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 ;)

@merouby

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed Jan. What an awesome video - Merry Xmas

@MrEDET

4 жыл бұрын

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 :-/

@vbrigham

4 жыл бұрын

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.

@greggregson9687

4 жыл бұрын

@@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).

@mac70

4 жыл бұрын

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?

26:59 "so you know I'm not violating any licenses. This is, THIS IS MINE."

@csigabigaboca1987

3 жыл бұрын

The license is money without job...

I would have really loved it, if they had kept the old power-flick-switch - it was so iconic (to me, anyways).

@Magisktification

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah why would they not do that? Never mind i dont want a preyellowed one that infact is more expensive than a working original...

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!!

@stevesstuff1450

4 жыл бұрын

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.... ;-)

I can't like this video enough because of the TMP+REU instructions. Thank you so much!

Chuck Peddle (1937-2019), rest in peace.

@nawletorre7136

3 жыл бұрын

C64 TEAM STAFF -REAL GENIOUS

much better review than the 8-bit guy

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.

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!

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.

@Tech-geeky

7 ай бұрын

that's because he's got a cold... Wait till you hear his actual voice :)

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.

@JeanB-br9nw

4 жыл бұрын

I second that!

@WarrenPostma

4 жыл бұрын

I have five. I treasure them

@Zhixalom

4 жыл бұрын

@@WarrenPostma Well, I only have the one... so I guess I'll just go view it through a kaleidoscope then :P

I love your content 8-bit guy! You are a powerhouse of c64 knowledge. God bless you

I'm so tempted to get one of these. I'd love an Amiga 500 done this way, too :)

@bitwize

2 жыл бұрын

THEA500 Mini is coming out later this year!!! It doesn't just emulate an Amiga 500, but an Amiga 1200 as well!

The clicks of the micro-switches on the joystick provided untold amounts of joy in me :D

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!

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...

Mine is coming next week :) Haven't been this excited since I was 8.

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.

@francistaylor1822

2 жыл бұрын

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.

@medinachete73

2 жыл бұрын

@@francistaylor1822 8bitguy?

@francistaylor1822

2 жыл бұрын

@@medinachete73 might be

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!

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.

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!

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. :)

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.

@rossdtool

4 жыл бұрын

Selecting the pal version in the setup doesn't change the speed of Impossible Mission on my one.

I actually feel better about the machine knowing you had a hand in it!

Your channel is great. I'm so happy I found it. Best regards and happy new year.

Thank you for the best C64 review on KZread. I just love your channel. I really appreciate it when someone on KZread really knows what they're talking about. The fact that you're sharing your knowledge here is greatly appreciated.

@NuntiusLegis

3 жыл бұрын

It's not a C64, it's an emulator with half-decent keyboard.

@baardbi

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

@NuntiusLegis

3 жыл бұрын

@@baardbi Ordinary PC with VICE plus keyboard with C64 key stickers also works on the sofa and is way cheaper. ;-)

@baardbi

3 жыл бұрын

@@NuntiusLegis Absolutely. I just need to get those stickers.

I have a feeling there is going to be a huge demand for the Commodore key and logo to make this look more authentic.

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!

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 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?

The 'brown rainbow' of C64 colours! 😂

@mal2ksc

3 жыл бұрын

Would a rainbow of brown candy be called Shittles?

@paulmurgatroyd6372

3 жыл бұрын

@@mal2ksc I'm not sure the marketing people would go for that, but a C64 themed bag of skittles would be ace.

@OfficialRainsynth

3 жыл бұрын

64 shades of brown.

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!

This is an INCREDIBLE review! Saved all your The C64 videos to watch again and again. Thank you!

Amazing pro review. Looking forward to you take a look at vic-20 mode. Merry christmas.

(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!

Many Many thanks for that "different to others" review! That's exactly what I was looking for! Merry Christmas! Greetings, Doktor64!

Excellent review. Love the song at the end too.

I'll definitely use this and your other Q&A video as references when I get my C64 Maxi, great review!

Probably the best technical review I found on this device, Thanks a lot !

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...

Great, in depth review! Was waiting for this

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.

I was looking forward to this! Great review, thanks! :) And pretty good SHMUP skills as well if I might add. ;)

Hehe. very nice ending, Merry Christmas Robin, well done :)

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.

@imbezol

4 жыл бұрын

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

Nice review. That Wasteland box in the background though...

Thank you Retro Games for truly having done a remake of the C64. I love you.

What a great video and the ending was very heartwarming.

Most thorough review I've found. Thanks for making this!

Awesome review. Thank you!

I'm not at all in the market for one of these but I greatly enjoyed this examination of it.

What a brilliant video. This is not just a review, but it's a wealth of tips and tricks and pointers to info...

Oh wow you did the programming on these, that's really impressive and cool!

17:20 the infamous scream also used in another absolute classic game 'Beach Head 2'. The sounds/speech in that game were also incredible!!

