Retro Games Consoles of the World
Nostalgia doesn’t just exist in films, music and tv series. That very first game you played on a games console as a child can equally spur the excitement you felt completing that hard level on an 8-bit game. Retro games and game consoles are making a SERIOUS comeback – so for you collectomaniacs out there – you’re in for a serious treat.
The world of video games dates way back to the 1960s, where games such as Asteroids, Tempest and Star Wars would be played on huge vector monitors. As time went on, more sophisticated (and weirdly shaped!) consoles started to emerge and changed the way we play video games with each release.
We’re now in an era where retro games and game consoles are being sought out as memorabilia and collectibles. Retro gaming fanatics are going to LOVE this post as it’s filled with a huge list of retro games consoles you may or may not have heard of.
Contents
- Super NES Classic Edition
- Sega Genesis Mini
- Neo Geo Mini
- Sony PlayStation Classic
- Analogue Super Nt
- Analogue Mega Sg
- Cyber Gadget Retro Freak
- Polymega
- The Fairchild Channel F
- The Vectrex
- Atari Lynx
- Philips CD-i
- Nintendo Virtual Boy
- Game.com
- Sega Dreamcast
- Sega Saturn
- C64 Mini
- Nintendo Game Boy Color
- N64
Super NES Classic Edition
The NES Classic is responsible for sparking fandom in franchises such as Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy and so much more. This model is a miniature replica of the original NES and has a static library of 30 games and save states for each one!
You can choose your display mode to have a CRT filter – making your TV look old with scan lines, a 4:3 layout giving your NES game a small horizontal stretch and a “Pixel Perfect” display.
Sega Genesis Mini
To commemorate its 30th anniversary, Sega released a compact version of the Mega Drive known as the Sega Genesis Mini. It comes with a whole host of games making it a fantastic value for money even today. One of the most notable things about it is its sleek, lightweight design, but you can’t use the cartridge slot to insert your games because they’re already built-in.
Sega has created mini versions of its games in the past, but it’s the first time they’ve created an official console with classic games to choose from. This means it’s a must-have for avid retro game collectors looking to expand their current collection.
Not sure how many players can get involved in a game? Fear not! Just select the game you want to play on the menu screen and it will give you the number of players, (plus a bonus fact on the year the game was released) – which is a nice touch.
Neo Geo Mini
The Neo Geo Mini is a tiny arcade cab that has a built-in joystick. It comes with 40 games including classics such as Metal Slug, Football Frenzy, The Kind of Fighters and so much more. It has a 3.5-inch sharp display and despite its size, the buttons on the cab are pretty solid. It’s possible to plug in extra peripherals like a controller, at an additional cost.
No volume controls exist on the Neo Geo Mini, meaning you’ll have to plug in some headphones for privacy. What’s great about this mini arcade is that it also comes with an HDMI jack so you can plug it into your TV and immerse yourself in the arcade games with a bigger display! Be warned though, that games will look far less sharp on the big screen.
Sony PlayStation Classic
The Sony Playstation as you remember it, but almost half the size. This dinky console lets you play some nostalgic classics such as Final Fantasy, Wild Arms, Tekken, and Grand Theft Auto. Having said that – it’s missing other classics like Crash Bandicoot and Gran Turismo, but it’s still got a fantastic selection to choose from nonetheless.
The disk tray doesn’t open and what was previously the reset button is now the home button. It also means that if you want to reset your game or go back to the games selection menu that you must hit the home button on the console itself. This console is a serious throwback to the original, due to no vibrations or DualShock – just a classic PS1 experience.
Analogue Super NT
The SNES is hailed as one of the best consoles of all time and it’s easy to see why. It’s where a ton of classics first originated from, such as The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario World. The updated Super NT supports 480p, 720p and 1080p output (the latter producing sharp imagery) at both 50 and 60Hz. However, if you want to use the scanline feature – 720p is recommended.
The Super NT supports two standard SNES controllers, another for power via USB, and an SD card slot for updating firmware. Controllers do have to be bought separately from most retailers, and it can be pretty pricey due to its popularity.
Got one to sell? Sell a Nintendo Classic Mini Entertainment System (NES) with Decluttr!
Analogue Mega Sg
Explore 8-bit and 16-bit in 1080p with absolutely no lag. You can enjoy the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog in HD with super sharp graphics and vivid colors. The Analog Mega SG comprises of multiple games that can be played wirelessly – fantastic for those wanting a modern feel to a retro classic.
Available in red, grey, blue and white – you can enjoy a stylish console with Sega classics. Extra cartridges for this console are pretty cheap, but you’ll have to buy the controllers separately.
Cyber Gadget Retro Freak
The Cyber Gadget Retro Freak is an Android-based console offering save-states, HD graphics and screen filters. The console comes with a charger adaptor, allowing you to play games from consoles such as the Game Boy Colour, SNES, Famicom and so much more.
The design itself isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but its functionality is awesome. The main menu allows you to perform multiple functions such as entering cheat codes and provides a number of screen filters.
Polymega
Certified as the “world’s first HD modular game console” where you can play a huge, ever-growing list of classic cartridge and CD-based games in high-definition. Compatible with 30 systems including the PlayStation, Saturn and more – you can gain access to over 9,000+ games! It’s definitely a console for those who love the idea of choice (and willing to pay $500+ for it).
The Fairchild Channel F
Short for “Channel Fun” – the Channel F was the first-ever ROM video game console to exist. It was the first to make use of game cartridges – so it’s an absolute must-collect console for retro video game enthusiasts.
