iPad / iPhone C64 emulator and adding custom games.

Posted by stiggyworld on

Having so much fun with the ZX Spectrum emulator ‘ZX Spectaculator’ for my ios devices I thought i’d give the Commodore 64 emulator a try and see if I could import a few additional games.

The principle of importing your own games into the emulator is the same as in ZX Spectaculator (see previous post https://stiggyblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/importing-zx-spectrum-games-onto-ipadiphone/ ) and isn’t too difficult once you get the hang of it. As with ZX Spectaculator, you do NOT require a jailbroken iPhone/Ipad 🙂 Bonus!

Go to the Apple App store and purchase the Commodore 64 iPhone app by Manomio. At present, it’s £1 more than ZX Spectaculator but still a bargain at £2.99 allowing to play all of your favorite c64 classic.

You will also need to download/install a copy of iExplorer onto your PC/Laptop. You can get this from here –

http://www.macroplant.com/iexplorer/

iExplorer is a program that allows you to access your ios device’s file directory for adding, amending and remove files. Probably best if you did an iTunes back up first in the event you delete a critical file.

Connect your ios device to your PC/laptop and launch iExplorer. You will be presented with a file directory similar to Windows Explorer with directories listed on the left and directory contents displayed on the right.

Browse to the following location – /Apps/com.manomio.C64/C64.app/games

Note that a few games are already listed as these are the ones that are preinstalled with the C64 app.

Highlight one of the folder names and drag/copy it to your PC desktop. In this example i’ll use the folder/game called LeMans.

Open the Lemans folder on your desktop and note the following files.

Lemans Cover.png – this is the cover artwork that will be displayed in the games list. The pictures have to be in .png format.

Gameinfo.plist – this is game configuration file

lemans.t64 – this is the game file.

All other files are unnessary unless you really want to customuise your game/specific keys etc. For now, you can delete these from the folder on your desktop.

I’ve renamed the folder Berzerk Redux

Delete the lemans.t64 game file and replace with your game file. Supported file types are .d64, .prg and .T64 and for the purpose of this post, i’m going to use Berzerk Redux because a) it’s Berzerk, b) it’s the best version of Berzerk for the C64 and c) I happen to like Berzerk 🙂

If you haven’t already played it, you can get this great Homebrew game from here –

http://noname.c64.org/csdb/release/?id=92977

You can leave the game with the Lemans artwork if you wish but as you can imagine, as your game collection begins to grow, you won’t know which games are which based on the artwork and it’ll get very confusing. As Berzerk Redux is a homebrew game there isn’t any cover art as such so i’ve created my own using MSpaint. I’ve used the Leman artwork as a guide.

I’ve also retained the 113×140 pixel size of the image but as this is quite small/low res, i’ll be experimenting with different sizes later on. I’ve named the file berzerk cover.png (you will need this name later on).

Next, open the file Gameinfo.plist with your favorite text editor. I’ve used MS Notepad.

Edit the following information

Game Title – enter the game folder name i.e Berzerk Redux

Game-Images – enter the name of your game i.e BerzerkRedux.d64

Cover Art Path – enter the name of the cover art picture i.e Berzerk Cover.png

It’s important to get the file names entered correctly into the plist configuration file.

If you wish, you can enter further game information like the game publither, game author and year etc.

Here’s a sample of my Gameinfo.plist for Berzerk Redux

Copy/Drag the Berzerk Redux folder over to your IOS device and you’re ready to play.

If your game doesn’t appear in the games list you will need to restart the C64 app (if the app was running in the background on your ios device).


Here’s the app running on my iPad and Berzerk is now listed.

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Yay, it works and with the inclusion of the ‘turbo’ button, games load in seconds.

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Kicking some metal ass. Have fun!

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143 responses to “iPad / iPhone C64 emulator and adding custom games.”

  2. Hey there, glad you’ve got it working. I plan to add Hero to my collection soon. Love this game on the Atari 2600.

  5. Hey Jason,

    Could you elaborate a little more? Are you having problems with the c64 controls on the app or or problems with using it via Bluetooth to an iCade?

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  6. I can launch Berzerk (kernel load, not fast load). However, when I get to the main title screen, the main joystick button will not function and the joystick itself can only move left and right, not up and down. I can see that the joystick button is being pressed but nothing happens. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

    Jason

  10. Hello. I am having troubles using the joystick in my inserted games.

    I can not control anything (not even past the title in ghosts n goblins)
    Most of them require a joystick in port 2.

