THIS is how a video/review should be done. Glad to see a reviewer that knows his stuff. Finally something else than 10 print "hello", 20 goto 10. I do hope Retro Games improve firmware based on your suggestions. I would give this video 10/10 but WHY did you mention about the 0 key not aligned properly ? Now I cannot sleep at night ;)
Actually seeing 10 print " hello" in EVERY video made me laugh each time ;) Delivery in the Netherlands has again been postponed, now it's december 31. I do hope they will add a 50/60 forced choice in a future update. I only have one tv, older Sony Bravia, so if it decides to choose 60hz automatically I'm screwed :-/
I will save this video for later, when I purchase one. I need a way to transfer programs from a floppy disk, to a thumb drive. I have hundreds of programs on 5 1/4. Many are programs I wrote, so I can't get them any other way. Any suggestions? Oh yea, I have several c64 and 1541 drives.
@@vbrigham Either use an SD2IEC (copy to blank d.64 image), same with a Pi1541, or get a Zoomfloppy device and use that to copy your disks to a PC with the correct software. I am sure there are other ways, but those are what I have used (and writing d64 images to real floppies as well).
At www.nedgame.nl/afbeeldingen/the-c64-microcomputer/screenshots/3_5066541970.jpg I see a perfect aligned '0' on the zero-key. Perhaps this picture is of a new serie/batch of C64's?
Excellent video, its refreshing when someone with actual knowledge provides a balanced view of these products. And I definitely think a PAL vs NTSC gamer competition should happen!!
Well said..! Too many people around the internet going on about Raspberry Pi is better.. Really? this thing looks like, and feels like a genuine C64, and as this video proves, it's emulation is so deep it even does assembler/machine code programming perfectly I just got one of these, as I remember them from 40+ years ago selling and using them, and it seems perfect (except for the lack or original ports in the back ;-) ) , and for general use; game playing, brushing up on basic skills, reliving the past, this machine is more than perfect.....! It's a fantastic new computer for hobbyists wanting to tinker with newer USB/HDMI equipped hardware, or the general 'target' audience, to relive those old memories - even down to typing-in endless pages of programmes only to get "syntax error" messages all over... but they can be edited, fixed, and then saved to a USB stick just as they would have been saved to disk years ago. It's a real feel-good machine that love these older days of computing, and yet is still totally relevant today.... ;-)
Oh man, these videos are so good. The voice is so pleasant. The information is just spot-on. There is a jump-to section. Really nice. Bless the internet that something like this is made.
This was an excellent review, answered all my questions about using this as a basic machine. With the built in keyboard that seems like the big draw, yet all the other reviews I've seen have glossed over the keyboard and basic, which made no sense. This was great!
Its amazing to see how involved you have been with this community for almost/over 20 years now. Personally i show up to see weird old hardware, but its not often someone is as skilled and interesting as you can be. Loving the content!
I spotted these were being made and was thinking of getting one for my 50th... got a C64 here in the uk when they came out, how I loved it back in the day. Many thanks for a great review, didn't think it could do all that.
Thank you so much, sir! i'm doing a Zelda game for thec64 and really i was needing a blank disk like those D81 formats. i've watched your video and now my problems are solved. great, you're awesome!
Thank you for the best C64 review on UA-cam. I just love your channel. I really appreciate it when someone on UA-cam really knows what they're talking about. The fact that you're sharing your knowledge here is greatly appreciated.
@@NuntiusLegis Well. You're kinda right about a few things. It's not a C64, it's a "TheC64". And yes. It's emulation. I have two 64c's and two breadbins so I understand what you're saying about the keyboard. Still I can't help liking TheC64. Now I can lie on my sofa and easily program in Basic on my living room TV. I used to do it with a real C64, but TheC64 gives a sharper and more stable image with HDMI. It's all in good fun.
BIG WOW. Great "Reintroduction" of this famous computer. Real blast to watch and admire! Never thought a toy from my childhood be so popular! I played with assembly on it in early 90's. But soon to be forgotten and replaced with i686...
Loved this video and for the record, I didn't feel you were biased one way or the other. I found your review very objective and informative. Thanks so much!
I've heard that differences in size comes from the VIC 20, which align perfectly with theC64 Max. There must be some Commodore 64 batches in VIC 20 frames, maybe the firsts.
There were a few different sizes of theC64, there was another youtuber (cant remember which one) who showed them next to each other - thec64 is matches that one.
