Planet M.U.L.E.

I learned MULE on an Atari 800xl computer.  I hear a lot of people used the C64.  What about you?

Atari 800 my sister, brother-in-law, brother, and i used to play until 3am....

C64!!!!!! (well, actually, a C128 which we got when our C64 joystick port got zapped by static and fried one of the ICs.)

I can't remember if it was the Amiga or the C=64.  One of those two.

C64 all the way!  I remember long hours at the computer at my aunt and uncle's house, my cousins' pleas to come play baseball or ride bikes falling on uninterested ears.   ::)
M.U.L.E., once we figured it out (uncle had a lot of pirated C64 games with no manuals), was one of the games that convinced my cousin that the great indoors wasn't so bad.

I had a modded Atari 400 w/48k and an aftermarket keyboard back in the 80's.

I'm pretty sure the Atari was first, as my older brother had both an Atari 400 (with chicklet keyboard) and an Atari 800. We also had a C-64, and played it on both, so it gets confusing.

C64....right after taking my VIC20 and throwing it out a window, heading to Target and buying a C64.

When I wasnt playing MULE I was playing Ultima....oh jeez...the innocent beginnings of a lifelong addiction....

C-64 all the way for me.  I was playing this game 25 years ago!  It has always been one of my favorites, and I couldn't understand with all the games in the market, and remakes going on why this gem hadn't been ported earlier.  Many thanks to the Planet M.U.L.E. team.  This rocks.

The C64 version had the nicest sound and graphics for M.U.L.E. in my opinion.

I'm gonna have to go ahead and strongly disagree with you there.  The Atari had a superior sound system compared to the C64.  Much richer and fuller.

I 1st started playing on a C64 in 1984. My brother I later bought the Nintendo port in 1990. The NES version was mush easier! The NES computer character was so stupid. I have since tried almost every port via emulation, including the MSX(JP), Sub Trade on DOS and Space HoRSE. IMHO, the C64 and Atari were equal.

I first played it on my Atari 800 back in '83.  I had 4 joysticks so I could play 4 player with my friends. I can't imagine not being able to play it 4 player  ;D  sorry all you 800XL and C64 people.

This was the first game I bought for my Commodore 64 in 1983 or 1984.  It remains one of the best ever!  I also had Seven Cities of Gold and Heart of Africa.  Kudos to the Planet Mule team for bringing this game back to life!   I haven't played it in 20 years.

I have to agree with Bertoid here. The Atari music is much better!!!  The C64 only has 3 sound channels, the Atari has 4-- and 2 of those channels can be combined to produce 16-bit sound!

I, too, am another one who played MULE on Atari 800 back in 1983.  I basically had 4 player sessions of this game practically every other day for years until everyone went to college or moved away and there was nobody to play with anymore.  Eventually my Atari ended up in the attic.  It's gone now, but it's spirit lives on in my PC.  I've been yearning for an internet playable MULE since I first got connected to the world wide web in 2000 (I know, I was a late bloomer there).  In 2005 I spent much time playing the original Atari version of MULE over the internet using the Atari emulator with Kaillera.  Unfortunately, it was too complicated to set up, and high latency caused controller delays and synchronization problems.  And of course without any kind of "lobby" like Planet Mule, it was even more difficult to arrange games.  Then I was a beta tester for Space Horse, which was an excellent modern rendition of MULE with internet play.  Unfortunately, unresolved network stability issues forced me to file it in my closet indefinitely.  I'm so glad to be part of this!

C-64 here as well....I basically used it for 4 things:  playing MULE, playing Lords of Conquest, playing Robot Rascals, and Q-Link.

C=64 here too. Oh, that brings back good old memories :)

Atari 800 cartridge Atari 800xl with 1050 disk drive also c64 tape version.

It's a matter of personal taste. However, fact is that the C64 SID-Ship has a far superior range of waveforms and frequencies. In the MULE game, the inferiority of the Atari sound became apparent when you produced more than 30 units of anything in a single turn: the Atari sound would just stop at its highest frequency (which is low) while the C64 could slide the tone up to the end of the production. As for the actual MULE music, they sound very much alike; definitely, there is no additional "richness" in the Atari version  :-\

While you may be theoretically right, the Atari M.U.L.E. has not used any of those features you are referring to. Listen to both versions: they sound almost the same :) (If anything, the Atari tones sound a little more clanky.)

