Should I just emulate?

[BoneSnapDeez]

Excellent!

Make sure to pop into our dedicated thread if you have any questions about patching and saving - or just PM me!

[Tanooki]

I keep it simple for myself I use a SNES controller (usually the licensed super pad from ascii, the handheld version of their Super Advantage joystick.) Comfy and effective for any branded Nintendo system so it still feels right. For Genesis, I'd just use one of those, it would be weird not to.

[Xeogred]

Do you guys like any of the new 3rd party SNES/Genesis 6pad controllers out there?

[BoneSnapDeez]

Haven't tried 'em yet. I'm pretty sure I know which ones you're talking about though, my local record store has racks of them.

I do use an old propad for Genesis though, which is pretty solid.

[Westane]

My NES, SNES, N64 and PCE are all modded to output RGB over SCART (Genesis and Saturn do it natively) and them along with my PS2, Xbox and Gamecube are all running through my XRGB-Mini upscaler into my HDTV. It's fantastic, and expensive, and that's just the hardware. I don't have the biggest retro game collection in the world, not really that big at all, but the software still values somewhere in the $2,000+ range all put together.

So my best friend missed out on retro console gaming. He had a SNES but only used it for Mechwarrior. Mostly an early PC gamer. He's getting married this year. As a gift I re-purposed my i5 NUC (micro PC) into an emulator box running Retroarch with Lakka as the frontend. I bought a couple USB SNES controllers for $10 a piece and loaded it up with full collections of every console platform up to the SNES and every handheld up to the GBA. It's absolutely fantastic!

So, as I'm looking at this little emulator box that totaled about $210 to build and takes up approximately zero space, then looking over at my shelves and shelves of games and consoles... I really start to question some of my decisions...

[Exhuminator]

I really start to question some of my decisions...

Once upon a time I had copious amounts of legit Master System, NES, Game Boy, SNES, Genesis, Game Gear, and PS1 games. When emulation became viable in the late 90s, and got really good (for 8 and 16 bit) in the early 00s, I decided to offload all that stuff. Basically, if it was 5th gen or older, I was getting rid of it and replacing it with emulation. At that time I had very little space for such things. So I gave away these games to kids I knew, donated games (to libraries), sold a few things, and eventually got rid of it all.

Now, do I regret this? From a pure game playing standpoint, no. I can still play any old 8 or 16 bit game I want via emulation that is damn sure good enough for me. Especially if I feel like hooking up a legit controller via USB adapter and playing the emulated games on a CRT TV.

What I do regret is not holding onto all that stuff and selling it in today's crazy used games market. I had ZERO idea that all those old games would be worth so much today. But that doesn't mean I'd still keep them, oh no, I'd still get rid of them, but nowadays I'd make a tidy profit indeed. I guess there's some solace in knowing I made a lot of little kids happy by gifting them retro games.

The amount of space my 6th gen and newer consoles/handhelds hardware and software alone take up is massive enough in my dork cave. Let alone the space all the PC games take up. I can't imagine trying to fit all those 5th gen and older games in there as well. So personally speaking there's no way I would still buy 8 or 16 bit games these days. Emulation is nigh on perfect, and they cost wayyy too much today.

[fastbilly1]

So, as I'm looking at this little emulator box that totaled about $210 to build and takes up approximately zero space, then looking over at my shelves and shelves of games and consoles... I really start to question some of my decisions...

I went for Launchpad over Lakka (since I run windows on that machine), but you gotta look at the Blissbox 4 play if you do it yourself. It adapts most any controller to usb, for four players. Playing N64 games then swapping to Saturn and having proper controllers is just awesome.

[marlowe221]

I find it hard to recommend physical hardware over emulation for the 8 and 16-bit consoles these days.

I am still collecting for the Atari 2600 and the Genesis but only because those systems are pretty cheap to pick up stuff for. But I haven't bought a SNES game in YEARS now. And I plan to sell the NES and SMS I bought last year - I am lazy and find myself just emulating anything I want to play/try on those systems.

But I do want to get a few controller adapters so I can use the original controllers on my PC. That said, the Xbox One PC controller has a pretty good d-pad (much better than the 360 controller) if you ask me.

I also think it would be cool to build some kind of micro PC to hook up to the television some day but I really don't mind playing things on my desktop PC.

[Exhuminator]

so I can use the original controllers on my PC

That's the ticket, I'm telling ya. That and play 'em over a CRT, or at least use a quality CRT video plugin.

People play emulated games on laptop LCD screens with clicky keyboards and be like "emulation sucks it feels so fake". Really? Why ever could that be?

[samsonlonghair]

I'm not really familiar with CRT plugins. Do they work well? Is the difference noticeable? What should I look for?