The Amiga 500 was launched in 1987 and it featured a 16/32 bit CPU, 512 KB of RAM and a custom chipset to produce higher quality audio and video compared to competition. The THEA500 Mini console is therefore a “compact” version of this famous family computer. It offers, according to the manufacturer, a perfect emulation, not only of the original A500 but also of the advanced graphics architecture. THEA500 Mini also comes with a 2-button mouse in its original style and a new high-precision 8-button gamepad, allowing to define the game controls. In addition to the virtual keyboard, it is possible to connect an external standard PC keyboard for more functionalities.
THEA500 Mini allows you to play in 720p (50/60 Hz) thanks to its HDMI socket. Even though there are only 25 games included, in addition to its own catalog, the THEA500 Mini console also allows you to emulate Amiga 500, 600 and 1200 games and save your game at any time (savestate). Indeed, its USB port, which allows you to update the firmware and connect external accessories (keyboard, mouse, USB key, hard drive), also allowsadd your own games and demos thanks to the support of the WHDLoad (an Amiga emulation format). Of course, you must legally own the originals to be able to use them in this way.
In terms of technical characteristics, we have nothing yet on the beast apart from its measurements (25 x 17.7 x 7.8 cm) and its weight (1 Kg) but the list of the 25 games included is as follows:
- Alien Breed 3D
- Alien Breed: Special Edition ’92
- Another World
- Arcade pool
- ATR: All Terrain Racing
- Battle Chess
- corpse
- California Games
- The Chaos Engine
- dragon breath
- F-16 Combat Pilot
- Kick Off 2
- The Lost Patrol
- Paradroid 90
- Pinball Dreams
- Project-X: Special Edition 93
- Qwak
- The Sentinel
- Simon the Sorcerer
- Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
- Stunt Car Racer
- Super Cars II
- Titus The Fox: To Marrakech And Back
- Worms: The Director’s Cut
- Zool: Ninja Of The “Nth” Dimension
If you want to dive back into the madness of the good old 16-bit days, you can pre-order TheA500 Mini at Fnac for the price of 129.99 euros. Note, in the context of pre-orders, if the price charged by Fnac.com on an item falling between the time you place your order and the day the package is dispatched, you will be billed at the lower amount. Its release is officially scheduled for March 25, 2022..