Another visitor! Stay awhile. Stay FOREVER.
February 3, 2022 5:44 PM Subscribe
Those who grew up with the Commodore 64 will certainly remember Impossible Mission – a brutally difficult and platform-defining puzzle-platformer. Now it's been faithfully recreated in JavaScript, and you can play it in your web browser.
Bonus links:
The 8-Bit Guy demonstrates the software and hardware that was used for primitive digital sampling on the Commodore 64.
And, someone recreated that menacing black sphere in real life.
Bonus links:
The 8-Bit Guy demonstrates the software and hardware that was used for primitive digital sampling on the Commodore 64.
And, someone recreated that menacing black sphere in real life.
I never played the game but I have some cousins that would repeat that line into the 2000s at least.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 5:51 PM on February 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 5:51 PM on February 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
Legend has it that the NTSC Atari 7800 port of the game literally is impossible, due to a bug. Needed resources are trapped behind computer terminals that you are unable to search behind. The PAL version fixes this.
posted by delfin at 5:54 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by delfin at 5:54 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
I played the living fuck out of this game eventually got to the point where I could beat it regularly. One of the absolute best games for the C64.
posted by briank at 5:58 PM on February 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by briank at 5:58 PM on February 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
There's a time limit, that's unfortunate. I'm a video game dawdler.
posted by user92371 at 6:33 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by user92371 at 6:33 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
I don't understand how to play it any more now than I did on the C64 decades ago. What are you supposed to do, and how?
posted by sillyman at 6:35 PM on February 3, 2022
posted by sillyman at 6:35 PM on February 3, 2022
Oh god no, I can't start this again... Scrolls up and clicks link.
This and a game called Great American Road Race kept me occupied for hundreds of hours
posted by jenjenc at 6:44 PM on February 3, 2022
This and a game called Great American Road Race kept me occupied for hundreds of hours
posted by jenjenc at 6:44 PM on February 3, 2022
> What are you supposed to do?
In the upper-left corner there is an icon you can click. That has "manual" or some such as one of the selections.
posted by user92371 at 6:52 PM on February 3, 2022
In the upper-left corner there is an icon you can click. That has "manual" or some such as one of the selections.
posted by user92371 at 6:52 PM on February 3, 2022
This was the game that made me want a C64, I offered 200 hours of babysitting to get someone’s C64 setup. Who knows where I’d be now if it wasn’t for that deal.
posted by furtive at 7:23 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by furtive at 7:23 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
AAAaaaa-aa-AAAAAAAaaaahhh!
posted by glonous keming at 7:57 PM on February 3, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by glonous keming at 7:57 PM on February 3, 2022 [6 favorites]
I knew this day would come, and yet … I am still not prepared.
posted by dragstroke at 8:09 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by dragstroke at 8:09 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
yeah dark souls is kind of hard but the 1980s just called
My memory of Impossible Mission is a bit vague. I know I played it with friends because they had C64s and I didn't. The voice sound effects are stuck in my brain. I seem to remember getting good enough at it that I could competently get around the game and make progress but I really can't remember if we were able to finish it or not.
posted by allegedly at 8:14 PM on February 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
My memory of Impossible Mission is a bit vague. I know I played it with friends because they had C64s and I didn't. The voice sound effects are stuck in my brain. I seem to remember getting good enough at it that I could competently get around the game and make progress but I really can't remember if we were able to finish it or not.
posted by allegedly at 8:14 PM on February 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
"Impossible Mission?" With a secret agent? Tom Cruise would beat this down so hard with a cease & desist if it came out now!
posted by rhizome at 8:57 PM on February 3, 2022
posted by rhizome at 8:57 PM on February 3, 2022
hello Jim. Two weeks ago, Admiral Computation developed a computer program that links IMF to c.a.b.a.l. operations in East Brohamistan. The mission, if you accept it, will be to penetrate Admirals game testing lab and inject a computer cold that allows the program to eventually power down. avoiding detection is key. If you or any of the I M F crew is found or hired, disembodied tweets will be sent. good luck, Jim.
we think this message may self destruct.
posted by clavdivs at 9:41 PM on February 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
we think this message may self destruct.
posted by clavdivs at 9:41 PM on February 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
We had it on the Acorn Electron. Many, many hours and very little progress. I think we managed to get two puzzle pieces assembled once. I don't think the Electron version had the synthesised voice so I don't remember the "stay awhile" line.
posted by paduasoy at 10:10 PM on February 3, 2022
posted by paduasoy at 10:10 PM on February 3, 2022
Just from the post title, I was like: NO WAY! and I was instantly filled with nostalgia and excited. Yep, and in just 3 rooms in and ready to throw things across the room again!
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:44 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:44 PM on February 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
@sillyman https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Impossible_Mission
Instructions in that link.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:52 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Instructions in that link.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 12:52 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Basic instructions (sorry; maybe I should've included this in the post):
Arrow keys to move. Space bar to jump.
Your goal is to search the complex for puzzle pieces, and then assemble them to beat the game.
You have six hours to do this. Every time you die, you lose ten minutes from the timer.
Pressing space bar while standing still in the elevator view will allow you to interact with the control panel at the bottom of the screen. This shows the current time, and how many snoozes and lift inits you have (see below). It's also where you can browse through the puzzle pieces that you've collected, but you don't really need to worry about this until the late game.
The robots (and the black sphere) are all trying to kill you. Carefully observe their behavior and movement patterns.
When standing in front of a piece of furniture, hold "up" to search it. Some items can be searched quickly, while others will take a while. If you can't finish an item in one go (e.g., because a robot is trying to kill you), you can do it across several briefer sessions – your progress is cumulative.
