Best Old Retro Consoles
Retro consoles are hot right now. They allow the former players to return to childhood for a moment or to introduce the new generations to the most classic video games of the 80s and 90s, some of which are still essential today, notably on the side of Nintendo with Mario and Zelda. Here is our selection of the best retro consoles available in 2018.
Retro gaming has become a trend in recent years, and manufacturers and publishers are taking the opportunity to surf this wave and reissue many old consoles that you could play when you were younger. These usually include dozens of games, so there is no need to search for original cartridges or other media. Practical and playing on the nostalgia card, these home consoles, laptops, or even mini arcade will awaken the gamer who is dormant in you? But which console to choose? Answer below.
The best retro lounge consoles
- The Super NES Classic Mini
Released in September 2017, the console is a reference among the mini models released to date. The managing director of Nintendo France even spoke of “stratospheric sales” of the Super NES Classic Mini in France. It contains 21 classic preinstalled games (Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Starfox, Donkey Kong Country, Final Fantasy III) and can be easily connected to a high definition TV using an HDMI cable included.
- Nintendo NES Mini Classic
We’re staying on the Nintendo side with the NES Classic Mini. Again, the enthusiasm was there. Long out of stock after its release in 2016, the NES Classic Mini is back since June 2018. Thirty games are present on the machine, including Donkey Kong, Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda or Pacman. In short, powerful worship.
- PlayStation Classic
Sony has followed the movement initiated by Nintendo to release a mini edition of its PS1, which will be released on December 3, 2018, but is already available in pre-order. In the program, 20 pre-installed games, including Final Fantasy VII and Tekken 3. The console is 45% smaller than the original PS1.
- Sega Mega Drive Mini HD
Two wireless controllers, 85 included games including Snake, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Kombat, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master, or Alex Kidd in Miracle World, HDMI output 720p, features save, pause, and return back, the Sega Mega Drive Mini HD is not the cheapest of the consoles retro but the proposal remains not less attractive. A little more affordable, the Sega Mega Drive Classic is also a good solution with its 81 game catalog.
- Atari Flashback 8 Gold
Another big name of the game with this Atari console including 130 games and mini-games, including 39 titles from the Activision editor. Otherwise, nothing very special, there are two pads, a 720p HD output and the possibility to save and pause the games. Despite the abundance of games, we still regret that there are no more titles cults.
- Commodore 64 Mini
We go back to the early ‘ 80s with the new version of the mythical Commodore 64. This smaller console has an HDMI output, a joystick and includes 64 games, including Padroid, California Games, Nebulus, and Speedball 2. It is possible to enjoy other games via a USB key.
The best retro portable consoles
- Atari Handheld
The Atari Handheld has not yet been released and is currently only available at pre-order. About fifty games in the catalog with a lot of titles focused on sports and games of skill and some classics like Millipede or Asteroids. We find the design of the Atari 2600 with wood effect, a 3D stick, two buttons, and a 2.4-inch color screen.
- Atari Flashback portable
The Atari Flashback is also available in a mobile version. Seventy classic games in the pocket, or even more thanks to the SD card reader, which allows adding new titles. At the screen level, a 2.8-inch LCD is permitted.
- Sega Megadrive Portable
The New Megadrive portable makes it possible to take advantage of the publisher’s catalog of games (85 titles) away from home. Mortal Kombat 1-3, Sonic The Hedgehog I and II are part of the package and Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle. An SD port is present and allows to play games other than those included in the base. The console features a 3.2-inch LCD, a joystick, and six buttons.
- SupaBoy S
A UFO in this selection since the console does not have games integrated directly. It allows playing with the original cartridges Super NES (NTSC version and PAL version) and Super Famicom that can be inserted in the device. If you don’t already have this type of cartridges, you should invest in them as well. It features a 4.3-inch LCD, a directional cross, action buttons, and right and left side buttons. The two front ports compatible with the original SNES controllers and an AV output make it possible to play with 2 on a TV.
The best retro arcade consoles
- Neo Geo Mini
The Neo Geo Mini was released in France on October 10, 2018. It is a very small arcade terminal equipped with a 3,5 ” screen, 4 buttons and a joystick. It is also possible to connect two joysticks to play a friend and join the console to the TV via a mini-HDMI cable to HDMI not included in the box. A different experience than the classic home consoles.
A new proposal for an arcade console in mini mode. It is very cheap and contains 240 games, but there is no great classic on this console. There are many games inspired by famous licenses like Pacman or Tetris, and even a Super Mario-like. A good idea for an unusual gift without ruining yourself.
- ITAL – Mini Arcade Retro / 16-bit
A tiny arcade marker that looks a lot like mum sups! Lots of nice games (250) but no known licenses, a very affordable price, enough to have fun on titles platform, puzzle, arcade, and shooter with the atmosphere of the 80s.