What are your thoughts on the Classic Console approach?

Looks like we’re going to have 4 official classic consoles (NES, SNES, PSOne, and N64). Actually 5 if you include the Genesis classic console, which is being redone thankfully.

As a retro gamer, I’m glad they exist, but if you’re ocmpletionists or collector you almost need a secondary setup now lol. I’m thinking of getting a smaller TV and creating a retro corner with these mini consoles.

Overall, what are your thoughts on these? Do you like the approach. I know this board is skew heavily toward original hardware as well.

I like them. I think a mini console that plays the games is a fun novelty.

That said I absolutely think Microsoft, and Nintendo with the wii, have the best approach to it. Having 1 box that does everything is very appealing and I’m sure the majority of people would prefer that.

I think it a really cool way to sell nostalgia to adults who haven’t kept their old hardware, nor have kept up with video games in general.

It’s also great for collectors as a novelty device.

And it’s a cool gift for kids who havent experienced any of these games as a great entry point.

So I’m all for them, especially if you can use the controllers for other systems like the Nintendo classic systems that have come out so far.

I personally don’t use these types of consoles to play games though. The emulation just isn’t at that M2 level that It should be and it’s a bit jarring when you’re used to the real thing.

Don’t forget about the various Atari iterations… Mostly garbage!

There’s also an Intellivision one

Personally I would prefer a robust digital marketplace with extensive backwards compatibility on a current console.

That being said I think for the masses they are a great idea.

I think it’s nice for the general public, but it’s not for me. I prefer for hardware makers to offer more robust retro offerings on their existing platforms. Ideally purchases would carry over on an account regardless of hardware refreshes, same as on Steam or GOG. But it’s unfortunate that the console gaming industry seems resistant in giving us something so obvious, in favor of other schemes where they can sell us the same content repeatedly.

Fat chance on that now when you can get full price for remasters or drive a craze with a classic emulation box.

Yet I keep buying both of those things knowing this because I make poor choices and lack the will to care.

I love history, I love console hardware, so I love these.

Totally understand all the complaints, and after a month or so I put them back in the box, but it’s a fun excuse to play that console for a few weeks, with added conveniences, and official and legit unlike other emulators.

It’s a great way for these companies to make a ton of money. It appeals to casuals, hardcore collectors, and people who haven’t played these consoles since they were originally out.

I think they are great, I just wish the PS Classic wasn’t $100.

At least Microsoft seems to want to buck this trend.

I think the best thing about them is raising awareness of the history of gaming and bringing that history to people who never experienced it.

I prefer the Wii approach the most I think, but ultimately I’m a collector now so all the digital options are secondary for me unless a game is just out of my price range. I would definitely like more stuff like Super Nt though.

I honestly bought the SNES and NES classics with every intention of letting them sit in a box forever.

A while back I decided to open up the SNES and plug it into my 4K TV upstairs, to mess around with. My 3 yr old instantly loved it. He could press reset and change games on his own, and he got to play some of the more expensive games that I don’t have carts for.

We can play for a few minutes her and there and save states for later.

Since then I’ve hacked it up and have about 100 or so games on it, and we use it almost every day.

So, I think they are great. I still much prefer to go downstairs into the man cave and play on original systems, but the SNES classic definitely has a place in my home.

I do like their approach to backwards compatibility right now but I don’t know if they really have the option of doing one of these “classic” consoles. Even the original xbox may be price prohibitive to put an emulation box with a set amount of games out for.

I echo most of the answers here, i think they are cool to preserve gaming history and so on, and a nice box for the expanded marked. But its not really for me, as I prefer to use original hardware. I do kinda want a Snes Classic for that Star Fox 2 though.

I bought it for SF2 also…

… wasn’t worth it.

They are good if they are done right, with care in retaining the best emulation and quality of controller build. The NES and SNES mini are the only ones that qualify so far for that criteria imo.

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I agree with that 100% and I’m really confused by Sony’s inability to give a game listing for the machine yet. All these people are preordering and it’s very possible there will be some real junk on there. Some of what was popular and bestselling on PlayStation wasn’t really what gamers would find worth their time…

You didnt like the game?

Early 3d is one of the things I feel has aged unappealingly. It’s not true for all of it, there is some good stylized stuff or things where the gameplay shine though but for a lot of early 3d stuff the biggest thing about them was that it was 3d, and when how nice it looked is the selling point I find it easier to just play more modern versions of it.

I think the hope for it being cracked easily is another selling point, making it so they don’t have to announce any games at all and people that are getting it for that would still go for it. I know I hope for that as well.