The A500 Mini

Foxi4

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Pretty sure my A1200 is still in my mum's loft. It had an annoying hardware problem, where the 2nd joystick port would work fine with a joystick, but not with a mouse (pointer wouldn't move). Wonder how hard that is to repair.
Probably not hard at all - it's just a 9-pin, and you can rule out any pins that you know are working.

https://old.pinouts.ru/InputCables/AmigaMouseJoy_pinout.shtml

Probably some minor trace repair, or a reflow of the pins. Maybe a new port, more often just a thorough clean. These things are indestructible.
 

hippy dave

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Probably not hard at all - it's just a 9-pin, and you can rule out any pins that you know are working.

https://old.pinouts.ru/InputCables/AmigaMouseJoy_pinout.shtml

Probably some minor trace repair, or a reflow of the pins. Maybe a new port, more often just a thorough clean. These things are indestructible.
Thanks, I don't remember so much about it now, but back then I thought that it couldn't just be certain pins not connecting through, and was more likely to be a worse kind of logic problem. I did a fair amount of messing around inside the machine, and did not have the appropriate skills to do it properly, so wouldn't have surprised me if I blew something etc. Would be interesting to investigate it properly sometime tho.
 

Foxi4

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Thanks, I don't remember so much about it now, but back then I thought that it couldn't just be certain pins not connecting through, and was more likely to be a worse kind of logic problem. I did a fair amount of messing around inside the machine, and did not have the appropriate skills to do it properly, so wouldn't have surprised me if I blew something etc. Would be interesting to investigate it properly sometime tho.
Most of the functions on DB9 are completely analog as far as I know, that's why the AMIGA is perfectly happy using Mega Drive/Genesis gamepads as a "joystick", which is my favourite way to play. There are specific pins responsible for horizontal/vertical scroll, so just tracing these will show you the problem. Simpler times.
 
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hippy dave

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There are specific pins responsible for horizontal/vertical scroll, so just tracing these will show you the problem.
From the link you posted above, the pins for mouse axes are the same as those used for digital joystick directions (which work fine), which is why I think it's something worse than just a circuit continuity problem from those pins. I remember that the only way I could move the mouse pointer (besides keyboard shortcuts) was by rotating the joystick in a circle, clockwise would move it one way and anticlockwise would move the other - somehow it was picking that up but not the signals from the mouse.
 

Foxi4

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From the link you posted above, the pins for mouse axes are the same as those used for digital joystick directions (which work fine), which is why I think it's something worse than just a circuit continuity problem from those pins. I remember that the only way I could move the mouse pointer (besides keyboard shortcuts) was by rotating the joystick in a circle, clockwise would move it one way and anticlockwise would move the other - somehow it was picking that up but not the signals from the mouse.
Yeah, I can see people had similar problems upon looking into it. Looks like +5V line, pull up resistor or multiplexer. Should be an easy fix.

https://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=62001
 
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Pleng

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Considering how it's almost impossible to get a real CD32 these days I would've definitely bought it.

It would have been fantastic for you, me, and the other 3 people in the world who want one... But producing a mini version of such an obscure console would be a shortcut to bankruptcy for any commercial enterprise.
 
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tech3475

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I don't think anyone would be crazy enough to put a floppy drive on a new console in 2021 lol. But I do think they will release a Maxi version with working keyboard.

Personally, I would've designed this one as a CD32 Mini instead of an A500 and put a $99 price on it. Then sold a proper A500 Maxi with working keyboard separately.

Considering how it's almost impossible to get a real CD32 these days I would've definitely bought it.

You forget that these things are aimed mainly at nostalgia and the A500 is most likely the highest selling model:
http://www.bambi-amiga.co.uk/amigahistory/sales.html

Again with a fake keyboard? I thought they learned their lesson, people want a real keyboard.

I love these "Mini" products but it seems absurd to have more than one model.Surely I ended up buying an A500 "MAXI"

IIRC with the C64, they said it was retailers who wanted the ‘mini’ version first.

Two models does make sense IMO since not everyone may have the space for the larger unit nor care about the keyboard and it makes it harder to buy as a gift for others, both financially (since it would probably cost more) and physically.

Biggest problem I have is simply the price, it just seems expensive for what it is and I’m hopeful of price cuts similar to the C64 Mini in time.
 

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IIRC with the C64, they said it was retailers who wanted the ‘mini’ version first.

Two models does make sense IMO since not everyone may have the space for the larger unit nor care about the keyboard and it makes it harder to buy as a gift for others, both financially (since it would probably cost more) and physically.

Biggest problem I have is simply the price, it just seems expensive for what it is and I’m hopeful of price cuts similar to the C64 Mini in time.

