C4CPC Unboxing, Playtest & 3D Printed Case Assembly

It's been a big 18 months for the Amstrad community. Not only have we been treated to a plethora of great games, emulator updates and hardware mods; the much fabled GX4000 got it's own bit of retro-loving in the form of a flashcart, the C4CPC. Many 8 bit fans already to know of this, so here I take a look at this really neat bit of kit, show you the ropes (Roland style of course) and even take a look at the 3D printed case you can create for it. One of the must-own modifications for Amstrad fans in Novabug's book.

A1200.Net launches compatible Keycaps for Amiga computers - Kickstarter!

This year in terms of life's experiences has been pretty awful, what with my own relationship at the brink of destruction, so you can probably understand why this news update was a bit late, even if it did cheer me up just that little bit. Well here it is, after months and months of writing up the new Amiga case kickstarter which was a resounding success, the same project lead A1200.net has during the weekend announced the Keycap campaign Kickstarter to go with the Amiga cases that are now in the manufacturing stage. Yes you heard that right, Amiga owners across the globe will finally be able to not only have a new Amiga case but an entire set of lovely keycaps in a multitude of different colours!

Playmates 1985 "Fun-to-Drive" converted to a playable gaming system, wow!

If you grew up in the 80's then you grew up in a time of cartoon and gaming wonder, with new systems such as the Amstrad, C64, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, NES and Cartoons such as the Teenage Mutant Turtles, Mask and even my favourite the Thundercats. But even the toys were great too, and it's the Playmates Fun To Drive Dashboard which lives on in many childhood memories, that has been given a overhaul by Gustav Wingburen as a fully playable Android/Mame system!

New AMIGA 1200 Cases - The brand new Amiga case is nearly here!

Remember when we did the BIG design process feature for A1200.net's new Amiga 1200 Cases? You do good! Because we've got more fresh news as they have officially announced the molds assembly is almost done at 95%. Also as an extra bonus they've manufactured a couple of cases to check and adjust the molds. Basically if you've been wondering these last few months what's been happening to your new Amiga case, worry no longer it's nearly here. ( New exclusive images! )

Amiga Retro Event - Playnation Games celebrates the Amiga - Next week 29th September 2016!

Time has just flew by as next week PlayNation Games is going to be celebrating the Amiga in style by hosting the Amiga Retro Event held at Playnation Games on the 29th September from 6pm till 11pm. Organised by the Sega, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo RetroGaming Cafe Facebook Group this is going to be the most classy Amiga set up happening this side of the UK! Not only can you play Amiga games on original Amiga hardware and some with tasty mods, you can even discuss, buy, sell and even trade games!

New AMIGA Compatible Keycaps - Kickstarter announcement!

Right from the word go, we've done our very best to keep you up to date on A1200.Net's A1200 Amiga case Kickstarter. From the very first shout out regarding the brand new Amiga cases in a multitude of colours and allowable mods and the Kickstarter success, to the latest mold process, everything has been mentioned to keep you in the loop. But now have we got even better news, as the new Amiga compatible Keycaps Kickstarter will hopefully be launching 15th September, as currently the campaign creators are not willing to launch the new campaign before manufacturing the cases.

Remote control your Amiga Gotek with an android phone!

It seems the resourcefulness of the Amiga community never fails to rear its head... Yes, someone via the Commodore Amiga Facebook group has modded a Gotek floppy emulator to be remote controlled by an android phone! What does this mean? Read on to find out.

The Amstrad CPC 6128 USB Internal Floppy Emulator Hardware Review!

It's been awhile since we've done any hardware reviews and now thanks to Zaxon (Piotr Bugaj), creator of the DDI3 USB Floppy Emulator and the Amstrad CPC 6128 USB Floppy device we have a new hardware device to review; the Amstrad CPC 6128 USB Internal Floppy Emulator. This latest hardware from Zaxon replaces the disk drive and enables the Amstrad to run disk files from an USB memory stick with clearly visible LCD display. But is this latest addition to the Amstrad worthy of a purchase? Check out our review and find out.

