For the past few years we’ve been inundated with a slew of mini retro consoles like the NES Classic Edition, Sony PlayStation Classic, Sega Genesis Mini, and the recently-announced TurboGrafx-16 Mini.
But not all classic game systems were consoles… so last year a company called Retro Games Ltd launched TheC64 Mini for folks looking to relive Commodore 64 computer experience.
While that mini console looked like a tiny replica of the original C64, it didn’t quite work like one though — the keyboard was just for show and couldn’t be used for text input.
Eventually the company announced plans to launch a full-sized Commodore 64 clone that would have a working keyboard, among other things. And now we have a release date for TheC64: December, 2019.
Not only does the new model feature a fully functional keyboard, it also features a new joystick, and switchable support for three different modes: C64, VIC 20, and Games Carousel.
The system comes with 64 games installed including classic titles and some newer games. You can also load games and other files with a USB flash drive, and/or code your own games and apps using BASIC.
While TheC64 is designed to look like a Commodore 64, it does have a few modern updates — the system features an HDMI port with support for 720p output at 50Hz or 60Hz.
Retro Games hasn’t announced US pricing yet, but TheC64 is up for pre-order for £110 in the UK and €120 in Germany and the UK.
The C64 was my first computer. I picked up the mini C64 this weekend for $5 (I had a $25 off coupon) at Gamestop this weekend. It is sitting in my closet for the next — probably — ten years. I have 2 daughters (19 and 13), and a 3 year old son. My daughters never got into computers much, but my son is crazy for technology. When he is older and playing on his Xbox Three, PS6, or on his system with an RTX4080Ti, I am going to hook it up and show him what graphics looked like when I was 13. I may have to get this one also, when it is under $50.
“You think your Commodore 64 is ‘really neato’. What kind of chip you got in there, a Dorito?”
Video looks like a stranger things rip-off.
I mean, to be fair, Stranger Things looks like a ripoff of the 80s…
I thought more of a “Terminator” meets “Weird Science” type of vibe.