Im very familiar with the C64 version of MULE Karawane. I still think the sound on the Atari is better, especially the theme song.

Also, this very well-written article seems to agree that the Atari version is better in all aspects, specifically the sound. LOL.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2008/02/retro-masterpiece-mule.html

Interestingly, I do not read the same conclusion from that very article ;) It says "arguably" when it comes to sound, it also says that the random generator of the C64 port leaves you with longer fun. Anyway, I just try to be fact oriented.

Personally, I like the Atari version better for two reasons that have not even been mentioned in your article: On the C64, the earthquake does not move mountains to the adjacent square - what a bummer! And the wampus is extremely hard to catch on the C64. Last but not least (but this has been mentioned in the article), the Atari version is playable with 4 joysticks. That is actually the killer argument against the C64 version.

...but I have also just listened to both versions of the M.U.L.E. music and neither I nor my wife have detected a significant difference. If anything, we both found that the Atari sound is (very) slightly off-tune. Again, this seems to be "arguable" ;)

Yes, all points of Atari vs Commodore are "arguably". Always have been, always will be.  It's been a war since the beginning.  But the part of the article I was specifically referring to was where he stated "usually the SID was capable of more — unfortunately, such attention wasn’t given over in the C64 port.".  Also, with regard to the random map generator, it was noted that many of the randomly generated maps were horribly unbalanced.  I wouldn't want to be half way through a game of MULE just to discover we were on one of those unbalanced maps, ultimately causing someone at the end of the game to be a sore loser. :P

Agreed. But on one point I (seriously) need an explanation: What makes an unbalanced map being unfair as every player plays on the same map and can grab any plot she or he wants to?

Good question.  Perhaps the placement and disbursement of the mountains ?  I guess if there was only 1 smithore plot with 3 mountains it would be a bit unbalanced.  Also if all the mountain plots were clumped into adjacent plots it would not be condusive.  I dont know really since I'm not too familiar with the C64 version.

Back in 1983, I have played the C64 version with friends on a weekly basis. Sometimes, two high crystite plots were adjacent or even identical (actually leaving the third deposit invisible), or one was on a river plot. Sometimes, the mountains were more clustered than usual. But we have never found a map unfair. What is "unfair" when everybody has the same options? The maps just pose different challenges. A year later, we switched to the Atari 800 because of the 4 joystick ports. We have never realized that those maps were more balanced (or that there were only 128 maps available). What I want to say is that this whole discussion in the article about better or worse maps is quixotic.

On the other hand, the article leaves out facts like the moving mountains on tha Atari, the different catching of the wampus on the C64, the limited production sound on the Atari. And most interestingly, it does not at all mention differences in the game balance: After we switched to the Atari, we quickly realized that the strategy of massively producing Crystite wouldn't work so well anymore. I have never found the reason for this. It must be a very subtle mechanism (maybe more pirates in later turns or more sophisticated Mechtrons?), but we could empirically reproduce it.

In short, this article you are basing your opinion on seems poorly investigated.

I'm not basing my opinion on the article, I just said the guy in the article agreed with my opinion.  My opinion still remains unchanged in that the Atari version is better overall, for reasons including not not limited to some of the ones you pointed out yourself.

Atari 800  :)

C64.

I owned the 64, and it was on a pirateware disc.  My roommate in college actually started trying to figure it out, and I got roped in.

Many, many games later I got the disappointing NES version.

I sometimes still break out the 64.  But now I can actually look for human players again!

i grew up playing the c-64 version but like  the atari version better because of 4 joysticks.  however the atari has the glitch when you buy land if you are the first person in the lead and you hold up the whoe way you can buy it for whatever you have left in money!  i think the c-64 version has better sound and graphics when things like pest attack happen, but i like the atari mountains that move in a planet quake

What you described is not possible even in the original Atari version.  Even if you are the first person in the lead, if someone has more money than you, they can still outbid you even if you're holding up the joystick.  I've heard of this happening to people who pirated the game.  Perhaps it was a glitch during the sector copy that left out some part of the code, allowing that to happen.