Bookmarking this as it seems to be the go to for how to use this newfangled whatchamacallit, great video!

That hack to enable the additional REU memory is great!!!! Thanks man.

I have both a MAXI and a real C64. Both are good for their own purposes. Maxi will probably less likely to die in the foreseeable future...i have spent a good amount of money to resurrect my C64 including new ARMSID, CIAs, a bunch of other chips, kung fu cart, SD2IEC+fastload carts, S-video cables and PSU....But i can use real Paddles which i have built on the real C64, so plus point to the real thing there. Still trying to make a USB Paddle...but very freaking complicated unlike the C64 paddle...just analog signal input, no micro controllers. Anyway, this is probably the best review of the C64 MAXI yet...shows you all the stuff you can do with it in simple step by step, especially good for people like me who don't own a C64 back in the heydays.

Thanks for another fantasic video!!! I just ordered my own "The C64". Hope to get it before the weekend, Greetings from Sweden ;)

A fantastic review, many thanks for showing what THEC64 is really capable of 👍🏻

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

Congratulations! great video! This C64 appears to be very cool!

My C64 - which I loved - was grey and slightly larger than my friends. Turns out that some were put in old Vic 20 cases which were almost identical - but maybe 3 or 4 mm taller. The colours varied. There was beige, cream and grey that I saw brand new. Most sold and made in Europe (put together in Germany I think) were grey and many used left-over Vic 20 cases.. No one cared at the time. Seems people care more now and think that some are "wrong" - which strikes me as a very strange attitude to have.

Canadians literally apologise for everything, such nice people. Great content! Keep it up!

@scottbreon9448

4 жыл бұрын

Unless you're Don Cherry. LOL

@WarrenPostma

4 жыл бұрын

We're sorry about that

Great review. Thank you

Very informative review!

Fantastic review. Fantastic.

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

3 жыл бұрын

Emulator on PC and / or real C64 should cover your needs better for less money.

@Zion767318

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

@NuntiusLegis

3 жыл бұрын

@@Zion767318 Good luck!

@Zion767318

3 жыл бұрын

@@NuntiusLegis They specialize in servicing vintage computers like the Commodore 64. I’ve dealt with them before, very professional.

@NuntiusLegis

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

Next review should be the Ultimate64 created by Gideon!

@8_Bit

4 жыл бұрын

If I ever get one, I will definitely make a video about it :)

@skinnl18

4 жыл бұрын

I have the first batch of the elite boards....and i can say its a fantastic piece of hardware👍

can't wait to see this one in sales in Canada...I defenitively will buy it!

I am glad that you also noticed the ZERO misaligned. It drives me crazy.

@mac70

4 жыл бұрын

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?

Nice review. I have to say, this looks like a nice machine. I may look into one myself. I love the look and feel of a classic C64 with modern conveniences. This would be nice for a great number of other machines as well. A classic Amiga 500 perhaps or even Atari 2600 etc... with the same look and feel.

Happy to still have my C64C.

Amazing. Your skills are impressive!

This device seems pretty awesome! Thank you for doing such an in-depth review...and for the hearty laugh at the end. Hahaha!

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 :-)

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.

Hope they will create an *Apple IIGS* replica or *Amiga* replica! 👍👍👍👍

@bjbell52

4 жыл бұрын

I doubt if they'll ever do an Atari 800 replica since they have an emulator that works quite well.

@theslownorris7277

4 жыл бұрын

Apple will not allow anything like a IIgs retrobox

@paulstubbs7678

4 жыл бұрын

How about a later pet, as in one with a proper keyboard and a semi-pyramid screen - wow some ask!!!

I’m an Apple II fanboy, but the quality of C64 games is far superior than the Apple ports in most cases. You’ve done a great job of showing that TheC64 can emulate the actual functionality of a real C64. Will buy. Also, the PAL vs NTSC thing is what killed the PS Classic out-of-box experience. Sony used PAL versions of some of the games to cut costs. This was fixed in the modding community by allowing users to change settings either in the emulator or by just using NTSC images via USB. Thanks for the detailed review.

Excellent, excellent review. I felt ambivalent towards this thing when I first heard about it, and after I received no replies to emails I sent to the devs, but you have answered all the questions I asked them, and more. How do you find the SID sound vs an original? Now all we need is a 'The Amiga500' to come out ;)

@jonniefast

3 жыл бұрын

nothing is as good as the original SID (hence the crazy prices in synthland) - however i still enjoy my mini

I've seen videos where the original Commodore 64 keyboard sounds identical to THEC64's keyboard. What I think is happening here is that different Commodore 64s were released with different keyboards: some have membrane keyboards like THEC64, some have something a little more robust. I *know* this is true of the TI-99/4A. The one I bought has Stackpole keyswitches (making it relatively easy to fix the key glitches I experienced), but some TI-99/4As shipped with Alps or membrane switches, even considering just the silver model. Darn... now I want a THE99/4A. Maybe with emulated PEB, 32k expansion, and certainly speech synthesizer!

