COMPUTE!’s Second Book of Commodore 64 is a 1984 anthology of programs, tutorials, utilities, games, and reference material drawn from COMPUTE! and COMPUTE!’s Gazette for Commodore 64 users of many skill levels. It includes practical applications such as SpeedScript, a machine-language word processor, plus a mailing list manager and spreadsheet; games such as Spike and Martian Prisoner; educational programs including Wordspell, Munchmath, and The Note Name Game; sound articles and tools for working with the SID chip; graphics tutorials on custom characters, sprites, and motion; programming lessons on function keys, arrays, and adding new BASIC keywords; and utilities such as SuperBASIC 64, Copyfile, program merging, and a program recovery tool. The appendices add typing guidance, screen/code tables, keycodes, MLX, and the Automatic Proofreader, making the book both a software collection and a practical Commodore 64 programming reference.

The attached zip has 5 .d81 images containing GEOS games that accompany my June 2026 Gazette GEOS Column.

It does not include BSW’s 2 Blackjack versions, the six RUN GEOS Disk games, the dev copy of geoChess, or the two versions of Circe on Storm Systems Disk 1 since I haven’t been able to verify if Joe ever released these to the Public Domain.

COMPUTE!’s Second Book of Commodore 64 is a 1984 anthology of programs, tutorials, utilities, games, and reference material drawn from COMPUTE! and COMPUTE!’s Gazette for Commodore 64 users of many skill levels. It includes practical applications such as SpeedScript, a machine-language word processor, plus a mailing list manager and spreadsheet; games such as Spike and Martian Prisoner; educational programs including Wordspell, Munchmath, and The Note Name Game; sound articles and tools for working with the SID chip; graphics tutorials on custom characters, sprites, and motion; programming lessons on function keys, arrays, and adding new BASIC keywords; and utilities such as SuperBASIC 64, Copyfile, program merging, and a program recovery tool. The appendices add typing guidance, screen/code tables, keycodes, MLX, and the Automatic Proofreader, making the book both a software collection and a practical Commodore 64 programming reference.

COMPUTE!’s Personal Accounting Manager for the Commodore 64 and 128 by Roland A. Frechette is a 1985 book/software package that turns a Commodore 64—or a Commodore 128 running in 64 mode—into a menu-driven personal finance and small-business accounting system. Built around the PAM program and 13 supporting routines, it uses cash-basis accounting to track income, expenses, adjustments, account balances, investments, property, unpaid bills, planned income, planned expenditures, balance sheets, and income/expense statements. The book walks the user through setting up personal data, income categories, expense accounts, bank/cash codes, monthly data disks, backup disks, reports, and printer output, while also including full BASIC program listings, typing instructions, and the Automatic Proofreader. Its goal is practical financial control: enter data once, generate organized reports, compare planned versus actual spending, monitor assets and liabilities, and better understand where money is going.

COMPUTE!’s Music System for the Commodore 128 & 64: The Enhanced Sidplayer by Craig Chamberlain is a 1986 guide and software package for creating, editing, and playing sophisticated music on the Commodore 128 and Commodore 64 using the SID sound chip. Built around the included Enhanced Sidplayer disk, the book explains how to use the Player and Editor programs, teaches basic and advanced music theory, and shows how to enter notes, edit songs, control waveforms, envelopes, filters, modulation, repetition, frequency effects, polyphony, and phrasing. It also covers Singalong songs with synchronized words, songs with pictures, merging Sidplayer music into BASIC programs, utility programs for managing songs, and practical tips for getting better sound from the SID chip, making it both a music-composition course and a detailed reference for Commodore users who want to turn the 64 or 128 into a capable home music system.

COMPUTE!’s More Machine Language Games for the Commodore 64 is a 1987 collection of seven fast arcade-style machine-language games for the Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 in 64 mode, originally published in COMPUTE! and COMPUTE!’s Gazette. The book includes Space Arena, Saloon Shootout, Prisonball, Q-Bird, Bump-N-Run, Ringside Karate, and Eagles and Gators, offering two-player space combat, shooting-gallery action, Pong/Breakout-style competition, grid-based survival, ball-stealing arena play, joystick karate fighting, and a technically impressive split-screen game with 16 animated sprites. Beyond the games themselves, it provides MLX-formatted machine-language listings for easier typed entry, instructions for loading and playing each game, an Automatic Proofreader, and complete assembled source code plus a “Fast Assembler” section, making it useful both for players and for Commodore programmers who want to study how compact, high-speed arcade games were built.

