C64 Mini now available: Commodore 64 returns
The fully authorized review of the Commodore 64 is now available on the market. Here's how to buy it.
The C64 Mini is a fully functional home computer with a size equal to about half compared to the legendary original 64 Commodore. It can be connected directly to your television and has two USB ports, one for the joystick and the other for the keyboard.
In a period in which nostalgia prevails for the past, as also confirmed by the success met by Ready Player One at the cinema, the C64 Mini follows the path traced by Nintendo with NES Classic and SNES Classic.
The computer born from the mind of Jack Tramiel in 1982 wrote a very important page in the history of videogames. With timeless titles like Speedball, Ceatures, Paradroid, Pitstop II, Avenger, Hawkeye, all available in this re-release just introduced on the market by Koch Media, cheered a generation of players still beardless, now in the age of maturity.
The new The C64 Mini cites in all respects the legendary Commodore 64, from its keyboard to the unforgettable 80s style controller, up to the red power on and the blue start screen and Basic for programming. 64 classics of the past are back thanks to this new version of the Commodore 64, which obviously also boasts features from a modern computer system, such as the ability to connect to the TV via HDMI and USB input.
The most hardened retro-gamers, the enthusiasts of computer systems of the past, but also the skeptics and disillusioned with the latest developments in the world of video games find a system that will hit them in a particular way. Also because Koch Media has done things right, and The C64 Mini works great and does not present any youth problems.
The keyboard you see in the images does not really work, it is merely an aesthetic object precisely to corroborate that nostalgia factor that is the basis of this production. Fortunately, you can always connect a real keyboard via the USB port that the C64 Mini is equipped with.
The C64 Mini is based on a small motherboard powered by the Allwinner A20 SoC which consists of a dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor and the Mali 400 MP2 GPU. Hardware enough to run well the old classics of the Commodore 64, supported by 256 MB of RAM and as many flash memory.
The emulator of the old games for the Commodore 64 installed on this machine works very well and returns a perfect pixel art that allows you not to miss anything of the charm of gaming in the past. If the keyboard is fake, the joystick that replicates the original of the Commodore 64 is really very impressive and works very well. There are also some nice quotes from the past, aimed at enthusiasts and developers who worked on the mythical Commodore platform, such as the Recovery and Uboot service buttons. In addition, old .d64 files can be loaded.
Launched in 1982, the Commodore 64 dominated the home computer scene throughout the 1980s. Millions of pieces have been sold all over the world and has won a special place in the hearts of the players. Thirty-five years later, the The C64 Mini is getting ready, a reinterpretation in a modern key that can be connected to any modern television through the HDMI cable.
Players can take advantage of 64 licensed and pre-installed vintage games, including California Games, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Paradroid and Impossible Mission. The classic Boulder Dash puzzle is also included in the list. The game sees ‘Rockford’ in the cave crawling in search of gems and while trying to avoid evil creatures and gas explosions. Stephan Berendsen, President of BBG Entertainment GmbH said: ” Retro Games and BBG have brought together something that has always been the symbol of 1984 – the C64 eBoulder Dash. ”
From the sports genre to shooter, through platformers and puzzles, there is really everything to satisfy the most passionate and demanding fans of retro games. ” We are happy to publish the THEC64 mini and have both the original product fans and new generations of players discover this amazing system, and maybe even try to program it for themselves! ” , Said Paul Andrews, CEO of Retro Games.
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