Yes agree very odd comparison. A1200 is the computer version linked generationally to the CD32, not the 500. If comparing the 500 to a CD ‘console’ it should have been the CDTV.
Thanks for your comment! You're absolutely right - Superfrog was an OCS title on both machines, so the graphics and performance were pretty much identical on the Amiga 500 and CD32. It’s a great example of a game where the port didn’t change much between systems. Thanks again for watching! If you haven't already, consider subscribing for more retro gaming content. Take care, RustyIngles
Thanks for your comment! You're spot on Superfrog and Alien Breed were both examples of straight ports to the CD32, with little difference in terms of graphics and sound compared to their Amiga 500 versions. I know I say there are differences in the video, but now I've watched it back quite a few times, I notice the error I made, apologies! Appreciate you sharing your thoughts! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content. All the best, RustyIngles
CD-32 had the double-edged sword of getting quite a lot of games despite its very short shelf life, but most were also available on standard Amiga 500 or 1200, with the CD32 version only adding some mild enhancements, like a new intro sequence or CD music tracks, if they were improved at all. The number of games that truly took advantage of the CD32 hardware or CD storage capacity could be counted on one hand.
exactly my thoughts. The CD drive had so much potential if the A500 1,2MB dual-floppy games weren´t ported 1:1. What´s missing was the killer 600MB CD-game full of audio, FMV (or half-FMV) and game. On the other hand, I get the software companies who preferred one game for both machines, not limiting their range to only the CD32.
Thanks for the comment! You’ve summed it up perfectly-the CD32 had a decent number of games for such a short-lived console, but the vast majority were just ports from the Amiga 500 or 1200. The enhancements were often pretty minimal, like a new intro or CD audio tracks. It’s true that only a handful of games really made full use of the CD32’s hardware or storage capabilities, which was a real missed opportunity. Appreciate your thoughts! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming insights. Cheers, RustyIngles
Thanks for your comment! You’re right-the CD32’s CD drive had massive potential, and it’s a shame we didn’t see more killer 600MB games packed with audio and FMV that really took advantage of it. I can understand why software companies preferred to create games that worked across both the A500 and CD32 though, as it broadened their audience. But it definitely meant the CD32 missed out on its own defining titles. If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content.
What I liked about your video was showing the few titles that actually made the most out of the Amiga CD32 hardware, sadly many games weren't nearly as polished or console ready. I can see how the game console would have appeal at the time but coming out so close to their bankruptcy really doomed it. If I made a parallel with DOS gaming it would be the change from EGA to VGA in how dramatic 256 colors was, along with the advancements 486 CPUs and CD-ROM drives brought to that gaming scene too. Came close once to getting the console a long time ago but now it's Unobtanium heh, got a couple A500s I enjoy but Amigas aren't easy to find in NA at all and are usually expensive. Overall I'm surprised how many ended up in the USA bitd since both were only released in Canada officially.
I had both. And I preffered the A500 because most of the games released on CD32 was just ports of games from A500, some was enhanced but still the same games. As an old Amiga 500 user I was looking forward to new games with the CD32. With that said I loved both my A500 and CD32
Thanks for your comment! I can completely understand where you're coming from. A lot of the CD32's library did consist of ports from the Amiga 500, which, while enhanced, didn’t always feel like a big leap forward. It’s understandable to have been hoping for more original titles that really took advantage of the CD32's hardware. That said, I think most of us who had both systems still hold a lot of love for the Amiga 500 because it was such a pioneer and had an amazing library of games that defined the era. Both machines definitely have their charms! Really appreciate you sharing your experience. If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content. Always great to hear from fellow Amiga fans! Thanks, RustyIngles
While the Amiga CD32 is 32-bit though it's biggest problem is that it was based on a very early 32-bit computer that still lacked a lot of the graphical features of 16-bit consoles that came out after it. Also Commodore was pretty much only directly comparing it to the Mega CD in their promotional ads which while on paper it seemed better what it didn't take into account was many games on it were just the Amiga 1200 games stuck on a CD and their controls mapped to a controller some of which used up to jump still. These games were either designed for joysticks or mouse controls and very few used the extra akikio chip because they were just quick ports. So it's pretty easy that the Amiga 500 is the better of the two since the games were designed for that hardware.
Thanks for the comment! You’ve nailed one of the biggest issues with the CD32-it was based on early 32-bit architecture that didn’t quite keep up with later 16-bit consoles in terms of graphical features. Plus, Commodore’s comparison to the Mega CD in their ads didn’t really hold up when a lot of the CD32 library were just Amiga 1200 ports with minimal enhancements. And you’re absolutely right about the controls! Mapping joystick and mouse-based games to a controller wasn’t always ideal, with “up to jump” being a classic frustration. It’s easy to see why the Amiga 500 still holds its ground-it had games designed specifically for its hardware, giving it the edge in that regard. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts! If you haven’t already, consider subscribing for more retro gaming chat. Take care, RustyIngles
@jssonstevens59 The 3DO was released in North America in October 1993, so it was a contemporary of the CD32 - notwithstanding of course that the latter didn't make it to the US before Commodore's bankruptcy.
Thanks for your comment! That’s a great way to look at it-the CD32 really does feel like an evolution of the CDTV, building on Commodore’s previous ideas but with the A1200 architecture this time around, whereas the CDTV was based on the A500. Both systems tried to push the Amiga into new territory, but neither quite managed to capture the success they were aiming for. Appreciate you sharing your thoughts! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content. Cheers, RustyIngles
The Amiga 500 was definately not an affordable machine for gamers on a budget in 1987. It cost £499 + £26 for a TV modulator. Thats the equivalent of £1850 today
@@Jon867Yeah, I remember the £399 price tag. I desperately wanted one but couldn't afford one for some time. I remember my friend working for months pushing trollies in Tesco to earn the money to get one.
Thanks for your comment! You're right-the Amiga 500 wasn’t exactly cheap when it launched in 1987, especially when you add the cost of the TV modulator. £499 back then is quite a hefty sum when you consider inflation! As @jon867 mentioned in their reply, though, it really gained traction in the UK around Christmas 1989 with the Batman Pack, which bundled in some great games and brought the price down to £399.99, making it much more accessible for a wider audience. Appreciate the discussion! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content. Cheers, RustyIngles
I still have a CD32 and it’s the pride of my retro collection. It’s story is one of missed opportunity due mainly to the demise of Commodore and the lack of support from games developers. A lot of the CD32 games were nothing more than direct ports of A500 games, some had a few enhancement’s but some (IK Plus for instance) were the same game. Another mistake Commodore made with the CD32 was the lack of save space. I love Frontier but to play it on a CD32 takes the entire save space which can be a bit frustrating ! Having said this I still love it and am slowly collecting the entire CD32 library (much to my bank managers dismay) 😂
Thanks for your comment, it was always the machine I longed for when it first came out and I never had the opportunity to own one. Now, like you, it's definitely the pride of my retro collection. I know what you mean about the games, I think if more specific games had been developed it may have been more successful, obviously if Commodore hadn't screwed everything up!