Great coverage and information on getting the assembler running with 512k. I guess you could just save a state on The C64 once all set up? You also asked what advantages The C64 has and why you might choose to use it? I would add a huge feature (which you said you’d save for another time) is it also has a Vic 20 inside. If you are short on space, or want a better Vic output on a modern TV, The C64 does a good job here. :)
Great review mate! Super informative and detailed... especially with the icon placement on the keyboard, it's going to probably bug me now! Looking forward to getting this for Christmas and writing games out of the old c64 books. Happy Holidays!
Thanks Robin, this is the review this machine deserved. May I suggest to tryout, in eventual upcoming videos for thec64, error codes, original bugs, easter eggs and fastloaders?
Great Review and you earned another Subscriber! I haven't messed around on a C64 since the mid to late 80s. I look forward to picking one of these up and re-living my childhood memories with playing the C64 with my Dad and starting to dabble in learning to use BASIC! I look forward to watching more videos from you for "TheC64" and have a good day! :)
@@NuntiusLegis Since leaving this comment my dad and I uncovered our Commodore 64, 1541 Disk Drive and 1702 Monitor. We also found all our accessories and software. It’s currently out of order, but I’m going to be sending it out for inspection/repair tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to getting it up and running again.
@@Zion767318 Great. I got my C64C and !541 II out a few months ago, connected it to a 4:3 TFT TV from Ebay via s-video and enjoy better picture quality than ever in the 80s when I only had a worn out CRT TV. But a proper CRT monitor like your 1702 should be even better.
Simply one of the best reviews I've ever seen. Thanks. In my declining years, some things that gave me great joy when younger are coming back...The C64...going back to the Moon. Too much to hope for another Golden Retriever puppy? Time will tell...
Happy New Year Robin! Great video as always, probably THE best The64 review online, and it's going to help sell a lot of The64 because you really do know what your'e talking about and hack into it. :)
(Almost) comprehensive review!! Great and very informative stuff! Now if I may ask a couple things not covered here: 1- How faithful/accurate is the emulation? How does it fare with running hardware limit-pushing and demanding demos and other taxing software of the sort that rely sometimes heavily on specifics of internal workings and quirks of the original machine? 2- Is the joystick useable as a standard USB joystick? Can we plug and use it on a PC (great to play with other emulators), or is it exclusively working with theC64 Maxi? Thank you loads for this excellent review!
The speed issue is clearly that the games loaded on this machine were the EU/International versions which were designed to run on PAL. The fix in the video is totally valid but the simplest way to get around it is to just select PAL at the system setup. Since this version of the system was built for these markets I would imagine that the majority of the games that are pre-loaded would also be designed for PAL mode. The NTSC mode is most likely there as a compatibility feature so that those with a collection of NTSC based roms can use them without too much issue.
7:20 i have an at&t electronic typewriter from the late 80's (manual says 1989, but serial number comes up 1987) and THAT doesn't even have a locking shift key. i doubt they would make them now.
I don’t know if you’ve seen the Full Sized “The VIC 20” but i bought one recently and have been having fun with it. The issue you noted with the keyboard number 0 being not lined up with the rest of the numbers has been fixed. My “0” lines up with the 9.
Excellent review, Robin. A couple of things, that I wanted to know about it were mentioned. Back in the 1980s, I liked to play David‘s Midnight pinball. That is now possible, too. I might still wait a bit, but finally, I want to get one, I think.
How easy would it be to hook up a real commodore/amiga joystick?? I got plenty of original competition pro and zipsticks laying around that I would like to use.
This thing seems like the best of both worlds. I have what is in effect a very fast hard drive, yet I can load and save from and to a (virtual) floppy with good old comma-eight commands. The one thing this needs now is support for an external Commodore FDD, with some sort of adapter to connect through the USB. Pull all my old files off the floppies I kept all these years.
My brother and I have a tradition of playing Christmas Lemmings every Christmas. While this is hectic enough, it is far less frenetic than Sarah's Santron game. So congratulations to Sarah for creating the game and to you for making it so far without getting blown to smithereens :-)
On my C64 unit, the speech in Impossible Mission is correct and not pitched up, I suspect this is because I've set my video output to 50 Hz and my default computer model to PAL. I know that when I run it in NTSC mode, the sound effects in Bowling Night are pitched up. There is a flag you can apply to a file to stop it from scaling the audio to prevent those pitch difference issues.
If anybody still here. Getting in to "Media Access" you see "disk drive", "Cartridge slot" and "Cassette deck". How do you put files in the variouses media formats? I have a cartride version of Maniac Mansion but cant put it in any slot??? How do you actully use media access.
