For all those who can still remember the classic Commodore 64!
It’s these pangs of nostalgia that British company Retro Games Ltd. is looking to take advantage of to sell a “mini” version of the Commodore 64. For the uninitiated, the microcomputer was the computer of the ’80s and the first machine that many folks ever got their hands on. Even in Great Britain, which had been the crucible of the Sinclair vs. Acorn battle, Commodore holds a special place in millions of hearts.
My own Commodore 64 was hooked up to a 10-inch, black-and-white portable TV with a bent aerial. White-out was painted on to mark the tuning locations for BBC 1, BBC 2 and ITV, and I vividly remember playing (Pac-Man knock-off) Radar Rat Race purely because I had the cartridge, which loaded faster than games on cassette. I used that battered, beige machine for so long on that TV that, when I finished unboxing and turned the C64 Mini on, I was actually surprised to see it output video in color.
Pros
- Clearly put together with love
- Hardware itself looks nice
- Easy way to play old games for novices unwilling to learn emulation
Cons
- Joystick is bad
- Game selection is pretty bad
- Adding more games is difficult but still necessary
Summary
The C64 Mini is a valiant attempt to join the current craze for tiny retro consoles that hark back to our childhoods. Unfortunately, a bad controller, questionable software design and the poor roster of games on offer sour the package here. While it’s clearly been put together with a measure of love, this is one nostalgia trip you can do without taking.
Source: Engadget