Missed opportunity? Not really, ATARI Jaguar was much much better console and look how it failed against Sony Play Station, why do you think CD32 would have any chance?
It's a very interesting and well done video. I just don't understand the side by side comparison. 1987 vs 1993. That's huge. Hardly anything changes year to year performance-wise in computers these days. Also the 500 was a budget/cheaper build vs the original 1000. So it's like you're comparing their budget offering vs their top of the line offering from 6 years in the future.
Thank you so much for your comment, and I’m really glad you enjoyed the video! You’re absolutely right-comparing the Amiga 500 from 1987 to the CD32 from 1993 is a bit of a leap in terms of time and technology. The 500 was indeed a more budget-friendly version compared to the original Amiga 1000, whereas the CD32 was Commodore’s attempt to create a high-end console, complete with CD-ROM support and more advanced hardware. It’s definitely not a direct head-to-head comparison if you look at them purely as products from their respective years. The reason for the comparison was to explore how Commodore’s approach to gaming evolved and to highlight how the Amiga 500, despite its limitations, stood the test of time against what was supposed to be a cutting-edge console in the CD32. In fact, some of the games released on both platforms show how much, or sometimes how little, things had changed in terms of gameplay experience! I really appreciate your insight, and thanks again for sharing your thoughts! If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing to the channel for more deep dives into retro tech. There's always more to explore in the world of vintage gaming! Cheers! RustyIngles
had tboth machines give my 500 away the cd32 was amazing i had micrcosim,wing commander,diggers waa amazing esp audio i had an fmv adapter on back to play cdi movies i realy wish i had both machines again i really miss this part of my gaming life
Ah, sorry to hear you gave your Amiga 500 away. Mine gathers dust on the shelf most of the time, but when I find time to play I absolutely love them! Definitely an amazing time in the tech world. Thanks for watching the video and for your comment.
Interesting comparison, but 6 years separates these two machines. Personally I think the A1200 was the real competition with A500 owners looking to upgrade leaning towards the A1200. I think you do highlight the CD32's big flaw though, games like Alien Breed and Wing Commander had come out years earlier on the A500. They weren't new games, just old with some enhancements, which can be tricky to spot even in a side by side. Also, the extra colours of the AGA weren't always a plus, to my eyes the original version of Chaos Engine looks better with its more muted colour palette. Would be interesting to see a video about games that used Akiko, I suspect not many as it wasn't in the A1200.
Thank you for your comment and thoughts. I agree with the game differences, it's a shame more CD32 only games weren't developed at the time. I'm planning on putting out a 1200 Vs CD32 video soon. That's a good idea on the Akiko games video too, I'll do some research on that.
@@DavePoo2there's some discussion of this topic on old forums, and people usually bring up Gloom and Wing Commander. The consensus seems to be that Akiko doesn't improve performance very much. The Amiga really needed a chunky graphics mode by 1992, which was promised in the never-released AAA chipset. Speaking of lacking improvement, it's unbelievable that the AGA Amigas retained the ancient Paula sound chip. The CD32 could play Redbook audio from CD though, partially offsetting that.
@DavePoo2 Brian Bagnall's book talks about Glen Keller working on "Super Paula" for AGA, but for whatever reason that project failed or didn't meet the deadline. Another of the many examples of Commodore not getting its act together.
Thanks for the comment! You're absolutely right-the Amiga 68000 CPU did indeed run at 7.16 MHz, and that specific speed was a deliberate choice to ensure it worked well with genlock capabilities, which was a big feature for video production at the time. Appreciate you bringing that up! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming insights. Cheers, RustyIngles
Well, I enjoyed the video ! I think the comparison works as it was new A500 end of life and the CD32 was kind of an upgrade. Its a shame almost all CD32 titles were just A500 ports.
Is it really fair to compare the design of a desktop to a console? They have different applications. I always found that the A500 with a base for the monitor/keyboard was a really compact way to house the system, but it's not something you'd sling under/next to a TV like you would a console. I'd also argue that the CD32 outperforms the Amiga 500 because it's based on the more powerful Amiga 1200 over its use of CDs. It would make much more sense to compare the CD32 to an Amiga 1200 to see which was really the better option for gaming.
Not sure if it was easy to see the difference between the two as there was no sync of the games between each machine. Wing commander it crawled on the a500. The other games, I couldn’t see much difference apart from the cd audio. Perhaps in future if you can sync the gameplay it will make it easier to see the differences
Thanks for your comment, and yes I was in two minds about doing that but I wanted to show the load time differences between the two. I guess it was either one or the other.
Thanks for your comment! I didn’t know the Amiga 500 was used in laserdisc arcade machines, that’s a really cool piece of info! The genlock feature certainly made it a versatile bit of kit. Appreciate you sharing that, and if you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming insights! Cheers, RustyIngles
@@RetroGamesRediscovered All the American Laser Games and Picmatic laserdisc games used it to control the laserdisc player and run the game, and most of those games were about 256k in size at the most.
Commodore barely advertised the Amiga in North America at all. I think I saw a grand total of three Amiga commercials on TV. Not three different commercials, three total. And of those, at least one was an abstract video that didn't tell you anything about the machine or why you would want it. Commodore didn't bother advertising in mainstream computer magazines either. Outside of existing Commodore users, barely anyone even knew it existed. When games came out for both DOS and Amiga, game magazines would often only list them as being available for DOS. Arthur C. Clarke was reportedly an Amiga user, and a big fan of the landscape generation program Vista. I once saw an ad for the DOS version, which referenced Clarke, but made no mention of the Amiga whatsoever. Compute! magazine used to put out computer specific editions of their magazine, with Compute! itself being for all systems. They decided to do away with the specific magazines, and just print small inserts for Compute! which was otherwise 100% devoted to DOS (I refuse to call them PCs). To add insult to injury, these inserts were NOT included in the news stand edition of the magazine, nor the normal DOS edition. If you hadn't subscribed to one of the other editions, you'd never know they existed. At that point, I was grasping at straws. Compute! had the same ad for the game Links on the back cover for several months straight. An Amiga version was in development, and I figured that at least when it was released, Amiga would be listed in the ad. Finally it came out, and I eagerly awaited the next issue of Compute! It finally arrived, I turned it over and what did I see? A brand new ad for Links 386 Pro! And of course no mention of Amiga because that was a new DOS exclusive game. ARGH!!!
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s frustrating how poorly Commodore marketed the Amiga, especially in North America. It seems like they really dropped the ball, not only with lackluster TV ads but also by missing out on promoting it in key computer magazines. That could’ve made a huge difference in building awareness outside of existing Commodore users. It’s crazy to think how much potential the Amiga had, and yet so many people never knew it existed! The fact that even the game magazines often overlooked the Amiga versions in favor of DOS is just maddening. I totally understand the feeling of waiting for that little bit of recognition only to be disappointed again and again. Thanks again for sharing, and if you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro discussions! Cheers, RustyIngles
I think if commodore had been able to supply and sell a further 100,000 cd-32s then it might have saved them as a company..However gould and mehdi ali neglected to upgrade the hardware and dismantling the commodore R&D department was a lethal mistake...commodore engineers saw the end coming long before the blind management did......
