You just can't beat the old C64 with the smell of burning plastic of the transformer heating up powering the system. The tape deck loading and getting excited while watching the loading music and graphics.

That short moment Boulder Dash was to seen on the screen got me,great content mate, subbed !

It's nice to see that your young daughter actually finds interest in the breadbin. It makes me smile eben more than the full size THE C64 😁

Love to see how your family is also supporting your hobby!

Best feature of the "MAXI" is that it comes with built-in option to function as a VIC-20.

Parenting done right! Your wife is also a star for getting you the unit for your birthday! Happy Birthday, keep up the awesome content.

The way your daughter holds the joystick.... Amazing!

I feel like this replica is extremely overlooked. Why I haven't heard of this but only the other crazy expensive options. For such a low price, the fact you can also do programming on it and essentially develop your own games out of the box and save/side load games using memory card is make it a relatively cheap and unique game console and computer alternative that also can be used for educational purposes. I feel like there is still a market today for a home computer like this at this price but it is advertised only to retro computer enthusiasts and the crazy price of other replicas make people ignore it completely. Sure kids today want a Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox, iPad but they would certainly have some fun family time with something like this especially if you want to introduce your kids to programming.

Ha! Awesome. I am very pleased you're educating our youth *CORRECTLY* :) Humour aside.. it's great that they get some of the experience we had. Good on you.

Ugh.. I wish we never got rid of our c64 setup. We had everything. 1541 disk drive, datasette, a printer which may have been from a c16 because it was black. Lots of software on disk too. I didn’t have a monitor though. The display device was a huge mid ‘80’s 21” TV. Then we got a PC...

Nice to see your little one make an appearance - and that she is ENJOYING the C64! :)

Ahhhh the Commodore 64. Soooooooooo much fun when I was a kid (my first computer).

10:58 There were several variations of the Competition Pro joystick, and all the ones I've seen (four or five different ones) did have microswitches, and very nice ones, too, with short travel, a light click and very little resistance in the stick. Only the fire buttons had leaf switches.

I’m a new subscriber and I have really enjoyed your videos. Your PC knowledge is incredible and your videos are so relaxing to watch.

It’s actually a big benefit that they made the power button as is, because when it’s put on, the button works as the menu button of the joystick.

It’s a nice recreation. I’ve got the mini version and an original unit with a 1541-mark 2. It appears that the joystick is made from the same moulding as the C64 DTV that was released about 15 years ago which was created by Jeri Ellsworth. The suzo arcade is my favorite “bomb proof” joystick as it’s made of reinforced concrete! 😄 It’s unbreakable.

I've a few original C64's too but it's always worth adding a modern version to my collection so I've just ordered myself one..great video as usual 😀

I'd always heard that the European power supplies were more reliable than the American ones. Usually it's the US ones people talk about frying the system. Most people here in the US had floppy drives. I actually had a cassette drive for the first year that I owned my C64. Very little software was available on tape here and the one commercial game I did have, Zaxxon, took forever to load. Floppy disks weren't especially fast either, but most people had some kind of cartridge to speed up the loading of single files and make disk commands easier to use. In the later years, companies started using disk turbo routines that could load a game in seconds. I'm curious though, when you load a game from USB, does the new C64 let you use save states, or is that only for the built-in games? BTW, people should be aware that you can buy cartridges for a real C64 that will let you load games off an SD card, so while it may not have built-in games, you can do essentially the same thing with a real C64. In fact, in some ways the 1541 Ultimate devices have even more capabilities than the new C64.

Nice to see a C64 Video from you! More of that please! :-) Greetings, Doc64!

Thanks for this review. I got The C64 on my bday and enjoy it a lot. Even modern demos run fine (with accurate disk drive emulation), line "X marks the spot" with a nice Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. But I also have the impression, that joystick input lag is much higher than on the original C64.

Great review / comparison!! My kids are also into retro computing - a good game is still a good game 40 yrs later! Also like your cassette / dataset! I haven’t seen that model before!

