Unboxing a brand new TURBOGRAFX console. This has never been used and contains the original box and packaing. The music is from Legendary Axe on the TURBOGRAFX. This console was known as the TURBOGRAFX-16 in the US, and the PC Engine in Japan. This is part of the archive collection, videos I took of my systems some years back but shared to help other collectors and enthusiasts.
Unboxing of a brand new Commodore 16, accompanied by some music from the C16. This video is from my archives of systems I sadly had to sell, but I thought I'd document the contents of them first for fellow collectors. Music Tracks are from the "8 Shades of Black" demo on the C16. This computer was opened way back in the 80's and the power supply was removed. It couldn't therefore be sold and remained untouched.
Another unboxing video from the archives. Here we are checking out the contents of a UK version Sega Megadrive (Genesis) in new condition. All original parts are present, plus an extra game has been thrown in the box at some point. Music: "Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Music Medly - Cult Classics (1/8)" - Youtube user: Alianger and a Sega advert from the UK.
Another video from the archives. Unboxing a Nintendo Entertainment System. UK Model., not sealed but in good condition. This is part of the archive collection, videos I took of my systems some years back but shared to help other collectors and enthusiasts.
Another video from my unboxing archive circa 2010 when I had to sell my boxed systems due to unforeseen circumstances. I filmed all of my systems to help other collectors and give an insight into what was in the box. Enjoy, and please check out my other videos for games, hardware and retrospectives on classic computing. Music: A500 commercial from 1984
We take Combat Lynx by Durell Software for a spin on the C64. A 1984 release which is playable on keyboard, but really demands 2 joysticks to master as I find out during an appalling display of helicopter piloting. Positives: Free roaming psuedo 3D with contorted landscapes, and in depth controls for flight and weapons systems Negatives: Need some serious time put into it to master it even on the easiest level. Probably a lot easier with two joysticks however. Impressive stuff for 1984. Music Credit: 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"
We review A10 Tank Killer by Dynamix. While I intended to play the PC version I opted for the Amiga in the end with better sound and brute force acceleration to give us a smooth experience. I really enjoyed playing this one.
Flight Path 737 was described by Amstrad Computer User as "the systems first flight simulator", but is it a flight sim at all? We try it out on the Commodore 64. Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6KRNDPl5k49BMZgAHjq_Q
alk about squeezing a lot of game into a review. We touch on all the elements that made this a great game. Nearly a classic but not quite. Did anyone actually complete 25 missions? What are your memories of B17 Flying Fortress? Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?""
Digital Image Design were a UK software house at the forefront of flight sims in the 1990's, and spun off their engines in some pretty creative ways. This is a supersonic flight through their history in their games, most of which hold a special place in my collection. Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6K... All other music in this documentary is directly from the games featured.
I take a look at the Mayflash Arcade Fighting Stick, a budget stick that seems to be up for sale everywhere you look. A stick with an identity crisis and some flaws which we might be able to fix. Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?""
From the archive I give you the unboxing of my Atari ST which is still sealed and brand new. It's really here as a resource for those who want to see what a complete system should contain, and those of us who are just interested to see what's inside. Enjoy the unboxing.
Part 1 of a brief history of Kick Off, what came before it, what challenged it for its crown and what happened next. Part 2 is here: https://youtu.be/Ffh3A6UoleY In part 1 we cover the early years, what went into the original Kick Off that made it great and how it was tweaked to create Player Manager and Kick Off 2. Thanks for watching, please subscribe if you'd like to see more videos like this, I really appreciate your support and feedback. Music Credits: Sideways Samba by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?""
A cheap and nasty joystick gets a cheap and nasty upgrade to give us genuine arcade buttons that don't feel like eyeballs. Total cost, £7.69 with comedy superglue. Original review: https://youtu.be/gDTaej86hmg Disclaimer: This is not for arcade afficianados. This is for people who want to turn this thing into something usable at minimal cost, with no tools. Glue is not a recommended arcade tool by arcade type professional folk. Music Credits: Banjo Short by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Artist: http://audionautix.com/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Hear The Noise - John Delay and the 41 Players Leavin - MK2 Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"
Part 2 of a brief history of Dino Dini and his football games. In this part Dino faces stiff competition and watches his Kick Off brand develop without his involvement. Part 1 of this video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUZVZ... Thanks for watching, please subscribe if you'd like to see more videos like this, I really appreciate your support and feedback. Music Credits: Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?""
Heart of China by Dynamix is an often overlooked title in the history of adventure games, but I think it deserves a quick retrospective. Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"
Let's take a look at the Aimtrak Arcade Light Gun for PC and compatible with the PS2 and 3. Compatible with modern LCD and LED TV's which light guns traditionally don't work with. Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"
Today I'm seeing if the Mayflash Sega Genesis/Megadrive to USB adapter lets us use other DB9 joysticks instead, which includes Commodore, Sinclair, Atari, Sega and hundreds of other old joypads and joysticks. Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6K... Background Music from the games played, Streets of Rage 2 and Turrican
Buy it: http://amzn.to/2y0WtXU The "XCSource Zero Delay" USB Joystick Encoder, also known as the Bosega CY-822A, the "USB Joystick" and a whole host of other names is the cheapest arcade control encoder going. Lets take a closer look at it. You can support my channel by becoming a Patreon, and enjoy early access, the RMC coffee lounge and other fun: Support: https://www.patreon.com/user/RMC Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/RMCRetro Music: Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6K... How it Begins by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/
A slightly different format today as I try out the Rockfire USB Nest Gameport to USB converter with a Thrustmaster F22, F16 TQS and Rudder Control System. How far can we take it without tearing these devices down and rebuilding them to work with modern systems? Music: Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/user/8bitbEtty
Retropi and a Pi3, what an awesome combination to build your emulation project around, and when it comes to handheld projects you're going to want a fast and colourful screen to make those classics look the part. Is the Waveshare 3.5" screen the perfect match? Links: Find my 3.2" vs 3.5" follow up review here: https://youtu.be/8bazEcXemiA Music: Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/user/8bitbEtty
Here's a fun hack, we're fixing up a Sega Game Gear Sound Circuit Board to work using power from a USB port and audio from a 3.5" audio output on a Raspberry Pi, with a few repairs along the way. This was a proof of concept to see if I could use the board. I'll be refining this design before the final Game Gear RetroPi build comes together. Subscribe to see more hacks, reviews and retro gaming adventures on my channel. Thanks for watching. Music: Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/user/8bitbEtty
Following my review of the Waveshare 35b 3.5" GPIO screen I'm now taking a look at the 3.2" model and running a side by side comparison. Which is better for gaming projects and why? Let's find out. Links: My 3.5" in depth review: https://youtu.be/SGMC0t33C50 Great setup guide: https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/2... You can support my channel by becoming a Patreon, and enjoy early access, the RMC coffee lounge and other fun: Support: https://www.patreon.com/user/RMC Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/RMCRetro Music: Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"" : https://www.youtube.com/user/8bitbEtty Dance Monster - Electronic Medium by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/
The Pi Game Gear build continues and this time we're using the original GG power board to provide both battery and mains power to the Pi. This also powers the original Game Gear sound board which we got working with the Pi in our previous video, and we tidy up those cables. If you enjoyed this video then please subscribe to see the rest of this and other projects. Music Credits: Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...) Here's a video where we checked out the Sound Board: https://youtu.be/b4Gqobm7bE0 Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"
Over 20 years later this joystick finally gets its moment in the sun as we unwrap the little time capsule for a trip down memory lane. What's your PC joystick of choice? Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"
I stumbled across this permanent exhibition in a basement in Budapest and grabbed the camera to share it with you. 130 machines all on freeplay from 1925 to the present day. It is described on the flyer as the "Largest Pinball Exhibition in Europe" Website: flippermuzeum.hu Theme Music Credit with permission from 8bit Betty "Was that away message for me?"
The magic dumpster delivers again with a fantastic 486 PC. But does it work and what's inside it? Let's tear it down and find out. This is the donor PC for our 486 Trash to Treasure series in which we'll be transforming it into my ultimate 486 gaming PC.
We continue squeezing a Raspberry Pi 3 into a Game Gear. In this video we find a novel way to mount everything inside the case, and after a failed attempt hit on a way to add and configure the controls that works nicely.
Today I'm restoring an old yellow computer back to a bright original white using BBlonde peroxide available in high street stores and sunlight.
Sega have released some of their original launch versions of the games for the Mega Drive / Genesis in a free ad supported or paid for version. Let's take a look to see if it's worth installing.
Today we take a look at a refreshing approach to playing your favourite emulated arcade and console games. New Retro Arcade, a place where emulation meets a simulation of the 1980's/1990's and captures the atmosphere perfectly.
In part one of our 486 Trash to Treasure mini series we're replacing an old noisy 540mb IDE HD with a Compact Flash adapter, making for quick and easy removal to transfer files onto the card using a modern PC. We install it, benchmark it and put it to the test.
We continue to turn our dumpster PC into my ultimate 486 gaming machine. Today we're adding a great sound card as well a Roland SC-88VL to take care of Midi music. What do you think of the result? Would you have done it differently? And where shall we go next with our build?
A music request by imoldgreggguk for the MSDOS version of XCOM UFO Defense on a Roland SC-55.
A music request by LillieBeBe for the MSDOS version of Monkey Island 2 on a Roland SC-55. If you'd like to make a classic game music requests leave a comment.
A music request by LillieBeBe for the MSDOS version of Monkey Island 2 on a Roland SC-88. If you'd like to make a classic game music requests leave a comment.
A music request by imoldgreggguk for the MSDOS version of XCOM UFO Defense on a Roland SC-88
A music request from ProjectGeek for the MSDOS version of Transport Tycoon Deluxe on a Roland SC-88.
A music request from Tsurime for the MSDOS version of Lotus 3 Ultimate Challenge on a Roland SC-88.
A music request from AlmostLucid for the MSDOS version of Quest for Glory 1 song "Erana's Peace" on a Roland SC-88. This is a playback of a midi file version of the requested song.
A music request by Lehawk0 for the MSDOS version of Spellcraft Aspects of Valor on a Roland SC-88.
Let's put a theory as old as computer time to the test. Can toothpaste repair scratches on a CRT monitor?
We turn to the buzzword of the early 90's for our next upgrades, "Multimedia", and we're not here to mess around. Just like our Roland audio additions we're fitting some serious hardware to get the ultimate 486 experience. Note: At 7:18 I forget to install the CD Audio cable, this will be fitted in episode 5 when we finish it all up.
Multimedia & MPEG continued, we get that Reelmagic card installed and test out some games with it.
I couldn't resist but share these marketing letters from Managing Director Nigel Searle circa 1983. These letters were sent to the owner of this computer in the months following their purchase. Old Nigel really was optimistic about the MicroDrive and ZX Interface 2!
It is finally finished! After 4 days of retrobriting in the wet British summer I've restored the plastics as far as they will go, made some internal changes and then got on with the business of playing games. Lots and lots of games.
A 5 minute tech test on one of the many cheap PCI to PCI Express adapters on the market. Does it work and is it worth buying one. Lets find out.
In our first episode of gaming lore we look back at Links 386 Pro. A game which drove PC's to utilise the latest hardware and rise above competing platforms in photo-realistic glory. FOUR! Corrections: 1:54 - 640x480 quadruples the pixel density (not doubles!) Thanks JB
An unexpected auction win kicks off our next restoration series. This time it's a Digital VAXStation 3100, setting you back a cool $10,000 to $18,000 in 1989. Get to know our new machine with me and I'll consider if this is beyond repair, or if we should dive in and get to work on it.