    Is there a way to switch whitch the joystick port in the config or is there some other work around?

  11. Hey Sam, I’m not sure myself but happy to take a look at your .plist file if you want me to send you my email address?

  12. Hi Stiggyworld,

    I’m having problems getting D64 images to side load consistently (some work while others don’t). I am fairly sure I have the correct .plist as I am recycling them each time (and some work).

    I am trying to get Labyrinth by Activision working, but it either doesn’t load or hangs.

    Have you had any problems with D64 images? T64 seems to work fine, but I cannot find Labyrinth on T64, nor can I convert it. I also don’t have the means to extract it from my original tape.

    Any ideas?

    Thanks in advance!

  13. Hmm, well I’ve not come across any stubborn .d64 images that refuse to load with this emulator but I’m sure they’ll be some out there and will encounter one at some point.

    I’ll have a go at side loading labyrinth today and post my findings/plist for you. Haven’t played that one in ages so it should be fun.

    Be back soon.

    StiGGy

  14. Cheers StiGGy, would be interested to hear how you get on. 🙂

    I loved that game, possibly one of the best film tie-ins I can remember!

    Thanks,

    Jason.

  15. I can’t seem to get mine to actually mount a disk image. Every time I go to run a game I’ve added, it goes to the classic blue C64 command screen and says “file not found error” or “device not ready error”. I have the plist file pointing to the right .d64 image, but nothing will load. Any ideas?

  16. Hey Andrew.

    Yes, I’ve encountered this problem before. It’s not the fault of the emulator or the way you’ve mounted the image it’s the actual .d64 image itself. I’ve not got the exact technical explanation but it’s something to do with the game file .prg not being the first file contained within the .d64 image. Hence the emulator can’t find it.

    What i did was.

    Mount the image as per usual and after the ‘file not found’ or’ device not ready’ error.

    Type –

    Load “*” ,8,1

    or

    Load “gamename*” ,8,1

    (insert the game name if known or the first few letters of the game name i.e

    Load “bug*” ,8,1 – Might be used to load Buggy Boy (you must include the asterix at the end of the name).

    Then type –

    Run

    This should load the game.

    Before you start playing the game, exit the emulator. This will save the loaded game in such a way that you won’t have to do the above again (for that game)

    Restart the emulator, select the game, and when asked to resume from a previous game, select yes.

    I hope this helps. If not, the next step is for me to have a look at your .plist for you and we’ll go from there. Come back to me if you need any further help.

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  17. I had the same thought as you did initially, so I tried loading “*”. That didn’t work. I also couldn’t correctly guess the name of the file, so doing Load”$”,8 gave me the filenames and I could load it from there.

    After that, doing your app quit trick worked so now I can do it every time. Thanks!

  18. Yeah, it’s a bit hit n miss trying to guess the file name but as you say load$ should help.

    Glad your on your way to some portable c64 gaming fun!

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  20. I believe that the gentleman had based his custom plist from one included games not realising that the one he’d picked happen to be a game/plist that was configured specifically for left/right controls only instead of 4-way. Simply changing a line in the plist fixed the problem.

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  21. I added jumpman, changed the emul1541proc to true. It can find the device, but can’t find a file. I tried load”$”,8, load”jump*”,8,1 both come up with file not found.

    I didn’t jailbreak my phone will that make a difference?

  22. Hello there.

    Let me take a look at that and get back to you. It doesn’t matter if your device hasn’t been jalbreaked.

    Be back to you soon.

    StiGGy

  23. I’ve been trying to add a game which has 2 floppy images. I guess that in order to run it correctly swaping disc 1 and 2 when necessary I need to modify the plist file. Any ideas ?

  24. Hello there. Yes, it’ll be the plist but as of yet I haven’t figured out how to get multi disks games working. Shame really, as there’s loads! If you manage to figure this out yourself could you let me know?

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  25. Thanks for the guide!

    Is there any way to get direct keyboard input to the app? I’m trying to play Krakout but it won’t start unless I press space bar:-s

  26. Hi Stiggy

    Great stuff been having a lot of fun messing around with this, tearing my hair out now though as one of my favourite games (Platoon) I can’t get to run. Gets as far as selecting infin lifes/ammo etc but as soon as the slash screen kicks in it crashes (black screen). Have messed around with numerous plists and different ROMS but end back at sqare 1. Is it one you have managed to load if so could you fwd me the plist. Got a feeling it may be to do with the fact the joystick needs to be enabled in port 2 ??

