The C64 review – a captivatingly precise replica of the joys of 80s gaming

The Commodore 64 thrilled a generation of gamers in the 80s. Now it's back (again), warts and all

First released in 1982 - hot on the heels of its rival, Sinclair's ZX Spectrum - the Commodore 64 became one of the most popular home computers of the 1980s. It was far from user-friendly by today's standards - even demanding some code be entered just to load games - but it inspired a generation of future programmers and designers, many of whom went on to be influential game makers. At the peak of its popularity, factories were building 400,000 units a month to meet demand.

In 2018, it made a comeback, reborn as a "microconsole" preloaded with games. A charming, half-scale replica, the C64 Mini could be plugged into a modern TV, providing access to 64 games. Unfortunately, it lacked two things so important to the Commodore 64 experience: a working keyboard and a decent joystick.