retrogames The C64 Mini USA Version - Not Machine Specific

Really cool little gadget. It comes with some pretty cool games. But it also supports loading .tap (tape) .d64/d81 (disk images) and .crt (cartridge images) for thousands of games you can find online. Though for some games you will need to read the manual on how to create .cjm files which lets you customize the emulation to make the games work (though most games don't require this). By the way, the manual is excellent.Let me just get one of the bad things out of the way. The joystick as other reviews have said is as cheap as it gets. Really not conducive to accurate control but it's enough to scratch the itch and experience the c64 at least.So to really effectively use this device I would recommend upgrading the joystick right away. If you're not sure, this is my setup that I'm pretty happy with:- A mini USB hub. (2 ports provided are not enough) So a hub with 4 ports should work.- Logitech G F710 Wireless Gamepad, this controller is wireless and its supported by the C64-mini. It's a quality controller which also works with the PC. So it's versatile.- a USB thumb drive. An inexpensive USB thumb-drive should work so that you can transfer the games you download with your computer to the C64-mini.- and a regular USB keyboard. Even though a virtual keyboard is provided, and accessible through the Start button on your controller/joystick. Having an actual physical keyboard is a notable quality of life improvement.One thing I did not realize before getting the C64-Mini is how vibrant the C64 community is. There are new games being released all the time and there is a huge community of C64 enthusiasts. This little machine has sent me back to my childhood and let me relive some of the coolest gaming moments of my youth.Furthermore it has intrigued my 10 year old nephew, who I didn't expect would love these 8-bit games as much as he does.I highly recommend this to anyone either looking to experience the early days of home computer entertainment, or those looking for a retro gaming experience that won't break the bank. If retro games are your thing, C64 has thousands of games.

First off, the worst thing about it is the preloaded games. There's a few good but mostly average or below games. The emulation for the most part is really good. Very crisp graphics, and good sound. The joystick isn't as horrible as what a lot of people make it out to be as soon as you get used to it.What really puts this over the top is what doesn't come out of the box. To maximize the potential some things are needed. 1. a cheap usb keyboard (I had some just lying a round, you definitely don't need or really want to use as gaming keyboard). 2. a usb hub ( I got this one Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub with Individual LED Power Switches (HB-UM43) and its working well so far) 3. usb flash drive (i'm using a 32gb sandisk with no problems). For power i'm using a generic 2 amp phone charging base and having no problem powering everything connected. This is how i have it set up.Before doing anything else go to retrogames.biz and download the firmware update put it on the flash drive and follow instructions, this is crucial if you want to use other games and/or software. with this firmware you can play most single disk disk games off a flash drive without doing anything else (side loaded games is where the usb keyboard becomes crucial). Supported file types (that i have found) are .d64 .t64 .crt .prg .d81 (mixed success). There are some compilations for the c64 mini if you google it. Also if you want to play ultima 4, do a search for ultima 4 c64 remaster, this has a remastered version of it , one of them is a crt, so there is no problem with disk swaps.On the whole it has been a great experience and it appears they are going to keep updating it.

OK, so the lifespan of my joystick - less than two weeks (13 days) with moderate usage. I figured I was safe. Guess not. The problem is VERY clear - Retrogames needs to use a longer screw in the process, because the composite material WILL break at the tip of the screw. THIS IS A $1.50 fix!!!!! There is literally no way to lodge a complaint with RetroGames, in spite of being directed to their “support” site. *SIGH*Now, the great (and it is great!): this takes me back to my childhood, I had a blast playing the games, I finally found directions for all the games I couldn’t figure out and I was having a blast until the joystick snapped in half last night. The system is well worth the money, and the joystick would be a simple enough fix for RetroGames if they bothered.