The Mini NEC PC-8001 Computer by HAL Laboratory

Unboxing, setting up, and playing all 16 games on the PasocomMini PC-8001 -- a miniature Raspberry Pi-powered recreation of NEC's classic 1979 computer, built in conjunction with HAL Labs in Japan! More info here: www.pcmini.jp

[@paulturner5208]

Remember the days when computers were huge and screens were tiny? Well, here we have the exact opposite! Looks like a load of fun.

[@brianrvd]

Just like how TVs were black and white and cars were color. Now we have color TVs and our cars are black and white.

[@LovelyAlanna]

@@brianrvd My car is Electric blue, and it's going to be purple soon, cars nowadays look the same, How am I supposed to distinguish mine from others?

[@TheNiteNinja19]

Same thing for power usage. My dad's old CRT would make the lights in the house flicker when he turned it on.

[@UltimatePerfection]

lol true

[@locklear308]

Remember when computers and OS's actually tried to innovate vs turning into dumb shit?

[@Akfamilyhome]

>HAL Laboratory This is the content I'm here for

[@chrisfratz]

With that title I wasn't surprised to see you here AK. Hope your doing well.

[@brianm6337]

I'm sorry, Dave. Wrong HAL

[@TheZumiezNation]

@@brianm6337 right HAL if you're into Kirby.

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

Antdude be like: "neat"

[@LetsPlayKeldeo]

Didnt knew you watched LGR

[@phreapersoonlijk]

A 38 minute LGR Blerb ! Blessed we are !

[@toyfreaks]

Love how the I/O slots line up like the original old serial and parallel ports.

[@skankcor3]

I don’t think I’ve heard any adult perfectly convey what it feels like to be a child amazed by video games than Clint whispering “wow, duuuuuude” at 35:39

[@kei_nishimaru]

This is the sort of content you’d find as a bonus feature on a blu ray

[@ThatguycalledJoe]

I wish that someone would make one of these tiny things where the tiny keyboard actually works. It must be done not because it should be done, but because it can be done!

[@Cr4z3d]

I was actually expecting him to use the keyboard at first 😂

[@Clamamity]

If you aren't already working on "I am the schlong" t-shirts, you hate money.

[@AdvancePlays]

22:08 "Go up the flooa" Either this was written by a guy from Japan, or a guy from Boston

[@Fuzy2K]

I put the pedal to the flooa In my two-toned Ford Explooa

[@skopm]

Fun Fact: The names on the score screen at 35:40 are all Japanese singers/idols/actors from the early 80s!

[@kingvill100]

Wasn’t expecting a full LGR extended video on blerbs but it’s certainly welcome

[@vivanecrosis]

A tiny little model of a computer with a computer inside it. The levels of cuteness are palpable! 🤍

[@MarkTheMorose]

Some of these games ended up on the VIC-20, also courtesy of HAL in Japan. The first game, for example, is Heiankyo Alien, which is basically a top-down version of the arcade's Space Panic, and came to the VIC as 'Alien' (or Super Alien). Check P is very much like Rally-X, which (before watching the whole video) may appear later in a more faithful version. Later, no, Rocket Bomb is no more faithful, but does have its own charm. (Rally X also came to the VIC, but had to be renamed as Radar Rat Race.)

[@bcostin]

Thanks! I wondered about the VIC-20 connection.

[@RvLeshrac]

Note that an updated version of Heiankyo Alien is on Steam. along with all the other insane Mindware stuff, should anyone be interested.

[@marccampbell3851]

@@RvLeshrac An updated Space Mouse is also on Steam.

[@emmettturner9452]

20 years ago I found a VIC-20 at Goodwill and played the whack-a-mole type game on it. I don’t remember it being that animated but I vividly remember the grid of moles popping out of blocks with a bowl-shape on top.

[@megamanfan3]

That could explain why Meldac was able to bring Heiankyo Alien to the Game Boy.

[@SarahLJP]

11:21 - 平安京エイリアン "Heiankyō Alien" 11:25 - モール アタック "Mole Attack" 11:48 - 走れ! スカイライン "Run! Skyline" 11:50 - オリオン80 "Orion 80"

[@RedstoneMiner18]

KZbin's translate confirms you're telling the trouf

[@kentwobits]

"I am the schlong!" Laughed for about 5 minutes straight

[@mattliguori2745]

Needs a t-shirt.

