

Zapped to the Past
zappedtothepast
The Commodore 64 had lots of games. Not all of them are good. In Zapped to the Past, we cast a retrospective eye over those games reviewed in each issue of Zzap!64 magazine. Hosted by two lifelong C64 fans, we throw off those rose tinted specs and see if those games are still worth playing today.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 11, 2026 • 1h 43min
Zapped to the Past Episode 237 - Commodore Force 6
Over 1993 and 1994, some games were released for the Commodore 64 and reviewed in the magazine Commodore Force. In episode Two-Hundred-and-Thirty-Seven of Zapped to the Past, we look at some of those games, including the pathetic Postman Pat 3, the delightful Dalek Attack and the legendary Lemmings.
Games covered in this episode:
Lemmings
Postman Pat 3
Dalek Attack
Wrestling Superstars
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Want to buy our merchandise and swag?
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop
Additional links mentioned in the Podcast:
https://www.lemon64.com/doc/dalek-attack/169
https://lunaticlab.itch.io/lemmings-reloaded

Sep 20, 2026 • 2h 49min
Zapped to the Past Episode 236 - The Scares and Scores of John Carpenter
This week we take a walk on the dark side as we explore the scares and scores of director and composer John Carpenter. We explore how he popularised the slasher genre, tackled aliens from other worlds, told tales of seabound lepers and possessed cars, and even did a biopic of the King himself. On top of this, we examine some of his musical themes that would become as iconic as anything by Williams, Morricone or Hermann.
Films covered in this Episode
Assault on Precinct 13
Halloween
The Fog
Escape from New York
The Thing
Christine
Starman
Big Trouble in Little China
Prince of Darkness
They Live
In the Mouth of Madness
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Want some Zapped to the Past merch?
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop
Additional Links
John Carpenter - Wikipedia
John Carpenter
Albertus (typeface) - Wikipedia
Directed by John Carpenter - Fonts In Use
John Carpenter: The Most Overrated Director of All Time
John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies' “What’s In My Bag?” | Amoeba Music
A Five-Point Guide to Horror Movie Maestro John Carpenter | AnOther
The 30 must-hear cult electronic soundtracks
25 Awesome Electronic Film and Television Scores
The 10 Best Electronic Film Scores of All Time | Taste Of Cinema
‘Everything I know about evil I learned in that small town’: John Carpenter on terrifying the world with Halloween, The Thing and The Fog
John Carpenter, Dark Lord of the Film Score
The Coupe De Villes - Big Trouble in Little China (Upscaled HD) (1986)

Sep 6, 2026 • 1h 13min
Zapped to the Past Episode 235 - Commodore Force 5
Over 1993 and 1994, some games were released for the Commodore 64 and reviewed in the magazine Commodore Force. In episode Two-Hundred-and-Thirty-Five of Zapped to the Past, we look at some of those games, including the wrongly named World Championship Squash, the awful All-American Basketball, and the stinky Suburban Commando, and wonder why a Japanese folk demon would be eating a banana at a tennis match…
Games covered in this episode:
World Championship Squash
All American Basketball
International Tennis
Suburban Commando
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Want to buy our merchandise and swag?
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop
Additional links mentioned in the Podcast:
https://www.lemon64.com/doc/world-championship-squash/679
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/sinclair/entries/0000168/All-AmericanBasketball_Back.jpg
https://www.lemon64.com/doc/suburban-commando/573

Aug 23, 2026 • 2h 26min
Zapped to the Past Episode 234 - Turn to Page 64...
This week we roll our D6s for Skill, Strength, and Luck as we take a dive into the world of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. This series of books entertained a generation of kids with their tales of derring do and fantasy worlds where YOU were the hero. Starting out as pure fantasy with minotaurs and mazes, they soon encompassed magic, outer space, superheroes and the darkest pits of horror, where anything could happen. It was usually a horrible death, but wasn’t that just part of the fun? Turn to page 64 to find out!
Books Played for the Podcast
City of Thieves
Deathtrap Dungeon
House of Hell
Blood of the Zombies
Assassin
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Want some Zapped to the Past merch?
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop
Buy amazing Zapped to the Past merchandise:
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop

Aug 9, 2026 • 1h 20min
Zapped to the Past Episode 233 - Commodore Force 4
Over 1993 and 1994, some games were released for the Commodore 64 and reviewed in the magazine Commodore Force. In episode Two-Hundred-and-Thirty-Three of Zapped to the Past, we look at some of those games, including the Ugly Ugh, the crappy Crazy Cars 3 and the boring Bee 52.
Games covered in this episode:
Nick Faldos Championship Golf
Crazy Cars 3
Ugh
Bee 52
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Want to buy our merchandise and swag?
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop

