Alot of games on this machine will remind you how good the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis days were. There is a few 3D games on here too.
I highly recommend this product!
molto carino, fatto bene chiaramente la tastiera non vera ma non poteva essere altrimenti, con una chiavetta USB configurata si possono aggiungere tutti i giochi dell’amiga 500, mouse e joypad inclusi molto carini
Aunque sea una placa con un emulador, est muy depurado y funciona de maravilla. El pad y el ratn incluido s
on de un material de calidad. Si eres de los que ha tenido un Amiga 500 o no pudiste tenerlo, es el momento de hacerte con uno. Detalles del teclado muy cuidados, aunque no sea funcional, dispone de varios usb para conectar un teclado, ratn o gamepad.
Per chi come me un nostalgico dei videogame retr non pu mancare l’emulatore dell’amiga 500 !
Console semplice da usare e molto intuitiva, controller molto ergonomico che sembra quello dell’amiga CDtv e mouse uguale a quello dell’amiga originale.
Si possono caricare infiniti giochi su una penna USB e classificarli in cartelle , ogni cartella pu contenere al massimo 100 giochi , ma si possono creare infinite cartelle. Menu molto carino con anteprime dei giochi e descrizioni , all’interno preinstallati ci sono 20 giochi .
Nella confezione troviamo un controller , un mouse , il cavo HDMI per collegarlo alle TV di ultima generazione.
Consiglio questa console per i pi nostalgici degli anni 80/90.
Spedizione sempre impeccabile grazie ad Amazo
Je collectionne les vieux ordis depuis des annes. Achet le a500 mini tait pour moi une honte. Je prfrais 1000x mon vieil a500 original…. et finalement je l ai vendu ?
Le a 500 mini , une clef usb et un peu de patience et le workbench tourne parfaitement.
Les quelques jeux fournis et des centaines de jeux et d appli y compris les fameux fred fish disponibles sur le net.
To be able to play this after not having one when younger is great. It works really well and you can install other games onto a usb drive after flashing the bios which was easy (fat 32 older usb) work. Wonderful peice of history,n a great machine..Lemmings and Xenon 2 🙂
its great, you can buy a usb full of games and it will just work, thats what i did and it running fine so i have about 1600 games, all the old classics, easy way to just have fun without any hassel.
The device is a miniaturized Amiga with non functioning keyboard but comes with a gamepad and mouse. A virtual keyboard can be brought up on the screen to enter text where required. I haven’t tried yet but believe it’s possible to plug in a standard USB keyboard (will update after I check this).
It has great build quality, the software is of a high standard work very pleasant background music and design for the title selection screen. The games emulation has so far been great and it’s comes with a nice selection of software and there is an official way to update firmware and add your own game ROMs
Very happy and glad I bought from Amazon. Great product and fast delivery
It brings back fond memories. It’s just like my old Amiga 600 with all of the game play and no modification of the games.
I’ve even got an gaming keyboard plugged into the a500mini and it works perfectly with the same controls for my favourite game. ( Captain planet)
I brought a usb stick with 1600 games which works great with the A500mini.
If you loved your Amiga, I’d definitely recommend getting this.
Che dire bella mini console, da possessore della Amiga 500 posso dire che funziona bene ed poco ingombrante, ma avrei preferito la tastiera funzionante e un prezzo pi basso, consigliata a tutti gli appassionati Commodore puristi e non.
Anyone who has memories of playing on am Amiga in the 80s or 90s will understand why this is a great product.
I have several of these retro gaming machines, including the NES Classic, Mega Drive Mini and C64 Maxi, and I think that the A500 is the best of the lot.
The first thing you really need to do, though, is add a few games. Although there are a handful of great games included, you might as well not have an Amiga if you don’t have Cannon Fodder, Lemmings, Pirates!, the Secret of Monkey Island and a whole host of others that contributed to the Amiga being one of the greatest home computers of all time.
Thankfully, adding new games is really easy and there are several online tutorials to cater to everyone, even if you are not very computer literate.
Eh niente ai nostalgici degli anni novanta non pu mancare questo gioiellino.. i giochi caricati non sono tanti ma con una chiavetta usb si possono aggiungere tutti i titoli della nostra infanzia..
Amazing little product and even better that you can add you own games to it. Totally brilliant. Only issue is the price. Quite expensive for what it is, but other than that it’s great!
It’s the Amiga. Ignored by the games shows of the day due to Megadrive and SNES taking the limelight. But could you play Monkey Island 2, or Indy Jones & the Fate of Atlantis on a SNES? No. Also definitive version of Lemmings, one of the few places you can play Lemmings 2. Plus so many others. If you have the .adf file (and some knowhow) you can load almost anything. Brilliant piece of ki
As someone who never had an Amiga growing up – but always wanted one – the A500 Mini has been my first introduction to this unique personal computer.
For those who *did* grow up with an Amiga 500, this is a wonderful piece of kit. What separates it from other mini consoles, and makes the A500 mini perfect for enthusiasts, is the ability to add any Amiga game via USB and a simple-to-use software loader. No modding required – this is available out of the box. As someone who is still exploring the vast and diverse Amiga library, this is a wonderful addition.
It also demonstrates how the Amiga 500 is *not* your average console, and for those more used to plug and play consoles such as the SNES or Genesis, there will be a learning curve. There’s a reason this comes with a mouse and a joypad, and supports all USB keyboards. Quite simply, the console is more diverse and more open than your average console experience, and if you aren’t willing to tinker with settings, provide a couple of your own hardware additions (lest you grapple with the less-than-perfect virtual keyboard), this will be a very odd experience indeed.
The game library included is also a very mixed bag. Not that the quality is bad (although Titus the Fox can do one!) but you’ve got such a broad range of genres, styles and scopes that a number are bound to leave you cold. It’s for this reason that the ability to add your own Amiga ROMS is so welcome.
Part of what makes this console so special is also part of what takes a lot of getting used to. Once I did, however, I discovered a fascinating console that I missed out on all those years ago; one that will be peculiar to newcomers but a wonderful nostalgic revisit for enthusiasts.
I’m too lazy to review much on here or anywhere but I’m making an exception. I love this thing. Love the box, love how it’s packaged, love the machine itself. Been playing chaos engine and simon the sorcerer Highly recommended
It’s all great. What I do not like is not being able to find a good joystick or a gamepad in Canada, where would we find one, Amazon does not offer it here.
No debe faltar, sobre todo para aquellos amantes del comodore amiga, con sus nuevas actualizaciones puedes volver a jugar aquellos juegos y rememorar sus momentos con un simple USB adems de los ya includos de serie, Amiga CD, Amiga 500, 1000, 1200… no te arrepentirs.
If you ever owned an amiga you’ll love this. It looks great and is simple to set up. It has 25 games built in. These are very good, but everyone’s taste is different. However it’s also easy to add you own games via USB (there are YouTube videos on how to do this). Potentially you could have a huge library of games in no time at all.
The mouse is really good and looks like a genuine mouse from the 80s, but it’s wired and you might want to use a wireless mouse. The controller looks like nothing I’d seen plugged into an amiga before (I had a joystick), but it is apparently based on the amiga cd32 controller. It looks good and works well.
The A500 mini could have a few small improvements, for example it could use another USB port at the back and for the price your paying they could include a plug (it has a USB charging cable only, I guess they assume everyone has a plug laying around). However, these are minor issues and the overall experience is great. I had good fun playing Speedball 2 and Worms, amongst others.
There have been lot of mini consoles available in the last few years. If, like me, you grew up playing on an Amiga then this the mini console you want.
Ammettiamolo. Se avete quasi 50 anni avete sicuramente incrociato l’Amiga durante la vostra adolescenza. Fu il miglior computer per giocare, avanti anni luce per l’epoca. Ancora oggi ha parecchi estimatori (me compreso). Capirete quindi che la versione mini per chiunque volesse riprovare quelle emozioni ludiche perdute senza eccessivi “sbattimenti”, l’opzione migliore. L’aver poi permesso di poter aggiungere con chiavetta usb (non inclusa) altri giochi oltre i 25 di default, ha reso il tutto ancora pi appetibile. E poi ci sono le community dedicate in Rete Insomma, anche se avevo gi due emulatori Amiga su Mac e Pc, questo mi ha intrigato maggiormente, anche per la facilit di settaggio e per il mouse e controller dedicati. Andate sul sicuro e regalatevelo!
Takes me right back to the heyday of computing. If you had an Amiga, you will love this. There’s a nice selection of games preloaded – Chaos Engine is my fave – and you can sideload more via USB.
Important to say this is aimed squarely at Amiga gamers. The keyboard isn’t real and their is no Workbench so don’t be expecting to fire up DPaint or Blitz Basic easily.
Only minor criticism is the choice of gamepad instead of joystick. Amiga games were really designed for joystick and some moves prove very tricky on the pad. You can use some joysticks with it but be careful to check compatibility as there’s a lot of buttons needed for menu etc. One that definitely works is the model they used to ship with C64mini. If you play games that need a real keyboard then any standard USB PC keyboard works a treat.
Trs bel objet que cet Amiga 500 mini. Si les jeux qui l’accompagnent sont plutt moyen part Chaos Engine et Simon The Sorcerer (excellents), la machine permet d’ajouter des jeux simplement via une cl USB. Pratique et sympa avec une souris au top et une manette rplique de celle du CD32, sympa mais qui n’est pas la meilleure du march.
Great piece of kit. I cut my teeth on the amiga, a500, a600 and a1200 back in the day. I’ve tried emulators but was always left wanting. This mini clone console is perfect for playing all your Amiga games, from all machine versions at the click of a button on the very handy carousel. It’s very easy to pick up. If you’re intending to use it on a tv, fine. But beware if you want to use it on a speaker-less monitor, you’ll need to fork out extra for a HDMI cable, an audio splitter, a set of mini speakers with a jack and usb, and a usb hub if you want to use an external keyboard, mouse, gamepad or joystick and a usb port for the min ispeaker power supply at the same time. There’s only 3 usb ports on the console.
This is not an in-depth review at all… it’s just my quick thoughts.
I’ve been a life long Amiga 500 fan, having owned one in the 90’s. Over the years, I’ve used various PC emulators, some good, some not so. I read about this A500 Mini and knew I had to give it a go.
I love it! Opening the box and seeing this ‘mini’ replica was amazing. The attention to detail is really impressive. The device is super easy to use and I was quickly playing all the classics from my childhood! The controller was actually very good. I was concerned about it at first, but it works really well.
You can very easily play ‘downloaded’ games using a USB stick. Again, super easy. I’ve not come across any issues as yet. I’m loving it. It’s just a hassle free way to experience all things Amiga and I highly recommend it.
I didn’t have a c64 back in the day, I was a spectrum boy. But I have got into buying alot of these minis and while it’s not mini the full size keyboard is appreciated. I purchased a USB on ebay with 10,000 games on it and the keyboard makes it much easier to navigate these games as they may require the space bar or run to get them started irs much more convenient than the onscreen keyboard. The games list it comes with is OK but the latest firmware update added some great newer games 9n the carousel. All in all I’ve had fun with this machine and the great thing is new games are coming out even now. So I will soon be downloading some to USB as some of these games really push the boundaries of what this machine can do. I love this fact and that there is a large c64 community out there, now more than ever. I can’t recommend it enough.
la cosa che colpisce subito l’ottima fattura di questa console.
materiali e finiture eccellenti,
l’Amiga 500 riprodotta e miniaturizzata nei minimi dettagli, tranne qualche lieve differenza nella disposizione dei simboli dei tasti ma poco importa dato che la tastiera e il lettore floppy sono solo decorativi.
nella confezione trovate
Il mouse, anch’esso fedele riproduzione digitale del mouse “tank” , leggermente pi piccolo di dimensioni dell’originale,
il joypad ispirato al design di Amiga CD32, abbastanza comodo e assolutamente solido e di qualit.
la cavetteria, che comprende il cavo usb-C per l’alimentazione(senza l’alimentatore ,io uso quello dello smartphone)
un cavo HDMI.
25 giochi preinstallati in memoria con la possibilit di aggiungerne ulteriori tramite VHDLoad.
Software e manuale multilingua con italiano.
Un produit de qualit qui rapplera beaucoup de souvenirs, prise en mai rapide, et comptabilit parfaite avec le rajouts de jeux via la cls USB, si on respecte bien les consignes …juste un bmol, avoir un Joystick aurait t plus judicieux
If like me you had an Amiga when you were younger than this is nostalgia overload. It has some classic games preloaded but the main reason to get this is because of how easy it is to play roms straight off of a usb drive. Over the years I’ve tried to run emulators on my Mac but it’s so complicated and difficult it just wasn’t worth the faff. The Amiga mini makes it almost as easy as dropping the roms onto a usb stick, plugging it in and loading up the game you want. Everything I have tried so far has worked perfectly, just as I remembered them. Bliss.
I grew up with an Amiga A600. The wild weird and wicked pack. I loved it. This has made my day. Its made me feel like 10 years old again. No need to bother with floppies. You have games built in. My favourite is stunt car racer. You can go on the retro games website and download the file you need to play your own games. So easy. Just drag and drop on a fat32 usb stick. Then add your zip rom files available on the whdownload website. I love the mouse as it lets you play games like lemmings and worms which need it. The retro mouse comes with it and plugs in the usb port. There is also a games pad. Everything works great and emulates perfectly. You will need your own usb power brick. I used a phone charger. Comes with a hdmi cable which will work with your modern TVs. You can also plug in a keyboard into the usb as well and use that. Now I’m just looking through some old Amiga format magazines to see what other games I remember and can once again replay.
One of my all time favourite computers, and you can add lots of extra games and even workbench in 10 mins.
Ok first of all looks, it arrives I na box very reminiscent of the ones the Amiga 500 arrived in, complete with Power cable (but no power adapter,) HDMi Cable, Mouse, Joypad and a very retro looking Mini A500.
Picking it up its a bit lighter than I imagined, but it remains in place on my desk.
The 25 games it is supplied with are a bit “meh”, but if you have read the reviews, watched the YouTube videos etc. You will know its so very easy to add more.
Quick tip, get an 8,16,32GB USB flash drive, format it to MS-DOS(FAT) and enable MBR not GUID.
Now go to the A500 mini support website and download the A500 Zip file, copy that to the Flash drive and unzip it (leaving a folder called A500) with the required files inside.
Now search for Amiga games in .lha format. (They’re all out there on the web and luckily they take up hardly any space). Copy them into the A500 folder (Do NOT unzip them, leave them as lha files). If you are copying a lot, then add some folders to make it east to find them when scrolling through, for example “Arcade”, “Shoot em ups” or “A-G” etc.
Once you have done that just plug the flash drive into a USB slot on the A500 and start it up, scroll through the pre-installed carousel until you find USB and click it.
All your games (in the folders if you followed my advice) are now there.
All this took 10 mins, and I now have over 600 Amiga games installed.
99% of them work perfectly, just tweak the button settings and you are good to go.
There’s even a way to get Workbench 3.0 running, its slightly harder (but not very much so, you could do it in 10 mins).
Games and apps work flawlessly (I would suggest using 50Hz as most games and software was written in UK).
Overall its a fun reminder of the Amiga days of yesteryear, you can even plug in a USB keyboard if you want.
Only downsides. 1. No internet on this, 2. It could do with one more USB port (1, Flash drive, 2 Mouse, 3 Joystick and that’s all the ports taken, I believe it works with powered USB hubs, but I haven’t tested it with one).
But it works well, and for the price is a bot of a bargain. I suspect they will already be working on a full sized one, like they did with the C64.
Its a solid 10/10 from me. Right, I am off to play Cannon Fodder 2.
Presque parfait, l ajout de jeux est un gros plus, il ne lui manque qu un paramtre cpu_speed=real pour avoir la vitesse exacte de l Amiga de l poque sinon cela peut tre trop rapide sur certains jeux car trop de puissance.
Huge Amiga fan from back in the day and still to this day. I had a 500+ then and this is just awesome – I really wish the small keyboard was actually usable but on the whole the system does a great job. Yes I know you can have a PI filled with Amiga stuff (and I do) however this is just a little self contained setup and the tank mouse! what a flashback.
I have tried a few WHDLoad games also and most work great. For what I paid (just over 100) no brainer.
Volver a jugar clasicos de mi antiguo A500, los 25 que vienen son escasos y no los mejores(algunos s) , pero la opcion de poder aadir mas le da mucho potencial. Me gustaria que llevara un teclado de “verdad” pero bueno, le he puesto uno usb sin problemas
The Amiga was a great computer in the 80s with an excellent selection of games and other programs and this lets you experience it today without the hassle of getting old hardware to work.