If you told me that it is a mini console like MegaDrive that has a false volume button or the SNES that has a false eject button, I would understand it however we are talking about computers and its main input method is the keyboard, so I would expect it to have a real one.

It is as if tomorrow Nintendo released a miniature edition of the Wii and the Wiimote did not have motion sensors, it only works as a classic controller.

Hopefully we can have the "MAXI" model of the A500 and have enough stock for "everyone"
 

tech3475

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If you told me that it is a mini console like MegaDrive that has a false volume button or the SNES that has a false eject button, I would understand it however we are talking about computers and its main input method is the keyboard, so I would expect it to have a real one.

It is as if tomorrow Nintendo released a miniature edition of the Wii and the Wiimote did not have motion sensors, it only works as a classic controller.

Hopefully we can have the "MAXI" model of the A500 and have enough stock for "everyone"

They're including a physical mouse and joypad, I'd expect the included games to be configured to be playable via these, with minimal use of the on screen keyboard (maybe something like a save file). If not then that will be stupid.

So far with the C64 Minis I gave I haven't heard any complaints about the lack of a keyboard.

As I said before, not everyone may have room for a full sized A500 console nor want to spend the inevitably higher price for a 'maxi' version.
 

subcon959

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Prototype showing scale

6Hjkzy1.jpg
 

subcon959

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I've spent way too much on my hobbies this year, I must resist your temptations :lol:
Lol, I'm having the same problem. I keep telling myself I don't need this since I have 3 Amigas already, but I just know I'm gonna cave at some point next year.

Btw, here's some more temptation in the form of the currently revealed games list.

GrysWv8.jpg
 
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FAST6191

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Sensible soccer is Codemasters which is now EA as of fairly recently.

Lemmings is Psygnosis which is Sony these days (and has been for a while) I believe.

Snooker was Virgin Interactive which these days means the borderline corpse of interplay if a search is anything to go by. Possibility there.

So yeah never say never but... actually I am betting on never.


On amiga releated notes. I picked up a box for Zool 2 yesterday. No game with it but all the postcards and stickers with it, and a few codewheels for various games. One for the shelf of cool things.
 

FAST6191

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Differences from the last picture.

Lost Patrol
Alien Breed
Titus Fox
Dragon's Breath.

Alien Breed was probably fairly obvious as it is the other Team 17 game. Personally I would suggest the more recent Alien Breed Trilogy but hey.
Never did Dragon's Breath/Dragon Lord but http://www.indieretronews.com/2017/03/dragons-breath-best-dragon-game-ever.html
Seems to be an early take on what today would either be monster breeding or monster rancher clones depending upon your disposition. Same dev on the Amiga also did Barbarian if we are noting things for controversies (had almost forgotten about that one), can't imagine that will be one of the big 5 last games if they are trying to drip feed like this they will be saving best for last and that is not going to shift units here.
Never heard of Titus Fox, whether that was because it was French or because it was a third rate mascot character on a system/generation full of them I don't know. Though if it was not Disney, Zool or James Pond did anybody care for the Amiga?
That said Titus did own the company that did Dragon's Breath/Dragon Lord so we might be able to give higher probabilities to fill in gaps. That is also where Virgin comes in so your Snooker desires might be closer than I thought.
Lost Patrol. A rare Vietnam game, and better yet a rare actually somewhat good Vietnam game. From the Ocean stable of games if we are noting publishers.

Bit of a quasi speedrun (there is a 1h:50 more longplay video as well) but covers the high points. 100K views on that too at time of writing which I would not have expected in the slightest.


Quickfire round of games and devs/pubs and notes.

Cadaver. Bitmap Brothers
F16 Combat Pilot. Digital integration, later sold to Titus.
Worms Director's Cut. Team 17 with Ocean playing around at times.
Another World. Delphine Software. Not sure what publisher would own this these days, and it gets other things anyway in these sorts of collections. Interplay do have some rights somewhere in this.
Zool. Gremlin Graphics, apparently owned by Urbanscan (new company from one of the main players in Gremlin) https://www.urbanscan.co.uk/ so whole knows. Monty Mole probably being among the absent possibilities here.
Project X. Team 17
Kick Off 2. Anco Software? No idea who owns what here today.
Dragon's Breath. Palace Software, bought out by Titus.
Simon the Sorcerer. Adventure Soft/Horror Soft. Would be surprised to see any other Adventure Soft/Horror Soft things as licensing will likely be an issue (Marvel and Elvira) and anything later for AmigaOS is probably too new/demanding.
Alien Breed 3d. Team 17
Pinball Dreams. Digital Illusions, later became Dice and then EA bought Dice. They do have some later pinball games on the Amiga but nothing that probably hit as hard as that, and Benefactor which is a kind of lemmings clone (even published by Psygnosis, which means probably Sony).
The Sentinel (the Sentry in the US). Firebird-Microprose-Infogrammes-modern Atari and the whole mess there.
Alien Breed. Team 17.
The Chaos Engine. Bitmap Brothers.
Lost Patrol. Ocean software, so Infogrammes and modern Atari again but might actually be Bandai.
Speedball 2. Bitmap Brothers
Titus Fox. Titus.
ATR All Terrain Racing. Team 17
Battle Chess. Interplay.
California games. Westwood did the Amiga version and that means Virgin-EA again, maybe Titus as well. The original C64 version from Epyx, and that is how we got Studio 3 making a bunch of such games for the DS a while back ( https://web.archive.org/web/2012110...t.com/news/epyx-returns-on-wii-psp-ds-6156004 ).