[@NeilRoy]

He is the good white schlong, verses the green diseased ones! ;)

[@peewhocantbeaimed6954]

10 PRINT "I AM THE SCHLONG! ";:GOTO 10

[@SuperFriendBFG]

You know what would be an awesome little mod for this thing? Imagine a breakout Floppy Drive that actually took MicroSD cards. If you get a small ribbon cable a 3D Printed housing that can hold the MicroSD Card Slot. You could Desolder the slot from the Pi and install it in the 3D Printed "Floppy Drive" enclosure. With a little work, the end result could look really tidy and fit right in with the mini pc. I dunno if this particular NEC PC had any sort of drives on it, but man I just think it'd look rad, especially if it somehow managed to be with the same scolor scheme.

[@K-o-R]

"LUNAR CITY is under attack from TOPSIDER. Reinforcements delayed." - LUNAR CITY Defence Force Return message: "We are sending Space Battleship _Yamato_ and the 5th Space Navy. They will arrive in 2 days. Good luck." - Earth Space Force Commander. Looks like the GRPH key does "Barrier replacement", so I guess it would plug holes in the green line?

[@cericat]

Yeah it does. But you have limited charges that IIRC you regain based off wave scores, new waves reset the barrier too.

[@anactualmotherbear]

I love a video that starts with someone shouting "JAPAN!"

[@goeland4585]

I was just gonna comment " *_JAPAN_* !"

[@SATOhara3173]

Always always always appreciate the flashing light warnings, thank you so much!

[@Aaron-iz3hk]

I had similar fun going through the Turbografx16 mini months ago. I never got to play that system growing up, and the addition of the Japan only games was nice. Thanks for the video!

[@AngryCalvin]

Best mini yet by the way. NEC build some high quality stuff. I think my uncle still has his from 25+ years ago.

[@rockerwess]

I just realized I’ve been following your channel for over 10 years now. Thank you for the quality content friend

[@segadriven]

So that first game is Heiyanko Alien - a big time Japanese PC classic that's been ported to loads of stuff. Dig holes, catch enemies and then bury them to score points! Check P is clearly a Rally X clone as well. Also there's a credit to Naoto Ohshima in that last game who is famous for being Sonic the Hedgehog's character designer! I think the game it's reminding you of is Star Voyager

[@MeanderBot]

Jeremy Parish has entered the chat

[@segadriven]

@@MeanderBot Haha I was gonna say!

[@LGRBlerbs]

Interesting, it's my first time seeing it!

[@krebkrebkreb]

Thank you SO much for the flashing images warning.

[@CrimsonNL]

Those were some tense moments watching the Jupiter Lander coming in for landing. Now I know how the people at NASA felt when Curiousity was landing on Mars!

[@wohlhabendermanager]

Or how they must have felt when the Mars Climate Orbiter broke apart in Mars' atmosphere... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter

[@amihart9269]

It's impossible to control anything in real time as far away as Mars, the transmission time even at the speed of light is in minutes. So they have to rely on the lander largely landing itself rather than constantly tuning it.

[@rcmero]

Fun fact, if you take the letters HAL from HAL Laboratory and move them one letter down, you get IBM. This is from the founder of HAL Laboratory's ambition of being one step above IBM.

[@stevethepocket]

So it's not supposed to be a _2001_ reference?

[@rivards1]

This urban legend start shortly after the release of 2001. Creator Arthur C Clarke said "...about once a week some character spots the fact that HAL is one letter ahead of IBM, and promptly assumes that Stanley and I were taking a crack at the estimable institution ... As it happened, IBM had given us a good deal of help, so we were quite embarrassed by this, and would have changed the name had we spotted the coincidence."

[@ThoughTMusic]

Always making my days better Clint. Sending much love!

[@lemonkememe867]

Awesome, I mainly clicked on the video because I saw HAL Laboratory, which made me think about kirby, so I was intrigued, but the video was honestly really good beyond the whole HAL Laboratory stuff.

[@MarriedToLetsPlay]

Saw the Twitter message about a new blerb, wasn't expecting a 38 minute beast, but I'll take it.

[@thicclink]

Hey, a new video to help me procrastinate! Just what I was needing!