    Cheers

    Ben

  27. Hey Ben. Great to see those classics running again isn’t it. Platoon is not in my games list at the moment but I can give a go tomorrow if you like. If I have any luck I’ll let you know.

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  28. Hi Ben,

    Well, i’ve been playing around with this this evening without success far. At the moment i can get the Platoon loading screen but that’s about it. I don’t think it’s due to the joystick in the wrong port as i’ve enabled joystick swap in the Plist config file i.e setting this to ‘true’ will enable the joystick in port two. I’ve tried with a few other Platoon .d64 images but most fail even under emulation via Vice 64. I’ll keep plugging at it and let you know if i manage to get it working.

    Coincidence or not, Platoon was one game i had on tape all those years ago that refused to load too 🙂

    Regards

    StiGGy

  29. Hi stiggy

    Appreciate the help I also tried several different downloaded roms all with the same fault, am guessing they were all the same identical Rom though. I use the CCS64 emulator and was able to run it from my laptop so it does seem to be an issue with the manomio emulator. Only that one game though must of successfully transferred 30 odd games now without an issue so I can’t grumble. It’s all rather pain free when you think back to the days of 15 minute load screens, regular crashes and faulty tape units 🙂

    Ben

  30. No worries Ben. I’ve got a little bit more free time this weekend so am aiming to take another look at it.

    These days on my real c64’s I tend to use a SD2IEC which loads games in seconds. I occasionally load from tape but to be honest, nostalgia only goes so far 😉

  31. Sorry Ben, it might be as you say the emulator at fault here as no matter what .d64 image I try I can’t get it past the ‘Platoon’ loading picture. Sorry I couldn’t help this time 😦

    If you do manage to suss it yourself, could you let me know?

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  34. Hi Stiggy

    For some reason, iExplorer wont let me copy off files or put any on. Is it because im now on ios6?

    Really want Batman The Movie on my iPhone!!!!!

    Please help!

  35. Hmm, maybe iExplorer needs to update to support io6? I can only guess as I’ve not updated my pad or phone yet. My wife has though so I’ll have to try it later on. Bit bizarre though!

  36. Yes, very bizarre. I can take photos and music off but all of a sudden it wont let be play around with the C64 app files. If you could help at all it would be much appreciated. Very annoying as paid for the full version of iExplorer and now cant use it for the reason I got it!!!!

  37. Now thats weird. Do you know which version of the C64 emulator you’ve got? Do you get an error when you try to browse to the c64 app folder in Iexplorer?

  38. Its 2.03. Only downloaded it mid-week. Don’t get an error, I can browse the folder but cant add anything. When I drag a folder off it copies the folder but it has nothing in it.

  39. Hey Sam, I’m having difficulty recreating your problem even with iOS 6. Just a thought though, have you got the ‘enable refresh’ button at the bottom right unchecked?

    StiGGy

  40. Hey Siggy

    I am using the most recent iExplorer (3.1.1.0) and cannot see a ‘enable refresh’ button?

    I have also tried using ifunbox which is doing exactly the same thing.

    I have also tried restoring iphone but to no avail…

    Thanks again for your help!

    Sam

  41. Hi Stiggy.

    Just had this reply from the makers of iExplorer:

    Hi Sam,

    Apple made some changes in iOS 6 where the .app (dot app) folder within an app directory cannot be modified or written to, and the files within that folder can’t be opened or transferred. But, you can still read/write in any other app subdirectory such as Documents, same as in previous iOS versions. Our developers are looking into ways around this limitation imposed by Apple, but I don’t currently have an ETA on when an update might happen. You’ll find that any iOS transfer utility software will have the same limitation with iOS 6.

    Sincerely, 

    Mike

    Macroplant Support Team

  43. Has the program changed at all? I just bought it today and I tried to follow your example exactly. When I bring up the lemans gameinfo.plist to edit it there is nothing listed under “Game-Images” It looks like this:

    version
    1
    game-images

    coverArtPath
    Lemans Cover.png

    As you can see… it’s blank. Any ideas?

  44. Hmm, that’s weird. Are the other Games’ Plist look the same? Are you opening the Plist in notepad/text editor after transferring from your iPad/iPhone or are you viewing directly on the iOS device.

