So Sony announced the PS1 "Classic" a couple weeks ago, to get in on Nintendo's action with NES/SNES mini.
It's a lot less interesting to me for multiple reasons;
1) Every PS2 & PS3 can play PS1 games (and there are a still plenty of working PS1 consoles around too)
2) It's 10 years more recent than the NES
3) It comes with the original digital-only PS1 controllers - I'm sure this is because they're cheaper to make, and also so they can put out a second one later with the DualShock analog controllers
4) For me personally, I've still got a ton of PS1 games and still play them on my PS3
The NES Classic also had the "advantage" that every NES other than the top-loading models wore out and won't read carts properly (a major design flaw I don't think Nintendo ever even acknowledged and certainly never offered to fix).
Still, I'd consider the PS1 classic depending on the game library it comes with - I think they've still only announced 5 out of 20 titles that are supposed to be included?
So on to "Classic" systems I'd like to see;
An N64 classic is a no-brainer - there are so few "essential" N64 titles that all or most of them could be included. The problem here is going to be cost - beefier emulation hardware + analog controllers required, and probably 4 controller ports.
They can save money by only packing in 1 controller - but then, does anyone really want that damn awkward, uncomfortable N64 controller again?
Something like the Hori N64 controller would be preferable - maybe a more modernized version;
But that ain't gonna happen.
Other than that, a good-quality Genesis mini would do well - the existing ones are all hot garbage. Problem there is, how many of the best Genesis games were 1st party Sega titles? Not a problem Nintendo has.
What I'd like to see personally, and what would make a Genesis classic a more appealing prospect would be if they had built-in "Power Base Converter" then throw 30-40 Genesis games on it and ANOTHER 20-40 Sega Master System games on it. The Power Base Converter could even be included as a plastic part that fits in the fake cart slot. I don't expect that they'll actually do this mind you, just what I'd like to see (and I'd buy one if they did). It should also come with the 6-button version of controllers.
There's already a Neo-Geo mini, but it seems pretty dire;
! No longer availableOther than that... I don't really give a crap about the Atari 2600, 5200 or 7800, nor the Intellivision or Colecovision. Don't think anyone wants a Jaguar "classic" either.
A Sega Saturn mini with a good selection of games - I'd be up for getting one of those, but it did so poorly in North America though that it seems unlikely.
Dreamcast is probably a bridge too far in regards to small/cheap emulation, and by the PS2 the game file sizes were getting large enough that putting them on flash memory (at least in 2018) may not yet be cost effective, plus again, beefier, more expensive hardware.
Any others that need the classic/mini treatment?