COMPUTE!’s Kids and the Commodore 64 by Edward H. Carlson, illustrated by Paul D. Trap, is a revised 1984 beginner’s guide that teaches children—especially ages 10 to 14—how to program the Commodore 64 in BASIC through 33 short, illustrated lessons. It starts with the basics of using the computer, entering and running programs, screen colors, keyboard commands, variables, input, loops, conditionals, random numbers, and saving to disk, then builds toward more creative topics such as graphics, sound effects, string handling, action games, music, arrays, sprites, user-friendly programs, and debugging. The book is structured for self-study or classroom use, with notes for parents and teachers, exercises, review questions, assignments, answers, a glossary, error-message explanations, and indexes, making it both a programming course and a hands-on path for kids to create their own games, school tools, and simple applications.

Commodore Peripherals: A User’s Guide by Julie Knott and Dave Prochnow is a 1984 COMPUTE! Books reference for VIC-20 and Commodore 64 owners who want clear, practical guidance on choosing, connecting, and using common Commodore add-ons. The book begins with an overview of the two computers, their ports, keyboard functions, joystick handling, video/audio connections, and error messages, then explains major peripherals including the 1530 Datassette, 1541 disk drive, VIC-1525/1526 printers, VIC-1520 printer/plotter, VIC-1011A RS-232C interface, VIC-1111 16K memory expander, VIC-1211A Super Expander, 1600 VICMODEM, 1650 AUTOMODEM, and CP/M cartridge for the Commodore 64. Written for beginners but detailed enough for experienced users, it combines setup instructions, command explanations, BASIC examples, troubleshooting notes, glossaries, and quick-reference sections so readers can safely expand their Commodore systems for storage, printing, communications, memory expansion, and alternate operating environments.

Final Expansion 3 NG User Guide, Version 1.0 by Simon Rowe, is a 2026 manual for configuring and using the Final Expansion 3 NG cartridge for the Commodore VIC-20. The cartridge expands the computer with 512KB of RAM, 512KB of flash memory, and an integrated SD2IEC-compatible SD card drive, while providing startup menus, selectable memory configurations, accelerated disk access, a command wedge, disk-image and directory navigation, real-time clock support, a machine-code monitor, and the ability to store frequently used programs or cartridge images in flash memory for rapid launching. The guide explains initial setup, SD card use, menu navigation, loader-file creation, BASIC and machine-language loading commands, Minipaint slideshow viewing, jumper settings, troubleshooting, and firmware updating, making it both a quick-start reference and a detailed operating manual for using modern storage and memory expansion features on the VIC-20.

Home Energy Applications on Your Personal Computer by David E. Pitts is a 1983 collection of practical type-in programs designed to help homeowners analyze and reduce household energy costs using a personal computer. Supporting systems including the Commodore 64, VIC-20, PET/CBM, Atari, Apple, TI-99/4A, Radio Shack Color Computer, and OSI, the book provides tools for maintaining an energy-use database, plotting utility consumption and costs, estimating electricity usage, auditing heating and cooling efficiency, studying heat conduction, comparing air conditioners, evaluating window heat loss and solar gain, assessing window shading, and estimating the benefits of ceiling fans. Rather than offering generic conservation advice, its programs use information about a home, local climate, utility expenses, and potential improvements such as insulation, storm windows, weather-stripping, or thermostat changes to project savings and help readers make informed energy-efficiency investments.

COMPUTE!’s First Book of Commodore 64 Games is a 1983 collection of 19 ready-to-type BASIC and machine-language games for the Commodore 64, assembled from COMPUTE! and COMPUTE!’s Gazette. The book combines playable programs with introductory game-design instruction, explaining how the C64’s sprites, custom characters, color graphics, SID sound chip, joystick controls, and machine-language speed can be used to create games. Its selections range from maze and thinking games such as Rats!, Goblin, States Capitals Tutor, Mystery Spell, and Oil Tycoon, to dexterity and arcade-style titles including Diamond Drop, The Hawkmen of Dindrin, Minefield, Cylon Zap, and Laser Gunner, along with machine-language games such as Munchmaze, Richthofen’s Revenge, and Zuider Zee. Appendices provide typing guidance, a maze generator, the MLX machine-language entry tool, and encouragement for readers to begin designing their own games.

