The best retro consoles in mini version
Those overwhelmed by the retro-mania are basically two types of public. On the one hand, young and very young people intrigued by an aesthetics and games of the past that focused everything on substance without being able to focus much on form. On the other hand, there are those who played those titles as soon as they came out, or nearly so: in their thirties and forties who grew up in front of the ZX Spectrum, the Commodore 64, the Sega Master System and the Super Nintendo.
Here is an overview. of the best retro consoles currently on the market and on which it is possible to get your hands already today to project back decades. The order is not that of release on the market of replicas, but of the original consoles: ranging from the 80s of the first 8-bit consoles to the late 90s of the legendary PlayStation.
Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros (Photo: Nintendo)
Before the incredible success of its home gaming machine, Nintendo had already successfully probed the world of portable consoles with a series of gadgets with rudimentary LCD screens called Game & Watch. The one revisited in recent years is a hi-tech tribute, which incorporates the look of the original objects but includes a complete version of the first Super Mario Bros, at the time impossible to reproduce in such a compact format. More than a portable amusement machine, it is a nostalgic collector's item; but what an object.
44,98 € - buy on amazon 39,90 € - buy on unieuro TheC64 Mini (Photo: Koch Media)
It was 1982 when the UK saw the light the iconic Commodore 64 computer, to then conquer half the world in the following years. This tribute-edition saw the light instead in 2020, proposed by Retro Games and completely enclosed in a reproduction (not to scale) of the original keyboard. The cassette player is missing, replaced by a more modern flash memory, while the controller with a knob that digs grooves in the palm of the hand remains and a suggestive software filter is added to transform modern screens into old cathode tube monitors. There are few online, but it is among the few products in the category that have not yet undergone cosmic price increases.
78,13 € - buy on amazon Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System (Photo: Nintendo)
Just a year later, in 1983, collective madness broke out in Japan for the Nintendo entertainment System, or Nes, or simply Nintendo for us. This modern version of one of the most famous consoles in history can connect to the tv from the hdmi cable which supports the high definition and refresh rates of modern screens, and includes a collection of 30 classic games. We reviewed it at the time of its release, in 2016, but since it is a sold out edition, it is now in circulation at an exorbitant price even compared to modern consoles.
232.90 € - buy on amazon TheA500 Mini (Photo: Koch Media)
The worthy successor of the Commodore 64, the Amiga 500 has picked up the legacy of its predecessor by conquering millions of gamers, and not only: released in 1987, it has given a hard time to a decade to personal computers and 16-bit consoles. It is also the latest historical gaming machine to have undergone the vintage treatment, with this edition containing 25 classics in memory such as Alien breed 3D, Another World, Pinball Dreams and many more games. In the package there are also a gamepad that takes up the look of that of the (unfortunate) CD-32 and a reproduction of the original mouse.
€ 127.99 - buy on amazon € 129.99 - buy on mediaworld Sega Megadrive Mini (Photo: Sega)
Among the first 16-bit consoles to see the light, in 1988 the Sega Mega Drive shocked the first gamers with the speed and pyrotechnic effects of titles like Sonic the Hedgehog. This version, in addition to reproducing the look of the original console in miniature format, includes a faithful reproduction of the two controllers and contains in memory 40 of the most popular games in its history. Launched in 2019, it soon sold out in almost all stores. Today to get it you have to buy it used or have it arrive from abroad, spending a lot of money.
173.12 € - buy it on aliexpress Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Photo: Nintendo)
Two years later than its rival Sega, and after almost a decade compared to the previous generation console, the Super Nintendo hit the shelves of the first Japanese stores to re-establish the leadership of the Super Mario house in the gaming market. Its re-release in mini format, on the other hand, followed that of the 8-bit Nintendo by just a year, and was even more successful if possible. Inside it boasts classics such as Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid and Final Fantasy III, and unfortunately online it is only available at a higher price.
165 € - buy on amazon (used) 149,49 - buy on refurbed (refurbished) Neo Geo Mini While Super Nintendo and Sega Mega Drive were competing for the role of the most popular console in the home, since 1990 in arcades the titles made for the game system began to depopulate Neo Geo hybrid, produced by the Japanese Snk and endowed with unparalleled power at the time. This 2018 reissue reproduces the look of the old cabinets that relied on Snk hardware for over a decade, and includes 40 games including the Metal Slug and The King of Fighters series. You can play with the keys and the built-in screen, or connect to a TV with a compatible controller.
90,28 € - buy on amazon Sony Playstation Classic (Photo: Sony)
The The group's oldest consul is also one of those who later saw her second moment of glory. Released on the market in 1994, it reshaped the gaming landscape for the following decades; in this smaller-scale version it has been on the market since 2018. On board there are 20 preloaded games such as Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, Tekken 3 or Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. There is also a double controller.
€ 135.99 - buy on amazon
