The Amiga 500 is set to return as a mini-console, and it will feature a number of classics including Worms, Another World, The Chaos Engine, and more.
In a press release, Retro Games has announced the creation of the A500 Mini, a licensed reimagining of the 16-bit Amiga 500 home computer. The original Commodore computer featured a 16/32-bit CPU and 512kb RAM was first on sale to consumers in 1987.
Schedule for release in early 2022, the A500 mini will emulate both the original A500, and the more advanced graphics architecture of the Amiga 1200. Players will be able to select from 25 games that can be accessed through a virtual carousel loaded into the console.
Retro Games has currently announced 12 of the 25 titles set to launch on the console next year, with the remainder of the roster to be announced at a later date:
Announced titles for the A500 Mini
- Breed 3D
- Another World
- ATR: All Terrain Racing
- Battle Chess
- Cadaver
- Kick Off 2
- Pinball Dreams
- Simon The Sorcerer
- Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe
- The Chaos Engine
- Worms: The Director's Cut
- Zool: Ninja Of The ''Nth'' Dimension.
Retro Games has clarified that the console will include USB functionality so that fans can load additional games onto the console. Players will also have access to a range of other features, including selectable 50Hz or 60Hz screen refresh rates, a CRT filter, and multiple scaling options.
Managing director of Retro Games, Paul Andrews spoke about his hopes for the A500 Mini. He said, "In this initial mini version of the A500, we have created what we believe gaming fans will love, and will see as the evolution of mini games consoles”.
The A500 Mini comes with an authentic style two-button mouse and also includes an 8-button gamepad for those hoping for controller support. The retro console will ship with additional ports to allow fans to plug in a separate external standard PC keyboard for additional functionality and comes with in-game save and pause features to help players finish each of its classic titles.
The A500 mini will be the latest of a number of retro consoles that have been released in recent years. Already on the market are modern, miniature takes on the SNES Classic, PlayStation Classic, C64 Mini, and Sega Genesis Mini that let you relive the nostalgia of days gone by. Each brings with it a nod to a period of retro games history and offers designs that resurrect hardware of past generations. Last year, IGN published its lineup of the best retro games consoles that you can pick up today. Though only time will tell how the A500 Mini fares against its fierce competition.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.