Great Video! Love the 512k hack. I managed to make it work on thec64 mini too. BUT for the super snapshot cart to work with the 512 i had to make a save state snapshot in vice 2.4 like you did but including the snapshot crt with it. love your videos and i like more thec64 hack and assembly tuto. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
It's a good system overall, but there are a couple of things that I personally would have liked to have been implemented (perhaps in a future firmware update...) 1. mouse support (would come in handy if you want to fool around with programs like GEOS) 2. Support for memory expansion modules in VIC-20 mode (perhaps with a flag(s))
Yes, mouse support would be great. I was under the impression that the VIC-20 mode already does support different memory configurations, but I haven't played with it myself yet. I know there's a section about it, anyway.
I'm waiting for mine. But it seems that it could be done using the same method as REU hack - preconfiguring snapshot of GEOS and VICE settings to use 1351 mouse
their is a flaw on the maxi keyboard is you hold down the c64 key and by pressing 1 doesnt show the correct colors so if I press 1 it shows up brown not black
That's actually correct behaviour: hold down the CTRL key to get the colours printed on the number keys (like black if you press CTRL+1). If you hold down TheC64 key (or C= key on a real C64) then you'll get the 2nd set of colours (like brown for TheC64+1).
I wish they would let you remap the keys for navigating the menu. I use the Apple II a lot, so I've gotten used to using cursor keys for left and right and using A and Z to move up and down.
Just wanted to point out to people: if you're not too sure how to make a D64 image in VICE, that there is a program called DirMaster that makes it very easy.
c1541 utility comes with VICE. # create a new d64 disk image c1541 -format "my disk,01" d64 "mydisk.d64" # add a file to it c1541 -attach "mydisk.d64" -write "myfavgame.prg" "myfavgame" # list the contents c1541 -attach "mydisk.d64" -list
You can set additional memory banks by having certain letter combos on filename of d64, and also select speed (pal/ntsc). It's on the big manual. Saves you the "hacking" hassle :)
As an almost 50 year old Dutch 'kid', I certainly have to get this device, although I have an original CBM64 as well! ;-) I pre-ordered The C64 Maxi at www.nedgame.nl and see a picture of a C64 with the '0' on the zero-key that is aligned perfectly. See: www.nedgame.nl/afbeeldingen/the-c64-microcomputer/screenshots/3_5066541970.jpg. Perhaps a new serie/batch of C64's?
Great overview/review! I especially wanted to know about mounting cartridge images. Been wondering about the speed and 50/60 Hz/PAL/NTSC issues. I watched RetroManCave's stream about the TheC64, and *everything* seemed too fast whether he booted into PAL or NTSC mode. Games like IO and R-Type (D64) were *unplayably* fast, the Monty on the Run music was on overdrive, and so on. (Video output was always shown as 60 Hz and we didn't notice any way to change it.) But! When I run VICE on my PC, which also outputs 60 Hz video, everything feels much like it does on my real hardware PAL C64s. So the hertzitude of the video signal to the monitor doesn't seem to be an inherent problem. 'course my PC isn't a tiny system on a chip. I dunno how it all hangs together. Just... pretty sure I wouldn't make it far into sped-up Cybernoid or IO (can't make it far into them at regular speed, either)... I can't believe NTSC gamers played like that... surely those European games weren't made for that breakneck pace!
I think TheC64 is really striving for a tight, no "tearing" sync between the HDMI display and the emulation, so the ideal is to run the HDMI at the same Hz as the VIC emulation. Presumably if you run VICE full-screen with a 60 Hz display and 50 Hz (PAL) emulation on your PC, you will see some visual artifacts from it. But maybe not! :) It'd probably be most noticeable when running games with full-screen fast scrolling. And yeah, we really did play Cybernoid at 60 Hz. It was such a relief to finally play it at 50 Hz many years later :)
@@8_Bit I can imagine. :) I don't "feel" that 50 fps VICE on a 60 Hz monitor causes any issues. PC games also run with all sorts of 'mismatched' and situationally shifting fps as a matter of course... But -- I do have to use Nvidia's "ForceCompositionPipeline" option or a compositing window manager to prevent screen tearing (Linux here; don't know about Windows or Mac). So maybe that's a step the TheC64 would have to perform but can't or decided not to. (Speculation!)
Is this still available in canada? missed it when it 1st came out n been looking but only found the mini version (which I don't want) not this version. I tried the "contact us" form on their site but it refused to send the message.
The full-size TheC64 never saw retail sale in Canada, unfortunately; it's only been available by mail-order. Seems to be tough to find one anywhere currently; hopefully they'll do another big run of them. There seems to be demand.
