# Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainment System



## StevenC (Jul 14, 2016)

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Misc-/Ni...=nintendoclassicmini&utm_content=announcement

Nintendo announces mini USB powered NES with 30 games built in. Not compatible with original controllers, but the new controllers also work with Wii and Wii U Virtual Console.

Available 11/11


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## vilk (Jul 14, 2016)

making controllers with cords in 2016?
I mean, I get that they are aiming for nostalgia
but I'm fairly certain that no one is nostalgic for tangled up controller cords.


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## TedEH (Jul 14, 2016)

The first console Nintendo has put out in a while that I can see myself buying any time soon.  Would be nice if there was any sort of details about adding games to it afterwards, cause the idea of being stuck to the included ones is kinda lame. They could have just as easily made something that plays actual NES cartridges, and I'm sure it would sell.


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## Aymara (Jul 14, 2016)

What a piece of junk ... sorry.


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## SD83 (Jul 14, 2016)

Because why bother just releasing the games for all platforms... don't get me wrong, I love re-playing some of my childhood favourites (although I never owned any console, PC all the way  ), but I don't see the point in apparently restricting the new versions of those games to this one specific, new piece of hardware. I know, they want to sell the "new" NES, but why bother developing it in the first place if it isn't even any kind of next-gen console instead of, I don't know, USB-NES controllers and then just sell the games +controllers for Wii, PC, smartphones etc instead of this thing?


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## Chokey Chicken (Jul 14, 2016)

As if these games haven't been released on Wii and DS enough. How many times will they sell the same games?


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## TedEH (Jul 14, 2016)

^ As someone who doesn't have a Wii or DS, I'm appreciative of a way to play those games again.  They'll keep selling those games for as long as we'll keep buying 'em.


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## bostjan (Jul 14, 2016)

List of games:
Balloon Fight
BUBBLE BOBBLE
Castlevania&#8482;
Castlevania II: Simon&#8217;s Quest&#8482;
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
DOUBLE DRAGON II: THE REVENGE	
Dr. Mario
Excitebike
FINAL FANTASY®
Galaga&#8482;
GHOSTS&#8216;N GOBLINS&#8482;
GRADIUS&#8482;
Ice Climber
Kid Icarus
Kirby&#8217;s Adventure	
Mario Bros.
MEGA MAN&#8482; 2
Metroid
NINJA GAIDEN®
PAC-MAN&#8482;
Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
StarTropics
SUPER C&#8482;
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tecmo Bowl&#8482;
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Sounds okay to me. Those are mostly games I would replay for the umteenth time, especially Star Tropics (which, however, you'd have to look up some of the puzzles online, unless they modify them, since the game heavily relied on using the game manual)...but why bother including Double Dragon II, if they don't include Double Dragon? Super C and no Contra?!

And, what others have said, everybody has their favourites, why not have a way to download your old favourite (for me, Dragon Warrior III, Crystalis [which was actually SNK, so I don't know if they could do it], Faxanadu...)?

IDK, I might get this if it's affordable enough.


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## StevenC (Jul 14, 2016)

SD83 said:


> Because why bother just releasing the games for all platforms... don't get me wrong, I love re-playing some of my childhood favourites (although I never owned any console, PC all the way  ), but I don't see the point in apparently restricting the new versions of those games to this one specific, new piece of hardware. I know, they want to sell the "new" NES, but why bother developing it in the first place if it isn't even any kind of next-gen console instead of, I don't know, USB-NES controllers and then just sell the games +controllers for Wii, PC, smartphones etc instead of this thing?



Nintendo already sells these games on Wii, Wii U and 3DS. They'll never put their games on PC as long as they make hardware. They're also going to sell these controllers separately so you can play a NES game with a NES controller on your Wii or Wii U.

I imagine they're capitalising partially on the success of Pokemon Go and the nostalgia it has brought.

By the way, it's $60.


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## bostjan (Jul 14, 2016)

StevenC said:


> By the way, it's $60.





I was thinking $30-40, and that it'd include the second controller...

I've seen Atari consoles at the dollar store that include the second controller and cost $19. The technology of the NES is not that much ahead of the Atari 2600, really, not to justify >3x the price.


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## thedonal (Jul 14, 2016)

You know. I'd much prefer a pc based emulator of older Nintendo consoles and then remake each controller for USB. Would be a far better system for reissues.

I still feel that Nintendo should focus on the games rather than hardware.


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## TheShreddinHand (Jul 14, 2016)

I'm all over this to play these games with my kids (who are 7 & 3). This is perfect for them! But....would be nice to know about adding more games and wireless controllers...


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## Aymara (Jul 14, 2016)

thedonal said:


> I still feel that Nintendo should focus on the games rather than hardware.



Not long ago I said the same, but Nintendo is mainly for kids, right?

And I guess parents prefer cheap kid's hardware instead of kids using dad's PC 

But this new retro console is pure nonsense, because most kids already have a Nintendo DS, right?

PS: I guess the target group here are adults, that want to deep dive into their kid's memories on the cheap, like it was with the C64-Joystick combo, that was released around 10 years ago.


