Cobra Kai Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I have this age old friend, he's in the military, and he expressed to me how much he missed playing NES and 'Sega' like we used to so long ago. Now, this guy wants to have the games to play, but he doesn't want to collect the original games and systems, and I don't blame him since he would be starting from scratch. So what I'm asking, and I know they are out there, is will someone point me to a system, with atleast one controller, and pre-loaded with all games from classic systems up to N64. I would buy it for him, but I don't want to have to do anything to it, I want it ready to hand over to my friend so he can just hook up the A/V, and power cord and play. Any help appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godslabrat Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Closest you could get would be RBG or NES Classic, but that's not nearly the breadth of games you're looking for. The only way to get this is to DIY it, with a dingo or RPI or something similar. A nice compromise might be a Sega Gopher, but you'd still have to supply the roms. Even bootleg clones from china tend to be limited to one console. Someone's gonna have to put elbow grease into this. Sorry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Lots of folks use the original Xbox for emulation. It's fine for emulators like you're thinking of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amstari Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 There is lots of these one eBay, using a Raspbery Pi. Just search for RetroPie. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RetroPie-KODI-Classic-Game-Console-Raspberry-Pi-3-NES-CLASSIC-SNES-N64-SEGA-/201752550894?var=&hash=item2ef9639dee:m:mynlCNZreu4Vl6tBVok68Uw This hasn't been released yet but looks interesting. Not sure if this is using a Raspbery Pi in a fancy case. RetroEngine Sigma - Mini Console & Media Player https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/retroengine-sigma-mini-console-media-player-cool#/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 I think everyone involved would get more out of learning to build a simple Raspberry Pi system for RetroPie. There are many guides online and you will pick up the skills to maintain and tweak it along the way. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newsdee Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Just get a Retro Freak and put the roms on the SD card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wolfe Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 The Raspberry Pi is far from "dummy proof" The original Xbox is the way to go! See my thread in the marketplace forum for modded original Xbox Barring that, the Wii or the PS2 are next in line for emulation but Xbox is the most stable and reliable in my opinion 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilnick Posted January 12, 2017 Share Posted January 12, 2017 Anyone capable of installing the Homebrew Channel on the Wii can just as easily install RetroPie on a Raspberry Pi 3. I prefer the Raspberry Pi for a few reasons. - Size. A Raspberry Pi is not much bigger than a deck of playing cards, making it easy to add to any setup. It is much smaller than a Wii, not to mention a Xbox. - Controller options. A RPi can use a PS4 controller, XB1 controller or a huge selection of USB controllers. - HDMI output. - Customization. There are a ton of cool cases for a RPi. That said, if playing "backups" on a console is important then modding a console is the way to go, but for emulation only, I prefer the Raspberry Pi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 You could just get an original NES and an Everdrive loaded with roms 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKMike Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Original Xbox, RetroPie or maybe a Retron 5 and an SD Card. All he would need for the Retron 5 is one cartridge for each system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Kai Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 I've got a solution on the way, and thanks to all the suggestions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Original Xbox, RetroPie or maybe a Retron 5 and an SD Card. All he would need for the Retron 5 is one cartridge for each system. Or just get the Retro Freak instead of the RetroN 5. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKMike Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Does the retro freak have the same options with an sd card? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Does the retro freak have the same options with an sd card? Even better. No modding or workarounds needed. ROM support is built-in for a large range of systems. Just pop the ROMs on an SD card and play. You don't even need the cartridge dock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wolfe Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Is the retro freak a closed system or can the emulators be updated ? Many of those devices have pretty crappy emulation. It's cool that it can handle all the different controllers but controller adaptors are available for PCs and RPi which runs the latest emulators For over $200 I would hope it runs an OS that can be customized in some way to run what you want it to run and not just tie you down to crappy emulation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Is the retro freak a closed system or can the emulators be updated ? Many of those devices have pretty crappy emulation. It's cool that it can handle all the different controllers but controller adaptors are available for PCs and RPi which runs the latest emulators For over $200 I would hope it runs an OS that can be customized in some way to run what you want it to run and not just tie you down to crappy emulation I assumed everyone was well aware of the Retro Freak, especially since it's been out for a few years now. No, you can only do updates provided by them and it only supports the dozen or so platforms it supports. The emulation is awesome, though, and AV is wonderful over its HDMI connection at its native 720p. The controller dongle is optional or included with the Deluxe set. If you don't want to use that you can use the included wired controller or most other USB controllers. You can configure those as you like. Other than the high relative cost that may be even higher depending upon your preference for accessories and add-ons, this is super easy to recommend and about as turnkey and plug and play as it gets. Edited January 19, 2017 by BillLoguidice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wolfe Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 I've heard of it. It never looked into it because it is as I thought, a closed system ? For that cost (less even) you can get a fully loaded, modded original Xbox with a lot more functionality and much more reliable emulation that is still being supported & ported. To each his or her own 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Still my favorite for everything up to and including DREAMCAST. Just amazing. Only might be hard pressed to find one these days, it is supposedly surpassed by the GPD XD but my aging eyes and big fumbly hands will take this over that any day. One of the best reviews for this ANDROID based devices with many platforms tested. HONESTLY this device with the big bright 7' screen and great sound is why I have ZERO interest in things like AtGames Atari or 2600 handhelds with those tiny screens , incompatibilities, horrid sound etc. So many litte annoyances overlooked JUST for the sake of having an "official" license / logo for companies that barely exist outside of an copyright / IP licensed to crap hardware producers like AtGames https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnAc0lXPq2s&t=482s Edited January 19, 2017 by OldSchoolRetroGamer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 I've got a solution on the way, and thanks to all the suggestions Whatcha get? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Kai Posted January 20, 2017 Author Share Posted January 20, 2017 Whatcha get? modded xbox 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 modded xbox Nice choice! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillLoguidice Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 A modded Xbox is a good choice (I have two myself), although obviously there are pluses and minuses (bulky, limited to Xbox-compatible controllers or dongles, max component out, etc.) to it, just like the RetroN 5 (needs soft modding), Retro Freak (cost), JXD or other gameified tablet (a bit clumsy between touch/physical controls), etc. There really is no perfect solution, just the best solution for one's needs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKMike Posted January 23, 2017 Share Posted January 23, 2017 For handhelds I would add Pandora to the list as I love mine. With the new Pyra due very soon its definitely worth considering if a little expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vw57drvr Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 I just did a rpi 3 and the config went very smooth. Retropie installed easily and detected my PS3 controller instantly. Took a couple of minutes of setup and now it boots up directly to emulation. Dump roms on it and go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zzip Posted January 24, 2017 Share Posted January 24, 2017 Anyone capable of installing the Homebrew Channel on the Wii can just as easily install RetroPie on a Raspberry Pi 3. I prefer the Raspberry Pi for a few reasons. - Size. A Raspberry Pi is not much bigger than a deck of playing cards, making it easy to add to any setup. It is much smaller than a Wii, not to mention a Xbox. - Controller options. A RPi can use a PS4 controller, XB1 controller or a huge selection of USB controllers. - HDMI output. - Customization. There are a ton of cool cases for a RPi. That said, if playing "backups" on a console is important then modding a console is the way to go, but for emulation only, I prefer the Raspberry Pi. I second this and would add that it's cheap and easier than many think. The creators of RetroPie, PiPlay, and other projects have done the hard work for you. You just download one of these to an SD card, add roms and go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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