Last I heard, they're still working on a distribution deal for North America. Hopefully we'll see it later in spring, but there's nothing official yet. Meanwhile, I've seen some people on Facebook say they're happy with their purchase from this place: www.shop4megastore.com/retro-consoles/the-c64-retro-console-uk-plug
Great vid! Nice to know there's a bit of a Canadian connection to the development of TheC64, even if you were just a lowly contractor. :) It's been a few years now since the release of this box and it's unfortunate that there never was any real Canadian distribution. Feels like Retro Games really dropped the ball on that.
Thank you. My main question how to save files to USB-Sticks you answered in this video - and many other thing. I hole that many people start programming for C64 again. I love this machine! May be next year we get with the new Atari a ebirth of competition against C64- and Atari-Systems again ;-)
Hi, Have you tried with a real 1541 drive? I have a usb adapter for my drive cable but apparently it is not recognized by the C64, when I type the command: load "$", 8 it seems to read a virtual drive and not the physical one. An idea?
How does the new C64 maxi and \ or The C64 mini handle playing text adventures? The mini of course with a USB keyboard? I haven't been able to find anyone on Google, on UA-cam or anywhere mention this for neither device. Thank you in advance for any information on this. Tim
THIS is how a video/review should be done. Glad to see a reviewer that knows his stuff. Finally something else than 10 print "hello", 20 goto 10. I do hope Retro Games improve firmware based on your suggestions. I would give this video 10/10 but WHY did you mention about the 0 key not aligned properly ? Now I cannot sleep at night ;)
Agreed Jan. What an awesome video - Merry Xmas
Actually seeing 10 print " hello" in EVERY video made me laugh each time ;) Delivery in the Netherlands has again been postponed, now it's december 31. I do hope they will add a 50/60 forced choice in a future update. I only have one tv, older Sony Bravia, so if it decides to choose 60hz automatically I'm screwed :-/
I will save this video for later, when I purchase one. I need a way to transfer programs from a floppy disk, to a thumb drive. I have hundreds of programs on 5 1/4. Many are programs I wrote, so I can't get them any other way. Any suggestions?
Oh yea, I have several c64 and 1541 drives.
@@vbrigham Either use an SD2IEC (copy to blank d.64 image), same with a Pi1541, or get a Zoomfloppy device and use that to copy your disks to a PC with the correct software. I am sure there are other ways, but those are what I have used (and writing d64 images to real floppies as well).
At www.nedgame.nl/afbeeldingen/the-c64-microcomputer/screenshots/3_5066541970.jpg I see a perfect aligned '0' on the zero-key. Perhaps this picture is of a new serie/batch of C64's?
I can't like this video enough because of the TMP+REU instructions. Thank you so much!
Excellent video, its refreshing when someone with actual knowledge provides a balanced view of these products.
And I definitely think a PAL vs NTSC gamer competition should happen!!
Well said..! Too many people around the internet going on about Raspberry Pi is better.. Really? this thing looks like, and feels like a genuine C64, and as this video proves, it's emulation is so deep it even does assembler/machine code programming perfectly
I just got one of these, as I remember them from 40+ years ago selling and using them, and it seems perfect (except for the lack or original ports in the back ;-) ) , and for general use; game playing, brushing up on basic skills, reliving the past, this machine is more than perfect.....!
It's a fantastic new computer for hobbyists wanting to tinker with newer USB/HDMI equipped hardware, or the general 'target' audience, to relive those old memories - even down to typing-in endless pages of programmes only to get "syntax error" messages all over... but they can be edited, fixed, and then saved to a USB stick just as they would have been saved to disk years ago.
It's a real feel-good machine that love these older days of computing, and yet is still totally relevant today.... ;-)
Oh man, these videos are so good. The voice is so pleasant. The information is just spot-on. There is a jump-to section. Really nice. Bless the internet that something like this is made.
that's because he's got a cold... Wait till you hear his actual voice :)
This was an excellent review, answered all my questions about using this as a basic machine. With the built in keyboard that seems like the big draw, yet all the other reviews I've seen have glossed over the keyboard and basic, which made no sense. This was great!
26:59 "so you know I'm not violating any licenses. This is, THIS IS MINE."
The license is money without job...
Its amazing to see how involved you have been with this community for almost/over 20 years now. Personally i show up to see weird old hardware, but its not often someone is as skilled and interesting as you can be. Loving the content!
I would have really loved it, if they had kept the old power-flick-switch - it was so iconic (to me, anyways).
Yeah why would they not do that? Never mind i dont want a preyellowed one that infact is more expensive than a working original...
I spotted these were being made and was thinking of getting one for my 50th... got a C64 here in the uk when they came out, how I loved it back in the day. Many thanks for a great review, didn't think it could do all that.
A great exploration of TheC64, Robin. I've watched quite a few reviews but yours covers details the over folks missed. Great video. Well done!
