What consoles can emulate other consoles?

[Schizophretard]

My question isn't as general as the title but I can't exactly fit the explanation in it. What I'm curious about is if someone only had a collection of consoles that each console at least could play the titles of another by either emulation built in, emulation in a flash cart, an adapter like the Expansion Module for the Colecovision or Super Game Boy, backwards compatibility, or any other methods to play games of another console then what would be all of the consoles within the collection, what would be each console that could be played on those consoles, and how many instances of a console would be playable throughout the collection?

 

To paint a picture of what I mean I'm imagining a game room filled with consoles that play their native games but must also play games of others so that the person could play as much of the native games as possible within this rule while also being able to play other consoles which may have a lot of redundancy like the Atari 2600 showing up a bunch of times for an example. I'm also curious of which consoles wouldn't be included in the collection, which wouldn't be even emulated in the collection, and which consoles would be neither included or emulated?

 

Edit: Also, the point is to eventually be able to make a complete list.

[Flojomojo]

It sounds like you want to make a bigger list than just those that have the power to emulate in software. The "system changers" like the Colecovision expander that could play Atari 2600 games were generally a full version of the guest system, minus some AV and power ports from the host system. That's not really emulation. The only retail emulators I can think of that don't require a system modification to play, and require you to bring your own games, are Bleem for Dreamcast (play Sony PlayStation games) and Virtual Game Station for G3 Power Macintosh (also play PlayStation games).

Stuff like the system changer idea that I can think of:
- Atari 2600 add-on modules for the 5200, Intellivision, and Colecovision
- Super GameBoy for SNES
- GameBoy Player for GameCube
- Power Base Converter for Genesis

Sometimes, only a pin adapter is needed:
- Game Gear adapter to play Sega Master System games
- Import adapters like NES-to-Famicom

Clone systems like the Retro Trio have slots for NES, SNES, and Genesis games, and sometimes GBA

Some systems are backwards compatible out of the box. Nintendo told people who asked about this function on the SNES that they can simply keep their old system hooked up.
- GBA (except for Micro) can play Color GameBoy, original GameBoy
- DINA system can play both Colecovision and Sega SG-1000 games
- Atari 7800 can play Atari 2600 games
- Nintendo DS (not DSi) can play GBA games
- Nintendo 3DS can play DS games
- PS2 can play PS1 games
- PS3 can play PS1 games. Some early models can play PS2 games too

Some systems have add-on capability, allowing more games to play in the host machine that it can't play by itself, or adding more features and functions that aren't available to the base hardware. Can be optional or mandatory, depending on the games to be played.
- Starpath Supercharger audio input for Atari VCS
- Intellivoice for Intellivision
- The Voice for Odyssey 2
- Sega 32X
- Sega CD
- Atari Jaguar CD
- Sega Saturn RAM cartridge
- Sega Saturn Netlink modem
- Nintendo Famicom FDS
- Nintendo 64 Memory Expansion
- TurboGrafx CD
- Turbo Duo memory expansion
- PS2 HDD kit
- Kinect for Xbox 360
- Kinect for Xbox One

Some systems are selectively backwards compatible via software emulation
- Xbox 360 can play some Xbox games
- Xbox One can play some Xbox 360 games
- PSVita and PSTV can play some PSP and most PSOne games

Some systems sell portions of their back catalog in a virtual store
- Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PSP, PS3, PSVita/PSTV, PS4 do this

Some systems break backwards compatibility for some stuff in their store when they do major system updates
- iOS, Android
- Windows, MacOS

[Schizophretard]

It sounds like you want to make a bigger list than just those that have the power to emulate in software. The "system changers" like the Colecovision expander that could play Atari 2600 games were generally a full version of the guest system, minus some AV and power ports from the host system. That's not really emulation.

Yes, I'm using the word loosely to mean a console that could take the place of another and by console I'm also referring to handhelds.