It is well presented in a branded box and supplies with a wired joypad that resembles the CD32 one and an authentic looking wired mouse although this is now optical which is a welcome improvement. There is also a HDMI cable and a USB power cable but no power supply but most should have a spare port or charger to use with it. All are in a familiar Amiga beige which adds to the retro feel.
The unit looks fantastic as a miniaturised version of the A500 with a fixed keyboard. Even the LEDs can be set to perform as the original. There is a HDMI port at the back and three USB ports for peripherals along with an on/off switch.
The unit boots into a games carousal with a good selection of 25 games including some classics. The games can be configured to different screen sizes and run well. Some are less successful and have aged badly but Chaos Engine and Xenon 2 stand out as great games and bring back many happy memories although I had forgotten how tough they are!
Games can be saved on four save slots while some offer password saves as well. The control can be difficult on the joypad for some and a joystick would be a good addition. You can also connect a standard pc keyboard which works well for text adventures. There is also a virtual keyboard for putting in passwords or your name on a leader board.
The best thing on this device though is that you can load your own games. You need a USB drive and a PC but it is well documented on their website with a bonus game to get you going. You can convert your own disks or there are old games in the correct format lurking on the internet if you know where to look. Experiencing the best versions of Cannon Fodder or my old favourite 4D Boxing was the icing on the cake!
This is not cheap for a retro console but the attention to detail and the ability to run your own games without too much trouble makes it great value.
Edit: It is interesting that some cannot get the sideloading working. With the exception of the odd game “Dungeon Master” for example most of my games have run faultlessly including Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder and Shadow of the Beast. The instructions on the website are fairly clear but the root directory that WHDload is unpacked to does have to be named “THEA500”. I also deleted the packed download to avoid confusion. I have the games downloaded in .lha file format and they appear in the games carousel under the USB stick. I used a 32Gig USB stick formatted to FAT32 which seems to work for me.
Re-living my youth, this is great. I recall the graphics to be great back in the day, quite an eye opener to how basic it was back then.
You can sideload more games and play them via a USB drive.
Download Lha format games from lemon amiga… go Google it. Make sure you click the link for “whd packaged” for the full game otherwise you’ll only install the start up script. You’ll be able to tell by the file size. If it’s less than 10kb then it’s not the game.
You need to install the whd side loader onto the USB drive. Go to retrogrames.biz (the full address is posted by other reviewers). Download the zip file then extract it to the USB drive. Move the a500 folder (and contenrs) it off the original folder to be its own folder on the USB (otherwise the amiga won’t open it).
Then when inserted into the amiga the USB icon appears. Open that and navigate to where you saved the Lha games. Select the gave you want THEN PRESS THE HOME BUTTON TO START IT (in capitals as I missed this step for ages wondering why the games wouldn’t load).
El producto lleg, y creo que bien, el tema es que mi mujer no saba de qu iba la cosa y al llegar a casa en vez de un “Hola cario” me recibi con un “Quin es esa amiga que te manda regalos, so golfo?”. Me puse nervioso y sin darme tiempo a contestar empez a atizarme con el rulo de cocina. Y nada, que an no he podido probarlo pero en cuanto recupere la visin y la movilidad en las manos podr probarla y esas cosas. Como sugerencia podrais poner mini A500 para superfieles o algo as. Un saludo.
I have always been a massive fan of the Amiga although I never actually owned one as I was more into consoles. My cousin did own an A1200 though, and I used to spend many hours on it and had a lot of fun. Many games – specifically the Bitmap Brothers games such as Speedball 2, Magic Pockets and, of course, The Chaos Engine, hold a special place in my heart. Sure, I did have the SNES version of Chaos Engine, and as close as it was to the Amiga version, it did lack a certain groove. I have an Evercade handheld and VS, and of course couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Bitmap Brothers collection, hoping that we would see Amiga ports of Speedball 2 and Chaos Engine, but alas that wasn’t to be.
As someone who has a lot of fondness for the Amiga but never owned one I was delighted when Retro Games announced the A500 mini – finally we would be able to play proper Amiga versions of classic games on our TV’s in a mini form factor! I know, I know, we have had Amiga emulators for years on PC and Raspberry Pi, and technically the A500 mini is just another emulation box, but the difference being that the A500 mini offers officially licenced Amiga games, rather than ROMs of dubious legality.
Unfortunately, as with the C64 mini and maxi, it doesn’t carry the Commodore or Amiga branding, but the software is licenced from CLoanTo, which means that the A500 mini is as close to an official Amiga product as were likely to get – and the bundled 25 games are all fully licenced.
Out of the box the A500 mini itself is stunning – there’s so much detail. It’s clear that the makers of this product have a lot of love for the Amiga. The mini is solid, with a little bit of weight behind it, and although the keyboard is non-functioning it looks like it could actually work (incidentally, the device does support USB keyboards), but of course it doesn’t. The LED lights for power and disk drive are fully functioning and can even be set to mimic a real Amiga behaviour which is a nice touch (the red LED will turn itself off when playing a game, and come back on when going back to the home screen, and the green disk drive LED flashes to mimic loading a game when loading games from a USB stick). The cables (USB and HDMI) are the same beige colour as the A500 itself, which is also nice.
Also accompanying the mini is a replica of the original Amiga tank mouse. It’s slightly smaller than the original and of course uses a laser rather than a ball, but it feels nice in the hand and is very responsive in the games I’ve use it on. If this isn’t your preference it can also be swapped out for any USB mouse. Additionally there is the A500 gamepad – this is a slightly tweaked version of the CD32 gamepad. At first glance I was very sceptical of the gamepad. I know some people have stated that Amiga games are best controlled with a joystick and not a controller, but as a console person first and foremost, I had no problem with a gamepad being included. My only problem was the decision to imitate the CD32 pad, which was not the most comfortable controller to begin with. The controller itself feels really well built, the buttons have a good amount of travel and the shoulder buttons have a nice click when pressed. The only issue I had is with the D-pad, which, although responsive, made finding diagonals is games like Chaos Engine a bit of a challenge. However, the more I used it, the more I have come to like it. Sure, I would prefer the D-pad to be round, like the CD32 controller, but I can’t fault its function overall, and it is also possible to plug in other controllers – some people have even got PS3 and PS4 controllers working, and I also believe controllers from 8Bitdo also work, although I haven’t tried this myself. I did attempt to try my Evercade VS controller on the A500 mini but this wouldn’t work at all unfortunately.
I’m not going to spend too much time focusing on the games, as these are very subjective and everyone has their own favourites – I will, however, say that although Amiga games were designed with a joystick in mind Retro Games have done a sterling job in translating these over to the gamepad, and most are as responsive as they have ever been!
One final thing to note before I wrap up, and probably one of the biggest draws for a lot of people, is the ability to add your own games on USB stick via WHDLoad and indeed to get you started, Retro Games even offer a free bonus game available to download from their website (an enhanced version of Citadel), along with the WHDLoad package, which will be required when adding your own games. This, I think, is fantastic, and sets the A500 mini apart from other mini consoles such as the SNES and Mega Drive. In practice I’ve found that it is simple to add games via WHDLoad and, provided you have downloaded the WHDLoad package from Retro Games, they are recognised and most play perfectly well. There may be some issues with games playing too fast, or sound problems, but when a USB stick is inserted it is possible to enable an extra set of “expert” settings so you an adjust the amount of RAM used, enable copper and blitter timings and enable CPU JIT (Just in Time), which can fix the majority of issues. It’s not perfect, and not every game will run right away, but for the most part I have found that with a bit of tinkering it is possible to run the vast majority of games just fine, and it’s even possible to map the gamepad buttons or use a joystick for each individual game. If you fancy a bit more tinkering, it’s also possible to get Workbench and ADF games working via AmiBerry – check out Crazy Burger on YouTube if this is your thing.
I know this was a long winded review and now we’re finally at the end. To summarise then; I am a fan of mini consoles, I own the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PlayStation, C64 and Neo-Geo – I love them for their convenience, and the A500 mini is right up there. Its emulation is top class, and the versatility to add additional games, and peripherals such as USB hubs and keyboards makes it feel more like a fully fledged Amiga. Of course if, like me, you’re just more interested in just playing Amiga games on your TV without the faff then this can also accommodate. The machine isn’t perfect by any means. The gamepad takes some getting used to, there’s no way to remap the controls of the built-in games, and the way WHDLoad is handled is a bit clunky and I know some people are disappointed with ADF not being supported out of the box. However, most of these can be fixed with a firmware update, and indeed Retro Games have already stated that they will be looking to add ADF support via a firmware update at some point, and maybe other features will be added. Given the support that Retro Games provided for the C64 mini and maxi machines I think that we will see the A500 mini’s feature set grow as time goes on.
Is the A500 mini perfect? Not at all, but is it a lot of fun? Absolutely. For me it’s the ideal way to enjoy all those Amiga classics I played back in the day and scratches that nostalgia itch. I highly recommend it for any fan of the Amiga, and retro gaming in general.
It emulates the Amiga very well indeed. The real joy being the ability to play ROMs making it incredibly good value for money.
Downsides??? The controller is so so. Not great for diagonal movement. I added a C64 microswitched joystick comp pro style but that wasn’t great either, couldn’t really control Speedball or Rainbow Islands property with it, gonna experiment with other options but a top quality Competition Pro copy would be happy days. Any controller suggestions welcome…
Very happy with this product. It brought back alot of fun filled memories. The Joy pad is abit clumsy, but it adds to that imperfect nostalgia feel. Includes some heartwarming favorates within the 25 games, but the allowance to add a memory stick to add more childhood favorates like the Cartoon classics bundle, makes this a must buy/play… please note that the keys on this model, do not actually function and are purely for display… but a working keyboard with a USB connection can be added. Great work and Thank you
I can’t fault the system for its plug and play ease, its great. The caveat to this is that to get the most out of it, you need a few extras that aren’t made clear in here, on the website or in the manual. The keyboard on the system is a decorative sculpt, its non-functional, but you can plug in your own USB keyboard. I used an old HP one I had lying around.
Extras that you might want to consider.
1. The system doesn’t come with a power supply. You need a 5 volt power supply (a tablet or phone charger suffices) the manual calls for 1Amp, but you really need about 2 Amps plus. I am using a 5Volt 2.4Amp, otherwise the system struggles to power a usb stick, game pad, and mouse/keyboard
2. You can play your own games, but to do this, you need a USB memory stick, (32Gb or less seems to work best, bigger ones seem to have a hard time being recognised by the system) formatted in FAT32, then you need WHDLoad package from the Amigamini website (but its easy to do; “you’ve been gamed” on youtube has some easy to follow tutorials if you get stuck)
3. There are only 3 USB ports on the system. You must have the gamepad plugged in, because it is used to navigate the menu system. If you want to play your own games then you need a memory stick plugged in. That leaves you with one port for the mouse or keyboard. If you want both it means getting a USB externally powered hub. You can hotswap the keyboard with the game pad, but that’s a lot of messing around.
4 and 5. A USB keyboard and a USB 2 button joystick if you want to play your own games instead of just the 25 included.
In summary, great system, but you might want to buy
1. a 5 volt 2.4 amp power supply (Necessity)
2. a 16-32 GB USB memory stick (for your own games)
3. USB externally powered hub (i.e. UGreen)
4. USB Keyboard
5. USB 2 button joystick EDIT** looks like only the official joystick works properly , BUT we’ve discovered that if you plug in an xbox controller or a dualshock, the analogue stock will work as a joystick in game (analogue stick doesn’t work in menu, use the Dpad)
Great system for nostalgia, a few watch-points to get the most out of it though
I can’t fault the system for its plug and play ease, its great. The caveat to this is that to get the most out of it, you need a few extras that aren’t made clear in here, on the website or in the manual. The keyboard on the system is a decorative sculpt, its non-functional, but you can plug in your own USB keyboard. I used an old HP one I had lying around.
Extras that you might want to consider.
1. The system doesn’t come with a power supply. You need a 5 volt power supply (a tablet or phone charger suffices) the manual calls for 1Amp, but you really need about 2 Amps plus. I am using a 5Volt 2.4Amp, otherwise the system struggles to power a usb stick, game pad, and mouse/keyboard
2. You can play your own games, but to do this, you need a USB memory stick, (32Gb or less seems to work best, bigger ones seem to have a hard time being recognised by the system) formatted in FAT32, then you need WHDLoad package from the Amigamini website (but its easy to do; “you’ve been gamed” on youtube has some easy to follow tutorials if you get stuck)
3. There are only 3 USB ports on the system. You must have the gamepad plugged in, because it is used to navigate the menu system. If you want to play your own games then you need a memory stick plugged in. That leaves you with one port for the mouse or keyboard. If you want both it means getting a USB externally powered hub. You can hotswap the keyboard with the game pad, but that’s a lot of messing around.
4 and 5. A USB keyboard and a USB 2 button joystick if you want to play your own games instead of just the 25 included.
In summary, great system, but you might want to buy
1. a 5 volt 2.4 amp power supply (Necessity)
2. a 16-32 GB USB memory stick (for your own games)
3. USB externally powered hub (i.e. UGreen)
4. USB Keyboard
5. USB 2 button joystick
Great system for nostalgia, a few watch-points to get the most out of it though
The device itself is a dream made real, the ability to play amiga games again without complication is a thing I have wanted ever since my a500 became impossible to buy parts for many years ago, I still want og hardware again one day, but for now this is perfect, however, a slight shame was that the hdmi cable that came with the device died after 2 uses, causing no small amount of fear that my console had died, if you find your console not seeming to turn on, change the cable!!!
So aside from a broken hdmi cable, this is some good nostalgia for any Amiga fans bereft of real hardware.
The only reason this is a 4/5 rating is because of the hdmi cable and the feelings of dread and panic it caused when it failed.
I have spent the weekend playing with this A500 mini and overall I’m impressed, this is better then a Raspberry Pi running UAE or such, it has a solid base with very good options.
PRO- Decent selection of built in games with excellent performance in them.
PRO- Quite easy to setup a USB key with Amiga LHA files allowing access to hundreds more potential classics.
PRO- works with USB hubs so that you can expand your peripherals while still having everything plugged in.
PRO- the 4 panel Quicksave system works for both the inbuilt games AND your USB key games and is fast and intuitive.
PRO- considering this is software emulation there is no noticeable LAG in the controls
CON- the advanced tweaking and setups only work in the built in games.
CON- no real floppy disk setup making some games Eg – Chaos Strikes Back unplayable.
CON- The machine is about the power of an A1200 under the hood, but this still makes some games ‘lurch’ and become sluggish when the action heats up..
Overall, if you don’t have the patience to source original kit… Then this is a fine effort! Well worth a buy.
I’d had this pre-ordered as soon as it was announced – it’s a little gem. Some great Amiga games included, but really easy to add more via USB stick and WHDLoad.
Really well built, well designed and so simple to use.
I truly hope they release a full sized version like they did with the C64 Mini – I’ll be pre-ordering that too!
Great! I feel like a kid again lol! I haven’t used whdload to add more software yet. I wonder if they will release a fully functioning keyboard version in the future? Worth every penny. Amiga a500 mini is a good idea for the people who want to play amiga games.
I have a couple of original A1200s, one heavily modded with flash storage/WHDLoad etc and one left completely stock. Problem with those though, is that they are a massive pain to get set up and you really need a lot of space too – not to mention that you need to look after delicate floppies on the stock one and your mileage using HDMI/scan doublers may highly vary.
Using this is completely different and *much* easier. It’s basically like having a modded A1200 with flash storage, WHDLoad and HDMI all sorted for you. It’s also robust enough to not worry about leaving it in the living room with a toddler about. There’s also the price which is unbelievable value – a fully modded real A1200 can easily cost you 1000 using parts sourced from eBay and elsewhere.
I highly recommend the A500 mini because it lets you experience all your favourite childhood games with a dash of modernity to help out. I’m looking forward to playing these games with my son when he’s old enough to show him what gaming used to be like.
This is in reference to the A500 Mini. I thought that was worth mentioning as there are loads of old reviews bundled into this as it also lists the older C64 bits.
My Mini turned up on release day and I was very impressed with the packaging. I’ve actually got the box on display. All the components are very well packaged and look the business. I owned the original A500 back in the day and own an A1200 which I’ve modded like everyone else does with those so you could say I’m a bit of a fan of the brand.
All the hardware is spot on. The main unit really does look like a scaled down Amiga. The disc access light even comes on when it’s loading. The Tank mouse is just as I remember but tracks so much more smoothly. The gamepad is very much like the CD32 one, just not as clunky in your hands which is a bonus. You will have no problems with controlling the games. The input all works very well. Better infact that it used to on the original Amigas.
Something to bare in mind is you don’t get a plug so you will need a 5v 1amp regular USB plug. I’m not sure if it’s OK with 2 or 3 amp plugs so I played safe and used an old Firestick plug.