[@ksfallenangel5770]

brother! let us share in our procrastination!

[@swirlingabyss]

Same here.

[@ThoughTMusic]

Procrastinating in solidarity with you all.

[@KingLich451]

hehe

[@poble]

I shall proceed to procrastinate with you all

[@ArvidOlson]

Pasocom is short for personal computer fyi (paasonaru konpyuuta) パーソナルコンピュータ Can translate the paperwork tomorrow if I remember and have time.

[@frother]

"I am the shlong" - Clint Basinger, 2021

[@LOVE-jq9fr]

*_>Now I am become Schlong, the Destroyer of Worlds_*

[@AmstradExin]

I still have my PC 8001 MkII! A nice computer for its time.

[@SuppaflyZSM]

Anyone else totally not interested in these classic computers once they find out they are just raspberry pi's in fancy cases?

[@NinjaRunningWild]

Yeah, just sell the games on Steam or GOG.

[@internet_introvert]

The non-functional keyboard broke my heart

[@lionelhutz4046]

For that price, I feel like the back shouldn't be that open. They really could have integrated the Pi ports better.

[@menhirmike]

Yeah, it looked really nice until he showed the back, now it just looks like yet another disappointing RPi case :( Unlike e.g., TheC64 mini, which did have everything nicely integrated.

[@manuel0578]

The price is ridiculous

[@fartamplifer]

Seriously, they put in so much attention to detail and then left the back open. : (

[@manuel0578]

Maybe the idea was that they want you to use the case with other PCBs

[@mrdownboy]

"CASE: It's not possible. Cooper: No. It's necessary." - 'Interstellar'

[@legin3753]

The MZ-80C looks amazing 😍

[@LGRBlerbs]

I knooooow. I really want to track one down!

[@lohphat]

The real PC-8001 had an optional dual 5.25" expansion subsystem with a separate Z80 CPU. I worked for a company called RACET Computes. Ltd. which integrated HDD support back in the early 1980s. It was my first computer job when I was a late teen.

[@bf0189]

Most expensive raspberry pi ever but very cool regardless!

[@fromfin90]

set it up next to the disk holder in shape ofmonitor, spectacular

[@kevin12567]

Now stick an LCD screen in that CRT disk holder from your last video and you'll have a mini monitor for your Mini PC-8001!

[@hansoak3664]

"It's like a FAX machine inside a blender." ROTFL! Don't ever change, my friend.

[@joker927]

Excellent taste in TVs. Hilarious to see such an old system blown up so large.

[@jblahut3591]

Hey Clint! The first game you played is Heiankyo Alien. If you're familiar with Jeremy Parish, he's done a video on the gameboy version of that game that talks a bit about it's history and significance in Japan.

[@ghivifahmi4252]

Persocom? Damn brought me Chobits memories

[@SelecaoOfMidas]

Chi?

[@ghivifahmi4252]

@@SelecaoOfMidas chi!

[@lucywillis4535]

Chhhhhhhiiiiiii......

[@marinacelada3246]

35:05: I love how the message is signed "Admiral Piett"!

[@ridanindustries2975]

when someone makes these tiny devices with a functioning keyboard that is when people will go mad

[@SantaFishes101]

finally my tiny hands will be useful :'D

[@jackcaver79]

You got robbed with that Jupiter Landing game. You were going like 1 m/s and it still crashed :D

[@LGRBlerbs]

For real though. Landing on Jupiter _should_ be punishing, but that's ridiculous.

[@big0bad0brad]

@@LGRBlerbs It's not landing on Jupiter, it's landing a ship named Jupiter (Lost In Space). Can't land on a gas giant...

[@Programentalist]

@@big0bad0brad Isn't it a quite common theory that it actually has a somewhat solid core? Too lazy to Google it right now but I seem to recall something like that.

[@big0bad0brad]

@@Programentalist The issue stems more from the gravity/atmospheric pressure - what's actually down there doesn't matter because you won't be in once piece by the time you make it there :)

[@Programentalist]

@@big0bad0brad Ah, that's a factor of course! What kind of pressure are we talking, on the scale of making the Mariana Trench feel like the kiddie pool?

