https://www.cybersport.ru/games/articles/dendi-i-sega-v-2021-m-ultimativnyi-gaid-po-retrokonsolyam

Do not wait for instructions on setting up emulators on a PC or links to game images from the guide. The purpose of this article is to introduce readers to modern consoles capable of playing old games both with original cartridges and through emulation.

Official devices with emulation

Thanks to Nintendo, which released the NES Mini in 2016, the market has been replenished with official retro devices from various manufacturers. Not all of them are easy to obtain now, but most are still available for sale. Below is a list of the most interesting devices in this category.

NES Mini (approximately ₽3 990)

A miniature version of the legendary NES, the American version of the Famicom, which was released in Russia under the pirate brand “Dandy”. All the most important things are included: the device has an authentic look, the gamepads are one-to-one repeated by those familiar from childhood, and among the preinstalled games for complete happiness, there is only a lack of “Tanchiks”. The omission is brightened up by the presence of Super Mario Bros., Super Contra, Castlevania, Ninja Gaiden and others – in total, the console offers three dozen titles for every taste. Plus, much more can be achieved from the device with not the most complicated intervention in the firmware, but this is a topic for a separate conversation.

SNES Mini (approximately ₽15 990)

Another official retro console from Nintendo, much less known in Russia. However, there is something to pay attention to: among the truly iconic pre-installed games are Super Castlevania IV, Super Metroid, Star Fox, Super Mario RPG, Secret of Mana and EarthBound. In total, the device offers 21 games out of the box, plus, as in the case of the previous device, the number of games can be easily increased in not quite official ways.

The main drawback of the console is the price: the SNES Mini was dismantled obscenely quickly and is now being resold three times more expensive than the declared value. Is it worth it – it’s up to everyone to decide.

Nintendo Switch (from ₽15 490 for the lite version)

Switch is not a retro device in and of itself, but with a Switch Online subscription, players gain access to the NES Classic and SNES Classic compilations. The list of games differs from those available on individual devices above, but no less interesting: for example, in the SNES Classic app, three parts of Donkey Kong Country are available, rightfully considered one of the best 2D platformers in history. The most persistent can try Super Mario Bros .: The Lost Levels on the NES – previously the game was only available in Japan.

In addition, the Switch has plenty of other emulators, from ports of classic arcade games to the SEGA Mega Drive Classics collection, which includes more than fifty titles. If you wish, you can buy collections of the best bitemaps from Capcom or complete collections of classic Contra and Castlevania. Enthusiasts have calculated that in total, about a thousand retro games can be installed on the Switch – and all this is completely legal.

C64 Mini (approx ₽9 900)

Perhaps the strangest device on the list. The C64 emulates the Commodore 64, one of the first popular home PCs in history. The smaller version allows you to play most of the games for the platform, and they can be officially downloaded from the Internet and installed on the console without any difficulties. However, design has a number of big issues, the most burning of which is the lack of a physical keyboard. The one presented on the device carries purely decorative functions and is a monolithic piece of plastic, and the joystick supplied in the kit does not cause anything but bitter disappointment. In addition, due to the lack of the necessary licenses on the console, there are no games like Maniac Mansion, Ultima, Wasteland and Elite, for which some would really be ready to buy the device. Nevertheless, the C64 Mini is a good option for those who are interested in getting acquainted with retrogaming on a PC and are not ready to tinker with setting up emulators.

PlayStation Classic (approximately ₽7 500)

Sony’s response to Nintendo devices was not long in coming, and a mini version of the original PlayStation soon hit the market. Externally, the device repeats the “thick” version of the console, but is reduced by about half, and the gamepads included in the kit are an exact copy of the very first input devices, no vibration and analog sticks should be expected. The set comes with 20 preinstalled games, the most interesting of which are Final Fantasy VII, Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken 3, Twisted Metal, Resident Evil and Siphon Filter. The main problem is low performance: some of the pre-installed games come with obvious frame rate drops. What’s really funny is that the jailbroken version of the SNES Mini copes with the same games much better than the devices from Sony.

SEGA Mega Drive Mini (approx ₽8 500)

Miniature “Sega” not only has a classic look and two gamepads with three or six buttons, depending on the version of the device (Mega Drive or Genesis, respectively). The main advantage of the device is its “native” library: SEGA did not stint and provided gamers “out of the box” 42 games, including Road Rash 2, Sonic the Hedgehog, Comix Zone, Streets of Rage 2, Contra: Hard Corps, Golden Ax and many other. Among the official devices, the SEGA Mega Drive Mini is perhaps the best choice for those who do not plan to bother with detailed settings and illegal flashing.

