The C64
Introduction
The C64 from Retro games Ltd. is a 1:1 replica of a 'bread bin' style Commodore 64 (please see Commodore 64 for more information) which, while mostly looking like an original C64 from the outside, internally emulates both the Commodore 64 and VIC-20 microcomputers (see Commodore VIC-20 for more information). It can be used both in carousel mode, in which the built-in games can be selected and played, as well as classic mode which lets you program and load software for either the C64 or VIC-20. Please read on to learn more about The C64.
Notes: The C64 is rendered as 'THEC64' in official material but referred to as 'The C64' by most other sources, which is what will be used on this page.
Unless otherwise stated the screenshots on this page were taken using an Elgato capture card.
Overview
Released by Retro games Ltd. in December 2019, The C64 is a follow up of The C64 Mini, giving rise to its nickname 'The C64 Maxi' as, unlike the mini version, the new iteration is close to the size of an original C64. The C64 Mini did not have a functioning built-in keyboard but the new version does, so it's a good solution to reliving the C64/VIC-20 era while using a device that resembles a Commodore 64 to get that authentic experience. Having a working keyboard and with The C64's support for both PAL and NTSC modes, as well as 50Hz and 60Hz support means that The C64 is compatible with all software designed for a C64 or VIC-20 rather than just those that use a joystick.
Beside the already mentioned points, The C64 is useful for people that just want to play around with a simple system that they can practice BASIC on. In addition, unlike the other clones, The C64 appears to be licensed at least in terms of software as the legal notices found in the credits section under options acknowledge the various developers of the software built-in to the system.
For the official The C64 site please follow this link:
Useful pages within the site include the support page which has a links to the full manual and upgrading The C64 firmware:
https://retrogames.biz/thec64/support
In the box of The C64 you get the system, USB joystick, HDMI cable, DC5V/1A power supply with detachable USB cable, and quick start guide. On the bottom of the system are the words 'THE C64 (c) 2019 Retro games Ltd.' and 'MOD. RGL003'. MOD. possibly stands for module. The quick start guide is written in multiple languages and has the look of a manual you would have got with an original C64, however, it does not go into great detail about the system like an original manual but the downloadable manual from the official site, which consists of 114 pages, goes into much more detail about using the system.
While looking like an original C64, The C64 is lacking many of the original ports such as the cartridge port, serial port, and so on but this is to be expected as The C64 features built-in software and can emulate features that would have made use of the cartridge port, such as expansion RAM, although it does mean some software written for an original C64 will not work. On the right side of the system are 3 full size USB ports and a 'soft' power switch which also functions as a menu button when pressed while the device is on (very handy if you are using a controller that does not replicate the menu button found on the included joystick). At the back we find another full size USB port, standard HDMI output port (the system outputs at 1280 x 720), and micro USB power in. While I'm happy with HDMI, and it's great to see clear, 720p output, it would have been nice to have composite also to get that retro look (The C64 does, however, have selectable filters) and possibly to reduce lag but I appreciate adding analog output would not have been straightforward.
The keyboard is not as good as an original C64 but still quite satisfying to use and you can type fast on it and compared to the Mini, which didn't have a functioning built-in keyboard, it's better to have, and makes it feel more like a 'real' C64. The layout is similar to an original C64 and even has the graphic symbols on the keys but there are little differences, such as not having a locking shift lock (shift lock status is indicated on-screen by an upward arrow top right of the display) and the original 'C64' key has been replaced with 'THE C64' key. On the case there is a 'THE C64' banner instead of a Commodore 64 banner and a nice touch is the power LED looks like as on an original (and comes on almost immediately when The C64 is powered on). A virtual keyboard can be called up through a menu option, which is handy for entering a name, etc when playing a game, although of course you can use the built-in keyboard.
The joystick is an improved one over what was included in the Mini version of The C64 as it features microswitches so it has that satisfying feel and sound when the buttons are pressed or the joystick is pushed, just like you would expect from a retro style joystick. However, after a short use of the stick one of the directions has become sticky (at least one other person has had a similar problem going by online reviews). As with the joystick that came with The C64 Mini, the joystick has 2 action buttons as well as 4 small buttons that have different functions, such as to call up the system menu or perform a menu operation. Because the 4 small buttons are mapped to keyboard keys m, a, b, and c they may prove useful for games that use keyboard controls.
You may use up to 2 USB joysticks/controllers on The C64 but whatever joystick or controller that you use it should ideally have at least 8 buttons for full functionality. Note that in carousel mode a joystick/controller must be connected before a game is launched otherwise the game cannot be played with it. You can also use 'generic' USB controllers/joysticks and I found that an imitation SNES controller I have worked but only the d-pad and left shoulder button (acting as the fire button).
The C64 supports loading tape, disk and cartridge images for the C64/VIC-20 from an attached flash drive as long as the drive has been formatted as FAT32 with MBR (Master Boot Record). Please see pages 50 to 52 of the full manual for a list of all compatible file types and note, as mentioned in the manual, to use a cart file in C64 classic mode that has the 'prg' extension, you must rename it to have the 'crt' extension. Unfortunately, The C64 does not support compressed file images but fortunately C64 and VIC-20 files are usually small.
Flags can be added to filenames to instruct TheC64 how to treat the program (VIC-20 mode, memory expansion options, etc). Alternatively, cjm files can be created which can do more than the filename flags and can affect more than one file; see from page 57 of the full manual for information on file settings. It's unfortunate that when in VIC-20 classic mode you cannot set the memory expansion option for when writing a program from the beginning but you could save the program early on, add filename flag, and reload the file.