 

The only retail emulators I can think of that don't require a system modification to play, and require you to bring your own games, are Bleem for Dreamcast (play Sony PlayStation games) and Virtual Game Station for G3 Power Macintosh (also play PlayStation games).

Hacked or modded in emulators fit my criteria just like using flash carts with emulators in them. I don't think I would count Macintosh because I'm referring to consoles marketed as consoles or just obviously consoles but not computers. Consoles like dedicated game machines as primary function designed for TV or handheld.

 

Stuff like the system changer idea that I can think of:

- Atari 2600 add-on modules for the 5200, Intellivision, and Colecovision

- Super GameBoy for SNES

- GameBoy Player for GameCube

- Power Base Converter for Genesis

 

 

Sometimes, only a pin adapter is needed:

- Game Gear adapter to play Sega Master System games

- Import adapters like NES-to-Famicom

Yes, all of those.

 

Clone systems like the Retro Trio have slots for NES, SNES, and Genesis games, and sometimes GBA

Those don't count because they don't have native games even though they play games from other consoles.

 

Some systems are backwards compatible out of the box. Nintendo told people who asked about this function on the SNES that they can simply keep their old system hooked up.

- GBA (except for Micro) can play Color GameBoy, original GameBoy

- DINA system can play both Colecovision and Sega SG-1000 games

- Atari 7800 can play Atari 2600 games

- Nintendo DS (not DSi) can play GBA games

- Nintendo 3DS can play DS games

- PS2 can play PS1 games

- PS3 can play PS1 games. Some early models can play PS2 games too

The DINA would be a clone with no native games. Doesn't some of those systems have the ability to run emulators?

 

Some systems have add-on capability, allowing more games to play in the host machine that it can't play by itself, or adding more features and functions that aren't available to the base hardware. Can be optional or mandatory, depending on the games to be played.

- Starpath Supercharger audio input for Atari VCS

- Intellivoice for Intellivision

- The Voice for Odyssey 2

- Sega 32X

- Sega CD

- Atari Jaguar CD

- Sega Saturn RAM cartridge

- Sega Saturn Netlink modem

- Nintendo Famicom FDS

- Nintendo 64 Memory Expansion

- TurboGrafx CD

- Turbo Duo memory expansion

- PS2 HDD kit

- Kinect for Xbox 360

- Kinect for Xbox One

I wouldn't count those things because they are added to the host system making them native games. But some of those could get in by filling both the native game and "emulated" game criteria. For an example, the Sega Genesis already gets in because it can play Sega Master System games. So, the Sega 32X and Sega CD already get in to complete the native game side of things. They both also have to get in because it is about a system being able to play all of its native games but for any of it to get in it has to "emulate" another console.

 

Some systems are selectively backwards compatible via software emulation

- Xbox 360 can play some Xbox games

- Xbox One can play some Xbox 360 games

- PSVita and PSTV can play some PSP and most PSOne games

Which of those can be hacked or modded to play emulators? I'm pretty sure the PSP can but am unsure of the others.

 

Some systems sell portions of their back catalog in a virtual store

- Wii, Wii U, 3DS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PSP, PS3, PSVita/PSTV, PS4 do this

Hmmm.. Tough one. I think I'm going to lean towards no on these with the virtual store part of them at least because I'm thinking more along the lines of just providing the capability or hacking your way in to gain the capability to bring your own games. In other words, if you have to buy that version of the game again, even if identical, and it is locked to those consoles then I think I would consider them native games somewhat close to being like ports. But things like the Wii playing Game Cube and emulators through the homebrew channel would count.

 

Some systems break backwards compatibility for some stuff in their store when they do major system updates

- iOS, Android

- Windows, MacOS

None of this counts. No computers or phones. And, granted, an Android console is a console but I'm thinking of something more traditional like having physical media and not purely based on downloads and online DRM. To give an example, a kind of game console collection that plays both native games and "emulated" games and could continue to do so in a bomb shelter WWIII scenario because you are in control of the consoles off the grid.

