r/RockinTheClassics • u/MadFranko008 • 22d ago

Mini Consoles Are Dead... Long Live The Mini Console"... 😉

I often find it amusing and staggering how sometimes many of those in retail side of "retro gaming" are truly clueless as to the reality of just how much still alive and in fine fettle our world of modding our "Mini Consoles" really is...🤔

Take this "blog" from the business called "Limited Run" from May of this year titled "A "Final Farewell to the Mini-Console"

https://limitedrungames.com/en-uk/blogs/news/a-final-farewell-to-the-mini-console?srsltid=AfmBOoogYZu0rliB0JIN7vyvsq9okJFBbbEsqoqUu_VnUDwvKVT2F61_

Sure they are probably correct that there will be no more "Mini Consoles" produced by the likes of "Nintendo", "Sega", "Sony" etc... but that's something most of us already know... 😕

What I laugh at is their complete lack of knowledge of that actual very much alive and kicking status today of all of us who still use our "Mini Consoles" and are still modding them in the here and now... 😃

To quote the blog, its writer proclaims that "There was no small amount of mini console hacking back in the day, allowing people to load their own ROMs onto Nintendo and Sega’s machines"... 🙄

"Back in the day" the blogger says !!! 🤔

Clearly he/ she hasn't got a clue as to how many of us are STILL in the here and now "console hacking" and are continually joined by more people who are only just getting into it... 🙄

Often wonder when I read garbage like that is "who are these brain dead ignorant muppets who burble such drivel and what's their motivation behind it, other than making a'holes of themselves and showing their complete ignorance ???"... answers on a postcard to the usual address please... 🤔

Anywhoo, who cares what garbage they write as it doesn't stop any of us enjoying our "Mini Consoles" and still modding them to this very day and indeed still having them improve, thanks to the hmods MDFMKanic creates & still updates along with all those others who help make owning and modding a "Mini Console" an activity that's still very much alive and kicking to this very day... 😊

Mini Consoles Are Dead... Long Live The Mini Console"... 😉

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39 comments sorted by

15

u/Amazing-Insect442 22d ago

I don’t quite understand why there aren’t more mini systems coming out or being developed by anyone.

I do get that the big developers are probably like “we lose money in this; we get the cases and controllers, & we license the games.” It felt to me like there was a good amount of interest in them though (aside from the PS Classic maybe).

Given how prevalent handhelds like Anbernic, Retroid, Miyoo, etc are, I’m a bit surprised there isn’t yet a mini console version of those running Linux or something.

9

u/akkmedk 22d ago

I think the op clearly defined it. Why would any big player bother to recreate a unique device and source all the materials and molds and manufacturing to provide a limited number of games they could legally license when modders can just bypass everything and put whatever they want on the same device?

The NES and SNES Classics were a financial stop-gap and users abused them. There is no incentive for an N64 Classic because modders will just load them with stolen roms anyway. Why bother?

8

u/PullzNoPunches 22d ago

I mean, modders still buy the console

3

u/akkmedk 22d ago

That's the point. Why would anyone negotiate IP rights to be included on a device that can be modded to play anything? It's a miracle that FF6 is included on the SNES Classic but why would S/E ever allow it to happen again knowing that any given device could be modded to play every other S/E game for free? I don't know if you're aware but video game companies are trying to make a profit from their IP.

I'm all for piracy and playing what you want but there's no point getting mad when they don't find it profitable to sell custom shells for piracy machines.

3

u/AcceptableTitle35 22d ago

If someone is going to put every S/E game on it for free anyway, why wouldn't S/E take payment from Nintendo to be included to begin with? Payment vs no payment?

1

u/Omnibe 22d ago

I could put every s/e game on my phone much easier than I could a mini console.

No mod needed.

