Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition announced

[Justin]

If you see a Nintendo Entertainment System on store shelves this holiday shopping season, you haven’t entered a time machine. (Unless everyone around you is wearing acid-washed jeans and neon leg warmers. If that’s the case, you may have unknowingly walked through a rift in the space-time continuum.) The most likely scenario is you are setting eyes on the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition, launching in stores on Nov. 11 at a suggested retail price of $59.99. That’s right: The NES is back!

But this isn’t the same NES that you fondly remember. This new nostalgia-fueled system is a near-identical, mini replica of Nintendo’s original home console and plugs directly into your high-definition TV using an included HDMI cable. The console comes complete with 30 NES games built in, including beloved classics like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, PAC-MAN, and Kirby’s Adventure.

“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-Aime. “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.”

The system comes packaged with an HDMI cable, an AC adapter and one NES Classic Controller, which is patterned after the iconic design of the original NES controller. But you really just want to know the full list of 30 games, right? Feast your eyes on the fantastic collection of NES classics included with each and every system:

• Balloon Fight™
  
• BUBBLE BOBBLE
  
• Castlevania™
  
• Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest™
  
• Donkey Kong™
  
• Donkey Kong Jr. ™
  
• DOUBLE DRAGON II: THE REVENGE
  
• 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 Adventure of Link™
  
  

There’s a little something for everyone: a nice mix of timeless favorites, cult classics and maybe even some games that you never got around to playing. Each is sure to bring back memories and produce plenty of new ones. You can even enjoy playing several of these games with two players by attaching a second NES Classic Controller, which will be sold separately at a suggested retail price of $9.99. A Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro can also be used (each sold separately).

When connected to a Wii Remote controller, the NES Classic Controller can also be used to play Virtual Console NES games on a Wii U or Wii system. Playing these retro games using a retro controller makes the experience that much more authentic. And if you ever need to step away from the NES Classic Edition in the middle of a tough level (or take a break to call one of Nintendo’s helpful Game Counselors*), don’t worry about losing any hard-earned progress. Each game has multiple suspend points, so you can start where you left off at a later time, no passwords needed.

What’s old is new again with the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition. Relive past glories. Finish off that boss you never beat. Save the galaxy and rescue the princess!


*Please only call if you have indeed entered a time machine. The Game Counselor program no longer exists in 2016.

Well, I'll be damned, this is pretty cool! Maybe a little too pricey for some people to pick up though, from the perspective of dumping $60 on it. But it's a hell of a deal in terms of value given the cost of games on the Virtual Console.

 

[Alienfish]

Dang, this looks really good (if it comes worldwide that is)... I'd want this since you can use it standalone without the Wii U crap; kinda miss the NES since my old one broke some ages ago.

 

[Reindeer]

Pretty great idea. I'm just slightly disappointed that it won't be able to play classic cartridges. The mini-system would be a great introduction to NES games, and if people still had an old library or were able to find games at like a flea market, they'd be able to play more than the 30 pre-installed games. Though, in this age, maybe someone will find a way to hack other ROMs onto the system's HDD.

But still, it's a pretty great idea.

 

[Justin]

Pretty great idea. I'm just slightly disappointed that it won't be able to play classic cartridges. The mini-system would be a great introduction to NES games, and if people still had an old library or were able to find games at like a flea market, they'd be able to play more than the 30 pre-installed games. Though, in this age, maybe someone will find a way to hack other ROMs onto the system's HDD.

But still, it's a pretty great idea.

Yeah I'm super curious to see what the hardware inside is, and how hackable it may be.

 

[RosieThePeppyCat]

This is actually really cool! I don't think I will be picking it up personally, but if they do one like this with the SNES and one of the games is Earthbond, I'll get that. Maybe if this sells well they will consider doing one for the SNES.

 

[ShinyYoshi]

Only $60??? Did I read that correctly??? That's awesome. This is such a cool idea of Nintendo to do for the holidays. I know a bunch of people would love to replay those games on the classic controller.

 

[Stalfos]

I'll be keeping an close eye on this. Very exciting.

 

[nintendofan85]

I won't be getting it because I have a lot of NES games on the Virtual Console, but I think it's really cool that they're coming out with this.