[@SarahLJP]

2:37 For those that might not know. Pasocom is short for "Personal computer". パソコン [pasokon] The first two kana from パーソナル [pāsonaru] and コンピュータ [konpyūta]. The ン [n] is changed to an M to match the English pronunciation. Just like ファミコン [famikon] becomes Famicom.

[@sleeptime5464]

The paper is a letter the letter was received before the 8001 saying thanks for registering to the pc8001 present campaign and the seller probably put the letter in the box.

[@simonfarre4907]

I love how Asteroid Belt at 21:38, has the character as a "Beam Car" and it's literally a Volkswagen bus, with a 70's laser beam cannon just pointing straight up lol

[@DanafoxyVixen]

Impressed by Orion 80.. early 3D and it was silky smooth

[@ST2008X]

I have Jupiter Lander on the Commodore Vic-20. I would LOVE to have this Micro-console. 200$ is a bit much. Thanks for covering this. I was aware of this product before your video went up....I got the Octopus Game&Watch for 80$ CAD yesterday. I love it.

[@kins749]

Love that little thing, quite impressed by some of the games.

[@Knottypine79]

Wow, Jupiter Lander. I remember trying to play that back in the early 80's on a VIC 20. Had a lot of trouble trying to land that thing.

[@goawayinternet]

Really cool to see these early japanese PC games. Would be super interested to see more of them!!

[@darktetsuya]

never knew this thing existed! neat to see some of those early Japanese pc games! a few of those looked genuinely fun!

[@gluttonousmaximus9048]

I'm a Kirby fan, and I clicked.

[@ElShogoso]

Kirby is one of the greatest things Japan has ever blessed the world with

[@ahandsomefridge]

I don't get it in the same way I don't get Pokemon. Or most anime for that matter :p

[@Milkyfresh-bz3to]

@@ahandsomefridge I'm not trying to pick apart what you're saying to call you "wrong" and attack you, but you do know Kirby is an actual good platformer game series and not just one of those weird "kawaii" things, right?

[@ahandsomefridge]

I was mainly aiming at character aesthetics and 'mascot' value. That doesn't speak to me much at all (not a big Mario or Sonic fan either, although there are plenty of good games out there).

[@Milkyfresh-bz3to]

@@ahandsomefridge I feel kinda the same tbh, the 8- and 16-bit game's look have a certain charm to them and a few later ones were interesting but I can definitely see what you are saying. Same goes for Mario and Sonic, but maybe a bit less for the post Mario 64 3d Mario games. Edit: I'm not saying the games are bad (far from it, these are some of my most favorite games ever), I'm just saying I don't really get how they are such a great "mascot" that they are this big.

[@roytherocketparsons9096]

Thats cool. I like that the blurb was 38 mins long

[@RoofusKit]

No need to sound embarrassed about paying that much, this is your hobby and your job. Do what makes you happy!

[@xPandamon]

Yeaaaah it's one of those PC's\ consoles that you really don't miss. It existed, I guess.

[@NeilRoy]

Those games... bring back SO many memories! I was 15 in 1980 and I absolutely loved all these sort of games. Anyhow, nice to see you, as the good white schlong, verses the evil, green diseased ones! ;)

[@mattafaak]

38 minute Blerb - great job sir!

[@AverageDrafter]

Jeremy Parish's ears perks up when someone in the world plays Heiankyo Alien. Or mentions it. Or thinks of it.

[@CaptFloofers]

This channel has gone [0] days without a Heiankyo Alien reference.

[@mikepetrieuk]

I want one, not to use, but as an ornament. I’ve got an original PC-8001 complete with Japanese keyboard in my loft, and a PS-8001B (British) with a few broken keys. Unfortunately all the cassette tapes with games and utility software were lost many years ago. I also have a PC-8801. I think I still have floppy disks for both with WordStar, DBase, BASCOM, ASM, and similar. Fascinating to watch - big smile :-)

[@TDGalea]

The sounds these games make are gorgeous.

[@310McQueen]

It looks very similar in operation to an NEC PC-8201a. That proto-laptop machine allowed the user to define special characters in memory for use by games and such.

[@Devire666]

Wow, those games look fun. I would love to have something like this when I was a kid.

[@stephenelliott7071]

The changing colours as objects move vertically is probably a reference to early arcade games like Space Invaders. Where they would literally put coloured tape across the screen to give the impression of colour on a black n white game. :)

[@DragoonEnRegalia]

I was thinking they were directly evoking arcade monitor overlays, yeah.

