Commodore 64 joystick adapters are hardware peripherals that extend the number of joystick ports on the Commodore 64 computer. The additional joysticks can be used on games with dedicated support for the specific adapter.

A number of different joystick adapters have been constructed for use with the C64. The Classical Games / Protovision adapter is by far supported by the largest number of games. While building instructions are available for most of the adapters, a few adapters are also available commercially. The adapters are also emulated in some of the C64 emulators.

Original adapters

Starbyte adapter (1990) Supports 2 additional joysticks at the user port. Released by Starbyte Software in 1990 for use with their game Adidas Championship Tie Break. At the time sold separately under the name Tie Break Adaptor."Zzap!Test! Tie Break", Zzap!64, 1990 Nov (67), p 12. zzap.co.uk. Retrieved 6 March 2011."Adidas Championship Tie Break", Ocean Software & Starbyte Software, 1990. Stadium 64 Manuals Archive. Retrieved 6 March 2011.

Building instructions (plugs and wires only) have been reverse engineered and made available by Groepaz/Hitmen.

Kingsoft adapter (1992) Supports 2 additional joysticks at the user port. Introduced with the game Bug Bomber by Kingsoft in 1992. The game came with instructions to build your own 4-player adapter.Synnes, Stig: Joystick adapter schematics

Building instructions (plugs and wires only) have been reverse engineered and made available by Groepaz/Hitmen.

Protovision 4 player interface / Classical Games adapter (1997) Supports 2 additional joysticks at the user port. Designed by Chester Kollschen (CKX) of Classical Games and released in 1997 with the game Bomb Mania. Kollschen later joined Protovision and the adapter is now available as the Protovision 4 player interface."Commodore Free interview with the Protovision team", Commodore Free, 2011, issue 51, p 37. Commodore Free. Retrieved 8 August 2011.

Building instructions (plugs, wires and an IC), sample code, shop and list of supported games are available at the Protovision website.

Space Balls adapter (1998) Supports 8 joysticks, all connected to the user port and one joyport. Designed by Luigi Pantarotto and released with the game Space Balls (1998) for 2-8 players.

Building instructions (plugs and wires only) is provided with the game Space Balls (called Star Balls in its schematics page).

Ninjas SNES pad adapter (1998) Supports 8 SNES pads at the joyports. Designed by Ninja of The Dreams.

Building instructions (plugs and wires only) are available at the Hitmen 4 player adapter website. Code interface is demonstrated in the SNES-Pad-Tooldisk #1.

Digital Excess & Hitmen 4 player joystick adapter (1999) Supports 2 additional joysticks at the user port. Designed by Groepaz of Hitmen and Thomas Koncina and Bjoern Odendahl of Digital Excess in 1999 as an easier to build alternative to the Classical Games adapter.

Building instructions (plugs and wires only) and sample code is available at the Hitmen 4 player adapter website.

Inception – 8 joysticks adapter (2013)

Supports 8 joysticks at one joystick port. Designed by Ray and PCH (Petr Chlud).

Available commercially at the c64.cz website.

Compatible adapters

Singular Crew 4Player Adapter (2008) Supports 2 additional joysticks at the user port. Compatible with the Protovision 4 player interface / the Classical Games Adapter, Digital Excess & Hitmen 4 player joystick adapter and the Kingsoft Adapter. Designed by Singular Crew.

Available commercially at www.zsibvasar.hu website.

Related adapters Adapters for a few related computers can also be used with the C64. Those adapters include PET (normally only used on the PET/CBM2), Hummer (normally only used on the C64DTV) and OEM (normally only used on the VIC-20). There are probably no game supporting those adapters on the C64.

In addition, adapters have been made that give Commodore 64 games the ability to provide rumble feedback to modern controllers.

Emulation The C64 emulator VICE supports the Classical Games / Protovision and the Digital Excess & Hitmen adapters from version 2.3., and the Kingsoft and Starbyte adapters from version 2.4.

Supported games A (near) complete list of games with original or added support for the various adapters.