 

[JCnator]

Pretty great idea. I'm just slightly disappointed that it won't be able to play classic cartridges. The mini-system would be a great introduction to NES games, and if people still had an old library or were able to find games at like a flea market, they'd be able to play more than the 30 pre-installed games. Though, in this age, maybe someone will find a way to hack other ROMs onto the system's HDD.

But still, it's a pretty great idea.

The patents for the NES Game Pak and its reader have been expired long time ago, in which many of the clone consoles (e.g. every RetroN variation, Retro Duo) that can read those cartridges started to appear around 2007. I suspect this might be a reason why Nintendo couldn't add a cartridge reader, along with the inability to make profit off from the NES games sold as cartridges.

Since the NES Classic Edition boasts two controller ports that are actually the extension socket found on every Wii Remote, it does bring me some concerns. Since all of the 30 games are available on the Wii Shop Channel, it is possible that the micro-console might be a modified Wii hardware. If that's the case, then the emulation quality would be on par with that system's alright Virtual Console service. The Wii (or Wii Mode) outputs up to 480p, but the colors are darker than what the original NES hardware used to. I'm perfectly fine with that kind of hardware, but that would skipping the opportunity on emulating those classic games better than they did before.

I just hope that they don't reuse the Wii U emulator for the NES games. That one was truly awful, with its crazy blurry fliter output, darker colors, and noticeable emulator-specific input lag (the GamePad display even turns out to lag behind most modern TVs).


All concerns aside, I think it's a great Christmas present for pretty much anyone, which is ironic considering that the NES games tend to be much more difficult than most modern games. The variety found in this game selection is robust to the point of catering different tastes in gaming, most of which are pretty good.

 

[Hunter x Hunter]

I'm definitely will buy this! It's way cheaper than buying all this stuff on the Virtual Console. Even though I have some nes games for Virtual Console, I'm still getting it.

 

[SilkSpectre]

So excited for this! Hope it's good! I miss my first console.<3

 

[Trent the Paladin]

>galaga

Gonna scrounge up $60, see you guys this November!!

 

[Alienfish]

>galaga

Gonna scrounge up $60, see you guys this November!!

>this

ye same better start saving up, finally you don't have to worry about stupid connector thing breaking every other month ;D

 

[Draco]

no Dunt Hunt ? -1 but ill still buy it guess.

 

[JCnator]

no Dunt Hunt ? -1 but ill still buy it guess.

Duck Hunt would be a great game to include in that micro-console, but there are some technical issues that are apparently difficult for Nintendo to resolve within the resource and time constraints.

The NES was released back in the era where CRT TVs were the norm and the HDTV weren't commercially sold. Every version of Duck Hunt beside the Wii U one is only playable with any CRT TV, thanks to the latter's near-instantaneous refresh rate and the way the game registers fired shots.
Every time you pull the NES Zapper trigger, the game will a display a screen on the TV with black background and one or two large white squares for a single frame (which is about 1/60 second). These white squares represent where the ducks actually are and provide information to the NES Zapper whether you were actually pointing at them or not, which was done during that frame.
Since HDTVs don't benefit from the near-instantaneous refresh rate, the NES Zapper will never be able to land a hit on any target. Therefore, Duck Hunt is unplayable with any HDTV, unless you're using the Wii U VC port of it.

 

[Araie]

I've never actually played a NES before, so I will definitely be picking this up. I wonder if it's as good as (almost) everyone says it is.

 

[Discord]

Well, I'll be damned, this is pretty cool! Maybe a little too pricey for some people to pick up though, from the perspective of dumping $60 on it. But it's a hell of a deal in terms of value given the cost of games on the Virtual Console.

Shut up and take my money!.

I would honestly buy this, the pricing on this is just perfect alongside the fact that you can play 30 classic NES games on this.

 

[DarthGohan1]

pretty cool release from nintendo, would love to see a snes version too!

 

[Alienfish]

pretty cool release from nintendo, would love to see a snes version too!

oh yes, i can imagine it being more expensive though due to components and a lot of game, but yeah cool they do a hybrid between physical and built-in games like this one

 

[Aquari]

but cant you just download an nes rom to ur computer the plug the computer to the tv (via hdmi) then play, its pretty much the same and its free
!