Thanks for your comment! You’ve really hit the nail on the head. If Commodore had managed to push out more CD32 units, it might have given them a fighting chance. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, the leadership’s failure to upgrade the hardware and the dismantling of the R&D department were huge mistakes. The engineers could see the writing on the wall, but management seemed oblivious until it was too late. A real missed opportunity in gaming history! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and if you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming discussions. Cheers! RustyIngles
@@RetroGamesRediscovered Absolutely not, the CD32 was a dead on arrival. The ATARI Jaguar was much better console and look how it was not able to compete with Sony PS1, why do you think CD32 would?
@@madigorfkgoogle9349absolute nonsense! If you researched, the CD32 outsold the Jaguar and 3DO in the UK easily even with its short 7 months on the market and sold the same as the Sega Saturn in the UK in the first 7 months, because guess what? power is not everything, people should know that from consoles like the Wii and Switch which outsell more powerful machines.
@@CastleFamilyThe Of course it outsold Jaguar in UK in that time... Jaguar was not sold at all at that time. Also its being stated how around 100k units of CD32 got sold in UK, but those are not unit numbers sold in retail to end customers, those are B2B sales. Thousands of unsold CD32 ended up on landfills. But back to my earlier comment. I didnt say Jaguar was the console which "killed" CD32, it could hardly since it was not sold in UK before Commodore bankruptcy. I just stated that CD32 was dead on arrival and (lets add later arriving) Jaguar was a better console and still was NOT able to withstand the Sony PS1. And that means that even if Commodore would push out more units, its still would be a dud, since the PS1 would roll over it... Read more with understanding and less with your fanboyism.
Thanks for the comment! You’re absolutely right-the CD32 arriving much earlier could have made a world of difference. If it had been released in '92, alongside the SNES in PAL regions, it might have stood a better chance of competing. By the time it hit the market in '93, though, it felt like the industry had already moved on, and Commodore was in too much trouble to properly support it. It’s one of those “what if” moments in gaming history! Appreciate your input! If you haven’t subscribed yet, feel free to stick around for more retro gaming discussions. Cheers, RustyIngles
Thanks for your comment! You're spot on-many of the CD32 games were straight ports from the Amiga 500, so the differences were minimal in a lot of cases. It's one of the reasons why some CD32 owners were left wanting more in terms of exclusive or fully enhanced titles. Thanks again for watching, and if you haven't already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content! All the best, RustyIngles
Thanks for your comment. Ah the HD model, I would have loved one of those. Have you watched my video of it against the A500? ruclips.net/video/4PFiB8w2nrs/видео.html
Pretty sure superfrog graphics near identical on both systems based on the video . like alot of the games just lazy a500 ports with silly intro and better sound The cd32 was a massive disappointment due to the lack 3d support for games like doom and lack of games that really showed what it could do. Yes things like beneath the steel sky , darkseed had big improvements but too many didn't Asking people to pay 30 quid for a bare bone cd re hash version just wasn't gonna cut it I was and still am a huge amiga fan .
Thanks for your comment! You're absolutely right-*Superfrog* was almost identical on both systems, and a lot of the CD32 library consisted of Amiga 500 ports with minor tweaks like better sound or an FMV intro. It’s true that the CD32 didn't live up to its full potential, especially when it came to 3D games like *Doom*, which was sorely missing. It’s a shame, because games like *Beneath a Steel Sky* and *Darkseed* showed what the CD32 was capable of, but as you said, there just weren't enough titles to justify the price tag for many people. Great to hear from a fellow Amiga fan! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content. Catch you later, RustyIngles
Thanks for your comment! The CD32 definitely has its perks, especially with the convenience of loading up compilation ISOs. It makes accessing a whole library of games really easy! That said, the Amiga 500 still has a special place for many fans because of its versatility and expandability. Both systems have their strengths, but I can see why you'd give the win to the CD32! Thanks again for watching! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content. Cheers, RustyIngles
Amiga 500 vs the CD32, its obviously the Amiga 500. The CD32 comes last compared to the rest, Even commodore didn't take it serious. It was a last gasp effort of a failing company to use what hardware they had on the shelf and make as much as possible from before the inevitable.
Thanks for the comment! It's hard to disagree-Commodore was definitely in a tough spot by the time the CD32 came out, and it did feel like a final attempt to squeeze what they could from existing hardware. The Amiga 500, on the other hand, was a true success story and cemented itself as a classic, which is why it’s still held in such high regard today. Thanks again for watching, and if you haven’t subscribed yet, feel free to join for more retro gaming content! All the best, RustyIngles
@@RetroGamesRediscovered Commodore was in a tough spot after losing Chuck Peddle in 1980 due to disagreements with Jack Tramiel over how the company should be run. When Peddle left, he took most of their top R&D staff with him, leaving the company in a very difficult position. This was made worse by Irving Gould, who was treating the company as his personal wallet, which led to growing tension between Tramiel and Gould, resulting in Tramiel walking out. After that, the company was pretty much rudderless. Having next to no R&D team and no idea about the ever advancing industry they had to look outside the company which ended up with Commodore paying a stupid price acquiring the Amiga. The best part was they also had to pay off a loan Amiga had taken from Atari. Despite the potential of the Amiga, Commodore once again mismanaged the opportunity, which eventually led to Jay Miner leaving as well. What was left of their R&D team after Miner walking out they tried their best, but they were constantly hamstrung by poor management and lack of funds. As a result, they were forced to work with what they had, which was largely centered around the Amiga 1200 and what they had left on the shelves. Are you seeing a pattern?
@@guyverjay1289 The 500 can run the vast majority of the games the CD32 can minus the CD32 exclusives which were pretty much enhanced versions of games already on the 500.🤷♂
Ahh… excuse me!! a budget.. are you nuts. I was 19 years old when I got my Amiga 500 in 1989 and that was not a budget computer. First of all it cost me $1500 for the Amiga500 and a monitor and 512mb of memory. Back in 1989 that was a lot of money dude. The Amiga 2000 I think just came out and the Amiga1000 is what some people had and plus all my commodore friend and the people at the computer meetings still had there Commodore 64. I still remember when I saw the Amiga 1000 for the first time at the computer meeting. I was amazed. Dude unless you was there you have no idea what is was like and how much money people had to save just to get one. I remember going into walden software in rolling acres mall and handing the people behind the counter the money and they said we meet our quota we can close. They was still selling Commodore 64 like crazy still because hardly nobody heard of the Amiga till I showed them. I don’t think you know what you are talking about.
In the UK the price of the Amiga 500 cartoon classics pack was the price I quoted in the video. I do remember as I remember buying it! 🤣 Thanks for taking the time to comment
Absolutely most were still playing 8bits, myself included until a STFM in 89 and then got the Amiga in 1990. Most couldn’t afford the £399 price tags, the ST was the same cost but then reduced to compete with the Amiga at £299. Still a lot of money back in the 80s.
