The Commodore 64, with its modest 1 MHz 6510 CPU and 64 KB of RAM, might seem like an unlikely candidate for AI, but we’ve pushed it to the limit with two remarkable projects. First, a lean Tic-Tac-Toe AI leverages a minimax algorithm in tight 6502 assembly, delivering unbeatable play in mere seconds—complete with SID chip blips and a sprite “thinking” cursor, all squeezed into under 10 KB. Then, we went bigger: a Checkers AI on a 6x6 board, wielding alpha-beta pruning to search 2-3 moves ahead. This beast uses custom PETSCII graphics, a humming SID soundtrack, and every optimization trick in the book to outwit players in real-time, proving the C64’s retro grit can still flex some serious computational muscle.
These projects showcase the C64’s potential beyond gaming, blending nostalgia with AI ingenuity. The Tic-Tac-Toe AI is a fast, elegant proof-of-concept, while the Checkers AI—crunching through hundreds of board states on hardware weaker than a wristwatch—feels like a miracle of efficiency. Both are coded to the metal, sidestepping BASIC’s sluggishness for assembly’s raw speed, and they turn a 1982 machine into a miniature brain. Want to see the code or challenge these AIs yourself? Stay tuned for more retro-tech adventures!