After a thorough clean down a new real time clock battery is installed as well as a PSU. Then we fire it up, will it work?
In our 3rd episode in the VAXStation restoration we roll our sleeves up and tackle the operating system, and more grime on our VAXStation.
Review time! It's the Zalman ZM-VE350 a handy device that appears as a CD drive and allows you to mount ISO files on the fly. Great for both modern day and retro purposes.
Welcome to Trash to Treasure, Amiga style. Today we're taking a look at an A500 I picked up from a classifieds advert. It's not pretty, but it's well worth rescuing not just because it's an A500 but because it's a little bit special.
Let's try out a HDMI screen with RetroPie and some games. This is the "Elecrow 5 Inch Touch Screen HDMI Monitor". A TFT LCD monitor with touch screen and 60hz refresh. Hopefully you find the tour and Retropie footage useful in putting together your own projects. Purchasing Links to support RMC Elecrow 5" Screen: http://amzn.to/2h8PvK9
Welcome to part 2 of my Trash to Treasure Amiga series. Today's episode is a roller coaster as we try to fault find and fix with varying degrees of success.
Welcome to part 3 of my Trash to Treasure Amiga series. Today we get the old girl all cleaned up and I was hoping to showcase the finished machine, but the British weather got the better of us. I'll just have to dedicate a full episode to the showcase when the sun comes out.
Update: The Spectrum is repaired, but all it took was some new capacitors before I attempted any interesting fault finding. So this series will now be taking a different direction exploring what made the system unique. I was donated a rather handsome 48KB ZX Spectrum by Mrs ManCave's father this week. Owing to its cosmetic condition we can hardly make this a "Trash to Treasure" series, but it is in a none-working condition. Let's start by taking a look at the system before we move on to repairs, and the use of the machine in the modern day.
Welcome to part 4 of my Trash to Treasure Amiga series. The episode that was never meant to be, but the British weather delayed us from finishing in part 3. Thanks to the help of a UV light I finished up the retrobriting and here's the final result, as well as some memories I have from using the system. Enjoy. ● Corrections Turrican 2 in the final montage is the PC version, oops! This will be rectified when I release the series in a single video.
To wrap up the Amiga 500 Trash to Treasure series here's the full series in a single video, with a few corrections and audio level adjustments to make it more enjoyable, as well as some interesting episode intervals from Jay Miner. This wraps up the A500 Trash to Treasure series. I hope you enjoyed it and will join me for future videos.
Calculators, perhaps not exciting at first sight but an important part in computer history, and this Commodore example is no exception and should be able to hold its head high alongside Sinclair, HP and Texas Instrument offerings. This was found discarded in the rain and in a very sorry state. The perfect challenge for my friend TheProjectGeek, lets see if he's up to the challenge.
Today we're focusing on the distinctive graphical style the ZX Spectrum had, including the famous colour clash, why it looked like this, and how game designers overcame the limitations. Where's the repair!? - In part 1 we had a broken ZX Spectrum which we took a tour of and I talked of repairing it. As it turns out, all it needed was to be re-capped with new capacitors and it came to life. I thought that wouldn't make a very interesting video, so we're going to explore what made the machine unique over the rest of the series. Once complete I'll release the full series and re-edit episode one a little to give better continuity. If I should come across a broken Speccy in future it will get the T2T treatment.
Here are the highlights of your donations to the cave for the month of September 2017 and early October. Some cracking new systems to play with and explore as well as insights into a few future videos.
The GoTek, I'm sure you already know about this one as it has been around for years. In my quest to enjoy my Amiga without cutting it up or modifying it in ways which cannot be reversed, here's my way of using the GoTek externally as DF0. A simple solution that will now provide hours of entertainment.
Welcome to another Trash to Treasure series. This time we explore a donated Acorn Electron. As T2T series go this one isn't in bad shape at all. It obviously needs a good clean and we'll be taking precautions before firing her up.
Mini NES? Mini SNES? No thank you, not when I can have a mini Amiga, C64, BBC Micro or Atari ST! Lets take a look at this tiny 3D printed cases for your Raspberry Pi thanks to the donation from RetroPiCases.com
In this episode we check the safety and suitability of our donated Acorn Electron to ensure we don't damage it by powering it on or create an unnecessary risk to ourselves or our home.
Welcome to my review of the Raspberry Pi bar top kit from GeekPi. It promises to be the complete package, everything you need for a great RetroPie setup, but can it deliver? Let's find out...
The ZX Spectrum delivered Sir Clive Sinclairs vision of a low cost, accessible and available 8 bit micro to British homes. Today we explore the impact of a system which found its way into 5 million homes and introduced a generation to computing. A generation who continue to influence the industry today. Enjoy the memories with very special guests The Oliver Twins, Matthew Smith and a few cameos along the way.
A bumper episode for you today as we restore the Acorn Electron from a gravy stained mess to a beautiful piece of computing history.
When someone wants to throw their hat into the ring and challenge one of my reviews, who am I to deny them the opportunity. Having seen our recent review of a competing Pi Joystick Case this new arrival landed on my doormat, and the fight was on.
It's our first ever handheld T2T series. Let's get familiar with the 1989 Atari Lynx model 1 so that we might be able to fix it up and enjoy some mobile gaming while burning through some batteries.
Cave Party! Friends of the Cave join me today as we set the record straight on just what the Amiga was capable of when it comes to MIDI. The Atari ST range and later the Falcon became the go to choice for hit record makers and the PC enjoyed MIDI soundtracks in their games, was the Amiga as capable? Let's find out.
Time to get down to the nitty gritty and fix up our broken Atari Lynx. Can we restore it to its former glory and enjoy Atari's handheld?
Another month, another donations video and you've been as generous as ever, thank you! I've also made our first Patreon Q&A public on the end of this video to give you a flavour of what we get up to on Patreon.
Matthew has kindly donated this C64 to the cave, the first we've looked at, so I called upon the support of Jan Beta to help us to identify what type of C64 we have. I take you through the chips on the board, and we learn a little about the origins of the machine.
Happy Holidays Cave Dwellers. I decided to down tools and relax today while trying out three festive games I've never played before, and share my opinion of them with you. I'd love to hear about your festive game choices and experiences in the comments section.
Following our Lynx restoration series it's time to take it one step further, addressing the systems biggest weakness the passive matrix display.
Work continues on our donated C64, we've got to know the machine now lets try to restore it. This time I take a different approach to my usual method with some additions which are surprisingly available off the shelf.
I've been busy over the holiday period moving RMC into a new dedicated cave. Take the tour with me, hear the reasons why and get to know a little about the equipment used.
What good is refurbishing computers if I don't play them! It's time to set the record straight with some regular gaming. Today I revisit Stunt Island to see if it's as good as my nostalgic memories remember it to be. All footage captured for this video on real 486 hardware.
Lets clear up the snags and enjoy using the C64c in both old and new ways to enhance the fun, with a minor disaster along the way, oops!
Howard from Dubious Engineering has visited the cave today to show & tell his modified Big Trak, an ongoing project which has proven its worth on the battlefield.
The time has come to tackle the problem of RetroBriting in the rainy UK once and for all. I explore methods of restoring yellow plastics without sunshine.
A decade before the world was getting to grips with the world wide web France was leading the way in connectivity. Pulling its ageing telephone network up from being the laughing stock of the industrialised world to the forerunner of online digital services. This is the story of the Minitel.
An update from the cave for your donations this month and any other business.
Can we really use an Amiga on a modern monitor for as little as £15 / $20? Scan doublers taking the 15khz signal of the Amiga up to the 31khz supported by modern monitors can easily cost £100 or more so a cheap solution would be more than welcome. Lets test it out.
Simon from the channel BackInTimeSime has visited the Cave today with his complete PAL Dreamcast collection and more, sharing his thoughts on the games, the system and why he collects for it. If you have an interesting collection or rare item you're passionate about and would like to share with the channel then get in touch I'd love to meet you.
This donated CD32 needs some TLC and in the usual T2T style lets get familiar with the system and its problems in part 1 before trying to fix them in part 2. Meet Commodores last hurrah, or was it a whimper, the CD32. ● Corrections AGA - Advanced Graphics Architecture, not "Adapter" which slipped out. oops!
Part two of our T2T series and it's time to repair the board if we can locate the fault, and perform a recap, exploring the method used to remove surface mounted capacitors.
The £15 ($20) upscaler fun continues as I try to fix the noise issues we experienced in the review of the device, for as little money as possible.
Top Hat Gaming Man Richard brings the very collectable Nintendo Virtual Boy for us to see. A piece of computing history from a period of experimentation which saw many systems and companies rise and fall.
Now we have a working CD32 it's time to have some fun with it. Today I'm checking out CD32 games, cross model gaming, upgrades and peripherals until I have my perfect CD32 setup.
"The fastest Apple Mac is an Amiga". Really? It's time for some myth busting in the cave to see if there was any truth in this claim.
It's our fourth installment of donations to The Cave. Some fine new additions this month and great ideas for potential future episodes.
The Soviet Union, it's neighbours and friends, and Communist Russia has a fascinating computer history which is largely unreported in the West. I'd like to explore a facet of that history today in the Sinclair ZX Spectrum clones and the impact they had.
It's time for a competition. All details are in the video. This competition is within YouTubes competition guidelines
The Acorn Risc PC is the culmination of much experience and development at Acorn. It's also the last of their desktop computers. Find out why with me in the cave today.
The Sega Fighting Puck, is this the answer to our gaming needs? Find out as I see April in with this comprehensive review.
RobotShop.com have sent me this box of Pi NES style goodies. Lets take them for a road test and see if they are worth our hard earned cash.
A little bit of bonus fun this Sunday with the gang over at GenXGrownUps.
When Steve Jobs was fired from Apple he setup NeXT Computers. This is the story of the final computer in that range, the NeXT Station Turbo Colour. It's history, the machine in action and the legacy it left us.
Gary visits the cave today to show off some rare examples of Atari machines. Joined by Dr Andrew Armstrong and friends.
Welcome to episode one of Retro Island Diskettes, a new series in which we explore a guests retro life through their musical choices, before casting them away on Retro Island.
We continue our look at the NeXT Station by exploring the software, development and the legacy left by NeXT.
Sega Video Driver is a VCR based game from Sega, does it live up to their usual high gaming standards or is it another in the list of failed VHS games? Find out in this review.
It's your pictures! Sent in for the Atari Lynx with Mcwill modded screen giveaway. Lets take a walk through the gallery.
The Amstrad 6128 is the computer I always wanted. Well at least until the Amiga 500 came along, but as a tape wielding 464 owner it seemed like the ultimate computer. Today I finally take steps to fulfil that dream.
Beast from Quartex shares a life of cracking, piracy, police raids and court room drama from the inside of a major cracking group. Listen to his story and his musical choices through which to tell the tale.
Take a look at your donations, my pickups and some plans for future episodes on the channel. As always thank you so much to everyone who makes RMC possible and donates items, contributes as a Patron or simply watches my videos, you all rock.
We have the parts, now lets test and restore the Amstrad 6128 to its former glory, ready for some serious play testing.
It's review time! I'm excited about this one, have I finally found gamepads to pair up with my mini NES case that suit my needs? Find out.
While DJ Slope and I may have the same first computer we soon took very different paths, and today both Andrew and I were educated in the great tunes console gaming has to offer, while learning more about DJ Slope and the challenges of YouTubing.