Neo-Geo Mini (approximately ₽9 500)

This device goes into a slightly different category, but it cannot be ranked as portable either. The fact is that the Neo-Geo Mini is a miniature version of the arcade cabinet not only with built-in games, but also with its own 3.5 “screen. Included – four dozen proven arcade hits like the Metal Slug collection, fighting games Samurai Shodown and The King of Fighters, the King of Monsters dilogy and many other hits of the late 1980s – early 1990s.

Retro-Bit Super Retro-Cade (approximately ₽5 800 + shipping)

Another arcade emulator with licensed games from Capcom, Data East, Technos and others. It comes in the form of a small box that can be connected to a TV, and control is carried out using standard joysticks – alas, no arcade sticks. But the library here is the envy of anyone: from classics like 1942 to arcade Double Dragon and Bad Dudes.

Atari Flashback 8 (from ₽4 800 + delivery depending on the configuration)

A mini version of the device that started the popularity of home consoles. Atari Flashback 8 offers an exact emulation of the legendary Atari 2600 and about a hundred titles for it (in the Deluxe edition the number of games even reaches 120). The device faithfully reproduces the appearance of the original and, depending on the configuration, can be supplied with two wireless joysticks and paddle gamepads. Among the shortcomings, it is worth mentioning the lack of licensed games like Halloween and Empire Strikes Back. In many ways, the Atari Flashback 8 is the best way to touch the early games on home consoles.

Modern versions of classic consoles

Separate from emulators are consoles based on programmable devices (FPGA). Unlike the devices described above, they allow you to play “native” cartridges and instead of emulating software, they are engaged in reproducing the original hardware with minor additions. Thanks to this, gamers are able to play classic titles from “native” media on modern TVs with good picture quality. Here are some of them.

RetroUSB AVS (approximately ₽14 000 + shipping)

An enthusiast device that allows you to run original NES / Famicom cartridges, use native controllers (up to four at once!) And any official extensions up to the Famicom Disc System. In the kit, alas, there is nothing but the console itself, but on the official website you can buy gamepads – or connect, for example, the 8BitDo N30, which reproduces the design and feel of a licensed NES controller with modern touches like the diagonal arrangement of function keys. All the things we are used to today, including 1080p output and minimal input lag, are available.

Analogue Super Nt (approx ₽14 000 + shipping)

This device is designed for SNES / Super Famic gamesom. Once again, full support for original cartridges and gamepads is side by side with support for wireless devices and resolutions up to 1080p. Comes in four color schemes with matching gamepads from 8BitDo. As a bonus comes the pre-installed Super Turrican: Director’s Cut – an extended version of the original game, which did not appear on the SNES due to limitations on the size of the cartridge. The original Super Turrican 2 is also in stock.

Analogue Mega Sg (approximately ₽14 000 + shipping)

If before that it was about Nintendo consoles, then this time Analogue got to SEGA. Mega Sg supports cartridges from Genesis, Mega Drive and Master System. Otherwise, everything is as usual: 1080p, no latency input, 8BitDo M30 wireless gamepad, repeating the design of the SEGA Genesis pad, and support for original extensions like SEGA CD. And, as with Super Nt, the console comes with a previously unreleased game: this time we are talking about Hardcore – run’n’gun from Digital Illusions, which was scheduled for release in 1994, but never took place.

Analogue Pocket (approximately ₽15 000 + shipping)

A handheld console that supports all Game Boy generations out of the box: Original, Color and Advance. In addition, with the help of special extensions, you can increase the number of supported consoles by adding Game Gear, Neo Geo Pocket, Atari Lynx and others. The device is equipped with a 3.5 “LCD screen with a resolution of 1600×1440. If you wish, you can buy a docking station and play on a TV with connected gamepads from 8BitDo, as well as in the spirit of the classic Game Boy connect devices to each other using a special cord – for example, for exchange pokemon like in the 1990s.

Evercade VS and Evercade Handheld (roughly ₽11,000 and ₽6,000 + shipping, respectively)

The devices of this manufacturer stand a little apart from others in the category, since they do not use official cartridges of old consoles, but their own, created specifically for Evercade consoles. However, the collection of supported games is impressive: at the time of publication of the material, the number of available cartridges exceeded 20, and each of them is a collection that includes from two to a couple of dozen games. Hits from the past from Atari, Namco, Interplay, Technos, Intellivision and Data East coexist here, for example, with a collection of classic games from the Worms and Dizzy franchises. At the moment, only the portable version of the device is available for purchase, the home console will go on sale in November 2023.

Unofficial retro consoles

Before we start talking about unofficial devices, it is worth making an important remark: most of them are in the so-called gray zone. They are not prohibited by themselves, but the bundled game images are pirated software. Cybersport.ru does not support the activities of hackers and pirates. By downloading hacked games, you deprive developers of profits – buy licensed copies in official stores.

