This one I’m writing specifically for the older crowd.
If you periodically have relatives, sons, daughters, etc. that bring over kids between the ages 6 to 16, it’s most likely true that there’s nothing in your house that will entertain them. What happens is that they either sit there in agony waiting to leave, or in worse case start snooping around the house just because they’re bored. If you’re thinking, "Send ‘em outside!", well, that’s not always an option because the younger ones need to be looked after so they don’t climb up a tree, fall and break themselves.
Generally speaking, what you want the kids to do is sit down, shut up and stay put. The best way to do this is with a non-internet-connected gaming console. It’s better than TV because it gets them engaged in actually doing something.
The best gaming console you can get to entertain kids while you talk to the adults are 16-bit generation, namely the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis.
The reason 16-bit consoles are the best choice for kids is because they’re over-engineered and built like tanks. Modern consoles like the Wii and Xbox 360 are very flimsy in comparison. In addition, the controllers and game cartridges themselves are also over-engineered. In other words, short of taking a hammer to one of these, they are impervious to any punishment a kid could throw at them.
Your local flea market (and of course eBay) will always have someone selling one of the two or both above. Your best bet is to buy one with two controllers in case kids want to play multi-player games.
The average price you’ll pay for a console is between $25 to $40, depending on condition. Games will run anywhere from 1 to 10 dollars, depending on title.
Speaking of games, it’s suggested you get at least 5 titles. Here are the ones I recommend for each console:
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Super Mario All-Stars (contains several games, including classic Super Mario Bros.)
- Super Punch-Out!!
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
- Donkey Kong Country (or Donkey Kong Country 2)
- Super Mario Kart
Sega Genesis
Which is the better console to go with?
The Super Nintendo is the better of the two because it has more choices for more kid types. Younger children will like Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario Kart, older kids will like Super Punch-Out!! and if the kid happens to be in his or her teen years, you may even want to consider purchasing RPG-style titles like Chrono-Trigger, Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past.
Will kids actually play these games and not scoff at something so old?
Yes, and they will be more than happy to play them. In fact, the most difficult part will probably be trying to get them away from the games when it’s time for them to leave. 
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“Generally speaking, what you want the kids to do is sit down, shut up and stay put.”
As a parent, I couldn’t have said it better, Rich.
I will say, however, that when my Xbox 360 and Wii were both knocked onto the floor from 36″ up, the 360 was fine, but the Wii is dead
All the more reason to get a Super Nintendo. It has no discs to scratch, no moving parts and it’s cheap to replace (under $40 compared to $200). Another option is the Retron 3 (plays NES, SNES and Genesis all-in-one), but I doubt the build quality is the same as a real-deal SNES.
All the more reason to get a Super Nintendo. It has no discs to scratch, no moving parts and it’s cheap to replace (under $40 compared to $200). Another option is the Retron 3 (plays NES, SNES and Genesis all-in-one), but I doubt the build quality is the same as a real-deal SNES.
I use SNES9x (www . snes9x . com) and Project64 (www . pj64-emu . com) for Emulating the SNES and Nintendo 64 consoles … hundreds of ROMs (games) can be got via BitTorrent … works great even on my Core2Duo laptop with integrated Intel GMA965 graphics.