Does anyone own "all" (or nearly all) of the Mini consoles

It likely impossible to own all the various retro devices that book to a TV, there have been hundreds of them even before you count the Chinese bootleg devices. But, is anyone a collector of the retro devices made to look most like a "mini console". I figure the demographics of this site lean towards people who would buy the NES, SNES, C64, Genesis, PlayStation, etc. So is anyone trying to collect them all?

Just to name a few...

• Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition Nintendo
• Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Super NES Classic Edition Nintendo
• THE C64Mini Retro Games Ltd.
• NEO GEO mini SNK Corporation
• PlayStation Classic Sony
• Sega Mega Drive Mini Sega
• Sega Astrocity Mini Console
• Sega Genesis Mini
• C64 Retro Games Ltd.
• PC Engine Mini 2020 Konami
• TurboGrafx-16 Mini
• NEO GEO Mini Arcade International Version
• PC Engine CoreGrafx Mini
• VIC20 Retro Games Ltd.
• A500 Mini (Amiga 500 Mini)

I think some of teh bootlegs are actually very interesting, the ones that look like tin 1970s CRTs are fun, not sure how functional they are to play on a 3 inc screen but I like the look. The mini-arcade games for NEO-GEO and Sega Arcades games are cool too.

You'll probably find people who have the triple threat of NES/SNES/PS1 before it got kinda stale. I think a bunch of these aren't really worth owning though. On top of that, you have something like the Game Gear mini that I was looking into recently, which only released in Japan, so all the text would be in Japanese even if you did import it at great cost.

wow that's a whoooole bunch of mini consoles. 🤩

can I ask does it cost much to collect these things? even if you have no plan on selling them.

@armoredmachine said:

I think if a person where to endeavor to collect these things they would have to guess what the desirability of each one would be. For months you could buy the PlayStation mini for about $50, but then the supply ran out and this less desirable device crept up with demand to get one. In the case of the official Nintendo mini the prices started high, got higher, and crept up even more.

That is the other thing about these minis, there is a draw for gamers, but just as big for nostalgia nerds. People who owned a C64, VIC 20, Amiga, VCS Atari, etc who might not game now want that experiences again...or if they missed it they want to get what they could not buy as a child.

I wasn't even aware a Vic-20 one came out. I knew about the C64, Amiga and Spectrum ones.

The C64 and VIC20 minis are interesting because they do have the programming in BASIC mode. I'm not sure most people who use them in that way, but the ability to emulate that and programming is neat.

I wonder if in 40 years we desire mini replicas of 2020 computers running Windows 10? In the last 40 years we have gone from this to this

I ruined the SNES classic for myself by putting like a hundred games on there, which lead to me playing one for about 5 minutes, getting stuck or annoyed and playing another.

@monkeyking1969 said:

@shindig said:

I wasn't even aware a Vic-20 one came out. I knew about the C64, Amiga and Spectrum ones.

The C64 and VIC20 minis are interesting because they do have the programming in BASIC mode. I'm not sure most people who use them in that way, but the ability to emulate that and programming is neat.

I wonder if in 40 years we desire mini replicas of 2020 computers running Windows 10? In the last 40 years we have gone from this to this

yeah, it's amazing how far the tech has come from where computers have started,

also, we have handheld computers now, like the Steam deck and also people have been installing windows 10 on that too, and other variants of linux. 😉

like mentioned here:

https://www.pcmag.com/news/steam-deck-to-support-multi-boot-for-different-operating-systems

I was actually thinking about coding some BASIC on a CPC emulator a few weeks back. Then Retroarch's hotkeys intervened and I was like, "Fine, I can't be bothered to unbind these."

I've actually seen some people on reddit complain about exactly that, 🤣 having a complete ROM arcade to emulate, which IIRC was something like a few hundred GB, and then not playing, or just play hopping.

Of the mini systems, the big size C64 interested me the most because it has a functioning keyboard.

In terms of using old computers, I actually found the best solution is MiSTer and a USB keyboard, though, because the Linux side of it can see your home network and thus ready access to disk images if you want to save/load anything.