Thank you so much, sir! i'm doing a Zelda game for thec64 and really i was needing a blank disk like those D81 formats. i've watched your video and now my problems are solved. great, you're awesome!
I love your content 8-bit guy! You are a powerhouse of c64 knowledge. God bless you
The clicks of the micro-switches on the joystick provided untold amounts of joy in me :D
Mine is coming next week :) Haven't been this excited since I was 8.
Thank you for the best C64 review on UA-cam. I just love your channel. I really appreciate it when someone on UA-cam really knows what they're talking about. The fact that you're sharing your knowledge here is greatly appreciated.
It's not a C64, it's an emulator with half-decent keyboard.
@@NuntiusLegis Well. You're kinda right about a few things. It's not a C64, it's a "TheC64". And yes. It's emulation. I have two 64c's and two breadbins so I understand what you're saying about the keyboard. Still I can't help liking TheC64. Now I can lie on my sofa and easily program in Basic on my living room TV. I used to do it with a real C64, but TheC64 gives a sharper and more stable image with HDMI. It's all in good fun.
@@baardbi Ordinary PC with VICE plus keyboard with C64 key stickers also works on the sofa and is way cheaper. ;-)
@@NuntiusLegis Absolutely. I just need to get those stickers.
I don't know why it took until now to sink in, that you had worked on the C64DTV. This just makes mine so much more precious to me.
I second that!
I have five. I treasure them
@@WarrenPostma Well, I only have the one... so I guess I'll just go view it through a kaleidoscope then :P
This is an INCREDIBLE review! Saved all your The C64 videos to watch again and again. Thank you!
I'm so tempted to get one of these. I'd love an Amiga 500 done this way, too :)
THEA500 Mini is coming out later this year!!! It doesn't just emulate an Amiga 500, but an Amiga 1200 as well!
BIG WOW. Great "Reintroduction" of this famous computer. Real blast to watch and admire! Never thought a toy from my childhood be so popular! I played with assembly on it in early 90's. But soon to be forgotten and replaced with i686...
Many Many thanks for that "different to others" review! That's exactly what I was looking for! Merry Christmas! Greetings, Doktor64!
Loved this video and for the record, I didn't feel you were biased one way or the other. I found your review very objective and informative. Thanks so much!
I've heard that differences in size comes from the VIC 20, which align perfectly with theC64 Max.
There must be some Commodore 64 batches in VIC 20 frames, maybe the firsts.
There were a few different sizes of theC64, there was another youtuber (cant remember which one) who showed them next to each other - thec64 is matches that one.
@@francistaylor1822 8bitguy?
@@medinachete73 might be
Great coverage and information on getting the assembler running with 512k. I guess you could just save a state on The C64 once all set up?
You also asked what advantages The C64 has and why you might choose to use it? I would add a huge feature (which you said you’d save for another time) is it also has a Vic 20 inside. If you are short on space, or want a better Vic output on a modern TV, The C64 does a good job here. :)
Great review mate! Super informative and detailed... especially with the icon placement on the keyboard, it's going to probably bug me now! Looking forward to getting this for Christmas and writing games out of the old c64 books. Happy Holidays!
Probably the best technical review I found on this device, Thanks a lot !
Thanks Robin, this is the review this machine deserved. May I suggest to tryout, in eventual upcoming videos for thec64, error codes, original bugs, easter eggs and fastloaders?
Your channel is great. I'm so happy I found it. Best regards and happy new year.
9:00 From the 'for what it's worth' department; my unit, delivered 6-weeks ago on October 29, 2021, has a serial number 48,535.
What a great video and the ending was very heartwarming.
Excellent review. Love the song at the end too.
Great Review and you earned another Subscriber! I haven't messed around on a C64 since the mid to late 80s. I look forward to picking one of these up and re-living my childhood memories with playing the C64 with my Dad and starting to dabble in learning to use BASIC! I look forward to watching more videos from you for "TheC64" and have a good day! :)
Emulator on PC and / or real C64 should cover your needs better for less money.
@@NuntiusLegis Since leaving this comment my dad and I uncovered our Commodore 64, 1541 Disk Drive and 1702 Monitor. We also found all our accessories and software. It’s currently out of order, but I’m going to be sending it out for inspection/repair tomorrow afternoon. I look forward to getting it up and running again.
@@Zion767318 Good luck!
@@NuntiusLegis They specialize in servicing vintage computers like the Commodore 64. I’ve dealt with them before, very professional.
