Which systems to buy or emulate?

[rednakes1]

Last weekend while I was browsing through a retro game store, I started wondering which systems would be worth to buy and which would be better to just emulate. I'm not a hardcore collector, as I just want to enjoy the games without breaking the bank. So I'm looking at this from an economical (and space-saving) standpoint. I don't want to collect every single system and game or flash cart. However, I want to ensure the emulation is close enough to the real thing so that I don't have issues with gameplay.

 

Here's what I have considered so far:

 

- Sega Master System - recently sold mine on eBay. Emulation on RetroPie and on my PS Vita is very good (FM sound is also supported). I don't need the Sega 3D glasses or Light Phaser for my gaming needs. I'll stick to emulation.

 

- Sega Genesis - while I haven't played a lot of games on this platform, emulation on my PS Vita and RetroPie is pretty good for games like Golden Axe 1-3. Not sure how other games are. Sega CD seems to emulate properly on my Vita after I converted one of my CD games to BIN/CUE format.

 

- NES - emulation has always been good. There are always so many NES consoles available for sale - not sure if worth buying.

 

- SNES - emulation is hit and miss. Occasionally I see games that don't work properly (slowdowns or don't start).

 

- PS1 - emulation on computer is very good (I also have an original PS3 and fat PS2 that are backwards compatible with PS1 games).

 

- I recently purchased an Atari 2600 + Harmony cart so that I can enjoy the full range of games. The main reason I did not go for emulation is that I use the paddle and racing controllers and I don't feel emulation can match the full control. Plus, nostalgia

 

- I recently purchased a Colecovision + AtariMax cart. Having the numeric keypad controller along with the keypad overlays for several games is a requirement for me. I have occasional issues with certain games in emulation. Also, nostalgia...

 

- N64 - not sure how well it is emulated

 

Opinions? Has anyone decided to buy the actual hardware only because the emulation was not up to your standards?

[Flojomojo]

Like you, I'm very pro-emulator and anti-clutter. You don't sound like you're incredibly picky.

 

With that bias in mind, I think that all of those are fine to emulate except for the Nintendo 64. When N64 works, it's great, but at least a quarter of the N64 games I like won't run in emulation. Flash cartridge for that one.

 

I have original hardware and cartridges/CDs for all of this except for Sega SMS, but they're all in storage because they're a mess to deal with. Too many wires, etc. Haven't missed them, except for N64 --and last time I hooked that up to play, it was pretty yeccchhhh on the big screen.

[mr_me]

Does the atari paddle and driving controllers not work well with USB adaptors? I'd say if you are a big fan of any one system get the real hardware. Emulators are great but they are not always 100%. The other thing is in some cases you need the original controllers even to play in emulation eg. Intellivision controllers, atari paddles

[rednakes1]

Does the atari paddle and driving controllers not work well with USB adaptors? I'd say if you are a big fan of any one system get the real hardware. Emulators are great but they are not always 100%. The other thing is in some cases you need the original controllers even to play in emulation eg. Intellivision controllers, atari paddles

 

I haven't considered using a USB adapter but I've read on these forums about people having paddle issues with the Stella emulator. Nonetheless, I'd rather have the real Atari and play in front of a TV just like I did as a kid.

[Keatah]

Does the atari paddle and driving controllers not work well with USB adaptors?

 

If you're referring to that coupled with Stella VCS emulator, then the Paddle emulation has been defective for a long long time now.

[steve66]

Opinions? Has anyone decided to buy the actual hardware only because the emulation was not up to your standards?

 

 

I still have most of my old hardware, but today I find the Nintendo Wii connected to the main TV as the most satisfying retro machine.

 

Rather than dig out an old CRT or worry about newer LCDs, I've stuck with a 720P Plasma screen and Wii component cable. The picture quality is great (those samples recently being shown around for Wii Virtual console NES versus the recently launched HDMI equipped mini-NES, mine looks closer to the HDMi screenshots, I take it someone used a composite cable)

 

With a family friendly focus, the Wii meets all of my Nintendo and Atari needs. The kids get a history lesson in video games and we have some fun challenges. The Mrs is also happy to play the odd game.