C64.  Me and my friend Darryl used to play it.  The game took about 1.5-2 hours but was a lot of fun.  Our colony once got one of the higher scores.  We had to do some colusions to get there though. 

I played MULE on the Atari, C64, and IBM PC back in the day.  The Atari version always seemed the best, partly because of the four controllers but also because the game just felt right on that system (timing, etc).

For me the Atari version was allways better

Four players

Instant loading with cartridge

Original and first version

Wumpus is harder to catch

Plots get wiped out with planet quakes(movement of moutains)

Better graphics

MULE was never released in cartridge form for the Atari.  However, it was possible to transfer the contents (illegally) of the diskette to cartridge.

You could do four with the C64 too, but two had to crowd in the keyboard.

Yeah, lack of joysticks was never an issue. I've played 4-player tournaments on C64 up to 2006, normally as the keyboard player. And actually the keyboard player gets to choose from two different joysticks according to their preference, which is good if the host doesn't have a preferred joystick for each player.

I've played a few MULE games on Atari emulator, and naturally it seems a bit "less familiar" after a long experience with C64. Especially the fact not to be able to "dance" above the selling line, on C64 it's two steps (pixels) away but on Atari only one. But I'm sure it would be the other way around if I had had an Atari (which I regret not having owned alongside the C64...)

I've never had any problems dancing on the Atari version

For me it was C64 (by emulation on a now antique personal computer!), followed by learning the most on the NES version.  I do recognize the Atari version as the "official" version.  I think the C64 and Atari version were supposed to be pretty close if not exactly the same? (I don't know for use as I never played the Atari version)  The NES version definitely had a few different quirks.  All this aside, I voted C64 - it was (and still is) my excalibur.

Totally, and a TI99-4A, and a Co-Co, and a Sinclair Spectrum, etc.

I actually still own a C64 in a box in storage for family MULE games (my mom crushes), but thanks to this site we may start playing more often than every other xmas.  (thanks!)

My friends and I have often switched between the two versions and, believe me, they are very much alike. Most people wouldn't even realize the difference on a standard TV connected via HF connector. The gameplay is identical (except for a minor detail in the planetquake). Most Atari people played it on a 800 XL which does not even have the often cited four joystick ports. It's kind of ridiculous to argue about it ...but we do it anyway because Atarians and Commodorians are meant to fight each other for eternity ;D

That's the truth!!!!!

I had to play an Atari game to see if I didn't remember correctly. I mean when a buyer (one or more) is running on the top line trying to desperately buy a unit for a high price. Then on Atari you can't dance, you end up touching the selling line and at least stop the buyer from advancing. On C64 you still could dance trying to incentivate the buyer to go even higher! ;)

On a side note, I found wampus hunting on Atari a lot easier than on C64 (I think somebody already commented this), and I heard you can influence on goods values on last round by buying them for a high price, besides these the two versions seem pretty equal.

But I still feel "at home" on C64 version...

Atari while listening to Dr. Demento in a trainboard cramped and dimly lit garage. And then there was that life size cut-out of Steve Martin from "The Jerk". :]

Learned it on the Atari 800 when I was like 5, played it on there until I had an NES... and eventually had it on the NES as well until it was lost - very glad to have found this remake.  My question would be - is it just me, or did anyone else who played both actually find that the Atari version was, with the possible exception of graphics, better?  The NES one seemed to play choppy, and the wampus was so ridiculously easy to catch it was sad - you could grab him up to 4 times a turn, which really disbalanced things against an AI.

Played it on the C64. Always thought Commodore was the better system.

Atari 65XE :)

M.U.L.E. was my 1st computer game I ever purchased for my C-64.
Now I want to see if my son will enjoy this game as much as I did.