How to easily play Amiga games on a Raspberry PI thanks to Dan Wood

I for one am a huge Amiga gamer, I have an Amiga 500, Amiga 600 and an Amiga 1200 each one ready for playing the best Amiga games either through a floppy drive or a CF card. The problem is however, the prices for these retro computers are forever going up and up, thanks largely to the Vampire which gives the Amiga a massive performance boost capable of even playing DOS games. But what if you can't afford an Amiga, don't have the space or just want a quick way of playing other than through PC emulation? Welcome to Dan Wood's latest video; How to easily play Amiga games on a Raspberry PI

Individual Computers GmbH and the rebirth of Commodore!

We were a bit late on this one so you've probably seen the news by now, but after all these years that famous branding name Commodore is back in action. Yes indeed the glory of the C64, is bringing back the nostalgia but this time as a Commodore PC. Thanks to individual Computers GmbH, based in Germany they have licensed the rights of the Commodore trademarks from Polabe Holding N.V. Oh and if you're concerned about the name behind the ownership, it is by none other than Jens Schönfeld creator of hardware, such as the Turbo Chameleon 64, C64 Reloaded and ACA12xx accelerator. In other words if it wasn't for Jens us Amiga and C64 owners would be worse of!

PocketCHIP Hardware Review - The perfect handheld retrogaming device?

Back in May last year, NextThingCo were making headlines with their kickstarter for a $9 computer called CHIP. Similar to a Raspberry Pi A+ but with added features and cheaper to boot. What was overlooked by most was one of the extra backer reward tiers of an add on peripheral called PocketCHIP. The campaign hinted at PocketCHIP's potential but it wasn't until the announcement that it would be launched with Pico-8 that its true vocation was made obvious. To be the ultimate accessible retrogaming handheld computer. Read on to find out if it is.

PLAY Expo Margate 2016 - A great indie and retro gaming experience is upon us 23rd-24th July!

Here are Indie Retro News, we are a huge fan of retro gaming conventions, especially ones that are full to the brim with retro games and hardware mixed up with a little bit of indie. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a mass of old computers lined up, bleeping and bopping away just ready to be played by people of all ages. But if old computers are not your cup of tea (why?!?!) then come and experience true VR, play some of the best Arcades, get ready to make something new in Minecraft or check out the latest modern games... It's all here at ' PLAY Expo Margate ' this weekend 23rd - 24th July 2016.

Tickets are still available to buy from the main website

Links : 1) Website

CynthCART 64 v2 - Analogue Digitizer for the C64 gets a review!

It has been some time since we've done a full review of a hardware accessory for such systems like the C64, so here we are with a brand new product directly from Shareware Plus, the 'CynthCART 64'. Now you may remember Shareware Plus's 'uCassette' , which enabled users of the C64 to play tapes via your mobile or audio equipment directly into the C64 as MP3 or Wav files. Or the 1541 Diagnostic Cartridge for disk drive diagnostics, but what we have here is completely different. This is in fact an Analogue Digitizer, designed by Paul Slocum, manufactured by Shareware Plus with special thanks to Siem Appelman, that turns your C64 into a standalone analog synthesizer! Yes you too can make music via your C64, and thanks to this short review (I'm not a music artist) you can see what it's like!

New AMIGA 1200 Cases - Exclusive new look at the latest Amiga case design process and key cap announcement!

Oh what a time to be an Amiga owner, as we now have an exclusive look at the A1200 Amiga Case Prototype, that may well be the finished design for those of you who have been eagerly awaiting their very own NEW Amiga case! After a very successful Kickstarter campaign by A1200 NET (Philippe Lang) and with the help of a number of sponsors such as Scoopex, this is the first time in almost 25 years that Amiga cases are being manufactured again! So no longer will you have to retrobright turning a once yellow Amiga into a white one with a lot of effort, as you'll never need to do that again once the A1200 Amiga case is in your hands! In light of this news, we have an exclusive look at the design process, with not just photography, but a description as well - in two parts!

