Although Nintendo is still riding high on the tremendous success of Pokémon GO, it won’t have a new NX console or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to lean on this holiday season. However, it will offer another piece of hardware that should be an instant hit, as it was in the past.
The company has announced that it will be launching a mini collector’s edition NES, based on its original Nintendo Entertainment System console from 1985, this holiday season. Due to arrive on November 11th, the system will come with 30 pre-packaged games installed, as well as an HDMI cable, an AC adapter and one NES Classic Controller, selling for $59.99. Additional controllers will also be available for purchase at $9.99 each, ideal for two-player based games like Bubble Bobble and Super C.
While the system won’t make use of classic NES cartridges (as several knock-off consoles on the market currently do), it’ll offer more than enough 8-bit goodness for players to enjoy, including many original Nintendo games along with a variety of titles licensed through Square Enix, Koei Tecmo, Capcom and more.
“We wanted to give fans of all ages the opportunity to revisit Nintendo’s original system and rediscover why they fell in love with Nintendo in the first place,” said Nintendo of America president and COO, Reggie Fils-Aimé. “The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition is ideal for anyone who remembers playing the NES, or who wants to pass on those nostalgic memories to the next generation of gamers.”
Players will also be able to use the NES Classic Controller for playing old-school Virtual Console games on the Wii and Wii U game systems.
Fans have been clamoring for the system on social media since its announcement earlier this morning, taking to Twitter and Facebook and insisting that they’re going to buy it.
WOW Nintendo is re-releasing the NES in a mini edition and with 30 built in games?!? Sold. pic.twitter.com/WFh0U5StrS
— rhyme (@Rhymestyle) July 14, 2016
I was scrolling down the list of Mini NES games & I was all "Please have Star Tropics, Please have Star Tropics…"
THEY HAVE STAR TROPICS!
— Jason Anarchy 🔜 Anime North (@DrinkingQuest) July 14, 2016
The best part of the Mini NES: Nintendo will make a ton of money, the other hardware companies just like "What? Seriously? Ugh."
— Eric Bailey (@EricVBailey) July 14, 2016
Nintendo should have no trouble making the mini NES into a bestseller for the holiday season, for two primary reasons:
- Price: Whereas most game hardware these days sells around the $300-$400 range, the mini NES is priced to move at $59.99. And since it includes an HDMI cable, that makes it instantly compatible with current televisions.
- Nostalgia: Nintendo wisely mixed up the selection of games included with the mini NES, including a few third-party favorites that were popularized on the original console. Additionally, having the two original Zelda games installed may help further promote The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for both new and existing fans of the series.
The games included on the system are:
- Balloon Fight
- Bubble Bobble
- Castlevania
- Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Double Dragon II: The Revenue
- Dr. Mario
- Excitebike
- Final Fantasy
- Galaga
- Ghosts ‘n Goblins
- Gradius, Ice Climber
- Kid Icarus
- Kirby’s Adventure
- Mario Bros.
- Mega Man 2
- Metroid
- Ninja Gaiden
- Pac-Man
- Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
- StarTropics
- Super C
- Super Mario Bros.
- Super Mario Bros. 2
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Tecmo Bowl
- The Legend of Zelda
- Zelda II: The Adventures of Link
It seems that the “power” of the original NES, as shown in the commercial below, has faded little in over thirty years.