You forgot one more joystick model on the original: The one from the Atari 2800. That is the one I used forever until I bought a Quickshot. That Atari Joystick could survive atomic blasts and 100 meter dash in Summer Games! :) Definitely a super sturdy joystick. For anyone wondering, the original C-64 didn't come with a joystick included... you had to supply your own.

I started learning BASIC on the original Commodore 64 when 1st came out!😊

OMG! Lot of years passed, but I never forgot to put floppy disks far from CRT !! You did :) Love your videos, thanks and pls do more! Cheers, M

good video. Did it get demonetized due to the carousel music from the C64?

Cool that your daughter also enjoys the games! :)

Hello Sir, congrats for your birthday. A big thumbs up for your daughter.. She is enjoying such an old machine, not all hope on the youth is lost...

Just got the Amiga 500 mini its like stepping back into the 80s ..cool post m8

Thank you, it was fun to watch👍✌

Here in USA still waiting for C64 Maxi. ;) Thanks for the video. Enjoyed it.

A great video thank you very much. It was a great comparison and great to see how faithfully they kept to the original.

Very nice device. The joystick is still a worry... And it would've been nice if the new device could use at least SOME of the original accessories (cartridge port seems the most obvious choice) - though it's understandable why it doesn't. Overall an impressive way of reviving and old system. Sure it's emulation under the hood... But never underestimate replicating the physical experience of old systems. And while for old consoles that mostly means replicating the controller (part of the appeal of 'mini' consoles over pure emulation), for an old computer, replicating the keyboard especially also matters.

I agree with all of your statements. TheC64 from Retro Games is really well done and gives us that playing experience from the good old days back. Only thing is, you can’t use cassettes, floppys and modules for me personally not that important to wait for loading a game…). But there is one more things you didn’t discuss in this video: The original BASIC mode in this new C64: I even programmed a whole game in BASIC last christmas on my TheC64. And it worked very well, even all the peeks and pokes for sound and color changes and so on. My game worked and showed even more, how compatible the new THEC64 is to the old machine. I love my The C64, giving me also the programming experience from the old days back. Thank you for your good comparison (except the BASIC mode) and your good work with this video.

I remember wishing desperately in my early teens that my Commodore 64 joystick had two different firebuttons. This would’ve made Commando a much better experience then when I had to launch grenades with my toes on the space bar. Who knew that game controllers would eventually expand to include twelve buttons (two of them analog) and two thumbsticks?

I have never seen a power strip like yours. Why does each outlet have a protruding prong?

Hey that’s awesome! Love this!

What sound chip is inside the new release? SID?

Another Great Video Thank You

Somebody has to say it; the new one is actually not called Commodire 64, but C64. Retro Games does not have the rights to the Commodore name, that's why it doesn't have any commodore logos or other things saying Commodore. Otherwise great video!

Love the old games and the c64 music.

Does theC64 full size load tape image files like a real C64 would (loading screens and music etc)??

Very nice video review.

Does this have a SID chip for sound like the original?

I have document files on floppy disks using Easy script (& the 1541 Disk Drive) from my original Commodore 64. How might I retrieve those files and transfer the data to a modern computer (microsoft word). Or if that fails to otherwise print out those files at letter quality and speed ?

Couple fast questions: 1. What joysticks are compatible? 2. How to change (virtually) game port? 3. How to use multi disc games?

iv got my young kids 7 and younger years old the real Commadore 64 and zx spectrums amstrad ect as it learns them something they never get chance to learn in this modern day, patience, and they really do need to learn that, or they will fail in life in years to come

I have the original monitor. Now that the format is HDMI, how would I install the new version to my original monitor?

