Let's have a little poll... (Now with extra machines)

[Del Boy]

I voted for the Spectrum, although it was a hard choice between that and the C64 for me!

For games i'd say the spectrum ruled in 1983/1984, but by the middle of 1985 (not long after zzap64 had started) the C64 had started to overtake the spectrum. The C64 ruled by the end of 1985 for me!

[Lindopski]

I loved my Commodore 64, I still have it and I also make sure its one of the first emulators I pick up (currently trying out Pocket Hobbit for my SPV C550 smartphone)

It did have the capabilities but the other micros also had their own charm , the Spectrum version of double dragon for example trounced my copy on the C64.
The Speccy version of Street fighter also made the c64 look naff , the only thing with the speccy was the colour blend problems.
When you go back to the earlier days of pac man , Manic Miner etc there wasnt a lot of difference realy.

I mean the BBC did a few good games of its own Elite of course , but I played an ace version of galaga on it and another great game called Swoop.

I didnt get an Amstrad till the early 90's in a bargain bin for about a quid but I loved the formula one management sim on it.

[miner2049er]

I like your little pole! Or is it poll?

C64 C64 C64 C64!

[psj3809]

the Spectrum version of double dragon for example trounced my copy on the C64.

I presume the C64 version must have been awful then as the Speccy one was sadly not very good at all. Loved that game in the arcade (Same with Kung Fu Master) but both versions were terrible on the home computers sadly.

Renegade i always thought was brilliant but as much as i wanted it to i thought Double Dragon on the Speccy was terrible.

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

Poor little Amstrad in last place

[CraigGrannell]

(Darran's) Weird Dreams:

[LeeT]

That's excellent Craig!

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

LOL

[markopoloman]

Some sort of freaky nightmare rather than a dream Craig!

[rleggett]

Yes we know there were other 8-bit systems, but we're sticking with the three that everyone knows best. So come on, which one of these beauties is going to rule all?

I've already voted

I've voted for the Speccy, because it's got by far the best memories for me of those three. But I'm a BBC man at heart. With all my schoolfriends, we were pretty much either Beeb/Electron owners or Spectrum owners. Amstrads, C64s and Atari 400s were less common. Anyone know what the UK sales stats were for all the machines?

[demon cleaner]

Voted for C64. As I live in Luxembourg, we did not have much Sinclairs here, and the Amstrad (called Schneider here) came a bit later. And of course most of my friends back there in 1984/85 had C64's, and one good friend of mine had an Atari 800XL, the first computer I played M.U.L.E. on, awesome.

[Thraka]

the NES is also pretty popular for 8-bit But it's TECHNICALLY not a computer but a console.

LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

C64 4 LIFE!

[bounty bob]

I think this Poll is quite biased and a little unfaire - not all your readers where mad on these 3 machines and maybe should realy include the Atari 400/800/xl as they were just as popular as the Amstrad or even the C64 (800xl was far better than these two put together in my opinion). Thats my winge out of the way - I'm not voting for any of them.

Yes, I remember the Atari 400 having a dedicated magazine until mid-1995....

Oh wait, no I don't.

Hi Dudley,

What you only had a dedicated mag only until 1995, what a shame! Their were a few magazines for the Atari 8bit range, starting with Antic, Atari User and Page 6, later Page 6 merged with Atari User and became New Atari User and was published right through to 1998 (thats dedication for you)

[Dudley]

What you only had a dedicated mag only until 1995, what a shame! Their were a few magazines for the Atari 8bit range, starting with Antic, Atari User and Page 6, later Page 6 merged with Atari User and became New Atari User and was published right through to 1998 (thats dedication for you)

And you could buy them in WH Smith up until then?

[Sparrowhawk]

Heh, a playground fight over 8-bits again! Fight, fight!

By the way, your poll engine is wrong: for some reason it's showing the C64 as more popular than the Spectrum or Amstrad. I'll recode it for you if you like!