It’s certainly easy to feel jaded by the modern gaming space.
Great games continue to release apace; this month along has already seen bangers in Nioh 3 and Romeo is a Dead Man. Yet when many big-budget AAA games boil down to that samey open-world format, or developers experience huge layoffs weeks after releasing a new title, it can all leave one feeling mightily cynical at the state of things.
Not to sound like ‘yer da’, but there really is something to be said for the simplicity and often expertly-crafted nature of games released 20, 30, even 40 years ago and beyond. What we now refer to as retro games were once pioneering pieces of art, and hold up tremendously well against the ravages of time.
There have been numerous pieces of specialist retro gaming-adjacent hardware in recent years that have really reignited my love of classic games. Whether that’s revisiting old arcade favorites in the palm of my hand with the Super Pocket, or experiencing PS2 and GameCube hits with quality upscalers like the mClassic, there’s so much on offer for the curious.
Diving a bit more into those two specifically, the Super Pocket is an excellent handheld console with a Game Boy-like silhouette. Created by Blaze Entertainment, it uses the brand’s Evercade cartridges to play and display retro games on a crisp 4:3 display. Different versions of the Super Pocket also come with a selection of games built in, from Capcom or SNK, for example.
The mClassic does require a bit more setting up. It’s primarily an upscaler for the Nintendo Switch and one that console often desperately needs; boosting resolution and applying some much-needed anti-aliasing. However, it also has a dedicated 4:3 mode for retro hardware, and can be used with anything from the SNES and PlayStation to the Dreamcast and GameCube – provided you have a HDMI converter that’s compatible with your system of choice.
Whether you’re a younger gamer curious about exploring the wide world of retro games for the first time, or a seasoned oldhead looking to shake the dust off that old system that’s been lying dormant in your attic, I can highly recommend the following products for those looking for an experience quite different from the latest big-name releases.
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As TechRadar Gaming’s Hardware Editor, I’m on the frontlines of informing you about the very latest (and hopefully greatest) in gaming tech. That includes controllers, headsets, must-have accessories, and of course the consoles themselves.
The best retro gaming products available today
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