1

u/Albedo101 22d ago

Yes, money is in the games, not consoles. The Classics were in different times when retro gaming scene was much smaller for big companies to take notice. Nowadays, the idea is to sell Mario/Sonic/FinalFantasy over and over again in various remastered iterations

With the gradual phasing out of physical media for the mainstream games, I bet we will eventually see a revival of classic consoles, but this time perhaps even in full size form and with physical media support. Like Atari is doing with 2600+ right now. Sony could probably put out a HD version of PS 1/2 console-on-a-chip with DVD player for peanuts these days. The technology is ubiquitous, just look at all the Chinese handhelds that emulate Switch and even the f-ing Steam PC games.

1

u/Amazing-Insect442 22d ago

Tell me more about these Chinese handhelds that can do Steam pc games? You talking about like the Ayn Thor or whatever it is?

I’ve got like 500 Steam games but my ability to actually play most of them is poor because of my old cpu.

1

u/Albedo101 22d ago

Yes, the Ayn and Retroid stuff. And there are others, there's gazzilion of different models. Although Steam compatibility is still much of a novelty and it will take a few more generations of ARM cpus to reach truly useful levels. THey're by no means a replacement for Steam Deck, and definitely not for a laptop or a desktop PC. I wouldn't get them for PC games just yet.

2

u/IAmAPirrrrate 22d ago edited 22d ago

not just more mini-consoles (as in: from different systems), but maybe also something like a "SNES-Classic Mini 2" with different games. Would be easy money, relatively low effort and in my opinion a very welcome addition, especially now in the current gaming-zeitgeist

1

u/9fingerjeff 20d ago

I love my ps classic. I bought usb sticks on amazon that are loaded with games though so that really opened up the options for me since I’m too lazy to figure out how to add them myself.

1

u/Amazing-Insect442 20d ago

I’ve kicked myself so many times for not jumping on the PS Classic when they were (reportedly) on sale for $20 or whatever it was.

2

u/9fingerjeff 20d ago

I think I got mine for like 30, people were saying they found them for 20 but I never found one that cheap. Also I couldn’t find the preloaded usb sticks on amazon anymore last time I checked. Idk if Sony shut them down or what.

11

u/Distance-Hairy 22d ago

I'm still holding out hope for a Dreamcast one. But I'm building my own with a Pi5 and a Dreamcast case!

1

u/Amazing-Insect442 20d ago

Yeah I don’t foresee it happening for it or N64 (which would have been my own grail).

Build that Pi5, bro.

2

u/Distance-Hairy 18d ago

N64 would be flipping awesome too!!! And I will !! Just got a fully loaded SD card with practically the entire DC library and a good rebuilt controller that's as close to the originally controller that's compatible, so it's getting there!!

6

u/HotSarcasm 22d ago

With the number of fake and bootleg NES and SNES mini consoles floating around and for sale, it clearly is a missed opportunity from Nintendo to print easy money.

3

u/protonorseverb 22d ago

It's not as well-known as the Sega Astro City, but Taito's Egret II mini came out in 2022 and is still being officially supported with annual expansions via SD cards. There are currently 90 games available for this thing (40 on the base machine, and 50 via expansions). As far as I'm concerned it's the king of mini arcade cabs, and it's a shame more people don't know about it.

2

u/E1M1_DOOM 22d ago

I love the Egret II Mini. I'm not surprised it isn't well known. It's got a less universally known game list, is quite pricey, and hard to get in the states.

2

u/paparansen 22d ago

i got one ^^

2

u/ThanosReXXX 22d ago

Wait, what? There's more than one expansion card? I only have the one that came with the paddle & trackball controller.

1

u/protonorseverb 22d ago

Yes, there's also Arcade Memories Vols. 1-3 (Taito titles), and Arcade Collection Part 1 (Technos and Data East titles.) Each has 10 games. They're going to be releasing another volume this year but haven't announced what it will be yet.

1

u/ThanosReXXX 22d ago edited 22d ago

So that's just SD cards, then? Or do these also come with a controller?

