I still remember the moment I pulled the wrapping paper off the box.
I was about 12 years old, and it was a joint present from my grandparents and my mum and dad. A rectangular cardboard box with bold Commodore branding and a picture of what looked like a typewriter from the future. Inside was my first ever computer—the Commodore 16. That machine, humble as it was, would spark a lifelong obsession with computers, code, and problem-solving. In hindsight, it was the real start of my IT career—long before I even knew what a career was.
A Curious Little Machine
Released in 1984, the Commodore 16 was a bit of an oddball in the Commodore line-up. It wasn’t a successor to the legendary C64, but rather a cheaper, entry-level alternative aimed at “first-time users.” It came with 16KB of RAM (hence the name), a built-in version of BASIC, and a surprisingly capable colour graphics and sound chip for the time.
It didn’t have the massive library of the C64 or the cool factor of the Amiga, but for a kid just dipping his toes into computing, it was magic.
That Glorious TapE Drive
My model came with the Commodore 1531 Datasette—basically a glorified cassette deck that connected to the C16’s edge connector. It made those squealing loading noises that today would scare your dog, but back then? That was the sound of anticipation.
You’d pop in a tape, rewind it with a pencil if you were fancy (or just held rewind down for a painful eternity), press play, and hope the stars aligned. Sometimes it would take a minute or two. Sometimes five. And sometimes it just wouldn’t load. Welcome to early computer gaming.
Kikstart and the Joystick That Clicked
The first game I loaded—and the one etched most vividly in my brain—was Kikstart: Off-Road Simulator. A side-scrolling motorcycle game that, let’s be honest, was brutally difficult, but completely addictive.
I spent hours trying to time jumps over flaming barrels and bounce across planks with pixel-perfect control. No fancy physics, no continues, no saves. Just me, a black joystick with a single red button, and a whole lot of patience.
That joystick was a tank. You could feel the click with every direction, and I’m pretty sure I nearly snapped it in half a few times out of frustration. But it kept going. And so did I.
Learning to Tinker
The C16 wasn’t just for games. It came with a hefty manual—one of those thick, soft-covered books that smelled like a mix of recycled paper and possibility. Inside were BASIC commands. Lists of PEEKs and POKEs. I had no idea what I was doing, but I started typing out example code anyway.
The first time I made the screen flash red, or printed a looping “HELLO” message, I was hooked. I didn’t realise it at the time, but that was coding. That was logic. That was the moment I learned a computer does exactly what you tell it to—nothing more, nothing less.
It was empowering. And it never left me.
Culture, Simplicity, and Curiosity
The Commodore 16 often gets forgotten in retro gaming circles, sandwiched between the VIC-20 and the almighty C64. But for many of us, it was a vital stepping stone. It wasn’t about specs or software libraries—it was about accessibility. It was a machine that didn’t intimidate. It invited you to play, learn, break things, and fix them.
There was a certain charm in its simplicity. You didn’t need internet or updates or permissions. You just plugged it in, hit the power switch, and it was on. That’s a kind of direct connection we’ve lost today.
For me, it was more than just a toy. It became a companion, a teacher, and—strangely—a mirror. It showed me I could solve problems. It sparked my curiosity about how things work. And it started a path that would lead to servers, networks, software development, and an entire career in IT.
What It Gave Me
Looking back now, decades later, I realise how profound that gift really was. My grandparents and parents couldn’t have known what that little keyboard-and-cassette combo would unlock.
But I do.
It wasn’t just the Kikstart crashes, the Datasette whines, or the clunky joystick. It was the freedom to explore. The ability to create from nothing. The first time I realised I could build things with logic instead of just consuming them.
That’s what the Commodore 16 gave me.
And honestly?
I still miss that red-button joystick.
Your Turn:
Did you have a Commodore 16—or maybe a C64 or VIC-20? What game sticks with you? Drop a comment and let’s talk old-school computing memories.
