If you're feeling a bit nostalgic, you might also feel like playing some retro games from your childhood. Here are the best retro gaming consoles, that'll help you dive into the world of Super Mario, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Tetris and Street Fighter.
A lot of classic video games will always have a special place in our hearts. Especially in times when huge, overwhelming AAA games are being released, playing some pieces of our childhood from time to time can be very relaxing. But buying the original consoles, that the games were originally released for, can sometimes be quite complicated or very expensive. So here is a list of the best retro games consoles available right now!
Retro Game Consoles On The Market Today
Here is a list of the best retro game consoles out there, that are actually affordable
Nintendo Classic Mini
Nintendo's classic console remakes are available for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Nintendo Entertainment System. The Nintendo Classic Mini NES gives a variety of games like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, PAC-MAN and Kirby's Adventure. And the Nintendo Classic Mini SNES provides you with Super Nintendo classics like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Star Fox, Super Mario Kart, Yoshi’s Island, Donkey Kong Country and Final Fantasy III. Both console remakes feel exactly like the original and really make time-travel into the 80s and 90s possible.
Price: $70
(Prices have gone up to over 200$ because it is sold out right now, but as soon as Nintendo starts producing the console again, the price will go down to its original state)
Sony Playstation Classic
This PlayStation One remake from 2018 offers a total of 20 preinstalled games like Final Fantasy VII, Jumping Flash!, Tekken 3, R4 Ridge Racer Type 4 and Wild Arms. The console also comes with two controllers.
Price: $89,95
SEGA Mega Drive Mini
The SEGA Genesis Mini comes with 40 legendary games including Ecco the Dolphin, Castlevania: Bloodlines, Space Harrier 2, Shining Force, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Machine, ToeJam & Earl, Comix Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog, Altered Beast, Gunstar Heroes and many more... This classic has formed a whole gamer generation back in the days.
Price: $180.00
C64 Mini Version
The world's best-selling home computer – reborn! The 50% scale replica comes with 64 built in games like Uridium, Impossible Mission, California Games, Speedball 2 and Jumpman. The C64 Mini can even serve as a true home computer, allowing you to write your own programs in BASIC and save them to a USB stick.
Price: $44.90
Atari Flashback and Gold
The Atari Flashback and Gold remake is a lot smaller than the original, but offers the same quality when it comes to the gameplay and controllers. The controllers are wireless, which is a lot more comfortable these days. This console is pure nostalgia for all 80s babies out there, whose first ever console was the Atari.
Price: $159.99
Atari Flashback 8 Gold on Amazon
Evercade
The Evercade console is available as a handheld and as a Premium version with 2 controllers and a station that can be connected to a screen via HDMI, and comes with two multi-game cartridges. Although the premium version includes two controllers, there are a total of 4 USB slots to which you can even connect an Xbox controller. The games are available as bundles for about $18 each.
Price: $129.99
Blaze Evercade Vs Premium Pack on Amazon
Nintendo Switch Emulators
Alright guys... I know the Switch emulators aren't real physical consoles.... But they definitely have a place in this list. If you own a Nintendo Switch and have the Switch online subscription, you can download the NES and SNES emulators for free. They include many of our favorite Nintendo games from the 80s and 90s like Donkey Kong, Kirby, Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and many more. For the Nintendo Switch, there's even a Nintendo 64 and SEGA Mega Drive emulator that you can download if you've purchased the expansion pack.
And let me tell you: The Nintendo 64 emulator is really worth it for all the Zelda fans out there.... With the Nintendo 64 emulator, you can play Zelda Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask on the big screen!
Price: $49.99 (for 12 Months Nintendo Switch online + Expansion pack)
Price: $19.99 (For 12 Months Nintendo Switch online)
Retro games and also retro-like games are becoming more and more trendy at the moment. And isn't it a great feeling to relive all our childhood memories? Some games are just pure nostalgia!
