The C64 Mini

$80, TV, Smart Toy

Teaches: video game history, classic games

CTR Review

Let's get this out of the way -- that cool looking keyboard is fake -- it's just a solid block of plastic. In fact all the controls on this mini game console are on the large joystick, which plugs into the solid plastic C64 "computer" which is about the size of a large sponge. But this "sponge" has soaked up a lot of vintage games -- 64 to be exact. Also, the AC adapter is not included -- you need to supply your own. The HDMI cable is, and the unit is easy to set up and plug into any HDMI display, where you can view 64 games in 720p resolution. We were less than impressed with the titles we tried (although the music and game facts are almost worth the price of this console). Launched in 1982, the C64 home computer was once more popular than the Apple II, and it came with a version of BASIC that was very accessible. As a result there was a lot of game development, by studios with names like Epyx, Gremlin Graphics, Hewson and The Bitmap Brothers. Titles included California Games, Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe, Paradroid and Impossible Mission. The company claims that a full sized version is planned. We tested many of the games and found them hard to play. In addition, it is very hard to enter your initials to sign into a game. It is possible to plug in a standard USB PC keyboard into one of the USB ports, however. Learn more at https://thec64.com/ and see the entire list of games at https://thec64.com/games/.