I had an A590 and a GVP add-on for the Amiga 500 and I have to say, you haven't USED an Amiga 500 till you have one of those expansions on it. 6MB RAM, 52MB HDD, I had kickstart 3.1 auto-loading on it for Workbench and the experience was like being in the future.
Thanks for your comment, I would have loved an A590. Those things looks amazing and really expanded what you could do with it, especially Workbench! I was lucky enough to own (and still do) the A570
A500 did apear in 1987 but it was compact all-in-one form factor repack from desktop Amiga 1000 from 1985! Commodore did not knew how to market revolutionary Amiga technology in 1985 since it's initial target users were professionals who presumably would pay extra money for powerful computer. Amiga 500 only found success in 1987 when Commodore copied sleek design from it's rival Atari ST, which was compact "all-in-one" form factor with RF modulator for TV plug and play thus denied the need for extra cost of monitor, and basicaly it was marketed as game console onward with bundeled games! CD32 is just repacked A1200 (from 1992) with CD-ROM, a computer touted as A500's succesor but in reality laging behind contemporary PCs and even SNES when apeared in 1992. A500 was revolutionary for the time, carved strong niche which A1200 (CD32) never did. Therefore, A500 market stayed strong into A1200's life and practicaly developers targeted almost all games for A500 market and A1200 (CD32) games were just upgraded versions of A500 titles! In fact, more A500s were sold AFTER introduction of A1200 until end of it's life cycle then up to that point!
Thanks for the detailed comment! You’re absolutely right-the Amiga 500 was essentially a repackaged, more affordable version of the Amiga 1000, and it really took off once Commodore shifted its marketing to target gamers and general consumers. The compact all-in-one form factor and ability to plug straight into a TV were game changers, especially compared to the more expensive professional setups in the early Amiga days. As for the CD32, it was indeed just a repacked A1200 with a CD-ROM, and you make a great point that it didn’t carve out the same niche that the Amiga 500 did. It’s interesting how even after the A1200 and CD32 were released, developers were still targeting the massive A500 user base, and sales for the A500 actually continued to stay strong into the 90s! Appreciate the insight! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro discussions. Cheers, RustyIngles
It had a 32bit data bus, so not quite on the same lines as the Jag. The screen DMA could be set to 32bit transfer, but the blitter remained stuck with 16bit memory transfers.
You're right! The CD32 actually had a 32-bit data bus, so it wasn’t just a marketing gimmick like the Jag. The screen DMA could handle 32-bit transfers, but the blitter was still limited to 16-bit, so it didn’t fully escape its 16-bit roots. Thanks for the comment!
Great question! The FM Towns Marty was actually a true 32-bit console, making it the first on the market, beating the CD32 by a few months. Appreciate the discussion!
I am sorry to sound mean, but the CD 32 was a joke, no killer app, just lazy ports from the A1200 or (even worse) from A500, no 3d capabilities, just "cd and 32 bits", unsurprisingly it was demolished by PSX. Commodore lost the train when they fired all the original Amiga team just after the A500 release, they had innovative ideas that could have changed the computer history.
You're not sounding mean, you're completely right. I do sometimes imagine the world we would be living in today if Commodore has shined as a company and built platforms with the original A1000/A500 team. Thank you for your comment.
Yeah but no doubting the Amiga was cutting edge from 87-92, it’s always going to be surpassed by more power tech. When mega drive and snes came to market nothing could compete.
@@colinbrydon7659 You are wrong about Snes and Genesis, if a substantial hardware revision took place around 89-90 (let's say Aga Amigas were released then) and then at 92-93 (2-3 years were eons for hardware development then) a true 3d capable chipset was released, things could have been different. Of course, the real "enemy" was always the PC where real innovations took place regarding computing and gaming (fast cpus, optical storage, 3dfx, sound cards and more), and I don't know even all of that would have saved the game for Amiga, maybe, maybe not.
@@tsanik21 so I am wrong, but ifs…could have been different. So not so wrong about the console tech at that time. Pcs at that point in time were cga and ega than vga and svga later. It really wasn’t until 95-97ish when pc tech started to show with the pentium mmx and then the voodoo chipset 3dfx. This is when I started using pcs for gaming. Open gl was fantastic and revolutionary at the time. Remember having quake using a 4mg Matrox Mystique graphics card then got the orchid 3dfx. Patching games to open gl was phenomenal at that time and quake was sublime. Nothing came close to the latest tech. Nothing would have saved the Amiga it had run it course but was a fantastic 16bit at the time. Mega drive and snes release mid/end 89, so even when the cd 32 released it was outdated by fa4 better consoles that ruled until ps1 in 94. I’ve built pcs and upgraded continually now since then and wouldn’t use a console and haven’t for last 25yrs.
Thanks for your comment! The CDTV certainly had a more solid, premium feel to its build, and I can see why you'd prefer it over the CD32 in that regard. The CDTV also had that multimedia ambition behind it, blending a computer with home entertainment, which was quite ahead of its time. The CD32 was more focused on gaming, but perhaps at the cost of some of that higher build quality we saw with the CDTV. Both systems have their place in Amiga history, but I agree-the CDTV does feel a bit more robust! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, and if you’re not already subscribed, I’d love to have you along for more retro gaming discussions!
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CD32 come in 1993 and youre comparing it to Amiga A500 from year 1987? You must compare it to Amiga A1200, as its based at that model
Yes agree very odd comparison. A1200 is the computer version linked generationally to the CD32, not the 500. If comparing the 500 to a CD ‘console’ it should have been the CDTV.
Thanks for your comment, I've compared the two in another video ruclips.net/video/EFh4zuNUyMg/видео.html
or between amiga 1000 as they were almost the same thing
@@Zontar82 A500 is a compacted A1000 with minor uprgades.
@@detalite yer 1200. Not 1000. 500 vs CDTV games would be interesting for those on both systems (not a lot).
Superfrog was an OCS title on both machines so the graphics are the same, and ran very similarly on both of them, too.
Thanks for your comment! You're absolutely right - Superfrog was an OCS title on both machines, so the graphics and performance were pretty much identical on the Amiga 500 and CD32. It’s a great example of a game where the port didn’t change much between systems.
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Take care,
RustyIngles
There were a lot of straight ports to the cd32. Super frog and alien breed look and sound basically identical.
Thanks for your comment! You're spot on Superfrog and Alien Breed were both examples of straight ports to the CD32, with little difference in terms of graphics and sound compared to their Amiga 500 versions.
I know I say there are differences in the video, but now I've watched it back quite a few times, I notice the error I made, apologies!
Appreciate you sharing your thoughts! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content.
All the best,
RustyIngles
CD-32 had the double-edged sword of getting quite a lot of games despite its very short shelf life, but most were also available on standard Amiga 500 or 1200, with the CD32 version only adding some mild enhancements, like a new intro sequence or CD music tracks, if they were improved at all. The number of games that truly took advantage of the CD32 hardware or CD storage capacity could be counted on one hand.
exactly my thoughts. The CD drive had so much potential if the A500 1,2MB dual-floppy games weren´t ported 1:1. What´s missing was the killer 600MB CD-game full of audio, FMV (or half-FMV) and game.
