Starting January 1, 2026, prices are going up for various reasons out of their control. So, if you want to lock in the best price, due it before then. Remember to use this link to save $10 on any order.

Have fun out there and happy holidays to you and yours!

The post Commodore 64 Ultimate (2025) sales update – prices go up January 1st! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

If you don’t want the new built-in games or the sleek black case and improved joystick, you can still get the original model of THEC64 Mini for just $51.00 as of this writing on Amazon US. That’s a great deal, of course. You can see the full game list for that version here. For that original version, there are more classic commercial games than modern homebrews. The new Black Edition focuses exclusively on modern homebrews.

The list of 25 games built into THEC64 Mini Black Edition is as follows:

1. A Pig Quest
2. Caren and the Tangled Tentacles
3. Galencia
4. Good Kniight
5. Grid Pix
6. Guns ‘N’ Ghosts
7. Hessian
8. Hunter’s Moon Remastered
9. It’s Magic 2
10. Joe Gunn: Gold Edition
11. Knight ‘N’ Grail
12. Metal Warrior Ultra
13. Millie & Molly
14. Nixy and the Seeds of Doom
15. Ooze: The Escape
16. P0 Snake
17. Pains ‘N’ Aches
18. Planet Golf
19. Rocky Memphis: The Legend of Atlantis
20. Runn ‘N’ Gunn
21. Sam’s Journey
22. Shadow Switcher
23. Spinning Image
24. Steel Ranger
25. Yeti Mountain

That is truly a murderer’s row of modern homebrews, showcasing the best of what the venerable Commodore 64 computer can pull off in the hands of talented developers using modern tools. Naturally, you can add your own games via USB stick.

Now, those of us in the US just have to wait for Retro Games Ltd to open up pre-orders for the full-size THEA1200, for even more Commodore Amiga fun over THEA500 Mini. THEC64 Maxi is also available from third party sellers, but unfortunately not for its usual low retail price anymore. Instead, I highly recommend you get a Commodore 64 Ultimate (don’t forget to use the link in the post for $10 off!), which is a modern version of the real deal original computer!

The post Retro Games Ltd THEC64 Mini Black Edition – Game list and where to buy in the US! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

This is it: the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next crowdfunding campaign you’ve been waiting for is here, going live this Saturday 19th of July at 8am UK time on Kickstarter.

Click here to set a reminder from Kickstarter as soon as the campaign is live, as we’ve got a batch of 100 Early Bird machines going at a nice discount and they are bound to go fast.

There has never been a better time in retrocomputing, and the ZX Spectrum Next Community is the best one out there. Don’t believe us? We just crossed the 200 exclusive games and apps made just for the Next by legends such as Clive Townsend, Michael Ware and Mike Dailly to name but a few. Who could guess the Next would spawn so many cool games for us to play into the sunset? But here they are!

The Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 is our most powerful Speccy yet, and now includes new fully licensed cores for the Sinclair QL and… The Commodore 64. Yep, you read that right, the Next Issue 3 can run all the software for the Sinclair QL and the C64 straight out of the box. We don’t even know how many thousands of games and apps that amount to, but it’s a lot.

The full campaign page going live soon will feature all the technical details you want about the Next Issue 3, its new capabilities and, of course, surprise stretch goals: expect games, upgrades and goodies galore. In the meantime, here’s a cat getting out of the bag for you…

Because this is our third campaign and the #3 on the Speccy keyboard is Magenta, we’re celebrating with an exclusive translucent magenta case for anyone keen to mod their Sinclair Spectrum Next with some wires and LEDs under the hood – or just want a Next that looks, well, pretty unique!

We hope you join us and support the Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 coming to life, boosting our already vibrant Speccy community even further, and getting your very own machine to explore. We can’t wait to have you on board.

Thanks for your time!

The ZX Spectrum Next team

The post Sinclair ZX Spectrum Next Issue 3 coming to Kickstarter this Saturday! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

Besides various accessories and merchandise, three different Commodore 64 Ultimates are available. These are authentic FPGA reproductions of the original Commodore 64 hardware, but with modern features, including mechanical keyboards. There’s also a modern PC in a Commodore 64 case that runs custom emulation. Although this hardware has been developed earlier and is available elsewhere, this is a convenient way to both get the latest iterations and support the unified company vision.

I have both the Commodore 64 Ultimate and 64X. They’re great products, although I personally lean towards recommending the Ultimate for the most authentic recreation of one of the best-selling personal computers of all time.