    Regards

    StiGGy

  46. Sure no problem. Sent it to stiggy.net@ntlworld.com and I’ll take a look at it this weekend for you. To be honest I’ve not updated my app so maybe they have changed something somewhere.? Could you send me some of the other plists too for comparison?

    Regards

    StiGGy

  48. Hi StiGGy,

    I am having the same problem as Timothy – please can you tell me how you fixed it?

    Thanks

    Dave

  50. Hey Stiggy, I was wondering if there was an easy way to get the full keyboard to work when playing a text adventure in full screen, at the moment it just swaps to joystick, I wanted to play the Hobbit but in console mode it crops out the text you are typing at the bottom…

    Cheers
    Sean

  51. Hmm, I’m not sure about that one mate and am guessing it might not be possible without modification to the app? I’ll transfer the game image to my iPad and have a play around myself as well. If I find anything I’ll let you know.

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  52. Also, I was wondering if you could help with Montezumas Revenge, I’ve tried a few different versions and while some get stuck on the blue screen a few get to load the intro but then just remain stuck on a black screen before the game starts, I’ve tried the same versions in Vice and they all seem to run so I’m assuming it’s my naff skills at altering the .plist that are at fault! 🙂

    Cheers
    S

  53. No problem bud, will take a look at that for you, some can be a right bugger to load 🙂 Will let you know in due course.

    Take care

    StiGGy

  54. Hey Sean,

    Sorry I haven’t got back to you sooner re Montezuma’s Revenge. I’ve just been trying this evening but for some reason, iExplorer is refusing to copy the files over to my iPad. Am currently trying iFunbox too but not having much success. I’ll keep trying an let you know.

    Regards

    StiGGy

  56. Thanks Stiggy, it may just be an iphone issue where it obscures part of the text, it’s probably something I could live with 🙂

    I’ll make a suggestion to Stuart Carnie to see if it’s possible for it to be added in a later update.

    All the best
    Sean

  57. I found the solution for the iOS6 issue. I just hope Apple doesn’t crack down on this as well. iOS locks the .app folder for ANY editing. So iexplorer or ifun WON’T be able to do anything. But if you add a ‘games’ folder under the Documents folder it WILL work. Then you just follow the rest of his instructions, making sure to completely close the emulator and restart and at the bottom of your list your game will show up. Now if only I could find a ROM that would work with both Tank by Ocean and Impossible Mission by Epix. I would be a happy camper 🙂 The Tank one has a really glitchy screen when you move up. And the Impossible Mission won’t speak and appears to lock at the starting. It won’t respond to any joystick. I assume it’s because the voice is locking up.:(

  58. Fantastic, thanks ever so much for the advice, I’ll certainly be giving it a try tomorrow.

    Again, many, many thanks.

    Stiggy

  59. Hi Guys

    Thank god a fix has been found! Great work.

    The one thing I need though is a master folder to edit. ie when I try and drag off Le Mans it wont let me. Any ideas?

    Cheers

    Sam

  60. Sam, what OS are you using to pull the original folder off of? I tried it on a Mac and I sadly had the same problem as you. It would only pull the folder off. I had to use a PC with ifunbox as iexplore was too buggy and appears to maybe be dragging a virus with it. Not totally sure on that last one. I could have gotten the virus from sites used to find other .D64 files. Otherwise you can always try to make your own. You just need the graphics, the plist file, and the .D64 ( if the .D64 or.T64 file works that is 🙂 ) and put it in a file. You should at least be able to browse the Le Mans folder to view the plist contents. Then just copy to clipboard and make a new text file on your desktop and paste the contents there.

  62. Hey guys,

    Just getting over a bout of man-flu myself so should be up and about and able to try this myself.

    Stiggy

  64. Haven’t got a single game to work. Keeps coming up with file not found or device not ready error on every game.

  65. Hmm,it sounds like something is either wrong with your plist – are you sure you’ve got everything names exactly including any uppercase/lowercase/spaces etc. Dont forget to unzip the d.64 images.

    I find it helps, with stubborn games to rename the game to something simple like a.d64, name the folder ‘a’ and the artwork renamed as ‘a’, then you can limit the amount of mistakes in the plist file because all the required files are simply called ‘a’

    Alternatively, the plist might be correct and its just the games your are trying that don’t have the game as the first of the floppy disk image. I’be found this a few times on a few games myself.

