Most liked posts in thread: C64 mini - quick review

Make sure you update it Andy if it's not on the latest firmware.

The mini is ok but needs a USB keyboard or it's a PITA, the times you need to press space, run-stop, Y and N would drive you mad. Playing an adventure, nooooooooooooooooooo.

As you say, it needs a different set of games which luckily with a USB stick you can add to your heart's content BUT watch out for this thing's naming conventions, some stuff has to have weird names, or it won't run (why did they do this).

The mini's (especially the C64 and Amiga) also have an annoying issue, to add all the things you want you really need a powered HUB attached, this make the mini in to a mess of wires, and the hub MUST be powered (to add to the wires).

As you said, for a casual gamer it's a nice little item and looks nice on the shelf, is it as good a s a C64 emulation wise, no, it's good but a person who's been a gamer on the C64 from the days will see / feel the differences. Can a person have a good time on it, yes, what it does, it does well enough. There's loads of collections out there which are checked for loading on the mini, some people have gone the whole hog and added screens for the games etc but that's a pain if you want the 20 odd thousand games on the little fella.

Here's a link to a good collection..

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zS602isF858uCEqbG-JO6r-Lblgo_lm0/view

 

Welcome to the PS4 club Al, there's some good old titles on it, like you I get all my stuff 2nd hand bar the odd title. Amazing to find CEX being a good deal, the one that was near me was always way over the top. I get the idea they are like the charity shops like Scope, depending on the area the prices vary even though they show a common pricing structure on the website.

 

No probs Andy, I didn't want to come across like I detest the mini series, but I do have issues with the Amiga mini which I've sounded off before. I have seen the C64 mini in action and it does what it says on the tin, which is great. I do wish they had spent a bit more on licensing, neither the Amiga or C64 has a sterling line up, but as you can add your own it's not too bad. What I do like about them is that when they are disconnected they look damn cute on the shelf.

That collection I added is nice because the guy has made them in to carts, so there's no real loading issues, just click and go..

 

Yeah, the guy worked hard on it,

 

Nice review Andy
I had the mini before the full size version and liked it but the need for a keyboard was a bit of a pain and I didn't like the included joystick with its leaf switches. The full size "maxi" dealt with both those issues with full working keyboard and a microswitched controller. Also the extra USB ports on the machine mean you don't need to bother about hubs. Fingers crossed they eventually bring out a full size Amiga version.

The included games are okay but like you I have my own 8bit favourites. And have also been very pleasantly surprised by some of the latest homebrew releases on the C64.

I think it's a really nice machine to have, especially if you don't have a close affinity to the the 64 in the first place and just want to play a few games. For what you get, you certainly can't complain about value or presentation.

 

Absolutely agree 200%, mate.

You and Paul have definitely put this one to bed.

 

In saying all that... it hasn't seen much play since I got the Amiga mini. Arcade Pool and Kick Off 2 are my favourite Amiga games and are both bundled. They have been getting HAMMERED on it, would be nice if they bring out a full size version at some point.

 

I know Anco's Kick Off 2 very well, Al - as you know, it's my fave footie game of all time on any platform and like you have played it to death over the decades (for me you need a Konix Speedking to get the best out of the gameplay and after touch etc).



Wasn;t so sure about Arcade Pool and at 1st thought it was the Archer Maclean sports sim which came out to much acclaim in the 90s but on looking it up, it's Team 17 - a much-respected 16bit software house of that era (ie. Alien Breed), so if anyone was like me, a bit unsure, I've included a clip here from a reviewer who you can quickly see, appreciates his C64 and Amiga and Atari 8 and 16bit software too as he does an A-Z game review series - you guys might be interested in dipping further then into "Pete's World"

 

Always got a bit of thumb ache gripping the speedking (oo-er missus) so my weapon of choice is either a Comp Pro or Zipstick. Played Kick Off to death with my mates back in the day on the ST (full screen scrolling) but now prefer it on the Amiga as it looks prettier... Between that and Sensible Soccer we were spoiled back in those days!

I picked up a bargainlicious Playstation 4 over New Year to play Atari 50 on, but also obtained a copy of Dino Dini Kick Off Revival for £2.50 from CeX. Once I get a chance to give it a try I will report back on my findings

 

Thanks Paul.

