When Nintendo launched the NES Classic Edition, gamers went nuts with nostalgia and bought the limited edition mini console at an alarming rate, making the NES Classic Edition hard to find. While the mini console is great for any nostalgia or classic game enthusiast, its slate of 30 NES games aren't the only retro gaming solutions out there. Here are our favorite alternatives to the NES Classic Edition
- New console; old games: Nintendo Switch
- Build your own: Rasberry Pi
- 120 Atari games: Atari Flashback 8 Gold
- 16-bit retro gaming: SNES Classic Edition
- Mini retro arcade games: NEOGEO Mini
New console; old games: Nintendo Switch
Not only is the Nintendo Switch the newest and amazing ultra-portable full-fledged console from Nintendo, but it also is a mini NES game arcade. If you sign up for a Nintendo Online subscription on your switch, you'll get access to a small but great library of classic NES games.
Build your own: Rasberry Pi
If you want a little more than what the Nintendo Classic consoles offer, and are willing to do some of the work yourself, you can enjoy just about every old game ever right on your television with something called RetroPie. This system uses a Raspberry Pi computer to build your own mini console, complete with different controller options and thousands of games from multiple console generations. We have a handy guide to help you build it, and you'll need a couple other items, but it all starts with the Raspberry Pi motherboard!
120 Atari games: Atari Flashback 8 Gold
It doesn't get much more old school than Atari, and while some of us still might have a perfectly functional 2600 in storage, these Flashback boxes are much safer to share with your kids without worrying about permanent damage to your mint condition relic. Just plug it into your TVs HDMI port and instantly you have 120 games, including Missile Command, Breakout, and of course, Pong!
16-bit retro gaming: SNES Classic Edition
The SNES Classic was Nintendo's follow up to the NES Classic Edition, and it features 20 retro Super Nintendo games from the legendary 16-bit era of gaming. Donkey Kong Country, Contra, Super Mario World, and plenty of other classics grace this machine, which comes with two controllers instead of one, meaning you're ready to play with your friends without having to buy a second controller!
Mini retro arcade games: NEOGEO Mini
NEOGEO's claim to fame was dominating arcades back in the early 90s and even though there was a home console, the NEOGEO Mini decided to keep the arcade cabinet look for that authentic retro gaming vibe. Don't worry, you can still connect the mini-cabinet to your TV via HDMI and enjoy the likes of Metal Slug, Fatal Fury, and other timeless classics. With 40 titles to choose from, the NEOGEO Mini is a great way to remember all the quarters you spent as a youth!
If you take anything away from this list it should be this; it's an amazing time to be a retro gamer. With fantastic retro consoles coming out by tons of different companies, there have never been more ways to play your favorite classic games.
I personally bought the SNES Classic Edition, instead of the NES Classic Edition because it came with two controllers meaning I could play with a friend, and even though it only has about 20 games, each game is truly a fantastic classic.
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