Penetrator
Commodore 64 · 1982
About this game
Penetrator is an early Sinclair ZX Spectrum game made by Melbourne House programmers Philip Mitchell and Veronika Megler, one of the early hits.
It was released in 1982 as a clone of the Scramble arcade game.
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In Penetrator, the gamer flies a ship, which can shoot forwards and drop bombs beneath the ship.
The first level is on open air, with just mountains to dodge, missiles which try to hit the ship, and animated radars.
From the second level onwards, the game is inside increasingly complex caverns, so the ceiling is also a danger, as well as new enemies - the missiles are now sometimes replaced with skulls that can move up and down, blocking the path.
The levels change with no pause, only the screen colour changes.
After four levels there is a short fifth level where a base needs to be destroyed by dropping a bomb precisely, and then there is a firework animation as a reward.
After all levels are finished, the ship goes back through inversed levels, with backward turned landscape.
Reviews at the time said that graphics and the game were impressive, even stunning.[1]
There is an edit mode for designing levels, and a training mode with infinite number of lives in which one can start from any level.
Also, there is a simultaneous two-player mode.
The game's sound consisted of a characteristic uplifting theme before ship launch, while in-game there were simultaneous shooting/explosion effects, which was relatively advanced use of the limited one channel Spectrum beeper system at the time.
Later, versions for Commodore 64 and TRS-80 appeared.
About Commodore 64
Released in 1982, the Commodore 64 is the best-selling home computer model of all time, with an enormous software library spanning games, productivity tools, and everything in between. C64 game collecting centers on cassette tapes and floppy disks in their original packaging — physical media that's inherently fragile, so complete, working copies from the era are increasingly prized by retro computing collectors.
Gamevaro tracks Penetrator for Commodore 64 with separate market values for loose, complete-in-box (CIB) and factory-sealed copies, sourced from real eBay sales. Prices also vary by region — PAL, NTSC-U and NTSC-J releases of the same game often sell for different amounts due to print run sizes and regional collector demand.
Adding Penetrator to a Gamevaro collection takes seconds — search by title or scan the box barcode, and the app fills in cover art, release details and current pricing automatically. This C64 release dates back to 1982.
Market values by condition
PAL
Recent sales
| Date | Type | Region | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-20 | Loose / Item only | PAL | €20.08 |
Rarity & condition
Only a handful of market sales have been tracked for Penetrator, suggesting it doesn't trade hands very often — a sign of relative scarcity compared to more common Commodore 64 titles.
Complete-in-box (CIB) copies typically command a premium over loose cartridges/discs because the original box and manual are more fragile and get discarded or damaged over time — fewer complete sets survive.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Penetrator worth?
Penetrator for Commodore 64 is currently worth €20.08 loose. Prices are based on real sales and update regularly on Gamevaro.
Is Penetrator rare?
Penetrator has only a handful of tracked market sales, suggesting relative scarcity compared to more common Commodore 64 titles.
What's the difference between loose, CIB and sealed for Penetrator?
Loose means cartridge or disc only, CIB (complete in box) includes the original box and manual, and sealed means factory-sealed and never opened. These are tracked as separate market values because the price gap between them can be significant, especially for older releases.
Ratings & Reviews
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