@@Zion767318 Great. I got my C64C and !541 II out a few months ago, connected it to a 4:3 TFT TV from Ebay via s-video and enjoy better picture quality than ever in the 80s when I only had a worn out CRT TV. But a proper CRT monitor like your 1702 should be even better.
Simply one of the best reviews I've ever seen. Thanks. In my declining years, some things that gave me great joy when younger are coming back...The C64...going back to the Moon. Too much to hope for another Golden Retriever puppy? Time will tell...
Amazing pro review. Looking forward to you take a look at vic-20 mode. Merry christmas.
What a brilliant video. This is not just a review, but it's a wealth of tips and tricks and pointers to info...
Chuck Peddle (1937-2019), rest in peace.
C64 TEAM STAFF -REAL GENIOUS
Happy New Year Robin!
Great video as always, probably THE best The64 review online,
and it's going to help sell a lot of The64 because you really do know
what your'e talking about and hack into it. :)
Thanks for another fantasic video!!! I just ordered my own "The C64". Hope to get it before the weekend, Greetings from Sweden ;)
I'm not at all in the market for one of these but I greatly enjoyed this examination of it.
Awesome review. Thank you!
Bookmarking this as it seems to be the go to for how to use this newfangled whatchamacallit, great video!
I actually feel better about the machine knowing you had a hand in it!
(Almost) comprehensive review!! Great and very informative stuff!
Now if I may ask a couple things not covered here:
1- How faithful/accurate is the emulation? How does it fare with running hardware limit-pushing and demanding demos and other taxing software of the sort that rely sometimes heavily on specifics of internal workings and quirks of the original machine?
2- Is the joystick useable as a standard USB joystick? Can we plug and use it on a PC (great to play with other emulators), or is it exclusively working with theC64 Maxi?
Thank you loads for this excellent review!
I'll definitely use this and your other Q&A video as references when I get my C64 Maxi, great review!
I was looking forward to this! Great review, thanks! :) And pretty good SHMUP skills as well if I might add. ;)
The speed issue is clearly that the games loaded on this machine were the EU/International versions which were designed to run on PAL. The fix in the video is totally valid but the simplest way to get around it is to just select PAL at the system setup. Since this version of the system was built for these markets I would imagine that the majority of the games that are pre-loaded would also be designed for PAL mode. The NTSC mode is most likely there as a compatibility feature so that those with a collection of NTSC based roms can use them without too much issue.
Selecting the pal version in the setup doesn't change the speed of Impossible Mission on my one.
much better review than the 8-bit guy
Thank you Retro Games for truly having done a remake of the C64. I love you.
Does anyone know where I can get a replacement joystick? I've repaired mine 3 or 4 times already but now it's pretty much toast.
Oh wow you did the programming on these, that's really impressive and cool!
I have a feeling there is going to be a huge demand for the Commodore key and logo to make this look more authentic.
7:20 i have an at&t electronic typewriter from the late 80's (manual says 1989, but serial number comes up 1987) and THAT doesn't even have a locking shift key. i doubt they would make them now.
Fantastic review. Fantastic.
Most thorough review I've found. Thanks for making this!
Great, in depth review! Was waiting for this
I don’t know if you’ve seen the Full Sized “The VIC 20” but i bought one recently and have been having fun with it. The issue you noted with the keyboard number 0 being not lined up with the rest of the numbers has been fixed. My “0” lines up with the 9.
Excellent review, Robin. A couple of things, that I wanted to know about it were mentioned. Back in the 1980s, I liked to play David‘s Midnight pinball. That is now possible, too. I might still wait a bit, but finally, I want to get one, I think.
Hehe. very nice ending, Merry Christmas Robin, well done :)
How easy would it be to hook up a real commodore/amiga joystick?? I got plenty of original competition pro and zipsticks laying around that I would like to use.
you would beed a usb encoder & have to wire it yourself- the controller support is off the wall
retrobit sega saturn works so im fine w/ it
Congratulations! great video! This C64 appears to be very cool!
Great review. Thank you
Would love to know why mine did not come with an adapter. Even says so on the box.
Nice review. That Wasteland box in the background though...
The 'brown rainbow' of C64 colours! 😂
Would a rainbow of brown candy be called Shittles?
@@mal2ksc I'm not sure the marketing people would go for that, but a C64 themed bag of skittles would be ace.
64 shades of brown.
This thing seems like the best of both worlds. I have what is in effect a very fast hard drive, yet I can load and save from and to a (virtual) floppy with good old comma-eight commands.
The one thing this needs now is support for an external Commodore FDD, with some sort of adapter to connect through the USB. Pull all my old files off the floppies I kept all these years.
Very informative review!
Canadians literally apologise for everything, such nice people. Great content! Keep it up!