[@SuchtFaktorHoch10]

The mini pc optic is really good. Gave the impression his hands were giant. My mind almost broke putting everything into perspective. But I was actually disappointed the keyboard wasn't working. If it would that would be mind blowing. Just seeing him typing with a tiny little stick to hit the keys correctly.

[@Mech4]

That last game, like an early first person flight game broadly based off of Star Wars? That's really something for 1979 from what little I know.

[@seanlavoie2]

The way those games are mixed up like mention is really cool.

[@BRUXXUS]

Looking forward to seeing someone from the Demoscene use one of these to fully render 3D geometry with a bangin' music track.

[@glorfification]

I know it's unnecessary, but I do like the well-made detailed mini computer cases!

[@JJvelHunter]

The PC that can be summarised as "15 min of trying various games and never ever connecting it back again" :)

[@Not-Great-at-Gaming]

Congrats on the hight score!

[@frankcarlos2366]

A bit of hint for those who don't know "PasocomMini" literally translates to Mini Computer. Though the actual word is パソコン (Pasokon)

[@stevethepocket]

According to Ahoy (the KZbin channel, not the magazine), the creator of _Pac-Man_ cited a trend of countless _Space Invaders_ clones as one of his motivations behind wanting to make a new game that was radically different from all that and didn't involve shooting. At the time, I was like, "Oh come on, how many could there have been?" So thank you, HAL Labs, for accidentally single-handedly kickstarting a legend.

[@DragoonEnRegalia]

Heiyanko Alien blew up in arcades first when Denki Onkyo ported it there in 1980 (original was made by University of Tokyo students). HAL's PC-8001 port came a few years later, which I presume is the one they included here. Just some clarification.

[@karasutengu3]

The colors are like that to sorta simulate the acetone overlays that arcade games had at the time, it's kinda neat! It's also worth noting that "graph" is the alt key for american keyboards, short for "alternate graphics"

[@Antonio-fl3nr]

The games are actually pretty neat. I didn't know the PC-8001 was so cool.

[@JustinSable]

Well that is one neat little thing.

[@Yakkers]

Watching people try to figure out the inevitable mahjong game on these things is always my favorite part

[@thescreamingfish]

And then the "nooooooop" after an attempt. 🤣🤣

[@rogercheetoofficial]

if i remember right, pasacom is a portmanteau of the phonetic spellings the japanese use for the english words "personal computer ", which is commonly used when talking about PCs where we'd just say the acronym PC

[@Necronomicon_Ex-Mortis]

$300 for a pi case? Ouch

[@MikeDancy]

I've fallen in love with the C64 mini. I think that a mini PET would also be pretty cool.

[@kahlessreborn]

Any chance on uploading the image of the micro sd card?

[@bmh67wa]

It wouldn't surprise me if it's copyrighted.

[@billhgong]

@@bmh67wa It is, but official website has full image for download with check mechanism built-in.

[@nathanaelculver5308]

@@billhgong However, the website says, "The image file does not work except for the Raspberry Pi built into this product." And "The pasocomMini PC-8001 software is designed to work only on the original Raspberry Pi. Please understand that the installed software, ROM binary (N-BASIC), etc. are only allowed to be used on PasocomMini PC-8001. (It cannot be sucked out and used on other emulators)" It appears in this video to be a Pi Zero?

[@JasonPullara]

I don't understand how people don't find things like this super cool. The only way this could be better is if it were plans for a 3d printed case.

[@8_Bit]

Seems like a really impressive system for 1979. If it had come to North America quickly at a decent price, it could have been a significant player, I think. But instead it was released here August 1981 for $1300 and not surprisingly didn't sell well.

[@DanafoxyVixen]

"at a decent price," You assume it was designed to be a low cost cheap computer.. it wasn't

[@MrDuncl]

@@DanafoxyVixen"Low cost cheap computer" was an Oxymoron in the 1970s. It wasn't until machines like the Spectrum (which Clint mentions a couple of times) and the VIC20 that they became a reality.

[@DragoonEnRegalia]

@@MrDuncl Ironically, that's what the PC-8001 was in Japan. I guess NEC thought they could mark it way up overseas--look how it turned out.