The main software is very slick and the games load instantly. Like instantly. There is no loading, they just launch. They have mapped keyboard controls to the joypad buttons as needed or you can plug in a real USB keyboard. It’s got three USB ports though so you can’t have keyboard, mouse, gamepad and a USB Stick plugged in directly at once. Although the manual does mention plugging in hubs so I guess you could use a USB hub. Probably worth trying a hub if planning on keeping the unit next to your TV but want the controller and mouse a distance away. To be fair it probably would work with a wireless keyboard and mouse with a USB dongle but I haven’t tried that yet. I kinda wish the supplied mouse and controller were wireless so I could leave the main unit in one place rather than move it out onto the floor when using it so the cables reach but its not too much bother.
The games all work as expected and I’m guessing if you are buying this you won’t need a games review as you will know what you are getting. One thing worth mentioning is that you get at least 5 save game slots for each game so you can effectively quicksave anywhere. This comes in handy for Paradroid 90 and any game that isn’t too forgiving. This also works on games you add yourself. It’s kinda easy to accidentally overwrite a save but you do get the option to lock the saves to avoid this.
Adding extra games is a bit of a faff but not too bad. You need to download and unzip onto a USB stick the WHDLoad software from the A500 Mini manufacturers site. It only supports software in .lha format which is a little annoying. It literally won’t see anything other than lha. I was planning on using my vast library of WHDLoad software but this was all uncompressed into folders and compressing them to .lha didn’t work. I had to find ready made lha versions elsewhere and am yet to get any music demos (State of the Art etc) I want working as I haven’t found a compatible source for them. Its a shame this wasn’t preloaded with some of the classic music demos as they were Public Domain and would add an extra level of entertainment to the package.
As its a bit restrictive with what you can add. There doesn’t seem to be any way to use a hard disk file so you can’t use it to run Workbench like you would with Amiga Forever or if you have a modded A1200 like me. I remember reading an interview about the Mini when it was first announced and one of the things they said was that it would be a better, more stable solution to running the old software without relying on the original old hardware. This won’t replace a real Amiga unless all you want is a games machine. But it is a very nice package. Its more useful than something like a Snes Mini and probably isn’t aimed at Amiga power users who may already be running full emulated systems on a PC or Raspberry Pi. Speaking of Raspberry Pi the emulation seems to run on Amiberry, at least for the custom part. If you already have a Pi with Amibian or Retro Pie you may already have what you get here just without the cool A500 case, tank mouse and CD32ish controller.
I’m not sure it’s worth the money just to access the pre installed games but the fact its designed to let you add to the library means it becomes a much more valuable proposition. Also, the graphics might be overshadowed by more modern hardware but the sound and gameplay is still awesome. Listening the Lemmings music, Turrican 2, Xenon 2 etc brings back memories and the sound effects in Wing of Fury makes me smile as they always did.
To sum up this overly long review.. If you had an A500 back in the day and want to revisit your old games, this is an easy way to do it. If you want a mini modded A1200 to run Workbench on, use Photogenics and Directory Opus all connected to your HD TV so you can pack your real Amiga away this isn’t it… but it’s still cool to have on the side. It’s a tiny Amiga 500 with a working disc access light and tank mouse after all!
What I’d really like is a full size remade A1200 with full emulation of all Amiga systems like you get with Amiga Forever next please because that would be amazing.
I dont normaly write reviews but i have to give a big thumbs up for the makers of the a500 mine!, ive been in two minds to buy a amiga again and play some of my old favorite games (dungeon master, eye of beholder, history line 1914-1918 to name a few) and this works absolutely flawless, best thing is just put a load of whd amiga games on usb plug it in and your good to go!… i hope they make a full size a500 also because put my name down for one and ill buy one right away 🙂
Eccellente lavoro quello fatto dalla Retro Games, il case soddisfa vista e tatto e ti sprofonda in un mare nostalgico di ricordi, poco importa che la tastiera sia finta, potete comunque collegarne una via USB.
Il mouse non deve essere paragonato agli odierni, con cui pu essere senza problemi sostituito, senza infamia ne gloria si limita al suo ruolo di compendio estetico, discreto il Joypad.
Bel lavoro quello effettuato sull’interfaccia utente, potete anche evitare di leggere il manuale, salvo che per caricare giochi via WHDload, attivit comunque semplice e ben supportata, sebbene alcuni pack LHA potrebbero non risultare compatibili, non arrendetevi e scaricatene di alternativi dai vari siti online.
Emulazione: notevole per qualit e affidabilit, parametrizzabile e quindi adattabile al singolo gioco.
Il prezzo attuale chiaramente elevato, essendo quello di lancio, ma se rimpiangete la vostra Amiga non rimarrete delusi dal THE A500.
If you are a c64 fan, this is a great device to relive your childhood or teenage years with computer games. The games play great, and the BASIC is still fun to practice. However, if you ware a serious BASIC programmer and you wrote lots of programs and saved them to tapes or floppy discs and managed somehow to transfer them to usb stick, you won’t be able to load them to this device, because this version of c64 can only read a single file it creates on the usb stick, and it cannot read any other files. I wish they would fix this drawback in the next firmware updates.
Finally, I can go online like it’s 1983!
Shipment was well protected in a cardboard box with plastic corner reinforcements and extra layer of cardboard where you would need to cut the tape to open it. Collector box was in mint condition when opened.
It’s a replica of the Commodore 64, what’s not too like. For me this is as close as I’ll get to having the original bread bin Commodore 64. I’m not into exact size and colour obsession but from what I remember Retro Games have it spot on it feels the part and takes me back to 1985, but without the long loading times. Yes it’s pre-loaded with some fantastic games but been able to load your own games is total retrogasim. Not had any problems with the joystick but I don’t hammer it on Decathlon. The packaging and box art for me is another win. Delivered well protect without damage to the products box.
A absolutely brilliant retro classic remake of the Commodore 64 I love that this one has a full sized fully functional keyboard I never owned The C64 before as its before my era I’m a late 80s kid but I’m a massive gaming collector and love all things retro gaming right now so when I seen this with it’s great in built games and classic joystick I just had to add it to my collection it looks absolutely amazing on show I really love the fact you can add your own games to it as that’s a massive feature for me it plays all the games very well and in a good quality 720p which is enough in my opinion for these 8bit games to run well anyway I really love mine so much it’s a great system the reason for 4 star not 5 is it can be very difficult to update the firmware as it doesn’t always show up on the storage to be installed and can take multiple times of inserting and removing the memory stick for it to show up on there which is annoying and unfortunate also at 120 it’s very highly priced for what it is if it was 70-80 then that’s the sweet spot price wise for me but I must say I can still recommend very very much nicely packaged too
I’ve been using the one that came with thec64 for a week now and have no complaints. Feels solid precise with no errors in picking up movement. Covers all menu functions. If like me you have a large game collection, some of those use “the other” joystick. With one joystick these games won’t work. Adding another joystick solves this. Also useful for two player games.
I’ve read earlier reviews complaining about build issues but happily I haven’t had any issues yet. Maybe they fixed that in production. One happy gamer (retro)!
Connectable devices limited by what the usb sockets support, which could improve as later firmware is released. That said, you need a usb memory stick to save and load your own programs. The supplied joystick is a joy to use, I’ve ordered a second one for multiplayer games.
Creating fresh disks has to be done on pc also use pc to move files around, name them or create folders. Bit awkward but it works. Maybe these features could be added to a future firmware upgrade?
Get all the manuals you can find. Thec64 is a beast you CAN get your head around, search eBay and Amazon for old c64 books. At least the Commodore 64 users guide, the cbm 64 programmers reference guide and the commodore 1541 disk drive user guide.
Will appeal to programmers old or new. However this is a games machine and you can experience 80’s superior gameplay with no knowledge of programming necessary.
Caviat to this is , in my opinion, the best game is programming the c64.
Get the additional thec64 user guide. This covers all the new features in this computer. Then to start programming in the basic language, get the Commodore 64 user guide. Amazon or eBay.
When you’re ready and are bitten by the bug splash out on the other books. The c64 may be dated but it was and still is a classic home microcomputer and for a reason. It’s possible to get 100% control over it with a little effort.
You would struggle to do that with a modern computer. They’re powerful but only a very few would understand all of them all of the time. It takes teamwork.
The graphics and sound are crystal clear rather than the jittery blurry and scratchy results in the 80’s hardware.
Eye strain is minimal. By modern standards it’s not a powerful machine so it runs cool on a frugal 5volt power supply.
Loading times are quick even from usb memory stick, as file sizes are small.
As close to the original as you can get. Also adding games is easy an hasselt free. The keys feel as I remember an the build quality is good. Well worth a look for any retro fa
it’s good , same as the ‘thec64’ joystick, but better than the one that comes with the mini.
well worth buying and having 2 joysticks, when plugged in with the one that comes with the console , it will act as the second plugged in joystick, some games want you to be in p1 slot or p2 slot on original games, this allows you to quickly put one down and pick up the other stick, so you don’t have to mess around by having 2 stick plugged in.
good quality, but isn’t quite the same as the original from the 80’s, still micro switched. but the way it’s implemented isn’t as good and doesn’t have the steel rod going all the down to where the micro switches are. shame.
but still it’s a good stick.
he c64, a great machine for emulation, easy to use, you can even code, though the first one i had, the keyboard didn’t work, that was a zavvi purchase i then sent back and purchased here on amazon for a similar price at 90.
you can add more games suing a usb (8gb , no need for bigger TBH) , the instructions on their website are clear and easy to use on how to set up those games to make them work, the latest update has been good, though the menu to do the switch joysticks from p1 to p2 port won’t work, but i get around it with 2 joysticks.
this is a good alternative to an original, though you can’t beat original hardware, which a refurbished one can cost 80 to 160 depending on what comes with it, non-refurbished 30 to 60(if it works and has a SID chip). theC64 is worth the purchase , easy to use, and it really can do alot the original can, runs smooth for an emulator. look up the ‘8bit-guy’ YT for ‘the c64’, you may find a good review.
enjoy….
If you are a child of 80s and love retro gaming then I don’t know how will you miss this commodore 64 retro machine it’s just superb . I have always used emulators on pc and raspberry pi but I think this gives the closest and real C64 experience especially due to full original keyboard available with actual mapping of keys .. I also love the fact that it supports emulating cartridges too and real 1541 drive emulation if incase you encounter problem playing some software..
It’s easy to use carosal menu help my kids to easily play games from a wide selection and surprisingly they love it too
I love playing Last ninja and Defender of the crown on it those were my favourites.. I think I will recommend this to all retro gaming lovers whole heartedly
First off a disclaimer: I didn’t have a C64 back in the day so I’m not an expert on them.
That being said…this is a very well made up-to-date version of the venerable Commodore 64. However, it’s primarily aimed at software nostalgists, not hardware ones, as this lacks all of the interfaces of the original. Instead you get four USB ports, a single HDMI port, and a single Micro USB socket for power. So (sadly for some) you won’t be plugging in a 1541 disk drive or a Simon’s BASIC cartridge with adaptors (even assuming it’s possible, which I genuinely don’t know).
I comes with a very well made joystick with eight (count them, eight!) buttons for controlling the unit. The joystick uses microswitches and feels quite sturdy.
It comes pre-loaded with a lot of games software (about 50 from memory), but you can also plug a USB stick into it that contains .d64 disk images of original software, which can then be loaded as you normally would – in the controller software you tell it which .d64 image(s) are loaded and then, when you go back to C64 mode, you can LOAD “$”,8,1 to your heart’s content. As a bonus this can also run VIC-20 software.
Physically the unit is nearly identical to the original (within the realms of regional variations) with two small exceptions – the SHIFT LOCK key is mechanical on real C64’s (press it and it stays down, press again to release), and software toggled on The C64. This makes sense as it would be pricey to manufacture an authentic version. The other small difference is the Commodore logo key in the bottom left is labelled ‘The C64’. This is due to licensing issues, as I understand it.
The controlling OS is simple but comprehensive. It allows you to choose the default switch-on condition of the unit (it can be a Commodore 64 or a VIC-20), to set a few video effects (scanlines, 4:3 etc) and to browse plugged in USB sticks for disk, cassette and cartridge images.
While I can’t claim to have tested it comprehensively, it has so far run everything I’ve thrown at it. It has also received at least one firmware update since I bought my unit shortly after Christmas, and there’s an active community supporting it.
In short, if you have a Commodore 64 itch you’d like to scratch and just downloading VICE doesn’t cut it, this is ideal.
Now if they could just do the same for the BBC Micro…!
This is excellent joystick if you’re fan of the microswitches. Essential for games like International Karate. I love it so much, I use these frequently and they work’s great. If you thinking about upgrading from The c64 mini joystick just do yourself a favour and go for it. The difference is like day and night. Bare in mind that they’ll be out of stock soon like it happened last time… So if you’re thinking about getting one (or two)… maybe you should do it ASAP.
If I was writing this review from my own opinion, I would say “What a waste of money”. However, I didn’t buy it for me, I bought it for the manchild hubster and he LOVES it. As does our young son actually. Apparently it’s a great replica and feels and plays just how the manchild remembers his one was all those decades ago.
I can’t bring myself to give this ugly, big console full marks as it looks so unsightly, but in terms of it doing what it said on the tin, yeah.
Was not sure about purchasing this but am glad that I did. My original Commodore 64 can rest a while whilst i can take advantage of the HDMI and USB ports of this great little machine. Everything I have loaded onto the USB stick has run fine. The only thing I have had to do, for a few games, is put _J1 into the filename in order to get the joystick going. TheC64 defaults to port 2. I think this is a great piece of kit and the people behind it have done a great job. Very good value for money. Recommended.
Very pleased with product though had a minor hiccup at start. I had set the TV output to 60hz which caused the games and sounds to run faster even though I set it as a PAL machine. Found out after that using 60hz TV mode increases speed and had to factory reset to choose 50hz. Manual could be a little bit more informative.
Before ordering this I had asked a question about using a sid player to playback sid files of HVSC from disk/SD (similar to SD2IEC on a real C64) which wasn’t answered but I have found out with using it that it can be done in a manner. Can’t access a full SD card/usb drive as a directory but can make disk image files containing the sids with about 30 sids on a disk. I have only made disk images of my favourites as there are tens of thousands of sid files.
The sound emulation is good, not perfect but not bad. If you hadn’t already listened to endless hours of C64 music or currently play a real C64 you wouldn’t notice any difference. There are only minor differences and only in certain places so isn’t anything to be worried about.
Overall if you don’t have a C64 but want one then this would be best one to get. Easier to use, everything built in, hdmi, save states, faster and much cheaper than a real C64 with the costs of peripherals needed to get a similar type of performance.
It isn’t a real C64. It is a clone, but a very good clone. It is almost a C64, you will get 99% C64 experience only faster and easier. Plus the Vic 20 side as well which admittedly I know nothing of. That’s a bonus I shall be looking into.
The Commodore Vic 20 was the first computer I owned. It did me well for a number of years back in the 1980’s. TheVic20 from Retro Games Ltd is a superb recreation. Build quility is spot on with a nicely working keyboard that feels similar to type on and a responsive micro-switched joystick that is a joy to play the games with.
TheVic20 has is an emulation device and contains both a Commodore 64 and Vic 20 so you are getting two great 8-bit computers in one device. In addition, you get at least 64 games on the carousel and USB ports where you can plug in a memory stick filled with your own games to expand it. By default it starts at the carousel but it can be configured to boot up direcly into the Vic 20 or C64 BASIC for that immediate retro experience.
Games in all modes are quite easy to load and get started with. Those that you add yourself may need a little preperation on the USB memory stick so TheVic20 knows what memory expansion to apply (for the Vic 20 mode) or which joystick port to use (for the C64 mode).
What makes this that bit better than the real thing are:
1. Modern device, connects easily to your TV.
2. Has save/load states for each game.
3. Can run as PAL or NTSC at either 50Hz or 60Hz.
4. Less wires, no need for a separate Disk Drive, Datasette or SD/IEC reader.
5. No worries about heat, energy usage or wear and tear you might have if using the original ~40 year old Vic 20.
TheVic20 is a limited edition of TheC64 and might be difficult to get hold of now. However, I see TheC64 is still available on Amazon and that is a great alternative if you can’t get this limited edition model.
The limited edition is styled with the Vic 20 looks and colours. It has a sort-of PET style keyboard, although the shape is that of the later Vic 20’s / C64’s. The joystick has also been given a matching colour. Other than that, and a few of the games on the carousel, it is the same.
Runs great on a modern TV, although be aware that if your TV has a Game mode or setting, or a primary HDMI socket for consoles etc, use that to avoid any minor lag in the display (this is a TV thing, not a TheVic20 thing).