A very special delivery has arrived from China with thanks to Naomi and Winston, it's the Jackie Chan computer....but just...what does it do?
Today I try out a brand new C64 game "Sydney Hunter and the Sacred Tribe" and reminisce about buying games back in the 80's.
What good is refurbishing and repairing an old computer if we're not going to use it. Today we celebrate the Amstrad CPC 6128 with special guests, friends and family.
After millions of years of evolution the ultimate joystick has taken its final form. The Cheetah Tortoise. The perfect joystick for gaming? Trevor comes out of his shell to show us on the ZX Spectrum in this byte sized episode.
A live stream with friends sharing the Jaguar and Falcon from Atari, taking requests and chatting with you while we demonstrate the systems.
In the late 70's and early 90's France was more aware than most of the impact home technology could have, and The State were pushing for technological independence with projects like the Minitel network. Step forward Thomson Computers with their range of computers to mimic the success of Apple in the USA and put France on the forefront of home micros. But did they succeed?
The Rotronics Wafadrive is one of those curious things we all saw in the pages of magazines but rarely saw in action before it vanished, superseded by superior storage devices. Which makes it perfect for a byte sized look at today. What was it, how did it work and...does it still work?
In 1988 Checkmate Digital took on Commodore with their A500 desktop conversion kit. Today we hear the story of the Checkmate A1500, the Commodore Amiga 1500 and the new Checkmate A1500 Plus. A story which spans over 30 years and is still being written.
Following the recent Amiga A1500 history video I took the chance to grab Stephen and ask him your questions. Here's our chat!
Browsing the internet in 1998 with the use of an internet directory book. Was it needed? What was in it? Why didn't we just use a search engine? All this and more!
This is the oldest computer we've had in the cave to date, the Tandy Radio Shack TRS 80 from 1977. It was generously donated by Bob and now it's my duty to restore it to its former glory. The TRS80 gets the Trash to Treasure treatment.
Software on Vinyl, it was a thing! Not to mention on other audio formats. Today we take a look at an example with special guest Matt from TechMoan to help us.
This video compliments a recent video exploring computer programs stored on vinyl records. It's captured from a real ZX Spectrum and record player. The program was stored on the vinyl and transferred to cassette tape.
Ravi Abbot gives us a tour of his Commodore Amiga DJ setup and PT-1210 software before treating us to a set, mixing mod tracks using all the features of the software.
The Radioshack TRS80 Model 1 restoration continues today as we diagnose the problem and try to repair it. Can we get a working TRS80 at the end of it? Let's find out.
The GPD CD Plus supplied by Droidbox is marketed as a "Retro Gamers Dream". We put this claim to the test with a road test and my thoughts on the device.
The Sharp X68000 is an astonishing range of computers. A workstation designed primarily for games and released only in Japan, today we take a look at the "Pro" model from 1989. A home arcade, Capcoms arcade development machine of choice and an all out power house. Lets see what it can do!
Following on trom Ravi Abbots retro DJ setup I've decided to shrink it down and make it accessible to everyone. Here's my Raspberry Pi based alternative for mini retro DJ'ing.
It's RMC Live time! Today we have 3 whole hours of Sharp X68000 action with the 1989 Pro model from the series of machines released only in Japan. Does it live up to the hype? Let's find out with your requests as well as guests and gaming, lots and lots of gaming.
MarkFixesStuff takes me to ZX Spectrum Heaven and Hell with two clones of the iconic system and an array of extras available for modern ZX Spectrum fans.
Our TRS80 needs to be cosmetically restored. Can we make it look as good as new in the Cave and learn some new techniques along the way? Let's find out.
The Commodore Amiga 1500 has featured on the channel before so we can dive right into fixing it up. Today we get to know the chips, find the fault and get our Amiga working again.
Game cartridges aren't the exclusive domain of consoles, micro computers love them too, and on our eternal search for a low cost alternative to cassette tapes in Britain while ignoring the obvious floppy disk solution Sir Clive took us here, to the ZX Spectrum ROM Cartridge.
My very first computer was the Packard Bell Executive Multimedia in 1993, so imagine my excitement when I snapped on up on Ebay for £25. It needed some refurbishment and then I was able to relive the first day of PC ownership I ever had. Join me in this video as I show you that experience, and let me know your own!
RMC Live is back and this time we're entering the world of movie games on the Amiga. A land with a fearsome reputation but we're determined to find some diamonds in the rough. We're joined by movie critic Oliver Harper who will be shedding some light on the movies we play and letting us know just how true the games are to the movies they emulate. All played on real Amiga hardware!
The Commodore Amiga 1500 has unexpected problems! The audio is broken at a key time, we need to live stream with this machine and we need to fix it, fast!
Here's a quick review of the Duratool Desolder Station which you've seen in recent videos, and you've been asking me for a review so here's a quick run through of my experiences with it.
Is it a bird, is it a plane? No! It's the TRS80 Whizz Kids and Superman needs their help. But not before he teaches a computer science class. Today we look at an unlikely collaboration between DC Comics and Radioshack to engage young would be computer owners.
Lets take a look at the new range at Monster Joysticks, specifically the Monster Joystick Mini aimed at retro computers like the Amstrad, Spectrum, Amiga, Atari and more.
The last time we looked at the NeXT Station and Cube computers I mentioned that I had a version of NeXTSTEP for x86 machines, so lets install it on the Packard Bell and see how it works.
It's time to revisit New Retro Arcade:Neon but this time armed with a VR headset. Does it elevate the experience or does it, or I, fall flat on its face.
In 1981 the worlds first laptop was created and patented before going on sale in the east and west in 1982. That machine was the HC-20 also known as the HX-20 and today we're lucky enough to have one to take a look at.
"Interactive Movie" was an oft overused term in the brave new world of multimedia. Over promising and under delivering. Then one game came along which changed it all, at least for me, and it's high time I went back to look again.
Few systems can say they changed or created an industry. The Atari VCS is one of them, and this is the story of how it came to be and what became of it following the North American Video Game Crash. Thank you to Neil for loaning his 2600 collection to The Cave.
Following up on the Thomson History episode lets take some time to use the machine and chat about the experience of Bastien who grew up with the machine.
We all know the story of ET, the famously bad Atari 2600 game which ended up in a huge hole in the ground. Here in the UK we had our own game which while it didn't add to the demise of a system it certainly had similarities in its fate.
Gary has invited us into his home to see his collection of exotic retro consoles and computers. Sharp x68000, PC Engine, Atari Falcon, FM Towns and more.
Coleco, Tomy, Grandstand, CGL, these licences tabletop LCD, VFD and LED games all touched our lives at some point, so lets revisit them with Chris from GamesYouLoved.com and also look at Pac-Man, a modern tabletop arcade from NumSkull Design.
Lets give a classic Apple Macintosh LCII from 1992 some Wifi capabilities! Why the hell not. Today we're using a Retronet module to connect to some BBS's boards and we consider what else the retronet might be useful for.
This Commodore Amiga 1500 has been through a lot with us in the series, repairing the CPU socket, fixing sound issues, managing a live stream like a champion. Now it's time to reward it with some classic Amiga upgrades including the Apollo 2030 Turbo with 68030 CPU and 68882 FPU, a SCSI controller and more. Let's see how far we can push it.
Sir Clive Sinclair didn't only invent calculators and computers like the ZX Spectrum, he decided to make it his mission to create electric personal transportation and the Sinclair C5 was the machine to launch the fleet. Only it didn't quite work out like that. Today we get to meet the C5 and discuss it.
Christmas is here and it's time for a week away. Yes retro computers are coming home with me to play on but there will be no videos until I return fully charged for a new year of RMC. Thank you to everyone for your support.
As Hot Chocolate once said, Everyone's a Winner Baby. This is in fact a lie. There are 5 winners and I'm going to reveal them today.
The Pioneer Laser Active was a games console for the richest. Vastly more expensive than the systems supported it offered a convenient entertainment hub with a price tag to brag about. Commercially it was a failure, technically it was flawed and many of the 10,000 systems produced have been destroyed by that flaw. We discover why it has a reputation for terrible capacitors and just what it's all about while attempting to repair it.
Pong is Pong right? We've all tried every variant of it, what more could there be to learn about Pong? Well in amongst the hundreds of Pong systems of the past there is a story to be told, and it comes from Commodore.
From Neo Geo to Candy Cabs, Dreamcast to C64, 3DO to Mega Drive Sime has a dream games room, and today he gives us a tour as well as his thoughts.
We continue our repairs on the Pioneer Laser Active today concentrating on the Sega PAC-S1. This add on lets us play Megadrive or Genesis games, MegaCD games and LaserDisc games. Can we fix it? Lets find out.
RMC Live is back and this time we take a trip into the world of ZX Spectrum games, and an adventure in time with Derek Findas, host of the Derek Findas Archives the most popular show on Scottish Television in his own time of 1984. What will we play, and how will we escape the clutches of Derek and return to our own time?
The Fairchild Channel F games console arrived in 1976. The first in a new wave of second generation games machines and the culmination of works by Alpex Computer Systems outlined in the "555" Patent. A blueprint for consoles for generations to come. Today we remember the system and take a tour.
The Pioneer Laser Active is a system we've been repairing on the channel. But there's no point in repairing a system if we're not going to play some games. Today we play an exclusive LaserMD disc, and it's glorious. Spoiler: It's horrible.
The power of modern computers means we take tasks like video captions and effects for granted these days, but how did intro graphics, credits, overlays and other art assets get made digitally in the 80's and 90's? Today we find out about the Quantel Paintbox workstations, made for just such tasks.
We continue our repairs on the Pioneer Laser Active today concentrating on the Sega PAC-N1. This add on lets us play PC Engine or TurboGrafx 16 games, as well as CD's and Laserdiscs for the system. Can we fix it? Lets find out.
The Swindon Museum of Computing has an Amiga graveyard, and I didn't like it one bit! We must save all of the Amigas! Lets see what we can do.
It's time to upgrade The Cave. After a week of back breaking removals lets take a tour of the new setup.
Europe was weened on low cost 8bit micros in the home, spending in excess of £1000 on a home computer seemed absured when we were used to £399 for a complete machine including monitor. So how would we ever adopt IBM PC's with their huge price tags? Amstrad had the answer. Lets take a look at the PC1512 and PC1640 which took Europe by storm.
Commodore was determined to rinse every last penny of profit it could from the C64 platform and the C64GS was a last push in Europe to do just that. Take a C64, remove the keyboard and call it a games console. What could possibly go wrong? What could possibly be right about it more like. Join us for a Show and Tell discussion about the misguided console.
Trash to Treasure returns with the only micro computer to come out of Wales. A 1982 Dragon32. It's not working and it deserves to be saved, can we breath fire into the Dragon once again?
Have you ever wondered how to program a C64 game? On today's Retro Road Trip we learn how, we explore some rare Commodore micros and we enjoy Marks collection of handhelds.
A modern Lightgun for LCD / LED displays that doesn't require sensor bars? I've been waiting a long time for this, but does it work? Let's find out in this Show & Tell of the Sinden Lightgun with inventor Andrew Sinden.
As much as I loved the Commodore Amiga I was starting to get jealous of my PC owning friends systems in the early 90's. Higher frame rates, more colours, hard disks as standard, I wanted to taste the PC action and if my magazines were to be believed I could, with a simple upgrade to my Amiga. I couldn't afford one back then but I have one now, so lets find out once and for all if my Amiga could be a good IBM PC for under £200.