Jul 19, 2026 • 2h 59min
Zapped to the Past Episode 232 - Battle of the Burly B**tards
This week we take a look at a time of bulging biceps, thunderous thighs, and gigantic glutes. We pitch Schwarzenegger against Stallone and ask who provided the most burl for your buck? Who served up the best bicep curl and bulging vein? Who filled the cinema screen with so much man-muscle that not even Cinemascope could cope with it? We look at the films released from 1981 to 1989 from both hunks and dare to answer the question: who was the burliest of them all?
Films Considered for Burliness
Nighthawks
Conan the Barbarian
Rocky III
First Blood
Conan the Destroyer
The Terminator
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Red Sonja
Commando
Rocky IV
Cobra
Raw Deal
Over the Top
Predator
The Running Man
Rambo III
Red Heat
Twins
Lock Up
Tango & Cash
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Want some Zapped to the Past merch?
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop

Jul 5, 2026 • 1h 18min
Zapped to the Past Episode 231 - Commodore Force 3
Over 1993 and 1994, some games were released for the Commodore 64 and reviewed in the magazine Commodore Force. In episode Two-Hundred-and-Thirty-One of Zapped to the Past, we look at some of those games, including the flaccid Football Manager 3, the awful American Tag-Team Wrestling, and the loopy Locomotion.
Games covered in this episode:
Sleepwalker
American Tag-Team Wrestling
Football Manager 3
Locomotion
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Want to buy our merchandise and swag?
https://www.zappedtothepast.shop
Additional links mentioned in the Podcast:
https://ia800101.us.archive.org/32/items/uta_Sleepwalker_1992_Ocean_Software_Ltd_12497/Extras/Instructions.pdf
https://archive.org/details/American_Tag_Team_Wrestling_1992_Zeppelin_Games/page/n1/mode/2up
https://dn710006.ca.archive.org/0/items/uta_Football_Manager_3_1992_Addictive_Games_Ltd._6792/Extras/Instructions_text.pdf

Jun 21, 2026 • 2h 1min
Zapped to the Past Episode 230 - Jean-Michel Jarre
This week we take a look at one of the most influential musicians in electronic music and certainly on those composers working on the Commodore 64. Come with us then on a magical journey of light harps, Moogs, and songs that seem to go on forever as we wait patiently for Cousteau on our beach of electronic enigmas and dive into the world of Jean-Michel Jarre.
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Additional links mentioned in the Podcast:
Discography | Discover all albums of Jean-Michel Jarre
Yie Ar Kung Fu (C64) Main Theme
Magnetic Fields, Pt. 4
Jarre arr. by Rob Hubbard - Zoolook (Oscilloscope View)
Zoolook (new mastering)
https://deepsid.chordian.net/?file=/MUSICIANS/G/Gibson_Tony/Jammin.sid&subtune=10
https://deepsid.chordian.net/?file=/MUSICIANS/C/Crowther_Antony/Son_of_Blagger.sid&subtune=2
https://deepsid.chordian.net/?file=/MUSICIANS/D/Daglish_Ben/L_O_C_O.sid&subtune=1
https://deepsid.chordian.net/?file=/MUSICIANS/H/Hansford_Graham/Trollie_Wallie.sid&subtune=3
https://deepsid.chordian.net/?file=/MUSICIANS/C/Cooksey_Mark/Bomb_Jack.sid&subtune=1
https://www.lemon64.com/game/captain-blood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCPOZRG-yGs&list=RDeCPOZRG-yGs&start_radio=1
John Keating - The Uknown Planet
John Keating - Space Agent
Shibolet
Whip Blow (Remastered)
Ancestors
Last Ninja 2 (C64) tune "inspired" by "Midnight in Tula"
Last Ninja 2, The Mansion OST
Alchemy of the Heart
Gary’s Recommendations
“Switched on Rock” 1969 and all the Moog-related albums that sprang up in early 70s
Isao Tomita
“Snowflakes Are Dancing” 1974
“Firebird” 1976
Walter/Wendy Carlos
“Switched On Bach” 1968
“The Well-Tempered Synthesizer” 1969
“Sonic Seasonings” 1972
“A Clockwork Orange” 1972
Tangerine Dream
“Atem” 1972
“Zeit” 1972
“Phaedra” 1974
“Rubycon” 1975
“Stratosfear” 1976
“Sorceror OST” 1977
“Encore” 1977
Edgar Froese
“Epsilon In Malaysian Pale” 1975
“Ages” 1978
“Stuntman” 1979
Klaus Schulze
“Irrlicht” 1972
“Cyborg” 1973
“Black Dance” 1974
“Moondawn 1976
Vangelis
“Heaven and Hell” 1975
“Albedo 0.39” 1976
“Spiral” 1977
Kraftwerk
“Ralk & Florian” 1973
“Autobahn” 1974
“Radioactivity” 1975
“Trans Euro Express” 1977
“The Man Machine” 1978
Brian Eno
“Evening Star” 1975 (with Robert Fripp)
“Another Green World” 1975
“Ambient 1” 1979
Popol Vuh
“Affenstunde” 1970
“Seligpreisug” 1973
Harmonia
“Musik Von Harmonia” 1974
Manuel Göttsching
“Inventions for Electric Guitar” 1975
John Carpenter
“Assault on Precinct 13 OST” 1976
Absolute Everywhere - In Search of the Ancient Gods (concept album on the work of Daniken)
1976
William Sheller (French composer)
“Lux Aeterna” 1972
Yellow Magic Orchestra
“Yellow Magic Orchestra” 1979
Steve Hillage
“Rainbow Dome Musick” 1979
Laurie Anderson
“Big Science” 1982
Gershon Kingsley - “Popcorn” 1969
Joe Meek/The Tornados - “Telstar” 1962
The Shadows - “Apache” 1960
One-off melodic instrumental hits!
Krautrock bands - Neu! / Faust / Can / La Dusseldorf / Harmonia / Kluster/Cluster.
The “Berlin” school - Tangerine Dream / Klaus Schulze / Ashra - emphasis on long form improvisations. Jarre added melody and “pop” elements to this way of working.
Modern composers: Stockhausen / Erik Satie / John Cage / Arvo Part / John Adams / Henryk Gorecki
Minimalists: Steve Reich / Philip Glass / Terry Riley
modular synthesists: Don Buchla / Suzanne Ciani
Avant-garde composers in the electro-acoustic fields: Eliane Radigue / Alvin Lucier (“Sitting in a Room”) / Xenakis / Stockhausen / Pierre Henry / Edgard Varèse / Pierre Schaeffer and musique concrete and all that bollocks
https://thequietus.com/interviews/bakers-dozen/jean-michel-jarre-favourite-albums-interview/