The post Commodore 64 Ultimate computer available for preorder – Save $10! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

Here’s the press release:

July 3, 2025 – Cloanto today released version 11 (build 11.0.22.0) of Amiga Forever and C64 Forever, the official Commodore/Amiga preservation, emulation and support suites for Windows.

More than two years in the making, this new generation expands into the physical world with high-fidelity virtual printers, touchscreen input, and handheld device support, bridging classic computing with modern interaction.

Each of the new virtual printers (EpsonQ, MPS 803, and CBM 8026) was engineered to be best in class, delivering vector-sharp text, high-resolution color graphics, and live previews. These are not only unmatched in the emulation space, but also raise the bar for what virtual printing can achieve overall.

For advanced Amiga users who prefer PostScript printing, a new integration with the optional Ghostscript software makes it possible to render Amiga PostScript to non-PostScript printers, or to convert the output to vector-based PDF.

On the CBM 8-bit side, two virtual printers are featured. The MPS 803 recreates an accurate dot matrix experience, using scalable vector dots. The CBM 8026 provides a new benchmark for printing and preserving listings and documents, as it combines laser-quality text with “quote mode”, reverse and PETSCII characters. These capabilities were missing from the original (slow and expensive) daisy wheel hardware.

All printers have a wide-carriage option and extended character sets, including European and Japanese characters used across C128, C64, VIC 1001, and VIC 20 models. Version 11 also includes PETSCII TrueType fonts for accurate export and editing of printed output.

For maximum nostalgia, a virtual fanfold paper option renders perforations and cut marks to recreate the ultimate “retro printer” effect. As one enthusiastic user put it: “I’ve always wanted to print in the old dot matrix style on modern printers.” Thanks to Cloanto’s RetroPlatform framework, which provides shared access to virtual devices like modems and printers across systems, it’s even possible to connect 8-bit printers to the Amiga, or to have older systems like a PET or a C64 use EpsonQ or PostScript emulation (geoPublish and geoWrite, anyone?)

Version 11 also adds native touchscreen input, with support for swipe, pan and pinch gestures, plus multi-touch functionality for the virtual keyboard. The keyboard itself can now be operated in a new Overlay mode (in addition to Docked and Floating), designed for fullscreen use and interaction via touchscreen or game controller.

With 2025 shaping up to be a pivotal year for handheld devices, Amiga Forever 11 and C64 Forever 11 bring together touchscreen features, the new overlay virtual keyboard, and expanded game controller shortcuts (including multi-button combinations) into a unified experience optimized for portable use.

Hundreds of smaller new features and refinements also made it into these new versions. Windows too went through several new releases since the previous major release of Amiga Forever and C64 Forever, and the new code base provides better support for features introduced in Windows 11 and Windows 10 versions up to 25H2.

As always, we remain grateful to the many friends who support this project and share our passion, vision and hope for the Amiga and CBM 8-bit heritage.

Amiga Forever 11 is available now in three editions:

• Value Edition (downloadable installer)
• Plus Edition (downloadable installer with optional DVD ISO image)
• Premium Edition (downloadable Plus Edition, plus boxed software and additional videos on 3 DVDs)

C64 Forever 11 is available now in three editions:

• Free Express Edition (feature-limited version)
• Downloadable Plus Edition (downloadable installer with optional CD ISO image)
• Boxed Plus Edition (downloadable Plus Edition, plus boxed CD)

Both packages recognize and work with each other, with options to merge the different platforms into the same interface.

Prices start from $9.95. Version 11 is free for Lifetime Upgrades customers and to anyone who purchased version 10 on or after March 1, 2025.

Visual Tours

Here are some suggested highlights for YouTubers and others who prefer a more visual exploration. Some celebrate the classic 8-bit CBM systems, while others showcase features shared with the more advanced Amiga environments.

