David Simons
Simons' BASIC creator
The young British programmer who created Simons' BASIC for the Commodore 64, adding 114 commands that made game development practical in BASIC.
David Simons was a teenage programmer who created Simons’ BASIC, a BASIC extension for the Commodore 64 that added 114 commands for graphics, sound, and sprite handling. Published by Commodore in 1983, it transformed the C64’s limited BASIC V2 into a viable game development environment. Simons was reportedly just 16 when he wrote it.
Fast facts
- Born: ~1967
- Created: Simons’ BASIC (1983)
- Age at creation: ~16 years old
- Publisher: Commodore
- Platform: Commodore 64
- Commands added: 114
The Problem He Solved
C64 BASIC V2 was notoriously limited:
| Feature | BASIC V2 | Simons’ BASIC |
|---|---|---|
| Sprites | POKE only | Direct commands |
| Graphics | POKE only | HIRES, PLOT, etc. |
| Sound | POKE only | MUSIC commands |
| Development | Difficult | Practical |
Key Commands
What Simons’ BASIC added:
| Category | Commands |
|---|---|
| Graphics | HIRES, PLOT, DRAW, CIRCLE |
| Sprites | SPRITE, MOVSPR, SSPR |
| Sound | MUSIC, VOL, ENVELOPE |
| Programming | PROC, EXEC, REPEAT |
| Toolkit | FIND, AUTO, RENUMBER |
Impact
Simons’ BASIC enabled:
- Game development without assembly
- Learning structured programming
- Quick prototyping
- Magazine type-in games
- A generation of bedroom coders
The Teenager Phenomenon
Simons exemplified the era:
- Young programmers making professional tools
- Publishers signing teenagers
- No formal credentials needed
- Skill demonstrated through work
Legacy
While other BASIC extensions existed, Simons’ BASIC had Commodore’s official backing and wide distribution. It showed that a single talented programmer—even a teenager—could fill a gap that a major corporation had left unfilled.