A500 Mini release
From Worms Knowledge Base
| A500 Mini | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer: | Retro Games Ltd |
| Maintainer: | Retro Games Ltd |
| Publishers: | Retro Games Ltd |
| Release date: | 8 April, 2002 |
| Latest version: | 1.1.1 (firmware update from website) |
| Website: | RetroGames.biz |
| Buy: | Amazon UK Amazon US |
The A500 Mini, a device modeled to resemble a miniature Commodore Amiga A500, came out in Europe on 8 April 2022, and in the US on 31 May 2022. The system comes preinstalled with 25 Amiga titles, 7 of which are Team17 games, including Worms: The Director's Cut.
- The A500 Mini comes preloaded with v1.0 of the game, and features all of the bugs and exploits present in that version of the game.
- The game loads immediately from a save state placing it directly at the Main Menu.
- The game will not save any settings or teams, and will not restore these when loading. You must use the A500 Mini's save-state feature to save team stats and settings.
- As with many games included on the A500 Mini, the game features controller support that does not require you to select the CD32 as the controller in the menu.
- The A500 Mini does not come with a functioning keyboard - if you do not plug in a USB keyboard, entering the cheat codes must be done using the system's on-screen keyboard.
- The A500 Mini does not connect to the internet at all. Firmware updates for the device are performed by downloading a firmware update from the Retro Games website, placing the file on a flash drive, and inserting the drive into the A500 Mini prior to powering it up.
Updating WormsDC from v1.0 to v1.05
The A500 Mini does not allow you up update the versions of the games stored on the system, so it would not be possible to install the v1.05 patch to the system, nor to add your own soundbanks, maps and DIY terrains. However it does support sideloading games via a USB stick, so it is possible to boot the WHDLoad version of the game or, after a firmware update, the ADF version of the game.
Alternatively, you can load AMiNiMiga onto the A500 Mini, which allows you to reproduce the functionality of a full Amiga system, and install the game to that.
Trivia
- WormsDC cannot actually be played on an actual stock A500, as the game requires the AGA chipset only found in the A1200, A4000, A4000T, and CD32. However, some graphics accelerator boards for the A500 feature AGA emulation, which would allow the game to be played. The A500 Mini circumvents this by emulating models of the Amiga other than just the A500.
- The A500 Mini was "the fastest-selling Home Computer Remake (based on week 1 sales) and [as of 21 April 2022] already the No.2 all-time seller" according to GamesIndustry.biz [1]. The same article placed the A500 Mini as the sixth-highest selling Retro, Micro and TV console based on week 1 sales. This likely means the A500 Mini has vastly outsold the original Amiga release of Worms: The Director's Cut by some magnitude.