As mentioned, the build quality is great. The unit is much lighter, having minimal modern electronics inside, but the itegrity of the case is solid. They keyboard is satisfying to use and I do appreciate it taking up far less space being only the keyboard and joystick in front of the TV.
TheC64 and TheC64 mini have been well supported by Retro Games Ltd, with their website pubilishing firmware updates and new games for free over the last year, so I expect we’ll see the same for TheVic20 for quite some time to come. It has already had one firmware update.
In summary, well worth the money if you enjoy these old 8-bit comptuers. No hassle, easy to get going with and not limited to the games it comes with (unlike other mini-recreations on the market). Whether you are an experienced retro hack with the original computers, or have not touched one in decades, TheVic20 (and TheC64) is a load of fun that will keep you entertained for ages.
I’m an old fart who grew up owning and collecting 8-bit computers, but had to grow up. There are emulators, all sorts of gadgets littering the house, and most of them are just fleeting attempts at reliving something long past and frankly, long outclassed.
This was too hard to resist though. TheC64Mini was ‘meh’, no keyboard on a computer that existed with a keyboard – what is this, a C64GS? But TheC64? Full-size, fully beige, real keys with real horrible slow action (this is no gaming keyboard) and a microswitched Competition Pro clone joystick? Yes please!
First of all: if you want to give a gift of a retro computer thing to your favourite Gen-Xer, this is probably the best one you will find, period. It’s packaged authentically, it’s pleasing to hold, but unlike trying to use a Commodore 64 on modern TVs etc. it JUST WORKS. Which really cannot be overstated – this is great.
Second: This isn’t some locked down, needs to be hacked to get away from the 64 included games system. You can program it. You can load disc, cartridge and tape images. It is as flexible as the Linux-based emulator it’s essentially a derivative of.
Finally: Yes, it is quite expensive. The joystick is easily worth 20 of this cost – you can buy them separately and they’re well worth it for retrogaming on Windows/Mac/Pi etc. – as good as getting a classic joystick, and cheaper than decent USB-to-Atari adaptors. The case – you’d probably pay 30 for a case of this size and quality for your Raspberry Pi, even without a keyboard. Call the keyboard a fiver, but it’s really more like 30 for the bespoke C64-style keys. Then you’d need the computer and software.
So even if you’re a DIY-nutter determined to save money with free software and cheap hardware, TheC64 is very good value.
What’s it actually like? A Commodore 64 with some modern user-friendly touches. You can boot up into the classic C64 BASIC mode and easily load and save software – it even creates a virtual disk image for your BASIC programs – or you can go into a Carousel mode with preloaded games. Gameplay is more than good enough – I can’t compare to a real C64 anymore, but it never feels like there’s something wrong even if the sound may be slightly different.
The keyboard is quite slow for typing (authentic), but the joystick is great for games. Zynaps is one of my favourites, a proper shoot ’em up like a modest R-Type clone, and the joystick keeps up with rapid firing and movement as well as the real Competiion Pro ever did.
HDMI output is easy – the only downside is that unlike some rivals there’s no composite out for older TVs, but then the benefits totally outweigh that gripe.
Could it have had DB9 joystick ports? Probably. That’s my biggest criticism of it really. For comparison an upgraded C64 motherboard is more than twice as much as this, needs a real C64 to install it in, and isn’t as easy to use. On a technical level this is basically a Pi clone board running some carefully optimised frontend – instead of getting nerdy about it, just enjoy that it exists and works so well any kid or busy adult can enjoy it immediately.
This really is a no-brainer for retrogaming addicts and a great gift for 40+ year old kids remembering the first time they unwrapped a home computer under the tree. And yes, you can plug it into a giant LCD telly – but I find it really nice using an old small HDMI one (a monitor with speakers would do too) so you get the small screen inches-from-your-face reality that we had in the ’80s.
Even if it is in colour and not mum’s old 9-inch black and white telly…
Christmas 1983 is back to haunt you - Gen X childhood awaits
Why does this product exist? You could just install an emulator for a Vic-20 or a C64 on your pc and have thousands of games in a folder. You could get a Raspberry Pi and do the same, placing it in a tiny case sitting under your T.V. As Alan Turing proposed, a computer is a universal machine so of course contemporary computers can run virtual re-creations of past systems. If you are technically inclined you may have already done that and found it somehow unfulfilling.
Marcel Proust’s book “In search of lost time” a character eating a certain lemon cake dipped in tea triggers an involuntary memory of his mother reading to him as a child. The trigger was the physical sensation of taste. This cannot be simulated by a computer. What you need is something physical. Something tangible and tactical.
Hence this computer. It’s a good quality reproduction of the famous “breadbox” Commodore case with the convenience of modern ports, hdmi, mini usb, and usb to bypass the hassle of looking for CRTs and suspect old power bricks that comes with using the original hardware. You can set it to boot up into a GUI mode or into basic which it does in a snap. The joystick is a seriously solid piece of kit, complete with clicky micro switches. Plug in a usb drive and you can save out and load whatever programs you want.
On these cold winter nights of the frightening and often bewildering 21st Century I find myself typing away on the iconic commodore keyboard, writing programs in a long defunct language. I remember my Grandmother, now long gone, squinting at a big CRT T.V. as I show her how I can make things move about on screen and I feel safe and content in way that is hard to explain.
64 game graphics are better than I remember, and the music on the games – absolutely great. Impossible Mission and so on. Lots and lots of fun. very happy with this purchase.
The unit is of high quality construction including the joystick, and the 64 looks identical to the original, but none of the hassle of loading off tape. Now it’s all off the internal SD card. Great value, excellent quality, lots of fun!
I bought this as a replacement for the the joystick that came with my mini TheC64 as I found the supplied joystick unresponsive and just awkward to use.
This replacement is much better with clicky microswitches that give a better response rate and overall just feels better than the non-microswitches variant which I found horrible to use. One thing this joystick will not do is make some C64 games easier as some titles were notoriously difficult back in the day and they definitely have not got any easier today! Overall satisfied with my purchase.
I’ve not tried it on a PC but with it being USB I cannot see it posing too much of a problem.
It looks like a vic 20, comes in a well designed box and the keyboard is responsive. It is basically thec64 in a vic 20 case although it is nice to own one of these as well. The negatives are the joystick seems to stick going down on games that require a lot of movement, though this may have a knack to stop it doing this. The choice of vic 20 games is only 28, the rest of the 64 games are c64. Compare this to thec64 which has 62 c64 games and 2 vic 20 games. You can add more games via usb, but more should have been included on the carousel.
Love my C64 Maxi,best purchase I’ve made in a long long time,as I sold my 6 original C64’S,lol.
What’s there not to like,it’s the full package with a working keyboard,which is definitely needed for commodore games.
I also bought the Amiga Mini from Smyth’s today, couldn’t wait until Monday,same price.Another great mini console.
The controller is actually great on the C64 and nothing comes close.The micro switches are not to loud and the stick isn’t stiff,so no fighting with the joystick, whilst pressing buttons and get hand ache,lol.
What a difference,not having all that hassle trying to load games anymore,nice,wish I bought this sooner.Very pleased 5 Stars from me.The C64 Maxi is great.
i am loving it, though some games are somehow running too fast and requires controller breaking speeds.
also : started laughing when i saw that there is a software update available for the c64… i mean just sooo 21st century… 🙂
the box was slightly damaged upon arrival, but the c64 is in tip top shape and quite a few people in the office were jealous… which made me feel special 🙂
i had no chance to work on it yet, but i am sure it will be fun. it is just a shame that i can not use the old cartridges – i am fully aware of the reasons, so no complaints here, but that would have been the cherry on the top:)
anyway – i felt 6 years old again while opening the box and plugging it in and …. well then i was not 6years old… waiting for it to load… but then… straight back and it felt just so so good.
I was sceptical about TheC64 full sized modern build of the classic Commodore 64. I mean, it’s emulation to start with, how good can it be?
Well, I had to wait for stock to come in, that suggested it might be a good product, bad products don’t sell out so quickly. So, as soon as I saw there was stock I ordered one. It arrived, taking a little longer than normal but that was OK, Amazon had told me it would.
I eagerly opened the Amazon brown cardboard box to discover the TheC64 box, complete with beautiful graphics. Opening that box I saw TheC64 in all its glory. It looked just like the original C64, minus a few ports and adding a few modern conveniences (like HDMI and USB). It looked great, with a satisfying weight, even though the case is mostly empty (as seen on numerous YouTube videos).
Unpacking everything else, I couldn’t wait to hook it up and get back to the 1980s. Setup was easy, plug in the enclosed joystick and go through a couple of setup screens and you’re all done. There are two default modes, the Carousel (where you can access the 64 built in games) and Classic mode (where you choose to go to the classic C64 or Vic 20 programming environment. I am not that interested in playing games, I got the machine to relive my early programming days.
I’d completed the setup and was looking at the blue on blue screen that looked just like the old C64, except it was on a big, modern, smart tv. I pressed a key on the keyboard… nothing. I tried a few more keys… a lot more nothing. None of the keys worked. I tried the old ‘turn it off and on again’ routine but no joy, which was ironic because the joystick worked fine.
I called Amazon support and spent 10 minutes trying to explain that it wasn’t a usb or Bluetooth keyboard, finally they put me in touch with the manufacturer, Retro Games Ltd., unfortunately it was the sales department. Although the guy was brilliant, he first checked everything and then said it did sound like a problem, but being in sales he’d have to get a tech guy to contact me. He then promised a tech guy would call me later that day. The sales guy called back and said that as the keyboard wasn’t working at all it was a faulty unit, so I should contact Amazon and arrange to return it and get a replacement (if a replacement was available, as stock was limited again!)
My call to Amazon, sales not tech, went much better. They reordered a unit and gave me the instructions to return the faulty one. Three days later I had the replacement and it works just perfectly.
I was hugely impressed by the Retro Games Ltd. sales team, very professional and sympathetic. It’s a true measure of a company, how they deal with problems, and Retro Games Ltd. were fantastic.
As for TheC64, it really does give the same experience as the original, with the bonus of USB support. Looking at that blue in blue screen you really feel as if your programming an original C64. There are emulators available for both PC and Mac, but TheC64 is a complete package, with a pretty good, retro feeling, keyboard, and the real clincher, the PETSCII characters printed on the front of the keys (just like the original). Not only that, you get 2 retro computer experiences, a C64 and Vic-20… plus 64 games! A truly fantastic product!
[ORIGINAL REVIEW]
You might think this review is a bit harsh, and a firmware update may yet make things perfect, but at the moment the machine has a fatal flaw which means it’s back in its box. Yes, it looks like a near-identical copy of the original and the output, complete with fake scanlines, looks great on a modern TV, but … it runs 20% too fast. The BASIC variable TI$ advances 1 minute 12 seconds in 1 actual minute and whilst that doesn’t sound like too much of a problem it means the the keyboard responds in a peculiar way, games don’t behave as they should, and music sounds all wrong. At the moment you’re probably still better off with an emulator on a PC, even though that means the keyboard layout is all wrong and so on. I do hope they fix it – it is otherwise a lovely thing.
[UPDATE]
Thanks to the comment from Nick, below, I have reconfigured the machine and now it works perfectly – thanks for the tip! Re-rated from 3 to 5 stars accordingly.
It’s easy to set up and use. You get everything you need to connect it to a TV and get started. It has built in games covering a range of styles, shooting, platform, puzzles, RPGs and a text adventure. You can freeze a game at any time and you can save up to four frozen positions for each game and reload them later. If you want more you can download games from retro sites on the internet and put them on a memory stick. It can play Commodore 64 and VIC-20 games.
In classic mode it works like a real Commodore 64. You can type in Basic programs and run them. If you plug in a memory stick you get a virtual disc drive. Each virtual floppy disc is stored as a file on the memory stick. You can use them to save your Basic programs and you can get Commodore 64 applications from the internet and run them. I’ve used an assembler I downloaded to write machine code routines and called them from Basic, it works just like I’d expect it to on an original Commodore 64.
In classic mode it also works as a VIC-20, but I never had a VIC-20 in the old days so I haven’t tried that.
My only criticism is that I find the joystick a bit stiff for long gaming sessions.
If you want the Commodore 64 experience or if you just want to play Commodore 64 games this device will do it.
You get a 1:1 reproduction that matches the first version of the Commodore 64 case which had the size of the VIC.
The color matches the original.
The only difference i can see is :
1. the letters on the upper part reading “C64” and “power” are not embossed. In the original the corresponding labels were embossed.
2. the key ‘0’ is centered and not aligned with the other numbers as in the original.
My opinion? These details are negligible.
The packaging quality is superb. They included all necessary padding for extra protection plus a plastic case
which can be used as a dust cover. BUT ! -> see disadvantages.
You have the full package where you are able to play and program in basic like the good old times by plugging to the TV/Monitor.
Games are represented faithfully by the Vice emulator. What i did not like with the current state is the
ability to customize (see disadvantages)
Ability to load your own games by inserting a USB. This is a big plus for the C64 here, and its main selling point, as the prexisting list of 64 games does not depict the actual capabilities of the machine.
Disadvantages :
My main complain has to do with the person who is responsible for the packaging of the contents.
How on earth is possible to put a plastic case that covers the keyboard that is BROKEN ?
See attached pictures : picture 1 : the box is in excellent condition, so there was no foul play while in transportation.
picture 2,3 : the plastic that covers the keyboard is broken.
One could say that this is minor but i say that this is unacceptable, because there is no way that the person could do a mistake while doing the packaging.
So the QUALITY CONTROL of packaging is not acceptable ; at least in my case.
Other than that, I got a hardware that works as expected, and without marks or damage on the hardware itself.
Secondly, the other disadvantage has to do with the customization of the emulatorfor each game or list of games.
In order to assign specific buttons for each game you have to do a cumbersome process which is the following:
remove the USB, and insert to a PC, and create a text file, comma separated
with the assignments. A slow process, as you have to remove and insert each time you find out that you have to configure a new game, and it is also easy to miss a comma in the file and get all your key mapping wrong!
The best choice would be to implement a simple menu as in the MAME case that you are able to assign buttons with the joystick directly by having a manu
asking : press key for UP, press for DOWN etc and then internally the VICE generates the CJM file which is associated ith the game. This is not hard to implement. Unfortunately the current way for configuration, is an afterthought at its best.
Last, while the joystick is upgraded with microswitches, it did not come with suction cups.
What is weird is that youtube reviewers received a version with suction cups. I am not sure
if we have another case of bad quality control in packaging or the company decided not to provide suction cups.
Apart from the shortcomings, I suggest getting one especially if you owned the original, and it does not work, or it is lost. This machine is not for everyone, only for those who worked this machine back in the day. Current generation of players will be extremely annoyed if they use this 😉
A very nice way to relive retro era - bad quality control in packaging !
What can I say?
Growing up I was the proud owner of a ZX Spectrum, but I always wanted to own a C64.
Well In 2018 I bought the C64 mini and I was totally hooked!
And when they said this was coming out I pre-ordered and have been busy playing, programming, and generally having loads of fun on my lovely C64 or as some have called it the C64 maxi.
It has more than enough USB ports for joysticks, USB Memory sticks etc and you can download extra games to supplement the 64 that come with it and loads them via a USB stick.
Any negatives? Erm, not really, although I think some people are working on getting old peripherals to work with the Maxi. Would be fun to be able to source old tapes and load them via the USB ports or the lovely 5.25″ discs and see what we can do with those.
Otherwise, just buy it, the price is great, the product is great, and well you’ll be great for buying one as well. 🙂
This is a BIG improvement over the frankly awful joystick provided with the c64-mini (they should offer to recall those for recycling). It is not up to the quality of the competition pro stick but does have all the handy navigation buttons and a decent micro-switched (clicky) feel.
Please be aware it will not work out of the box without updating the c64-mini firmware to version 1.3.1 (retrogames.biz website) – this is not indicated anywhere by the manufacturer and I’m sure will lead to people returning the stick thinking it’s faulty! It works natively in windows as an 8 button joystick. It really does make the C64-mini a much better product overall for anyone after some C64 nostalgia but it won’t make you any better at those punishing games !
After a few days using this system I feel a have to put digital pen to paper. I think the first thing people will want to know is, “Is it better than the C64 Mini?”. Well the answer is yes! Absolutely and here is why.
