Having broken the news that its new console won't be making an appearance until next year, Nintendo has unexpectedly pulled an old one out of the bag to keep us occupied in the meantime. The Nintendo Classic Mini will let you relive Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games of yore and comes loaded with old favorites like Mario, Zelda, Metroid and Castlevania.
Finding a way to play games from classic consoles is not especially tricky: The web and app stores are awash with ported versions, explanations of how to build homemade consoles that will run classic ROMs and, for that matter, places to buy ready-made consoles loaded with pirated ROMs of one guise or other.
With the exception of SEGA and it's Mega Drive / Genesis plug-and-play device, though, it's rare to find manufacturers kicking out platforms on which to reminisce with retro titles. In short, nostalgia doesn't pay as well as new.
The Classic Mini, however, also known by the more verbose "Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition" moniker, is a mini replica of the NES with a design that is as faithful to the original as could be – albeit miniaturized. Indeed, even the controllers sport the basic, blocky, black and grey look and feel of the originals.
"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," explains president and COO of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime in a press release. "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 console connects to an HDTV via an HDMI cable (a much more modern convenience over the original's RCA AV cable) and comes with 30 NES games installed. There are, of course, no cartridges required with all games loaded onto its internal memory (that also means you won't have to blow on any cartridges).
There's no suggestion yet that gamers will be able to add any additional games to those preloaded. By way of explanation, Nintendo says it aimed for a mix of "timeless favorites" and "cult classics," as well as some games that were less widely played when the NES was first released back in the 80s.
The Classic Mini comes with an HDMI cable, an AC adapter and one NES Classic Controller, with additional controllers able to be bought for a suggested price of US$9.99. It's apparently also possible to use the NES Classic Controller to play Virtual Console NES games on a Wii or a Wii U, with users needing only to connect the controller to a Wii Remote to do so.
If you want to get your hands on the Classic Mini, you'll have to wait until November 11th when it launches in stores. Nintendo's suggested retail price is $59.99. The full list of games is as follows:
- 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
Source: Nintendo