The C64. My cousin had the computer and the game, and we used to look forward to visits to their house. We had the Commodore Pet and Vic 20, which could not play it. :(

Luke

C64 and I still play once or twice a year depending on when we can all get together and play.  Must be going strong on 20 years at this point!

Just wanted to say: Wow! Awesome, fantastic, thank you so much for bring Mule back to life - bigger and badder than ever before.

C64, in 1986, been playing ever since.  Still have the old burned out c64 I played it on, but it became parts for another C64 that was more readily repairable, lol.  I have a collection of commodores.  There is a List.

2 - Vic20s
Lost track of how many C64s
1 - sx-64
1 - plus/4
2 - 128C
1 - 128D

Drives

Countless 1541s
1 - 1541ii
2 - 1571s
1 - Commodore Compatible IndusGT (Love this guy, actually makes an awesome diagnostic drive because it displays track info and error codes on an LED right on the front of the drive!  It's a fast drive too.)

Projects - building a special high end 386 to function as a hard drive server for my C128D.  Have the software and cabling, just haven't finished the project, it's in storage til I can afford a roof over my head away from mom and dad, lol.

Favorite Games

M.U.L.E.
Jumpman JR.
Zaxxon
Summer and Winter Games Collection
Archon I,II,and III
Raid over Moscow
Pacman
Ms. Pacman
CrossFire
Frogger
Donkey Kong
HardBall
Leaderboard Golf

More...

I can't remember all the games I have, but I loved most all of them.  Mule is right at the top.

  The atari MULE was fun but the Crystite was always in the same spots! Top left and bottom left! In the same EXACT spots many times!

I had only ever played the NES version until a re-interest within the past month or so, of which Wikipedia led me to a place where I could download the atari rom and and emulator with it.  After playing the atari version I'ed really only say the sound was better, because the graphics did not have some of the features and "finish" that the atari version had.  Game play wise: computer AI was more simplistic (90% of their action was based of a % off their total money), wampus was infinitely easier to catch (as stated 3 to 4 times per turn), AI was smithore and crystite whores (often times every property was set to produce one or the other at times i've seen one AI in one turn produce 80 units), no form of productivity indicator (or what ever its called, aka the lil icons saying a river was 4 food worth and the plains next to it were only worth 2), no audio indicator for when time was running out.

I'ed give the NES a plus in that they voiced all the different character's names.

If i had to make a choice between them, I'ed go with the atari/c64 over the NES every time.  Can't say between these two tho cuz I'm yet to play any form of the c64 version.

Back then, the DMCA didn't exist, so it was perfectly legal to copy your own legally-purchased copy of a game to a different media.

As far as the sound goes, the Atari POKEY chip was better at sound effects, and the Commodore SID chip was better at music. The Commodore version of M.U.L.E. was ported from the Atari version. Since the music was also ported, the Atari version would naturally have better music. Had the Commodore music been re-written for the C-64, by a C-64 musician, it probably would have sounded much better.

As for me, I cut my teeth on the C-64, so I was used to two joysticks and the keyboard, which really wasn't all that bad. Four joysticks would have been nice, but not a deal breaker. In any case, the main thing that made M.U.L.E. great was the overall game play, not the graphics or sound.

Even with minor differences in game play, both versions are still really fun, and that's all that really matters.

I played for long hours this game on my old C-64, them when I sold it, I got the C-64 emulator on the PC and keep playing, now we got this :)

Atari 800. Still have one with the disk drive and M.U.L.E.
MULE is the only reason I've got it. I'm happy that it's online now, I can play with my friend in Canada and my son from the living room while I'm in my study. I have to sat that Atari is my vote for best way to go. After all, the planet is called Irata. :D

Atari 800.  I never owned a C64, but my next computer after the Atari 800 was an Amiga 1000.

    I have both versions and like the C64 version better mostly because the crystite in the Atari version is generally always in the same place + Wampus is to easy to catch and the AI is even dumber than the C64 version. After playing at Planetmule i cant go back and play either! Seems to wierd and the graffics to ugly! HaHa. They should come out with a updated M.U.L.E. for the PS3, Wii and Xbox !!! Or is mule not cool enough for todays kids?