C64-Wiki, retrieved on 4 August 2022

Title Year Description # Joysticks Adapter Interfaced by Tie Break 1990 original 1–4 S Starbyte Bug Bomber 1992 Bomberman clone 1–4 K Kingsoft Bomb Mania 1997 Bomberman clone 2–4 C Protovision Bomb Mania patch 1998 Bomb Mania (1997) patch 2–4 C, N Da!NyLDa!NyL's workspace. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Space Balls 1998 original 2–8 B Pantarotto. GameBase 64 Collection. Retrieved 26 January 2012. Quadris 1998 Tetris clone 1–4 C Protovision. The GameBase 64 Collection. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Bomb Mania patch 1999 Bomb Mania (1997) patch 2–4 C, D DXS & HITDXS & HIT 4-Player Joystick Adapter. CSDB. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Pac It (preview) 2000 Pac-Man clone 1–4 C Protovision Quadtron 2000 Snakes clone 2–4 C Protovision International Karate + Gold 2001 International Karate + (1987) hack 1–3 C, D, N The DreamsInternational Karate+ GOLD. CSDB. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Thrust Gold 2001 Thrust (1986) patch 1 N Ninja/The DreamsNinja. CSDB. Retrieved 17 February 2014. Snacks 4 Snakes 2002 Snakes clone 2–4 C Protovision Rampage Gold 2003 Rampage (1987) hack 1–3 C, D, N The DreamsRampage Gold. CSDB. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Grubz (preview) 2004 Worms clone 2–4 C Singular CrewGrubz. Singular Crew. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Hockey Mania 2004 original 2–4 C Protovision Marble Madness+ 2004 Marble Madness (1986) hack 1–4 C Nostalgia Phong 2004 Pong clone 1–4 C, N Instinct/TriadPhong. CSDB. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Amazing Maze 2005 Amazing Maze (1983) hack 1–3 C Triad Team Patrol 2005 original 2–4 C Protovision Tour de France 2005 original 2–4 C Hack n' Trade Tour de France. CSDB. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Tanks 3000 2006 original 2–4 C Protovision Garrison 2007 Gauntlet (1986) hack 1–4 C, D NostalgiaNostalgia releases . Retrieved 3 March 2011. Super Off Road+ 2007 Super Off Road (1990) hack 1–3 C, D Nostalgia Alone in the Green 2009 original 1–4 C EdiklesAlone in the green. CSDB. Retrieved 20 October 20111. M.U.L.E. 2011 M.U.L.E. (1983) hack 1–4 C PeiselulliMULE. CSDB. Retrieved 7 December 2011. Space Lords 2011 Pong clone 1–4 C P1X3L.netSpace Lords. P1X3L.net. Retrieved 26 January 2012. Square Attack 2011 original 4 C Prof. Pi^2Square Attack. CSDB. Retrieved 20 October 2011. Icon Run 2012 original ?-4 C Evil JoeIcon Run. CSDB. Retrieved 8 June 2012. Bomberland 2013 Bomberman clone 1–4 C Samar Productions (SMR)Bomberland. RGCD. Retrieved 2 April 2014. Octron 2013 Tron clone 2–8 C+C enthusi of OnslaughtOctron. CSDB. Retrieved 6 August 2014. Schlimeisch Mania 2013 Snakes clone 1–8 I UnrealSchlimeisch Mania. CSDB. Retrieved 6 August 2014. Race 2014 Car race original 1–8 C, I SokratesRace. CSDB. Retrieved 11 March 2015. Tiger Claw 2014 Bruce Lee hack 1–4 C LazycowTiger Claw. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Kim Pong 2015 Pong clone 1–4 C Technische MaschinenfabrikKim Pong. CSDB. Retrieved 24 April 2016. Jam It 2015 Basketball original 1–4 C Throwback GamesJam It. Retrieved 24 April 2016. Shotgun 2016 original 2–4 C Dr. Wuro IndustriesShotgun. Retrieved 11 May 2016. Snafu 2016 original 2–4 C Megastyle and ProtovisionSnafu. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Frogs 2017 original 2–4 C Dr. Wuro IndustriesFrogs. Retrieved 3 April 2017. Zatacka 2017 hack? 2–4 C RabenaugeZatacka. Retrieved 30 July 2018. Schlimeisch Mania II 2018 Snakes clone 1-8 I Unreal The Walking Death 2018 original 2-8 I Unreal Mashed Turtles 2018 original 2-8 C, M, I Angelsoft Space Moguls 2018 original 2-4 C, I, P Protovision Dice8 2018 original 2-8 I, M Unreal Bruce Lee - Return of Fury 2019 Bruce Lee clone 1-4 C Protovision Straight Up 2021 original 1-4 C, P Dr. Wuro Industries

Adapter: S = Starbyte, C = Protovision / Classical Games, D = Digital Excess & Hitmen, N = Ninjas SNES pad, K = Kingsoft, B = Space Balls, I = Inception

Description: original/clone = new implementation, patch = patch for existing game, hack = unauthorized release based on existing game.

Interface origin: Publisher or official source of joystick adapter support. In order to use hacked versions legally, you should own the original game.

References

External links Protovision 4 player interface page, shop and list of compatible games Hitmen building instruction on 4 player adapters and list of 4 player games C64.cz Inception 8 joysticks adapter interface, shop and list of compatible games