Play Bagitman | Commodore 64 Online Game (1984)

Bagitman is a game written by Roderick Smith and published by Aardvark Action Software for the Commodore 64 in 1983. It is a maze-based action game where the player controls a character tasked with collecting bags of money scattered throughout a series of levels while avoiding enemies. The gameplay involves navigating through a grid-like maze, with the player needing to strategize their movements to outmaneuver pursuing enemies. The game features simple graphics and straightforward controls, typical of early 1980s home computer games.

The objective in Bagitman is to collect all the bags of money within a level before progressing to the next, more challenging stage. Each level increases in difficulty, with enemies becoming faster or more numerous. The player must use the maze's layout to their advantage, often relying on quick reflexes and planning to avoid being caught. The game's mechanics are reminiscent of other maze-chase games popular at the time, such as Pac-Man, but with its own unique twist.

Bagitman was developed during the early days of home computing, a period when many games were created by small teams or individual programmers. Roderick Smith, the game's creator, was one such programmer, and Bagitman reflects the limitations and creativity of the era. The game was distributed on cassette tape, a common format for Commodore 64 software at the time, and was part of a wave of early titles that helped establish the platform's gaming library.

The game's design is minimalistic, with a focus on gameplay rather than elaborate visuals or storytelling. The maze layouts are straightforward, and the enemies follow predictable patterns, though their increasing speed and numbers provide a steady challenge. Bagitman's simplicity makes it accessible to players of all skill levels, though mastering the later levels requires precision and quick thinking. Its straightforward design and challenging gameplay are representative of the era's gaming trends.