If you like classic video games, you have a lot of options. Unfortunately, most are either limited, such as digital distribution stores with incomplete catalogs, or technically illegal, like downloading ROMs and emulators. Your collection of cartridges from the 8- and 16-bit eras are useless if you don't still have the systems that ran them. Fortunately, there are some legitimate ways to get around that without counting on eBay for reliable decades-old electronics. Retro game consoles let you play your classic games as they were meant to be played: by blowing on the connectors, wiggling the cartridges, and hoping they start.

Last year, we were impressed by the Retro-Bit Super Retro Trio, a combo console that could play Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super NES (SNES), and Sega Genesis games just like the original systems. We're even more impressed by the Hyperkin RetroN 5, which eclipses the Super Retro Trio and its own predecessor, the RetroN 3, in every way. This $159.99 box can play games from nine different systems, outputs all games over HDMI at gorgeous, crisp 720p, and packs loads of tricks previously only seen in software emulators. It easily earns our Editors' Choice distinction for everything it does, and does well.

Design

The RetroN 5 looks similar to the RetroN 3 and Super Retro Trio in basic design. It's just a chunky plastic box (available in black or gray, with purple highlights for both) measuring 2 by 7.9 by 11.8 inches (HWD) and weighing two pounds, with cartridge slots on the top. The console has four top-loading slots for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Super Nintendo/Super Famicom, NES, and Famicom cartridges. It has an additional slot on the front for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance carts. The front of the console also has a power button and a row of lights to indicate both that the system is on and that a cartridge is in a specific slot. A large indentation behind the top-loading slots holds the included Bluetooth controller when not in use. The back of the system has a power connector, a mini USB port for charging the controller (curiously, it uses a rare mini USB-to-micro USB cable rather than full-sized USB for one end), an HDMI output, and an SD card slot.

Thanks to a set of NES, SNES, and Genesis controller ports on both the left and right sides of the RetroN 5, you can use your old controllers (or new ones from companies like Retro-bit) with your games. The system also comes with its own Bluetooth controller that, while not perfect, is functional. It's an 11-button controller with an eight-direction joystick shaped like an analog stick. The stick has a bit too much wiggle and the shoulder buttons are almost invisible, but it's a good backup to have if you don't have any old gamepads or just want to play wirelessly. The Bluetooth connection makes it stable and responsive without requiring line of sight.