Me dad has a Vic@0!

[Video]

Yeah, I was helping my dad move some old shit, and I saw what looked like an old C64 in the corner of a box of crap to throw out, and was like "Awesome a 64, can I have it" And he was like "it's a Vic20 and I don't think it works, I was just goiing to throw it out so yeah"

 

I'm all like HELL YEAH...I mean HELL NOE (well, you know what I mean) Anyhow, got it, gots the funny looking brick with the weird unpolerized looking plug attached to the huge ass C64ish brick, but no TV thing, the 64 has a RCA plug in the back, and yo9u just hook it up like any old game system. But not this?

 

Anyhow, what do I need to get it to work? Obviously a cable of some kind, it didn't come with a drive, but I hear the 64 drive would work....but I also hear there wasn't realy anything made for the disc drive and everything was carts or cassettes.

 

Yeah, I had the 64 forever, but never saw the vic20, so I don't know anything about it. Can't believe we've had one all this time, but apparently from what he told me, we got it about a week befor the 64 came out, and got that too and never looked back.

 

What kinda games does it got? I know Commocore, it was probably sold for homework and taxes, and kids just happened to not tell their parrents that it also played pong or whatever

[Nukey Shay]

The Vic-20's video output is done though a 5-pin DIN port (picture). Because the target consumers would likely be using a television rather than a computer monitor, Vic-20's also shipped with an RF-modulator (picture). Fortunately, most modern televisions already has the audio/video inputs seperated...so you can just use a 5-pin DIN composite cable.

[oracle_jedi]

The same disc drive and datasette for the C64 will work with the VIC.

 

The video cable is the same one as used on the Atari 800/XL/XE and North American TI-99 computers, and NOT the same as the C64.

 

It's the same V2 BASIC so the commands are identical as the C64.

 

You're right that there was never very much disc software, with most software being released on ROM cartridge or cassette.

 

There are many excellent games, including one of the best Pac-Man conversions ever released on a home system - Jelly Monsters.

Other great games include Omega Race, Radar Rat Race, Gridrunner, Matrix, Hellgate, Jetpac, Robotron, AE, Bandits, Arcadia amongst dozens of others.

 

Recently a very talented team of VIC enthusiasts put together the Mega Cart, a plug in ROM that provides every possible memory expansion as well as a broad selection of great and not-so-great games. It is expensive compared to many Retro-gaming purchases, but I have gotten far more than my money's worth from the unit.

 

You can review the unit here:

 

http://www.mega-cart.com/

 

There is also an active VIC community still developing new games and applications for the computer:

 

http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/

 

 

Have fun.

[Video]

Awesome, I didn't know the cassette player worked on the 64 also. It would be worth getting one of those then. To bad about the video, I think I got a plug for the 64 (somewhere) but eh...I'll just have to look for one online or something. Now I can see about finding some games. It's got a huge port on the back, like the 64 cart port, but it looks like you could jut about stick a genesis in there

 

Anyhow, I'll have to look into getting it up and running. Hooked it up and flipped the switch, and nothing smoked, sizzled or exploded, so that's good so far. Looks like it uses Atari type controllers too. Now just gotta get some games and stuff.

 

Anyways, thanks for the info guys!

[jeremysart]

The same disc drive and datasette for the C64 will work with the VIC.

 

The video cable is the same one as used on the Atari 800/XL/XE and North American TI-99 computers, and NOT the same as the C64.

 

It's the same V2 BASIC so the commands are identical as the C64.

 

You're right that there was never very much disc software, with most software being released on ROM cartridge or cassette.

 

There are many excellent games, including one of the best Pac-Man conversions ever released on a home system - Jelly Monsters.

Other great games include Omega Race, Radar Rat Race, Gridrunner, Matrix, Hellgate, Jetpac, Robotron, AE, Bandits, Arcadia amongst dozens of others.

 

Recently a very talented team of VIC enthusiasts put together the Mega Cart, a plug in ROM that provides every possible memory expansion as well as a broad selection of great and not-so-great games. It is expensive compared to many Retro-gaming purchases, but I have gotten far more than my money's worth from the unit.

 

You can review the unit here:

 

http://www.mega-cart.com/

 

There is also an active VIC community still developing new games and applications for the computer:

 

http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/

 

 

Have fun.

 

^^^Yeah, this guy knows what he's talking about!

Also, dont forget to pick up a copy of Jupiter Lander, it is hours of entertainment. And its not just a cheap port over of Lunar Lander!

 

I just sold my boxed Vic-20 for a boxed C-64 and an Intv ECS boxed

[nathanallan]

Nice find! Don't toss the dinosaurs, let them roam again! I have a couple of Vics and they're pretty fun as game machines and also as computers. Write a few basic programs like on the 64, take a poke at that (literally).

 

You can hook it up just like an Atari, use a nice thick cable and rca-coax adapter. You'll get a much better picture from AV from the DIN plug, though.

 

Nice!

 

Nathan

[+evg2000]

you can always make your own cable

VIC 20 CABLE

[nathanallan]

you can always make your own cable

VIC 20 CABLE

I am and always will be a huge fan of making your own cable for something. If you feel up to it then go for it. Once you're done you can say I made my own cable!

Edited September 17, 2009 by nathanallan

[pinball22]

...It's got a huge port on the back, like the 64 cart port, but it looks like you could jut about stick a genesis in there ...

 

Check out the giant Xonox cart for Vic pictured in this topic.

[moycon]

Check out the giant Xonox cart for Vic pictured in this topic.

 

Every time I see those it makes we want to break my VIC20 out!

One day I plan on playing through the Scott Adams adventures again on the VIC20.

We had such a blast doing that as kids.

[Herbarius]

If the computer works and you've connected it to your TV/screen, with no cartridge or something like that inserted, you should see a white screen with a light blue border around it and dark blue text that says:

 

CBM BASIC V2

##### BYTES FREE

READY.

 

and a blinking cursor underneath (of course there should be numbers instead of #s )

 

try giving it a command like

PRINT "TEST"

and it should answer

TEST

 

However, you propably already know how to work BASIC when you own a C64 already. In fact the keyboard and how you operate it is very similar to the C64. Like you have the RUN/STOP + RESTORE keys and so on...

Edited September 18, 2009 by Herbarius

[+cvga]

Check out the giant Xonox cart for Vic pictured in this topic.

 

Every time I see those it makes we want to break my VIC20 out!

One day I plan on playing through the Scott Adams adventures again on the VIC20.

We had such a blast doing that as kids.

 

Me too. I think The Count was one of the first games I got for my Vic 20. I loved it and was hooked on the Adventure Series!

[+cvga]

I love threads like this. It reminded me of when I originally got my Vic 20. I owe a complete stranger a big thanks for it. My mother and I were at K-mart and I was trying my hardest to get her to purchase one. While I was working through my list of reasons, some guy came up and talked about how he was a teacher and couldn't recommend strongly enough that she buy one for me. He convinced her that if she didn't get one, I'd be left behind in the information age.