On the other hand, I get the software companies who preferred one game for both machines, not limiting their range to only the CD32.
Thanks for the comment! You’ve summed it up perfectly-the CD32 had a decent number of games for such a short-lived console, but the vast majority were just ports from the Amiga 500 or 1200. The enhancements were often pretty minimal, like a new intro or CD audio tracks. It’s true that only a handful of games really made full use of the CD32’s hardware or storage capabilities, which was a real missed opportunity.
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RustyIngles
Thanks for your comment! You’re right-the CD32’s CD drive had massive potential, and it’s a shame we didn’t see more killer 600MB games packed with audio and FMV that really took advantage of it. I can understand why software companies preferred to create games that worked across both the A500 and CD32 though, as it broadened their audience. But it definitely meant the CD32 missed out on its own defining titles. If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content.
What I liked about your video was showing the few titles that actually made the most out of the Amiga CD32 hardware, sadly many games weren't nearly as polished or console ready. I can see how the game console would have appeal at the time but coming out so close to their bankruptcy really doomed it.
If I made a parallel with DOS gaming it would be the change from EGA to VGA in how dramatic 256 colors was, along with the advancements 486 CPUs and CD-ROM drives brought to that gaming scene too.
Came close once to getting the console a long time ago but now it's Unobtanium heh, got a couple A500s I enjoy but Amigas aren't easy to find in NA at all and are usually expensive. Overall I'm surprised how many ended up in the USA bitd since both were only released in Canada officially.
I had both. And I preffered the A500 because most of the games released on CD32 was just ports of games from A500, some was enhanced but still the same games. As an old Amiga 500 user I was looking forward to new games with the CD32. With that said I loved both my A500 and CD32
Thanks for your comment! I can completely understand where you're coming from. A lot of the CD32's library did consist of ports from the Amiga 500, which, while enhanced, didn’t always feel like a big leap forward. It’s understandable to have been hoping for more original titles that really took advantage of the CD32's hardware.
That said, I think most of us who had both systems still hold a lot of love for the Amiga 500 because it was such a pioneer and had an amazing library of games that defined the era. Both machines definitely have their charms!
Really appreciate you sharing your experience. If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content. Always great to hear from fellow Amiga fans!
Thanks,
RustyIngles
While the Amiga CD32 is 32-bit though it's biggest problem is that it was based on a very early 32-bit computer that still lacked a lot of the graphical features of 16-bit consoles that came out after it. Also Commodore was pretty much only directly comparing it to the Mega CD in their promotional ads which while on paper it seemed better what it didn't take into account was many games on it were just the Amiga 1200 games stuck on a CD and their controls mapped to a controller some of which used up to jump still. These games were either designed for joysticks or mouse controls and very few used the extra akikio chip because they were just quick ports. So it's pretty easy that the Amiga 500 is the better of the two since the games were designed for that hardware.
Thanks for the comment! You’ve nailed one of the biggest issues with the CD32-it was based on early 32-bit architecture that didn’t quite keep up with later 16-bit consoles in terms of graphical features. Plus, Commodore’s comparison to the Mega CD in their ads didn’t really hold up when a lot of the CD32 library were just Amiga 1200 ports with minimal enhancements. And you’re absolutely right about the controls! Mapping joystick and mouse-based games to a controller wasn’t always ideal, with “up to jump” being a classic frustration.
It’s easy to see why the Amiga 500 still holds its ground-it had games designed specifically for its hardware, giving it the edge in that regard.
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Take care,
RustyIngles
wouldn't say the cd32 was advanced. a big problem was it's abilities paled in comparison to the other 32 bit consoles
Other 32 bits consoles were released well after the CD32
@jssonstevens59 The 3DO was released in North America in October 1993, so it was a contemporary of the CD32 - notwithstanding of course that the latter didn't make it to the US before Commodore's bankruptcy.
Amiga A500 sounded way better than expected and was way ahead of its competitors back then.
I always saw the Amiga CD32 as a upgrade of the Amiga CDTV. The former built up on the A1200 and the latter the A500.
Thanks for your comment! That’s a great way to look at it-the CD32 really does feel like an evolution of the CDTV, building on Commodore’s previous ideas but with the A1200 architecture this time around, whereas the CDTV was based on the A500. Both systems tried to push the Amiga into new territory, but neither quite managed to capture the success they were aiming for.
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RustyIngles
The Amiga 500 was definately not an affordable machine for gamers on a budget in 1987. It cost £499 + £26 for a TV modulator. Thats the equivalent of £1850 today
The Amiga 500 only really took off in the UK with the Xmas 1989 Batman Pack. I think by that stage it was down to £399.99.
@@Jon867Yeah, I remember the £399 price tag. I desperately wanted one but couldn't afford one for some time. I remember my friend working for months pushing trollies in Tesco to earn the money to get one.
It was very much affordable compared to A1000 😉
Thanks for your comment! You're right-the Amiga 500 wasn’t exactly cheap when it launched in 1987, especially when you add the cost of the TV modulator. £499 back then is quite a hefty sum when you consider inflation!
As @jon867 mentioned in their reply, though, it really gained traction in the UK around Christmas 1989 with the Batman Pack, which bundled in some great games and brought the price down to £399.99, making it much more accessible for a wider audience.
Appreciate the discussion! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content.
Cheers,
RustyIngles
I still have a CD32 and it’s the pride of my retro collection. It’s story is one of missed opportunity due mainly to the demise of Commodore and the lack of support from games developers. A lot of the CD32 games were nothing more than direct ports of A500 games, some had a few enhancement’s but some (IK Plus for instance) were the same game. Another mistake Commodore made with the CD32 was the lack of save space. I love Frontier but to play it on a CD32 takes the entire save space which can be a bit frustrating ! Having said this I still love it and am slowly collecting the entire CD32 library (much to my bank managers dismay) 😂
Thanks for your comment, it was always the machine I longed for when it first came out and I never had the opportunity to own one. Now, like you, it's definitely the pride of my retro collection. I know what you mean about the games, I think if more specific games had been developed it may have been more successful, obviously if Commodore hadn't screwed everything up!
Missed opportunity? Not really, ATARI Jaguar was much much better console and look how it failed against Sony Play Station, why do you think CD32 would have any chance?
I would love to have a CD32mini 🤘🏻 such a beautiful looking console 🤘🏻
I still hold hope that RetroGames will release a CD32 mini. Thanks for your comment and hope you enjoyed the video
Love it! Great work 👍 - can you do the same with Amiga 1200 vs Amiga CD32 showdown? Greetings from Austria 🇦🇹
Thank you for your kind words, yes that video is on its way! Please subscribe if you haven't already
It's a very interesting and well done video. I just don't understand the side by side comparison. 1987 vs 1993. That's huge. Hardly anything changes year to year performance-wise in computers these days. Also the 500 was a budget/cheaper build vs the original 1000. So it's like you're comparing their budget offering vs their top of the line offering from 6 years in the future.
Thank you so much for your comment, and I’m really glad you enjoyed the video!