What would be really nifty is if you could plug in a modern USB printer and use old software like Print Shop and geoWrite like the good old days for some nice retro signs and cards and stuff. Or hook up a Raspberry Pi via a USB cable, and run tcpser on the Pi so it can be used as a modem for dialing into telnet BBS's. Guess we'll see how hackable this thing is in the months and years to come. Excellent video as always, and I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas! :)

@DaveGagliardi

4 жыл бұрын

I second this... is it possible to plug in a usb serial device and have it show up on "The C64"?

@Curt_Sampson

4 жыл бұрын

Given that the old printers themselves need to be emulated, it would probably make more sense to write an emulation of those that just generated output in PDF format, and then you can move the output documents to whatever system you like to print them, or just send the PDFs to whomever needs them.

I was able to get one a few months ago and am very happy with it.

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.

@NuntiusLegis

3 жыл бұрын

Keyboard with C64 stickers and all needs are covered.

Brilliant review. May I ask what the Commodore Security badge is about?

If they make a 64C version of this, I'll be getting one for sure.

@jm131719

4 жыл бұрын

"Amen" to that thought. But I'll still get a bread bin unit just in case...

This is a really a good review. Thanks a lot.

Easily the best review of the C64 maxi. Most reviews just show this machine playing C64 games or running two-liners written in the useless CBM Basic 2. I was curious how this replica works with TMP and not only you gave an answer, but also provided a "hack" to make it work with TMP+REU. My C64 died several years ago, and I am considering buying the C64 maxi, since it is way cheaper than the alternative options. The information you provided was really helpful. Thank you, and keep up the good work! A few questions, if you have time... Can this machine emulate the NEOS mouse (or any of the old C64 mouses) by plugging in an optical mouse in one of its USB ports? Can it emulate two disk drives? Also, I noticed that VICE often slows down while running TMP. Even cursor movement is noticeably slower after some time working on TMP; sometimes VICE also pops up a window saying memory is "dumped" (and that without messing up with reserved memory). Did you notice anything similar on "the C64"? A soft reset solves the issue in VICE, but this replica does not have a soft reset, so I wonder how it performs when working more "seriously", with larger assembly code.

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))

@8_Bit

4 жыл бұрын

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.

@paulweston1106

4 жыл бұрын

8 Bit Guy has a demo showing how to use VIC-20 expansion modules by way of flags.

@tym0tym

4 жыл бұрын

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

Great video. Everything works great but the REU hack did they patch it?

@Enkay404

3 жыл бұрын

I can't get the REU hack working either.

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.

Forgot to ask, is there mouse support for using programs like GEOS?

@SmoothTouchDown

4 жыл бұрын

USB mouse should be possible in a firmware update? Add C128 mode too.

@BertGrink

4 жыл бұрын

@@SmoothTouchDown Wouldn't a C128 mode require an extended keyboard?

Good to see you have great gamer skills as well as tech skills!

Great review. Thanks. One question: is there a way to attach a genuine Commodore floppy disk drive? As I understand it, C64 drives are serial devices, so it would seem to me that a USB serial port and a custom cable might make it possible (possibly requiring a C64 firmware update). Maybe this doesn't really matter, because people with C64 floppies probably also have a computer to attach the drive to, but I'm thinking that someone without an computer might want to buy old software on floppy disk on eBay or from a flea market and would then need some way to load it into the C64, or at least transfer the content to an image file. Ditto for cassettes. Could you attach an audio cassette player via a USB audio interface and use it to load C64/VIC20 software? Again, it seems that this should be possible, although it might require firmware support for the USB audio interface. What do you think? Does this make sense or am I making too many assumptions about Commodore's hardware?

wow. way to show your gaming bona fides! i'm very impressed!

It's a bit sad that they can't make at least one DB9 port for classic controllers. It's literally just a few wires on the IO pins and a linux driver that probably already exists.

@CrossedCoder

4 жыл бұрын

You can use a DB9 to USB adaptor for those classic controllers

@MrEDET

4 жыл бұрын

@@CrossedCoder Are you sure? I read that that doesn't work because you're required to use a joystick with 8 buttons. I actually mailed the thec64 devs about this before I order an adaptor but didn't get a reply yet

@faridmehcer6517

4 жыл бұрын

So true!! +1 to this!

@darker2426

4 жыл бұрын

Breakfast of Champion

@Vossie81

4 жыл бұрын

@@MrEDET let's hope they will answer!

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 ;-)

@NuntiusLegis

3 жыл бұрын

Competition against real C64s, even against VICE on PCs will be harder.

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 KZread or anywhere mention this for neither device. Thank you in advance for any information on this. Tim

Great Review from an Actual C64 Programmer. Love It ! Best Yet !