Jun 7, 2026 • 1h 21min
Zapped to the Past Episode 229 - Commodore Force 2
Over 1993 and 1994, some games were released for the Commodore 64 and reviewed in the magazine Commodore Force. In episode Two-Hundred-and-Twenty-Nine of Zapped to the Past, we look at some of those games, including the wet egg filled Alien 3, the janky Jimmy’s Super League and the burgerless McDonald Land.
Games covered in this episode:
Alien 3
Jimmy’s Super League
McDonald Land
WWF2 European Rampage Tour
Don’t forget you can still late pledge and secure your copy of the Zapped to the Past book:
https://zappedtothepastbook.com https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zappedtothepast/zapped-to-the-past
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Additional links mentioned in the Podcast:
https://www.lemon64.com/doc/alien-3/45
https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/zxdb/sinclair/entries/0009866/JimmysSuperLeague_Back.jpg
https://www.lemon64.com/doc/mcdonald-land/375
https://www.lemon64.com/doc/wwf-european-rampage-tour/658

May 24, 2026 • 3h 1min
Zapped to the Past Episode 228 - Tron
This week we take a look at one of the strangest, visually arresting and most enduring science-fiction franchises from the 1980s, Tron. We explore the process of disintegrating oranges and Space Paranoids, the arcade games, the cartoons, the subsequent films, theme parks, and the reason something can only exist for 29 minutes. So get set as we don our neon suits, jump on our light cycles and take it straight to the MCP! End of Line.
Stuff covered in this episode:
Tron
Tron - The Arcade Game
Discs of Tron
Tron 2.0
Tron: Legacy
Tron Evolution
Tron Ares
Find us here:
https://zappedtothepast.com/
If you would like to help us out and join our Patreon, find it here:
https://www.patreon.com/zappedtothepast
If you want to buy a Coffee for Zapped to the Past, go here:
https://ko-fi.com/zappedtothepast
Need our links in one place - you can do that too:
https://online.pubhtml5.com/oowg/grrx/#p=1
Additional links mentioned in the Podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d35_xITQIPc
https://downloads.khinsider.com/search?search=tron
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMT8tRrEMC4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P78pl1FUXfA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YShVEXb7-ic