• Amiga – Print like it’s 2025? Start “Amiga 4000 Enhanced 3.X” from the Systems folder, click Clown.pic at the bottom, then select Print from the Project menu. Explore the new print and preview features. Press Ctrl + Scroll wheel to zoom in and out. To preview in color, make sure the selected Destination printer supports it (e.g. Microsoft Print to PDF). Prefer a slower experience where you can literally watch yellow, magenta and cyan stripes appear one by one? Start “Amiga 2000 Enhanced 1.3”, then launch GraphicDump (inside Utilities). Be patient, as this configuration emulates a CPU running at the speed it had 40 years ago.
• 8-Bit – Curious about how the iconic MPS 803 6×7 dot matrix printer worked, or want to introduce a new generation to vintage computing? Check out the “MPS 803 Printer Playground” title in C64 Forever (under Applications). It includes the MPS 803 User Guide and all sample listings ready to load from disk, where they are named after the corresponding manual page. For example, to load the zodiac listing from pages 31-32 type LOAD”PAGE31B”,8. When you RUN the program, the Print dialog opens automatically to preview the output.
• Shared – BBS like it’s 1985: in C64 Forever, launch CCGMS! (Applications folder), then connect to one of the BBS entries in the phone book. To do so, press <F7> to go to the dialer and parameters screen, press <A> to go to the phone book screen, use the cursor keys to select a BBS, then press <C> to connect to it. You are online!
• 8-Bit – Amber PET? In C64 Forever, set the PET/CBM system colors to amber (Tools/Options/Emulation/Hardcoded Palettes), then start a PET/CBM system from the Systems folder.
• Shared – Light vs. Dark Mode, via Tools/Options/Skin.
• Shared – Arcade and Tile modes, via View menu. Be sure to try out fullscreen Arcade mode (via the maximize button on the title bar), and to use it with a game controller or by swiping on a touchscreen.
• Shared – Virtual Keyboard: launch a configuration like “Amiga 4000 Enhanced 3.X” (in the Systems folder) and then double-click the keyboard menu at the bottom left of the playback window to open the Virtual Keyboard. Inside the emulation, open the Input Prefs and change the keyboard to a different language (e.g. German). Did you notice how the virtual keyboard on the Windows side also updated its layout? And still, it all keeps working with your unchanged physical PC keyboard, no matter what layout that one has. Then on closing the session you can choose whether to commit the keyboard layout change to the title configuration, or not. If you prefer fullscreen modes, try out the new Overlay type of virtual keyboard. If the keyboard covers an input field, drag to reposition it.
• 8-Bit – Virtual Mouse: start an 8-bit title (e.g. a PET 2001, or 8032, or C64) from the Systems folder of C64 Forever, and use the mouse to move the text cursor around. If you ever spent a lot of time programming or writing on those systems, isn’t this something you’ve been wanting to do for more than 40 years?
• Shared – Fullscreen Controls: start or switch any Amiga or 8-bit emulation session to fullscreen (use the button in the top row of the playback window), then hold down the Escape key for one second to open the fullscreen controls. These can be selected with the mouse, with the keyboard, or with the same controllers you are using to play. At last, you can swap disks, pause, resume, save, etc., without needing to leave your favorite screen mode and controls.
• Shared – Type Clipboard Text: use the keyboard menu at the bottom left of the playback window to paste the content of the Windows text clipboard. Works with any Amiga or 8-bit system (in Japanese too…)

Screenshots and Box Shots

• Amiga Forever Screenshots
• Amiga Forever Box Shots
• C64 Forever Screenshots
• C64 Forever Box Shot
• Cloanto Logo

Additional Information

• Focus on New Features
• Quick Instructions for Upgraders
• New Printing Features
• C64 Forever Homepage
• Amiga Homepage

New Features
https://www.amigaforever.com/whatsnew/

Quick Instructions for Upgraders
https://www.amigaforever.com/kb/15-121

This Page
https://www.amigaforever.com/news-events/af-11/

Amiga Forever Homepage
https://www.amigaforever.com

C64 Forever Homepage
https://www.c64forever.com

The post Amiga Forever and C64 Forever 11 Released – Big Updates! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

Here’s a link to C64 Forever: https://www.c64forever.com/

Here’s a link to Amiga Forever: https://www.amigaforever.com/

If you buy both packages, they work together!

Here’s the full press release:

The post Amiga Forever and C64 Forever 10 Released! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

September 9, 2019 – Cloanto released today the “R2” (8.2.2.0) update for Amiga Forever 8 and C64 Forever 8.

The “R2” build is the result of eight months of work since the previous major release, and takes into account user feedback, operating system enhancements and numerous features from our own wish list.

This is a free update for existing version 8 users, who can get the new version through the Help/About dialog in Amiga Forever and C64 Forever. The updated full installation package can also be accessed via the original confirmation email or from the new Help/My Downloads and Keys menu item, and is set to remain available for 10 years after an order.

The new release further delivers an important milestone in the effort to implement better mechanisms for documenting and delivering version changes. Changelog details for available, installed and past versions, including early access builds, are now accessible from the Changelog tab under Help/About, and as part of the software update notifications.

