The next mini console is the Amiga 500, which comes with Worms and Chaos Engine
Players can also plug in their own PC keyboard and add their own ROMs
The makers of the C64 Mini have announced plans for a new mini console based on the Commodore Amiga 500, the A500 Mini.
The A500 Mini will be released in early 2022 and will cost $139.99 / €129.99 / £119.99, creator Retro Games Ltd announced on Tuesday. In the UK, it’s available to pre-order now at Game.
The retro console will include 25 classic Amiga games built-in, including Worms, The Chaos Engine, Another World and Simon the Sorcerer.
Players will also be able to insert a USB stick with their own Amiga ROMs and play those too, with full WHDLoad support (which lets players install Amiga games to a hard disk).
The A500 (also known as the Amiga 500) was originally released in 1987 by Commodore. Due to its then-advanced graphics and sound capabilities, the A500 became a popular gaming machine and went on to become the best-selling Amiga computer overall.
The A500 Mini is set to come with an Amiga-style two-button mouse and a gamepad that appears to be inspired by the Amiga CD32 controller.
Although the keyboard itself isn’t functional because the system is so small, players can plug in a standard PC keyboard and use that for games that require it.
Despite its form factor being inspired by the Amiga A500, the system emulates not only the A500’s OCS chip set, but also the enhanced ECS chip set of the A500+ and the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) of the A1200, meaning even ROMs of A1200-only enhanced games should work on it.
Only 12 of the 25 games have been confirmed so far. These are:
- Alien Breed 3D
- Another World
- ATR: All Terrain Racing
- Battle Chess
- Cadaver
- Kick Off 2
- Pinball Dreams
- Simon the Sorcerer
- Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
- The Chaos Engine
- Worms: The Director’s Cut
- Zool
Other features include a save game function, selectable 50Hz or 60Hz screen refresh, CRT filter and multiple scaling options.
The system is being developed by Retro Games Ltd, who previously released the C64 Mini and a subsequent larger revision with a full-sized working keyboard.
further reading
Cult ’90s platformer Zool is getting a Steam remake
“In this initial mini version of A500, we have created what we believe gaming fans will love, and will see as the evolution of mini games consoles”, said Paul Andrews, MD at Retro Games, in a prepared statement.
Team17 CEO Debbie Bestwick added: “Retro Games have developed a truly unique product, and I’m very excited to have our classic games represented in all their original glory.”
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