COMPUTE!’s Data File Handler for the Commodore 64 by Blaine D. Standage, John L. Darling, and Kenneth D. Standage is a 1985 guide and complete software package for managing structured data files on the Commodore 64 and compatible PET/CBM computers. Built around a coordinated set of BASIC and machine-language programs, the system lets users create, edit, sort, list, print, merge, restructure, split, and extract records containing up to 20 fields, making it suitable for applications such as card files, genealogy records, mailing lists, and other personal databases. The book also includes the independent DFH Editor for working directly with sequential files and expanded disk-operation commands, explains file design and important Commodore disk-safety issues, provides reusable machine-language subroutines, and supplies full program listings plus entry aids such as the Automatic Proofreader and a machine-language program generator.

COMPUTE!’s Commodore 64/128 Collection is a 1985 anthology of programs and articles gathered from COMPUTE! and COMPUTE!’s Gazette for Commodore 64 users and Commodore 128 owners running in 64 mode, with an additional introductory section covering the new capabilities of the 128, including BASIC 7.0, CP/M Plus, peripheral ports, expanded memory, 80-column display, and the 1571 disk drive. The book combines practical programming instruction with type-in entertainment and productivity software, featuring articles on debugging BASIC, handling input, sorting, and writing text adventures; games and educational programs such as Trap ’Em, Mindbusters, Quiz Master, Heat Seeker, and Campaign Manager; sound and graphics tools including Sprite Magic, Ultrafont, and advanced sound effects; and useful utilities such as NoZap, UnNEW, Freeze, and TurboDisk. Appendices provide typing guidance plus the Automatic Proofreader and MLX entry tools to help readers accurately enter BASIC and machine-language listings.

Commodore 64 Games for Kids by Clark and Kathy H. Kidd is a 1984 collection of 30 type-in BASIC programs designed to turn the Commodore 64 into an educational and entertaining tool for children from preschool through high school. Organized by age and skill level, it begins with simple joystick and counting activities such as A-Maze-Ing and Count the Spots, progresses through reading, spelling, budgeting, nutrition, astronomy, geography, chemistry, history, anatomy, and mythology games, and includes arcade-style diversions such as Asteroid Blast, Black Hole, Earthworms, and Ladybug. The book is aimed largely at parents, providing game instructions, scoring information, modification suggestions, a customizable quiz-building program, guidance for typing in programs, programmer’s notes, and an Automatic Proofreader utility to help catch typing errors in lengthy listings.

Computer Games to Play and Write by Dan Isaaman, first published in 1983, is a hands-on introduction to BASIC game programming for the ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Electron, VIC-20, and Dragon computers. The book provides type-in listings for a variety of games, including Christmas Time, Red Alert!, Spy Codes, Ring-a-Ring O’Robot, Nim, Planet Lander, Haunted House, Space Dogfight, and Death Raid, followed by machine-specific versions of the larger game Cowboys and Indians. Each program includes a scenario, instructions, platform-specific code changes, a line-by-line explanation, and ideas for modifying the game, while later sections guide the reader through writing an original game called Sabotage, explain BASIC commands, and provide a glossary and appendix. Overall, it is designed not only to provide games to play, but also to teach young home-computer users how games work and encourage them to create their own.

Computer Games Micromasters is a 1984 beginner-friendly programming book by Patricia Grady that teaches readers to type in and experiment with simple computer games, originally written for the ZX Spectrum with conversion lines for the BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, and Commodore 64. It contains thirteen games—including Meteor Storm, Alien Invaders, Bananas, Spider’s Web, Target Practice, Fortune-Teller, Grand Slalom, Laser Locksmith, Blockbuster, Mu Torere, Cops and Robbers, Sorcerer’s Steps, Parcel Drop, and Forgery—with each section providing a playful scenario, instructions for playing, BASIC program listings, machine-specific variations, and notes explaining how the program works. The book encourages young programmers to alter colours, messages, difficulty, and speed, making it both a collection of type-in games and an accessible introduction to BASIC game programming on 1980s home computers.

