The C64 Mini

[Revival]

Everyone will be at it soon...

 

The C64 Mini

 

https://thec64.com/

 

THEC64® Mini will hit the shops in early 2018 with a suggested retail price of £69.99

 

 

 

 

Quote

Featuring high-definition output via HDMI, a classic style joystick and 64 built-in games including classics like Uridium, Paradroid, Hawkeye, Nebulus and Monty Mole.

[ulala]

thats cool!

[SeanR]

from Chris Smith, who brought us the C64 DTV

 

I was looking at the IGG campaign earlier.

 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the64-computer-and-games-console#/updates/all

 

It didn't make target (it was flexible anyway), but there are now three devices:

 

The C64 mini, as per

the C64 console (almost full size)

The C64 handheld, delayed for... later.

 

backers are getting freebie devices for backing the original idea. It's amazing.

 

 

[Unofficial Who]

Is there going to be any way to load external data? (Or save data?)

 

If this can be used as a functional C64 I'm in!

[ulala]

29 minutes ago, Unofficial Who said:

Is there going to be any way to load external data? (Or save data?)

 

If this can be used as a functional C64 I'm in!

 

those questions need to be both "yes"es

 

do those keys press?

[cubik]

Is this in any way related to the shower of shite that are in charge of the Speccy Vega+ scam thing?

[Wizcat]

Totally sold on this already. Hope emulation is good.  Apparently not the same company as the Vega+ http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-29-now-theres-a-c64-mini

[SeanR]

13 minutes ago, cubik said:

Is this in any way related to the shower of shite that are in charge of the Speccy Vega+ scam thing?

 

chris smith is an ex-director of RCL, and was responsible for the original ZX Vega.

 

Chris Smith is in no way responsible for "the shower of shite", as he left BEFORE the Vega PLUS campaign ended.

 

http://invisioncommunity.co.uk/2016/12/20/retro-computers-ltd-paul-andrews-chris-smith/

 

 

 

 

[Lorfarius]

 

[jackfrost71]

I'd love to see an Amiga mini one day. Fond memories of playing on the Amiga . I remember playing the shit out of Hybris, Side Winder etc

 

I guess I could make one with a Rasberry Pi and a mini Rasberry Pi Amiga case like the one below

 

 

 

[Goose]

I put WiiUAE on the Wii and played Hybris a few month ago. Worked well but I'd love a dedicated mini.

[gone fishin]

This looks like it's basically that C64 DTV joystick, but instead hosted in a mini C64 case and premodded to take USB joystick and keyboard..

[ulala]

2 minutes ago, moora said:

This looks like it's basically that C64 DTV joystick, but instead hosted in a mini C64 case and premodded to take USB joystick and keyboard..

 

So it's garbage, confirmed!

[Goose]

They should do a spectrum version.

 

Oh wait.

[gone fishin]

3 minutes ago, ulala said:

 

So it's garbage, confirmed!

the fun part of the DTV was the modding bit - adding in an SD port etc.

 

It's funny how things have changed, 10 years ago you got all these retro consoles built into a joystick (remember all the Pacific Jakks ones like the Megadrive Sensible Soccer one?) Now everyone wants it in a tiny version of the console itself..

 

I think I'll skip the C64 mini but I'm tempted by the full version. I've got a C64 with an SD2IEC and it's a really easy, and fun, retro system to play. I'm only worried that it will break one day.

 

On the other hand the Amiga would be a good one for this type of treatment. Setting up an Amiga now is a real pain in the arse (if you go beyond the basic model and just use floppies). Having a new version, preconfigured for all the different Amiga models, would be amazing.

 

[Wizcat]

If it was just another c64 dtv then it should be a lot smaller surely

 

Honestly, at 50% of an original breadbox it should be easy to remake a c64 with original schematics using modern surface mount components. Would easily make this price point too. 

 

So I guess the question is, are MOS still making SID chips? 

[ulala]

14 minutes ago, Goose said:

They should do a spectrum version.

 

Oh wait.

 

It needs a handheld version.

 

[Blu3Flame]

7 hours ago, jackfrost71 said:

I'd love to see an Amiga mini one day. Fond memories of playing on the Amiga . I remember playing the shit out of Hybris, Side Winder etc

 

I guess I could make one with a Rasberry Pi and a mini Rasberry Pi Amiga case like the one below

 

 

 

 

https://www.armigaproject.com/

[Camel]

The game selection is surprisingly good.

[gone fishin]

2 hours ago, Blu3Flame said:

 

https://www.armigaproject.com/

Yeah but it looks nothing like an Amiga (instead it looks my extra Amiga floppy drive!) And you've got to use a USB keyboard, which just makes it feel like playing on a PC via an emulator...

 

No, it has to be in an Amiga styled case, numeric keyboard bit with Amiga keys and all!!!

[jackfrost71]

Anyone notice something strange about the photo below?

 

The guy looks to be playing a game on the C64 mini. His controller is plugged into it, but where is the power cord going into the C64 mini?, where is the cord from the C64 mini to the TV?

 

Now look under the TV just behind it, looks like a Rasberry Pi or similiar board, and that looks like it's plugged into the TV.

 

 

 

[Wizcat]

Dammit you're right! They're using electronics!

[Vimster]

Doesn't even appear to be a HDMI cable connected to it either.

Actually I think that's the joystick plugged into the mini, not the gamepad, so yes, I would think it's an RPI he's playing on.

[DukeOfEarlsfield]

4 hours ago, Camel said:

The game selection is surprisingly good.

That's what I thought as well. The C64 seems to have a wider spread of decent games than most 8/16bit consoles so picking a decent selection is a bit trickier. If you asked SNES owners to come up with a list of 20 games for the the SNES mini, you'd probably find 10 games on practically everyones list but if you did the same with the C64 those lists would be vastly different.

 

So yeah, there's loads of stuff 'missing' but what's there is a terrific representation of what was available. Full marks too for including the vastly superior original Speedball as well as the sequel.

 

If it has a working keyboard and can have extra games added to it then I'm in. If not it'll have to be a birthday or a Christmas present.

[ulala]

Why don't they just sell high quality pi cases instead of this smoke and mirrors rubbish.,

[Lorfarius]

1 hour ago, ulala said:

Why don't they just sell high quality pi cases instead of this smoke and mirrors rubbish.,

 

Because they'd make more money producing their own and selling it solely as theirs.  Anyone can make a Pi style system, why would they even need to exist as a company?

[ulala]

34 minutes ago, Lorfarius said:

 

Because they'd make more money producing their own and selling it solely as theirs.  Anyone can make a Pi style system, why would they even need to exist as a company?

 

Not many can make a machine tooled case with commodore logos

 

 

[jackfrost71]

So word on the street is that the board being used as seen under the TV in that pic above - is probably an a20-OLinuXIno-LIME2 board which they had also showed being used way back in August 2016.  See the video below

 

 

[jackfrost71]

It's strange, becuase on the 15th of Sept, they published a IGG update showing their pre-production prototype boards.

 

From the update on the 15th Sept

 

"But to tide you over for this week, a few previously unreleased photos of the original prototype PCB boards (pre-production), and some more shots of the first of the molds for the range (all photos taken on a phone in the factory). Check back next week as we finally start revealing all for you!"

 

 

 

EDIT:  Perhaps their first prototype board was attached to the Lime2 board in that video, and now the above is their current prorotype board?

 

 

[Unofficial Who]

19 hours ago, ulala said:

 

So it's garbage, confirmed!

 

Woah woah woah. What was wrong with the C64 DTV @ulala? I still use that bad boy to play Uridium!