I suppose this shouldn't be a huge surprise. After all the whole project started as a way to replicate Amiga and Atari ST hardware in FPGA.

This is idea "adjacent" to the topic but...

On French eBay someone is selling nearly every console ever made for nearly 1 Million Dollars. A collection 50 years’ in teh making which features rare consoles and hard to find items - consoles in all colors and every possible limited edition.

https://kotaku.com/game-collection-ebay-nintendo-sega-sony-microsoft-1849481394

That's neat, and at 1 million I think there are hundred of tech gurus who have the money, space, and desire to have it. And, who knows if it is worth that much? It might be it is subjective at a certain point.

This looks interesting :

Sega is keeping mini consoles alive

[Full articles from The Verge] https://www.theverge.com/23439097/sega-genesis-mini-2-astro-city-mini-v-retro-consoles

SEGA GENESIS 2

The Genesis Mini 2, which, as the name implies, is a direct sequel to the excellent Genesis Mini from 2019. This time around, the console is based on the redesigned second-generation Genesis, which has a somewhat sleeker design, and it (thankfully) comes with a six-button gamepad in the box. As with the original, it’s a simple plug-and-play device: you connect the HDMI cable, plug in the power, and you’re good to go. It doesn’t connect to the internet, and there are few settings to fuss about with. There seem to be a TON of games; however, you must scoop one up fast, they say they are making less units this time around.

Included Games

• After Burner II
• Alien Soldier
• Atomic
• Runner
• Bonanza Bros
• ClayFighter
• Crusader of Centy
• Desert Strike: Return to the Gulf
• Earthworm Jim 2
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Ecco: The Tides of Time
• Elemental Master
• Fatal Fury 2
• Final Fight CD
• Gain Ground
• Golden Axe II
• Granada
• Hellfire
• Herzog Zwei
• Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar
• Mansion of Hidden Souls
• Midnight Resistance
• NIGHT STRIKER
• Night Trap
• OutRun
• OutRunners
• Phantasy Star II
• Populous
• RAINBOW ISLANDS -EXTRA
• Ranger-X
• Ristar
• Robo Aleste - ROLLING THUNDER 2
• Sewer Shark
• Shadow Dancer: The Secret of Shinobi
• Shining Force CD
• Shining Force II
• Shining in the Darkness
• SILPHEED
• Sonic 3D Blast
• Sonic The Hedgehog CD
• SPLATTERHOUSE 2
• Streets of Rage 3
• Super Hang-On
• SUPER STREET FIGHTER II THE NEW CHALLENGERS
• The Ninja Warriors
• The Ooze
• The Revenge of Shinobi
• ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
• Truxton
• VectorMan 2
• Viewpoint
• Virtua Racing
• Warsong

Bonus Games

• Devi & Pii
• Fantasy Zone
• Space Harrier II - Spatter
• Star Mobile
• Super Locomotive
• VS Puyo Puyo SUN

SEGA ASTRO CITY MINI V

While I'm not familiar with these arcades games they little stand up table top unit seems neat. The Astro City Mini V is designed to appeal to one very specific type of retro game fan: people who love shmups. The machine is basically a curated playlist of excellent shoot ‘em ups that span different styles and tones. Many of them were previously exclusive to Japanese arcades, like my personal favorites,Armed Police Batrider, in which you fight through a crime-ridden Manhattan on a hoverbike in the far-off future of 2014, and Kingdom Grand Prix, a fantasy shooter that’s also a racing game somehow.

LIST OF GAMES INCLUDED:

• Moon Cresta
• Zaxxon
• Super Zaxxon
• Terra Cresta
• Cosmo Police Galivan
• Action Fighter
• Truxton
• Wrestle War
• Fire Shark
• Raiden
• Out Zone
• Sonic Wings
• Truxton II
• Dogyuun
• Desert Breaker
• Batsugun
• Grind Stormer
• Samurai Aces
• Kingdom Grandprix
• Gunbird
• Strikers1945
• Armed Police Batrider
• Battle Bakraid Unlimited Ver.