It's a very simple set-up and Wiis are dirt cheap. It also feels far more nostalgic and satisfying sitting at the TV with the minimum of effort. I love the Wiimote pointer and channel UI.

 

This is what we have,

 

Softmodded Wii with Gamecube ports.

Component video cable

2.5" external USB Hard disk Velcro'd to top of Wii

2-4GB SD card

2x Brand new Japanese Gamecube controllers from Amazon seller (Nintendo branded for Wii U, identical to original except much longer cable )

2x old Wavebird (wirless controllers)

1x Classic Wii controller for certain SNES platformers

 

Emulators, (​ http://wiibrew.org/wiki/List_of_homebrew_emulators )

 

Wii 2600

Wii XL (Atari 800 and newer)

NES - Native Virtual console

Visual Boy Advance GX

SNES - Native Virtual console or SNES9X GX (haven't found any differences)

Turbo Grafix 16/PC Engine - Native Virtual console

N64 - Native virtual console

Gamecube - 'Nintendont' loaded via USBLoaderGX with box covers display

The bigger ROMS on USB harddisk. Apps on SD card a long with 8-bit ROMS

 

(Good emulators still to try: Amiga, Apple II, Sega)

 

The Gamecube controllers are supported instantly. Great quality and feel very satisfying in shoot-em ups with that big Green button, the small D-pad looked like it would be a problem but feels better to me. Missile command types feel just as good if not better than what I recall with a joystick.(I'm sure I'm beating my old high scores on the Ataris due to the big screen and controllers) Still find the Pacman games tricky with a D-pad though, along with Bezerk and Shamus types(death walls) Surprisingly 'Track and Field' is great on the small D-pad.

 

Paddles are supported on the 2600 with the accelerometer in the Wiimotes. They work quite well with Circus Atari and Breakout, but need getting used to.

 

USB keyboard is supported on WiiXl, I haven't tried but hope to use for Star Raiders and may show the kids Atari Basic and some of the early office programs.

[keepdreamin]

8 and 16 bit stuff has been emulated satisfactorily for years now.

 

However, another one to add to the actual hardware category is the Saturn. You could play PS1 games on your PC by the early 2000's, a saturn emulator would be hard pressed to run Daytona at more than a few frames per second. Emulation has come a long way for it, but it's not at the point as Sony's official in house PS1 emulator. There's glitches/crashes. SSF has input lag. I find it's just easier to plug in the saturn..

 

So purchase wise without going down collector territory would be a n64 with everdrive. and a saturn with Rhea or Phoebe.

Edited November 26, 2016 by keepdreamin

[Osgeld]

I emulate everything, its just too hard to dedicate my entire house to endless shelves of media whenever I get the itch to retro game (which is often, but not THAT often) .... everything up to N64 emulates with basically no effort, N64 has been a bit of a pain in the past (I have not looked recently and I dont care about N64 anyway) cause of its asshole plugin system, mame of course has its challenges but once you match a romset up with the correct version its not too bad

 

the worst I fear is the pokemon mentality of romsets, like go download one off archive.org, yes they are complete, but do I really need 37 versions of "toejam and earl" ... seems like I spend more time managing and cleaning romsets out of crap I dont care about more than I actually play them. Then once all sorted Ill have a stroke of brilliance, and Ill go wipe my computer with a billion gigs of roms, like I just did a few months ago, dammit!

Edited November 27, 2016 by Osgeld

[Keatah]

I find most everything up to PS1 (and some PS2 material) works well in emulation. After that, the drive to develop emulators further seems to fall off rapidly. Thankfully emulation covers the early years, the golden ages, very well.

 

I have plenty of physical Apple II material going back to when I shit-faced snotty kid, and yet I find myself emulating that platform quite a bit more than one would think. I think emulation is the perfect complement to real hardware in many ways. Consider - quickly trying things out in the virtual world before doing the real thing. I'd rather search through 6 disk images of Game X on an emu to weed out the 5 that don't work, as opposed to acquiring them or putting them on floppy and booting from real hardware. One task is lickety-split, the other is an exercise in time consumption and patience.