So
Bitmap Brothers
Titus
Interplay which also means Titus and possibly some aspects of Virgin
Team17
Gremlin Graphics
Adventure Soft
Digital Illusions/DICE


Notable absences from the Amiga lists of those.
Bitmap Brothers
Xenon (shmup) and Xenon II: Megablast
Speedball 1 if being completion types
There is an expansion called Cadaver the payoff.
Gods (platfomer)
Magic Pockets (platformer)
Chaos Engine 2

Titus
Prehistorik (platformer, think Chuck Rock), has seen andrios versions.
Super Cauldron (don't know if related to the C64 Cauldron games as they do own the dev).
Barbarian and its sequel by them owning the Dragon's Breath/Dragon Lord developer. Early fighting game so... unlikely.
PGA golf game
Game based on Who Framed Roget Rabbit called Hare Raising Havoc.

Team17
Alien Breed and Alien Breed 3d are there so there is II and the Tower Assault spinoff. There is also Alien Breed 3d II but that is a system grinder and not so fondly remembered.
Superfrog (platformer)
Body Blows (fighting game, unknown today but fairly well liked at the time)
Arcade Pool (pool simulator)

Gremlin Graphics
Many, even more if we consider them as publishers as well and what goes with rights there.
Doubt we will be seeing Lotus games (car racing) because Lotus. Lotus 3 did have a nice quasi procedural generation thing going on as well. Similar story for Toyota Celica GT Rally. They did however do Super Cars which was top down instead and might dodge that one. Top Gear (not related to the TV show) a possibility but eh. Jeep and Nigel Mansell had games as well.
Would be stunned if Premier Manager got the nod.
Venus the Flytrap. shmup.
Heroquest is likely a rights thing because board game.
Utopia and K240. Strategy games, and probably closest thing you will get to Populous from the devs seen so far.
Harlequin. Platformer and a possibility on the hidden gem list, not really the hard hitting finisher on a list but hey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gremlin_Interactive if you want to pick over things there.

Adventure Soft
Elvira games, Waxworks (film from the time) and a Captain America game. Personal Nightmare is potentially on the list though LGR review.

Digital Illusions/DICE
Amiganoid (Arkanoid/breakout clone)
Benefactor (platformer)
Few other pinball dreams sequels.

Interplay
Bard's Tale but I can't imagine that being rights available.
Neuromancer that was nominally based on the book (if you have not read it then it is ground zero for cyberpunk) I similarly imagine to be a rights nightmare.
Future Wars/Time Travellers. Same devs as Another World actually, however I imagine if they were going to go for that then Flashback would be their goal (mind you that might be US Gold instead which is a whole other minefield and there is set to be a Flashback 2 out before long so... yeah)
Would be stunned if Lost Vikings (early Blizzard game) makes an appearance on this one.
Wasteland was not an Amiga game for reasons I am not sure about (was on DOS and plenty of amiga ports either side of this).
They have a lord of the rings game but... yeah. Star Trek 25th Anniversary edition too, probably one of the better Star Trek games too.
Dungeon Master II (dungeon crawler, and system grinder) is a maybe.

As mentioned above Interplay, Virgin and Titus all get very odd so who knows on that one.


5 to round out the list then. Dropping anything with any kind of rights issue that makes this a nightmare.
Would not be surprised to see Zool 2, will probably round out at least the mainline Alien Breed and get II in there, maybe Amiganoid, Utopia a possibility, Xenon or its sequel perhaps, Chaos Engine 2 likely on that.
Anything with 2 in there and games already on the list I will go with a higher bet on (zool 2 lower on the spread as not so many care there), probably then get a few oddball platformers and maybe a shmup.
 
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