WinUAE 3.3.0 Final - The best Amiga Emulator gets a feature packed final with Freesync/Gsnyc!

After many months of beta updates with a ton of fixes and improvements, today is the day that Toni Wilen has released a brand new WinUAE version 3.3.0. Regarded as the BEST version of the Amiga emulator so far for both gaming usage and OS installs, you'll be pleased to know that version 3.3.0 comes feature packed, with features such as : intuitive game port input customization, on the fly input insertion/removal improvements, faster screenshot captures, Nero .nrg CD image support, Freesync/Gsync support and much much more. You'd be crazy not to download this now!

ZX Spectrum Next - A new era for the Speccy? (Big Feature!)

ZX Spectrum Next.... Ooh, if I wasn't already married..

'Another Spectrum?' I hear you say? Is there such a thing as too many Spectrums? In my book no, and I'm guessing that's the same for most other Speccy fans too. Of course, recently we've had the Vega and the 'recreated' ZX Spectrum along with the upcoming arrival of the Vega+ though, these were not real Speccies. When I say not real, I of course mean that these were not actual computers you could use or program, just a handheld console and a Bluetooth keyboard (yes, that's all it is!). Whilst I do have a fondness for the Vega (see my recent review), the Bluetooth keyboard seemed to me to be an empty shell, masquerading as a Spectrum. You'll have to do better than that to fool me, Elite!

The 64 - A new C64 concept is seeking crowd funding through Indiegogo!

Retro computer hardware recreations are flying high! Off the back of the Spectrum Vega project comes a new concept to do a similar treatment to the Commodore 64. "THE 64" project is hoping to bring desktop keyboard and handheld console form factors to life. Can a dream team in the driving seat with a keen eye on what the people actually want be enough to make this project a reality? We certainly hope so!

Amiga A600 Vampire II Update - SAGA Driver, and it's FAST!

As many of you well know, the Vampire II for the A600 has been out a little while now and there isn't one person I have personally spoken to that is disappointed with it. In fact it is so fast, that some have rushed to Facebook and showed benchmarks as bragging rights against the much older accelerators that even for their time were rather fast. Well today we've got another video for you from Modern Vintage Gamer, and this one is showing the Amiga A600 Vampire II through HDMI using the SAGA driver and playing work in progress ports such as Rise of the Triad and Duke Nukem. Let me just tell you, this is probably the best footage yet showing just how fast these games are running, something unheard of in its Amiga life time.

ZX-HD - ZX Spectrum HDMI device teased!

As many of you probably know I am mainly an Amstrad, Amiga and C64 kinda guy, although I have played many ZX Spectrum games and have played on the hardware many years ago, I don't in fact have a ZX Spectrum in my ownership. But what I do know, is that many retro computers including consoles don't have HDMI out unless you use a RF or SCART to HDMI converter. Problem with that is, they are usually not very good or the ones that are, are hugely expensive. But it is a time to rejoice HDMI users, as a new hardware device has been teased for the ZX Spectrum, the ' ZX-HD ' by Imre Jakli and Ben Versteeg.

Dave Needle - Amiga Co-Founder & Atari Lynx Co-Inventor has passed away

After so many have passed away this year already, it is both with a heavy heart and sadness to say that Dave Needle, Co-Founder of the Amiga Computer, Co-Inventor of the Atari Lynx and vice-president of 3DO passed away yesterday 20/02/16.  Dave Needle was well known in the completion of the Lorraine project (Amiga 1000), and was also one of the main engineers of the custom chips of the Amiga computer. Later co-inventing the Atari Lynx which we knew as that cool little handheld that plays games such as California Games. Away from his Hardware engineering status, he was also a character, he had a great personality and was loved by many. As can be seen by the pictures provided by Marcel Franquinet and the video below.... RIP Dave Needle, you'll be missed!