 

Emulation really rocks for convenience, reliability, speed, portability, and is perfect for introducing newcomers to the "hobby" of classic gaming. Millions of people are buying those SoC based mini-consoles - and that's all emulation.

 

Emulation is the elegant way of reducing clutter and busy-busy activities that are part and parcel of maintaining a sprawling collection. I don't care how big a house one has, excessive gaming consoles are toxic and fill the head with triviality. Time sinks faster than an imploded submarine when you're messing with it all, and it sucks your bank account down too.

[keepdreamin]

 

the worst I fear is the pokemon mentality of romsets, like go download one off archive.org, yes they are complete, but do I really need 37 versions of "toejam and earl" ... seems like I spend more time managing and cleaning romsets

 

Smokemonster rom packs, already organized. Trimming the fat is pretty easy. Don't want pal games? Don't download the Pal folder, don't want prototypes, delete that folder etc..

[Ransom]

Pre-crash: Buy. Get a video mod. Use a multicart. Most of them have unique controllers or other quirks best experienced in meatspace.

Post-crash: Emulate. Most of them yield great experiences on emulation.

 

You may wish to make an exception for Vectrex: emulation is fine, but there's nothing like the real thing when it comes to vector video. But, it does have to be maintained...

 

Similarly, you may wish to make an exception for systems from the post-crash era that have unique video output and the like.

 

It all depends on taste, really.

[Flojomojo]

You may wish to make an exception for Vectrex: emulation is fine, but there's nothing like the real thing when it comes to vector video. But, it does have to be maintained...

 

That thing puts out a terrible power hum ...and my unit had a melty case which made me wonder how long it was for this earth. I sacrificed it on eBay, and when I get the annual Vectrex itch, I run the commercial Vectrex emulator for iPad. That old Vectrex display was great but it's hard to get excited about it in the modern day, except as a curiosity, even if you liked it as a kid.

 

Just my opinion, of course. As another personal example, I probably put more hours into lame old Odyssey 2 than everyone else on this board, combined, and I don't feel the need to experience it on original hardware -- especially when it can be emulated inside a web browser.

[akator]

I struggled with this question for years.

 

My current solution is simple: own the original hardware that brings enough enjoyment to look at and use enough to balance the maintenance, repairs, and space requirements.

 

It's a very personal thing and it changes over time. This is what I have setup now:

• emulation on 2 PC laptops, 1 PC deskop, 1 Mac laptop, 1 Mac desktop, 1 Raspberry Pi, and a PSPgo
• working original controllers and USB adapters for almost every system made
• Atari 800XL with MyIDE-II
• VIC-20 with memory expansions, multicarts, and SD2IEC
• Genesis / 32X with Everdrive
• Vectrex with multicarts
• Atari Super Pong
• various plug and plays

This has been working for me for a few years now. Any time I want to experience "real hardware" or need a nostalgia fix, these systems meet those needs. Emulation satisfies everything else, especially when using a USB adapter with a system's original controller.

[keepdreamin]

Just be careful, if you do grab a Saturn or N64 you may end up wanting them to look decent on the HDTV you're using your emulator box with. When that happens you may decide on a Framemeister. Just know if you buy one, that's it. You'll be saying "well, I might as well plug up my Genesis to this thing too..." You'll be buying RGB cables and everdrives.

[NE146]

Buy only the consoles you like if you don't have them already. Then, emulate all. Very easy.

[Keatah]

I've kept all my childhood/teen Apple II material along with my Ti-59 stuff.

In addition I have my TRS-80 Pocket Computer 1, 2, and 4.

And my Gateway 2000 486 DX2/50 PC.

Emulation picks up the rest.

 

The above combo works well for me.

[Inky]

Mostly good suggestions, but I'd say collect for the Sega Master System BECAUSE of the light gun and 3-D glasses. Missile Defense is a great game and utilizes both.