The Quick Shot 2 Joystick is the best Joystick, he is undestroyable. My Set: C64II Datasette Floppy 1541-II 2x Quick Shot II President Printer Reset Modul GeOS Modul

Nice video :-) And it's really neat that you can use this C64 for basic programming, and also assembly language as well. It seems to be a very well emulated system, such that when using is virtually identical to the original... and even has a VIC 20 built-in as well..!! It's a very clever computer, and brilliant for retro gaming ;-)

The C64 Maxi is really the best thing happened to retrogaming in the last years

Nice video. And it's nice that your daughter finds interest in th C64. My son unfortunately doesn't. Even though he likes gaming. How well does The C64 compare to using emulators when playing games? Does it have any advantage?

Did Commodore make a joystick? Was it any good? I always used my Atari 2600 joystick.

Can you do a side by side comparison of the same game from the old and new systems

still have my VIC 20 and the C 64 with drive!

Good job. You gave a balanced assessment.

Awesome Subbed yah dude

Another great video, thanks! I've been debating getting one of these... I have an original breadbin with accessories in storage, but it is such a hassle to hook it up, and even then, the image quality is atrocious on a modern TV.

The Last Ninja 1&2 Target Renagade, Hawkeye, Way of the Exploding Fist, Kung Fu Master, Rambo, Impossible Mission 2 and Robocop I loved playing in the late 80s ❤️

Happy birthday! If there is a maxi, in my mind it is the original Commodore 64, or perhaps the C128. This new C64 looks nice, and I will probably get one, but I'd rather have the real thing, the real Maxi. ;)

Nice, but not enough. What is the operating system? How do I get a Commodore 64 programme from tape to a flash-drive? Is it possible to make a programme on the New C64 and store it? A few questions not answered.

4:50 So, no option to route the sound separately from HDMI?

I just powered up an original C64 in the original box. It works! -- sending it to the land of Ebay this week.

I am waiting for a new C64C. The bread bin is not the C64 I used.

Where do I order one from ?

Did you take a look at the VIC-20 mode in this machine? I know the new machine is so much easier to use but I can't help myself and I always prefer the original hardware. Part of the experience is the mess of wires and accessories :) Always good to see the next generation taking interest in these old machines (or new old machines, you know what I mean). My kids get plenty of enjoyment out of my collection too, I just wish I could get my wife to buy me the hardware!

Congrats!

Can you get audio other then via HDMI? I have a HDIM to DVI converter and would like to use it with older 4/3 LCD.

Really nice, i hope to have a family which supports me as well one day

I heartily recommend Barbarian, Uridium, Terra Cresta, Arkanoid, Ghosts n Goblins, as 5 must have titles, if you are new to the 64, with its 🤩 ng SID sound chip. Diagonals can be tough to pull off on gamepads though, so a usb to retro controller adaptor is a better choice. If you can get your paws on a Speedking joystick, I recommend it. Happy gaming.🎉

Is it an 8bit or 16 bit processor?

The TAC-2 was the most popular joystick here in Sweden.

Anybody remember sticking a bent paperclip in one of the ports on the back to reset it then type in some sys number?

May have missed it in video, but does it accept firmware update to add any software?

hermoso video. muchas gracias

Does the new c64 have basic included?

Back in 2004, I threw out 2 C64's, their power supplies, loads of accessories. One was the 'sausage roll', the other a C64C. What was I thinking ?

Does the base video output / menu support 4:3? I've noticed you're using it on a 16:9 screen.

A small question - you almost hooked it up to a monitor, have you tried to plug in a USB sound device? I don't know if they are standard enough that the c64 could support them - but I also have not come across any reviews that posed the question... Likewise, do you have some experience on using other USB controllers with it?

You might be right about most people only being interested in the games. But, I sincerely doubt I'll spend any time there and have configured mine to boot to Classic mode. I didn't buy it as a game machine. It's actually a computer.

oh that was so ❤️

Prefer the C64C design these days. An original model would be nice, preferably recapped, with an SD card solution, scart connection, and so on. However, the Maxi does have save/ load states which are incredibly important for the 64. Some games such as the criminally infuriating Exolon really need help.

