From Issue #13
In this day and age of technology, gamers who enjoy playing classic video games are no longer limited to playing them on the actual consoles. With a computer, the Internet and the simple click of a mouse button, people can enjoy thousands of console games thanks to a company called Console Classix. With a simple program you can download from Console Classix’s informative website, you can choose to play thousands of classic video games from a wide variety of different platforms. On top of being able to play these games, there is also a wealth of information about each game offered such as year released, name of the company that developed it and an overview of the game. If you find a game that you enjoy, there are options that allow you to find other titles within the same genre. In this review, I will try to cover the various basic options and systems offered for both the free version and the full version.
To get started, just visit the Console Classix website (www.consoleclassix.com) and head to the download section to get the free-to-try software. The free version allows you to enjoy countless games from the NES, Atari 2600 and Colecovision libraries. For only five dollars more, you can get access to seven other game systems: Super Nintendo (SNES), Sega Genesis, Gameboy Color, Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System.
By now you’re probably wondering how Console Classix can offer such a large library of games for such little money and if it’s to good to be legal. Fear not, Console Classix works like an electronic version of a brick-and-mortar rental store. When you choose a game to play, that “copy” is pulled from the virtual inventory that’s based on the actual physical games they have on hand. If all the copies are being played, the game is no longer available to others until someone finishes playing. This approach has satisfied many a challenge to Console Classix over the last eight years from various companies, including Nintendo.
For the purpose of the review, I used an Xbox 360 wired controller for ease of control. I also tested and ran the programs on two different computers: a Dell Inpiron 531 running Windows Vista and an older computer with an Athlon XP processor running Windows XP. Other than issues with the NES games (explained later), the big difference really came down to having to manually adjust the resolution on my computers to make things run smoothly. It is also important to note that my personal game collection consists of many of the games that were offered on this site. When available, I played the original versions of a couple of the games for each system for comparison.
Free Version
The free version of the program was hassle free to download. There were countless options for a user to tweak, such as the option to use a controller or the keyboard for each console system. On top of that, each console has it own set of options to help it run the most efficient on different computers. I found the options not only helpful but very important to utilize in order to make a game run accurately. If you have problems, there is a help menu on the main website that lists the solutions to common problems one might run into.
Atari 2600
I played “Q-bert”, “Pole Position”, “Pac-Man”, “Donkey Kong” and “Asteroids”. The sound for each game was spot on to the original. Using my 360 controller was a breeze and the control was emulated accurately. On my newer computer, I had to adjust my computer’s video settings to make the games appear full screen. On my older computer with XP, I did not have to adjust the visuals. The video options were limited, but overall the games ran great and the graphics were exactly like the original. The only thing missing was the “fuzziness on the screen” from an actual 2600 system being hooked up to a TV set.
Colecovision
I chose “Burgertime”, “Space Fury”, “Mr. Do’s Castle”, “Zaxxon” and “Pepper II” to try. The list of games for the Colecovsion was impressive, including many rare and expensive games that are near impossible to find in cartridge form. I was happy to see a more robust set of options for the Colecovision like the ability to turn off the bios (the opening screen for the Colecovision), switch to full screen and sound options just to name a few. The games ran very well. My only complaint was that the sound appeared to be a little crackly at times, but for these games being free to play, it was great.
NES
I tried out “Ghosts and Goblins”, “Super Mario Bros”, “Gauntlet”, “Legend of Zelda” and “Goonies 2”; ones that I have played quite a bit back in the day. Since I was using Vista on one of my computers, I had to download a patch through the site that would make the NES games run better. Even with the patch and adjusting several of the many options, I still could not get an accurate speed for the games. That again is a minor complaint. On my older XP setup, the games ran perfectly and full speed. Sound was spot on and I was impressed by the multitude of options that could be done to customize the games. Overall the library of games and the little details given about each title was very impressive.
Full Version
Upon testing the full version, I was surprised that it only cost $5 for the additional systems. Getting an additional seven systems, many of them being OUTSTANDING, I was very impressed by this inexpensive price. I was a little shocked that the small price tag was not advertised more on the website. All of the additional systems appeared to run on both my Vista and XP computers without any major issues.
Sega Master System/Game Gear
For these systems I chose a total of three games for the Master System and two for the Game Gear and got excellent results. I played “Power Strike”, “Fantasy Zone” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” on the Sega Master System and “Aerial Assault” and “Battletoads” on the Game Gear. The setup is identical to the Colecovision for both systems and the games’ speed was spot on. Control was also spot on and sound appeared to be intact. My only complaint was the screen size for the Game Gear. It took awhile on my Vista Computer to get the screen size right. The other computer ran the games fine without a lot of tweaks. Libraries for both games were impressive, including many UK exclusives that were some of the best titles available. I was very happy to actually play Game Gear games that were very crisp on a computer screen and not having to deal with the “very hard to see” screen of an actual unit.
Sega Genesis
As one of my favorite systems as a child, I knew that I was going to be a tough critic of this emulator. I chose to play “Lightning Force”, “Chakan”, “MUSHA”, “Streets of Rage 3” and “Sonic the Hedgehog”. I am happy to say that I was able to get the games to run with ease and the options were very robust. The sound and graphics were excellent and both computers initially ran the Genesis emulation without having to do a lot of tweaks. Even running at full screen the games ran well with the sound seeming very close to the original.
Super Nintendo
As I tested the Super Nintendo, I was pleased that not only did it feel as fast as the real system, but that the games sounded very accurate. Of all the consoles that I played, I was most impressed with this system for the sheer amount of options that could be used, not to mention being one of the consoles that appeared to work the best on Vista. The games took only a minute or two to load off of the server and overall they had very accurate feel. I found myself not wanting to stop playing “Street Fighter II Turbo”, “Mr. Do”, “Donkey Kong Country”, “Super Mario World” and “Super Castlevania IV”. This would be one of my picks for best system emulation of this service and I was very impressed with not only the vast options but game selection as well.
Gameboy/Gameboy Color/Gameboy Advance
It is easy to lump all three of these systems into one group as they are rather similar in emulation. And they all play similarly…AWESOME. For Game Boy, I played “Burgertime Deluxe” and for Game Boy Color I chose “Tetris DX” and “Super Mario Deluxe”. And finally for the Game Boy Advance I played “Metal Slug Advance”. These consoles appeared to be able to run on Vista at full screen with very minimal slowdown if any. The game selections for both Game Boy and Game Boy Color were impressive. I was a little surprised that the Game Boy Advance library was not nearly as fleshed out, even though it has more than enough titles to keep you very busy.
Final Verdict
While many collectors may not consider using emulation services, Console Classix provides a rich and wide variety of console games at a steal. There is definitely something for everybody. As a collector, I found Console Classix very helpful in determining future purchases for my game collection. Whether you are a collector or a casual game player, I recommend that you check out Console Classix for the sheer amount of playable games and the endless entertainment it provides.
- John Hancock