1. Hardware.
a. Nothing can beat having the real feel of the C64 keyboard for the nostalgia experience. Having proper function keys allows certain games to be played that were not practical before, Eddie Kid’s Jump Challenge for instance. The keys have the right amount of bounce and the whole package feels right.
b. The new microswitched joystick is excellent with the emulator functions on buttons that very quickly become second nature. The ‘click’ feels right and every game is now playable no matter how delicate the use of the joystick is needed.
c. The system has 4 USB ports allowing you to attach two joysticks and a USB stick to load up those all-important games.
d. You get the complete package: Unit, power supply, HDMI cable, Joystick so you can get going straight away
2. Software
a. The emulation of the C64 is near perfect. I have played games on this system that do not work well on any other emulator, this includes on my high-end PC. Two such games are Ballblazer and Bounces. These two games have never run well, but on this system, they run without any glitches at all.
b. The C64 is perfectly emulated so you can type in BASIC programs and save them to disc. Exactly the same way as on a real C64 (save “program”,8). This adds a lot to the experience.
c. The Carousel works well for selecting the 64 games included. Little touches like being about to sort the list and being able to switch off the background music for good show that care and attention has been paid to this system. Of course, all the games play flawlessly too.
It all feels like it was made by people who are real C64 fans. For the cost (109.99) I feel this is really good value. I don’t think you can beat this hardware and software combination for creating the C64 experience.
If you were a C64 fan in days gone by, you must get this!
Opened boxes, all looking good, turns on, everything setup, start to play, some game I know, many I do not. But then, the joystick when moving right would stick, tried other games, same. Not all the time but annoying. Its also very stiff, so may loosen up, which also may mean it stops sticking. Apart from that all good. As I never had one at the time, I started with a TRS-80, Spectrum, Atari 400, 800, ST then PC. So all is new to me… But will come back and update when I have used it a bit more….
I grew up with a C64 and like an idiot sold it some years ago. This computer-remake has made my life complete. The new micro-switch joystick is a major improvement over the previous joystick shipped with the mini c64. I’ve paired my C64 with an 8BitDo Megadrive controller, which when the usb receiver is on firmware 3.07 works perfectly with this item.
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Although I never had the Commodore 64 when I was a kid (having started on the Spectrum, Amstrad and Atari ST), I have been very impressed with what Retro Games have produced.
The keyboard is great. Although Commodore basic wasn’t as good as other micros, it’s been great fun working through the original Commodore user manual and trying out various BASIC programs.
I recognise some of the games from the Spectrum and Amstrad. You can also track down other games from across the internet and load them through the USB port. The Infocom text adventures, for example, somehow feel more authentic when you are typing instructions on the C64 keyboard.
Overall, I loved it. Now excuse me while I get back to The Leather Goddesses of Phobos….
Superb! quality case, and a full size fully functioning keyboard. Exactly the same size as the original Commodore C64 (breadbin type) Computer. 64 games built in, but you can also copy other games to a USB stick. Very impressive quality HDMI video out, quality micro switch joystick, and the Computer can also be programmed in VIC 20 or C64 Basic, which can be saved and loaded back, from a USB stick. Almost like owning an original Commodore 64, but with modern features. A must! for all Retro Computer fans. Review by Ian Priddey, Retro Computer Shack.
With a fully working, accurately laid out keyboard, The C64 is a step up from all the mini-consoles released in the last couple of years. The built in games play just like you remember them. The Joystick is microswitched which is very responsive and your own games can be loaded up on it via a USB stick. The jewel is it also works as a Vic 20 so two computers for the price of one. Overall the build quality feels good, the menus easy to navigate and games loading almost instantly. Start in games carousel mode or boot directly to the Ready prompt for either the 64 or Vic 20 for some programming fun. Highly recommended!
Been in the C64 scene for years, also small parts of Gamebase64, so have run all the emulators on anything you can think, (phones, nvidia’s, gamepads, PC’s and Laptops), but nothing beats this machine. Buy it period, its better than the original where the screwdriver was your best mate on that data cassette!! Now if they can make the carousel unlimited, that would be perfect.
Especially If your a Commodore 64 fan then this is for you. An accurate visual reproduction with fully working keyboard and Microswitch Joystick.
64 games included on the carousel and fully open for any C64 game via a USB stick. Give it an hour and you will be forgiven for thinking your on the real thing .. Even if you own and use a real C64 this is a must 🙂
Little update to my original review
—————————————
The only thing wrong with THEC64 is I have had to order another one more for the rest of the family.
THEY WOULDNT LEAVE MINE ALONE !!
I bought the C64 mini earlier this year but when I found out the full size size version was due for release; just had to order one. It didn’t disappoint! The working keyboard looks, feels and sounds like the original Commodore 64 from the eighties. Setup was very easy. I’ve added some images which show sides of the computer which some may find useful. It made programming simpler as I had to use a standard PC usb keybourd with the mini. I loved playing the game Boulder Dash and was pleased they kept it on this model. Some of the games, I’ve never played before so I’ll go through them once I stop the addiction to Boulder Dash. Just a 50 year old child!
1. Quality of manufacture looks pretty good, with the exception that one of the joystick buttons sticks a bit (might loosen off with time and use). Haven’t had a chance yet to compare it side by side with my original C64, but looks identical to my rusty memory – with the obvious exception that it doesn’t have the same ports as the original. Keyboard feel is fine, not quite as good as I remember the original one as but not bad. The joystick isn’t as good as an original Zipstick, but it is OK.
2. Included games are pretty good for the most part. Some all time classics in the list. Haven’t tried adding my own games yet, will update review once I have.
3. I had some initial issues – turns out the NTSC/PAL options in the menu don’t actually change the screen refresh rate, so even though I had picked PAL the games were running at 60Hz meaning they were running slightly too fast. A quick factory reset and I was able to choose 50Hz and all was good. Initially I thought the emulation was a bit clunky – at times it was jerky and sometimes butter smooth – but turns out this was the fault of my TV. I had to choose Game Mode on the TV menu and then all was fine. I never had to do that with my PS4, so it didn’t occur to me to try this at first.
Alot of games on this machine will remind you how good the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis days were. There is a few 3D games on here too.
I highly recommend this product!
molto carino, fatto bene chiaramente la tastiera non vera ma non poteva essere altrimenti, con una chiavetta USB configurata si possono aggiungere tutti i giochi dell’amiga 500, mouse e joypad inclusi molto carini
Aunque sea una placa con un emulador, est muy depurado y funciona de maravilla. El pad y el ratn incluido s
on de un material de calidad. Si eres de los que ha tenido un Amiga 500 o no pudiste tenerlo, es el momento de hacerte con uno. Detalles del teclado muy cuidados, aunque no sea funcional, dispone de varios usb para conectar un teclado, ratn o gamepad.
Console semplice da usare e molto intuitiva, controller molto ergonomico che sembra quello dell’amiga CDtv e mouse uguale a quello dell’amiga originale.
Si possono caricare infiniti giochi su una penna USB e classificarli in cartelle , ogni cartella pu contenere al massimo 100 giochi , ma si possono creare infinite cartelle. Menu molto carino con anteprime dei giochi e descrizioni , all’interno preinstallati ci sono 20 giochi .
Nella confezione troviamo un controller , un mouse , il cavo HDMI per collegarlo alle TV di ultima generazione.
Consiglio questa console per i pi nostalgici degli anni 80/90.
Spedizione sempre impeccabile grazie ad Amazo
Le a 500 mini , une clef usb et un peu de patience et le workbench tourne parfaitement.
Les quelques jeux fournis et des centaines de jeux et d appli y compris les fameux fred fish disponibles sur le net.
Definitely the best retro mini I have bought!!! And nostalgia in abundance!!!!
To be able to play this after not having one when younger is great. It works really well and you can install other games onto a usb drive after flashing the bios which was easy (fat 32 older usb) work. Wonderful peice of history,n a great machine..Lemmings and Xenon 2 🙂
Superb nostalgic machine, easy to add games using whd load. Brings back many wonderful memories of gaming on the Amiga.. have fun lamers.
Superb emulator device. It really does not get much better than this well thought out machine!
Very good mini (console) indeed, games run great and it has a lot of possibilities.
its great, you can buy a usb full of games and it will just work, thats what i did and it running fine so i have about 1600 games, all the old classics, easy way to just have fun without any hassel.
The device is a miniaturized Amiga with non functioning keyboard but comes with a gamepad and mouse. A virtual keyboard can be brought up on the screen to enter text where required. I haven’t tried yet but believe it’s possible to plug in a standard USB keyboard (will update after I check this).
It has great build quality, the software is of a high standard work very pleasant background music and design for the title selection screen. The games emulation has so far been great and it’s comes with a nice selection of software and there is an official way to update firmware and add your own game ROMs
Very happy and glad I bought from Amazon. Great product and fast delivery
It brings back fond memories. It’s just like my old Amiga 600 with all of the game play and no modification of the games.
I’ve even got an gaming keyboard plugged into the a500mini and it works perfectly with the same controls for my favourite game. ( Captain planet)
I brought a usb stick with 1600 games which works great with the A500mini.
If you loved your Amiga, I’d definitely recommend getting this.
Once you set up you can play & down load (lots of info on YouTube) old Amiga games to play.
I have several of these retro gaming machines, including the NES Classic, Mega Drive Mini and C64 Maxi, and I think that the A500 is the best of the lot.
The first thing you really need to do, though, is add a few games. Although there are a handful of great games included, you might as well not have an Amiga if you don’t have Cannon Fodder, Lemmings, Pirates!, the Secret of Monkey Island and a whole host of others that contributed to the Amiga being one of the greatest home computers of all time.
Thankfully, adding new games is really easy and there are several online tutorials to cater to everyone, even if you are not very computer literate.
Eh niente ai nostalgici degli anni novanta non pu mancare questo gioiellino.. i giochi caricati non sono tanti ma con una chiavetta usb si possono aggiungere tutti i titoli della nostra infanzia..
For those who *did* grow up with an Amiga 500, this is a wonderful piece of kit. What separates it from other mini consoles, and makes the A500 mini perfect for enthusiasts, is the ability to add any Amiga game via USB and a simple-to-use software loader. No modding required – this is available out of the box. As someone who is still exploring the vast and diverse Amiga library, this is a wonderful addition.
It also demonstrates how the Amiga 500 is *not* your average console, and for those more used to plug and play consoles such as the SNES or Genesis, there will be a learning curve. There’s a reason this comes with a mouse and a joypad, and supports all USB keyboards. Quite simply, the console is more diverse and more open than your average console experience, and if you aren’t willing to tinker with settings, provide a couple of your own hardware additions (lest you grapple with the less-than-perfect virtual keyboard), this will be a very odd experience indeed.
The game library included is also a very mixed bag. Not that the quality is bad (although Titus the Fox can do one!) but you’ve got such a broad range of genres, styles and scopes that a number are bound to leave you cold. It’s for this reason that the ability to add your own Amiga ROMS is so welcome.
Part of what makes this console so special is also part of what takes a lot of getting used to. Once I did, however, I discovered a fascinating console that I missed out on all those years ago; one that will be peculiar to newcomers but a wonderful nostalgic revisit for enthusiasts.
I’m too lazy to review much on here or anywhere but I’m making an exception. I love this thing. Love the box, love how it’s packaged, love the machine itself. Been playing chaos engine and simon the sorcerer Highly recommended
It’s all great. What I do not like is not being able to find a good joystick or a gamepad in Canada, where would we find one, Amazon does not offer it here.
If you ever owned an amiga you’ll love this. It looks great and is simple to set up. It has 25 games built in. These are very good, but everyone’s taste is different. However it’s also easy to add you own games via USB (there are YouTube videos on how to do this). Potentially you could have a huge library of games in no time at all.
The mouse is really good and looks like a genuine mouse from the 80s, but it’s wired and you might want to use a wireless mouse. The controller looks like nothing I’d seen plugged into an amiga before (I had a joystick), but it is apparently based on the amiga cd32 controller. It looks good and works well.
The A500 mini could have a few small improvements, for example it could use another USB port at the back and for the price your paying they could include a plug (it has a USB charging cable only, I guess they assume everyone has a plug laying around). However, these are minor issues and the overall experience is great. I had good fun playing Speedball 2 and Worms, amongst others.
There have been lot of mini consoles available in the last few years. If, like me, you grew up playing on an Amiga then this the mini console you want.
Takes me right back to the heyday of computing. If you had an Amiga, you will love this. There’s a nice selection of games preloaded – Chaos Engine is my fave – and you can sideload more via USB.
Important to say this is aimed squarely at Amiga gamers. The keyboard isn’t real and their is no Workbench so don’t be expecting to fire up DPaint or Blitz Basic easily.
Only minor criticism is the choice of gamepad instead of joystick. Amiga games were really designed for joystick and some moves prove very tricky on the pad. You can use some joysticks with it but be careful to check compatibility as there’s a lot of buttons needed for menu etc. One that definitely works is the model they used to ship with C64mini. If you play games that need a real keyboard then any standard USB PC keyboard works a treat.
Great piece of kit. I cut my teeth on the amiga, a500, a600 and a1200 back in the day. I’ve tried emulators but was always left wanting. This mini clone console is perfect for playing all your Amiga games, from all machine versions at the click of a button on the very handy carousel. It’s very easy to pick up. If you’re intending to use it on a tv, fine. But beware if you want to use it on a speaker-less monitor, you’ll need to fork out extra for a HDMI cable, an audio splitter, a set of mini speakers with a jack and usb, and a usb hub if you want to use an external keyboard, mouse, gamepad or joystick and a usb port for the min ispeaker power supply at the same time. There’s only 3 usb ports on the console.
This is not an in-depth review at all… it’s just my quick thoughts.
I’ve been a life long Amiga 500 fan, having owned one in the 90’s. Over the years, I’ve used various PC emulators, some good, some not so. I read about this A500 Mini and knew I had to give it a go.
I love it! Opening the box and seeing this ‘mini’ replica was amazing. The attention to detail is really impressive. The device is super easy to use and I was quickly playing all the classics from my childhood! The controller was actually very good. I was concerned about it at first, but it works really well.
You can very easily play ‘downloaded’ games using a USB stick. Again, super easy. I’ve not come across any issues as yet. I’m loving it. It’s just a hassle free way to experience all things Amiga and I highly recommend it.
I didn’t have a c64 back in the day, I was a spectrum boy. But I have got into buying alot of these minis and while it’s not mini the full size keyboard is appreciated. I purchased a USB on ebay with 10,000 games on it and the keyboard makes it much easier to navigate these games as they may require the space bar or run to get them started irs much more convenient than the onscreen keyboard. The games list it comes with is OK but the latest firmware update added some great newer games 9n the carousel. All in all I’ve had fun with this machine and the great thing is new games are coming out even now. So I will soon be downloading some to USB as some of these games really push the boundaries of what this machine can do. I love this fact and that there is a large c64 community out there, now more than ever. I can’t recommend it enough.
materiali e finiture eccellenti,
l’Amiga 500 riprodotta e miniaturizzata nei minimi dettagli, tranne qualche lieve differenza nella disposizione dei simboli dei tasti ma poco importa dato che la tastiera e il lettore floppy sono solo decorativi.
nella confezione trovate
Il mouse, anch’esso fedele riproduzione digitale del mouse “tank” , leggermente pi piccolo di dimensioni dell’originale,
il joypad ispirato al design di Amiga CD32, abbastanza comodo e assolutamente solido e di qualit.
la cavetteria, che comprende il cavo usb-C per l’alimentazione(senza l’alimentatore ,io uso quello dello smartphone)
un cavo HDMI.
25 giochi preinstallati in memoria con la possibilit di aggiungerne ulteriori tramite VHDLoad.
Software e manuale multilingua con italiano.
If like me you had an Amiga when you were younger than this is nostalgia overload. It has some classic games preloaded but the main reason to get this is because of how easy it is to play roms straight off of a usb drive. Over the years I’ve tried to run emulators on my Mac but it’s so complicated and difficult it just wasn’t worth the faff. The Amiga mini makes it almost as easy as dropping the roms onto a usb stick, plugging it in and loading up the game you want. Everything I have tried so far has worked perfectly, just as I remembered them. Bliss.
I grew up with an Amiga A600. The wild weird and wicked pack. I loved it. This has made my day. Its made me feel like 10 years old again. No need to bother with floppies. You have games built in. My favourite is stunt car racer. You can go on the retro games website and download the file you need to play your own games. So easy. Just drag and drop on a fat32 usb stick. Then add your zip rom files available on the whdownload website. I love the mouse as it lets you play games like lemmings and worms which need it. The retro mouse comes with it and plugs in the usb port. There is also a games pad. Everything works great and emulates perfectly. You will need your own usb power brick. I used a phone charger. Comes with a hdmi cable which will work with your modern TVs. You can also plug in a keyboard into the usb as well and use that. Now I’m just looking through some old Amiga format magazines to see what other games I remember and can once again replay.
Ok first of all looks, it arrives I na box very reminiscent of the ones the Amiga 500 arrived in, complete with Power cable (but no power adapter,) HDMi Cable, Mouse, Joypad and a very retro looking Mini A500.
Picking it up its a bit lighter than I imagined, but it remains in place on my desk.