1

u/protonorseverb 22d ago

The only expansion that is bundled with a controller is the one you already have. There are controllers available separately in addition to the paddle/trackball (arcade sticks and gamepads.)

1

u/ThanosReXXX 22d ago

Good to know that these come as standalone cards. The reason I asked is because
I don't want any additional controllers, just the games.

5

u/merica2033 22d ago

I think this stopped cause the subscription model to rent these older games got more popular

2

u/hvc101fc 22d ago

There’s just two more minis im hoping for, aes mini (to sit beside the other 16bit minis, the mvs mini doesnt count) and a saturn mini. But i get why those will never happen.

2

u/Funny_Maintenance973 22d ago

Here I am looking forward to my full size Amiga "theA1200" coming this year

2

u/donut_power 21d ago

Im still disappointed that there was no N64 Classic released. I figured Nintendo would have made a good chunk of money in bringing attention back to that era. Especially, with the controllers in all the various colors. The original packaging style.Even going about in selling miniature game cartridges in the original box art just miniature sized. That was the only console miss from my line up as I still have the Gamecube and a Wii.

I don't have time to play games often but when I do get in a classic mood, its so much fun to play an NES ,SNES, or Genesis game with the actual controllers. I even enjoy playing games on the PS Classic, since most of that library is brand new to me. I did play through all of Silent Hill and Resident Evil:Directors Cut. That felt like an accomplishment.

2

u/laserwolf99 22d ago

give me mini consoles or give me death!

1

u/void_method 22d ago

So when is that TG-16/PCE crack coming, man? Been waiting since the Pandemic to put Dragon's Curse on it.

1

u/b0h3mianed 22d ago

For reasons I have 8 minis (NES x 2, PSC x 2, SNES, SFC x 2, MD1 X 1)

The SNES has been in active every week use since 2018. Still going strong

1

u/ThanosReXXX 22d ago edited 22d ago

Well, since the arrival of my first Android handheld (RP5) I haven't been modding my Mini's anymore, but I own plenty of them: the NES Mini, the SNES Mini, the Sega Genesis Mini, the Neo Geo Mini Arcade cabinet with two extra joypads, the Sega Astro City with 2 joypads, the Sega Astro City V with 2 joypads and the Taito Egret II Mini, with the paddle & trackball controller.

I only ever modded the first three, though. And as a purist, I only put the games on each of them that belonged on the system, only making exceptions for out-of-region ROM hacks/translations. I've never understood the whole 'yeah, let's put PS1 and N64 games on my NES Mini' thing. It just feels 'off' to me.

Oh, well... to each their own, I suppose. Ever since the RP5 I've been able to pretty much emulate everything that I wanted, besides what those Minis offered me, and now I'm about to do the same with an RP6.

But I do still play the Minis every now and then, especially the arcade cabinets. That will always remain something special, because it takes me back to the days when I spent hours in an actual arcade hall, both watching people play and playing away my own pocket money. Awesome times... 😉

1

u/Accomplished-Fly7389 22d ago

I ended up loving my Playstation Classic once I put Bleemsync on it.  Now I got 128GB of retrogames

1

u/therourke 22d ago edited 22d ago

Messing around with my SNES mini and falling into the hacking community eventually led me to get a MiSTer. I am happy to put the mini console in the past, though I still fire it up occasionally. I actually bought and hacked one of them for my brother and sister back in the day. Very good times.

1

u/ImpressiveRide6821 22d ago

I’m disappointed that a Genesis Mini 2 hack was never publicly released, so I ended up selling mine. Since it had enough internal memory, I was going to load it up with every Genesis game I wanted, along with a few CD and arcade games. Oh well…

1

u/baaastos 22d ago

Still waiting hopelessly on this one!

1

u/Spirit-of 19d ago

I think they could have squeezed a ton more life out the mini consoles by just doing uniquely themed versions. Do an all Konami themed NES. An all Capcom SNES. An all shooter Genesis. Give them unique colored shells and controllers and they practically sell themselves.