STACK #162 April 2018

GAMES FEATURE

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Nostalgia in the palm of your hand. the c64 mini Words Paul Jones

games, he registered his disinterest and relocated to another part of the house. I, however, was relishing the opportunity to play through the memories of my gaming youth, although I had forgotten how challenging some of these

I ’ve been slowly introducing the concept of video games to my four-year-old. Temple Run on the iPad, a bit of FIFA, a Galaxian emulator and a LEGO game on the iPhone are about as far we’ve gone. When the C64 Mini came into the office to review, awash with nostalgia, I hatched a

connects to the TV via HDMI, and features two USB ports for joysticks or a keyboard – the buttons on the Mini are not functional. On the games carousel there is even an option to program your own games through the addition of BASIC, the C64’s programming language. As mentioned, the C64 Mini comes with a joystick, although I’m not sure the build quality will endure too many ‘vigorous’ gaming sessions – for the keen gamers, it would be worth investing in a solid USB joystick. But it’s all about the games here. The first game I pulled up to play with the boy was Monty Mole . Looking at the blocky graphics, the first thing he asked was, “Is this a LEGO game, Dad?”. After trying 10

early titles were. Over the course of the weekend, I returned to the C64 Mini on multiple occasions, thoroughly enjoying each session with the avidity of my ten-year-old self. Although I don’t actively seek out opportunities to play old games due to time restraints, reminiscing on the hours I put into games like Skool Daze all those years ago was a priceless exercise. And while I couldn’t inspire interest from my four-year-old, the C64 Mini will appeal to both new gamers keen to discover what all the fuss about the Commodore 64 is, and old campaigners who are going to enjoy the memories. And it saves foraging about in a dusty attic.

plan to stimulate the lad’s real interest in

Retro gaming has always been popular and companies

I was relishing the opportunity to play through memories of my gaming youth

video games by taking him back to the era where his old man

have sharpened up to the commercial potential. Of late, the NES Classic Edition and the Atari Flashback 7 – miniature

began gaming – a ceremonial passing of the baton that his own journey into the rewards of interactive entertainment was going to be kicked off with a retro introduction from his antediluvian father. For the record, I was a Sinclair XZ Spectrum kid, although my friends owned Commodore 64s, so a great deal of cross-pollination in game playing existed.

versions of the classic consoles crammed with original games – have proven to be top sellers. And now the Commodore 64 is joining the ranks with the C64 Mini. It comes crammed with 64 games including Boulder Dash, California Games, Monty Mole, Impossible Mission and Speedball 2 ,

Razer Wolverine Tournament Edition Need a new Xbox One controller but don’t want to fork out for an Elite? The Razer Wolverine Tournament Edition is for you. F eaturing full compatibility with both Xbox

party adjustments to get accustomed to. Razer offer a full 12 month warranty – the longest on the market – with this controller, but it’s unlikely you’ll need it, as it’s built to withstand gamer’s rage. The triggers on the left and right also have trigger stop switches on the back for shorter draw distances. One of the more fascinating parts about the Wolverine TE is its Chroma enabled lighting. You’ll have to set it up with Synapse on a PC, but you can then have your controller glowing with 16.8 million colour combinations in-game – as if you needed any more distractions. The Razer Wolverine Tournament Edition does everything your original Xbox One controller does – just a little bit better.

One and Windows 10 PCs, the Razer Wolverine Tournament Edition is a wired controller that will give you the edge over your opponents. The Wolverine TE is similar to your standard Xbox One controller – except with a few enhancements. You have access to two additional multi-function bumpers, as well as two more extra buttons on the inside of each left and right grip. The controller is wired to ensure there are no dropouts, and is lightweight and shaped just the way you’re used to; no different configurations or other weird third-

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APRIL 2018

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