At a time when the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 are still expensive to see and buy, retro consoles are living their golden age. With Christmas on the horizon or simply these cold months that invite us to spend more time at home, today I help you find that retro console to remember old times or who knows, so that Olentzero hits the mark.
Because buying a retro console has its one. Today we can launch ourselves into Wallapop to find a relic, get hold of currently released reissues or bet on emulators and third-party devices that try to revive that experience at a reasonable price.
The catalog
Let’s start at the beginning: the catalogue. Some people remember a console in question and other people that what comes to mind is a specific game or a saga. Depending on the company to which the console in question belongs, it will have some games or others. Then, according to our tastes, we will feel a greater affinity for some than for others. In addition, these consoles generally come with a closed catalog of games, which limits us for the future. In other words, if years ago we could use different cartridges with them to change the game, in the retro reviews the catalog is what it is.
The size
While the original old consoles were large, their 21st century versions are characterized by being quite small and portable; Hardware has come a long way in these years, and the components needed to run older games are much smaller.
Hence, manufacturers have opted for Mini versions, which have portability as one of their main assets. Thus, this can be a differential factor for many users, since these small sizes allow a lot of play when taking the consoles with us when we travel.
Connectivity
A console is of no use to us without a means through which to use it. In other words: it will be a nice decoration if we do not have an output peripheral to plug it into to view the content. In these years, connection standards have changed a lot, so manufacturers have had to adapt their reviews to modern times.
For this reason, it is common for the retro models that we find on the market to be compatible with some type of HDMI port, the standard for televisions, monitors, projectors, etc.
The price
While looking for original versions can cost us an arm and a leg, the Mini versions are usually relatively affordable compared to what they cost at the time or with the current ones. Of course, since we are here, it is better to take into account the value for money.
Retro is usually expensive, and although these consoles are not collector’s items (with their consequent overprice), it doesn’t hurt to get the most benefit for every euro we invest.
Recommended models
I already warn you that not all the great consoles that have been launched are there, but all the selected ones are relatively easy to obtain. Thus, I have left in the pipeline some more niche ones such as The C64 Mini, the Atari retro Handled laptop or the Neo geo arcade stick pro, a console in the shape of an arcade controller and 20 pre-installed games, there they are in case you are interested. Let’s go with some more mainstream.
Sony PlayStation Classic
As a good millennial, this would be my console, since the original model was launched in the mid-90s and is the one that became fashionable in these parts.
This version is 45% the size of the original but with the same design, so the experience is very similar and it is also easy to transport.
It has two remote controls and 20 games including Tekken 3, Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid and Rayman, which you can enjoy as a couple simply by connecting it to your TV’s HDMI. In debit, the games are only in English and the emulation can be improved.
Its retail price is 99.99 euros, although taking into account that it has been on the market for a few years, its price is usually somewhat higher.
NES Classic Mini
The reissue of the Nintendo NES Classic in Mini format dates from 2016. It also connects to our monitor or television via HDMI and includes a controller for the legendary NES. And the section that interests us the most, that of video games, is made up of no less than 30 of Nintendo’s most successful titles: Dr. Mario, Bubble Bobble, Castlevania, PAC-MAN, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and many more. .
The downside is that being a model that has been on the market for a long time, finding it is more difficult, sometimes hovering around 200 euros, a great boost considering that its RRP was 59 euros.
Nintendo Classic Mini Super NES
Shortly after the original Nintendo, the SuperNintendo was reissued, another best seller from the early nineties. This mini version connects via HDMI, like the rest of these consoles, and includes no less than 21 pre-installed games, including several Super Mario, some Kirby and Donkey Kong Country.
As with the other Nintendo, it came out at a relatively affordable price of 79.99 euros, but now it can exceed 200 euros in stores where it is still available.
Sega MegaDrive Mini and Mini 2
In the days of the original SuperNintendo, it rivaled Sega and its Megadrive, which is also enjoying a second youth with the mini version, launched in 2019 and which achieved such sales success due to its successful proposal that it is frankly difficult to find and that if you find it you do, it will not be much less for the official 79 euros.
This console connects via HDMI and comes with two controllers that connect via USB. And it gives us the opportunity to enjoy no less than 40 mythical games like Sonic, Street Fighter or Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle.
And if something works, it is likely that it will have a second version: this is the case of the MegaDrive Mini 2, announced for October 27 with a controller and 60 games, 7 of which are unpublished. Among the hits, ‘Super Hang-On’ and ‘Out Run’, ‘Rainbow Islands’ or ‘Shadow Dancer’. It is available to reserve for 109 euros.
Evercade
The Evercade is one of the last to arrive and has done so in three versions: the original in portable format, the VS for desktop and the Exp that is in reserve and available from Christmas.
Unlike the previous models, which are reissues of original consoles, in this case they are new consoles with a cartridge slot and licenses from different mythical studios, such as Namco, Atari, Interplay, Data East or Technos Japan.
Or what is the same, that it is not open to a specific catalog nor does it have a closed list, but rather it opens the doors for you to also collect the cartridges with the respective titles, allowing you to play many titles on both console and PC that you have to buy separately
– The portable Evercade is available for 89 euros in a Premium Pack version and comes with 37 games from Atari, Interplay and Namco. In addition to being able to use it anywhere, you can connect it to the TV via HDMI
– The replacement for this is the Evercade EXP, another laptop with HDMI output so you can connect to TV, a battery for 5 hours and 18 Capcom games installed on the console itself but also has a cartridge slot. Its launch price is 149 euros.
– The Evercade VS costs 155 euros and the Premium edition contains two controls and the Technos Arcade 1 and Data East Arcade 1 cartridges.
A500 Mini
Before I mentioned the The64 Mini and here is another computer replica for the most veterans of the place.
The A500 Mini is a small format replica of a new microcomputer from the eighties, the Amiga 500. Of course, we will connect it to a modern TV and it comes with a Pad and Mouse from yesteryear for a truly retro experience.
The A500 Mini is rather a nice trip to the past via an emulator, with an attractive price and very interesting details such as the selection of 25 games (for example, Worms) that give this Retro Games proposal a very special charm. Its RRP is 129 euros and since it is from 2022, there are no stock problems or inflated prices.
Game &Watch
We close with a good, beautiful and cheap console: the Nintendo Game & Watch, which you can find in versions with mythical Mario and Zelda titles. For about 50 euros you will enjoy this portable console, easy to transport, with an autonomy that promises up to 8 hours of use and incorporates a USB Type C port.
