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Retro Video games is making a mini model of the Amiga 500

Written by Jeff Lampkin

Commodore’s Amiga 500 was one of the standard house computer systems within the period simply earlier than the PC swallowed the world. Now, thirty years and alter since its heyday, Retro Video games is making a “mini” model of the pc and video games console. Very similar to Retro Video games’ final machine, a “mini” model of the Commodore 64 that may’t use the Commodore identify, this will probably be branded as THEA500 Mini.

Retro Video games has stated that the console will embody 25 titles from the huge (and glorious) Amiga library together with One other World, Worms, Simon the Sorcerer and The Chaos Engine. The total listing of titles hasn’t been launched, but when Bart vs. The House Mutants and Dalek Assault aren’t on there, I’ll cry.

Very similar to just about each different retro console, a shiny software program layer will clean out the rougher edges of this software program. Customers will be capable of save and resume titles part-way by play, and also you’ll be capable of side-load titles you (ahem) personal over the included USB port.

Moderately than merely emulating the vanilla Amiga 500, the {hardware} will even run the Enhanced Chip Set (ECS) layers discovered within the Amiga 500 Plus, a short-lived revision launched in 1991. You’ll additionally be capable of harness the superior graphics structure (AGA) of the much-pricier flagship mannequin, the Amiga 1200.

Looks more like a CD controller to me.

Retro Video games / Koch Media

{Hardware}-wise, it’s prone to be the same type of moulded-plastic-around-a-mini-board scenario as present in THEC64 Mini. However on the equipment entrance, it’ll ship with the Amiga’s well-known two-button mouse, and a joypad that, to my eyes, appears to be primarily based on the Amiga CD32’s gamepad reasonably than the five hundred’s (which, to be truthful, was extra famously a joystick-led machine).

Image of Retro Games' THEA500 Mouse

Retro Video games / Koch Media

THEA500 Mini will launch in some unspecified time in the future in early 2023, and is predicted to value $140 (£120, €130) when it arrives. The one misgivings I’ve at this level is that Retro Video games’ earlier work with the THEC64 Mini made {that a} laborious product to like in a number of methods. Hopefully, nevertheless, a lot of these points have been resolved for the brand new mannequin, which was the item of lust for many individuals quickly be knocking on 40.

Oh, and here is the best advert for a pc ever made:

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About the author

Jeff Lampkin

Jeff Lampkin was the first writer to have joined gamepolar.com. He has since then inculcated very effective writing and reviewing culture at GamePolar which rivals have found impossible to imitate. His approach has been to work on the basics while the whole world was focusing on the superstructures.