Other new and enhanced features include:

• Gorgeous resizable and reconfigurable virtual keyboards, now also with multi-touch support and a dock option
• Even more advanced game controller configuration and testing features than ever before (under Tools/Options/Input, Help/Developer/Test and in the Input tab of the title editor)
• Improved Disk Toolbox (convert disks to images and vice versa, from the Tools menu) and support for direct-attached disks (to more easily share media between Classic Amiga and emulation systems, via the Media tab of the title editor)
• New general input options (add your own commands like Load last snapshot, Cartridge freeze button, Open debugger, etc.)
• New CD drive controls (e.g. for CDTV) and improved fullscreen mode controls
• Updated WinFellow plugin interface to support 64-bit version and HDF images
• Improvements to AmigaOS 4/PowerPC support (better detection of bootable and non-bootable states, increased number of reserved blocks, etc.)
• Support for some of the latest Windows 10 features introduced in versions 1709, 1809 and 1903
• Continuing best-in-class support for content curation, high-DPI and mixed display environments, real and virtual game controller and keyboard input

The Setup Wizard and Tip of the Day components were also refined, aiming to ease setup and feature discovery. These tutorial functions can also be invoked from the Help menu, and are designed to expose important and lesser-known features to both novice and longtime users.

Overall, the project remains permeated by attention to detail, usability and beauty, which have been part of our Amiga software development work for more than three decades.

As always, we are grateful to everyone who supported this project and to the friends who shared our passion and vision during these sometimes challenging, but always bright Amiga days.

Please stay tuned for more to come. 

Additional Information

• Original Version 8 Announcement
• Focus on New Features
• Quick Instructions for Upgraders
• Cloanto.org – A Discourse on Possible Futures
• Amiga.com – Supporting a New Amiga

The post Top Emulators Amiga Forever and C64 Forever 8 Receive “R2” Update appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

Bruce Lee – Return of Fury

From the stunning title screen to the thoughtful level design, this is a homebrew worth checking out for every C-64 fan out there. Here’s the link to download.

The post Amazing classic Bruce Lee videogame remix now out as Bruce Lee – Return of Fury for C-64! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

The 64 Mini has an easy-to-use interface to the games. You can not only add your own games via the SD card slot, but also access a BASIC prompt (use your own keyboard).

Here’s the game list for what’s included:

• AlleyKat
• Anarchy
• The Arc Of Yesod
• Armalyte: Competition Edition
• Avenger
• Battle Valley
• Bounder
• California Games
• Chip’s Challenge
• Confuzion
• Summer Games II
• Spindizzy
• Slayer
• Star Paws
• Super Cycle
• Cosmic Causeway: Trailblazer II
• Creatures
• Cyberdyne Warrior
• Cybernoid II: The Revenge
• Cybernoid: The Fighting Machine
• Deflektor
• Everyone’s a Wally
• Firelord
• Gribbly’s Day Out
• Hawkeye
• Street Sports Baseball
• Speedball
• Temple of Apshai Trilogy
• Thing Bounces Back
• Thing on a Spring
• Heartland
• Herobotix
• Highway Encounter
• Hunter’s Moon
• Hysteria
• Impossible Mission
• Impossible Mission II
• Insects In Space
• Zynaps
• Mega-Apocalypse
• Robin of the Wood
• Rubicon
• Skate Crazy
• Skool Daze
• Stormlord
• Speedball II: Brutal Deluxe
• Trailblazer
• Uchi Mata
• Uridium
• Mission A.D
• Monty Mole
• Monty on the Run
• Nebulus
• Netherworld
• Nobby the Aardvark
• Nodes Of Yesod
• Paradroid
• Pitstop II
• Rana Rama
• Steel
• Snare
• Who Dares Wins II
• Winter Games
• World Games

The post The C64 Mini is just $54.44 – Get yours now! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.

• Virtual Keyboard – Open an Amiga emulation session like Workbench 3.X (in the Systems folder) and then use the keyboard menu at the bottom left of the playback window to open the Virtual Keyboard. Inside the emulation, open the Input Prefs and change the keyboard to a different language (e.g. German). Did you notice how the virtual keyboard on the Windows side also updated its layout? And still, it all keeps working with your unchanged physical PC keyboard, no matter what layout that one has. Then on closing the session, you can choose whether to commit the keyboard layout change to the title configuration or not.
• Virtual Mouse – Looking for something a bit more “retro”? Start an 8-bit title (e.g. a PET 2001, or 8032, or C64) from the Systems folder of C64 Forever, and use the mouse to move the text cursor around. If you ever spent a lot of time programming or writing on those systems, isn’t this something you’ve been wanting to do for almost 40 years?
• Fullscreen Controls – Start or switch any Amiga or 8-bit emulation session to fullscreen (use the button in the top row of the playback window), then hold down the Escape key for one second to open the new fullscreen controls. These can be selected with the mouse, with the keyboard, or with the same controllers you are using to play. At last, you can swap disks, pause, resume, save, etc., without needing to leave your favorite screen mode and controls.
• Discord Status – Do you use Discord? “Now playing” activity sharing can be enabled under Tools/Options/Social.
• Type Clipboard Text – Hello World? Happy $7E3? Here is something simple, but fun to watch if you would like to paste a message or a few lines of code: use the keyboard menu at the bottom left of the playback window to paste the content of the Windows text clipboard. Works with any Amiga or 8-bit system.