    What you need to do is load the game by name rather than simply load “” 8,1

    For example, if the games is call Robocop, try –

    Load “r*”, 8,1

    Or

    Load “ro*”,8,1

    If you are returned to a ‘ready’ prompt, type

    RUN

    The game should now load. I always find that it’s best to exit the game now and when prompted by the app, to as save its state. This means, that when you want to play the game again, it will auto load to that state, thus removing the need to do all that load 8,1 stuff.

    Hope this helps, if not, come back to me.

    Regards and happy new year

    Stiggy

  67. Found a way of doing it but it means extracting the .prg file and running that which can be a problem when a game requires loading levels or extras within the game

  69. Well games like IK+ I just extract the prg file and used a game that game with the emulator (Blok Copy) as a template as it had a prg file. Trying to get Target Renegade to work but not sure how the extra levels would load. Used a program called D64Editor the extract the prg file from the d64 file. I might try and put all the prg files from the d64 file in the disk folder and see.

  70. Hi Stiggy I really need ur help! i tried following all ur steps but i still cant get the game onto the c64 app…im trying to get Space Crusade. I have the free version of iExplorer, i have the .d64 file, i have the .png image I got from the internet so, like u said, i used the Lemans folder, dragged it to desktop, there were no files there which was weird so i placed all the files into the folder, renamed it to space crusade but i cant drag it into the C64 Games Directory. it just wont show up! Please reply whenever you can!

  72. Luke, I used iFunbox. It was easier for me to use. And remember, without jail breaking you can’t put the folder back in the app if you are using iOS 6. You have to either download a free game or create a ‘games’ folder in the Documents folder. Then just add your new Le mons folder or whatever game name you choose thier. It is the only way to add a game in iOS 6.

  75. Hey color64, is there any other program that is just like iFunbox?.. theres a lot of ads is it safe? and can I use it with a non jailbroken device?

    Thanks

  76. There is iExplorer but that is paid and I didn’t like using it. Other then that I am not aware of other programs. As for ads, well developers have to get paid somehow. I can’t vouch for it being safe. I run it on a machine I can easily wipe and that’s all I use that machine for. There are other ways of being safe but that’s beyond this blog posting. And yes both of the devices I use are non jailbroken. So this works even if you haven’t jailbroken your device yet. Jump in, get your hands dirty and by all means have fun with it. 🙂 Life is too short to worry about tech being compromised.

  77. I’m pretty happy with ifunbox too and like most ad infused software, just stay away from clicking on them and use a bit of common sense and all should be good.

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  78. Guys, there’s got to be reason why this isnt working out.. like u guys said, i even tried using iFunbox but THAT wont even let me transfer my Space Crusade folder into the C64 directory.. any reason why??

  79. Hey Luke, I’m guessing that iOS 6.1 isn’t fully supported with ifunbox/iExplorer therefore you may have to wait for an update…or jailbreak your device.

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  80. I can’t vouch for 6.1 because it is too new but there is almost no way they could block the download folder. It is what the apps themselves use for new content. Luke stated he is on 6.01 the same version I am on. Luke, if you could post a link to a screenshot that might help. I suspect you are simply trying to upload to the wrong directory. I would suggest downloading a game then finding the directory that games folder is in. That is the folder you need to upload your new game to. You can’t upload to the .app directory as stated in Stiggys post anymore. You have to use the ROM folder inside the Download folder. You will see that created when you download a new game. I might add to make sure you have enough space on your device first.

  81. Luke, that’s what we have been saying for awhile now. You can’t write to the C64.app directory in iOS 6. You HAVE to use the C64/Documents/games folder. That is a seperate directory then the actual C64.app directory. You can only read from the .app directory. Once again, download a program from the in app store. Then pull the entire dir from C64/Documents/games/[downloaded game] to your system, make a copy and change the copy according to Stiggys post then upload the new folder to the same directory you got the first one from.

    Sorry if the explanation is a little confusing. I am trying to write it in a way that’s easy to understand and I am not always good at it. 🙂

  83. One more question cause i still cant do this damn thing.. Iand Im determined to do it! I found the com.manomio.64 directory using iexplorer but its in the caches folder in the actual app is THIS where i put it?

