Retro consoles: Clones of the NES Classic Mini and other variants

With the rise and success of the NES Mini and the Super NES Classic Mini There have been many companies that have jumped on the retro train. SEGA already has its own Mega Drive Mini with more than 80 pre-installed games - if you are interested, take a look at THIS import model, with wireless controls and safeguarding of games-, and this Christmas we will also see the Playstation Classic. All this without forgetting the new Neo Geo Mini who is also stumbling around.

Given the current panorama, it is understandable to see so many Chinese clones of these game consoles, especially the NES Classic Mini. They are everywhere! And not only in Chinese stores, Amazon also has a good assortment in its catalog.

Clones of the NES Classic Mini and other copycat retro game consoles

The good thing about these Chinese consoles is that, unlike the original ones, which barely bring a few dozen games, here we can find libraries with hundreds and hundreds of pre-installed classics. The price of these game consoles also usually helps a lot, since they are really cheap.

As a warning, it should be clarified that some of these consoles work with AV cablesSo don't expect to be able to plug them directly into the TV's HDMI (if the TV only has HDMI, you can always use a small AV to HDMI adapter).

The game consoles that we will see below are a selection of those that have the best ratings in stores such as Amazon and GearBest. All of them pull from the 8-bit NES catalog, although there are some that also include 16-bit games from other consoles.

Zantek Coolbaby (NES Classic Mini knockoff)

This is one of the best rated Chinese clones of the mini NES by users. Its great advantage over other copies is that It has an HDMI cable to connect it to the TV, something very unusual in this type of product.

Includes 600 classic retro games and 2 controllers.

Approximate price *: € 32.00 (see in Amazon)

Zoyito Classic Mini Console (NES Classic Mini imitation)

This is another one of the good copies of the NES Classic Mini from Nintendo. Like Zantek's console, includes HDMI output to connect to TV, although there is also a 10 euro cheaper model with AV output. The only "downside" is that to change the game you have to press the on / off button.

It has 621 retro 8-bit classic games, such as Mario, Tetris, Robocop, Adventure Island, Donkey Kong, Tennis and many others. Of course, it also includes 2 controls.

Approximate price *: € 29.88 - € 39.98 (see on Amazon: HDMI console / AV console)

Family pocket

The idea of ​​this console is quite cool: it is a laptop shaped like the classic Japanese Famicom controller with a 3-inch screen. It has a built-in battery that lasts a long time, although it also works with batteries, and includes a cartridge with 160 classic 8-bit games. It also has AV output to connect it to the TV. It is noticeable that they have had trouble with the licenses, since the many games are mods with small variants of the originals.

As we mentioned, the console comes with a 160-game cartridge, although if we remove the cartridge, another 500 games appear that we can play directly.

Approximate price *: € 28.00 (see in Amazon)

FC Pocket

This FC Pocket is very similar to the Family Pocket, but with some advantages. The most important is that it brings legendary games that we did not find in the previous one, such as the original Mario and Contra. It is a clone console, not an emulator, which means that the performance of games is much more reliable.

It also includes many hacks and clone games, but its catalog is in principle better than that of the other portable console. On the downside, I'd say the Family Pocket's design is superior.

Approximate price *: € 23.19 (see in GearBest)

CHUANGXINYOUPIN handheld console (Game Boy Advance imitation)

We continue with another laptop, but in this case a console with much more potential than the Family Pocket and the FC Pocket. This CHUANGXINYOUPIN, with its 3-inch screen, has 3,000 pre-installed games from the Mega Drive, Super Nintendo, NEO GEO, Game Boy Advance, Pc and other emulators.

Its build quality is above average, it has a headphone input and video output, 16GB of internal space and a micro SD slot. It is a little more expensive than the previous ones, but it is more complete.

Approximate price *: 55.10 - 59.99 € (see in Amazon / GearBest)

In this video you can see some of the games it brings and check its performance:

ITAL mini arcade arcade

If we like the NEO GEO Mini from SNK but we are looking for something a little cheaper, this is a good option. The ITAL mini arcade is really mini, with a 2.5-inch screen and dimensions of 15 x 9 x 8.8 cm.

It brings 200 games from the 8- and 16-bit era, some well-known mods and game hacks, all of them classified by genre. The mini arcade with the most positive ratings on Amazon. It works with 3 AAA batteries.

Approximate price *: € 26.45 (see in Amazon)

Here is a video to see it in more detail:

FC Classic Mini NES

If the clones of the NES Mini by Zantek and Zoyito seemed like a price tag, know that you can still fly lower. This Chinese clone of the most classic Nintendo can be ours for just 15 euros. Definitely the cheapest nintendero clone of all.

The console comes with 2 controllers, charger and AV cable for the TV. All this together with 620 classic retro games pre-installed as standard.

Approximate price *: € 15.24 (see in GearBest)

This is just a small example of the whole underworld that has been created around retro consoles and classic games from the 80s and 90s. If you have your favorite, please do not hesitate to leave your contribution in the comments area.