Top 10 Retro Consoles of 2020(& how to emulate them)

Gaming has changed the world by a large magnitude. It has created a new culture and has changed the inhabitants of the world. The Gaming industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Even though, gaming today relies on cutting edge technology, the old consoles are often forgotten.

The Top 10

10.  Sega Genesis

The humble Sega Genesis was released in 1988. This adorable 16-bit console was not very powerful but it revolutionized the industry by introducing a large library of diverse games. The Sega Genesis also was the console on which Sonic The Hedgehog was released which became Sega's most beloved franchise.

Even though the games on the genesis have dished out beloved soundtracks like Sonic's Green Hill Zone theme, the sound system wasn't up to par with the rest of the console. The controller, albeit memorable only had 3 buttons excluding the d-pad.

Emulation - Emulating this console is fairly simple due to its low specs. Online emulators like emulator online are your best bet for emulation.

Pros

• Massive library
• Good Games
• Family-friendly

Cons

• Poor Sound 
• Limiting Control Scheme

9. Gameboy(Color, Advance etc)

The Gameboy was Nintendo's first dip into handheld gaming and boy, did it pay off! The Gameboy was simple and portable and its library of games was so favoured that they were most of Nintendo 's future consoles. The Gameboy featured Pokemon Red/Blue(Classics which have grown into the second-largest franchise in gaming), Tetris(the most sold game of all time!), Super Mario Land and so much more! Its sound system was technologically not impressive but all the games on the Gameboy were of the best quality given the time in which it was released(1989).

Emulation - Just like the Genesis, online emulators would the job fine.

Pros

• Features the best Nintendo games of all time
• Portable
• Clear screen

Cons

• No Brightness setting

8. Nintendo Entertainment System(NES)

The Nintendo Entertainment System was such a memorable console. It was released in 1983 and set the tone for gaming consoles for the next few decades. The NES' simultaneous multiplayer improved older titles like the Mario Platformers. Some of the best games on the NES were Super Mario Bros 3, Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Kart. Although memorable, the NES was not durable. It could easily malfunction.

Emulation - The NES can be easily emulated on the browser.

Pros

• Revolutionary
• Multiplayer
• Very good library

Cons

• Poor cartridge mechanism
• Not Durable

7. Xbox

The software giant Microsoft also launched their own console, the XBOX in the year 2001. The XBOX was Microsoft's first console and it didn't disappoint. The console was bulky but it had the most stunning graphics at the time using Direct X. The game library was not diverse due to a lack of family-friendly titles. The XBOX was focused on hardcore gamers. With 4 controller ports and online multiplayer, it was a very enjoyable console.

Emulation - XQEMU is a popular emulator for the Xbox

Pros

• Good Graphics
• Online multiplayer
• 4 controllers

Cons

• Lack of family-friendly titles

6. PlayStation 2

While the PlayStation had dominated the market when Sony released it, the PlayStation 2 cashed in on its success. The game library was large. The PlayStation 2 even had backwards compatibility for PlayStation games. The controller was very comfortable and could easily be used. The PlayStation 2's graphics were comparatively bland to its competitors. Another issue was that it only had two controller ports.

Emulator - PCSX2 is a very stable emulator the PS2

Pros

• Large library
• Good controller
• Backwards compatibility

Cons

• Only two controllers
• Bad graphics

5. Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS was Nintendo's improvement of the Gameboy. It was the first console to have 2 screens and to have touchscreen capabilities. Nintendo even added a wireless service known as WFC to enable multiplayer for the handheld for tons of games like Mario Kart DS. The DS was great for kids as it had games like New Super Mario Bros, Pokemon Black and White but lacked more mature games like shooters. 

Emulation - Surprisingly, online emulators can emulate the DS just fine.

Pros

• Great durability
• Online multiplayer

Cons

• Poor Library

4. Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Building upon the success of the NES, Nintendo released the SNES in the year 1990. The SNES put the Sega Genesis out of business with its sharp graphics and clear audio. The controller was a major renovation to the NES as it provided extra buttons. The games on the SNES were all memorable like Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country. The only problem of the SNES was that it had poor quality shooters and fighting games.

Emulation - The SNES can also be emulated online

Pros

• Good Graphics
• Clear Audio
• Good Controller

Cons

• Poor Shooters

3. GameCube

The Nintendo GameCube did not do well on the markets but it was one of the best consoles of all time for many reasons. The GameCube was very powerful at the time and had many family-friendly games like Smash Melee and Mario Sunshine. It had 4 controller ports and the controller is so good that it is still manufactured by Nintendo. However, the GameCube had one major drawback, it had very different discs(to prevent piracy), the discs were comparatively smaller to standard DVD's and so many third-party game developers could not port to the GameCube.

Emulation - Dolphin is a very good emulator for the GameCube

Pros

• Powerful
• 4 controllers
• Good Controller

Cons

• Poor library
• Mini Disk Format

2. Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 gave stunning 3d graphics for its time and was the site on which all classic Nintendo games were changed from pixel to polygon. The controller designed by the n64 was rather different due to its 3 handle grips. The Nintendo 64 had a limited library with respect to its counterparts.

Emulation - The Nintendo 64 can also be emulated online

Pros

• Good Graphics
• Good Controller

Cons

• Limited library

1. Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii was arguably Nintendo's greatest home console success. The Wii came with a very sleek design and had motion controls which was only beaten by the Kinect sensor of the Xbox 360. The Wii's signature remote, the Wiimote had a lack of buttons but made up for it by numerous peripherals which could be connected to the controller to make it a crossbow, a steering wheel and so much more. The Wii was definitely a family-friendly console, having games like Wii Sports, Wii Party etc. The controller's intuitive scheme allowed total casuals to get the hang of controls in minutes.

Emulation - The Wii can be emulated on Dolphin

Pros

• Revolutionary controls
• Vast library
• Family Friendly

Cons

• Poor specs compared to its competitors

Thanks For Reading, 

TheBlogCrafter