In our final Trash to Treasure episode on the Dragon32 we clean the machine up, take it for a test drive and learn more about the history of the computer.
It's time for me to be educated on Mega Drive / Genesis and Super Nintendo games. I was never a big console gamer, Marc didn't own the systems first time around.... perhaps he can teach me what he has learned about the must have games for the systems from his collection.
The SGI Octane was a 3D Workstation from 1997 with a price tag no mortal could afford. Today we take a look at a machine in a long line of SGI hardware which was responsible for some of our favourite films, owned the MIPS processor we saw in Playstation and Nintendo consoles and performed number crunching scientific work. Let's see what it's all about.
In todays Tea Break we follow up on the Checkmate 1500+ case for Amiga computers and PC's. We first saw this case when we met Stephen Jones in 2018 and he was launching a kickstarter. Today we get to hear how the experience went.
This was a cheap impulse buy from Buyee.jp because I had £10 left on a voucher to use up. I don't know what I was expecting, but it probably wasn't this, and what an interesting machine it turned out to be. Whether or not we can use it is a different matter.
Today we take tea and 15 minutes with Stephen who was a video game artist on 8 and 16bit titles. His chosen topic, his work on Space Gun by Taito when he ported the graphics to the ZX Spectrum. Grab a cuppa and enjoy chatting with Stephen.
Join the RMC Live crew with special guest Dan Ibbertson AKA DJ Slope from Slopes Game Room. Dan will be putting the Mega Drive side of the Amstrad Mega PC through its paces, sharing his favourite games and chatting with you live.
EVERYONE had California Games it was impossible not to own it whether you were a Sega, Nintendo, Apple, Commodore, Spectrum or any other platform fanboy. And it turns out VCR owners don't escape, this is the VCR board game version of California Games.
Today we take tea and 15 minutes with Stephen or SIR who created some of the most memorable Commodore 64 title screens on the games we loved.
Today we take a 15 minute tea break with Philip Oliver of The Oliver Twins, 8 bit games developers from the 80's and beyond.
The Micro Museum in Ramsgate, Kent, is one of the most impressive private computer collections I've had the pleasure of visiting. Run by Mike and Carol Deer we get to see inside today as Mike takes us through some of his rare and interesting computers and consoles.
Today we take a 15 minute tea break with Andrew Oliver of The Oliver Twins, 8 bit games developers from the 80's and beyond.
Who would have thought that BASIC programming on a Nintendo Switch would be a thing? It's about to become a reality when FUZE is released for the handheld console and you can write your own games just like we did with AMOS, STOS, Blitz Basic, Dark Basic and numerous other languages in the past. Jon introduces us to his new produce Fuze4Switch.
Mini arcade machines seem to be on trend these days, but where's the fun in buying one off the shelf. Here's a DIY mini arcade cabinet I made in 2011 and only just got around to finishing this week. It's based on Atari's Gauntlet arcade and aims to be completely playable while retaining the original machines proportions and style. How did I do?
Al Lowe tells us all about life at video game developer Sierra in teh 80's and 90's, his work on Leisure Suit Larry, Police Quest, Kings Quest and more classic adventure titles and the demise of Sierra. A great insight into the early US home computer game industry.
30 years ago the Gameboy was born, the original DMG-01 and it was....terrible in my opinion. Today I give it a birthday makeover and some upgrades to make it the device I wanted at the time and perhaps we can become friends. A deep clean, a bivert mod and a backlight should transform this Gameboy, but careful, it's a very delicate task.
It's the final part of the Amstrad Mega PC Trash to Treasure. A chance to upgrade it with a maths co processor, some more VRAM and stretch its legs to see what it's capable of.
George "The Fatman" Sanger is a musician who has worked on such games as 7th Guest, Wing Commander, Ultima Savage Empire and more. Making video game music since 1983 he gives us an insight into the very early days of making video games and how music contributed to their development.
Is FPGA the future of emulation? Today I review the DE-10 Nano and MiSTer bundle, which combined promises an accurate and accessible way to emulate your favourite retro computers and consoles, from the Sega Mega Drive to the Nintendo SNES, PC Engine to Atari 2600, Amiga to ZX Spectrum this thing promises the lot, but can it deliver? Lets test it out.
Stoo Cambridge is a graphic designer who worked at Sensible Software at the height of its success. Producing pixel art for games such as Sensible Soccer, Cannon Fodder and....Sim Brick....Stoo gives us an insight into his beloved Commodore Amiga 1000 and the software he used as well as life at Sensi.
We've broken into the Museum of Computing in Swindon and raided the archives to bring you all of the Amstrad CPC's we can find. From the Amstrad CPC 464 through to the GX4000 and the Plus series, this range of computers is where it all started for me and I'm looking forward to discovering the rest of the range.
We chat to the man behind Return to Zork and many more great games Bill Volk is the man behind Return to Zork and the first ever CD based title on a home computer The Manhole. A man with a long and illustrious career talks us through his highs and lows in the industry as well as his current project.
We've been following the Checkmate A1500 Plus project for the last year, from conception through to delivery today of the very first case off the production line. Was it worth the wait? Lets find out, this brand new desktop case is made for classic Amiga computers, modern PC's and a lot more.
Would the real DJ Echo from LSD please stand up. Looks like I have some explaining to do about a very odd situation.
Francois Lionet is the father of STOS and AMOS, a BASIC programming language aimed at games making which we enjoyed on our Atari ST and Amiga's. Francois is back with AMOS 2, so let's catch up with him about the past, present and future over a cuppa.
Today we get to try out the Octane from Silicon Graphics Interactive, and we don't just test it, we also beef it up with some huge upgrades from SGI Depot. Maya, OpenGL, Lightwave and Blender are just a few of the technologies and applications which benefited from the SGI series of machines and we try out as many as possible today.
After some controversy on the channel recently I am pleased to present the real Echo from LSD. The man behind the huge tune that accomponied the Jesus on E's Amiga demo. Today we hear more about that demo, the man behind the music and what he went on to do with his life.
The Mattel Aquarius may just be the biggest flop in home computer history. Today we discuss why it failed so badly, what was inside it and can we get our own model up and running. Find out in this new Trash to Treasure series.
All the music on this video has appeared in previous RMC Videos, and this mix was made thanks to your requests for me to make it, which I really enjoyed doing. If you want more let me know!
Chris Abbott is turning our favourite C64 tunes into full blown epics with a symphony orchestra. Today he tells us all about the 8 Bit Symphony, Rob Hubbard and the journey taken so far to make these glorious renditions a reality.
Thank you all for your kind donations and your support of The Cave. You lot are bloomin' amazing.
DMA Design If lightening ever struck twice in the games industry then it was Mike Dailly who was hit, with both Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto to his name he helped to drive two of the biggest selling franchises of the '90s and beyond. Today we get to hear about the early days of DMA Design and how he got into the industry.
The Mattel Aquarius may just be the biggest flop in home computer history. Today we continue the story of the home micro's history, retrobrite it and perform other maintenance to get it working again.
David Fox was employee number 3 at Lucas Arts, a video game company so new it was simply an experimental arm of Lucas Film and wouldn't adopt the Arts name until much later. David shares his memories of Indiana Jones, Maniac Mansion, Zak McKracken, Rescue on Fractalus and much more. He even got to work with Douglas Adams. Enjoy your tea break!
The Commodore Amiga 4000 was a flagship product in 1992. The Amiga to see the company into a new era and fight the 486 PC's and Apple Macs of the time. Was it good enough? We find out today when we meet Ravi's A4000 and hang out with Dan.
Paul Owens was a video game developer at Ocean Software from the day the name was born having been an employee at Spectrum Games. Paul shares with us today his memories of ZX Spectrum programming, game licensing and the cut throat world of 8 and 16bit video game development in the '80s and '90s.
Today we get to try out the Mattel Aquarius and see if it can redeem itself following the restoration. Do the tapes work, can we program with it, is any fun to be had at all with this failure in compting history?
Today we take tea with a modern developer, Robin Jubber, who tells us all about the Vectrix console and his new game Player2.
The Commodore Amiga is a computer close to the hearts of many retro computer fans, but as time goes on the Amigas are dying, not least because of the dreaded Varta battery leak so common in the A500+. Today we build the worlds newest Amiga. A new PCB, a new case and new upgrades will all come together to create my ultimate new Amiga.
the Telephone The Sega Hotline was the place to go for help on your favourite Sega Master System or Mega Drive games. If you were in Australia and you called it then you probably spoke to this man. Tim shares his memories of his five years working there.
Today we visit SWAG, a group of Commodore Amiga enthusiasts who hold a quarterly event to share their passion. From the CDTV to A500, the original A1000 to A4000 towers, everything Amiga is here and you can get hands on with them all and chat to the owners.
Nintendo Playchoice 10 is an arcade cabinet from 1986 based on NES technology. Today we're at the Swindon Museum of Computing to help them fix their's up with needs some repairs and a lot of cleaning! Let's fix it up and see what's inside.
Today we talk to Ian Robinson about a gaming mystery. What happened to Karma, the title that promised to beat Elite at its own game? Today Ian explains all.
The Commodore Amiga is a computer close to the hearts of many retro computer fans, but as time goes on the Amigas are dying, not least because of the dreaded Varta battery leak so common in the A500+. Today we upgrade the A500++ with some modern upgrades fitting of the build including the Vampire V2 FPGA board, USB keyboard and SD Card storage.
We're live today at Blackpool Play Expo where I was asked to host a Q&A with the legendary composer Tim Follin. We hear about his life history and enjoy some audience participation at the event.
Devkits are a weird and wonderful world, expensive development and test systems which only rich developers have access to, until now. Alan brings to The Cave his collection of development systems for us to poke around in and enjoy.
Grab an RMC Calendar here: https://www.etsy.com/nz/listing/729062644/ Available anywhere in the world, shipping is calculated at checkout. All profits go to https://www.bluebellwood.org/ and will be presented in January when I will give you an update on what we've raised. Let's use RMC for good and make a difference in our own special way. Thank you.
Three Donations arrived in The Cave recently which will go together just perfectly. An Amstrad CPC 464, the DDI-1 disk drive and interface and a 664 monitor. Lets give them the care and attention they deserve as well as a loving home.
Rob Hubbard is a giant in the world of video games and his music enhanced and at times surpassed the quality of the games themselves. Today we learn about his wizardry with the C64's SID chip as well as what he went on to do in the '90s which is less spoken about but just as interesting.
Legend of the Amiga music scene H0ffman joins us live in The Cave to have a chat and answer your questions and then treat us to a Live DJ set of his music mixed on two Amiga 600's, using the DJ software he co-created, PT-1210.
The Commodore Amiga is a computer close to the hearts of many retro computer fans, but as time goes on the Amigas are dying, not least because of the dreaded Varta battery leak so common in the A500+. Today we build the worlds newest Amiga. A new PCB, a new case and new upgrades will all come together to create my ultimate new Amiga. Today we test drive the Vampire upgraded machine and see what it's capable of.
The Commodore Amiga was such a popular machine here in the UK and across Europe, but it always struck me as odd that in the USA, the home of Commodore, it was little more than a footnote in computer history. I've decided to ask some dedicated American Amiga owners for their perspective on the machine as underground Amiga owners back in the day.
The Retro Computer Museum in Leicester, UK, is a place where home computers and consoles are celebrated. Today I take a trip to see what happens here and also get hands on with their awesome display of Virtuality equipment, some of the first VR we got to use outside of military and research circles.
