Calibrator,
I'll let you drewl a little as I do have the Metal Gear games. I also have quite a few game cartridges as well as a special FM-sound cartridge. ;-)

On those enhanced graphics modes on the c64 - it is true that they are only good for static pictures. A technique that did expand the c64's screen and was actually used in games was the removal of the c64 screen-borders and using sprites to display graphics inside the borders.

I think I might want to acquire an Atari 8bit machine, this whole thread has made me very curious after the hardware and the similarities with the c64 . Should I go for the good old 800XL or should I go for a later 8-bitter?

Oh and for those Atari Minded folk out there check out this website from Mr Atari (a fellow Dutchman)
http://mr-atari.com/
he does amazing things - software and hardware projects - for the atari 8bit range of home computers.

Editor / Pixelator - Armchair Arcade, Inc.
www.markvergeer.nl