Unless you're Don Cherry. LOL
We're sorry about that
Forgot to ask, is there mouse support for using programs like GEOS?
USB mouse should be possible in a firmware update? Add C128 mode too.
@@SmoothTouchDown Wouldn't a C128 mode require an extended keyboard?
A fantastic review, many thanks for showing what THEC64 is really capable of 👍🏻
17:20 the infamous scream also used in another absolute classic game 'Beach Head 2'. The sounds/speech in that game were also incredible!!
can't wait to see this one in sales in Canada...I defenitively will buy it!
My brother and I have a tradition of playing Christmas Lemmings every Christmas. While this is hectic enough, it is far less frenetic than Sarah's Santron game. So congratulations to Sarah for creating the game and to you for making it so far without getting blown to smithereens :-)
On my C64 unit, the speech in Impossible Mission is correct and not pitched up, I suspect this is because I've set my video output to 50 Hz and my default computer model to PAL. I know that when I run it in NTSC mode, the sound effects in Bowling Night are pitched up. There is a flag you can apply to a file to stop it from scaling the audio to prevent those pitch difference issues.
If anybody still here. Getting in to "Media Access" you see "disk drive", "Cartridge slot" and "Cassette deck". How do you put files in the variouses media formats? I have a cartride version of Maniac Mansion but cant put it in any slot??? How do you actully use media access.
Loving your videos so far. They are very informative and well built. You are totally spoiling us. 😂😂😂
Great Video! Love the 512k hack. I managed to make it work on thec64 mini too. BUT for the super snapshot cart to work with the 512 i had to make a save state snapshot in vice 2.4 like you did but including the snapshot crt with it. love your videos and i like more thec64 hack and assembly tuto. Thanks for sharing your knowledge
How about a mouse? Can I plug in a mouse and emulate the 1351 to run with GEOS?
It's a good system overall, but there are a couple of things that I personally would have liked to have been implemented (perhaps in a future firmware update...)
1. mouse support (would come in handy if you want to fool around with programs like GEOS)
2. Support for memory expansion modules in VIC-20 mode (perhaps with a flag(s))
Yes, mouse support would be great. I was under the impression that the VIC-20 mode already does support different memory configurations, but I haven't played with it myself yet. I know there's a section about it, anyway.
8 Bit Guy has a demo showing how to use VIC-20 expansion modules by way of flags.
I'm waiting for mine. But it seems that it could be done using the same method as REU hack - preconfiguring snapshot of GEOS and VICE settings to use 1351 mouse
Good to see you have great gamer skills as well as tech skills!
their is a flaw on the maxi keyboard is you hold down the c64 key and by pressing 1 doesnt show the correct colors so if I press 1 it shows up brown not black
That's actually correct behaviour: hold down the CTRL key to get the colours printed on the number keys (like black if you press CTRL+1). If you hold down TheC64 key (or C= key on a real C64) then you'll get the 2nd set of colours (like brown for TheC64+1).
@@8_Bit got it, I thought some kinda glitch or something thanks for the reply
How do I actually run the preinstalled games in basic? Tried load "title of the game" but then I got press play on tape and got stucked
As far as I know, the built-in games can only be launched from the carousel.
If they make a 64C version of this, I'll be getting one for sure.
"Amen" to that thought. But I'll still get a bread bin unit just in case...
I wish they would let you remap the keys for navigating the menu. I use the Apple II a lot, so I've gotten used to using cursor keys for left and right and using A and Z to move up and down.
Just wanted to point out to people: if you're not too sure how to make a D64 image in VICE, that there is a program called DirMaster that makes it very easy.
c1541 utility comes with VICE.
# create a new d64 disk image
c1541 -format "my disk,01" d64 "mydisk.d64"
# add a file to it
c1541 -attach "mydisk.d64" -write "myfavgame.prg" "myfavgame"
# list the contents
c1541 -attach "mydisk.d64" -list
You can set additional memory banks by having certain letter combos on filename of d64, and also select speed (pal/ntsc). It's on the big manual. Saves you the "hacking" hassle :)
Unless I missed something, those memory bank options are only for VIC-20 mode, while the REU hack I showed is for the C64 mode.
@@8_Bit Hmm, you might be right on this one... Time to suggest to c64 this then -->
I am glad that you also noticed the ZERO misaligned. It drives me crazy.
As an almost 50 year old Dutch 'kid', I certainly have to get this device, although I have an original CBM64 as well! ;-) I pre-ordered The C64 Maxi at www.nedgame.nl and see a picture of a C64 with the '0' on the zero-key that is aligned perfectly. See: www.nedgame.nl/afbeeldingen/the-c64-microcomputer/screenshots/3_5066541970.jpg. Perhaps a new serie/batch of C64's?
