My Vintage Console Paradise
My Vintage Console Paradise is a look at my collection of old consoles from the past, from the NES and PS1, all the way up to the GameCube and Dreamcast. This is a look at the joy of retro gaming, and a nostalgic gamer’s dream: vintage consoles galore.
Vintage consoles are a wonderful thing. I’m not talking about the updated versions of old hardware that we see today, I mean the originals. There’s just something about taking the cartridge from the shelf, popping it in, and playing it on the old console. The only thing which would make this worthwhile is playing them on a CRT TV (up to PS3/360 gen). I’m not particularly a fan of emulators, because the experience just isn’t the same. Sure, you can use whatever controller you want, have quality of life improvements like save states, but most of these games are so rare due to their age, that you’ll be spending a fortune to play a single game.
I’ll be honest with you, I’m not a retro gamer. I’ve played a few of these games before, but most of them are completely new to me. I’m more of a gamer these days, but I would absolutely love to have one of those old consoles, and my wife would absolutely love for me to have one. I don’t know where we’d put it, but I’d love to have one just to look at, and maybe play an old game or two from time to time.
This is my collection of retro consoles, and I’ll be covering each one in a separate article.
NES
I put my Nintendo Entertainment System in the basement, right next to my PS1. I really like the design of this one, and I’m not embarrassed to say that I think it’s quite cool. I’ll never forget the first time I played Mario, and the first time I played Zelda, it was an excellent console.
Composite Switch: NES, Dreamcast
Component Switch: PS1
HDMI Switch: PS1, Dreamcast
HDMI 1: Nintendo Switch
HDMI 2: AppleTV
PS1
The PS1 is one of my favourite consoles, and my wife’s as well. I’ve got a lot of PS1 games, but most of them are in the basement as well. This is the only one hooked up to a TV, because my wife uses it while riding our stationary bike. I’ll eventually hook all of them up to a CRT TV, but for now, this will have to do.
Composite Switch: PS1, Dreamcast
Component Switch: GameCube
HDMI Switch: PS1, Dreamcast
HDMI 1: AppleTV
GameCube
The GameCube was the first Nintendo console that I played, and it’s still my favourite. I’ve got a lot of these games as well, but they’re all in the basement. I’m not a big fan of the Controller or the design, but I do really like the library.
Composite Switch: PS1, Dreamcast
Component Switch: GameCube
HDMI Switch: Dreamcast
HDMI 1: AppleTV
Dreamcast
The Dreamcast wasn’t the most successful console, but it was my favourite when I was younger. These are all in the basement as well, but I still have some of my favourite games for it, like Shenmue and Crazy Taxi.
Composite Switch: PS1, Dreamcast
Component Switch: N64
HDMI Switch: Dreamcast
HDMI 1: N64
I have a few N64 games, but they’re in the basement as well. I do like the controller, but I’m not sure if I’d call it my favourite. The Nintendo 64 was a great console, but I think the GameCube edges it out.