By default programs load using a fast loader but in case of any incompatibility issues the fast loader can be disabled by pressing c when loading a file or by using the appropriate joystick button. You can also load and save your own programs which most likely you will want to do by using the emulated floppy drive via a connected flash drive. In classic mode, if a suitable flash drive is connected to the system, The C64 automatically creates a default virtual disk file called 'THEC64-drive8.d64' at root. As already mentioned, other files can be loaded from a flash drive and they can be located in subfolders.
First steps
Using The C64 couldn't be easier; plug a TV or monitor into the system using the supplied HDMI cable, connect the joystick to one of the USB ports and attach power using the provided power supply and cable. Press the power switch briefly and after about 7 seconds you should hear a brief jingle and see the boot logo:
After a further 7 seconds you should be greeted with the 'carousel' screen (see below) for selecting games or classic mode if the boot mode has been changed.
The carousel is ideal for those that just want to jump in and start playing games with a selection of 64 (or more if you have updated the firmware) titles to choose from as well as a Hall of fame acting as a credits screen. For a list of the games please see:
https://retrogames.biz/thec64/europe
Note that the page doesn't actually include all the games (at the time of writing this article) as some from the updates have been left off.
To play a game in carousel mode start by choosing a game using left/right on the joystick and press fire to begin playing or alternatively there are options at the bottom of the screen that can be selected for sorting the games by genre, title, etc, as well as display and other options. Each game is presented with its box art and a highlighted game will alternate between two screenshots along with a brief description of the software, details of those responsible for making the game, genre and release date.
As well as not having to sit through the loading of tapes as with the 'old days' of the C64 another advantage of having included games in The C64 is that there is a mixture of both original releases and new titles as recent as 2020. In the image above you can see that City Crusher Arcade (available in firmware update 1.5.2) has been selected, a game from 2020 that wouldn't have looked out of place in the 80's and is actually for the VIC-20 (would be nice if they made it clearer what system each game is for). It's a challenging game where you have to time the dropping of bombs to destroy buildings before your ship crashes into one of them. An issue I found with this game is as instructed you need to press F1 a few times when prompted to insert coins to add credits yet at times it did not respond no matter how many times I pressed F1.
Here is a screenshot of the game in action:
Another game, Cosmic Causeway for the C64, originally released in 1987, has you controlling a chequered sphere at high speed along a landscape avoiding pits and other obstacles:
Super Cycle, a game from 1986 for the C64, has you drive a motorbike and race against a number of opponents as you try to take turns at high speed while trying to not slip off the track:
To see some of the games in action why not check out my video on The C64:
A very nice feature of The C64 is that you can enter classic mode, either C64 or VIC-20, and practice your BASIC programming as if it were an original C64 or VIC-20, with the C64 mode seen as follows:
If you're used to how a C64 or VIC-20 looks through RF or composite on a non-emulated system then the crispness of the graphics is very pleasing to see although there is the issue of aspect ratio to deal with. Initially I had the display option set to pixel perfect which to my eyes seems to stretch the image, as seen above. In comparison here is the same screen but with the display option set to PAL 4:3 which likely represents better an original (PAL) C64 and even if it's hard to see the difference you can see the black borders at the sides are larger than in the previous image, so the actual C64 image is less stretched:
All screenshots other than the one above have been taken with the pixel perfect option, however, as that's what it was initially set to but if you desire the option's there if you prefer a more faithful reproduction of the C64/VIC-20's graphics, along with CRT filter option to get that really retro feel.
While we're in C64 mode let's look at a very simple program which uses BASIC to display the numbers 1 to 10, an example of perhaps someone's first BASIC program:
At any time you can quick press the button on the side of The C64 or the menu button on the joystick to bring up a number of options (and pause everything else) which lets you load or save the system state (meaning you can resume the system exactly as it was even after power off), access files and the options screen:
Lightly pressing the button again closes the options pop-up.
The full options screen can be seen below:
One option under device settings is to set both the current computer model, C64 or VIC-20 with PAL/NTSC options, as well as the default computer model:
Here is the VIC-20 welcome screen:
If you need to power off the system just press and hold the power switch for 2 seconds or you can select to shut down from the menu option.
It is a good idea before going any further to upgrade The C64's firmware in case there are fixes for bugs but first check the current firmware version in the options menu under System information. For me, I found it reported:
theC64-1.3.0-amora is version 1.3.0
Which is version 1.3.0.
Use the following link to see if there is a newer firmware version to download:
https://retrogames.biz/thec64/support/upgrade-thec64
Firmware can be upgraded by downloading the new version, putting it on root of flash drive and inserting the drive into a USB port of The C64 and then the option to upgrade will be available under the System information option on The C64.
Tips & tricks
An FAQ can be found at:
https://retrogames.biz/support/faq
In the options, you can set the language for menu text to be displayed in either English, German, Spanish, French or Italian.
If The C64 becomes unresponsive press the power button for 6 seconds to force shutdown and the try powering on again.
In case of 50Hz incompatibility, you can force the system into 60Hz by pressing and holding the POWER switch for six seconds from power off.
It's important to set the right combination of PAL/NTSC and 50/60Hz in the options since it can negatively affect how a program runs. For e.g., an original PAL C64 ran at 50Hz so if The C64 is set to PAL at 60Hz, programs designed for an original PAL C64 will run faster and there may be audio or video issues. However, The C64 does try to compensate at least with the audio using audio scaling. The PAL/NTSC and 50/60Hz options are automatically handled when you launch a game from the carousel, based on the software chosen.
Successor
In 2022 Retro games Ltd. released a miniature version of the Amiga 500 called The A500 Mini which you can learn more about on my The A500 Mini page.
Note that firmware update 1.6.1 for The C64 adds support for The A500 Mini's controller and mouse.
All content of this and related pages is copyright (c) James S. 2020-2022