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## TedEH (Jul 14, 2016)

Aymara said:


> Nintendo is mainly for kids, right?



Not sure if sarcasm. Lots of adults use Nintendo products.

I see this as sort of targeting people who aren't necessarily modern Nintendo fans, but who used to have an NES. I don't imagine it would be hard to find people who used to play on consoles like that, but haven't been buying into newer Nintendo stuff- and I'm one of those people. All the criticism is valid- I agree there'd be much more value if you could add games, or if it could read the original carts, or wireless controllers, etc., but I can see a market for this product anyway. I'd buy it.  I can also see this appealing to parents who don't want to buy their kids a "real console" but can still share the whole nostalgic thing with them for almost-cheap.


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## StevenC (Jul 14, 2016)

Aymara said:


> Not long ago I said the same, but Nintendo is mainly for kids, right?



Nah, Nintendo is for people who like games. Using colours other than grey and red doesn't mean the games are for kids.

Come to think of it, as an adult, the last PC game I played that gave me the same kind of enjoyment as a Nintendo game was Undertale. And that game is an homage to Mother/Earthbound.


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## Aymara (Jul 14, 2016)

TedEH said:


> Not sure if sarcasm.



No this time it's not sarcasm, it's Nintendo themselve who name kids as their main target audience / customer.

Being myself a gamer for decades I always saw kids playing DS, girls play Wii and boys and adults on PS and XBox or PC. For sure there are exeptions to this rule.

I myself bought the WiiU on release, because i was fascinated by ZombiU and the new controller concept, but in the long run I was disappointed. The adults I became to know in the Miiverse were people who had a Nintendo console as kids.

And this seems to be the target group of this new mini console, adults who want to play their kid aera games again.


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## abeigor (Jul 14, 2016)

Saw this today and am legit excited about it. I can't stand the next-gen consoles...PS4, XBOX1, all meh. I can see why people who game a lot really like them, but I don't game a lot. I want to be in and out of a game in 15 minutes because I have other .... to do. 
Nintendo speaks to me.


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## Pav (Jul 14, 2016)

abeigor said:


> Saw this today and am legit excited about it. I can't stand the next-gen consoles...PS4, XBOX1, all meh. I can see why people who game a lot really like them, but I don't game a lot. I want to be in and out of a game in 15 minutes because I have other .... to do.
> Nintendo speaks to me.



Sounds like a free emulator on a PC would best for you then. Completely free, more flexible than this pseudo-NES and with access to virtually every game ever made for the system.

I may have some interest in this if they give any indication that more than the base 30 games will be available somehow. I would love to replay Metroid, FF1 and StarTropics, but why the hell should I spend any money on this when there are countless ways of obtaining all of these games for free through an emulator?

Also, this kinda irks me:
_"*Note that an AC adapter for the USB cable is required to play the system but is not included in the packaging."_
I know almost everyone has one in the current age of smartphones but still, that's a stupid corner to cut.


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## abeigor (Jul 14, 2016)

Pav said:


> Sounds like a free emulator on a PC would best for you then. Completely free, more flexible than this pseudo-NES and with access to virtually every game ever made for the system.



I have (somewhere) every Street Fighter arcade game and an emulator...I wonder what the heck I did with that drive.


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## Señor Voorhees (Jul 14, 2016)

TedEH said:


> ^ As someone who doesn't have a Wii or DS, I'm appreciative of a way to play those games again.  They'll keep selling those games for as long as we'll keep buying 'em.



I'm assuming you have a pc or a smart phone, both of which can play the older games quite handily. (phones sorta suck since there's no actual buttons though.)

This product just stinks of those cheesy old atari "30 in one" things you'd hook up to your TV through the RCA jack and get 20 minutes of fun before the thing goes into the closet to collect dust. If they open up the catalogue, then _maybe_ it'll be worth it. Otherwise, it just seems more user-friendly to buy a controller and DL a .... ton of roms from wherever.

$60 for like 6 sorta decent games doesn't help. More Mega Man would help for sure. Most of it is just throw away blandness though.

To each their own, but I'm also in the boat that thinks they've been milking this cash cow for far too long. To each their own though, and cool on you if you buy it and enjoy it. I certainly won't rag on anyone for that, but this is far from the _only_ decent option to play these games.


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## Pav (Jul 14, 2016)

abeigor said:


> I have (somewhere) every Street Fighter arcade game and an emulator...I wonder what the heck I did with that drive.



Even if you can't find the drive you can download everything you need to play right here. Or here. Or here.


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## abeigor (Jul 14, 2016)

Pav said:


> Even if you can't find the drive you can download everything you need to play right here. Or here. Or here.



Oh man, good looking out. Thank you!


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## Don Vito (Jul 14, 2016)

It's going to be more expensive than a used Famicom.

It's going to use emulation.

And it doesn't have River City Ransom.


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## TheKindred (Jul 14, 2016)

RetroPi anyone? 

Gives access to essentially EVERY system from PS1 and earlier including the MAME arcade machines. 

Pi Zero is $5, games are free, and I got a wireless adapter for $7 to use my 360 controllers with it.