The 25 games it is supplied with are a bit “meh”, but if you have read the reviews, watched the YouTube videos etc. You will know its so very easy to add more.
Quick tip, get an 8,16,32GB USB flash drive, format it to MS-DOS(FAT) and enable MBR not GUID.
Now go to the A500 mini support website and download the A500 Zip file, copy that to the Flash drive and unzip it (leaving a folder called A500) with the required files inside.
Now search for Amiga games in .lha format. (They’re all out there on the web and luckily they take up hardly any space). Copy them into the A500 folder (Do NOT unzip them, leave them as lha files). If you are copying a lot, then add some folders to make it east to find them when scrolling through, for example “Arcade”, “Shoot em ups” or “A-G” etc.
Once you have done that just plug the flash drive into a USB slot on the A500 and start it up, scroll through the pre-installed carousel until you find USB and click it.
All your games (in the folders if you followed my advice) are now there.
All this took 10 mins, and I now have over 600 Amiga games installed.
99% of them work perfectly, just tweak the button settings and you are good to go.
There’s even a way to get Workbench 3.0 running, its slightly harder (but not very much so, you could do it in 10 mins).
Games and apps work flawlessly (I would suggest using 50Hz as most games and software was written in UK).
Overall its a fun reminder of the Amiga days of yesteryear, you can even plug in a USB keyboard if you want.
Only downsides. 1. No internet on this, 2. It could do with one more USB port (1, Flash drive, 2 Mouse, 3 Joystick and that’s all the ports taken, I believe it works with powered USB hubs, but I haven’t tested it with one).
But it works well, and for the price is a bot of a bargain. I suspect they will already be working on a full sized one, like they did with the C64.
Its a solid 10/10 from me. Right, I am off to play Cannon Fodder 2.
Presque parfait, l ajout de jeux est un gros plus, il ne lui manque qu un paramtre cpu_speed=real pour avoir la vitesse exacte de l Amiga de l poque sinon cela peut tre trop rapide sur certains jeux car trop de puissance.
Huge Amiga fan from back in the day and still to this day. I had a 500+ then and this is just awesome – I really wish the small keyboard was actually usable but on the whole the system does a great job. Yes I know you can have a PI filled with Amiga stuff (and I do) however this is just a little self contained setup and the tank mouse! what a flashback.
I have tried a few WHDLoad games also and most work great. For what I paid (just over 100) no brainer.
Volver a jugar clasicos de mi antiguo A500, los 25 que vienen son escasos y no los mejores(algunos s) , pero la opcion de poder aadir mas le da mucho potencial. Me gustaria que llevara un teclado de “verdad” pero bueno, le he puesto uno usb sin problemas
The Amiga was a great computer in the 80s with an excellent selection of games and other programs and this lets you experience it today without the hassle of getting old hardware to work.
It is well presented in a branded box and supplies with a wired joypad that resembles the CD32 one and an authentic looking wired mouse although this is now optical which is a welcome improvement. There is also a HDMI cable and a USB power cable but no power supply but most should have a spare port or charger to use with it. All are in a familiar Amiga beige which adds to the retro feel.
The unit looks fantastic as a miniaturised version of the A500 with a fixed keyboard. Even the LEDs can be set to perform as the original. There is a HDMI port at the back and three USB ports for peripherals along with an on/off switch.
The unit boots into a games carousal with a good selection of 25 games including some classics. The games can be configured to different screen sizes and run well. Some are less successful and have aged badly but Chaos Engine and Xenon 2 stand out as great games and bring back many happy memories although I had forgotten how tough they are!
Games can be saved on four save slots while some offer password saves as well. The control can be difficult on the joypad for some and a joystick would be a good addition. You can also connect a standard pc keyboard which works well for text adventures. There is also a virtual keyboard for putting in passwords or your name on a leader board.
The best thing on this device though is that you can load your own games. You need a USB drive and a PC but it is well documented on their website with a bonus game to get you going. You can convert your own disks or there are old games in the correct format lurking on the internet if you know where to look. Experiencing the best versions of Cannon Fodder or my old favourite 4D Boxing was the icing on the cake!
This is not cheap for a retro console but the attention to detail and the ability to run your own games without too much trouble makes it great value.
Edit: It is interesting that some cannot get the sideloading working. With the exception of the odd game “Dungeon Master” for example most of my games have run faultlessly including Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder and Shadow of the Beast. The instructions on the website are fairly clear but the root directory that WHDload is unpacked to does have to be named “THEA500”. I also deleted the packed download to avoid confusion. I have the games downloaded in .lha file format and they appear in the games carousel under the USB stick. I used a 32Gig USB stick formatted to FAT32 which seems to work for me.
You can sideload more games and play them via a USB drive.
Download Lha format games from lemon amiga… go Google it. Make sure you click the link for “whd packaged” for the full game otherwise you’ll only install the start up script. You’ll be able to tell by the file size. If it’s less than 10kb then it’s not the game.
You need to install the whd side loader onto the USB drive. Go to retrogrames.biz (the full address is posted by other reviewers). Download the zip file then extract it to the USB drive. Move the a500 folder (and contenrs) it off the original folder to be its own folder on the USB (otherwise the amiga won’t open it).
Then when inserted into the amiga the USB icon appears. Open that and navigate to where you saved the Lha games. Select the gave you want THEN PRESS THE HOME BUTTON TO START IT (in capitals as I missed this step for ages wondering why the games wouldn’t load).
As someone who has a lot of fondness for the Amiga but never owned one I was delighted when Retro Games announced the A500 mini – finally we would be able to play proper Amiga versions of classic games on our TV’s in a mini form factor! I know, I know, we have had Amiga emulators for years on PC and Raspberry Pi, and technically the A500 mini is just another emulation box, but the difference being that the A500 mini offers officially licenced Amiga games, rather than ROMs of dubious legality.
Unfortunately, as with the C64 mini and maxi, it doesn’t carry the Commodore or Amiga branding, but the software is licenced from CLoanTo, which means that the A500 mini is as close to an official Amiga product as were likely to get – and the bundled 25 games are all fully licenced.
Out of the box the A500 mini itself is stunning – there’s so much detail. It’s clear that the makers of this product have a lot of love for the Amiga. The mini is solid, with a little bit of weight behind it, and although the keyboard is non-functioning it looks like it could actually work (incidentally, the device does support USB keyboards), but of course it doesn’t. The LED lights for power and disk drive are fully functioning and can even be set to mimic a real Amiga behaviour which is a nice touch (the red LED will turn itself off when playing a game, and come back on when going back to the home screen, and the green disk drive LED flashes to mimic loading a game when loading games from a USB stick). The cables (USB and HDMI) are the same beige colour as the A500 itself, which is also nice.
Also accompanying the mini is a replica of the original Amiga tank mouse. It’s slightly smaller than the original and of course uses a laser rather than a ball, but it feels nice in the hand and is very responsive in the games I’ve use it on. If this isn’t your preference it can also be swapped out for any USB mouse. Additionally there is the A500 gamepad – this is a slightly tweaked version of the CD32 gamepad. At first glance I was very sceptical of the gamepad. I know some people have stated that Amiga games are best controlled with a joystick and not a controller, but as a console person first and foremost, I had no problem with a gamepad being included. My only problem was the decision to imitate the CD32 pad, which was not the most comfortable controller to begin with. The controller itself feels really well built, the buttons have a good amount of travel and the shoulder buttons have a nice click when pressed. The only issue I had is with the D-pad, which, although responsive, made finding diagonals is games like Chaos Engine a bit of a challenge. However, the more I used it, the more I have come to like it. Sure, I would prefer the D-pad to be round, like the CD32 controller, but I can’t fault its function overall, and it is also possible to plug in other controllers – some people have even got PS3 and PS4 controllers working, and I also believe controllers from 8Bitdo also work, although I haven’t tried this myself. I did attempt to try my Evercade VS controller on the A500 mini but this wouldn’t work at all unfortunately.
I’m not going to spend too much time focusing on the games, as these are very subjective and everyone has their own favourites – I will, however, say that although Amiga games were designed with a joystick in mind Retro Games have done a sterling job in translating these over to the gamepad, and most are as responsive as they have ever been!
One final thing to note before I wrap up, and probably one of the biggest draws for a lot of people, is the ability to add your own games on USB stick via WHDLoad and indeed to get you started, Retro Games even offer a free bonus game available to download from their website (an enhanced version of Citadel), along with the WHDLoad package, which will be required when adding your own games. This, I think, is fantastic, and sets the A500 mini apart from other mini consoles such as the SNES and Mega Drive. In practice I’ve found that it is simple to add games via WHDLoad and, provided you have downloaded the WHDLoad package from Retro Games, they are recognised and most play perfectly well. There may be some issues with games playing too fast, or sound problems, but when a USB stick is inserted it is possible to enable an extra set of “expert” settings so you an adjust the amount of RAM used, enable copper and blitter timings and enable CPU JIT (Just in Time), which can fix the majority of issues. It’s not perfect, and not every game will run right away, but for the most part I have found that with a bit of tinkering it is possible to run the vast majority of games just fine, and it’s even possible to map the gamepad buttons or use a joystick for each individual game. If you fancy a bit more tinkering, it’s also possible to get Workbench and ADF games working via AmiBerry – check out Crazy Burger on YouTube if this is your thing.
I know this was a long winded review and now we’re finally at the end. To summarise then; I am a fan of mini consoles, I own the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, PlayStation, C64 and Neo-Geo – I love them for their convenience, and the A500 mini is right up there. Its emulation is top class, and the versatility to add additional games, and peripherals such as USB hubs and keyboards makes it feel more like a fully fledged Amiga. Of course if, like me, you’re just more interested in just playing Amiga games on your TV without the faff then this can also accommodate. The machine isn’t perfect by any means. The gamepad takes some getting used to, there’s no way to remap the controls of the built-in games, and the way WHDLoad is handled is a bit clunky and I know some people are disappointed with ADF not being supported out of the box. However, most of these can be fixed with a firmware update, and indeed Retro Games have already stated that they will be looking to add ADF support via a firmware update at some point, and maybe other features will be added. Given the support that Retro Games provided for the C64 mini and maxi machines I think that we will see the A500 mini’s feature set grow as time goes on.
Is the A500 mini perfect? Not at all, but is it a lot of fun? Absolutely. For me it’s the ideal way to enjoy all those Amiga classics I played back in the day and scratches that nostalgia itch. I highly recommend it for any fan of the Amiga, and retro gaming in general.
Excellent wee mini console (?)…
It emulates the Amiga very well indeed. The real joy being the ability to play ROMs making it incredibly good value for money.
Downsides??? The controller is so so. Not great for diagonal movement. I added a C64 microswitched joystick comp pro style but that wasn’t great either, couldn’t really control Speedball or Rainbow Islands property with it, gonna experiment with other options but a top quality Competition Pro copy would be happy days. Any controller suggestions welcome…
Very happy with this product. It brought back alot of fun filled memories. The Joy pad is abit clumsy, but it adds to that imperfect nostalgia feel. Includes some heartwarming favorates within the 25 games, but the allowance to add a memory stick to add more childhood favorates like the Cartoon classics bundle, makes this a must buy/play… please note that the keys on this model, do not actually function and are purely for display… but a working keyboard with a USB connection can be added. Great work and Thank you
Love it, easy to use and plug and play. Just wish it was a little large
Extras that you might want to consider.
1. The system doesn’t come with a power supply. You need a 5 volt power supply (a tablet or phone charger suffices) the manual calls for 1Amp, but you really need about 2 Amps plus. I am using a 5Volt 2.4Amp, otherwise the system struggles to power a usb stick, game pad, and mouse/keyboard
2. You can play your own games, but to do this, you need a USB memory stick, (32Gb or less seems to work best, bigger ones seem to have a hard time being recognised by the system) formatted in FAT32, then you need WHDLoad package from the Amigamini website (but its easy to do; “you’ve been gamed” on youtube has some easy to follow tutorials if you get stuck)
3. There are only 3 USB ports on the system. You must have the gamepad plugged in, because it is used to navigate the menu system. If you want to play your own games then you need a memory stick plugged in. That leaves you with one port for the mouse or keyboard. If you want both it means getting a USB externally powered hub. You can hotswap the keyboard with the game pad, but that’s a lot of messing around.
4 and 5. A USB keyboard and a USB 2 button joystick if you want to play your own games instead of just the 25 included.
In summary, great system, but you might want to buy
1. a 5 volt 2.4 amp power supply (Necessity)
2. a 16-32 GB USB memory stick (for your own games)
3. USB externally powered hub (i.e. UGreen)
4. USB Keyboard
5. USB 2 button joystick EDIT** looks like only the official joystick works properly , BUT we’ve discovered that if you plug in an xbox controller or a dualshock, the analogue stock will work as a joystick in game (analogue stick doesn’t work in menu, use the Dpad)
Extras that you might want to consider.
1. The system doesn’t come with a power supply. You need a 5 volt power supply (a tablet or phone charger suffices) the manual calls for 1Amp, but you really need about 2 Amps plus. I am using a 5Volt 2.4Amp, otherwise the system struggles to power a usb stick, game pad, and mouse/keyboard
2. You can play your own games, but to do this, you need a USB memory stick, (32Gb or less seems to work best, bigger ones seem to have a hard time being recognised by the system) formatted in FAT32, then you need WHDLoad package from the Amigamini website (but its easy to do; “you’ve been gamed” on youtube has some easy to follow tutorials if you get stuck)
3. There are only 3 USB ports on the system. You must have the gamepad plugged in, because it is used to navigate the menu system. If you want to play your own games then you need a memory stick plugged in. That leaves you with one port for the mouse or keyboard. If you want both it means getting a USB externally powered hub. You can hotswap the keyboard with the game pad, but that’s a lot of messing around.
4 and 5. A USB keyboard and a USB 2 button joystick if you want to play your own games instead of just the 25 included.
In summary, great system, but you might want to buy
1. a 5 volt 2.4 amp power supply (Necessity)
2. a 16-32 GB USB memory stick (for your own games)
3. USB externally powered hub (i.e. UGreen)
4. USB Keyboard
5. USB 2 button joystick
The device itself is a dream made real, the ability to play amiga games again without complication is a thing I have wanted ever since my a500 became impossible to buy parts for many years ago, I still want og hardware again one day, but for now this is perfect, however, a slight shame was that the hdmi cable that came with the device died after 2 uses, causing no small amount of fear that my console had died, if you find your console not seeming to turn on, change the cable!!!
So aside from a broken hdmi cable, this is some good nostalgia for any Amiga fans bereft of real hardware.
The only reason this is a 4/5 rating is because of the hdmi cable and the feelings of dread and panic it caused when it failed.
PRO- Decent selection of built in games with excellent performance in them.
PRO- Quite easy to setup a USB key with Amiga LHA files allowing access to hundreds more potential classics.
PRO- works with USB hubs so that you can expand your peripherals while still having everything plugged in.
PRO- the 4 panel Quicksave system works for both the inbuilt games AND your USB key games and is fast and intuitive.
PRO- considering this is software emulation there is no noticeable LAG in the controls
CON- the advanced tweaking and setups only work in the built in games.
CON- no real floppy disk setup making some games Eg – Chaos Strikes Back unplayable.
CON- The machine is about the power of an A1200 under the hood, but this still makes some games ‘lurch’ and become sluggish when the action heats up..
Overall, if you don’t have the patience to source original kit… Then this is a fine effort! Well worth a buy.
Really well built, well designed and so simple to use.
I truly hope they release a full sized version like they did with the C64 Mini – I’ll be pre-ordering that too!
Using this is completely different and *much* easier. It’s basically like having a modded A1200 with flash storage, WHDLoad and HDMI all sorted for you. It’s also robust enough to not worry about leaving it in the living room with a toddler about. There’s also the price which is unbelievable value – a fully modded real A1200 can easily cost you 1000 using parts sourced from eBay and elsewhere.
I highly recommend the A500 mini because it lets you experience all your favourite childhood games with a dash of modernity to help out. I’m looking forward to playing these games with my son when he’s old enough to show him what gaming used to be like.
My Mini turned up on release day and I was very impressed with the packaging. I’ve actually got the box on display. All the components are very well packaged and look the business. I owned the original A500 back in the day and own an A1200 which I’ve modded like everyone else does with those so you could say I’m a bit of a fan of the brand.
All the hardware is spot on. The main unit really does look like a scaled down Amiga. The disc access light even comes on when it’s loading. The Tank mouse is just as I remember but tracks so much more smoothly. The gamepad is very much like the CD32 one, just not as clunky in your hands which is a bonus. You will have no problems with controlling the games. The input all works very well. Better infact that it used to on the original Amigas.
Something to bare in mind is you don’t get a plug so you will need a 5v 1amp regular USB plug. I’m not sure if it’s OK with 2 or 3 amp plugs so I played safe and used an old Firestick plug.
