Classic games? An emulator is enough. Looking for a more 'nostalgic' experience, so to speak? The web is full of Raspberry Pi projects and arcade cabinet builds. Or maybe you'd rather not build one? Then a console like the RetroN 5 might be for you, or with a bit more effort, the highly sought-after NES Classic. But there's another option on the horizon: Retroblox. What makes it different? A modular design to support other systems, and an optical drive.
The Retro Revival
Personally, I'm glad to see players interested in consoles that haven't lost their luster over the years. What better example than what happened with the NES Classic? Nintendo sold a million and a half units worldwide, demand is still through the roof, and the Japanese giant is working at full speed to stock shelves. Others have taken the Raspberry Pi route, loading RetroPie onto memory cards and improvising a case. But we shouldn't forget the so-called 'multi-consoles' with support for multiple systems. The RetroN series is the most well-known, and its latest model uses cartridges from four different consoles. Now, stepping into the ring is Retroblox, and it boasts a rather striking modular design.
Retroblox's Features
For starters, the console has a built-in optical drive, enabling emulation of platforms like Sega CD, PC Engine CD (TurboGrafx-16), and of course the original PlayStation. Secondly, its modules let users emulate only the consoles they care about. Each module comes with a cartridge slot and two gamepad ports. Its makers have said Retroblox will support games requiring special chips (Super FX comes to mind), there will be 1080p video upscaling, and anyone who wants can stream their sessions to YouTube and Twitch.
Concerns and Doubts
Doubts? Plenty, as always with this kind of project. Swapping modules to access different consoles sounds expensive and inconvenient, but Retroblox will have a 'dumping' feature that copies cartridges and optical discs to an SD card. At the same time, this suggests compatibility with ROMs from the web, which could cause problems. Most of the available images are renders, and the console will need a crowdfunding campaign, which will start in April. If we don't see a prototype by then, well...