It was the first console ever to have detachable controllers, which for its time, was pretty advanced stuff. The controller wires were 8 feet long, meaning it’s impossible to lose them! The original Channel F console plays sound through an internal speaker, rather than a TV set. However, the System II passes sound to the television through the RF switch. For truly retro sound, it’s worth trying to get your hands on an original.
The Epoch Cassette Vision
The word cassette was used as a Japanese synonym for a ROM cartridge console, not the use of a cassette tape. The control buttons are on the console itself and consist of two lots of vertical and horizontal knobs, plus two buttons for each player.
The console comes with a cartridge that contains a collection of 12 games – four of which must be operated with a plug-in Lightgun to play. The Cassette Vision Jr (newer version of the Epoch Cassette), was released, the need for the Lightgun was removed and makes it incompatible with the junior version.
The Vectrex
Known as the “Mini Arcade” console, The Vectrex was one of the first games not needing to be hooked up to a TV thanks to its own vertical monochrome CRT monitor. The console came with a number of peripherals such as 3D glasses and a “light-pen” which allowed you to draw on screen. If you didn’t have a game cartridge, you could play the Vectrex’s built-in game Mine Storm.
For the 1980’s, it was one of the best consoles created for its time. It was made by John Ross who was an employee at Smith Engineering and simply came up with the idea to clear out their excess storage of 1-inch monitors!
Atari Lynx
The world’s first handheld electronic game with a color backlit LCD – this 16-bit console was developed by Atari Corporation in the late 80’s, but initially developed by Epyx before going bust. The console was designed to run cartridge games, with data being copied from ROM to RAM before being accessed and used.
There are officially 71 games you can play on the Lynx such as Batman Returns, Awesome Golf, Blue Lightning, Dracula – The Undead and so many more fantastic titles.
Phillips CD-i
Also known as the Compact Disc-Interactive, the CD-i came to be known as the progenitor for the PlayStation consoles, but also a failure of a console.
Whilst it came with a whole host of games and interactive encyclopedias, this multi-purpose home entertainment system, the games were notably hard to control, and the educational cartoons and live-action clips were poorly made and downright cringe-worthy. All of this combined didn’t do much for the CD-i’s reputation, resulting in Phillips losing big bucks.
Despite its commercial failure in the world of gaming, it’s still a nostalgic collectible.
Nintendo Virtual Boy
This 32-bit tabletop video game developed by Nintendo looks like a seriously old school VR headset. You could argue it was one of its progenitors, however, sales were so awful that Nintendo pulled them without warning.
What’s kind of appealing is how it was pushed into the market totally unfinished. It offers a 3D display, but it’s not immersive like VR. It is, however, a unique console for its time and one worth collecting if you’re curious about the early inventions of VR technology. You can play games on it like Mario’s Tennis, Tetris, Galactic Pinball, Bomberman and (surprisingly) lots more!
Game.com
Thought the Nintendo DS was the first to introduce touch screen video games? Think again! The Game Com was the first console to introduce touch screen technology, which for mid-1999, was super exciting times.
It was produced by Tiger Electronics (best known for its Furby toys). Upon purchase, you get a cartridge game called Lights Out, plus an in-built Solitaire game. was also the first handheld gaming console to have internal memory, which is used to save information such as high scores and contact information.
It’s a truly spectacular collectible due to how underrated it is. It was truly innovative for its time (and even capable of sending emails!).
Sega Dreamcast
The Sega Dreamcast is something truly special. It’s the last of Sega’s home consoles to ever be produced after 18 years creating games and consoles. Though it’s been discontinued since 2001, you can still buy Sega Dreamcast games from the Decluttr Store!
Shop games such as Crazy Taxi, NFL 2K, Vanishing Point and so much more.
Sega Saturn
This 32-bit fifth-generation games console was the successor to the Sega Genesis. Instead of cartridges, you could insert games with a CD-ROM. It was an incredibly successful game console in Japan but didn’t quite take off in the US. Experts believe it was likely due to Sega not releasing a Sonic the Hedgehog game with the console release date.
It’s a powerful console nonetheless and a great addition for your video games arsenal. The Sega Saturn made games such as Panzer Dragoon and Virtua Fighter a dream to play. Unfortunately, its hardware just wasn’t up to scratch and the console was scrapped from future development.
C64 Mini
You get 64 games in the Commodore 64 (or more commonly known as simply the C64) including Paradroid, Boulder Dash, The Last Ninja and a whole other host of classics.
It’s full-length keyboard and multi-switch joystick allows for a fantastic gaming experience. Enjoy crisp 720 HD visuals by plugging this into your TV via HDMI and immerse yourself in some of the world’s most iconic franchises.
Nintendo Game Boy Color
This handheld game console was the successor to the original Game Boy and provided players with games in full color (hence the name).
The color screen is not backlit – meaning it can only be played in the day time unless you invest in an LED light peripheral which can be plugged into the side of the console. Some of the most notable titles played on the Game Boy Color are Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow, Super Mario Land, Donkey Kong, Kirby’s Dream Land and so much more.
The console comes in various colors – Berry, Grape, Kiwi, Dandelion, Teal and “Atomic Purple”.
N64
The N64 was best known for legendary titles such as Zelda: Ocarina of Time and James Bond 007’s Goldeneye. To this day, it’s still regarded as one of the most popular retro consoles in the world. Its iconic titles, ease of use and unique controller made it a staple in every gamer’s past.
Games are powered through a cartridge as most other retro games consoles were. It’s also possible to buy a rumble pak that could plug into the back of the controller to provide the player with force feedback.
Got a newer console you want to sell to make room for these classics? Sell your console with Decluttr and get paid the next day we receive your items! Plus, you can also sell video games, or head on over to “Sell My Phone” if you want to sell an old cell phone!