The main software is very slick and the games load instantly. Like instantly. There is no loading, they just launch. They have mapped keyboard controls to the joypad buttons as needed or you can plug in a real USB keyboard. It’s got three USB ports though so you can’t have keyboard, mouse, gamepad and a USB Stick plugged in directly at once. Although the manual does mention plugging in hubs so I guess you could use a USB hub. Probably worth trying a hub if planning on keeping the unit next to your TV but want the controller and mouse a distance away. To be fair it probably would work with a wireless keyboard and mouse with a USB dongle but I haven’t tried that yet. I kinda wish the supplied mouse and controller were wireless so I could leave the main unit in one place rather than move it out onto the floor when using it so the cables reach but its not too much bother.
The games all work as expected and I’m guessing if you are buying this you won’t need a games review as you will know what you are getting. One thing worth mentioning is that you get at least 5 save game slots for each game so you can effectively quicksave anywhere. This comes in handy for Paradroid 90 and any game that isn’t too forgiving. This also works on games you add yourself. It’s kinda easy to accidentally overwrite a save but you do get the option to lock the saves to avoid this.
Adding extra games is a bit of a faff but not too bad. You need to download and unzip onto a USB stick the WHDLoad software from the A500 Mini manufacturers site. It only supports software in .lha format which is a little annoying. It literally won’t see anything other than lha. I was planning on using my vast library of WHDLoad software but this was all uncompressed into folders and compressing them to .lha didn’t work. I had to find ready made lha versions elsewhere and am yet to get any music demos (State of the Art etc) I want working as I haven’t found a compatible source for them. Its a shame this wasn’t preloaded with some of the classic music demos as they were Public Domain and would add an extra level of entertainment to the package.
As its a bit restrictive with what you can add. There doesn’t seem to be any way to use a hard disk file so you can’t use it to run Workbench like you would with Amiga Forever or if you have a modded A1200 like me. I remember reading an interview about the Mini when it was first announced and one of the things they said was that it would be a better, more stable solution to running the old software without relying on the original old hardware. This won’t replace a real Amiga unless all you want is a games machine. But it is a very nice package. Its more useful than something like a Snes Mini and probably isn’t aimed at Amiga power users who may already be running full emulated systems on a PC or Raspberry Pi. Speaking of Raspberry Pi the emulation seems to run on Amiberry, at least for the custom part. If you already have a Pi with Amibian or Retro Pie you may already have what you get here just without the cool A500 case, tank mouse and CD32ish controller.
I’m not sure it’s worth the money just to access the pre installed games but the fact its designed to let you add to the library means it becomes a much more valuable proposition. Also, the graphics might be overshadowed by more modern hardware but the sound and gameplay is still awesome. Listening the Lemmings music, Turrican 2, Xenon 2 etc brings back memories and the sound effects in Wing of Fury makes me smile as they always did.
To sum up this overly long review.. If you had an A500 back in the day and want to revisit your old games, this is an easy way to do it. If you want a mini modded A1200 to run Workbench on, use Photogenics and Directory Opus all connected to your HD TV so you can pack your real Amiga away this isn’t it… but it’s still cool to have on the side. It’s a tiny Amiga 500 with a working disc access light and tank mouse after all!
What I’d really like is a full size remade A1200 with full emulation of all Amiga systems like you get with Amiga Forever next please because that would be amazing.
Looks, feels and clicks exactly like the originals did 30+ years ago!
Il mouse non deve essere paragonato agli odierni, con cui pu essere senza problemi sostituito, senza infamia ne gloria si limita al suo ruolo di compendio estetico, discreto il Joypad.
Bel lavoro quello effettuato sull’interfaccia utente, potete anche evitare di leggere il manuale, salvo che per caricare giochi via WHDload, attivit comunque semplice e ben supportata, sebbene alcuni pack LHA potrebbero non risultare compatibili, non arrendetevi e scaricatene di alternativi dai vari siti online.
Emulazione: notevole per qualit e affidabilit, parametrizzabile e quindi adattabile al singolo gioco.
Il prezzo attuale chiaramente elevato, essendo quello di lancio, ma se rimpiangete la vostra Amiga non rimarrete delusi dal THE A500.
If you are a c64 fan, this is a great device to relive your childhood or teenage years with computer games. The games play great, and the BASIC is still fun to practice. However, if you ware a serious BASIC programmer and you wrote lots of programs and saved them to tapes or floppy discs and managed somehow to transfer them to usb stick, you won’t be able to load them to this device, because this version of c64 can only read a single file it creates on the usb stick, and it cannot read any other files. I wish they would fix this drawback in the next firmware updates.
Great replica , work like the original with modern ports access. Very bappy with my purchase
Finally, I can go online like it’s 1983!
Shipment was well protected in a cardboard box with plastic corner reinforcements and extra layer of cardboard where you would need to cut the tape to open it. Collector box was in mint condition when opened.
I was surprised how quickly the item arrived from overseas. It was well packed and arrived in perfect condition.
A absolutely brilliant retro classic remake of the Commodore 64 I love that this one has a full sized fully functional keyboard I never owned The C64 before as its before my era I’m a late 80s kid but I’m a massive gaming collector and love all things retro gaming right now so when I seen this with it’s great in built games and classic joystick I just had to add it to my collection it looks absolutely amazing on show I really love the fact you can add your own games to it as that’s a massive feature for me it plays all the games very well and in a good quality 720p which is enough in my opinion for these 8bit games to run well anyway I really love mine so much it’s a great system the reason for 4 star not 5 is it can be very difficult to update the firmware as it doesn’t always show up on the storage to be installed and can take multiple times of inserting and removing the memory stick for it to show up on there which is annoying and unfortunate also at 120 it’s very highly priced for what it is if it was 70-80 then that’s the sweet spot price wise for me but I must say I can still recommend very very much nicely packaged too
I’ve been using the one that came with thec64 for a week now and have no complaints. Feels solid precise with no errors in picking up movement. Covers all menu functions. If like me you have a large game collection, some of those use “the other” joystick. With one joystick these games won’t work. Adding another joystick solves this. Also useful for two player games.
I’ve read earlier reviews complaining about build issues but happily I haven’t had any issues yet. Maybe they fixed that in production. One happy gamer (retro)!
Connectable devices limited by what the usb sockets support, which could improve as later firmware is released. That said, you need a usb memory stick to save and load your own programs. The supplied joystick is a joy to use, I’ve ordered a second one for multiplayer games.
Creating fresh disks has to be done on pc also use pc to move files around, name them or create folders. Bit awkward but it works. Maybe these features could be added to a future firmware upgrade?
Get all the manuals you can find. Thec64 is a beast you CAN get your head around, search eBay and Amazon for old c64 books. At least the Commodore 64 users guide, the cbm 64 programmers reference guide and the commodore 1541 disk drive user guide.
Will appeal to programmers old or new. However this is a games machine and you can experience 80’s superior gameplay with no knowledge of programming necessary.
Caviat to this is , in my opinion, the best game is programming the c64.
Get the additional thec64 user guide. This covers all the new features in this computer. Then to start programming in the basic language, get the Commodore 64 user guide. Amazon or eBay.
When you’re ready and are bitten by the bug splash out on the other books. The c64 may be dated but it was and still is a classic home microcomputer and for a reason. It’s possible to get 100% control over it with a little effort.
You would struggle to do that with a modern computer. They’re powerful but only a very few would understand all of them all of the time. It takes teamwork.
The graphics and sound are crystal clear rather than the jittery blurry and scratchy results in the 80’s hardware.
Eye strain is minimal. By modern standards it’s not a powerful machine so it runs cool on a frugal 5volt power supply.
Loading times are quick even from usb memory stick, as file sizes are small.
In short, I’m loving it! Hope this helps.
As close to the original as you can get. Also adding games is easy an hasselt free. The keys feel as I remember an the build quality is good. Well worth a look for any retro fa
it’s good , same as the ‘thec64’ joystick, but better than the one that comes with the mini.
well worth buying and having 2 joysticks, when plugged in with the one that comes with the console , it will act as the second plugged in joystick, some games want you to be in p1 slot or p2 slot on original games, this allows you to quickly put one down and pick up the other stick, so you don’t have to mess around by having 2 stick plugged in.
good quality, but isn’t quite the same as the original from the 80’s, still micro switched. but the way it’s implemented isn’t as good and doesn’t have the steel rod going all the down to where the micro switches are. shame.
but still it’s a good stick.
you can add more games suing a usb (8gb , no need for bigger TBH) , the instructions on their website are clear and easy to use on how to set up those games to make them work, the latest update has been good, though the menu to do the switch joysticks from p1 to p2 port won’t work, but i get around it with 2 joysticks.
this is a good alternative to an original, though you can’t beat original hardware, which a refurbished one can cost 80 to 160 depending on what comes with it, non-refurbished 30 to 60(if it works and has a SID chip). theC64 is worth the purchase , easy to use, and it really can do alot the original can, runs smooth for an emulator. look up the ‘8bit-guy’ YT for ‘the c64’, you may find a good review.
enjoy….
It’s easy to use carosal menu help my kids to easily play games from a wide selection and surprisingly they love it too
I love playing Last ninja and Defender of the crown on it those were my favourites.. I think I will recommend this to all retro gaming lovers whole heartedly
First off a disclaimer: I didn’t have a C64 back in the day so I’m not an expert on them.
That being said…this is a very well made up-to-date version of the venerable Commodore 64. However, it’s primarily aimed at software nostalgists, not hardware ones, as this lacks all of the interfaces of the original. Instead you get four USB ports, a single HDMI port, and a single Micro USB socket for power. So (sadly for some) you won’t be plugging in a 1541 disk drive or a Simon’s BASIC cartridge with adaptors (even assuming it’s possible, which I genuinely don’t know).
I comes with a very well made joystick with eight (count them, eight!) buttons for controlling the unit. The joystick uses microswitches and feels quite sturdy.
It comes pre-loaded with a lot of games software (about 50 from memory), but you can also plug a USB stick into it that contains .d64 disk images of original software, which can then be loaded as you normally would – in the controller software you tell it which .d64 image(s) are loaded and then, when you go back to C64 mode, you can LOAD “$”,8,1 to your heart’s content. As a bonus this can also run VIC-20 software.
Physically the unit is nearly identical to the original (within the realms of regional variations) with two small exceptions – the SHIFT LOCK key is mechanical on real C64’s (press it and it stays down, press again to release), and software toggled on The C64. This makes sense as it would be pricey to manufacture an authentic version. The other small difference is the Commodore logo key in the bottom left is labelled ‘The C64’. This is due to licensing issues, as I understand it.
The controlling OS is simple but comprehensive. It allows you to choose the default switch-on condition of the unit (it can be a Commodore 64 or a VIC-20), to set a few video effects (scanlines, 4:3 etc) and to browse plugged in USB sticks for disk, cassette and cartridge images.
While I can’t claim to have tested it comprehensively, it has so far run everything I’ve thrown at it. It has also received at least one firmware update since I bought my unit shortly after Christmas, and there’s an active community supporting it.
In short, if you have a Commodore 64 itch you’d like to scratch and just downloading VICE doesn’t cut it, this is ideal.
Now if they could just do the same for the BBC Micro…!
This is excellent joystick if you’re fan of the microswitches. Essential for games like International Karate. I love it so much, I use these frequently and they work’s great. If you thinking about upgrading from The c64 mini joystick just do yourself a favour and go for it. The difference is like day and night. Bare in mind that they’ll be out of stock soon like it happened last time… So if you’re thinking about getting one (or two)… maybe you should do it ASAP.
Retro games ltd please make The Amiga happen.
If I was writing this review from my own opinion, I would say “What a waste of money”. However, I didn’t buy it for me, I bought it for the manchild hubster and he LOVES it. As does our young son actually. Apparently it’s a great replica and feels and plays just how the manchild remembers his one was all those decades ago.
I can’t bring myself to give this ugly, big console full marks as it looks so unsightly, but in terms of it doing what it said on the tin, yeah.
Was not sure about purchasing this but am glad that I did. My original Commodore 64 can rest a while whilst i can take advantage of the HDMI and USB ports of this great little machine. Everything I have loaded onto the USB stick has run fine. The only thing I have had to do, for a few games, is put _J1 into the filename in order to get the joystick going. TheC64 defaults to port 2. I think this is a great piece of kit and the people behind it have done a great job. Very good value for money. Recommended.
Very pleased with product though had a minor hiccup at start. I had set the TV output to 60hz which caused the games and sounds to run faster even though I set it as a PAL machine. Found out after that using 60hz TV mode increases speed and had to factory reset to choose 50hz. Manual could be a little bit more informative.
Before ordering this I had asked a question about using a sid player to playback sid files of HVSC from disk/SD (similar to SD2IEC on a real C64) which wasn’t answered but I have found out with using it that it can be done in a manner. Can’t access a full SD card/usb drive as a directory but can make disk image files containing the sids with about 30 sids on a disk. I have only made disk images of my favourites as there are tens of thousands of sid files.
The sound emulation is good, not perfect but not bad. If you hadn’t already listened to endless hours of C64 music or currently play a real C64 you wouldn’t notice any difference. There are only minor differences and only in certain places so isn’t anything to be worried about.
Overall if you don’t have a C64 but want one then this would be best one to get. Easier to use, everything built in, hdmi, save states, faster and much cheaper than a real C64 with the costs of peripherals needed to get a similar type of performance.
It isn’t a real C64. It is a clone, but a very good clone. It is almost a C64, you will get 99% C64 experience only faster and easier. Plus the Vic 20 side as well which admittedly I know nothing of. That’s a bonus I shall be looking into.
TheVic20 has is an emulation device and contains both a Commodore 64 and Vic 20 so you are getting two great 8-bit computers in one device. In addition, you get at least 64 games on the carousel and USB ports where you can plug in a memory stick filled with your own games to expand it. By default it starts at the carousel but it can be configured to boot up direcly into the Vic 20 or C64 BASIC for that immediate retro experience.
Games in all modes are quite easy to load and get started with. Those that you add yourself may need a little preperation on the USB memory stick so TheVic20 knows what memory expansion to apply (for the Vic 20 mode) or which joystick port to use (for the C64 mode).
What makes this that bit better than the real thing are:
1. Modern device, connects easily to your TV.
2. Has save/load states for each game.
3. Can run as PAL or NTSC at either 50Hz or 60Hz.
4. Less wires, no need for a separate Disk Drive, Datasette or SD/IEC reader.
5. No worries about heat, energy usage or wear and tear you might have if using the original ~40 year old Vic 20.
TheVic20 is a limited edition of TheC64 and might be difficult to get hold of now. However, I see TheC64 is still available on Amazon and that is a great alternative if you can’t get this limited edition model.
The limited edition is styled with the Vic 20 looks and colours. It has a sort-of PET style keyboard, although the shape is that of the later Vic 20’s / C64’s. The joystick has also been given a matching colour. Other than that, and a few of the games on the carousel, it is the same.
Runs great on a modern TV, although be aware that if your TV has a Game mode or setting, or a primary HDMI socket for consoles etc, use that to avoid any minor lag in the display (this is a TV thing, not a TheVic20 thing).
As mentioned, the build quality is great. The unit is much lighter, having minimal modern electronics inside, but the itegrity of the case is solid. They keyboard is satisfying to use and I do appreciate it taking up far less space being only the keyboard and joystick in front of the TV.
TheC64 and TheC64 mini have been well supported by Retro Games Ltd, with their website pubilishing firmware updates and new games for free over the last year, so I expect we’ll see the same for TheVic20 for quite some time to come. It has already had one firmware update.
In summary, well worth the money if you enjoy these old 8-bit comptuers. No hassle, easy to get going with and not limited to the games it comes with (unlike other mini-recreations on the market). Whether you are an experienced retro hack with the original computers, or have not touched one in decades, TheVic20 (and TheC64) is a load of fun that will keep you entertained for ages.
This was too hard to resist though. TheC64Mini was ‘meh’, no keyboard on a computer that existed with a keyboard – what is this, a C64GS? But TheC64? Full-size, fully beige, real keys with real horrible slow action (this is no gaming keyboard) and a microswitched Competition Pro clone joystick? Yes please!
First of all: if you want to give a gift of a retro computer thing to your favourite Gen-Xer, this is probably the best one you will find, period. It’s packaged authentically, it’s pleasing to hold, but unlike trying to use a Commodore 64 on modern TVs etc. it JUST WORKS. Which really cannot be overstated – this is great.
Second: This isn’t some locked down, needs to be hacked to get away from the 64 included games system. You can program it. You can load disc, cartridge and tape images. It is as flexible as the Linux-based emulator it’s essentially a derivative of.
