The C64 Mini

[ScouserInExile]

Anyone else got one of these?

 

I'm loving it, it's exactly what I wanted from it - a modern, (hopefully) reliable way to play C64 games. I have it booting into "classic mode" now, rather than the games carousel and really like doing the LOAD"*",8,1 and waiting for stuff to load thing. I don't think the Mini would have scratched the itch in the same way. This feels like having and actual Commodore 64. I'm perfectly fine with the joystick as well. Though I may look into alternatives in the future.

 

I'm actually quite surprised to discover that the games are still good. I thought they'd have the hint of rose-tint about them, but I still love the games I loved 30+ years ago. I'm also a lot better at Stunt Car Racer than I was as a kid.

 

Definitely happy with my purchase.

[Swainy]

Yeah my wife bought me one after Argos had sent me one by mistake which I then had to send back (listen to the latest episode of RA for the full story).

 

Anyway I had no intention of getting one of these as I had the mini and wasn’t impressed with it but with a working keyboard it looks and feels the part.

[Pixelated Ben]

3 hours ago, ScouserInExile said:

Anyone else got one of these?

 

I'm loving it, it's exactly what I wanted from it - a modern, (hopefully) reliable way to play C64 games. I have it booting into "classic mode" now, rather than the games carousel and really like doing the LOAD"*",8,1 and waiting for stuff to load thing. I don't think the Mini would have scratched the itch in the same way. This feels like having and actual Commodore 64. I'm perfectly fine with the joystick as well. Though I may look into alternatives in the future.

 

I'm actually quite surprised to discover that the games are still good. I thought they'd have the hint of rose-tint about them, but I still love the games I loved 30+ years ago. I'm also a lot better at Stunt Car Racer than I was as a kid.

 

Definitely happy with my purchase.

 

This is good to hear, because I'm torn as to whether - if I buy one - it would actually be a pleasure to play, or whether those C64 days are best left as a memory. The amount of games is a little lacking I feel, but I guess there's the option of modding it (although this is something that I have NO experience or knowledge of).

[Lorfarius]

11 minutes ago, Pixelated Ben said:

 

This is good to hear, because I'm torn as to whether - if I buy one - it would actually be a pleasure to play, or whether those C64 days are best left as a memory. The amount of games is a little lacking I feel, but I guess there's the option of modding it (although this is something that I have NO experience or knowledge of).

 

You don't mod it. Just stick the games on a USB drive and it lets you run them from the menu.

[gone fishin]

9 hours ago, Pixelated Ben said:

 

This is good to hear, because I'm torn as to whether - if I buy one - it would actually be a pleasure to play, or whether those C64 days are best left as a memory. The amount of games is a little lacking I feel, but I guess there's the option of modding it (although this is something that I have NO experience or knowledge of).

Nah, the C64 is probably the one home computer that’s really stood the test of time, and that’s coming from someone who originally owned a Spectrum and didn’t get a .. spit... Commie until the early 90s!

 

The C64 has still got a really active scene making new games today, plus the classics really are still classics. There’s nothing like playing Bruce Lee or the recently released sequel! 

[Pixelated Ben]

20 hours ago, Lorfarius said:

 

You don't mod it. Just stick the games on a USB drive and it lets you run them from the menu.

 

Oh good, this sounds like something I could manage!

[merman]

On 5 January 2020 at 13:57, Lorfarius said:

 

You don't mod it. Just stick the games on a USB drive and it lets you run them from the menu.

 

Megastyle have just announced plans for a way to add games to the carousel, watch this space...

[Anne Summers]

4 hours ago, merman said:

 

Megastyle have just announced plans for a way to add games to the carousel, watch this space...

 

It's definitely doable  

 

[SeanR]

Yesterday they announced a new model full-size

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcochiappetta/2020/06/30/the-retro-revival-continues-with-thevic20-the-wonder-computer-of-the-80s/
 

 

(thec64 already has a vic20 mode)

[Anne Summers]

1 hour ago, SeanR said:

Yesterday they announced a new model full-size

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcochiappetta/2020/06/30/the-retro-revival-continues-with-thevic20-the-wonder-computer-of-the-80s/
 

 

(thec64 already has a vic20 mode)

And most of the games that are on it are C64 games, according to that article, which seems very weird. 

Seems best to think of this as a sort of alternative skin for TheC64.

[RipePlums]

Yeah I'm not sure that's THAT much demand for the VIC20. Weird move.

 

Still need to pick one of these up.

[ulala]

53 minutes ago, Anne Summers said:

And most of the games that are on it are C64 games, according to that article, which seems very weird. 

Seems best to think of this as a sort of alternative skin for TheC64.

 

It IS an alternative skin for TheC64

 

if it sells more, then fair enough

 

 

[SeanR]

If they do a C16 version I’ll be forced to get one.

[OogyBoogy]

1 hour ago, SeanR said:

If they do a C16 version I’ll be forced to get one all of them.

 

Fixed that for you.

[gone fishin]

It does seem like a strange move, is there really a market for a mini Vic-20? I guess it's a fairly cheap way of re-using the same technology with a slight change to the keyboard. To be honest, as bizarre as it sounds, like @SeanR is saying, I think I'd rather see a Commodore 16 or Plus/4 Mini as there were a few really good games that didn't get a C64 release. 