    Thanks guys

  85. Unfortunately, because I don’t use iExplorer I don’t remember how it shows the directories. If you find the C64.app directory there will be two other directories attached but I don’t think I side the .app directory. One is Cache and the other is Documents. Until you either buy a game or download a free game from inside the app, you won’t see the ROM folder I am talking about. Once you have either bought or downloaded one the games the app offers, then look inside the Documents folder I was talking about. Inside that one you will find the ROM folder. The app doesn’t create the ROM folder until after you get a new game from the app itself. Does that make any more sense? This remindes me of the hours I spent unsuccessfully attempting to crack TNK III (aka Tank by Ocean. ) loved that game but hated the copy protection. 🙂

  86. Alrighty this makes a lot more sense to me thanks. I just downloaded a DOS emulator for iphone..is the procedure for adding a game kinda the same?

    Thanks

  87. Okay, I downloaded a game from the app now I have a folder with the d64 file and PNG image where do I place them?

  88. Hey Luke, if you reread the comments, you’ll see what you need to do next. It’s all there for you.

    Happy gaming

    StiGGy

  90. You sir, are what makes the internet so great! I’m just writing a post about you.

    Many many thanks

    StiGGy

    p.s Nice to see someone else still rocking the NTLworld addresses 🙂

  92. Look, I’m a very busy chap today, I’ve got the greenhouse to clean out so stop distracting me with even more awesome-ness 🙂

    Many thanks

    StiGGY

  94. Hey Niknice i’ve got a question for you. For games like California Games that usually have multiple .d64 images (side A and side B), did you combine the images somehow or were you lucky enough to have a dump of the game wrapped up into one .d64 image.

    I’ve not had any problems with importing games before but i’ve always been stuck with those that have multiple images.

    Thanks again

    StiGGy

  95. It’s been awhile since I did these games’ but if I remember correctly any 2 sided/discs games, I sourced the 1 sided crack version. Many hackers back in the day managed to compress/fit double sided games onto a single sided disc. This only applies to some games and not all. I may have also used the .t64 version instead (open game folder and see if the game is .t64 or .d64). I remember certain games I wanted, I could not find a single sided version. If the emu had a decent update then I’m sure this issue would not b a problem 🙂
    So to answer your question, no I did not merge discs 😦

  96. Thanks mate, I’ll dig a bit deeper for some single sided images for the handful of titles i’m hoping to get running. Incidentally, those t64 are handy for multi loaders too, just need to hit the turbo button occasionally 🙂

    Thanks again

    StiGGy

  97. No I didn’t merge any discs. I either found a compressed hack that only used one side or I used the tape version. If you take a look in the game folder the game image will either be .t64 or .d64. I’m sure a decent update to the emu will solve these problems 🙂
    On a side note if anybody has any images that I havn’t got, then please upload and share 🙂

  98. Looks like the device needs to be jailbroken… I accidently updated to 6.1.3 and neither iExplorer nor iFunbox (free, by the way) seems to work on putting games into the C64 Folder. Both start working and pretend to do something but after copying is done no new folders or files appear. Same goes for FTAs Apple II Emulator. Good times are over, I guess, or does anyone knows a workaround

  99. Thanks for the heads up mate. I hardly ever update unless there’s a particular feature that’s I’m desperate for.

  100. Yeahh… I usually don’t update as well and with an phone from the states I was banned to stay on something that is unlockable, hence 4.1.2 which had a really fucked up baseband right from Apple. It tended to go off and loose connection for a couple of minutes till days. Only hardresets, with loss of all network settings helped. Now that had a pregnant wife at home, being available on the phone was a paramount. Now our daughter is here and I have traded my jb-freedom for a being available on the phone 24/7. Life sometimes is strange. 😉

  101. DaNDeE, maybe I am interpreting your comments wrong but are you putting them in the folder Stiggy originally said in the post or where I posted early in the comments. I am running a non jail broken phone and have had no problems updating and adding files as long as I put it in the right folder. We can’t put them directly in the app anymore.

  102. Ohhh.. I missed that one. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Haven’t tried it now, but I guess I will need to change the folderpath in the .ini files???

    The speech at start of Impossible Mission might be very hard to hear, if the app is emulating a new sid chip.. just guessing, though.

    cheers

  105. Color64 Sysop: got our REM release of IM running now on my iPad 2, with voice and everything, although the speach seems to be a little bit slow. Send me an email and I will send it to you. cheers.

  106. Hi, followed your instructions, but when I try to copy the file back i get “Unable to Mount Disk: The system cannot find the file specified”. Any idea whats wrong? I am running iExplorer in Demo mode, Do i have to pay for the program?