Mainly into racing games and there are a handful on the PS4 that I want to try. My general rule with software is I won't pay any more than £10 for a title (Atari 50 was the big exception at £21.99) I do like the PS4 controller though, seems a lot easier to handle than the Xbox pad.

If you have any good recommendations for games on it please let me know. Mainly into racers and old fashioned shooters

 

PLEASE DO, AL!!

Does this Kick Off Revival only appear on the PS4 platform or are PC/Amiga lurvers catered for too? (he asks suspecting there's not a cat in hell's chance but I'll ask anyhow... ;-) )

Fair play to you re the jossies selection but I felt the Speedking was king once you'd got your head and hand around it!

I started on the ST too (think it was only a 512mb game) but I think once you got your mince pies on the Amiga version, the superior sound and lusher beauty, detail of the graphics, greenness of the pitch even (think the Amiga version was 1024mb?), then there was no going back, I'm afraid, to the old ST which tried, but didn't hold a candle to its rival.

vs
It doesn't look so pronounced seen here, but believe me, in the flesh, the game on the right feels much much more like the real deal although the ST version is still very enjoyable.

Yes, we were spoiled, mate - lots of great sports simulations to whet our appetites and I hope you get a big fix out of this PS4 you've got to play Atari 50 on.

Report away, me ole muckah!

 

Al, not really a racer myself, it does need a Burnout collection (don't think there's one?). There are old school shooters but I'm having a hard time thinking of one at this sec. Had it been a original PSX then there's a list as long as your arm for that. Raiden DX, Thunderforce IV (or was it V), Raystorm, Ray crisis etc etc etc..

Edit: There is a Burnout Paradise game that's a fiver as a digital download..

 

PS4 only as far as I know Andy. Had a quick game and it was pretty useless before I downloaded an update to it which added a tournament option and more teams to pick from. I'd probably liken it more to the very first Kick Off with limited options than the rather more refinded Kick Off 2. Still uses just the one button though and is fiendishly difficult to control, so faithful to the original in those aspects!

And I concur on your Kick Off 2 ST v Amiga comparison. Being an ST owner to start with I always liked the full screen scrolling but the Amiga version was much nicer looking and had a better 'feel' to it. Amazing how good both Kick Off and Sensible Soccer games still play after all these years.

 

Thanks for the heads-up on Burnout Paradise Paul. I wasn't as keen on the open world gameplay compared to the previous games in the series, but for £5 I have put it on my list.

Just purchased a couple of other racers from the Playstation Store. HotShot Racing at £3.19 and Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered at £3.49. NFS was programmed by Criterion so carries over a lot of the Burnout mechanics.

At the same time I also bought my favourite shoot-em-up, Galaga (arcade version) for £1.64. I now have it on PC, XBox 360, PS2 and PS4 but just love it

 

I had a look at Paradise, and it looks amazing...Not so sure I'd play it though, I'm more addicted to the crash events..

 

I was totally randomly looking at the Retro Shack page, I saw he had done a video on the Ultimate64 board, so I had a watch. As I have an Ulimate 1541 II+ cart I have most of the same advantages, but the main board gives you a whole C64. I knew quite a lot about it, but it was a nice video, it made me think, so I looked on the main site, only to be blown away at the cost, around 260 quid. OK it's future proofed with a reflashable main board, but it had gone up in price so much.

And then I saw it wasn't in stock, which wasn't an issue as I don't have the cash, nor want to spend that much in the first place. The next thing I saw was that it's not due back in stock until the end of 2023 (at the earliest, as there's a year wait on the programmable chips, let alone the building etc)

I love Gideon's stuff, it's top class and so well-thought-out, but as Dirty Harry says, "a man's gotsta know his limitations"...I now know mine..

 

Not really C64 Mini, but I've been having a few games of Arcade Pool and Kick Off 1 & 2 on the Amiga Mini the past week. Have my USB hub set up now with the included joypad, mouse and a USB Competition Pro joystick. It works a charm. I'll still get a full size machine if they produce one though as it would be a lot tidier with a working keyboard and no hub required.

 

I'd only get an Amiga emulated machine if they upped the CPU doing the emulation (Jim Power on the Mini is an eye opener) and licenced a better emulator that had been more updated than most Linux versions (the PC's WinUAE would be ACE!!)

