retrogames The C64 Mini USA Version - Not Machine Specific

I wish there were a c64 keyboard that matched up to the original and that would make this perfect!

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.

Awesome nostalgia! Love this miniature C64

I've been waiting to purchase this for awhile and it did not disappoint. Fast shipping and good quality.

I also own The C64 Micro Computer. I only have the E.U. version and wanted a North American version with some exclusive built-in games, so I bought this. Plus it is cute and smaller, so good to take along when travelling.It turned out that unlike my full sized C64, the Mini refused to recognize my USB drive and refused to recognize its joystick, even though the C64 could recognize both joysticks and the USB drive was fine. I exchanged the unit but the second unit had the same issue, so I knew two consecutive defective units sent to me by a good seller was extremely unlikely.I tried an online advice to reformat the drive but ensure it is not bootable, since I got a black screen restarting with the drive inside it. After backing up the drive files first, of course, I used Windows 10's Diskpart command. After selecting the correct drive, I:a) cleanb) create partition primaryc) format fs=fat32 quickI tried again on the Mini and this time the system settings was able to detect the latest firmware update (1.6.1). It installed and restarted. Immediately after the Mini recognized my USB drive easily, (the USB icon showed up in the Carousel) and it accepted both versions of the C64 joystick!If not for the issue that was a defect when the Mini was first released, the product would have gotten 4 stars from me. There are some good built-in games. However, the main attraction is that it emulates C64 games and it is much more plug-and-play than using an emulator on your computer. I was able to emulate all the 8 or 10 games I have tried so far. Some of them require slight renaming of .d64 files described in the ONLINE PDF manual (not the paper manual). All C64 units can play NTSC or PAL games.I'm giving this Mini 3 stars instead of 4 because the joystick isn't built as well as The C64. The circular base on the bottom is loose and not glued, and I don't feel satisfying clicks when I move the joystick like I do with The C64's. It is just my personal comfort, though - yours may be different. I also found only 2 ports to be annoying if I wanted to use the joystick, external keyboard, and USB drive. Something like an USB hub (it doesn't need to be powered) would be necessary to use all three at the same time.If you have good memories of using the C64 when you were younger, you would be happy with either product. You will have very quick load times compared to using the original with floppy disks! If you can only get one, I recommend the full sized The C64. I just love having the almost original keyboard and it makes some games easier (original keys and you can fit keyboard overlays from some boxed games on it since the size and dimensions are identical to the original keyboard). The C64 has a better joystick and four USB ports - so you can have an USB drive, two joysticks, and still have one free port since you will already have a keyboard. If you can only buy one region, I suggest E.U. - I personally think it has better/more interesting games and you can use .d64 files for any game you want that isn't in your system by default. I am still very happy with my Mini and I can see myself using it from time to time even though I still have The C64.

Really this device is an incredibly nice emulation device, and a lot of that is due to the excellent joystick. I prefer TheVIC20, since I have a full size keyboard on that one, but this is a nice portable alternative. The only issue is that I'm not an action joystick gamer, I prefer adventure, strategy type keyboard-heavy or hybrid keyboard titles.FLAG USE(!):The thing is, I've been using emulators for decades and I just assumed some multi-disk or other odd games wouldn't work with this device - old D64 titles that I tried and gave up on. Then I read the manual. While particularly important for the VIC20 due to memory options, you need to use flag codes on some C64 files too. It's an easy, one time process. Just rename some files with an underbar and the flags in any order at the end before .D64 or .TAP so they utilize the correct emulator settings. This was very helpful. And even just learning how to swap multi-disk files. The manual is easy to follow and key. I suggest printing out a few of the best bits.If you're like me you can't stand Summer Games - AKA the "joystick buster" and just want some time with Infocom's The Lurking Horror. Or some hybrid joystick action with Below the Root. Happy gaming!

returned it was terrible game play .

Great little computer tried a lot of games and they have all worked, except the vic20,may have to add something to the usb.Great service and arrived before time stated.