 

To give an example with the Nintendo handheld line of what kind of list I am looking for is the Game Boy won't count because it only plays native games, the Game Boy Color would because of backwards compatibility, the Game Boy Advance would because of backwards compatibility, the DS would because of backwards compatibility and emulators(?), The DSi would because it could play emulators(?), and all the 3DS's and 2DS would because they are backwards compatible with the DS and can play emulators(?). I used question marks because I'm unsure which ones I remember could play emulators. So, the Nintendo handheld line part of the list would be complete with the lists of all the emulators that run on each one. Did that clear up with what kind of list I'm looking for with this hypothetical complete collection? It is the kind of collection that the hypothetical owner of it could say this sentence that at first sounds like a contradiction without an explanation,"I only game on original hardware but I use emulators."

[+5-11under]

I leave it to you to categorize these or decide if they apply...

 

The EverDrive-64 Flash multicart for the Nintendo 64 has an NES emulator (possibly more, too). Apparently it's not the greatest, though - I haven't tested that feature too much.

Intellivision has an emulator for an old

 

Intellivision on GBC and NES: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/254074-intellivision-for-gameboy-color-8-bit-nes-now-available/?hl=%2Bintellivision+%2Bemulator&do=findComment&comment=3537622

 

Unisonic Champion on the Intellvision: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/253252-lil-bro-a-unisonic-champion-simulator-for-the-intv/

 

There are a number of CHIP-8 emulators out there.

[Flojomojo]

Yes, I'm using the word loosely to mean a console that could take the place of another and by console I'm also referring to handhelds.

 

..... Did that clear up with what kind of list I'm looking for with this hypothetical complete collection? It is the kind of collection that the hypothetical owner of it could say this sentence that at first sounds like a contradiction without an explanation,"I only game on original hardware but I use emulators."

 

You can put "emulator" in quotes, but I think you really need a more precise term to better describe what you're going for, if for no other reason than to inoculate yourself against argumentative pedants like me. GBA isn't "emulating" GB Color, it has GB Color hardware inside, just like Colecovision Expansion Module #1 has clone Atari 2600 hardware inside. There's no "emulation" happening there, quotes or not.

 

Furthermore, hacking a system through something like the Homebrew Channel doesn't seem like fair play for your categorization, because it requires system modification and jiggery-pokery. Installing the HomeBrew Channel is akin to installing Linux on the Wii, which makes it more like a computer, which disqualifies it because of your shaky classification criteria.

[Schizophretard]

You can put "emulator" in quotes, but I think you really need a more precise term to better describe what you're going for, if for no other reason than to inoculate yourself against argumentative pedants like me. GBA isn't "emulating" GB Color, it has GB Color hardware inside, just like Colecovision Expansion Module #1 has clone Atari 2600 hardware inside. There's no "emulation" happening there, quotes or not.

I understand that and understand the difference. I'm using it in a loose sense of just backwards compatibility or the actual definition of emulation that you would agree with. Basically consoles that can play native games along with none native games though other means. If I can take a cart, disc, or ROM and get it to play on a console that isn't its native one then that is what I'm talking about.

 

Furthermore, hacking a system through something like the Homebrew Channel doesn't seem like fair play for your categorization, because it requires system modification and jiggery-pokery. Installing the HomeBrew Channel is akin to installing Linux on the Wii, which makes it more like a computer, which disqualifies it because of your shaky classification criteria.

I'm not having shaky criteria. Maybe not explaining it well enough but I have a clear thing in mind. That may make it more like a computer but that is how you get emulators on it and it was still designed with the primary function of being a dedicated game console. If I counted computers that aren't consoles then I would have an exhaustive list of millions of models of computers when it is a list of exclusively consoles. You know, like I send an average Joe into Walmart and ask them to point at the consoles and then computers. That kind of common sense definition of dedicated game console. It isn't about every device an emulator could run on or every device a game could be backward compatible with but only consoles. Technically every game console, smart TV, calculator,etc. is a computer but if I said,"Computer" you would likely think of laptops and desktops. So, just turn that around and I'm saying,"Console".