My trusty CRT went *pop* some time ago and I've finally got around to fixing it. Hopefully this will help some of you save your own monitors and do it safely.
The BBC Micro turns 40 in 2021. Few computers can claim to be as influential as the BBC Micro. It's place at the centre of The Computer Literacy Project saw it address the political and social concerns a nation had about the rise of technology and automation. It paved the way for a new generation to take up a career in computing, and reskilled existing workers who took up the opportunity. In this series we'll get to know the machine and the history surrounding it while fixing up a nice example or two for The Cave.
Just a bit of fun for Christmas week, lets review some of the more choice comments I get on the channel. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and I look forward to more RMC in 2020.
Who didn't want a talking computer in the '80s? I know I did. It seemed so futuristic and enticing to imagine your machine chatting to you, what would it sound like, would it have a personality, would it be my friend? Today we face a bump back to reality.... it really wasn't that good!
Tony Warriner is one of the Co-Founders of Revolution Software, the team behind Beneath a Steel Sky, Lure of the Temptress and the Broken Sword series among many more AAA games. Today Tony shares with us is memories of getting into game development and making the games we loved.
The Toshiba Libretto was the smallest, full fat Pentium PC of its day. Part of a range launched in 1996, today we take a look at it, see if it worked and consider just how far we've come with portable devices since the '90s.
Today we chat with the team lead of SCUMMVM, a wonderful bit of sofware designed to preserve adventure games, recreating the engines and enhancing the games we love with patches, bug fixes and improvements to make them playable on modern platforms.
Steve Furber was the Principal Engineer on the BBC Micro computer as well as the ARM processor. Landmarks in computer history as well as a collosus in present day technology thanks to the adoption of ARM in most mobile devices. Today we have the pleasure of learning a little more about his contribution to technology.
You can find the Ultimate Joystick Interface here: https://backofficeshow.com/shop/ultim... This is not an affiliate or sponsored link/video, I'm just supporting the development of a device I like! Today we convert a Thrustmaster F22 Pro joystick from DB15 to USB using a new joystick interface developed by Dr Andrew Armstrong of the Back Office Show.
Hail to the King baby! Jon St. John is a professional voice actor who is best known in our circles as the voice of Duke Nukem. Today we learn about how he got the job and the impact of "being Duke" on his life.
The PSIO is a mod for your Playstation (PS1) which enables you to load games from an SD Card. Today we review the device and look at the installation method as well as it's features and suitability.
We're rounding off the BBC Micro Series with a live hang out and charity auction. Lets put the machine through its paces with a selection of games and educational titles while raising money for the charity MIND. A BBC Micro is up for auction with 100% of the sale going to MIND: Bid here - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333514032503 You can donate to MIND if you're watching after the stream using this link: https://www.mind.org.uk/donate/
Today we go back to 1992 and try to bring an Apple Powerbook 160 back to its former glory. Part of Apple's first laptop range this deserves some TLC rather than ending up in landfill so lets see what we can do.
We have raided the Swindon Museum of Computing and grabbed five rare British micro computers to show you today.
The dark ages of mobile technology were tough. We knew we wanted portability and convenience but the monolithic tech firms of the time were slow to deliver and left the door open for much needed competition from Apple, Samsung and Google to give us what we wanted. The Asus R2H is a relic from that period before the dawn. It is, the tablet Homer Simpson might have built.
Let's break the seal on this brand new copy of IBM PC DOS 2000, get it installed and learn all about the history of the software along the way! Was it just MS-DOS with a different name? Did IBM go the extra mile? And what on Earth was Microsoft Xenix? Time to find out!
The Memotech MTX512 is the rare british micro you wanted to see the most, so Keith and I spent the day taking one for a test drive and learning everything we could about it.
The PC Engine is a gloriously compact little machine, and its abilities could so easily be dismissed for being "just an 8bit machine", but it offers so much. I'm keen to get this repaired so that I can explore the exotic library of games for it and get better aquanted with a system that was never on sale in the UK. We had the TurboGrafx later.
Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation (https://www.raspberrypi.org/) joins us today to tell us about the story of the Pi. From inception to launch and beyond. Grab a cuppa, it's time for a tea break.
We continue our PC Engine restoration today, focussing on the CD ROM2 unit and discovering more about the little 8-bit wonder console.
Richard Garriott is the man behind the legendary RPG series, Ultima. His part in the industry goes all the way back to 1979 with his first title Akalabeth. He went on to found Origin Systems with his brother Robert which gave us such titles as Wing Commander and System Shock. Today we learn about Richards history and his contribution to the video game industry.
You may remember these PC's from last year when I picked them up for a ridiculous £1.60 each and then didn't quite know what to do with them all. Well, now I have an idea! But first they are going to need some serious cleaning.
How can I buy one of these PC's or help the cause? 1. Check the ebay listings at: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/retrobattlestations 2. The PC's will appear over the next 10 days as staggered auctions 3. Read the listing description carefully 4. Place your bids! And if you'd like to make a contribution to the cause then you can drop a donation to paypal.me/RMC. Leave a note to make it clear that it's for the charity pot and I'll donate 100% of donations, profit and ad revenue from these videos to the charity. The charity is Brighter Futures, they support the NHS (National Health Service) here in the UK including patients and staff. Thank you for supporting the cause!
The time has FINALLY come for me to get into 3D printing, I've been putting it off for so long, but now...it has arrived....and I have no idea what I'm doing. So I decided to make a video about my experience of setting up the Creality Ender 3 Pro, figuring out the software and getting my first 3D print out of it.
Now that I have a 3D printer, and have figured out how to use it....let's wrap up the PC Engine T2T series with a tasty RGB mod and some custom printing to finish it up.
Today Aaron Fothergill shares his history with us including creating games on the Amiga and Atari range of computers, how he broke into the industry, and where those experiences in the early days took him today. Grab a cuppa it's time for a teabreak!
What were the first games ever released on CD? Today we explore the technology, the games and the approaches taken to putting them on CD.
Following on from last weeks adventure in early CD Gaming today we test out the Codemasters CD Games Pack. How does it work, what's on it and is it any good!? Let's take it for a test drive.
Sam Battle shot to fame when he launched his YouTube channel in 2016 with creations such as the Furby Organ and flame throwing synth. It propelled his music and his personality into the spotlight and now allows him to tour the world making music with his mad creations. Today we chat with him about life on the channel @LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER
It's time to give some TLC to another old Micro in a Trash to Treasure series and this time I'm lucky enough to have an Amiga 4000. It doesn't look to be in too bad condition but we can still make it a whole lot better and use the opportunity to learn all about it along the way, so join me in a new T2T series. This is the Commodore Amiga 4000.
We resume our T2T series today by diving further into the history of the Commodore Amiga 4000 with the help of David Pleasance, former MD of Commodore UK, and turn our eye to the PSU to ensure our Amiga is fit and healthy for years to come.
Today we look at my new file server for The Cave, and what a glorious machine it is! Sent in by Ralph from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjUMKswgxj6MPeGs3a76DIw - He has combined a modern server build with a 1993 PC case with wonderful results.
Amazingly today former Senior Engineer at Commodore @Dave Haynie joins us to share his memories of the A4000, how it came to be developed and what it was like working for C=. We also recap the machine, give it a clean and see it in its final, restored form.
The NetVista auctions come to a close with this episode and what a great fundraiser it has been. We've raised over £3000 for local hospitals here in Wiltshire and some of the machines have made their way to LGR and CTRL-ALT-REES who have been showing them off on their own channels. These machines have given a lot of people a lot of joy. Today I upgrade the final *special* NetVista machine and take a trip down memory lane to enjoy the 3DFX games that wowed me back in the day.
The Husky FC486 is designed to take anything you can throw at it, or even throw it at. This rugged field computer feels indestructible, but what's it like to use? Today I look at, and, once we figure out how to actually make it work, take it for a test drive.
Lee Jackson is responsible for the theme tune to Duke Nukem 3D as well as many more video game music greats. Today he tells us of his unusual route into the industry. Sometimes, perseverance pays off!
Back the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/retroteabreaks/retro-tea-breaks-vol-1-a-book-by-RMC
David Pleasance shares his story of the fall of Commodore from his position on the inside of the company, soon to be published in his new book "From Vultures to Vampires". https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/469255657/from-vultures-to-vampires David's first book 'Commodore the Inside Story' is available here: https://downtimepublishing.com/collections/commodore-books
A new Trash to Treasure series is upon us, this time it's the Atari 800XL - A machine with a history that laid the foundation for many others that we loved, familiar names, and a battle for supremecy at the height of the 8bit micro wars.
It's about time my MiSTer got the love it deserved, and so I present to you my ultimate FPGA Desktop machine. An attempt to get the absolute most out of the MiSTer experience.
We've met the Atari 800XL, now lets make it look as good as new with a full cosmetic restoration. It's time for the murder gloves and the peroxide, let's go!
The MiSTer FPGA desktop gets its finishing touches today as I complete my ultimate build.
Today we take a virtual road trip to Estonia to explore the rise of video gaming and the LVLUP! video game museum, with thanks to Andrejs who gives us a tour today.
You can find this record and more in the RMC shop at: https://rmcretro.store/h0ffman-the-cave-sessions-double-vinyl-record/ Join legenday Amiga musician h0ffman and I for the launch of our collaboration, a double vinyl record album "h0ffman - The Cave Sessions". This is a limited run of 250 pressings which will go on sale during this stream, and will be shipped next week. This is not a Kickstarter, these are ready to ship.
The upgrade the world has been waiting for, a 5.25" tape deck! Can this cheap novelty item offer us anything more than a reminder as to why we moved on from cassette tapes? Let's find out!
Stephen Jones returns to The Cave this week to share his latest projects with us and give us a demonstration of his Ami-Hybrid system. Find out more at Stephens website https://checkmate1500plus.com/
Let's finish up the Atari 800XL restoration and take it for a test drive! What does this machine have to offer?
Nvidia or AMD - That's pretty much what your video card choice comes down to now, safe in the knowledge that your choice will be supported by all games and restricted only by your budget. Things weren't always so clear cut however as I discover when I fall into a trap of marketing promises in '96 when trying to create my dream 1996 PC.
The Thrustmaster T2 was out of reach for me as a teenager, far too expensive for my pot washing job to afford me, but now, after 25 years of saving up that pot washing money I now own one. If I'm to experience it as new it's going to need some work though, and more than you might think at first glance.
A special thank you goes to the Museum of Computing in Swindon for loaning machines today. If you'd like to help them out through these difficult times then you can visit their website at: https://www.museumofcomputing.org.uk/ And you can make a donation to the museum using donate button on the website. Check out Dress Code Shirts at: https://dresscodeshirts.co.uk
Support RMC Time is the most valuable thing we have. Patrons create a reliable monthly income that allows to give my all to this channel. If you'd like to support this, and help me make it the very best I can then please visit: https://www.patreon.com/RMCretro
The Yamaha CX5M is a curious machine full of promise, but also with plenty of shortcomings as I discover with my very limited musical abilities.
Today I race an flsun Q5 delta printer against an Ender 3 Pro - At the entry level do the speed promises of delta printing offer us any advantages or is it just a gimmick. Let's find out with a drag race.
