Simcity
Video Archive
SimCity – How Did Will Wright Squeeze an Entire City Builder into the C64?
️ SimCity (1989) – Commodore 64 Simulation | Retro Classic SimCity (1989), developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright, is the groundbreaking city-building simulation that helped define the genre on home computers. The Commodore 64 version condenses the full SimCity experience into just 64 KB of memory — a remarkable technical achievement for the time. You build and manage your city zone by zone, laying residential, commercial, and industrial areas, constructing roads and waterways, setting taxes, balancing budgets, and responding to disasters such as earthquakes. To fit within tight memory limits, features like police stations, fire departments, stadiums, railways, and advanced statistics were removed. However, core systems such as pollution tracking, growth charts, water systems, and tax controls remained intact — with some elements appearing on C64 before the PC version. Despite its minimalist, mostly monochrome visuals, performance is smooth and responsive, turning technical limitations into part of the game’s charm.
Game Overview
About the Game
️ SimCity (1989) – Commodore 64 Simulation | Retro Classic SimCity (1989), developed by Maxis and designed by Will Wright, is the groundbreaking city-building simulation that helped define the genre on home computers. The Commodore 64 version condenses the full SimCity experience into just 64 KB of memory — a remarkable technical achievement for the time. You build and manage your city zone by zone, laying residential, commercial, and industrial areas, constructing roads and waterways, setting taxes, balancing budgets, and responding to disasters such as earthquakes. To fit within tight memory limits, features like police stations, fire departments, stadiums, railways, and advanced statistics were removed. However, core systems such as pollution tracking, growth charts, water systems, and tax controls remained intact — with some elements appearing on C64 before the PC version. Despite its minimalist, mostly monochrome visuals, performance is smooth and responsive, turning technical limitations into part of the game’s charm.
Game Manual
Magazine Reviews
Magazine Reviews
Magazine Reviews
Magazine Reviews · 5
Contemporary average 78% · range 64–100%
Datormagazin
Reviewed by Tomas Hybner
Read Original Review
Games Machine
Reviewed by Phil King. Infogrames full-price release
Read Original Review
Info
Reviewed by Tom Malcolm
Scan Not Available
Your Commodore
Reviewed by Adrian Pumphrey. Infogrames full-price release
Read Original Review
Zzap!64
Reviewed by Phil King & Stuart Wynne. Infogrames full-price release
Read Original Review
Game Music
Game Music
Original Cassette
Tape Archive
Verified C64 cassette releases linked to the Ultimate Tape Archive. CCG does not host or duplicate the tape files.
See the pixels
Gallery
Continue Exploring
Browse Related Archives
Browse this game's genres and collections, or return to the full games library.
CCG Community Rating & Review See what other retro gamers think.
Everyone can read ratings and reviews; members must log in to rate or comment.
Member Reviews
Preparing reviews…
CCG Picks
Compatible hardware and controllers for modern retro setups.
Community Rating Loading rating…
Preparing ratings…