You’re absolutely right-comparing the Amiga 500 from 1987 to the CD32 from 1993 is a bit of a leap in terms of time and technology. The 500 was indeed a more budget-friendly version compared to the original Amiga 1000, whereas the CD32 was Commodore’s attempt to create a high-end console, complete with CD-ROM support and more advanced hardware. It’s definitely not a direct head-to-head comparison if you look at them purely as products from their respective years.
The reason for the comparison was to explore how Commodore’s approach to gaming evolved and to highlight how the Amiga 500, despite its limitations, stood the test of time against what was supposed to be a cutting-edge console in the CD32. In fact, some of the games released on both platforms show how much, or sometimes how little, things had changed in terms of gameplay experience!
I really appreciate your insight, and thanks again for sharing your thoughts! If you haven’t already, please consider subscribing to the channel for more deep dives into retro tech. There's always more to explore in the world of vintage gaming!
Cheers!
RustyIngles
had tboth machines give my 500 away the cd32 was amazing i had micrcosim,wing commander,diggers waa amazing esp audio i had an fmv adapter on back to play cdi movies i realy wish i had both machines again i really miss this part of my gaming life
Ah, sorry to hear you gave your Amiga 500 away. Mine gathers dust on the shelf most of the time, but when I find time to play I absolutely love them! Definitely an amazing time in the tech world. Thanks for watching the video and for your comment.
Interesting comparison, but 6 years separates these two machines. Personally I think the A1200 was the real competition with A500 owners looking to upgrade leaning towards the A1200. I think you do highlight the CD32's big flaw though, games like Alien Breed and Wing Commander had come out years earlier on the A500. They weren't new games, just old with some enhancements, which can be tricky to spot even in a side by side. Also, the extra colours of the AGA weren't always a plus, to my eyes the original version of Chaos Engine looks better with its more muted colour palette. Would be interesting to see a video about games that used Akiko, I suspect not many as it wasn't in the A1200.
Thank you for your comment and thoughts. I agree with the game differences, it's a shame more CD32 only games weren't developed at the time. I'm planning on putting out a 1200 Vs CD32 video soon. That's a good idea on the Akiko games video too, I'll do some research on that.
Yeah, did anyone use that chip at all?
@@DavePoo2there's some discussion of this topic on old forums, and people usually bring up Gloom and Wing Commander. The consensus seems to be that Akiko doesn't improve performance very much.
The Amiga really needed a chunky graphics mode by 1992, which was promised in the never-released AAA chipset.
Speaking of lacking improvement, it's unbelievable that the AGA Amigas retained the ancient Paula sound chip. The CD32 could play Redbook audio from CD though, partially offsetting that.
@@Jon867 All the Amigas had the same sound capabilities. In 1985 it was ahead of its time, in 1994, not so much.
@DavePoo2 Brian Bagnall's book talks about Glen Keller working on "Super Paula" for AGA, but for whatever reason that project failed or didn't meet the deadline. Another of the many examples of Commodore not getting its act together.
The Amiga 68000 CPU ran at 7.16 MHz, this was a deliberate choice (to be sub 8 MHz) related to genlock capabilities
Thanks for the comment! You're absolutely right-the Amiga 68000 CPU did indeed run at 7.16 MHz, and that specific speed was a deliberate choice to ensure it worked well with genlock capabilities, which was a big feature for video production at the time.
Appreciate you bringing that up! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming insights.
Cheers,
RustyIngles
Well, I enjoyed the video ! I think the comparison works as it was new A500 end of life and the CD32 was kind of an upgrade. Its a shame almost all CD32 titles were just A500 ports.
Thank you for your comment and I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, most of the CD32 titles were just Amiga 500 ports.
Is it really fair to compare the design of a desktop to a console? They have different applications. I always found that the A500 with a base for the monitor/keyboard was a really compact way to house the system, but it's not something you'd sling under/next to a TV like you would a console.
I'd also argue that the CD32 outperforms the Amiga 500 because it's based on the more powerful Amiga 1200 over its use of CDs. It would make much more sense to compare the CD32 to an Amiga 1200 to see which was really the better option for gaming.
Not sure if it was easy to see the difference between the two as there was no sync of the games between each machine. Wing commander it crawled on the a500. The other games, I couldn’t see much difference apart from the cd audio.
Perhaps in future if you can sync the gameplay it will make it easier to see the differences
Thanks for your comment, and yes I was in two minds about doing that but I wanted to show the load time differences between the two. I guess it was either one or the other.
Amiga 500 was also used in a fair few laserdisc arcade machines with a genlock
Thanks for your comment! I didn’t know the Amiga 500 was used in laserdisc arcade machines, that’s a really cool piece of info! The genlock feature certainly made it a versatile bit of kit.
Appreciate you sharing that, and if you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming insights!
Cheers,
RustyIngles
@@RetroGamesRediscovered All the American Laser Games and Picmatic laserdisc games used it to control the laserdisc player and run the game, and most of those games were about 256k in size at the most.
Commodore barely advertised the Amiga in North America at all. I think I saw a grand total of three Amiga commercials on TV. Not three different commercials, three total. And of those, at least one was an abstract video that didn't tell you anything about the machine or why you would want it. Commodore didn't bother advertising in mainstream computer magazines either.
Outside of existing Commodore users, barely anyone even knew it existed. When games came out for both DOS and Amiga, game magazines would often only list them as being available for DOS. Arthur C. Clarke was reportedly an Amiga user, and a big fan of the landscape generation program Vista. I once saw an ad for the DOS version, which referenced Clarke, but made no mention of the Amiga whatsoever.
Compute! magazine used to put out computer specific editions of their magazine, with Compute! itself being for all systems. They decided to do away with the specific magazines, and just print small inserts for Compute! which was otherwise 100% devoted to DOS (I refuse to call them PCs). To add insult to injury, these inserts were NOT included in the news stand edition of the magazine, nor the normal DOS edition. If you hadn't subscribed to one of the other editions, you'd never know they existed.
At that point, I was grasping at straws. Compute! had the same ad for the game Links on the back cover for several months straight. An Amiga version was in development, and I figured that at least when it was released, Amiga would be listed in the ad. Finally it came out, and I eagerly awaited the next issue of Compute! It finally arrived, I turned it over and what did I see? A brand new ad for Links 386 Pro! And of course no mention of Amiga because that was a new DOS exclusive game. ARGH!!!
Thanks for sharing your story! It’s frustrating how poorly Commodore marketed the Amiga, especially in North America. It seems like they really dropped the ball, not only with lackluster TV ads but also by missing out on promoting it in key computer magazines. That could’ve made a huge difference in building awareness outside of existing Commodore users.
It’s crazy to think how much potential the Amiga had, and yet so many people never knew it existed! The fact that even the game magazines often overlooked the Amiga versions in favor of DOS is just maddening. I totally understand the feeling of waiting for that little bit of recognition only to be disappointed again and again.
Thanks again for sharing, and if you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro discussions!
