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According to several websites, including VGC and Spillhistorie, a new mini machine is coming and it is called THEA500 Mini.
On the Facebook page of Retro Games Ltd (creators of the Commodore 64 mini computer), we can read the following:
THEA500® Mini
Now other classic consoles are just toys!
25 Amiga classics, including Worms, The Chaos Engine, Another World & Simon The Sorcerer all feature on the THEA500® Mini
Continuing the popular line of timeless classic consoles being given a new lease of life, today Retro Games announces the creation of THEA500® Mini, a fully licensed reimagining of the much-loved 16-bit home computer starring a plethora of classic Amiga games.
Due early 2022, THEA500® Mini is a homage to the 1980s heyday of 16-bit personal computing; inspired by the 1987 release of the Amiga 500, which featured a 16/32-bit CPU, 512Kb of RAM and an array of custom chips for producing best-in-class sound and video.
Play one of the included 25 classic Amiga games, selected from a simple to use carousel, including all-time greats Another World, Simon The Sorcerer, The Chaos Engine and Worms. Or side-load your own games via USB stick with full WHDLoad support and an array of options to choose from. Plus, save and resume your game at any time to help you finish those punishingly-difficult classics.
Developed by Retro Games Ltd. and distributed by Koch Media, the THEA500® Mini features the perfect emulation of, not only, the original A500 (OCS) and Enhanced Chip Set (ECS) of future revisions, but also the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) of the A1200.
The THEA500® Mini comes with the original style 2-button mouse and newly engineered 8-button precision gamepad, allowing you to choose your control method. To compliment the on-screen keyboard, you can plug in an external standard PC keyboard for additional functionality.
“In this initial mini version of THEA500®, we have created what we believe gaming fans will love, and will see as the evolution of mini games consoles”, said Paul Andrews, Managing Director at Retro Games.
“Retro Games have developed a truly unique product”, said Debbie Bestwick MBE, CEO at Team 17, “and I’m very excited to have our classic games represented in all their original glory”.
THEA500® Mini will hit the shops in early 2022 with a suggested retail price of GBP£119.99/ EUR€129.99/ USD$139.99/ AUD$199.99
The games to be included on release is as follows:
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: Ninja Of The ”Nth” Dimension. Additional games will be announced at a later date.
Personally I think The Chaos Engine is a great choice, but also Pinball Dreams, Kick Off 2 and Speedball 2. I don’t know how many will be interested in playing Battle Chess or Alien Breed 3D though.
Now, here is the trailer:
Any thoughts on this machine? 🙂 Are you going to get one?
Thanks for reading and see you in another post here on Old School Game Blog!
What kind of person who used Amiga as kid wouldn’t buy one?!?!?!
Guess that’s why they priced high, pretty confident that a lot of peeps wont be able to say no. Hopefully at that price they will do a good job.
No doubt there’ll be the usual but you can emulate on PC / Pi etc comments but for average peeps this is nice.
Also even for emulation fans a lot still want the plug and play feel that they can show off to friends or to lend friends, more of a social piece.
Being able to add more games from start also makes it cool.
I usually buy 2 or 3 of these mini consoles to give my nephews, great way for them to get into gaming without having to buy individual games themselves, old games more family friendly / PG than modern ones and no internet connection so they can’t get into any of that kind of trouble.
Having said all that I look through Amiga games videos these days and think they kind of overrated compared to SNES / Mega Drive / PC games. Though Amiga could do console type games, pc type games and PC work so maybe a better all rounder. Just think my mind had higher nostalgia for Amiga than the reality was / is.
What are peoples top Amiga games? that they would say outshone games on other devices?
Anyone ever play HillSea Lido ?
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Hello friends
Yes I played Hillsea Lido as I have on a Vulcan original compilation CDs with a demo of Strangers Renegade type of game.
If all goes as expected I will buy 1 Amiga 500 Mini for sure as I have my Vampire 1200 ready to plug when my Amiga 1200 comes back to my home.I mean home yes,my new home on the Mediterranean sea if all goes well.
The mpre thing I love about this fresh and new machine is the ability to play A500 as OCS/ECS ones as well as AGA type of top titles that leads you to a complete satisfaction and makes again Amiga history.
I can say more things but think is enough.
Only I want to play on it Kick Off 1&2,Clever&Smart and Monkey Island 2 for some brief examples
take a rest…and dream about Amiga.This dream seems to be eternal and grief
Thank you all
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