So yeah, a full size, with working keyboard would be nice. I have that as an A500 as a real machine, but something that could fully emulate the AGA higher powered 68030 series chips would be great. The mini can do it to a degree but is let down by the quality of emulations as only WinUAE's Toni Wilen has developed for the bigger chips and upgrades you could get for the Amiga, most other emulators only concentrate on Stock a500, A500+, A600 and A1200 (maybe an A2000). Things that use higher power chips tend to be a bit buggy on those emu's.

Anyway, enough moaning, a 1200 model with working keyboard would certainly be a tempter...After a lottery win..

 

Just a quick update following Shaun's continued generosity supplying me now with a USB stick with a ton of other CBM64 titles for me to plug in & play to my heart's content...


ABOVE: Ooh, nice...a Jeff Minter Llamasoft compendium to pick from...


ABOVE: Vinny's faves is a menu loader packed with plenty of goodies which all, of course,
turbo-load...



BELOW: Most of the games have scrolling hacked front-ends with greets output to
fellow-hackers



ABOVE: Eeeh, takes yer reet back, it does.


ABOVE: The good old PSS wargame Theatre Europe bringing back nights round at
Baldy Melv's with Bill n Phil listening to Alphaville whilst trying to hold back the Warsaw Pact
before the hotdogs and cuppas would be served around midnight back in 86-87 (then Melv got
himself a C128D then an Amiga CDTV - the guy was always splashing the cash! Don't blame him either).


ABOVE: And the even better DROPZONE - note the CBM64 Mini's virtual keyboard which you need present at the side of the action in order to make keyboard selections - this can be a bit of an issue if you're blasting away with the jossie as I don't know how you're meant to be able to shoot, move and select say smart bomb all in a few micro-seconds...when two different input systems are vying for the same user attention?

Anyway, it adds a heap more fun to your C64 Mini experience by filling a USB stick with a load of extra games and hunting down all those titles that you recall from "back in the day" which don't necessarily come pre-loaded on the 64 games on the wraparound menu system... GO FOR IT, says I:

 

Nice one Andy. As you point out there are some lovely themed compilations for TheC64. Couple them with the excellent homebrew titles available and you begin to wonder why you would ever need any more than 8 bits indeed

Right, I might need to turn on my TheVic20 this weekend (same as TheC64 but in a vic coloured case) and get my joystick waggling.

 

There's a huge list of compilations on the C64, to give you a clue, my C64 directory WITHOUT the gamebases is 90.8G, add the gamebases and that's well over a 100GB of C64 goodness. And that is with 99% of the duplicates removed. It's one thing the C64 peeps seem more involved in, making compilations especially for the newer media types. I posted the link to Statmats V4 comp, it's packed with stuff.

 

I've always been active in either community, when the old retro times started and people were getting back in to the C64 and Atari in a big way I set up a list of the best ftp sites on a usenet channel, basically users would email me their ftp / web site and once a month I'd post it so people had the easiest way to get gear. Did it for years, but someone in Holland took over from me as I was ill at the time.

But to be honest, we ALL do much of the same thing every time we post a link, someone will find it at some point and they hopefully will be happy. Us lot as part of the community keep it all flowing, so thanks go to all of us here and everywhere. Be it posting links to Ebay auctions, games, sites etc, it all spreads the lurve..

 

... or is the 64 at the front actually further away than the bigger one......

 

I see Jelly Monsters amongst the top 10 Vic20 games you linked to Andy. That was an excellent arcade conversion. Unoficially of course.

 

Many thanks, Paul.

I think your comments are very fair and very helpful and I will look to add some of my C64 faves from say the real McCoys that I have on display next to my proper breadbin and then review it once more, maybe in another week or so, to see if I enjoy it more the 2nd time around.

What comes with it:


Baz's faves:


I appreciate the info you gave us on the need for a proper USB keyboard and a powered USB hub too - like you say, it can soon become a rat's nest of cables but hey ho, many of us retronauts are used to this carry on but it would have been nice if they had engineered / factored this out of this otherwise very nice 64 Mini idea.

Some of the tech specs:


Any other guys on here got one and would like to feedback too?