Computer Battlegames by Daniel Isaaman and Jenny Tyler is a 1982 Usborne collection of type-in BASIC combat and science-fiction games for the VIC-20, PET, ZX Spectrum, ZX81, BBC Micro, TRS-80, and Apple computers. Its programs include Robot Missile, The Vital Message, Shootout, Desert Tank Battle, Battle at Traitor’s Castle, Robot Invaders, Secret Weapon, Escape!, Pirate Dogfight, Supersonic Bomber, Iceberg, and The Wall, placing players in battles against robots, pirates, castles, missiles, and other threats. The book explains each listing, provides conversion lines for different computers, encourages readers to modify and expand the games, and includes guidance on BASIC programming and writing original games.

Computer Programming for the Compleat Idiot by Donald McCunn is a 1984 beginner’s guide to writing BASIC programs for the Commodore 64, Apple II/IIe, IBM PC/PCjr, TRS-80, and Microsoft BASIC-compatible computers. Written for readers with no technical background, it begins with computer hardware, keyboard use, loading BASIC, entering commands, and saving programs, then builds a practical payroll program to teach input, corrections, calculations, disk or cassette storage, printing, tax-table processing, documentation, and program modification. The final section shows how to plan and create original programs by combining reusable routines, making the book a practical introduction to both BASIC programming and real-world information processing.

40 More Great Flight Simulator Adventures by Charles Gulick is a 1986 sequel for Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator II on the Commodore 64, Apple, Atari, and IBM personal computers, featuring a foreword by simulator creator Bruce Artwick. It provides 40 new guided flight scenarios that combine practical simulator instruction with exploration and unusual challenges, teaching takeoffs, climbs, descents, navigation, traffic patterns, landings, and precision aircraft control while leading pilots through sightseeing trips, mysterious scenery anomalies, dangerous missions, and multi-part adventures such as the Spanaway training flights and Manhattan Project series.

40 Great Flight Simulator Adventures by Charles Gulick is a 1985 companion book for Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator II on computers including the Commodore 64, Apple, Atari, IBM PC, and PCjr. Rather than providing programs to type in, it gives setup parameters and guided instructions for 40 customized flight scenarios, including sightseeing tours, night flights, dead-stick landings, instrument approaches, dangerous low-level passes, mountain flying, and unusual simulator discoveries. Written as an in-flight instructor, the book teaches readers how to configure, save, and fly custom modes while developing navigation, landing, and aircraft-control skills through imaginative adventures.

** Note - This is the two disk software associated with the book.  You can find the book here.

40 Great Flight Simulator Adventures by Charles Gulick is a 1985 companion book for Flight Simulator and Flight Simulator II on computers including the Commodore 64, Apple, Atari, IBM PC, and PCjr. Rather than providing programs to type in, it gives setup parameters and guided instructions for 40 customized flight scenarios, including sightseeing tours, night flights, dead-stick landings, instrument approaches, dangerous low-level passes, mountain flying, and unusual simulator discoveries. Written as an in-flight instructor, the book teaches readers how to configure, save, and fly custom modes while developing navigation, landing, and aircraft-control skills through imaginative adventures.

** Note - You can find the associated disks here.

Computer Spy Games by Jenny Tyler and Chris Oxlade is a 1984 Usborne/Scholastic collection of type-in BASIC spy-themed programs for the Commodore 64, VIC-20, Apple, TRS-80, BBC Micro, Electron, and ZX Spectrum. Its games and activities include Spy Eyes, Searchlight, Robospy, Spy Q Test, Secret Message Maker, Rendezvous, and Morse Coder, allowing readers to test observation skills, avoid guards, track agents, decode messages, navigate an illustrated spy mission, and learn Morse code. Each program includes explanations, adaptation ideas, conversion lines for different computers, and puzzle answers, making it both an entertaining spy-game book and an accessible introduction to BASIC programming.