Today we have an incredibly interesting chat with Mark Ferrari, an artist who stumbled into the world of video games and did a phenominal job of bringing us scenes in Lucasfilm games such as Loom and Monkey Island. Mark gives us an insight into his life, Lucasfilm and the games industry and it's attitudes towards pixel art over the decades.
DCHDMI Original project source: https://www.black-dog.tech/
The Commodore Amiga 600 is a machine that, unusually, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. The retro system I've always shunned as a computer that should never have existed. But perhaps it's time to revisit my relationship with the A600. Perhaps in the modern day it can deliver an experience that surpasses others in the range. Perhaps time heals. There's only one way to find out.
Orpheus Homepage: http://orpheus-soundcard.eu/ Development VLOG: https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?p=807212 Dreamblaster X2: https://www.serdashop.com/DreamBlasterX2
Kickstarter page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/checkmate1500mini/amiga-3000-inspired-mini-itx-computer-case
What is an Apple Mac? From the Apple Mac pro to the Mac Mini to the Mac Air these are easily identifiable devices in the modern day but this wasn't always so. Today we discover why Apple allowed Officially Licensed Macintosh clones in the '90s? We're going to look at some examples from my collection and we'll explore the history behind the decisions made by Apple at the time, and why the idea came crashing to an end.
The new YouTube studio is huge and we've got so much to do to create the perfect production space, exhibition, editing suite and podcast recording area, all within the budget available thanks to the wonderful supporters of the channel. Today we're building walls, upcycling furniture and talking lighting.
Did European gamers miss out with PAL 50hz gaming on the #Sega Megadrive? Did our NTSC cousins have all the fun at 60hz in the USA and beyond? Let's find out as we tear down and mod the Sega console to region mod it, then compare the difference with some gameplay captures.
Trip Hawkins is a video game pioneer whose experience dates back to the very birth of the industry. An employee of Apple Computers reporting to Steve Jobs with a big idea for the video games industry, but not until the time was right to strike. And when he did he created one of the most valuable and well recognised game publishers on the planet. In our chat today we cover EA, The 3DO Company, the competition and what makes up the man with the vision and drive to create it all.
The Commodore Amiga CDTV, or Commodore CDTV as it was originally known is a bit of retro tech that I've wanted to research and restore for decades. This new Trash to Treasure ™ series does just that. This old computer sounds odd at first, appearing like a hifi music system it wouldn't look out of place sat on a VCR in your living room. But inside it's a full-blown Commodore Amiga 500 with extra bells and whistles. Designed to compete with similar devices such as the Philips CDi, the CDTV was championed by Atari VCS and Atari founder Nolan Bushnell and released in 1991. Dive into some more computer history and vintage computer restoration with me for the start of a new T2T series.
Building the Colossal Cave continues today as RMC becomes a DIY channel for the week and we venture into DIY room decor once again. I try to create my dream retro tech space and YouTube studio. A new home for you, the Cave Dwellers to enjoy and visit. We'll be undertaking more reclaimed wood projects including upcycled workbenches and tables, laying garage flooring, building walls and cladding walls, moving furniture and boxes from the old Cave, varnishing walls and a whole lot more. I'm especially pleased with the reclaimed scaffold workbenches and big box game shelving I'm hoping to mount above them. The end goal is to create the perfect retro gaming room and retro computer room for you to visit or enjoy videos and streaming from if you're too far away for a visit. I hope you like what I've done with the place!
It's finally here in The Cave, the light gun that promises to end all of our problems. Light gun games are a special gaming genre. I've always been a huge fan of them, especially light gun arcade games like Time Crisis, Mad Dog McCree and Point Blank. Light gun signals from classic devices which require a CRT are not compatible with modern displays and solutions such as the Aimtrak Light Gun just haven't felt up to the job of delivering an arcade perfect light gun experience. In my Sinden Lightgun review today we find out it works as well as the prototype we first saw in 2019 on a range of arcade emulators including American Laserdiscs classic shooting games.
CDTV repairs are the order of the day today. How do we take the CDTV apart, does it go back together!? And how do we repair the CDTV CDROM drive? In this RMC Trash to Treasure restoration series I'm hoping to get to the bottm of all these questions and with any luck, have a working Commodore Amiga CDTV at the end of it! We're also joined by Jane Whittaker for an interview from a developers perspective and some fun stories of Commodore history.
All in one arcade sticks are everywhere. Fight sticks, arcade sticks, joypads and joysticks with thousands of built in game ROMS and emulators from Street Fighter to Mortal Kombat. But are they any good? Today we visit such a device, a Pandora arcade stick for two players and Mark and I give it a test drive, a review and a tear down. You'll find these on Amazon or Ebay under names including Kulukula 3003, TAPDRA 3D, ZEHNHASE 3D and MEANSMORE but they are all the same stick.
Richard Kay is a founder of Software Creations, one of the most innovative British game studios of the '80s and '90s. Famous for conversions such as Bubble Bobble and Bionic Commando from Taito, Capcom and other big name arcade machine creators of the era Richard and his team created the games others said weren't possible. Early success forged a partnership with Nintendo and a series of firsts for a games company outside of Japan in their relations with the big N.
What did the CDTV evolve to become? Today I look at the story of the Commodore CDTV from set-top box to fully fledged desktop computer. We upgrade my CDTV using some modern upgrades to see if we can make it into a more useful device, and we explore some of the original CDTV titles. You've probably seen "The Town with No Name" over on AVGN, but it gets a lot worse!
Building the Colossal Cave continues today as RMC becomes a DIY channel for the week and we venture into DIY room decor once again. I try to create my dream retro tech space and YouTube studio. A new home for you, the Cave Dwellers to enjoy and visit. We'll be undertaking more reclaimed wood projects including upcycled workbenches and tables, ,building walls and cladding walls, securing our scaffold workbench and making it even larger! The end goal is to create the perfect retro gaming room and retro computer room for you to visit or enjoy videos and streaming from if you're too far away for a visit. I hope you like what I've done with the place!
The Atari 2600, originally known as the Atari VCS is an iconic video games console and always deserved to be restored when one comes to RMC. Today we have a bucket of Atari VCS which needs to be cleaned, restored, tested and repaired. We learn how to clean metal switches, how to restore black plastics and how to restore paint from the bezel which is so often missing. We also throw in some mods and take it for a test drive.
Unboxing retro tech is one of my favourite things to do, especially when retro games and Apple goodies are in the generous pile of donations you've been so kind to send in. Ebay purchases also feature as I've been doing a little of my own ebay buying and selling this month to fuel my video game addiction. Enjoy!
The Amstrad CPC was my first ever computer, a British 8bit classic that found popularity home and abroad, especially in France and Spain. A machine that is steeped in nostalgia and retro computer memories for me, but like all old computers, they are slowly failing. We can spend all our time recapping, repairing and restoring them, but sometimes you just want a reliable retro gaming experience, and that's where the Just CPC4ATX comes in. Let's take a look at what it is. Please note: No Amstrads were harmed in the making of this board. The creator has asked me to highlight that only NOS (New Old Stock) chips were used, CPC's were not sacrificed for its creation.
The Sharp X68000 Expert is a firm favourite here in The Cave. A workstation used by gaming greats such as Capcom and Taito to create huge arcade hits, and as a result it is home to some of the most perfect arcade game ports. It is of course a hugely capable workstation computer as well, but that's a bit difficult to explore when you don't speak Japanese! Today I face the challenges of using a Japanese exclusive machine here in the UK and figuring out how to make it accessible to visitors to The Cave.
The ZX Spectrum, the low cost British micro computer from Sir Clive Sinclair which took the UK and many other countries by storm in the '80s. The later +2 model was released by Alan Sugar's Amstrad when he bought the rights to the Sinclair computer division, and that's what we're dealing with today. A machine that needs a lot of TLC inside and out, and Mark and I are set to tackle it today with a full restoration.
Another month, another push to build the Colossal Cave today as RMC becomes a DIY channel for the week and we venture into DIY room décor once again. I try to create my dream retro tech space and YouTube studio. A new home for you, the Cave Dwellers to enjoy and visit. Today we're building and hanging a door, building bars, hanging lights and doing a huge amount of tidying and organising. The end goal is to create the perfect retro gaming room and retro computer room for you to visit or enjoy videos and streaming from if you're too far away for a visit. I hope you like what I've done with the place!
The Acorn Electron ticked almost all of the low cost computer boxes, a solid keyboard, a tried and tested CPU, a great BASIC and a hungry audience, but it just didn't catch a break against the strength of the ZX Spectrum sales and missing its Christmas release date cost it dearly. That's not to say we shouldn't give it some TLC though. In today's restoration we revive it inside and out in a joint effort to take this computer from Trash to Treasure.
A Pi Storm is coming! This Raspberry Pi based retro accelerator for the Commodore Amiga promises to deliver everything you could possibly want. Acceleration, SCSI hard disk emulation, RTG, RAM and a lot more all for the low price of a Pi and the PiStorm PCB. But does it live up to the promises? Here's my first impression of the new project.
Game developers don't come much more legendary than Brenda and John Romero. From Wizardry to Doom, Commander Keen to Quake, between them they have over 80 years of experience in the video game industry. Today they share their memories of what attracted them to it, how they got their first break and a whole lot more. Pour yourself a cuppa and enjoy the chat.
The outpouring of support for the channel in recent months has been incredible, and it's no more obvious than the boxes arriving daily here at The Cave. Today it's time to unbox the retro you've kindly sent in, and it's the most astonishing unboxing experience I've ever had the pleasure of filming. Thank you.
NEC's PC-FX was the successor to it's popular PC Engine, taking on the Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, Sony PlayStation and 3DO video game consoles. Commercially the PC-FX flopped, never selling outside of Japan. Today we fix and restore a celebrity console sent in by a very special game dev after he had a barbeque with it. Can we fix the PC-FX, and if we can, are the games worth it? Let's find out.
The Commodore Amiga has always had a compatibility problem with floppy disks on other platforms, we just can't read them easily. Emulation fans are used to the ADF format and we can rip disks within the Amiga OS ourselves on real hardware or by using additional hardware on a modern PC. But ripping disks isn't the same as just popping them in the drive and running them. Thanks to the hard work of Rob Smith that gap has now been bridged.
The Sharp X68000 or X68k is a gaming powerhouse with amazing ports by Capcom, Taito and all the Japanese greats. Today we are upgrading the x68k with MIDI and more to see if it's the very best you can experience in MIDI gaming.
ITX PC Cases are plentiful, but are they as stylish as this? A desktop case for ITX motherboards, Raspberry Pi's, FPGA devices and more thanks to Stephen Jones Checkmate A1500 mini case. Today we get the very first look at the case in the wild and I install my Vampire V4 standalone in it. Let's take a look!
Building a Computer Exhibition is no small task as we've learned during this build series, and this month is no different. Big progress has been made with the handheld gaming area, the lighting, electrics and ambient audio. I'm already looking forward to the next one!
The Atari ST was one of the best value micro computers money could buy on release in 1985. The Apple Macintosh, IBM PC, Commodore Amiga and other competitors struggled to beat it on price, at least until they had time to cost reduce and revise their own designs. Today I finally get to meet an Atari ST up close, outside of a computer shop or a sealed bag! And start the process of restoring it so that I might own a pristine Atari ST once again.
Ken and Roberta Williams created Sierra On-Line in 1979 with their first graphical adventure game for the Apple II compute "Mystery House". From these humble beginnings the world opened up for them and with games such as Police Quest, Space Quest, Leisure Suit Larry and Kings Quest, Sierra rocketed to the top of the charts and became one of the biggest game publishers in the world. Today we meet Ken and discuss those early days, and find out a little more about his history and his exciting new game.