Hi I have an original C64 in my dorm room :3 i already got av cables and i bought a psu (not gonna risk making one myself), so i can’t wait to use it :)

I also got the Maxi some weeks ago, and although it is well made, I just haven’t warmed to it. It is pretty much just ARM computer running with slightly modified VICE. It is much more restricted than something built on RPi and for example I had problems getting it to show picture on two of my computer monitors, because the thing apparently needs specific EDID signals. It works fine with my 4k OLED telly, though. And the joystick. Although it is improvement over the mini, it is still imo quite crappy and real Competition Pro (I have one modern USB version) is lightyears better. I have been fiddling with Amstrad CPC 6128 I recently got for the past week or so. It has a Gotek with flashfloppy, which makes life much easier, compared to using those 3” floppies. I also use OSSC, so it is possible to have the picture converted to HDMI without distortions or delays. Of course everything doesn’t work correctly on flatscreens as some games and demos employ CRT specific tricks for scrolling etc., but 99% does work beautifully. OSSC also syncs to new resolutions faster than my monitor. It is a terrific piece of equipment. With real hardware, everything works 100% as it should and with Amstrad, I am able to add several aftermarket hobbyist addons, such as M4 board (which offers wifi, for example), speech and sound synthesitators, other operating systems and so on. Also, these old systems being a little fiddly is just part of the charm :)

One thing that does not work like the real Commodore 64 is the Shift/Lock key. Does not lock. No biggie, but I am sure they could of included a locking key. Just sayin'

It's very cool and appealing although I would prefer it had a 3.5mm audio plug so that PC speakers can be used with a monitor. Maybe that's a future mod? Cheers

This is a great replica.. though I wish they had put in the original serial/disk drive port into this replica,so I could use my real C1541 disk drives. Or maybe they could come out with an accessory adapter, say USB-to-DIN-serial port? That would be cool.

Once you're playing, especially with a game that also needs keyboard use, you get the same nostalgia!

I wish more content creators would do follow ups on the joystick, which is a big problem. RetroGames needs some pressure put on them. For me, the buttons began sticking and then the stick itself began sticking. After that I noticed the sheath coming off the cable. All of this was with light use at a desk. It seems most people who use this machine on a regular basis end up replacing the controller with a Speedlink Competition Pro. Personally, I went with a Logitech F710. A lot of things about TheC64 are excellent, but the controller isn’t one of them.

I've had mine for a couple of months and I love it, but it's starting to crash, lock up and switch off by itself. Also the joystick has gotten really loose and will stick in the up position. I still love it.

Replace the stick screw altogether. I got my thec64 yesterday and on 2nd time opening the stick the screw broke. Had to dremel it out.

Hm just a question, where is the unboxing of the original C64? :)

This new c64 use the 68k Motorola cpu?

I've seen this in stores, and the color seems a lot different. I'm in Europe as well.

wow I just saw this video. Thanks for explaining. I have 2 broken C64 and C64 mini. I didn't like C64 mini because of lag. I heard C64 Maxi does not have lag. only problem today here is you cannot buy from anywhere :(

I almost miss my old C=128’s with CMD RAMLinks...

The c-64 still has latency... and you can still have an sd2iec reader hooked up as a floppy on a normal c-64 - or if you really like a cool alternative the 1541 ultimate ii+ is an expensive but gantastic addition to your old c-64. The experience on an original one will still beat the quick fix Maxi. Its still cool and good for some quick gaming and easy to set up on modern equipment but on actiongames where timing is needed you will have a harder time then on an original c-64. they improved the latency on the maxi compared to the minis - still there is some latency I don‘t like. Check the 8bit guy‘s video of the maxi where he adresses the problem. Still nice video here cheers !

I used an Atari 2600 joystick on my old C64.

Opened my joystick as it didn't work properly, found that same screw lose. guess some one at the assembly is a sleep. :-)

What happened to the 1541? Mains filter blown?

What is hardware? Inside, emulating?