As of today, 10 years have passed since the mini console craze. It's hard to believe that was so long ago. Back in those days I had a Raspberry Pi connected to my TV for emulating old consoles (do people still do that?) so I skipped out on these but I always thought they were kinda neat.
Looking back, SNES mini was the only good one. Only 20 games, but all gold.
>>12924452I thought both of the Nintendo ones had a good lineup of games, but obviously nothing beats a previously unreleased game getting an actual release. I heard the Sega and Sony ones were bad. Especially the Game Gear Mini looked awful.Egret II Mini is my absolute favorite though. It's still getting support even today!
>>12924442I liked all of them. The appeal for me wasn't the stock games, but playing with the hardware. Throwing all your own games onto their neat UI, and getting to press the squishy PS1 disc eject button to switch discs in the emulator. I just wish they included their lightguns. Give us the classic DuckHunt/SMB combo or throw on Resident Evil Survivor.
We got new quality pads out of them so it was worth it for that alone
>>12924452NES mini won because it actually had pretty good insides and was relatively easy to hack. Hell, seems like devs acknowledged it and one of them left a message in the emulator's code.Compare it to SEGA's glorified chinkslop that was just another Tec-Toy garbo in premium package.I'm not sure how Basedny and other memes looked inside, but I assume it was closer to SEGA's shit.The fad kinda died out because ultimately only handful of most crazy fans would pay for such machines and nowadays Chinese emulation consoles and handhelds do the same but better so what's the fucking point releasing 100$ NES mini two when 40$ Arnbenic crap beats it to the curb?
>>12924536basedboy
>NES mini has audio delay>NERD learns from their mistakes and fixes that for the SNES mini>Genesis Mini has audio delay>Genesis Mini 2 has audio delay>Turbografx Mini has audio delayI learned that M2 is overrated and NERD is superior
>>12924530The point of these things has always been the looks/brandingPeople want a toy Nintendo on their desk at work for decoration, not a Pitendo
>>12924530>The fad kinda died out because ultimately only handful of most crazy fans would pay for such machines and nowadaysMore like because they ran out of consoles to make minis for. The only few that didn't get one are consoles that are hard to emulate or would be too expensive to produce in that price range. And Nintendo dropped out after the SNES because they were only ever supposed to get them through two holiday seasons leading up to the launch of the Switch, and NSO replaced them after that.The company that worked on all of the minis eventually started branching out to minis arcades and retro computers (they've really been milking the X68000) because they can't let go.>Chinese emulation consoles and handhelds do the same but betterLiteral e-waste. You shouldn't buy anything with a lithium battery in it from a Chinese company.
>>12924442>Back in those days I had a Raspberry Pihttps://hard-drive.net/spend-80-snes-classic-can-install-emulators-raspberry-pi-never-shut-fuck/
>>12924530They were just dumb collectibles, touch grass
>>12924570I laughed my ass off when I first saw that back in the day. Especially since I played on a Pi.
I played NES 35 years ago.I was emulating on PC 25 years ago.I was emulating on PC 10 years ago.I emulate on PC today.Raspberry Pi could emulate 10 years ago but why when you had a normal PC?You can simply hook a laptop up to a TV with an HDMI cable. and that was already old news when those mini consoles released.They're interesting, but ultimately more plastic shit that does what you already could do.
Only one I got was the SNES one, because it was an official release of Star Fox 2. I remember waiting in line at an Amazon Treasure Truck stop for one.
>>12924452Nope, the Mega Drive Mini 2 was the best one. Both the Japanese and Western versions were good, with the Japanese one getting a better lineup of Mega CD games, but the Western one getting a better Mega Drive list. Unfortunately, the mini console fad had passed by the time it was released and they hardly made any of them, so now they're expensive.
>>12924530I spent a couple on months trying emulators on it, after a while I just got annoyed with the input lag and just used snes roms. I just could not find a filter that looked good even after hacking it.>>12924442I've haven't used the mini for years, I used the controllers on the wii u a few times. The A1200 is coming out in a few weeks and the Atari 8 bit computer next year, I know the actual electronics won't be that good but it will cool to have a brand new shell.>>12924565Got the A500 mini, a bit underwhelmed, its certainly not made for 4:3 displays. They seem to think the carousel is a big feature according to interviews but I just want it to be like the real computer as close as possible. Too bad their market is people who remember it from 40 years ago instead of people who want an authentic recreation to replace real hardware.