Android family (from ₽2,000 and above)

One of the most common devices on the market is a slightly modified version of the Android Box with an outer shell for games. Most often, these devices come with two cheap DualShock 2-style gamepads and a TV remote. A big plus of such devices is “omnivorous”: there are many emulators released on Android, and Console X is capable of playing applications from 60 different devices. Of course, the issue of performance remains: on cheaper and weaker devices, gamers are unlikely to be able to run games from consoles more advanced than PS1, but in some cases (as, for example, in the case of the Beelink GT-King equipped with 4 GB of RAM), it is quite possible to count on more less sane game even in titles from PSP or Dreamcast.

The RetroPie family (from ₽5,000 and above)

There are many devices on the market today built on the Raspberry Pi board. You can purchase the board yourself and assemble the device from scratch: there are many tips on the Internet for all stages, from assembling and installing software to creating custom cases. Supported platforms include devices ranging from the Atari 2600 to the Sony PSP (and if using the Pi 4, up to the SEGA Dreamcast). When self-assembled, it is cheaper, but more difficult to operate. However, all instructions are freely available, all that remains is to select the emulator kernels.

Mini PC (from ₽4 500 and above)

Recently, PC-based assemblies are gaining popularity: small devices are not much larger than Android devices, but with the right approach, when assembling under $ 100, you can get a pretty convincing retro machine. When installing a special system, you can achieve both high performance and a huge library of games for every taste, both from arcades and from home consoles of the early 2000s. On sale, you can also find ready-made devices with preinstalled games and emulators. Words are superfluous here: this is a familiar PC, just in a small case, with all its pros and cons. For a higher price, you can buy a pretty decent device that plays games up to the PS2 and Wii.

Portable retro consoles

Many retro games seem to be made for playing on the road, and this is where handheld consoles come in handy. The market is full of them: in addition to the official devices already mentioned above, there are “gray” devices with built-in emulators. Let’s talk about them.

Anbernic RG280V (approx ₽3,000)

A vertical handheld console with an unusual design and the smallest size of any device on the list. The RG280V doesn’t have any powerful bells and whistles – it doesn’t even have sticks, but still the device handles games from consoles up to PS1 without any problems and fits in any pocket. The last, perhaps, the main plus: the device is really convenient to carry with you, and the durable case with metal inserts will keep a decent look for a long time.

PocketGo S30 (approximately ₽4 500)

The device stylized under the SNES controller is one of the best in terms of price and quality ratio. At a price of up to ₽6,000, it handles most platforms up to PS1 without any problems, is equipped with a large 3.5 “screen and can withstand up to five hours of continuous play.” Out of the box “it goes straight out of the box.

Powkiddy RGB20 (approx ₽7,000)

Relatively compact vertical solution with good hardware, allowing several more previous devices from the list. The RGB20 is capable of running some of the Dreamcast and PSP games. Otherwise, everything is familiar: a 3.5 “screen, D-pad and control keys, and as a bonus – one analog stick. Not all supported emulators are enough anymore, but at a rather modest price of the device, it’s a sin to complain.

Powkiddy RGB10 Max (approx. ₽10,000)

Unlike the company’s previous device, the RGB10 Max has a large 5.5 “screen, as well as premium looks and build quality. The device is equipped with two sticks, similar to those found in the Switch, and hardware that allows you to run games from console libraries up to to the Dreamcast and PSP, albeit with certain limitations: heavy titles are unlikely to give out more than 10 FPS.However, all consoles up to the mid-1990s are emulated here without any complaints.

Anbernic RG351P / RG351M / RG351V (approximately ₽8,000 / ₽10,500 / ₽8,500)

At first glance, the device looks little different from the RGB10 Max, but the devil is in the details. The RG351 family stands out for its build quality – in particular, the bumpers are much better made in comparison with the analogue from Powkiddy. The main advantage is the built-in shell: Anbernic releases its own software, which is quite convenient “out of the box” and does not require detailed configuration from users, plus enthusiasts regularly release new firmware versions with advanced functionality and game optimization. Versions P and M differ from each other only in the case, plastic and metal, respectively. There is also a vertical V version, styled after the classic Game Boy and lacking one of the sticks.

Retroid Pocket 2 (approximately ₽7,000)

Unlike Anbernic devices, Retroid Pocket 2 runs on Android, which allows the console to easily expand the number of emulated devices, play online with other device owners and install standard Android titles. There is nothing unexpected in terms of performance: games up to those on the PS1 and N64 run flawlessly, but titles from newer consoles can have frame rate drops. At the same time, enthusiasts regularly refine the emulation, but updating the algorithms already requires much more effort from the owners of the console.