Sword of Fargoal, Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 conversion of the VIC-20 classic, Sword of Fargoal, was published in 1983 by Epyx. It features the same Roguelike gameplay of the original, with a few small enhancements.

The graphics in the C64 version are just as basic as the original, although the screens do draw more quickly, and chunky hardware sprites have been used for the player character and the monsters.

At first I wasn’t quite sure about the chunky sprites, but after some play I recognised that certain enemies could be more easily identified, which helps figure out what are the more dangerous monsters (and to avoid contact with them if at all possible).

This version does have better audio than the VIC-20 version, but what there is is very short and rudimentary (and doesn’t really take advantage of the superior SID sound chip). The C64 version also seems to be harder than the VIC-20 original, because more enemies seem to spawn from staircases if you take too long to solve a level. Which is not a bad thing because it allows you to grind a bit more and raise your levels quicker. Which is a good idea because you need the extra Hit Points and fighting power as you descend deeper into the dungeon.

Sword of Fargoal on the C64 is just as absorbing as the VIC-20 version. The game might look like rubbish because of its age, but it’s actually a very well thought-out and designed game that is still fun to play now. In fact, it’s held in such high regard that the legendary Hokuto Force released an updated version of the game in 2015 (although it only really features a new loading screen and a trainer – no other major enhancements). Also: an emulated version of the game was made available on Steam in 2022, which might surprise you even more.

More: Sword of Fargoal on Wikipedia
More: Sword of Fargoal on CSDb
Steam: Sword of Fargoal on Steam