Computer Spacegames by Daniel Isaaman and Jenny Tyler is a 1982 Usborne book of type-in BASIC space-themed games for computers including the VIC-20, PET, ZX Spectrum, ZX81, BBC Micro, TRS-80, and Apple. The programs place the player in scenarios such as lunar landings, asteroid fields, alien attacks, space mining, intergalactic travel, and rescue missions, with colorful illustrations and notes explaining how each game works. It also encourages readers to modify the games and write their own programs, providing a beginner-friendly summary of BASIC commands and conversion notes for different computer models.

Computer Projects by Malcolm Neave is a 1985 beginner-friendly programming book containing five practical BASIC projects for the BBC Micro, Electron, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum: An Intelligence Program, Quiz Writer, Secret Files, Word Power, and Adventure. The book explains how to type, adapt, save, and load programs and data files, while teaching foundational programming concepts such as variables, strings, arrays, ASCII codes, and program logic. Each project includes operating instructions, line-by-line explanations, and machine-specific alterations, allowing readers to create useful and entertaining programs while learning BASIC programming techniques.

COMPUTE!’s Commodore Buyer’s Guide: 1988 Edition is a comprehensive catalog of 1,064 software and hardware products available for the Commodore 64, 64C, 128, and 128D. Organized into sections including entertainment, education, business, productivity, graphics, music, home applications, printers, modems, disk drives, and input devices, it provides brief descriptions, prices, system requirements, and publisher information for each product. The guide also includes an article illustrating practical uses of Commodore computers in publishing, farming, small business, community work, remote industrial monitoring, and online communication, making it both a shopping reference and a snapshot of the active Commodore market in 1988.

1981 Component Data Catalog from the Commodore Semiconductor Group is a technical reference manual for the company’s NMOS, CMOS, and LCD integrated circuits. It provides numerical and functional indexes, replacement-part cross references, packaging and reliability information, and detailed data sheets for chips including the 6500/6502 microprocessor family, interface and timer devices, VIC video chips, static RAM, and ROM components. The entries include pinouts, internal architecture diagrams, instruction sets, addressing modes, electrical characteristics, timing specifications, and application information, making it a valuable hardware-engineering reference for Commodore and MOS Technology semiconductor components.

Commodore Software Encyclopedia: First Edition, published by Commodore in 1981, is a catalog of software available for the PET/CBM computer line. It begins with an overview of Commodore hardware, including PET/CBM computer models, disk drives, printers, modems, and voice hardware, then catalogs programs in categories such as business, word processing, utilities, engineering, personal aids, games, and education. Each entry typically describes the program, lists compatible hardware, identifies the supplier, and provides a price, making the book a valuable snapshot of the early Commodore software market before the Commodore 64 era.

Commodore Error Messages is a concise two-page reference sheet explaining error and status messages for Commodore B-Series computers, including common BASIC problems such as syntax errors, bad subscripts, type mismatches, missing files, device errors, division by zero, out-of-memory conditions, and disk or tape verification failures. It also lists numbered ERR$(X) messages with expanded explanations, helping programmers diagnose problems in program flow, input/output operations, arrays, calculations, file handling, and storage media.

Microguide for the Commodore 64 by Peter Morse and Brian Hancock is a compact 1984 quick-reference guide for Commodore 64 users, covering BASIC keywords, arithmetic and logic operators, control keys, operating commands, error messages, screen display and colour codes, high-resolution graphics, sprites, SID sound programming, memory maps, system variables, and disk/peripheral commands. Designed as an everyday desk reference rather than a tutorial, it uses brief definitions, tables, memory addresses, and short examples to help users write, understand, and troubleshoot C64 BASIC programs.

Commodore 64 Games Book 2, edited by Gregg Barnett and published in 1984 by Melbourne House, is a collection of type-in programs for the Commodore 64 featuring a broad selection of arcade, action, puzzle, strategy, and demonstration titles, including Dumper, Mind Quiz, Treasure Hunt, Tank Ambush, Laser Battle, Breakin, and Soldier. Like its predecessor, the book includes clear listings, instructions for entering special Commodore graphics characters, CHEXSUM and MERGE utilities for finding transcription errors, and advanced sprite-programming material, making it useful both for playing new games and learning how C64 games were programmed.