Finally: Yes, it is quite expensive. The joystick is easily worth 20 of this cost – you can buy them separately and they’re well worth it for retrogaming on Windows/Mac/Pi etc. – as good as getting a classic joystick, and cheaper than decent USB-to-Atari adaptors. The case – you’d probably pay 30 for a case of this size and quality for your Raspberry Pi, even without a keyboard. Call the keyboard a fiver, but it’s really more like 30 for the bespoke C64-style keys. Then you’d need the computer and software.
So even if you’re a DIY-nutter determined to save money with free software and cheap hardware, TheC64 is very good value.
What’s it actually like? A Commodore 64 with some modern user-friendly touches. You can boot up into the classic C64 BASIC mode and easily load and save software – it even creates a virtual disk image for your BASIC programs – or you can go into a Carousel mode with preloaded games. Gameplay is more than good enough – I can’t compare to a real C64 anymore, but it never feels like there’s something wrong even if the sound may be slightly different.
The keyboard is quite slow for typing (authentic), but the joystick is great for games. Zynaps is one of my favourites, a proper shoot ’em up like a modest R-Type clone, and the joystick keeps up with rapid firing and movement as well as the real Competiion Pro ever did.
HDMI output is easy – the only downside is that unlike some rivals there’s no composite out for older TVs, but then the benefits totally outweigh that gripe.
Could it have had DB9 joystick ports? Probably. That’s my biggest criticism of it really. For comparison an upgraded C64 motherboard is more than twice as much as this, needs a real C64 to install it in, and isn’t as easy to use. On a technical level this is basically a Pi clone board running some carefully optimised frontend – instead of getting nerdy about it, just enjoy that it exists and works so well any kid or busy adult can enjoy it immediately.
This really is a no-brainer for retrogaming addicts and a great gift for 40+ year old kids remembering the first time they unwrapped a home computer under the tree. And yes, you can plug it into a giant LCD telly – but I find it really nice using an old small HDMI one (a monitor with speakers would do too) so you get the small screen inches-from-your-face reality that we had in the ’80s.
Even if it is in colour and not mum’s old 9-inch black and white telly…
Marcel Proust’s book “In search of lost time” a character eating a certain lemon cake dipped in tea triggers an involuntary memory of his mother reading to him as a child. The trigger was the physical sensation of taste. This cannot be simulated by a computer. What you need is something physical. Something tangible and tactical.
Hence this computer. It’s a good quality reproduction of the famous “breadbox” Commodore case with the convenience of modern ports, hdmi, mini usb, and usb to bypass the hassle of looking for CRTs and suspect old power bricks that comes with using the original hardware. You can set it to boot up into a GUI mode or into basic which it does in a snap. The joystick is a seriously solid piece of kit, complete with clicky micro switches. Plug in a usb drive and you can save out and load whatever programs you want.
On these cold winter nights of the frightening and often bewildering 21st Century I find myself typing away on the iconic commodore keyboard, writing programs in a long defunct language. I remember my Grandmother, now long gone, squinting at a big CRT T.V. as I show her how I can make things move about on screen and I feel safe and content in way that is hard to explain.
64 game graphics are better than I remember, and the music on the games – absolutely great. Impossible Mission and so on. Lots and lots of fun. very happy with this purchase.
The unit is of high quality construction including the joystick, and the 64 looks identical to the original, but none of the hassle of loading off tape. Now it’s all off the internal SD card. Great value, excellent quality, lots of fun!
This replacement is much better with clicky microswitches that give a better response rate and overall just feels better than the non-microswitches variant which I found horrible to use. One thing this joystick will not do is make some C64 games easier as some titles were notoriously difficult back in the day and they definitely have not got any easier today! Overall satisfied with my purchase.
I’ve not tried it on a PC but with it being USB I cannot see it posing too much of a problem.
It looks like a vic 20, comes in a well designed box and the keyboard is responsive. It is basically thec64 in a vic 20 case although it is nice to own one of these as well. The negatives are the joystick seems to stick going down on games that require a lot of movement, though this may have a knack to stop it doing this. The choice of vic 20 games is only 28, the rest of the 64 games are c64. Compare this to thec64 which has 62 c64 games and 2 vic 20 games. You can add more games via usb, but more should have been included on the carousel.
Love my C64 Maxi,best purchase I’ve made in a long long time,as I sold my 6 original C64’S,lol.
What’s there not to like,it’s the full package with a working keyboard,which is definitely needed for commodore games.
I also bought the Amiga Mini from Smyth’s today, couldn’t wait until Monday,same price.Another great mini console.
The controller is actually great on the C64 and nothing comes close.The micro switches are not to loud and the stick isn’t stiff,so no fighting with the joystick, whilst pressing buttons and get hand ache,lol.
What a difference,not having all that hassle trying to load games anymore,nice,wish I bought this sooner.Very pleased 5 Stars from me.The C64 Maxi is great.
i am loving it, though some games are somehow running too fast and requires controller breaking speeds.
also : started laughing when i saw that there is a software update available for the c64… i mean just sooo 21st century… 🙂
the box was slightly damaged upon arrival, but the c64 is in tip top shape and quite a few people in the office were jealous… which made me feel special 🙂
i had no chance to work on it yet, but i am sure it will be fun. it is just a shame that i can not use the old cartridges – i am fully aware of the reasons, so no complaints here, but that would have been the cherry on the top:)
anyway – i felt 6 years old again while opening the box and plugging it in and …. well then i was not 6years old… waiting for it to load… but then… straight back and it felt just so so good.
🙂
I was sceptical about TheC64 full sized modern build of the classic Commodore 64. I mean, it’s emulation to start with, how good can it be?
Well, I had to wait for stock to come in, that suggested it might be a good product, bad products don’t sell out so quickly. So, as soon as I saw there was stock I ordered one. It arrived, taking a little longer than normal but that was OK, Amazon had told me it would.
I eagerly opened the Amazon brown cardboard box to discover the TheC64 box, complete with beautiful graphics. Opening that box I saw TheC64 in all its glory. It looked just like the original C64, minus a few ports and adding a few modern conveniences (like HDMI and USB). It looked great, with a satisfying weight, even though the case is mostly empty (as seen on numerous YouTube videos).
Unpacking everything else, I couldn’t wait to hook it up and get back to the 1980s. Setup was easy, plug in the enclosed joystick and go through a couple of setup screens and you’re all done. There are two default modes, the Carousel (where you can access the 64 built in games) and Classic mode (where you choose to go to the classic C64 or Vic 20 programming environment. I am not that interested in playing games, I got the machine to relive my early programming days.
I’d completed the setup and was looking at the blue on blue screen that looked just like the old C64, except it was on a big, modern, smart tv. I pressed a key on the keyboard… nothing. I tried a few more keys… a lot more nothing. None of the keys worked. I tried the old ‘turn it off and on again’ routine but no joy, which was ironic because the joystick worked fine.
I called Amazon support and spent 10 minutes trying to explain that it wasn’t a usb or Bluetooth keyboard, finally they put me in touch with the manufacturer, Retro Games Ltd., unfortunately it was the sales department. Although the guy was brilliant, he first checked everything and then said it did sound like a problem, but being in sales he’d have to get a tech guy to contact me. He then promised a tech guy would call me later that day. The sales guy called back and said that as the keyboard wasn’t working at all it was a faulty unit, so I should contact Amazon and arrange to return it and get a replacement (if a replacement was available, as stock was limited again!)
My call to Amazon, sales not tech, went much better. They reordered a unit and gave me the instructions to return the faulty one. Three days later I had the replacement and it works just perfectly.
I was hugely impressed by the Retro Games Ltd. sales team, very professional and sympathetic. It’s a true measure of a company, how they deal with problems, and Retro Games Ltd. were fantastic.
As for TheC64, it really does give the same experience as the original, with the bonus of USB support. Looking at that blue in blue screen you really feel as if your programming an original C64. There are emulators available for both PC and Mac, but TheC64 is a complete package, with a pretty good, retro feeling, keyboard, and the real clincher, the PETSCII characters printed on the front of the keys (just like the original). Not only that, you get 2 retro computer experiences, a C64 and Vic-20… plus 64 games! A truly fantastic product!
[ORIGINAL REVIEW]
You might think this review is a bit harsh, and a firmware update may yet make things perfect, but at the moment the machine has a fatal flaw which means it’s back in its box. Yes, it looks like a near-identical copy of the original and the output, complete with fake scanlines, looks great on a modern TV, but … it runs 20% too fast. The BASIC variable TI$ advances 1 minute 12 seconds in 1 actual minute and whilst that doesn’t sound like too much of a problem it means the the keyboard responds in a peculiar way, games don’t behave as they should, and music sounds all wrong. At the moment you’re probably still better off with an emulator on a PC, even though that means the keyboard layout is all wrong and so on. I do hope they fix it – it is otherwise a lovely thing.
[UPDATE]
Thanks to the comment from Nick, below, I have reconfigured the machine and now it works perfectly – thanks for the tip! Re-rated from 3 to 5 stars accordingly.
It’s easy to set up and use. You get everything you need to connect it to a TV and get started. It has built in games covering a range of styles, shooting, platform, puzzles, RPGs and a text adventure. You can freeze a game at any time and you can save up to four frozen positions for each game and reload them later. If you want more you can download games from retro sites on the internet and put them on a memory stick. It can play Commodore 64 and VIC-20 games.
In classic mode it works like a real Commodore 64. You can type in Basic programs and run them. If you plug in a memory stick you get a virtual disc drive. Each virtual floppy disc is stored as a file on the memory stick. You can use them to save your Basic programs and you can get Commodore 64 applications from the internet and run them. I’ve used an assembler I downloaded to write machine code routines and called them from Basic, it works just like I’d expect it to on an original Commodore 64.
In classic mode it also works as a VIC-20, but I never had a VIC-20 in the old days so I haven’t tried that.
My only criticism is that I find the joystick a bit stiff for long gaming sessions.
If you want the Commodore 64 experience or if you just want to play Commodore 64 games this device will do it.
I will try to be as brief as possible.
Advantages :
You get a 1:1 reproduction that matches the first version of the Commodore 64 case which had the size of the VIC.
The color matches the original.
The only difference i can see is :
1. the letters on the upper part reading “C64” and “power” are not embossed. In the original the corresponding labels were embossed.
2. the key ‘0’ is centered and not aligned with the other numbers as in the original.
My opinion? These details are negligible.
The packaging quality is superb. They included all necessary padding for extra protection plus a plastic case
which can be used as a dust cover. BUT ! -> see disadvantages.
You have the full package where you are able to play and program in basic like the good old times by plugging to the TV/Monitor.
Games are represented faithfully by the Vice emulator. What i did not like with the current state is the
ability to customize (see disadvantages)
Ability to load your own games by inserting a USB. This is a big plus for the C64 here, and its main selling point, as the prexisting list of 64 games does not depict the actual capabilities of the machine.
Disadvantages :
My main complain has to do with the person who is responsible for the packaging of the contents.
How on earth is possible to put a plastic case that covers the keyboard that is BROKEN ?
See attached pictures : picture 1 : the box is in excellent condition, so there was no foul play while in transportation.
picture 2,3 : the plastic that covers the keyboard is broken.
One could say that this is minor but i say that this is unacceptable, because there is no way that the person could do a mistake while doing the packaging.
So the QUALITY CONTROL of packaging is not acceptable ; at least in my case.
Other than that, I got a hardware that works as expected, and without marks or damage on the hardware itself.
Secondly, the other disadvantage has to do with the customization of the emulatorfor each game or list of games.
In order to assign specific buttons for each game you have to do a cumbersome process which is the following:
remove the USB, and insert to a PC, and create a text file, comma separated
with the assignments. A slow process, as you have to remove and insert each time you find out that you have to configure a new game, and it is also easy to miss a comma in the file and get all your key mapping wrong!
The best choice would be to implement a simple menu as in the MAME case that you are able to assign buttons with the joystick directly by having a manu
asking : press key for UP, press for DOWN etc and then internally the VICE generates the CJM file which is associated ith the game. This is not hard to implement. Unfortunately the current way for configuration, is an afterthought at its best.
Last, while the joystick is upgraded with microswitches, it did not come with suction cups.
What is weird is that youtube reviewers received a version with suction cups. I am not sure
if we have another case of bad quality control in packaging or the company decided not to provide suction cups.
Apart from the shortcomings, I suggest getting one especially if you owned the original, and it does not work, or it is lost. This machine is not for everyone, only for those who worked this machine back in the day. Current generation of players will be extremely annoyed if they use this 😉
Growing up I was the proud owner of a ZX Spectrum, but I always wanted to own a C64.
Well In 2018 I bought the C64 mini and I was totally hooked!
And when they said this was coming out I pre-ordered and have been busy playing, programming, and generally having loads of fun on my lovely C64 or as some have called it the C64 maxi.
It has more than enough USB ports for joysticks, USB Memory sticks etc and you can download extra games to supplement the 64 that come with it and loads them via a USB stick.
Any negatives? Erm, not really, although I think some people are working on getting old peripherals to work with the Maxi. Would be fun to be able to source old tapes and load them via the USB ports or the lovely 5.25″ discs and see what we can do with those.
Otherwise, just buy it, the price is great, the product is great, and well you’ll be great for buying one as well. 🙂
Please be aware it will not work out of the box without updating the c64-mini firmware to version 1.3.1 (retrogames.biz website) – this is not indicated anywhere by the manufacturer and I’m sure will lead to people returning the stick thinking it’s faulty! It works natively in windows as an 8 button joystick. It really does make the C64-mini a much better product overall for anyone after some C64 nostalgia but it won’t make you any better at those punishing games !
1. Hardware.
a. Nothing can beat having the real feel of the C64 keyboard for the nostalgia experience. Having proper function keys allows certain games to be played that were not practical before, Eddie Kid’s Jump Challenge for instance. The keys have the right amount of bounce and the whole package feels right.
b. The new microswitched joystick is excellent with the emulator functions on buttons that very quickly become second nature. The ‘click’ feels right and every game is now playable no matter how delicate the use of the joystick is needed.
c. The system has 4 USB ports allowing you to attach two joysticks and a USB stick to load up those all-important games.
d. You get the complete package: Unit, power supply, HDMI cable, Joystick so you can get going straight away
2. Software
a. The emulation of the C64 is near perfect. I have played games on this system that do not work well on any other emulator, this includes on my high-end PC. Two such games are Ballblazer and Bounces. These two games have never run well, but on this system, they run without any glitches at all.
b. The C64 is perfectly emulated so you can type in BASIC programs and save them to disc. Exactly the same way as on a real C64 (save “program”,8). This adds a lot to the experience.
c. The Carousel works well for selecting the 64 games included. Little touches like being about to sort the list and being able to switch off the background music for good show that care and attention has been paid to this system. Of course, all the games play flawlessly too.
It all feels like it was made by people who are real C64 fans. For the cost (109.99) I feel this is really good value. I don’t think you can beat this hardware and software combination for creating the C64 experience.
If you were a C64 fan in days gone by, you must get this!
The keyboard is great. Although Commodore basic wasn’t as good as other micros, it’s been great fun working through the original Commodore user manual and trying out various BASIC programs.
I recognise some of the games from the Spectrum and Amstrad. You can also track down other games from across the internet and load them through the USB port. The Infocom text adventures, for example, somehow feel more authentic when you are typing instructions on the C64 keyboard.
Overall, I loved it. Now excuse me while I get back to The Leather Goddesses of Phobos….
64 games included on the carousel and fully open for any C64 game via a USB stick. Give it an hour and you will be forgiven for thinking your on the real thing .. Even if you own and use a real C64 this is a must 🙂
Little update to my original review
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The only thing wrong with THEC64 is I have had to order another one more for the rest of the family.
THEY WOULDNT LEAVE MINE ALONE !!
1. Quality of manufacture looks pretty good, with the exception that one of the joystick buttons sticks a bit (might loosen off with time and use). Haven’t had a chance yet to compare it side by side with my original C64, but looks identical to my rusty memory – with the obvious exception that it doesn’t have the same ports as the original. Keyboard feel is fine, not quite as good as I remember the original one as but not bad. The joystick isn’t as good as an original Zipstick, but it is OK.
2. Included games are pretty good for the most part. Some all time classics in the list. Haven’t tried adding my own games yet, will update review once I have.
3. I had some initial issues – turns out the NTSC/PAL options in the menu don’t actually change the screen refresh rate, so even though I had picked PAL the games were running at 60Hz meaning they were running slightly too fast. A quick factory reset and I was able to choose 50Hz and all was good. Initially I thought the emulation was a bit clunky – at times it was jerky and sometimes butter smooth – but turns out this was the fault of my TV. I had to choose Game Mode on the TV menu and then all was fine. I never had to do that with my PS4, so it didn’t occur to me to try this at first.
So overall impression: I love it 🙂