Cheers,
RustyIngles
I think if commodore had been able to supply and sell a further 100,000 cd-32s then it might have saved them as a company..However gould and mehdi ali neglected to upgrade the hardware and dismantling the commodore R&D department was a lethal mistake...commodore engineers saw the end coming long before the blind management did......
People like to hate on Mehdi, but they were being sued by patent trolls as well (IBM), which was likely the straw that broke the camel's back.
Thanks for your comment! You’ve really hit the nail on the head. If Commodore had managed to push out more CD32 units, it might have given them a fighting chance. Unfortunately, as you mentioned, the leadership’s failure to upgrade the hardware and the dismantling of the R&D department were huge mistakes. The engineers could see the writing on the wall, but management seemed oblivious until it was too late.
A real missed opportunity in gaming history!
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Cheers! RustyIngles
@@RetroGamesRediscovered Absolutely not, the CD32 was a dead on arrival. The ATARI Jaguar was much better console and look how it was not able to compete with Sony PS1, why do you think CD32 would?
@@madigorfkgoogle9349absolute nonsense! If you researched, the CD32 outsold the Jaguar and 3DO in the UK easily even with its short 7 months on the market and sold the same as the Sega Saturn in the UK in the first 7 months, because guess what? power is not everything, people should know that from consoles like the Wii and Switch which outsell more powerful machines.
@@CastleFamilyThe Of course it outsold Jaguar in UK in that time... Jaguar was not sold at all at that time.
Also its being stated how around 100k units of CD32 got sold in UK, but those are not unit numbers sold in retail to end customers, those are B2B sales. Thousands of unsold CD32 ended up on landfills.
But back to my earlier comment. I didnt say Jaguar was the console which "killed" CD32, it could hardly since it was not sold in UK before Commodore bankruptcy. I just stated that CD32 was dead on arrival and (lets add later arriving) Jaguar was a better console and still was NOT able to withstand the Sony PS1. And that means that even if Commodore would push out more units, its still would be a dud, since the PS1 would roll over it...
Read more with understanding and less with your fanboyism.
A better comparison would have been the 1200 and the CD32
The CD32 came out MUCH too late. Imagine this machine in '92, around the same time the SNES arrived on PAL territory.
Thanks for the comment! You’re absolutely right-the CD32 arriving much earlier could have made a world of difference. If it had been released in '92, alongside the SNES in PAL regions, it might have stood a better chance of competing. By the time it hit the market in '93, though, it felt like the industry had already moved on, and Commodore was in too much trouble to properly support it.
It’s one of those “what if” moments in gaming history!
Appreciate your input! If you haven’t subscribed yet, feel free to stick around for more retro gaming discussions.
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RustyIngles
2:35 which game is it?
Thanks for your comment, the game is called Liberation released in 1994 by Mindscape.
I must be blind and deaf. Half of these games I didn't see or hear the improvements that the narrator talked about.
Thanks for your comment! You're spot on-many of the CD32 games were straight ports from the Amiga 500, so the differences were minimal in a lot of cases. It's one of the reasons why some CD32 owners were left wanting more in terms of exclusive or fully enhanced titles.
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All the best,
RustyIngles
2:40 - wish you had ID’d these. This game is called Liberation.
Thanks for your comment, yes I should have identified the game, apologies!
I loved my 600HD!
Thanks for your comment. Ah the HD model, I would have loved one of those. Have you watched my video of it against the A500? ruclips.net/video/4PFiB8w2nrs/видео.html
Pretty sure superfrog graphics near identical on both systems based on the video . like alot of the games just lazy a500 ports with silly intro and better sound
The cd32 was a massive disappointment due to the lack 3d support for games like doom and lack of games that really showed what it could do. Yes things like beneath the steel sky , darkseed had big improvements but too many didn't
Asking people to pay 30 quid for a bare bone cd re hash version just wasn't gonna cut it
I was and still am a huge amiga fan .
Thanks for your comment! You're absolutely right-*Superfrog* was almost identical on both systems, and a lot of the CD32 library consisted of Amiga 500 ports with minor tweaks like better sound or an FMV intro. It’s true that the CD32 didn't live up to its full potential, especially when it came to 3D games like *Doom*, which was sorely missing.
It’s a shame, because games like *Beneath a Steel Sky* and *Darkseed* showed what the CD32 was capable of, but as you said, there just weren't enough titles to justify the price tag for many people.
Great to hear from a fellow Amiga fan! If you haven’t already, feel free to subscribe for more retro gaming content.
Catch you later,
RustyIngles
does the board has a b-52 song etched as well?
It's shown in the video towards the end. It doesn't have a B52s song but one by another artist
it shared its name with a goth club night or two
let's compare a 1990s car to a 2024 car
Amiga CD32 wins - zero contest. Just grab one of the many, many aAmiga comp ISO's floating around and you literally don't need the Amiga 500 anymore.
Thanks for your comment! The CD32 definitely has its perks, especially with the convenience of loading up compilation ISOs. It makes accessing a whole library of games really easy!
That said, the Amiga 500 still has a special place for many fans because of its versatility and expandability. Both systems have their strengths, but I can see why you'd give the win to the CD32!
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Cheers,
RustyIngles
Amiga 500 vs the CD32, its obviously the Amiga 500. The CD32 comes last compared to the rest, Even commodore didn't take it serious. It was a last gasp effort of a failing company to use what hardware they had on the shelf and make as much as possible from before the inevitable.
Thanks for the comment! It's hard to disagree-Commodore was definitely in a tough spot by the time the CD32 came out, and it did feel like a final attempt to squeeze what they could from existing hardware. The Amiga 500, on the other hand, was a true success story and cemented itself as a classic, which is why it’s still held in such high regard today.
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All the best,
RustyIngles
@@RetroGamesRediscovered Commodore was in a tough spot after losing Chuck Peddle in 1980 due to disagreements with Jack Tramiel over how the company should be run. When Peddle left, he took most of their top R&D staff with him, leaving the company in a very difficult position. This was made worse by Irving Gould, who was treating the company as his personal wallet, which led to growing tension between Tramiel and Gould, resulting in Tramiel walking out. After that, the company was pretty much rudderless.
Having next to no R&D team and no idea about the ever advancing industry they had to look outside the company which ended up with Commodore paying a stupid price acquiring the Amiga. The best part was they also had to pay off a loan Amiga had taken from Atari. Despite the potential of the Amiga, Commodore once again mismanaged the opportunity, which eventually led to Jay Miner leaving as well.
What was left of their R&D team after Miner walking out they tried their best, but they were constantly hamstrung by poor management and lack of funds. As a result, they were forced to work with what they had, which was largely centered around the Amiga 1200 and what they had left on the shelves.
Are you seeing a pattern?
