': -

Field Name Field Type
Unique Game ID (number)
Game name (text)
Publisher (text)
Year Published (number)
Programmer (text)
Musician (text)
Genre (split into parent and sub genres) (text)
Minimum no. Players (number)
Maximum no. Players (number)
Simultaneous Play flag (yes/no)
Language (text)
Comment (text)
Game Filename (text)
File to Run within archive (text)
Image Index within Game File (number)
Sid Filename (text)
Screenshot Filename (text)
Game has Extras (yes/no)
Link to game's Prequel (number)
Link to game's Sequel (number)
Link to related game (number)
Adult flag (yes/no)
Control Method (joyport1, joyport2, keyboard etc.) (number)
Favourite flag (yes/no)
Game File exists flag (yes/no)
Sid File exists flag (yes/no)

We also store the following 'Version Info' for each game: -

Field Name Field Type
Cracker (text)
No. Trainers (number)
High Score Saver (yes/no)
Game Length (blocks/disks) (number)
PAL/NTSC indicator (number)
True Drive Emulation (yes/no)
Loading Screen (yes/no)
Included Docs (yes/no)
Comment (text)

The following 'Personal Info' is also stored: -

Field Name Field Type
High Score (text)
Difficulty Level (text)
Personal Rating (1-5) (number)
Classic Game Flag (yes/no)
Times Played (number)
Date Last Played (text)
Notes (memo)

The Gamebase CD

The current plan (although none of this is set in stone yet) is to initially have 1 CD when the collection is released. This will be an "emergency" CD containing GameBase, the Gamebase Collection database, all the screenshots (100mb+) and any extras we have ready at time of release. This CD will be available for those people with slow (or no) access to the internet.

A while after the initial release, when important bugs/changes have been made to the database and frontend, we plan to release an "Official Gamebase CD". This will have the updated frontend, database, screenshots, extras and a few special surprises not available from the web.

As for the other, so-called "games" CD... well, currently the Gamebase team has no plans to distribute this due to copyright reasons. The games will hopefully become available on some of the more popular C64 FTP sites in the filename format under which they are stored in gamebase -- (most of them are already available in said sites but in a different filename format. If you want to link those with gamebase you'll have to do it yourself). If persons wish to make a CD for the games and distribute it, as has been done numerous times with the various collections that float around, it's up to them -- the Gamebase team will not be distributing it.

As I have said, none of this 'CD stuff' is confirmed yet, it's all very vague at the moment. Be sure, however, that we'll keep you updated.

- The Gamebase Team

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