[rednakes1]

I just sold my Sega Master System last month. I had it for 25 years but couldn't stand the games, aside from a few. I did consider the 3D Glasses and Light Gun but they weren't worth keeping the system for. (I didn't own those peripherals though)

[ClassicGMR]

I have an emulation arcade system set up but there's still nothing like handling the real controllers. I have used 2 solutions:

 

1) Use a USB adapter and use the real controllers. This is great but it's never going to be "perfect". Hot Shots Golf on the PS1 emulates poorly but I have no problem playing Metal Gear Solid or Gran Turismo 2.

 

2) Multicarts. I have the NES, SNES, Genesis, N64 and Atari 2600 multicarts as well as a modded PS2 with a HDD. These are more expensive options but still incredibly cheap compared to a cart collection.

Edited December 2, 2016 by ClassicGMR

[omegadot]

I've tended to start at emulation and when something is a hassle I pick up the real thing. N64, for instance, is a mixed bag. Goldeneye 007 is infinitely more playable to my eyes in emulation but then some games like Rogue Squadron don't exactly work. I ended up picking up an N64 as I have a real softspot for the system and the emulation tends to be weak.

 

It's basically always easier to try out emulation on whatever desktop / laptop / phone happens to be around to see if it covers you well enough then decide if it's a USB controller solution or a console in your future.

[+Gemintronic]

There is the option of emulation on hardware. The Retro Freak takes real cartridges from most systems the O.P. mentions:

 

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/12/hardware_review_cyber_gadget_retro_freak

[BawesomeBurf]

I've got a Raspberry Pi that I use to emulate consoles and handhelds from the 2600 up to the PS1. Very nice for capturing game footage. Haven't bothered emulating Saturn, N64, or Jaguar, since I've had lots of trouble with those on PC and PSP in the past. I do own several of the consoles that I play on the Pi, but find that emulation is much cheaper and better looking on an HDTV.

 

One system that I strongly recommend emulating for is the TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine. There are lots of fantastic games, but they are hard to find, can be quite pricey, and emulation has been very good for quite some time.

[NE146]

There are lots of fantastic games, but they are hard to find, can be quite pricey, and emulation has been very good for quite some time.

While true.. I think it's important to always note the flashcart option available today as well (it wasn't always that way). I mean.. when you can have a real TG16 or TurboDuo and play ALL roms that way, to me it's a far more preferable option to emulation.

 

 

'Course for turbo CD games you'd have to burn (or buy them)... but again you can just turn to emulators if you don't feel like going down that path. It's funny because at this point people like to "take sides" and think it's either one or the other.. real vs. emus. I say have it all and game on man

[Flojomojo]

I've always been curious about the TG16 but never had strong feelings for it. I always throw the romset onto any emulation thing I'm playing with, Air Zonk and Devil Crash are always amusing to me.

 

Literally TWO DAYS after I put together a nice little Retropie for "authentic" oldies with a USB SNES controller, my neighbor gave me his old TG-16 and a bunch of other stuff. I haven't opened it yet.

 

Then you guys posted this stuff.

 

One system that I strongly recommend emulating for is the TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine. There are lots of fantastic games, but they are hard to find, can be quite pricey, and emulation has been very good for quite some time.

 

While true.. I think it's important to always note the flashcart option available today as well (it wasn't always that way). I mean.. when you can have a real TG16 or TurboDuo and play ALL roms that way, to me it's a far more preferable option to emulation.

 

I'm really confused right now.

 

[Sir Guntz]

Looks like I'm the one to post the unpopular opinion.

 

I really despise emulation, it is almost never 100% accurate. ROMs are not functional games until they are executed. Realizing that, shouldn't the most important factor be the "executing" part? That's why I am pro-original hardware and the occasional clone hardware (single chip type varieties, not software emulators).

 

I am however not against ROMs. As stated above, a ROM is just a set of instructions. As long as the ROM is not damaged, it will be played as the correct game if used on accurate hardware. The container of the ROM is completely meaningless, be it a cartridge or digital file. I am a huge fan of flash carts and modchips. They make classic gaming so much better in the face of insane game prices.