Floppy Deep Dive returns with another classic faceoff: the Letter O showdown between the Commodore 64 and Atari 800XL. Host Tom from Texas pits six games against each other, covering sports, strategy, and pure arcade chaos.
The lineup begins with One-on-One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird, where the Commodore 64 edges ahead by a single free throw. Its darker color palette and sharper sprites make every dunk and shattered backboard feel electric. Atari fans can take pride, though—the gameplay is nearly identical, and both ports remain milestones in sports gaming.
Next up is Oil’s Well, Sierra’s tense take on Anteater. Both versions feature tight joystick controls, pulsing background music, and addictive digging action. But here, the Atari 800XL snags the win for being the original version. The C64’s slightly crisper audio can’t dethrone the OG.
On-Track follows, putting both systems on the starting line for some top-down racing. While the Atari’s title screen earns points for flair, the Commodore 64 claims the checkered flag thanks to cleaner sound, sharper visuals, and that classic SID engine hum.
Then comes Ollie’s Follies, a platformer that looks deceptively simple until you mistime a jump. Atari takes this round with brighter visuals and a hero who finally has a proper skin tone. Both versions share identical gameplay, but style wins by a narrow margin.
O’Riley’s Mine delivers tension straight from the start as players dig through collapsing tunnels and rising floodwaters. Both ports perform beautifully, but again, the Atari version earns a nod for being the original blueprint—cleaner design, smoother presentation, and equal panic levels.
Finally, Orc Attack ends the set with a decisive victory for the Commodore 64. Its version features functioning ladder growth and frantic sword combat, unlike the buggy Atari edition where the ladders stay low and orcs lose their pants.
After six battles, the Letter O showdown ends in a draw: three wins each. It’s a perfect tie between two legends of the 8-bit era, with Letter P waiting just around the corner.
