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Post by c64stuff on Mar 10, 2022 23:33:24 GMT
Retrorecipies just posted a video of the very first A500 prototype they made and sent him! Unfortunately the video isn't available until tomorrow. Keep in mind the A500, mouse, and controller were 3D printed so they're not going to look the same color and quality as production units.
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Post by c64stuff on Mar 12, 2022 18:53:05 GMT
The above video is now posted!
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Post by spannernick on Mar 13, 2022 13:38:29 GMT
Just looked at it and I think they have changed THEC64 carousel to A500 theme and changed its emulator, I looks like it uses Flashlight too, Flashlight is a Linux library like SDL, same as THEC64, what gives it away is the menus work the same way as on THEC64 menus on the carousel, the way they appear on the screen and disappear is the same, well I would do it that way cause they have made that already so can reuse the source code, why not use it to make something else, no point making it from the ground up or remaking the wheel when its invented already..  . I noticed Full Height in the TV menu, so it shows they can add the Flags options(you put them in the name of D64 file, like: Game_FH.D64) to enable say FULL HEIGHT, can be add to the C64 Carousel settings menu but that down to work, time and money, why they are a flag, and probably the easier way of doing it, no need for extra code for the menu and icon images. |
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Post by c64stuff on Mar 13, 2022 14:08:28 GMT
So does that mean you will be able to hack it the same way you modified the C64 mini and maxi? Also, does this new CPU open up any possibility to compile the software to run on other single board computers like the mini and maxi will run on the orange pi? A big game changer is if this software can run on any of the raspberry pi boards because there's so many of those out there.
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Post by spannernick on Mar 13, 2022 14:17:10 GMT
So does that mean you will be able to hack it the same way you modified the C64 mini and maxi? Also, does this new CPU open up any possibility to compile the software to run on other single board computers like the mini and maxi will run on the orange pi? A big game changer is if this software can run on any of the raspberry pi boards because there's so many of those out there. Well it will have a ARM SoC so it will have a UART so do not see why. |
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Post by spannernick on Mar 13, 2022 15:18:24 GMT
Do you hear the THEC64 Movement sound when he is moving in THEA500Mini carousel, the WOOP sound. They made THEA500 Mini like THEVIC20, its exactly the same thing but with a different Emulator and a new A500 theme....  Have you ever wondered why RGL release updates for there machines and say Nintendo or Sega don't, its so they can add new features to it gradually and to keep you interested in the product and see how many users download the update so know how many users are still using the product too. Its £119.99 and not £69 cause in the last 2 years the containers from china have gone up from 1 container costing £200 to £1200 now and making things now in China cost more cause of Covid 19 too. Probably THEA500 Maxi version will more likely be £199.99. And the war with Ukraine will not help, if China help Russia then China will get sanctioned too and up THEA500 Maxi price up even more or it could stop it production, the war could kill it, we just do know what is going to happen. My electric on the 1st April is going up by 50% from £1,093.21 to £1,566.90 a year and thats ridiculous. |
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Post by findecanor on Mar 18, 2022 16:56:52 GMT
The prototype gamepad looks a bit disappointing. The original was thinner in the middle and thicker under the "pontoons" to make the pad easier to grip. (Sega Megadrive and Saturn gamepads had the same feature)
A cross-shaped D-pad won't work as well with Amiga games that had been designed for 8-way joysticks on which diagonals were easy to do. The original CD32 D-pad wasn't nice either, but there was the Sega-styled Competition Pro, and on the computers you could use a Sega gamepad.
How well will the TheC64 Joystick work on this? Can all the gamepad's buttons be mapped on it?
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Post by c64stuff on Mar 18, 2022 19:43:44 GMT
I think they said the C64 mini and maxi latest firmware was not only updated to be compatible with the new A500 mouse and other USB mice, but also updated to work with the A500 controller too. I'm sure they did this so they could sell these to The C64 owners, and so I'd bet The C64 joystick will also be configured to work with the A500 so those owners might also buy the joystick because all these accessories can be bought separately.
For the A500 controller, I think it would be a great idea if somebody 3D printed a thumb joystick that could be snapped around the controller and over the D pad so people could use their thumb on top to control movement. Even with Atari 2600 joysticks I used with the C64 and Amiga I always just put my thumb on top of it to control movement. To this day I still prefer using Atari joysticks for most games over using controllers or other joysticks unless it's a game where a D pad works better for the style of game play.
If you want to use a good D pad controller on The C64 get a SNES style controller. Many are compatible. The Logitech wireless controller they've sold for years that uses a dongle plugged into USB also works with The C64. I'd assume SNES controllers or that Logitech wireless controller will probably work with the A500 too. More than likely they're probably using the same config text file for it as The C64. And you can always modify that file to make other controllers not supported compatible.
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