In his latest video, retroCombs explores the freshly released MEGA65 Intro Disk V4, an all-in-one software collection that brings together demos, games, utilities, music, and development tools—each one built to highlight what this modern Commodore 65 reboot can do.
This new version pulls content from three earlier intro disks and ties it all together with a redesigned menu system coded by Mirage. The interface now feels smoother, with better keyboard navigation and even integrated QR code support, so users can hop from their MEGA65 to a relevant website just by scanning their screen with a phone. It’s a small detail that speaks to how well this disc bridges retro tech with practical modern conveniences.
One standout addition is MEGAZine, an interactive digital magazine baked right into the intro disk. It’s filled with dev news, updates, and features—slow-burn content meant to be read, not just clicked through. And for those itching to stretch their BASIC muscles, there’s the “Screenful of BASIC” competition, which invites users to cram as much functionality as possible into a single screen of code. The winning entries are included and runnable straight from the new menu.
There’s also a PDF bundled with four BASIC type-in games. Users can manually enter the code, save the programs, and launch them from the menu—a throwback to the magazine culture of the 1980s. For anyone who started out typing code from glossy pages, this is a charming and purposeful nod to the past, and a great way to learn how things tick.
retroCombs walks viewers through the process of running the disk on both real MEGA65 hardware and the XEMU emulator, making it accessible to those who haven’t yet gotten their hands on the system. He also shares a few pro tips for grabbing the latest development ROMs and SD card images to get everything working as it should.
Mirage deserves credit for building a refined and responsive menu system that works consistently across both hardware and emulation—no small feat given the differences between the two. The team, including contributors like GA, Hayne, and Gucha, poured in some serious effort to polish this release, even if it arrived just a bit later than planned.
If you’re curious about what the MEGA65 community is building or want to see some serious software muscle on display, this intro disk is a solid place to start. And if you want more than a preview, retroCombs is following up the video with a live stream to explore the disk’s contents in detail—games, demos, utilities, and maybe even a surprise appearance from one of the developers.
