![]() ![]() From the little finger adjustments and reddening faces of the weightlifters in World Games, to the silky-smooth running animation of Impossible Mission’s nameless protagonist, to the insanely gory punishments inflicted on cutesy victims in the torture levels of Creatures. There’s a timeless charm that pervades the bulk of these games.Yet what was really apparent in the majority of the games included with the C64 Mini was just how much personality was infused in so many games of this era. Meanwhile, many of the sprite-based objects in Monty Mole seem so crudely designed that I struggled at times to recognise exactly what I was looking at. The minigame compilations like California Games and Summer Games II remain every bit as addictive, and puzzlers like Boulder Dash and Chip’s Challenge every bit as compelling and ingenious now as they were several decades ago, but I found it hard to get much joy out of Pitstop II’s featureless tracks and constant bee-stuck-inside-your-ear-canal engine whines. One Speedball game probably would have been fine rather than both, for example, and as is often the case with retro compilations, certain games hold up better than others under the scrutiny of modern standards. Label=Cheeky%20SpritesSome of the included 64 games seem a bit superfluous. Without them, the opening moments I had with all but the most basic of games consisted of either trial and error or a hurried Googling of instructions on my phone. The system’s OS is very clean and easy to navigate, and each game supports four independent save slots, although I would have appreciated the inclusion of digital copies of manuals to refer to for each game. Speaking of nostalgia, it washes over you in synthesised waves the first time you power up the C64 Mini and are treated to an upbeat SID chip-emulated tune, with a carousel of classic game covers to pore over. Also, as with both of Nintendo’s Classic consoles, you have the option of tweaking the video output to pixel perfect, PAL, and NTSC 4:3, and simulated CRT modes for maximum nostalgia. The HDMI output is 720p, the same as Nintendo’s Classic NES and more than enough considering the original Commodore 64 displayed at just 320 by 200 pixels. Its chunky form and several-shades-of-brown colour scheme look spot on with the original.Included in the box is a USB cord for power, and an HDMI cord, both around three feet in length. Nonetheless its chunky form and several-shades-of-brown colour scheme look spot on with the original – even if the total absence of the name ‘Commodore’ or indeed the Commodore logo suggests that C64 Mini maker Retro Games Ltd doesn’t actually hold any form of official licence. Of course, its looks alone won’t necessarily transport you back to your childhood lounge room since there were so many variations of the system released over the course of its lifespan (the one I grew up with, for example, was the flatter, more angular Commodore 64C from 1987). Label=8-Bit%20of%20AlrightThe system itself is an adorable half-scale replica of the original Commodore 64 released in 1982. ![]()
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