Nah pair the cd32 with Terrible Fire 330 and just stick the entire whdload library on a flashcard and the cd32 is the clear winner as a games machine
@@guyverjay1289 The 500 can run the vast majority of the games the CD32 can minus the CD32 exclusives which were pretty much enhanced versions of games already on the 500.🤷♂
Ahh… excuse me!! a budget.. are you nuts. I was 19 years old when I got my Amiga 500 in 1989 and that was not a budget computer. First of all it cost me $1500 for the Amiga500 and a monitor and 512mb of memory. Back in 1989 that was a lot of money dude. The Amiga 2000 I think just came out and the Amiga1000 is what some people had and plus all my commodore friend and the people at the computer meetings still had there Commodore 64. I still remember when I saw the Amiga 1000 for the first time at the computer meeting. I was amazed. Dude unless you was there you have no idea what is was like and how much money people had to save just to get one. I remember going into walden software in rolling acres mall and handing the people behind the counter the money and they said we meet our quota we can close. They was still selling Commodore 64 like crazy still because hardly nobody heard of the Amiga till I showed them. I don’t think you know what you are talking about.
In the UK the price of the Amiga 500 cartoon classics pack was the price I quoted in the video. I do remember as I remember buying it! 🤣 Thanks for taking the time to comment
Absolutely most were still playing 8bits, myself included until a STFM in 89 and then got the Amiga in 1990. Most couldn’t afford the £399 price tags, the ST was the same cost but then reduced to compete with the Amiga at £299. Still a lot of money back in the 80s.
I had an A590 and a GVP add-on for the Amiga 500 and I have to say, you haven't USED an Amiga 500 till you have one of those expansions on it. 6MB RAM, 52MB HDD, I had kickstart 3.1 auto-loading on it for Workbench and the experience was like being in the future.
Thanks for your comment, I would have loved an A590. Those things looks amazing and really expanded what you could do with it, especially Workbench! I was lucky enough to own (and still do) the A570
I prefer Amiga 1200HD with Blizzard 030 50mhz.
3:09 did this game predict robot vacuums???
Liberation, released in 1994 by Mindscape, that's a good shout about the robot vacuum, I've never thought that before! Thanks for your comment
Commodore for ever!!!! C= ❤
A500 did apear in 1987 but it was compact all-in-one form factor repack from desktop Amiga 1000 from 1985! Commodore did not knew how to market revolutionary Amiga technology in 1985 since it's initial target users were professionals who presumably would pay extra money for powerful computer. Amiga 500 only found success in 1987 when Commodore copied sleek design from it's rival Atari ST, which was compact "all-in-one" form factor with RF modulator for TV plug and play thus denied the need for extra cost of monitor, and basicaly it was marketed as game console onward with bundeled games! CD32 is just repacked A1200 (from 1992) with CD-ROM, a computer touted as A500's succesor but in reality laging behind contemporary PCs and even SNES when apeared in 1992. A500 was revolutionary for the time, carved strong niche which A1200 (CD32) never did. Therefore, A500 market stayed strong into A1200's life and practicaly developers targeted almost all games for A500 market and A1200 (CD32) games were just upgraded versions of A500 titles! In fact, more A500s were sold AFTER introduction of A1200 until end of it's life cycle then up to that point!
Thanks for the detailed comment! You’re absolutely right-the Amiga 500 was essentially a repackaged, more affordable version of the Amiga 1000, and it really took off once Commodore shifted its marketing to target gamers and general consumers. The compact all-in-one form factor and ability to plug straight into a TV were game changers, especially compared to the more expensive professional setups in the early Amiga days.
As for the CD32, it was indeed just a repacked A1200 with a CD-ROM, and you make a great point that it didn’t carve out the same niche that the Amiga 500 did. It’s interesting how even after the A1200 and CD32 were released, developers were still targeting the massive A500 user base, and sales for the A500 actually continued to stay strong into the 90s!
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Cheers,
RustyIngles
Amiga 1200 the best!
Sushi and the banshees? Sounds fishy to me.
🤣 Very good
The 32 in cd32 is like the 64 in jag advertising lol
It had a 32bit data bus, so not quite on the same lines as the Jag. The screen DMA could be set to 32bit transfer, but the blitter remained stuck with 16bit memory transfers.
@DavePoo2 ah ok, was fm town marty actually 32bit or 16 too
Haha, you’re not wrong! The "32" in CD32 does feel a bit like the "64" in the Jaguar’s marketing-definitely some creative advertising there! 😂
You're right! The CD32 actually had a 32-bit data bus, so it wasn’t just a marketing gimmick like the Jag. The screen DMA could handle 32-bit transfers, but the blitter was still limited to 16-bit, so it didn’t fully escape its 16-bit roots.
Thanks for the comment!
Great question! The FM Towns Marty was actually a true 32-bit console, making it the first on the market, beating the CD32 by a few months.
Appreciate the discussion!
The Wing commander music is terrible, would almost say an insult to Paula!
I am sorry to sound mean, but the CD 32 was a joke, no killer app, just lazy ports from the A1200 or (even worse) from A500, no 3d capabilities, just "cd and 32 bits", unsurprisingly it was demolished by PSX. Commodore lost the train when they fired all the original Amiga team just after the A500 release, they had innovative ideas that could have changed the computer history.
You're not sounding mean, you're completely right. I do sometimes imagine the world we would be living in today if Commodore has shined as a company and built platforms with the original A1000/A500 team. Thank you for your comment.
Yeah but no doubting the Amiga was cutting edge from 87-92, it’s always going to be surpassed by more power tech. When mega drive and snes came to market nothing could compete.
@@colinbrydon7659 You are wrong about Snes and Genesis, if a substantial hardware revision took place around 89-90 (let's say Aga Amigas were released then) and then at 92-93 (2-3 years were eons for hardware development then) a true 3d capable chipset was released, things could have been different. Of course, the real "enemy" was always the PC where real innovations took place regarding computing and gaming (fast cpus, optical storage, 3dfx, sound cards and more), and I don't know even all of that would have saved the game for Amiga, maybe, maybe not.
@@tsanik21 so I am wrong, but ifs…could have been different. So not so wrong about the console tech at that time. Pcs at that point in time were cga and ega than vga and svga later. It really wasn’t until 95-97ish when pc tech started to show with the pentium mmx and then the voodoo chipset 3dfx. This is when I started using pcs for gaming. Open gl was fantastic and revolutionary at the time. Remember having quake using a 4mg Matrox Mystique graphics card then got the orchid 3dfx. Patching games to open gl was phenomenal at that time and quake was sublime. Nothing came close to the latest tech. Nothing would have saved the Amiga it had run it course but was a fantastic 16bit at the time. Mega drive and snes release mid/end 89, so even when the cd 32 released it was outdated by fa4 better consoles that ruled until ps1 in 94. I’ve built pcs and upgraded continually now since then and wouldn’t use a console and haven’t for last 25yrs.
Well i think cdtv was and better Built then the cd 32
Thanks for your comment! The CDTV certainly had a more solid, premium feel to its build, and I can see why you'd prefer it over the CD32 in that regard. The CDTV also had that multimedia ambition behind it, blending a computer with home entertainment, which was quite ahead of its time.
The CD32 was more focused on gaming, but perhaps at the cost of some of that higher build quality we saw with the CDTV. Both systems have their place in Amiga history, but I agree-the CDTV does feel a bit more robust!
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, and if you’re not already subscribed, I’d love to have you along for more retro gaming discussions!