  107. Hi there, it’s possible you’re having problems running in demo mode but to be honest I’ve not used iExplorer for a long time now and much prefer the (free) iFunbox to move files around on my iPad/iPhone. Please note, if you’re using IOS6 take note from some of the comments below – namely from the very helpful Color64 Sysop.

    Luke, I used iFunbox. It was easier for me to use. And remember, without jail breaking you can’t put the folder back in the app if you are using iOS 6. You have to either download a free game or create a ‘games’ folder in the Documents folder. Then just add your new Le mons folder or whatever game name you choose thier. It is the only way to add a game in iOS 6.

  108. Hi I’ve got a bit furthere “I a running ios6” I have now copied the folder intthe games folder in the document folder. It now shows when I run the emulator but when I press run I just see the “ready screen”. If i type load “lcp1” I just get Device not present error. I am trying to get Little Computer People to work, sad I know!

  114. I think I see what your problem is, I’ve amended the file and emailed it back to you. It seems to work ok on mine now so hopefully it should work on yours too.

    Regards

    StiGGy

  116. Thanks very very much, it works. The plist I picked to use was for the C64 Basic, I figured I’d need that so I’d get a keyboard??? Anyway I’m so pleased I’ve got this now Thank you

  118. I am just trying it out. I can’t see a control key? To fill up the water & deliver food etc you press CTRL+ corresponding letter, any idea how to do this?

  119. Ah…in that case, I think we’re a little stuffed unless someone else can help? I can’t see a way of remapping/activation this key in the plist file so I’m guessing the emulator doesn’t support it.

    If you have a jail broken device, you could always try the other emulator – c64.emu

    http://www.explusalpha.com/home/funding/one-time

    I’ve not tried it on my ipad yet but probably will do at some point over the weekend.

  120. My ipad isn’t Jailbroken so wouldn’t be able to use the emulator you’ve mentioned 😦 I hope there’s some way around it.

  123. Hi stiggy
    I am getting crazy by adding new flies to the C64 App.
    I followed all steps posted above to add new files to the C64/documents/games Directory. Once I add a new file, the App does not start anymore. When I remove the new files, it starts again.

    Whats my fault?
    I am using ios7 at an iPad mini

  124. Hey Andreas, sorry to hear you’re having a few problems. I’ve not tried to import any since upgrading to ios7 myself but now that I have I’ll have a play around with it.

    If you want to send me the exact folder & files that you’re trying to import, I can take a look at it for if you like? The most common problem is an incorrect .plist file for a particular game but this usually results in the game not showing when the you start the app. The app crashing afterr importing might be something else.

    Kind regards

    StiGGy

  125. Tranks StiGGy for your quick reply!

    Here what I did so far:

    1. I downloaded the free game Laser Squad from in App Store.
    2. I copied my new created game folder into the C64/Document/Game directory
    I followed your desciption how to create a new game folder. I used a .d64 Image of Falcon Patrol,
    which runs very well on my laptop. The .plist file of the game I used as base
    ( Lemans) looks different from your example above, but I did my best to do the needed changes. I have no idea, if I did it right.
    3. I restarted the App, but it stalls and break down.
    4. I removed my new folder and the App Runs again
    5. I transfered the complete Laser Squad folder to my Laptop and replaced the game Image and the cover pic with my Falcon Patrol. I used exact the same naming as for the Laser Squad files
    6. I transfered back the Laser squad folder to C64/Documents/Games. I was the Hope, that my New Game Falcon Patrol starts, when it is named like the Laser Squad files. But again, the app stalls after a second and quits.

    So i think it in not a problem with the .plist.

  126. It might crash if your plist file does not contain the correct information for your new game falcon patrol. Don’t forget, the folder name must be named the same as the game so if you’ve kept the folder name Laser Squad, but you game is Falcon Patrol.d64 (or .prg) it might not work.

    It’s best if you start with a new folder called Falcon Patrol, add your game, cover and then copy the plist from Laser Squad. Open the plist and change all references to Laser Squad to your Falcon Patrol files. Copy the whole folder back to you app, restart it and see if it appears.

    If not, come back to me and I’ll take another look.

