It’s a shame that two of the best retro game consoles of recent years, the NES Classic Mini and the SNES Classic Mini, have been discontinued. Both feature great designs with a miniaturized look that’s true to the originals, silky-smooth performance, and strong game lineups of Nintendo’s greatest hits. You can still buy them online (usually from third-party resellers), but the prices are wildly inflated. The SNES Classic Mini, for example, was $80 at launch, but a reseller has it for $300 on Amazon right now. You may have better luck buying used one.
Nintendo fans interested in classic gaming action might be better served by snagging a Switch and buying a Nintendo Switch Online Membership ($20 for one year) to access over 100 NES and SNES titles (here is the full list). Add the Expansion Pack ($50 for one year) and you can get these N64 games also. If you’re craving some old school pocket Nintendo fun, check out the revived Game and Watch ($50) line. They are limited to a couple of games each, but when those games are Super Mario either Zelda titles, which can be enough for hours of fun.
He Analog Mega SG ($200) (8/10, WIRED recommends) is expensive and doesn’t come with any games or controllers (they’re $25 each). But it can play old Sega Genesis cartridges, so it’s a solid option if you have a box of them in the basement. Powered by an FPGA chip, this console runs the original games just as you remember them.
There is a lot of classic arcade games available on PlayStation 4 or 5. If you opt for a PS Plus Premium Subscription ($18 for a month or $120 for a year)you get the Classics Catalogpacked with old PlayStation games.
Xbox Series X|S has the best backwards compatibility, as Microsoft’s newest consoles can play Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox titles. You can also find classic titles included in our favorite gaming subscriptionthe excellent Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ($15 per month).
If you have Valve’s Steam Deck, check out the full EmuDeck to emulate a wide variety of vintage systems with style.
PC gamers also have a large choice of emulators. I like retroarch because it emulates multiple systems, but if you have a favorite old console and want to get closer to that original experience, chances are you can find an emulator tailor-made to satisfy that itch.
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