The retro edit
The best console for each kind of retro game
Ask ten people for the best retro game and you will get ten answers and an argument. Ask what kind of games they love, and the right console becomes surprisingly clear. Different genres ask different things of the hardware: a precise D-pad, a sharp screen, analogue sticks, a second controller. Here is how our range lines up.
Platformers and 2D action
Running, jumping and precise timing live and die on the D-pad. You want a good one, and you do not need analogue sticks getting in the way of your thumbs.
In your hands, the Trimui Brick and Brick Hammer are made for this. Their 4:3 screens match the shape of the games, and the fully laminated displays keep every pixel crisp. On the TV, the Game Stick Lite 4K covers the 8-bit and 16-bit years when these games were at their peak.
Role-playing games
Role-playing games mean long sessions and a lot of reading. Menus, dialogue and item lists are full of small text, so screen sharpness matters more here than anywhere else, and so does battery life.
The Brick Pro is our pick: a 3.95-inch screen at about 324 pixels per inch and a 5000 mAh battery. The Brick and Brick Hammer are sharper still, at about 400 pixels per inch on a smaller screen. If you want the text bigger, the R36MAX2 has a 4.5-inch screen at a lower price. Save wherever you like, and a role-playing game fits into a commute.
Racing and 3D adventures
When games moved into 3D in the late nineties, analogue sticks became essential. Steering, camera control and moving through open spaces all feel clumsy on a D-pad.
Any console with sticks will do, and more power helps. The Smart Pro S has the most headroom of our handhelds, two Hall-effect joysticks and active cooling for long sessions. The R36S is the budget route and handles PS1 games well. On the TV, the G99 reaches up to N64 and PSP.
Fighting games and sports
These are games for two people in one room. You can play them alone, but they were designed for the moment your friend loses and demands a rematch.
Any of our TV consoles fits, because each comes with two wireless controllers. The Game Stick Lite 4K covers the classic arcade and 16-bit fighters, and the X8 adds PS1. Our guide to hosting a two-player game night has more on getting it right.
Puzzle games and arcade shooters
These games are the easiest to run and the best for short breaks: a round of a falling-block puzzle while the kettle boils, one credit of a shoot-em-up before a meeting. Every console we sell handles them.
What matters more is how quickly the console gets you playing. The Brick lives in a pocket and starts in seconds. The R36S has the longest battery of our handhelds, at about eight hours, so it is rarely flat when you reach for it.
Games made for handhelds
Handheld consoles had their own classics. The earlier ones were made for small screens and look at home on the Brick or the R36S. PSP games were made for a widescreen display, and the Smart Pro S shows them edge to edge on its 4.96-inch 1280×720 screen.
If you love a bit of everything
Most people do. For a handheld that covers the widest range well, the Brick Pro balances pocket size, sticks and a sharp screen. For the TV, the G99 covers the most systems. And our guide to choosing a retro console walks through all nine.
