During Varese RetroComputing 2024, I had the pleasure of interviewing Simone Nasa and William, who presented a range of modern accessories for the legendary Commodore 64, Vic-20 and Amiga. Designed to improve performance and make vintage computers easier to use, these accessories are a perfect blend of the past and present. Let's see together the technical details and potential of these tools.
Gotek for Amiga 500
The Gotek is a floppy drive emulator that transforms the Amiga 500 experience. This accessory allows you to load games and software directly from a USB stick, eliminating the need to use the original floppy disks. It is possible to download games from the Internet via a modern PC and transfer them to a flash drive and then use them on the Amiga. The Amiga 500 on display was connected to a Commodore 1084S monitor, which has recently been restored by replacing the capacitors, ensuring excellent video quality.
For more details on the use of Gotek, you can read this dedicated article.
To copy Amiga games, from pen drive to diskette, with XCopy Pro, here is the procedure.
SD2IEC for Commodore Vic-20
Another star accessory was the SD2IEC, a modern interface for the Commodore Vic-20 that allows you to load games and programs from a microSD card. The SD2IEC is also compatible with the Commodore 64, 128, Commodore 16, 116 and Plus/4 (some models of SD2IEC require an adapter to work on the Commodore 16, 116 and Plus/4).
During the interview, Simone and William uploaded "Jelly Monster", a game similar to Pac-Man, demonstrating the simplicity with which the Vic-20 can be adapted to modern needs. The SD2IEC is ideal for those who want to preserve the original hardware without sacrificing the convenience of new digital media.
For more information on the SD2IEC, you can consult this article.
Pi1541 for Commodore 64
The Pi1541 is a floppy drive emulator designed to accurately replicate the behavior of the legendary Commodore 1541. Based on a Raspberry Pi 3B, this accessory allows you to load games (even multi-disc) and programs with extraordinary accuracy.
With support for HDMI monitors and external keyboards, as well as the display integrated into the interface, the Pi 1541 offers the ability to select files to upload in a simple and intuitive way. This tool is particularly useful for those who want to explore the Commodore 64's vast catalog of software without the limitations of the original floppy disks.
The Pi-1541 is also compatible with other 8-bit Commodores, such as the Commodore Vic20, 64, 128, Commodore 16, 116 and Plus/4.
Modified joysticks
Another interesting update presented by Simone and William was that of joysticks with additional "fire" buttons. These joysticks enhance your Commodore 64 gaming experience by allowing you to avoid using the keyboard to perform additional commands. Games like "Commando" become smoother and more immersive thanks to these modified joysticks.
It is possible to use the modified joysticks only with games that support them, both on the Commodore 64 and on the Amiga.
Modern power supplies for Commodore
During the interview, Simone emphasized the importance of using power supplies rebuilt with modern components. The original power supplies, after 40 years, may be unreliable and dangerous to vintage hardware. Modern power supplies provide stable voltages and overload protection, keeping your computers running smoothly even during extended usage sessions.
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