[Schizophretard]

I leave it to you to categorize these or decide if they apply...

 

The EverDrive-64 Flash multicart for the Nintendo 64 has an NES emulator (possibly more, too). Apparently it's not the greatest, though - I haven't tested that feature too much.

Intellivision has an emulator for an old

 

Intellivision on GBC and NES: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/254074-intellivision-for-gameboy-color-8-bit-nes-now-available/?hl=%2Bintellivision+%2Bemulator&do=findComment&comment=3537622

 

Unisonic Champion on the Intellvision: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/253252-lil-bro-a-unisonic-champion-simulator-for-the-intv/

 

There are a number of CHIP-8 emulators out there.

I'll have to read those links when I get a chance but I think you are on the right track. The EverDrive-64 is a perfect example because it is adding backwards compatibility though emulation for the 64 to play NES games.

[Sektor]

Almost every console has been modified to run homebrew, so chances are someone ported an emulator. Even PS4 with an old firmware has been shown to run Linux and a gameboy emulator. Xbox One hasn't yet but it's just a matter of time.

[Keatah]

Atari 400/800 and C-64 have enuf power to run arcade Asteroids ROMS.

[TheDevil'sCompass]

The original Xbox covers a lot of the systems you're probably interested in through CoinOPS. You can put $50-100 into a used system, hard drive upgrade and a weekend of refurbishing and installing and have thousands of games at your fingertips.

 

Systems include:

Amiga, Amstrad, Arcade (MAMEoX), Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari 800, Atari Lynx, Atari ST, Atari XL, ColecoVison, Commodore 64, DOS, Game Gear, Gameboy. Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color, Intellivision, Arcade Laser Disc DVD Support, Master System, Mega CD, Megadrive, MSX, NES, Nintendo 64, PC Engine, PC Engine CD, Playstation, Sega SG-1000, Spectrum, Super Nintendo, Vic 20, Virtual Boy, WonderSwan, X68000, XBOX

Playstation and Nintendo 64 emulation are probably the least compatible so you couldn't replace those consoles with this. I haven't played every single game on every system but haven't found any glaring issues. I did have a small problem with the Sinistar proto for the Atari 5200 in that the voice samples didn't play. Not sure if there's a setting that can correct that in the emulator or not. I've only started playing some of the homebrews on various systems so can't really comment on if there are issues with them.

There are also a few emulators that aren't integrated with CoinOPS such as KegsX (Apple IIGS), Virtual JaguarX and some I'm probably forgetting. Virtual JaguarX can't replace a Jaguar, but it's still pretty cool to play some of the Jag games on your Xbox. KegsX doesn't really fall into the console criteria but compatibility seems to be high on the system.

[Schizophretard]

Almost every console has been modified to run homebrew, so chances are someone ported an emulator...

The original Xbox covers a lot of the systems you're probably interested in...

Those suggestions are helpful but I'm not looking for an all-in-one solution. Imagine a game room full of consoles with flash carts in them or similar solutions for CD based consoles but every one of those consoles either have an expansion module for a completely different console that also has a flash cart in that, and/or the flash cart itself has emulators of other consoles, and/or the console has emulators of other consoles within it, and/or other options I'm not thinking of. And these consoles in this game room would be the complete list of all that fit these criteria.

 

So, basically it would be a game room where every single console can play all its ROM's on its original hardware but it can also play all the ROM's of at least one other console through whatever means are possible. Then this list of consoles would include with it a list for it of all the other consoles it could play through whatever means are possible. So, it is basically a game room where original hardware and emulation are mixed in a way to complement each other.

[Flojomojo]

Imagine a game room full of consoles with flash carts in them or similar solutions for CD based consoles but every one of those consoles either have an expansion module for a completely different console that also has a flash cart in that, and/or the flash cart itself has emulators of other consoles, and/or the console has emulators of other consoles within it, and/or other options I'm not thinking of.

 

Turtles all the way down.

 

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]