>>12924442I like my SNES mini, first clears of Contra 3, Earthbound, DKC, DKC 2, Starfox, FF6, LTTP, and Chrono Trigger on it.>>12924452It’s very easy to hack, I got 100 games on mine>>12924530>>12924565Nintendo COULD have printed money with a N64 or GameCube mini, but they switched their strategy to wanting their audience to rent retro games from their online service so they can juice them over time.
>>12924704>Raspberry Pi could emulate 10 years ago but why when you had a normal PC?Because the raspberry pi was connected to my TV and playing games on my TV is more comfortable and enjoyable than sitting at my computer to play games. These days I have a cable going from my PC to my TV for when I want to play PC games. Retro games I just play on the original consoles now.>laptopThat's disgusting
>>12924710No, the Taito Egret Mini is the best one. It's up to 90 games now!
>>12924732I have an ATX PC but most ppl have laptops and they're as easy to hook up to a TV as a Pi is. I haven't had a TV in 15 years lol.I emulate games I still have my childhood consoles and carts/dics of. IMO in 2026 original console is just internet clout chasing but whatever.The games are just the software.
>>12924483>I heard the Sega and Sony ones were bad.They were. What with Sega's two attempts (the second one being made an Amazon exclusive to the coof of 2020) having TEN FRAMES OF AUDIO AND INPUT LAG, and Snoy just going "fuck it, PAL versions of games for everyone!"Also, here's a useless fact: the Gay Gear mini originally wasn't even supposed to play games, it was originally just a nonfunctional keychain decoration until the CEO of M2 took a look at it and more or less said "give me some money and we'll turn this into a working novelty toy" and then Sega was like "lol k" and the rest is history.
>>12924442>As of today, 10 years have passed since the mini console craze. It's hard to believe that was so long ago. Back in those days I had a Raspberry Pi connected to my TV for emulating old consoles (do people still do that?) so I skipped out on these but I always thought they were kinda neat.In 2019 while traveling through Japan I encountered a Super Famicom Mini at the onsen I was staying. There was only a couple of hours until close. I started Yoshi's Island and got to the final boss just in time. But I died and ran out of time and didn't get the clear.In 2020 when I was in Japan again for transit for a few days I bought a Raspberry Pi 4b with case and power for about $80. I mained it as my only PC for almost 2 years. It was a piece of trash. Emulating on that thing sucked. But it got me into Linux, and in late 2021 I bought an old thinkpad x220 for about $60. It was a good machine that I used as my daily driver for five years. At the beginning of this year I bought a used macbook m1 and it's way better though. Glad I did, because prices have only went up for it since then
>>12924713The A1200 repo is is literally using the same board as the A500 mini, like the only differences is that it has a working keyboard and that they convinced one of the multiple companies that claim to own the Amiga rights to allow them to say that's it's an officially licensed product.
>>12924718>N64 or GameCube miniImpossible with the boards they were using for these things.
wake me up when a Xbox mini drops
I got the PlayStation one for $20 and still had to mod it to feel like I got my moneys worth. I would buy more.
I should figure out how to mod the snes one. I have to get surgery next year and it might be fun to play while I’m in recovery.
>>12924749>most ppl have laptopsThat doesn't make laptops good>they're as easy to hook up to a TV as a Pi isThat doesn't make it as convenient as a box that permanently sits there and you don't touch.>in 2026 original console is just internet clout chasingMeds
>>12924761>TEN FRAMES OF AUDIO AND INPUT LAGHoly fucking shit.I have the Astro City mini. I don't remember if there was any lag or not (probably was) but I remember the game selection being really random and kind of shitty. Then a few years later tbey randomly released an "Astro City mini V" where the screen was rotated and it came with a bunch of vertical games but I skipped it because it was literally all shmups. Glad I did though because apparently the lag on that thing was atrociously bad.Oh well, at least the arcade stick for the Astro City mini was really good. I've used that thing way more than I have the actual Astro City mini.
>>12924530But Sega's mini consoles were made by m2, they were really good. Sony's sucked ass, hard.
Please don't confuse the shitty Sega minis made by (sh)AtGames with the great ones made by M2.
>>12924530>Hell, seems like devs acknowledged it and one of them left a message in the emulator's code.they didn't acknowledge anything>japanese man leaves shit message in rom>this means something and it's not slopyou're fucking stupid.
>>12924442I'm glad it died out, consoles are better when they're bigger, the only small console I like is the PC Engine.
>>12924530>Hell, seems like I'm retardedIndeed
>>12925303>>12926527They were so good that they have 10 frames of lag
