What’s old is new again, or at least it comes with an HDMI port. Nintendo has announced the plug-and-play Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition, a mini console that comes pre-loaded with several of the best retro games.
Launching in November for $60. the NES Classic Edition comes with almost every game you think of when you hear “NES.” Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Excitebike, Castlevania, Bubble Bobble, Mega Man 2, Metroid, Ghosts ‘N Goblins, Ninja Gaiden, and The Legend of Zelda are just a few of the games you can expect.
“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,” Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said in a release announcing the console.
The most die-hard Nintendo historians will note, however, that the NES isn’t technically Nintendo’s first home gaming console. Released only in Japan starting in 1977, the “Color TV” series of plug-and-play systems were created largely to capitalize on the success of Pong, learning valuable lessons about the nascent gaming hardware business that would help them revolutionize the industry worldwide in the following decades.
Unlike the original system, the NES Classic Edition comes bundled with an HDMI cable, as well as the “NES Classic Controller,” which is designed to mimic the look and feel of the original rectangular two-button design. Extra Classic Edition controllers will also be available, and the Wii’s Classic Controller and Classic Controller Pro are also compatible. As such, the Classic Edition controller can actually be used on the Wii and Wii U as well.
For just $60, this is a great way to introduce younger players to some of the franchises that shaped the medium over the last three decades. If your kids are feeling cocky about their video game skills, load up Super C and teach them a bit of old school humility.
There is, however, a small catch, In keeping with the tradition of plug-and-play consoles, the NES Classic Edition will not connect to the internet, and it won’t support any additional games. We don’t expect this to be the last of these to release, though. An SNES model sounds like a sure thing at this point, and we can even see a portable Game Boy getting the treatment, as well.
The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition arrives November 11.
Updated on 7-15-2016 by Gabe Gurwin: Included details on lack of online connectivity or additional games.