[@MrDuncl]

@@DragoonEnRegalia Maybe they optimistically priced it against the Apple II which was so expensive in Europe I have only ever seen the odd example in museums. At the time the Pet and TRS80 were more reasonable and therefore popular with colleges and small businesses. Of course the still high prices created a huge opportunities for Commodore (with the VIC20 then C64) and numerous British Manufacturers. If you have never seen it watch the Docudrama "Micro Men" here on KZbin about Sinclair, and Acorn (whose most successful product actually turned out to be the ARM processor).

[@CptJistuce]

As far as the recycled sprites goes... my understanding is that if the PCG expansion isn't enabled, this system has no software-definable display characters. So they were using the same "sprites" because they were forced to use the characters in the system ROM and rock it Kroz-style. (PCG stands for programmable character generator, and it ... lets the system generate programmable characters.) Awesome little thing. Pity about the language barrier.

[@RichardM-kv4uu]

The last game is very Star Raiders-esque, which is what I think Clint was trying to remember!

[@lokuzt]

12:24 that game is "heiankyo alien" loved the game boy port!

[@francoisbeaulieu179]

I owned a port of that game on the VIC-20 called "Super Alien". Jupiter Lander too!

[@johngiaquinto9120]

I Still have a Nec PC-8201a that I've had since 1986

[@madson-web]

BEAUTIFUL Piece

[@rotordave81]

The way you looked at the camera at 32:30 reminded me of your brother introducing himself in that New Years thrifting video.

[@AnnePackrat]

HAL Laboratories? The same one that makes Kirby games and Smash Bros?

[@jansenart0]

Anything HAL Labs does, I'm sticking around for. I was an Earthbound kid, twice, once after my home got robbed.

[@infasis]

I love how Japan loves their tiny, replica, model things. You should photograph your cockatiel using it after it finishes cooking dinner!

[@scottbraithwaite83]

8 bit computer games on an LG OLED with Bose audio. Vintage gaming done right.

[@tomwaters5090]

Heiankyo Alien was the name of the first game you played where you were digging holes for the aliens. They had a port on the old black and white game that actually had way better graphics and was a really good time. Only dow side is short

[@lastcontinue3010]

I first saw this when it was featured in a GameCenterCX segment (forgot the name of the segment, but the theme was "Great Gameboy games that never got another port"). Didn't realize it was even older than that.

[@AngryEd99]

I thought it looked familiar; it got a Game Boy port in 1990

[@DanielMarkstedtR]

That’s crazy, I completely forgot that I played Heiankyo Alien on my GameBoy back in the late 80s! When I saw the little guy starting to dig a hole in the maze that immediately jolted my memory.

[@tomwaters5090]

@@lastcontinue3010 first came out as a computer game in 1979 by the university of Tokyo theoretical science group and then published by Denki Onkyō Corporation in May 1980. The game also had a super famicom release calledNichibutsu Arcade Classics 2: Heiankyo Alien by Nihon Bussan. There is also microsoft windows versions and a version for the cell phone. As well as an arcade remastered version currently for sale on steam.b But it got a lot more love in japan than it did here state side. As all of these are japanese games even the instructions in the story on the remastered version on steam or still in Japanese the Japanese is not required to be able to enjoy the game since it's a simple maze like game where you just go around digging holes to kill aliens.

[@seanabsher5577]

When I was building my gameboy dmg with a raspberry pi 3 in it, I looked around on amazon etc for blank shells for as cheap as possible, but ended up seeing a really cheap (like $2-$3 ) sold copy of the gameboy cartridge of heiankyo alien which I used to seal the chassis (raspberry pi wouldn't need an opening for cartridges..) Sidenote: I did my best not to damage the cartridge and did save the cartridge PCB, so someday I'll put the cart back in a shell and be able to play it on a real gameboy. For now emulators work fine.

[@alvfaria]

The first game is Heiankyo Alien. Check the Jeremy Parish channel for more info about this one.

[@Saturnome]

Just watching a random batch of 10 videos on Jeremy Parish's channel can make you a Heiankyo Alien expert

[@ernestuz]

A nice use for a Raspberry Pi Zero!

[@deltara2106]

My first reaction was "wait the same HAL that did Kirby games?" And yes, the same one.