The sinclair ZX81 from 1981 is an iconic retro computer in the history of home computing. The follow up to the ZX80 Sir Clive Sinclair consolidated many chips into a ULA to further cost reduce the computer and help get it into our homes from under £50. A truly low cost computer. Today we take a look at one, repair it and try it out to see how it holds up today.
One of my favourite parts of exploring and restoring old systems is finding software that hasn't been seen before, and isn't archived even on the furthest corners of the internet. Today we have just such a collection of disks with thanks to game developer Mike Dailly, and we've managed to capture the images to explore today!
In an era of failed console and computer releases the CD32 is up there. It had potential but ultimately was too little, too late. What's even more obscure than failed consoles is failed peripherals for failed consoles and this FMV module is just such an example. Costing nearly the same price as the console itself it promised smooth MPEG1 playback of videos. Looking at the condition of it however that's unlikely. Lets see if we can repair it.
This building of The Cave continues with our July update. A retro computer, console and gaming space for all to enjoy. This month we work on a new space, I find a fun way to display cassette tapes, and I launch a special Kickstarter to try and help us keep on target for our September completion date. Can we do it!?
Back to book and build The Cave at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/retroteabreaks/the-colouring-book-of-retro-computers
What upgrades can we get for the Atari 520STFM? Today we try to max out the Atari ST to make it as powerful and convenient to use as possible. Then we get to enjoy some Atari ST games and consider our first impressions. How did the ST stack up against the competition, would we have been pleased with this in the '80s instead of a Macintosh, PC, Archimedes or...it's nemesis, an Amiga? Let's find out!
The MiSTer and FPGA gaming has been one of the most exciting things in retro gaming in recent years in my opinion. I've been enjoying it in all its forms, from the stacked bare bones style system to the MiSTer Fusion desktop I built, but I've always wanted a console style model that consolodates all of those boards into one, and makes the point of entry into the MiSTer world nice and simple for potential users. So we made it! This is the MiSTer Multisystem.
Can we fix the Commodore Amiga CD32 FMV module with our 2nd attempt? This FMV module was consigned to the scrap heap so we decided we'd try whatever it takes to get it working again. It might not be pretty, but if it gets the job done then we'll be over the moon.
This is it, the big push to finish building The Cave begins and it's all thanks to an incredible fundraising effort on the Colouring Book Kickstarter. I can now afford the cabinets we need for the museum but also so much more, and today I'll take you through our plans.
Building a retro computer exhibition , The Cave, continues with our big push into week 2 of September and it's all happening now, including a recreation of a retro computer shop for an extra tier of nostalgia!
Find out more about the Multisystem on its official page at: http://www.heber.co.uk/product/multisystem/ Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:57 What is the MiSTer Multisystem? 05:57 What changed on the final Multisystem board? 09:47 How did the beta testing go? 11:33 When can I buy the MiSTer Multisystem? 11:46 Will the MiSTer Multisystem ship internationally? 14:11 What cases will be available? 14:24 Does the case come as standard? 15:28 Can you buy the Multisystem without a case? 16:16 Who is producing the cases? 17:54 Will there be a yellowed case option? 19:10 Will an injection moulded case be made? 21:20 What does the case feel like? 22:16 What's included in the Multisystem kit? 24:56 Is software included with the Multisystem? 26:53 What does the 2 year warranty cover? 28:25 Can I buy the Multisystem without RAM? 29:35 How many units will be available at launch? 31:18 Will the case withstand the heat? 36:22 Can you mount the MiSTer Multisystem in a PC Case? 39:28 What's the big orange
Step back in time to our video game store timewarp! As part of The Cave build, and thanks to your support, we've expanded the exhibition into this recreation of an old videogame store, just as I remember it in the '80s and '90s. Take a trip with me today into the store and enjoy the build process.
The ColecoVision really did deserve better. Born into the North American video games crash it got off to a blinding start before events caught up with it and it was quickly retired. But this console deserves a 2nd look. The quality of the arcade ports and its add on capabilities mean that this really should be remembered as one of the best of its era, and this example needs some TLC to restore it to its former glory so we can try it out.
Our dream retro computer and gaming exhibition space is complete! Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible, it feels great to have got the space to a point where I'm happy to let you come and visit, and return to our normal videos.
The choice of rare computers from the '80s is abundant in the UK. The Enterprise 64 is one such computer. It promised the world, it had the potential to take on the Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro and others, but it fell flat on its face. Why? Was it the hardware, was it the management? This new old stock Enterprise 64 gives us the chance to explore that question, and the machine.
The Commodore 64 was a hit in the UK and cheap, pocket money priced games on cassette tape (and perhaps some piracy) allowed us to build a healthy games library. But what if we could use a compact disc to put many games on one disc instead of filling our drawers with tapes? Enter, the Rainbow Arts 1st CD Edition. A rare collectors item and perhaps the first ever example of commercially released games on an 8bit micro computer (not a console) on CD. Lets try it out!
The day has come to launch The Cave! A hands on, retro computer, console and gaming exhibition for all to enjoy. Today we held a private party to launch the space and get a feel for how it works with people in it.
The Amstrad Mega PC is a curious thing, part PC, part Sega Mega Drive, all wrapped up in Amstrad cost efficiency. Who wanted this thing? Well not many people as we discovered in the T2T series on the channel, but now someone has gone above and beyond in getting the absolute best out of the machine with a quite amazing upgrade, the Mega Card.
What if a retro videogame shop was your MiSTer FPGA front end? That's the question we ask today as we create a physical, hands on experience to launch games in the recreated shop, complete with tutorial if you'd like to do it yourself.
Thank you to everyone for your generous and kind donations.
Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs Apple II range sold in huge numbers and in three decades, and while they were available in the UK they didn't take the market in quite the same way they did elsewhere, and that's why I'm so excited to spend some time with one. First however, it needs to be in working order. Join Mark and I as we learn about the Apple IIe and try to restore this broken example.
Atari! From the Pong to the ST, 2600 to the Jaguar, you can bet you've had some experience of using an Atari device. Today we get to explore some interesting consoles, computers and....things... produced by them with thanks to Rees from Ctrl-Alt-Rees who is giving us a Show & Tell that makes use of the entire Cave.
Why on earth didn't the N64 have RGB video out? It has puzzled me for years, but now we're going to put a wrong right. The question is, is it worth it? Today I try to answer that question with a few S-Video bumps along the way but I think we manage to put together enough evidence to come to a conclusion.
Squashed, flattened, broken or torn cardboard game boxes can be heart breaking and I appear to own more than most. Often they are included with a donated system, languishing at the bottom of a box. So I thought I'd try to make good some of the examples I have by coming up with a technique to straighten them out. I'm sure we can refine this further in time but I'm pretty happy with the results so far, it just needs a name!
YT Short
Did you know the ZX Spectrum was sold in India in an official capacity? I know I didn't! This is the DB Spectrum +, an officially licensed version of the best selling UK micro which was exclusive to India. Today we're going to give it a good clean, fix it up, and make it ready for display in The Cave Exhibition.
Middle aged man returns to iron game boxes, but this time trying out your tips.
It's Trash to Treasure time and today we continue our work on the Apple IIe. We've been introduced to it, now lets make it look like new.
The Cave retro computer and gaming exhibition is now open to public visitors, and this is how our very first day went! You can book a visit to The Cave at https://rmcretro.com
Rise of the Robots stinks. There can be no denying it, and yet one man has made it his life goal to collect anything and everything to do with the game. Today we talk about why the game was so bad and the impact it had on gamers and the wider industry, and we get to see the collection.
The Apple IIe was a system unfamiliar to me, but thanks to this series I've finally got up to speed on why it was such a special machine. Today we install some modern upgrades, source a suitable monitor for it, and take it for a quick spin!
Huge thanks to everyone who has donated and watches. This was another amazing unboxing day at The Cave.
Commodore Amiga light guns are not something I remember fondly, or at all if I'm honest, but they obviously existed and I'd like to get up to speed on them thanks to the arrival of a Trojan Phazer. Join me today as we try out almost every game available for this and other lightguns on the platform.
I thought it was time for an update on the whole MiSTer Multisystem project, including new add-ons which are ready to go into production, a look behind the scenes, and a prototype handheld MiSTer.
I spent a whopping £5 on this Nintendo GameCube, was it worth it? Let's find out and see if we can make it part of #TheCave exhibition for people to enjoy
The Neo Geo was a staple of every arcade I visited in the early '90s but I never did get to try out the fabled AES or Advanced Entertainment System. One of, if not THE, most expensive console ever made when adjusted for inflation. Today I finally get hands on with one as Keith from The Digital Orphanage pops over to The Cave to show off his new toy!
Is a retro gaming wonderland possible? Today I talk about an opportunity for others to share in the success of what we've built here at The Cave and invite your ideas to create our dream retro destination.
An unreleased Amiga game appeared in The Cave recently thanks to a visit from Glenn Broadway. It wasn't long before we got chatting and I realised that Glenn would be a perfect Tea Break guest, and boy does he have an interesting past. From interactive movies to unreleased Dreamcast games and the world of mobile gaming Glenn has seen it all unfold at the coalface of game design.
The Commodore Amiga 1000 is finally in The Cave. Let's take a slightly different look at its history while we try to restore it.
This Commodore Amiga 600 was sent into The Cave as a donation some months back. It's lovely to give this old kit a home, but it's even nicer to be able to give it a new lease of life and that's exactly what we're doing today. This A600 will live again!
Games Master was the biggest video games TV show in the UK in the '90s and Dominik was centre stage as the presenter. With over 3m peak viewers this was the show we all looked forward to. Dominik shares with us today his background, rise to stardom, behind the scenes stories and troubles along the way.
We continue the Commodore Amiga 1000 restoration today with a recap and work on restoring the plastics. I also dive into Byte magazine to continue the story of the machine and consider if I would have bought one, with perhaps surprising results.
TheCave is a public computer and gaming exhibition located in Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK. Today Mike Dailly of DMA Design, Lemmings, GTA and Game Maker fame came to visit and we captured his talk to share on the channel.
As rare arcade cabinets of the 1980s go this might be one of a kind. It's a prototype sourced from the family of the developer himself and kindly shown to us today by Alex.
The Sega Saturn remained in the shadow of the Playstation in the UK but it was common enough that I got to try it out, it didn't make a huge impression on me. In later years I came to realise I might be missing out on a lot of games, especially 2D, that really shone on this console. Today then we'll make our ultimate Saturn so we can explore them. And play Outrun. Mostly Outrun.
Classic arcade games need to be restored, preserved and played! Alex is building a classic arcade gaming musuem here in Gloucestershire, UK which will aim to protect these classic pieces of gaming history while allowing you to get hands on with them. In this episode we get started on creating the arcade space.
VecFever! This little Vectrex cartridge is a game changer and today I'm going to show you why you need one (and then tell you you can't actually buy them anymore, sorry).
The Amiga 1000 restoration concludes today as we reach the end of the machines lifetime, and the completion of our rebuild, and we ask, what was the legacy of the Amiga 1000?
Something a little different this week, lets look inside the recreated '80s video game store and see what games, publishers and developers lined the shelves. Does this spark memories of your own video game purchases or was it different in your part of the world?
This retro tech donation is with huge thanks to Ian. What an amazing day we had. Thank you!
