C64 Mars Saga
Play 'Mars Saga' on C64 online.
Mars Saga game data
Commodore 64 game name: Mars Saga | Release date:
1988 |
Publisher: Electronic Arts |
Game media type: d64 |
Language: en
User rating of this C64 game (you can also rate it under the C64 emulator):
About Commodore 64 Mars Saga
Mars Saga (Commodore 64)
Published by Electronic Arts | Developed by Westwood Associates | Released in 1988
Overview
Mars Saga is a classic sci-fi role-playing game released for the Commodore 64 in 1988, created by the legendary developers at Westwood Associates—who would later become famous for the Command & Conquer series. Originally published by Electronic Arts, the game later saw Apple II and MS-DOS ports through Infocom, due to a legal dispute involving the rights to the franchise.
Story
You play as Tom Jetland, a down-on-his-luck spacefarer who crash-lands on Mars. Stranded and desperate, Jetland must find work across the red planet’s cities to afford passage off-world. However, his quest for survival soon uncovers something far more sinister: a hidden conspiracy that involves secret contact with alien lifeforms.
As the mystery unfolds, players explore four interconnected Martian cities—Primus, Progeny, Parallax, and Proscenium. In addition to urban environments, the game features exploration across the Martian wastelands and derelict mining complexes, each filled with secrets and danger.
Gameplay
Mars Saga blends exploration, tactical combat, and role-playing mechanics in a futuristic setting. Combat takes place from a top-down, bird’s-eye view, where players issue commands to party members in a semi-real-time queue system. Strategy is key, as positioning and action timing can determine the outcome of each encounter.
The game stands out for its ambitious scope, open-world structure, and a surprisingly deep sci-fi narrative for its time—all packed into the memory limitations of the Commodore 64.
Download: Mars Saga Manual.
In order to play Mars Saga online, click on the start button located below the Commodore 64 emulator window.
This file type doesn't support auto Joystick port detection. Please choose 'Joystick Swap Ports' if needed.
Mars Saga C64 keyboard mapping
When you start a game, each joystick port is automatically turned on. Sometimes this causes a problem as the joystick port is mapped to the keys below. If a game uses these keys, you need to turn off the joystick ports.
C64 emulator joystick - keyboard mappings| DIRECTION | JOYSTICK 1 | JOYSTICK 2 |
|---|---|---|
| LEFT | A | CURSOR LEFT |
| RIGHT | D | CURSOR RIGHT |
| UP | W | CURSOR UP |
| DOWN | S | CURSOR DOWN |
| FIRE | LEFT / RIGHT CTRL | LEFT / RIGHT SHIFT |