The classic Commodore 64 8-bit home computer from the ‘80s was already given the miniaturised re-release treatment back in 2018 with The C64 Mini, but now Retro Games Ltd. has double-dipped and released a 1:1 replica of the beautiful beige and brown beast that once sheltered underneath TVs in millions of lounge rooms the world over. Dubbed simply ‘The C64’, the new unit comes at a substantially higher sticker price than its pint-sized predecessor ($199AUD/£109.99GBP compared to $149AUD/£69.99GBP), but with that increase in expense comes a more functional system and a better built controller bundled with it. As a result The C64 is the optimal way to revisit the system in 2020, even though it’s not without some disappointments in terms of its revised list of preloaded games.
Here’s what I said when I reviewed The C64 Mini back in March, 2018: “The C64 Mini looks the part and features a considerable lineup of games, many of which are just as fun and charming today as they were thirty years ago. Further, support for ROMs and firmware upgrades gives the system an appreciable edge over competing products on the market. I just wish Retro Games Ltd. hadn’t seemingly cut corners on the build of the controller, as it has a tendency to amplify the frustration in games that are already hard as nails. Still, a lot of my fondest memories of the Commodore 64 were enjoyed in spite of its technical issues and limitations, so perhaps on some level there’s an apt amount of authenticity to the C64 Mini’s flaws.”You can read my full review of the totally Commodore-able C64 Mini here.
Much of my critique of The C64 Mini also applies to its full scale big brother, The C64. The key differences between the two other than physical size is that The C64 features a working keyboard, meaning you don’t need to introduce additional clutter by attaching your own one via USB in order to enter POKE cheats or code your own programs in BASIC, and the included joystick features microswitches making it feel (and sound) much closer to the Competition Pro controller that it’s based upon. The latter change may seem small – micro, even – but it has a significant impact, making for inputs that are vastly more precise and satisfying to pull off than those offered by the comparatively spongy stick that shipped with The C64 Mini. (It’s worth highlighting for existing owners of The C64 Mini that the new micro switch-equipped joystick packaged with The C64 can also be bought separately.)
The inclusion of an enhanced controller makes it slightly disappointing, then, that some of my latter-day favourites from the system that were present on The C64 Mini, such as Creatures, Armalyte and Hawkeye, are absent from The C64. Whether due to licensing issues (perhaps tellingly, the three mentioned plus a number of others were all published by Thalamus) or a deliberate curatorial choice on behalf of Retro Games Ltd., I can only speculate, however it makes for a list of preloaded titles on The C64 that’s slightly weaker overall than that of The C64 Mini.
It also seems like somewhat of a missed opportunity that, given the fully functioning keyboard of The C64, only one text adventure has made the cut in the form of Planet of Death. Other text-based gems like Zork or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy would certainly have been welcome inclusions for players who favour a thousand words over a single picture.All that said, there is still a wonderful list of returning titles here, including California Games, Chips Challenge, Speedball 2 and Boulder Dash, and some worthy new additions such as Hover Bovver and Attack of the Mutant Camels, both from the genius mind of Jeff Minter. There’s a nice variety of genres included in The C64’s library of 64 titles, and they’re all much more playable than they were on The C64 Mini thanks to the more responsive and tactile controller.