Here’s the full press release:

Amiga Forever and C64 Forever 8 Released

December 31, 2018 – Cloanto released today version 8 of Amiga Forever and C64 Forever, the official Commodore/Amiga preservation, emulation and support suites for Windows.

Once again, the new editions are the result of 18 months of development since the previous major version, and now encompass more than 600K lines of code written by Cloanto, seamlessly integrating with a collaborative effort of emulation plugins and content preservation.

“Virtual machines, virtual keyboards, virtual joysticks, virtual mice… real enjoyment! Whether you always wanted to move a PET/CBM text cursor with a click, or pop up an accurate and fully reconfigurable onscreen keyboard for Amiga and 8-bit systems, this release has it all,” said Cloanto’s Mike Battilana.

Work on the input front, which in version 7 had a focus on physical and virtual game controllers, was continued in version 8 by revamping existing features and adding virtual mouse and keyboard functionality that has no par in other emulation environments. In order to achieve an accurate implementation of the widest set of Commodore/Amiga systems, more than once we had to ask a collector to open one of their rare machines to confirm some internals. Former Commodore engineers graciously assisted with details that only they could know. When the mouse is used to position an 8-bit cursor, or multiple keys are pressed or tapped on a popup keyboard, or the Amiga keyboard language is changed at runtime in the Input Prefs and propagates up into the emulation and authoring side, the results are both historically accurate and surprisingly seamless in their modern usability.

The deep connections between Windows and CBM/Amiga ROM internals on the input front took several months to craft, yet are easy to use. The same is true for the new fullscreen emulation controls, which required the creation of a graphical user interface with menus and buttons that could be used with the mouse or keyboard as well as with game controllers, at a low level where this is not provided by Windows.

As part of its “preservation done right” commitment, Cloanto entered into agreements with Stanford University Libraries, the German National Library (Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, DNB) and other cultural and preservation institutions. These collaborations are spontaneous, and Cloanto does not receive payments or funding. Ongoing efforts also include a “kiosk mode” emulation frontend for museums.

“Working on projects like Amiga Forever and C64 Forever and remaining in touch with our community has allowed us to keep nourishing the sentiments of passion, beauty, excellence and friendship that have accompanied this journey since the 1980s. We also learned how continuing this longstanding endeavor brings with it some mostly thankless tasks such as sorting out the occasional legal doubt and standing up for the truth. In working hard to research rights and respect rules, Cloanto has become a ‘reluctant torchbearer’ of something bigger and of larger interest than we could ever have imagined to be involved with more than 30 years ago. Fortunately, as an independent entity, Cloanto does not lack the courage or the ability to change, or to hand over.

“Continuing on the discourse that was first outlined at cloanto.org a few years ago,” said Mike, “I remain personally engaged in exploring possible futures involving a nonprofit and/or foundation, open source, and other scenarios that could best help the cause of Commodore/Amiga preservation and support. As in the past, during 2019 I plan to attend events like Amiga Ireland, AmiWest in Sacramento and Amiga34 Germany. I again look forward to meeting old and new friends and to promote consultations on this important topic.”

Sample 4K Screen with Merged Amiga and C64 Forever Environments on High-DPI Display

Amiga Forever 8 is available now in three editions:

• Value Edition (downloadable installer)
• Plus Edition (downloadable installer with option to build DVD ISO image)
• Premium Edition (downloadable Plus Edition, plus boxed software and additional videos on 3 DVDs)

C64 Forever 8 is available now in three editions:

• Free Express Edition (feature-limited version)
• Downloadable Plus Edition (downloadable installer with option to build CD ISO image)
• Boxed Plus Edition (downloadable Plus Edition, plus boxed CD)Both packages recognize and work with each other, with options to merge the different platforms into the same interface. Prices start from $9.95 (Value Edition, or special upgrade offers).

Both packages recognize and work with each other, with options to merge the different platforms into the same interface. Prices start from $9.95 (Value Edition, or special upgrade offers).

The post Amiga Forever and C64 Forever 8 Released – Great new features! appeared first on Armchair Arcade.