Commodore 64 - RULES

So will you send me your Atari and the copy of Mule? ;)

Dont have a Atari or copy of mule. Play on a emulator

I learned on commodore 64 but also played on atari and the later on nintendo.

Atari 800XL. My brother and I worked all summer to raise $200 bucks to buy a friends Atari system with all his games. The best one he had was MULE (along with Bruce Lee and Arcon). We would play until the wee morning hours, leave the computer running, and then start playing soon as we got up the next morning.

C64 is the best - only played Atari version once and it's just not as good - tiny details make the difference, the 3 of note for me are -
* on C64 you have to deploy the MULE precisely on the house - makes your turn that much more edgy!
* the AI on the Atrai version is too rigid (like sticking to $25 for Energy sale) on C64 it is more random and less easy to guess
*on C64 you have to remeber what energy food you've got/need - makes it much more of a challenge.

Any plans for a v2 C64 version - I would pay £30 for that!!!

Any way of getting into the game code to tweak the game (turn times, crystite prices)?

Happy gaming!

I played the nintendo version for more than five years :D

YEP

Always a smart ass in every group. ;)

All depend on what computer did u have in childhood. I got Atari 65XE and was really better for me than C64.

Learned it on the best 8 bit computer system ever made, the Atari 800 with 4 JOYsticks.

I still have the game and all original packaging including the shrink wrap with the stickers and the sales receipt.

I heard that there were less than 40,000 copies sold by EA, so perhaps one day it may be a collectors item?

Did you know that the Atari joyports were I/O?

I wrote a simple battleship program that connected two Ataris and communicated over a homemade cable made from two broken joysticks.

If only the Amiga & ST hadn't come out when they did and squashed 8-bit development, you probably would have heard of this amazing capability before now.

Atari 800 all the way. 

My retirement was LUXURIOU!!!

(http://www.natcarm.com/mule_screen.jpg)

The PC version had 24 round tournament. Nice...!  :)

Interesting, wonder what that was like, at that point you got 12 rounds full development and it's just seein who can be the most effective with what they got.

Not sure what version you were playing, but the crystite is definitely random on the Atari 800 version.

http://bringerp.free.fr/RE/Mule/mule_document.html

I'm thinkin he had a hacked copy with a cheat coded into it.

NES was the only option for me. I've always been behind the times, technologically speaking, so by the time my brother's brother-in-law gave another brother and myself his old C64 you couldn't get software for it. The only Atari system I've played is the 2600, which the game was never ported to and again games were unavailable for it (though it was still recent enough that flea markets and yard sales sometimes had them).

I found it in a flea market in 1998. I almost passed it up because the label had me believing it was a shooter or a sci-fi themed platformer but we were coming up on a 3 day weekend and I was bored with my library so I bought it. Once I figured it out (no manual) it was the only NES game I played from then until I got my N64 in 2000.

I never saw the point of single player tournament and when I could get my friends to play they wanted to play standard since they thought tournament might be longer and they didn't really like the game so I never even heard of crystite until a few days ago. I use to be good at the game but the whole crystite mining thing consistently keeps me in 3rd or 4th place now.

The crystite game is very challenging here.  You have to be willing to take some big risk, like purchasing land for ridiculous prices ($3000 is acceptable up to round 7.  If you can get 12 tite plots by end game you have an excellent chance of winning)  However, nothing is for sure, especially now that they have fixed a few inconsistencies with the original.

Happy Muling!

NES baby! I suppose my generation impedes me from even knowing what a c64 is!
Jade <--- baby ;D

It was first C64 for me but then it migrated to Nintendo. Either way it was an awesome game!

Atari 800 my friend Kevin Lewis showed me how to play I sucked then and suck now, but I still love it.

we cannot keep in mind when things was on Amiga or the C=60-4. Those types of two.

Commodore 64! Back in the 1980s I was a Commodore 64 freak and got a copy of M.U.L.E. from some friends back in 1984, and the game quickly became one of my favourite C64-games. I and my friends played the game many times throughout the 1980s.