[SeanR]

6 minutes ago, gone fishin' said:

It does seem like a strange move, is there really a market for a mini Vic-20? I guess it's a fairly cheap way of re-using the same technology with a slight change to the keyboard. To be honest, as bizarre as it sounds, like @SeanR is saying, I think I'd rather see a Commodore 16 or Plus/4 Mini as there were a few really good games that didn't get a C64 release. 

it’s full-sized

[Rex Grossman]

This just feels like they realised they could put out a Vic 20 without much extra expense and flog enough to dedicated enthusiasts. They'd already done 99.99% of the work for it.

I can't imagine the market is very big.

[SeanR]

13 minutes ago, Rex Grossman said:

This just feels like they realised they could put out a Vic 20 without much extra expense and flog enough to dedicated enthusiasts. They'd already done 99.99% of the work for it.

I can't imagine the market is very big.

it’s not like they’re hurting anyone, doing this. No ones being forced to buy it.

 

not til it’s below £50, then I’ll get one of each...

[Camel]

So it's an emulated C64 in a VIC-20 case? IDGI.

[SeanR]

38 minutes ago, Camel said:

So it's an emulated C64 in a VIC-20 case? IDGI.

It’s a c64/vic20 emulator, available in both c64 and vic20 full-size-case variants.

 

(thec64 *mini* only comes in a mini c64 case.)

[Camel]

Oh didn't know the 64 version did Vic-20 too. 

 

Does anyone one have one of these full-sized 64 jobs? Are they any good?

[Vespa Alex]

5 hours ago, gone fishin' said:

It does seem like a strange move, is there really a market for a mini Vic-20? I guess it's a fairly cheap way of re-using the same technology with a slight change to the keyboard. To be honest, as bizarre as it sounds, like @SeanR is saying, I think I'd rather see a Commodore 16 or Plus/4 Mini as there were a few really good games that didn't get a C64 release. 

 

I questioned this elsewhere and was told that the US Market for the VIC was huge, so that's their primary target.
I'm tempted to get one or the other to add to the pile of barely used Mini consoles.
 

[SeanR]

17 minutes ago, Vespa Alex said:

 

I questioned this elsewhere and was told that the US Market for the VIC was huge, so that's their primary target.
I'm tempted to get one or the other to add to the pile of barely used Mini consoles.
 

they had shatner doing the advert.

 

and the full-size c64 is not yet available in the US. Is this a conspiracy?

 

i have a vic20 story. I won one, doing a lollipop treasure hunt at my mothers work sports day, in Brighton, at some point in the 80s

 

Similar to the lollipop tree game

 

one lollystick is marked, the rest are plain.
 

I pull the winner out because there’s a gap in the foil backing, and I can count.

 

i am not allowed to claim my prize.

[Rex Grossman]

1 hour ago, Vespa Alex said:

 

I questioned this elsewhere and was told that the US Market for the VIC was huge, so that's their primary target.
I'm tempted to get one or the other to add to the pile of barely used Mini consoles.
 

The Vic 20 was big in the US but so was the C64. And the homebrew scene for 64 over there dwarfs the Vic 20 one.

[Vimster]

At least Jeff Minter would probably buy one. 

[Lorfarius]

13 hours ago, SeanR said:

they had shatner doing the advert.

 

and the full-size c64 is not yet available in the US. Is this a conspiracy?

 

 

Probably a good thing, the joysticks on all of them are trash. Both models I picked up had sticky buttons and I just gave up playing it, been sat on the shelf in its box ever since. From all accounts they haven't done anything to remedy this and i'll never buy another one of their products again.

[RipePlums]

Heard that and was hoping they'd fixed it. As someone on the fence it's enough to tip me to "no", right now.

[merman]

5 hours ago, Lorfarius said:

 

Probably a good thing, the joysticks on all of them are trash. Both models I picked up had sticky buttons and I just gave up playing it, been sat on the shelf in its box ever since. From all accounts they haven't done anything to remedy this and i'll never buy another one of their products again.

 

Hmm, my THEC64 stick is much better than the Mini one so far. I did have the left fire button stick once but it was soon free.

 

There are more VIC-20 games on this VIC version than the THEC64 incarnation. But I personally don't think I will order one myself. Although my friend in Germany is pre-ordering one sent to my address so he can get it sent on...

[carleton]

I have a TheC64 (maxi) and it's mostly excellent. The joystick button started of a touch "sticky" but it's sorted itself out now. I keep meaning to put the games I coded on there but I haven't got round to it.

[Lorfarius]

1 hour ago, merman said:

 

Hmm, my THEC64 stick is much better than the Mini one so far. I did have the left fire button stick once but it was soon free.

 

 

My stick is worthless, even the lightest tap off to the top corner of the button makes it jam. You can sort of wriggle free if you ram it hard enough several times and seems to be a pretty common issue. The mini was junk with that snappable stick, they even had the cheek to put a waggle game in that probably broke loads of models  I could understand issues like that on the first but after all the complaints I'd have expected them to go out of their way to sort the follow up. Just shows they can't make decent hardware and has put me off ever buying from them again.