While gamers like to look ahead and appreciate graphical splendor, there are many gems of consoles lurking in the past. For the older enthusiasts, it may be that they long for times past, and then modern retro consoles are a nice option. But which ones are worth it?
A lot of modern retro consoles have been released in recent months, but not every console is worth your time and money. Of course, the choice for such a console is always a personal one, but in general the consensus is that the models below are well liked.
Such retro consoles often have the same advantages: they offer many games on a mini version of existing game consoles, while they are equipped with modern conveniences such as an HDMI port and improvements that make games play very smoothly on a modern television.
Sega Mega Drive Mini
Although this modern retro console is now almost unaffordable (we came across a price of 225 euros), a recommendation is still in order. Owners get access to a wide range of classic video games. There are a total of 42 games on it, including Street Fighter 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog.
The console itself also looks cool, as it includes all the details of the old model, including a fake volume knob. In addition, there is a clear menu, which makes choosing games a breeze.
NeoGeo Mini International
Next on the list of modern retro consoles worth checking out is the NeoGeo Mini International. This console is worth it for its design and extra options, which you won’t find on other mini consoles. The NeoGeo Mini International is a small, working arcade cabinet, complete with a screen and buttons. But you can also connect it to a TV and control it with a controller.
The console offers games like Metal Slug and The King of Fighters; titles that were extremely popular, especially in arcade halls. It doesn’t get more retro than this.
Evercade USA
The Evercade is a modern retro console that doesn’t enjoy the same popularity as the small consoles from Nintendo and Sony. The company behind the game console does try to offer a complete package. The console offers games from the Atari 2600, NES and Mega Drive, among others, and does so via cartridges that gamers purchase separately. Yes, that’s really old-fashioned.
The games also come with boxes and booklets, making them a great choice backup for your own collection. So the big disadvantage is that you have to buy them again; but other than that it’s fun.
Commodore 64 Mini
If we go a little further into the past, you will automatically arrive at the Commodore. The younger gamers may not know that name, but the Commodore 64 was a hit at the time, in 1982. On the mini version of the game console you can play games such as Impossible Mission and Uridium; games that you may have heard grandpa, grandma or an older uncle or aunt talk about.
In addition, the console has a unique appearance (including a keyboard) and the manufacturer provides an insanely old controller in the form of a joystick – including big red buttons and a cable, of course.
Polymega Base Unit
Not every modern retro console on this list is plug and play. The Evercade US and the Polymega Base Unit are good examples of this. The Polymega console supports original CD-ROM games from the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Sega CD, TurboGrafx-CD and Neo Geo CD as standard, but with some expansions you can also play original games from the (Super) Nintendo, Sega 32X and TurboGrafx op.
There are also several controllers available, so you can play the way you want. The price is on the high side: if you want everything, you will lose more than 600 euros.
Finally
Finally, some general recommendations that are more obvious. For example, Nintendo previously released the NES Classic Mini and the SNES Classic Mini. They are no longer made, but they can certainly be worth your time if you can still get them (cheap) somewhere. The PlayStation Mini from Sony is often laughed at because of the game offer and the image quality, but there are also some pearls on it. Think of Final Fantasy 7, for example.
Anyway: the modern retro consoles allow both old and new players to (re) acquaint themselves with retro game toppers from the past.
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