This device seems pretty awesome! Thank you for doing such an in-depth review...and for the hearty laugh at the end. Hahaha!
Great overview/review! I especially wanted to know about mounting cartridge images.
Been wondering about the speed and 50/60 Hz/PAL/NTSC issues. I watched RetroManCave's stream about the TheC64, and *everything* seemed too fast whether he booted into PAL or NTSC mode. Games like IO and R-Type (D64) were *unplayably* fast, the Monty on the Run music was on overdrive, and so on. (Video output was always shown as 60 Hz and we didn't notice any way to change it.)
But! When I run VICE on my PC, which also outputs 60 Hz video, everything feels much like it does on my real hardware PAL C64s. So the hertzitude of the video signal to the monitor doesn't seem to be an inherent problem. 'course my PC isn't a tiny system on a chip. I dunno how it all hangs together.
Just... pretty sure I wouldn't make it far into sped-up Cybernoid or IO (can't make it far into them at regular speed, either)... I can't believe NTSC gamers played like that... surely those European games weren't made for that breakneck pace!
I think TheC64 is really striving for a tight, no "tearing" sync between the HDMI display and the emulation, so the ideal is to run the HDMI at the same Hz as the VIC emulation. Presumably if you run VICE full-screen with a 60 Hz display and 50 Hz (PAL) emulation on your PC, you will see some visual artifacts from it. But maybe not! :) It'd probably be most noticeable when running games with full-screen fast scrolling.
And yeah, we really did play Cybernoid at 60 Hz. It was such a relief to finally play it at 50 Hz many years later :)
@@8_Bit I can imagine. :)
I don't "feel" that 50 fps VICE on a 60 Hz monitor causes any issues. PC games also run with all sorts of 'mismatched' and situationally shifting fps as a matter of course...
But -- I do have to use Nvidia's "ForceCompositionPipeline" option or a compositing window manager to prevent screen tearing (Linux here; don't know about Windows or Mac). So maybe that's a step the TheC64 would have to perform but can't or decided not to. (Speculation!)
That hack to enable the additional REU memory is great!!!! Thanks man.
Happy to still have my C64C.
The 'up' on my joystick is getting stuck already after less than a month. Does anyone know how to fix this. ?
You might get a real C64 with ports for a plethora of (some great quality) joysticks.
if you choose pal mode does the imppoible mission built in speak correctly ????
Is this still available in canada? missed it when it 1st came out n been looking but only found the mini version (which I don't want) not this version. I tried the "contact us" form on their site but it refused to send the message.
The full-size TheC64 never saw retail sale in Canada, unfortunately; it's only been available by mail-order. Seems to be tough to find one anywhere currently; hopefully they'll do another big run of them. There seems to be demand.
@@8_Bit I hope so too. I didn't pay attention when 1st release but it does seem cool.
Where can you buy this in Canada? Their website still says coming in December 2019....
Last I heard, they're still working on a distribution deal for North America. Hopefully we'll see it later in spring, but there's nothing official yet. Meanwhile, I've seen some people on Facebook say they're happy with their purchase from this place: www.shop4megastore.com/retro-consoles/the-c64-retro-console-uk-plug
Great vid! Nice to know there's a bit of a Canadian connection to the development of TheC64, even if you were just a lowly contractor. :) It's been a few years now since the release of this box and it's unfortunate that there never was any real Canadian distribution. Feels like Retro Games really dropped the ball on that.
Yes, I don't understand why they couldn't at least have Amazon dot ca be an official distributor along with dot com.
Keyboard with C64 stickers and all needs are covered.
Thank you. My main question how to save files to USB-Sticks you answered in this video - and many other thing. I hole that many people start programming for C64 again. I love this machine! May be next year we get with the new Atari a ebirth of competition against C64- and Atari-Systems again ;-)
Competition against real C64s, even against VICE on PCs will be harder.
wow. way to show your gaming bona fides! i'm very impressed!
Hi,
Have you tried with a real 1541 drive?
I have a usb adapter for my drive cable but apparently it is not recognized by the C64, when I type the command: load "$", 8 it seems to read a virtual drive and not the physical one.
An idea?
How does the new C64 maxi and \ or The C64 mini handle playing text adventures? The mini of course with a USB keyboard? I haven't been able to find anyone on Google, on UA-cam or anywhere mention this for neither device. Thank you in advance for any information on this. Tim
Almost perfect. Just need the C128 to be reborn with C64 and VIC20 emulation included and I'll be in Commodore 8-bit heaven again.