In this episode, Dave dives into the newly announced Commodore 64 Ultimate - a modern, FPGA-powered revival of the classic C64 - and compares it to his previously acquired Ultimate 64 Elite II board. He breaks down the different editions, pricing tiers, and what makes this official reboot stand out in a crowded retro hardware scene. John talks about modding his original Atari 2600 with a composite video output and the guys also check out the impressive MovieCart, a full-motion video cartridge for the Atari 2600, revisit the just-announced THEC64 Mini Black Edition, and discuss the surprise return of Compute!’s Gazette. Plus: John explains why he returned his preorder for the My Arcade Atari Watch.

🔗 Links & Resources:
Commodore 64 Ultimate: https://www.commodore.net
Ultimate 64 Elite II: https://ultimate64.com/Ultimate64
THEC64 Mini Black Edition: https://retrogames.biz/products/thec64-mini-black
MovieCart for Atari 2600: https://movieroms.com/moviecart/
Compute!’s Gazette Subscription: https://www.computesgazette.com
Podcast + Discord + Contact: https://the8bitfiles.com

In this episode, Dave finally unboxes the long-awaited Ultimate 64 Elite II - an FPGA-based modern C64 replacement - and shares why it might be the last 64 he ever needs. John dives into his surprising change of heart on the Nintendo Switch 2, covering game upgrades, new features, and how it compares to the Steam Deck. Plus: a custom Synthcart controller project and a quick review of the wireless Atari CX-40 joystick.

🔗 Links & Resources:

• Ultimate 64 Elite MK2: https://ultimate64.com/Ultimate-64-Elite-MK2

• Synthcart for Atari 2600: http://www.qotile.net/synth.html

• Mr. Pi Batch 4 Preorder: https://retroremake.co/products/misterpi-preorder

• Podcast + Discord + Contact: https://the8bitfiles.com

In this episode, the guys talk about the Nintendo Wii, diving deep into what made it a game-changer for both hardcore and casual players. They also discuss the upcoming Switch 2, but it's more of a sidebar to their Wii nostalgia.

• John recalls lining up for the Wii on launch day and how hard it was to find in the wild

• They discuss how Wii Sports, especially bowling, became a cultural touchstone and brought families together

• Dave shares how even his mom got into gaming thanks to the Wii’s accessible motion controls

• They reminisce about quirky Wii accessories—from plastic steering wheels to crossbow shells—and how fun (and weird) they were

• John talks about soft-modding the Wii and loading it with emulators and classic games

• They mention the Wii’s forward-thinking features like Miis, the Virtual Console, and online updates

• They discuss the Switch 2 announcement, with John expressing skepticism over pricing, lack of killer titles, and backward compatibility quirks

Referenced videos from the episode:

• Wii Bowling training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmN-woiXtqk

• Wii Shopping channel demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxAanYvdx28

• Wii Mii channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6NAW72KzTQ