Everyone is all about re-launching retro gaming consoles lately. In fact, today we had the launch of the SNES Classic, which we are giving away. On its coattails, we also have the reintroduction of the 1980’s classic Commodore 64 in the form of the C64 Mini. This re-launch of the original C64 is set to happen in 2018 at a price point of around $70.
Some of the major selling features of the original Commodore 64 were that it finally did away with the black and white graphics and brought in color, real synthesized sound, and 64KB of RAM. Yes, that’s right, 64KB of RAM. The new C64 Mini is half the size of the original console and comes pre-loaded with 64 fully licensed games.
The C64 Mini features two USB ports allowing you to connect an external keyboard or plug in a joystick and play with two people. It also features “pixel filter options” which enable you to swap between sharp, CRT, scanline emulation, and normal graphics.
Retro Games says that when you plug a regular keyboard into the C64 Mini, you can use it as a normal computer to type in old BASIC programming and even program new games.
This retro reincarnation also features a full-sized HDMI port for hooking up to your HDTV, which is something the original unit lacked for obvious reasons. Each C64 Mini will include one classic joystick and appears to be powered by microUSB. I wish the company had chosen to power it by USB Type-C, but at $70, that certification might not have been in the budget.
The C64 Mini comes pre-loaded with 64 fully licensed original games to bring you back to your teenage years. Some of these games include Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Paradroid, Impossible Mission, Anarchy, California Games, Chip’s Challenge, Firelord, Mission A.D., Monty Mole,, and many other shooters, puzzlers, and more.
The company behind the C64 Mini, Retro Games, claims to have a full-sized C64 coming later in 2018, but pricing is still unknown at this point. Many people have very fond memories of their Commodore 64s, and this could bring them all back. In fact, I talked with my father before writing this post about the Commodore 64 and he recounted the good times he had on his way back when.
There is no set launch date for the C64 Mini right now, just sometime in early 2018 for $69.99. You can visit the official website for more information, a full list of games, and to stay fully up-to-date on the company’s launch plans. We’ll keep you updated here, too, as we get more information!
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