    Regards

    StiGGy

  128. Hey stiggy.

    Sorry for hijacking this commects for a remote topic, but I think here are the skilled people. 😉 Just trying to install Mini VMac, a classic Macintosh emulator on my iPad and it looks like IOS7 ist missing the /var/mobile/ folders. They are probably there via SSH (can’t check right now) and it even looks like you can install the missing vmac.rom inside the actual mini Vmac.app folder. Using iFunb Box or similar tools you can see all installed applications (at least the ones that have been launched) but mini VMac does not show up in the list, nor does /var/mobile/… probably due to IOS7 updates. Without the rom the emulator won’t run and without starting it ones, it will not appear in the list (that’s at least my guess), so a classical egg-chicken situation. Any ideas where /var/mobile is gone and how to access it, or even a tutorial on how to run miniVmac? > http://namedfork.net/iphone/minivmac

    Thanks and cheerio.

  129. No worries mate. Probably wouldn’t be able to help you with this one other than checking my IOS7 devices but it’s on here so hope that someone reading this can shed any light and/or further advice.

    Regards

    StiGGy

  130. Hi StiGGy,
    thx for your work to keep the C64 spirit alive. I’m a big fan of H.E.R.O. and Tower Toppler. I directly wanted to start installing the C64 emulator by Manomio but I could not find it in the Apple App Store?! Do you know anything about this?

    Many thx!
    Futuremelody

  132. I noticed a few weeks ago that both C64 emulators had gone missing. I kind of wish Manomio would release the source code so we could update it. I am afraid to say that until a good enough developer comes along you will either have to crack your device or go without C64 games. Copyright law really blows when it comes to stuff like this. If you want to make money on your stuff, fine by me. Just do something with it. Don’t just sit on the rights denying others of enjoying the work already done.

  133. That sure does suck. Maybe it was Apple in the end? I seem to recall the app being released/pulled/rereleased/pulled many times in the beginning.

  134. It was. From what I recall though it was the option on the front end to drop D64 images in to run was the issue. Apple also was not allowing emulators. But Apple relaxed that stance and Manomio pulled the ability to drop images into iTunes. I haven’t seen anyone comment on it being yanked. But the fact that the website is parked now would seem that something happened to him instead of Apple pulling it. Bummer none the less.

    The other emulator wasn’t able to drop D64’s in at least that I could hack. It was by Elite Systems and they pulled it voluntarily because they weren’t paying royalties on licenses and devs were sending then angry mail about that. Not sure if/when that one will ever be back. So once again we are left without a good “legal” emulator.

  135. Damn shame isn’t it…and yes, rather messy that whole Elite business. Hope all get sorted for the devs involved.

  136. Is it possible to copy the emulator with e. g. iFunbox from one device to another so I could use the emulator until it gets incompatible?

  137. Possibly, maybe but I’d guess Jailbreaking and additional tools/resources would be required. That’s a guess though as I’ve no experience in this.

  138. If you already have the app, you can reinstall from iTunes as long as you have it in your library. If you don’t have it you are out of luck. The apps are signed by the developer which I tracked down and asked what the deal was. His reply was he took it down because of license issues and it was taking up too much time. He moved on it appears. But he DOES have the source code on Git hub. Just Google Stuart Carnie. But to use it, you would have to get the C64 roms, and compile it with Xcode, and have a developer account. Someone might have the binaries out in the wild but you still would have to have a jailbroken device to install it. Maybe if the holder of the C64 ROMS could be tracked down the idea could be revived.

  139. Thanks for the update mate, well researched. Thankfully I do have it in my own library but of course that doesn’t help those that don’t 😦

    Personally, if I didn’t and I was really keen to have some iC64 love, I’d probably JB and go with something like c64.emu

    Thanks again for the update, much appreciated.

  140. This is a great thread. Learnt a lot. Many thanks to all and especially Stiggy, and also Niknice for posting access to his collection of games, all nicely sorted in folders for copying straight into the iOS app.

    Niknice – please post if you add to your collection.

    Ken

  142. For all of you that are into the demo scene, or do play C64 games via the virtual joystick (button overlay), you should just check out, what Mr.Sid did for the iPad owners, over here: http://csdb.dk/release/?id=130115

    This is by far the best tool and the easiest way, to get access to the whole library of C64 software. The bad part is, that Apple off course won’t approve this to show up on the itunes Store, so you need to compile it for yourself and/or need to have a jailbroken device. Once you tackled those hurdles this is the best experience. iCade support would be great, but is not intended, as this primary released to watch demos on the run… but who knows. Maybe someone here can add the missing iCade code to it *sting*- 😉

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