Searching an item can reward you with: nothing; a puzzle piece; a snooze; or a lift init.
Snoozes and lift inits can be used at computer terminals (press "up" while standing in front of them). Snoozes briefly shut down all of the robots in the room. Lift inits restore all elevators in the room to their original positions. Use these judiciously.
Those are the basics. (You'll have to read GallonOfAlan's wiki link for details about solving the puzzle. I never understood that as a kid, and I had to consult the wiki myself to achieve my recent victory.)
posted by escape from the potato planet at 3:25 AM on February 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
Arrow keys to move. Space bar to jump.
Your goal is to search the complex for puzzle pieces, and then assemble them to beat the game.
You have six hours to do this. Every time you die, you lose ten minutes from the timer.
Pressing space bar while standing still in the elevator view will allow you to interact with the control panel at the bottom of the screen. This shows the current time, and how many snoozes and lift inits you have (see below). It's also where you can browse through the puzzle pieces that you've collected, but you don't really need to worry about this until the late game.
The robots (and the black sphere) are all trying to kill you. Carefully observe their behavior and movement patterns.
When standing in front of a piece of furniture, hold "up" to search it. Some items can be searched quickly, while others will take a while. If you can't finish an item in one go (e.g., because a robot is trying to kill you), you can do it across several briefer sessions – your progress is cumulative.
Searching an item can reward you with: nothing; a puzzle piece; a snooze; or a lift init.
Snoozes and lift inits can be used at computer terminals (press "up" while standing in front of them). Snoozes briefly shut down all of the robots in the room. Lift inits restore all elevators in the room to their original positions. Use these judiciously.
Those are the basics. (You'll have to read GallonOfAlan's wiki link for details about solving the puzzle. I never understood that as a kid, and I had to consult the wiki myself to achieve my recent victory.)
posted by escape from the potato planet at 3:25 AM on February 4, 2022 [5 favorites]
That was Pavlovian shit that kicked in with that post title. As soon as I read it, I could hear the metallic beats of the characters feet running down a corridor.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:01 AM on February 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:01 AM on February 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
I never played the game but I have some cousins that would repeat that line into the 2000s at least.
I quoted it yesterday!
posted by Foosnark at 4:41 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
I quoted it yesterday!
posted by Foosnark at 4:41 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
Destroy Him My Robots
posted by The genius who rejected Anno's budget proposal. at 4:42 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by The genius who rejected Anno's budget proposal. at 4:42 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
I was expecting this to be the same as the Scott Adams text adventure Mission Impossible for the Vic 20. We never upgraded to the Commodore 64, instead transitioning from the Vic to the TI 99 4A and then to a DOS machine.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:18 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by hydropsyche at 5:18 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
DETHTROY HIM MY ROBOTTH!
God damn I loved this game. I am gonna play the hell out of this today. Then I am going to find the Strip Poker game that I spent so long trying to beat (CHASTELY) but never ever could.
posted by dirtdirt at 7:01 AM on February 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
God damn I loved this game. I am gonna play the hell out of this today. Then I am going to find the Strip Poker game that I spent so long trying to beat (CHASTELY) but never ever could.
posted by dirtdirt at 7:01 AM on February 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
I'm afraid to click.
I get desperately nostalgic for C-64 games.
Also played a lot of Archon Adept. But that was just idle fun in which I won.
posted by Goofyy at 7:08 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
I get desperately nostalgic for C-64 games.
Also played a lot of Archon Adept. But that was just idle fun in which I won.
posted by Goofyy at 7:08 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
This is great! Thanks for posting. Wow, those noises bring back memories!
I played Paradroid a few months ago on some emulator, and it has similar vibes (albeit it different gameplay)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:59 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
I played Paradroid a few months ago on some emulator, and it has similar vibes (albeit it different gameplay)
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:59 AM on February 4, 2022 [1 favorite]
Mobile web browsers too? I’m stuck at LOADING RESOURCES (8/50) which genuinely recreates my Commodore 64 experience.
posted by infinitewindow at 9:45 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by infinitewindow at 9:45 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
I’m stuck at LOADING RESOURCES (8/50) which genuinely recreates my Commodore 64 experience.
Clean your drive heads with a q tip and a little alcohol. Or just drink the alcohol I suppose.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:02 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
Clean your drive heads with a q tip and a little alcohol. Or just drink the alcohol I suppose.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:02 AM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]
Oh holy shit. Someone ported Saboteur (both the ZX86 and C64 versions!) to the Nintendo Switch.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:05 AM on February 4, 2022
posted by inflatablekiwi at 10:05 AM on February 4, 2022
This was the first computer game I ever beat. And I beat it at about 2:30 in the morning, when no one was around to see, and I couldn't make any noise without being rude.
It was also my first experience with a completely silent explosion of absolute joy.
I'd go and play it again now, but I just finished building a base on a low-gravity world in No Man's Sky where I can do absolutely ridiculous motorcycle jumps, so you know.
posted by MrVisible at 4:20 PM on February 4, 2022
It was also my first experience with a completely silent explosion of absolute joy.
I'd go and play it again now, but I just finished building a base on a low-gravity world in No Man's Sky where I can do absolutely ridiculous motorcycle jumps, so you know.
posted by MrVisible at 4:20 PM on February 4, 2022
With instructions the game is now slightly less infuriating, but it makes more sense. Thanks everyone for pointing out the manual. There were no manuals with the pirated floppies of my youth.
posted by sillyman at 6:01 PM on February 4, 2022
posted by sillyman at 6:01 PM on February 4, 2022
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posted by escape from the potato planet at 5:45 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]