The Oliver Twins are a British coding duo who grew out of the bedroom coding boom of the '80s. Today we learn about their history from the '80s through to the present day in the games industry.
The 3DO was a fifth generation games console with big ideas, and a big price tag to go with it. Today we explore where it all went wrong while creating our ultimate 3DO.
The first ever commercial game console is the Magnavox Odyssey and incredibly we have a complete, in box example, so I couldn't pass up the chance to share an unboxing with you.
Commodore Amiga Hard Disk time today! Unobtainable upgrades on my budget back in the day but now we have three examples in varying conditions that deserve our attention, let's test them out before we consider restoring them.
Subscribe to Alex's channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/OWLT509?sub_confirmation=1
This has to one one of the rarest retro game consoles we've seen on the channel to date, the FM Towns Car Marty. It's a games console designed specifically to go in your car, and it's a bit bonkers.
You can find out more about the Sinden Lightgun at https://sindenlightgun.com/
Commodore Amiga Hard Disk time again today! Unobtainable upgrades on my budget back in the day but now we have three examples in varying conditions that deserve our attention, let's test them out before we consider restoring them.
The NEC PC Engine is a games console that most agree has an great library of games and is well worth exploring, but what was the best way to enjoy the system? Today we look at a very special version of the system that aims to deliver just that, but it comes at a price.
Packard Bell PC's, love them or loathe them, I think they are worth preserving if not for the system then for the memories. An entry level PC for many and the first steps into computing, these machines represent excitement, freedom and fun, even if we probably ditched the brand for our next machine! Let's fix this one up.
This set was part of the launch day event for Arcade Archive, we broke out into The Cave for a break from gaming in the arcade, ate mince pies and enjoyed some tunes before returning for more arcades.
You can buy the calendar at https://rmcretro.store/charity-retro-calendar/
Today we review the CZUR ET18 Pro. Is it a shortcut to good quality book scans? Let's find out.
Derby Computer Museum is the newest computer museum in the UK, we visit in the first week of its opening to find out how things are going and have a look around with Rob, the museum creator. You can find out more at https://derbycomputermuseum.co.uk Also visit CTRL-ALT-Rees at https://youtube.com/ctrlaltrees
Support RMC Time is the most valuable thing we have. "Official Cave Dwellers" create a reliable monthly income that allows me to give my all to this channel. If you'd like to support this, and help me make it the very best I can then please visit: https://www.patreon.com/RMCretro or https://ko-fi.com/rmcretro
An Official Amiga Product in 2023? Simulant Mechanical USB Keyboard | Tech Nibble You can find out more at https://www.simulant.uk/shop/amiga-classic-mechanical-keyboard
Today I've picked five racing games I've spent a lot of time playing over the years and asked Andy from Big Car to provide some history on the star of the game. If you'd like to subscribe to Big Car you can find Andy at https://youtube.com/@bigcar2
Rebecca Heineman is co-founder of Interplay, a video game champion and game development pioneer, today we hear her story.
Nintendo Playchoice-10 arcade cabinets are hard to come by, I've had saved searches active for years and this week I finally came up with a result. This superb example will fit right in at The Cave.
We've got a Commodore 900 prototype in The Cave today and it's a rare beast indeed. One of only 50 known to have been made and we don't know how many of those still exist. Today we're going to learn all about it and have a look inside.
The demoscene is rich with creativity, talent and tales of the people who contribute to it. Veteren "scener" h0ffman tells us his story today from the origins of the scene to modern day demo parties and all that's involved in being a part of it.
What an amazing week I've just had. When Robin contacted me and kindly offered to donate some of his collection to The Cave I just had to share the experience with you. It's going to take at least two episodes to look through all of this and I hope you'll enjoy it with me.
The retro computer donations continue today as we continue our look at the amazing donations from Robin.
Vintage arcade gamining pioneers aren't getting any younger and our guests today have made it their mission to capture their stories and experiences from the early days of the industry.
Our vintage computer restoration continues as we try to get all the bits together for a complete Packard Bell PC from 1996. Today we take a detour to sort the monitor after ours arrived smashed to bits in part 2. Can we get luckier today?
Let's extend our computer museum and studio with a new lab area. Today I extend The Cave and then get carried away, it was a lot of hard work but I hope you like the results. More consoles and computers can go on display, more can be played and we have dedicated space to film repairs now.
Our vintage computer restoration continues as today we treat the plastics, service some parts and put it all together for testing.
Buy CTRLDock in our store at https://shop.retrocollective.co.uk/ctrldock-classic-se-joystick-adapter/
This Commodore PC20-III is all covered in poop! But how did it get like this, what is it, and can it be restored?
David Rowe has probably worked on more computer game art than you realise, from Populous to Flood, Chubby Gristle to Continental Circus, his hand has graced many of our favourite titles. Today he talks about them as well as his work for the popular UK TV show Knightmare. We also meet Dungeoneer Jason Karl.
These strange and unusual disks appeared in The Cave recently but what's on them? Today we archive and explore the disks and we also visit MicroProse offices in the local area to learn more about their history.
Vintage and modern retro pickups are the topic today with Alex from the Arcade Archive
This Commodore Amiga 4000 is beautiful...on the inside. It may have looked great too when it was originally painted, but today it's looking worn, tired and old. Can paint be stripped from it though? Can it be restored to an original condition? Today I give it a go.
From Rick Dangerous to Wreckreation, Simon Phipps has been shaping the video game industry for over 35 years. Today he visits The Cave and takes us through his life in the industry. If you'd like to join us for future talks sign up to Patreon at https://patreon.com/RMCretro
A new Amiga show in 2023? Madness surely? Today I take a trip to Nottingham to see what Kickstart is all about. We'll meet the usergroups, the traders and the man behind the idea, and we find out, is it any good?
Our vintage '90s Packard Bell computer restoration has taken some time but finally we can finish it up and give it a fitting home here in The Cave. Today we complete the restoration and then some interior design is needed to finish everything up!
Why is retro gaming so popular? Maybe we can answer that question today with a range of Japanese delights. No boring beige boxes here just a whole heap of retro tech from a new exhibition I've built here at The Cave. Let me show you it all!
Terrible Fire accelerators for Amiga computers have become a staple part of any modern amigans diet. From A500 to CD32, Stephen Leary has been designing these boards to make our lives easier for some years now, so I thought it was an ideal time to learn all about the evolution of his project from inception to the present day.
What was Sega's Tower of Power? Today I'm adding the ultimate Mega Drive to The Cave. Comprising of a stack of upgrades which flopped commercially, is the tower greater than the sum of its parts? Let's find out.
This is the best home computer of the 20th century....according to PC World Magazine in December of 1999, but we're not interested in that, I have a much more personal goal in mind today and that's why I'm going to take this powerful PC and downgrade it. Why? Because we can, but first it needs cleaning and fixing.
ZX Spectrum computing can be enjoyed in a range of ways from emulation to faithful recreations of the hardware. Today Lee shows us some of his creations and Thomas takes them for a spin!
Late '90s arcade games faced a dilemma. How do you compete with the Playstation and the PC in the home, persuade people to visit the arcade, and keep coss low in a dwindling market? The answer was to use the same readily available technology, and the Taitowolf system is one such example we'll take a look at today.
What is the Agon Console8?| We made a new 8-bit console, but what is it and who is it for?
This Trash to Treasure restoration very nearly ended up as nothing but trash. Discovered in a disgusting state by GingerHippyGaming it's a miracle that we rescued it. Today we start work on a restoration to bring the Nintendo M82 back to its former glory.
Sega's Mega-Tech arcade cabinet is a rare find, especially for this price, but have I made a big mistake? Bought sight unseen on Ebay today we start a new Trash to Treasure series and figure out if we can make it look and run like new.
Washing a CRT and Cleaning PCB's is the order of the day as I do more work on the Sega Mega-Tech restoration today.
Let's clean this filthy Sega up. Today we continue the restoration with cleaning, filling, sticking and repairing but it's not all smooth sailing, this Mega Tech is putting up a fight.
Capturing VHS tapes is the order of the day. Come and hang out with me as we explore a pile of tapes and see what secrets are hiding on them.
The Sega Mega-Tech restoration is completed! Let me show you around the finishing touches to round off the series.
Thunder Helix is a homage to '90s flight sims with elements of Desert Strike thrown in for good measure. Today we get an early look at the pre-release build of the game set to be released in March.
Rare, weird, wonderful and curious computers is the topic for our talk today. Recorded in front of a live audience at The Cave, Lewis Packwood takes us on a "choose your own adventure" journey through the lesser known world of video game machines.
What video games would you put in a museum? Today I explore the inventory of The Cave and pick out my choices, or at least some of them. We're going to need more glass cabinets.
Today we look at the only known Lemmings arcade PCB in existence. Does it work and is it any good? Let's find out.
Do you remember The Commodore PC20-III that arrived covered in poop! That was a year ago! Today we can finally bring it back to life.
Computer Space was the first commercially available Arcade Video Game, and as such a historic piece it carries a hefty price tag. Too much for us, so we decided to 3D print a replica with the help of Richard from Heber.
Two 1994 Light guns are compared today with two very different approaches, but one game in common. Mad Dog McCree. Let's do some rootin' and tootin' cowboys!
Did you know Sega made a PC in 1991? Part business, part pleasure, it's the Sega TeraDrive.
We're retro hunters today on a road trip to check a storage unit that hasn't been opened for 10 years. Can we find treasure in the trash!?
Today we repair, and test drive the rare Sega Teradrive from 1991
The Cave is growing again! Today we start building The Dev Den!
Data East's Lemmings Arcade was never made....until now! We scratch build our imagining of the 1991 game and install the only known prototype PCB of it for visitors to try out.
In 1987 Mastertronic hatched a plan to create an Amiga 500 based arcade. After many years of hunting I've managed to find one, and in this series we'll restore it and tell the story of the Arcadia Super Select System.
A Patron Video of the TRS80 in a bottle
Thank you for taking the time to watch and support the channel. You're all bloody amazing and I can't believe this is a job!
This is an RMC Patron only video in which your questions are answered. Thank you to Chrissy, Cageman and Pillock for your questions.
"ho ho ho now I have a machine gun"
Here are the questions that didn't make it into the main body of the interview! A little extra for the Official Cave Dwellers. Enjoy!
Thank you for your amazing support Cave Dwellers. Neil RMC
The topic for this month is "Open World". Here are the guidelines: Make a video of up to a max of 90 seconds long The topic is for guidance, feel free to bend the rules if you can justify it. Put your video on a shared website where I can download it Email the link to rmcliveshow@gmail.com Thank you! Neil - RMC
For Patrons only it's the full VHS capture from SEGA video driver. Enjoy your drive! Neil - RMC
Hello Official Cave Dwellers! Here's some bonus content for a Tuesday! Today I'm exploring the top ten retro Light Gun Games with my friend Mean Machine Dean. This is a format I'm exploring as additional content (not replacing Thursday videos) which should be easy to digest, engage with and appealing to a wide audience. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Next time we'll be exploring Atari 2600 games following our recent VCS restoration. Enjoy your early, ad free video, and thank you for your support! Neil - RMC PS Due to social distancing rules Dean and I recorded this remotely so excuse my slightly low frame rate from my laptop (time for an upgrade).
Hello Official Cave Dwellers, Big Chair™ is back for a little chat and an update for you before I take a Christmas break. Thank you everyone for your support, enthusiasm and feedback this year which has helped to shape The Cave and the channel.