I bet I could even get a fancy Nintendo case 3D printed online and it still wouldn't even ring in a 1/2 the price, with infinite more functionality.


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## abeigor (Jul 14, 2016)

TheKindred said:


> RetroPi anyone?
> 
> Gives access to essentially EVERY system from PS1 and earlier including the MAME arcade machines.
> 
> ...



Oh damn, that's cool!


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## StevenC (Jul 14, 2016)

Pav said:


> Also, this kinda irks me:
> _"*Note that an AC adapter for the USB cable is required to play the system but is not included in the packaging."_
> I know almost everyone has one in the current age of smartphones but still, that's a stupid corner to cut.



Good news! This only applies to the European version of the Mini NES.


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## Aymara (Jul 15, 2016)

All of the above discussion about casual gaming ("just 15 minutes"), smartphones ... don't forget tablets ... and emulators show, that this Mini is a major fail right before release.

When I read about Pokemon Go I thought: "Welcome in 2016, Nintendo", but when I read about this Mini and the planned NX, I see, that Nintendo hasn't learned much from theirs fails of the last few years.

In times where kids have the former smartphones of their dad, Nintendo should concentrate on games instead of hardware. If they don't, they will very likely follow Atari's fate.


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## Vrollin (Jul 15, 2016)

Aymara said:


> All of the above discussion about casual gaming ("just 15 minutes"), smartphones ... don't forget tablets ... and emulators show, that this Mini is a major fail right before release.
> 
> When I read about Pokemon Go I thought: "Welcome in 2016, Nintendo", but when I read about this Mini and the planned NX, I see, that Nintendo hasn't learned much from theirs fails of the last few years.
> 
> In times where kids have the former smartphones of their dad, Nintendo should concentrate on games instead of hardware. If they don't, they will very likely follow Atari's fate.



I reckon you will eat your words when they sell out a christmas....
Most everyone I have talked to about this is keen as a bean to grab one when they are released....


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## SD83 (Jul 15, 2016)

Vrollin said:


> I reckon you will eat your words when they sell out a christmas....
> Most everyone I have talked to about this is keen as a bean to grab one when they are released....



I wouldn't be suprised, even though I really want to agree with Aymara. Everything I read about this outside of this thread is just people going on about how great this is. When I stated that I might be interested if it was 20-30  and more games where coming, the first reply was literally "seriously, I would still buy it if it was 100". On the other hand, with all the free-to-play, kickstarters, investments and stuff going on, I have absolutly no idea how parts of that market work at all, so I'll basically believe everything to be possible even though I don't see how it could work out...


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## Aymara (Jul 15, 2016)

SD83 said:


> Everything I read about this outside of this thread is just people going on about how great this is.



The question is, if these people are aware of the fact, that this bullsh** comes without the needed power supply and that it is limited to the preinstalled games ... no further games downloadable as it seems.

The euphoria will end pretty soon after buying it and this will end in negative publicity for Nintendo ... as always since the release of the WiiU.


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## Aymara (Jul 15, 2016)

A further thought: You pay 60 bucks, are limited to 30 games, most of which are not the superb top titles, you have to pay extra for a power supply and for double the price you could buy a Wii Mini, which can download hundrets of games to Virtual Console ... ok, they are not included and cost extra.

Conclusion: This Mini NES is a product for uninformed customers, sorry ... or for extremely poor parents.

Conclusion 2: Or is this thing an appetizer for idiots, that first buy this retro crap, just to buy a Wii Mini a few weeks later to get further game classics?

Sorry folks, no offence intended, but these Nintendo product politics make me really angry.


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## Aymara (Jul 15, 2016)

Nintendo should continue, what they started with Pokemon Go and release Virtual Console with in-game shop to Google Play and Apple store. That would be a top seller, not such a useless retro console, which you will find on the Bay next year in masses for 10 bucks, sold by disappointed customers.


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## MFB (Jul 15, 2016)

Aymara said:


> All of the above discussion about casual gaming ("just 15 minutes"), smartphones ... don't forget tablets ... and emulators show, that this Mini is a major fail right before release.
> 
> When I read about Pokemon Go I thought: "Welcome in 2016, Nintendo", but when I read about this Mini and the planned NX, I see, that Nintendo hasn't learned much from theirs fails of the last few years.
> 
> In times where kids have the former smartphones of their dad, Nintendo should concentrate on games instead of hardware. If they don't, they will very likely follow Atari's fate.



Except your argument falls apart when both Pokemon Go and this Mini-NES are nostalgia cash cows that people are falling head over heels for because they can "relive their childhood" and


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## Aymara (Jul 15, 2016)

MFB said:


> Except your argument falls apart ...



I'm no prophet, so time will tell


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## MrWulf (Jul 15, 2016)

Hate it to break it to ya.


Lots of things are pointed out about Nintendo. Pokemon Go is a fad, and like the Wii it will sell, but it will dip rather horribly.


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## vilk (Jul 15, 2016)

Aymara said:


> buy a Wii Mini, which can download hundrets of games to Virtual Console



Wii mini doesn't go online, from what I'm reading.
----------------------------------


I figure this product is for little kids. You can get your little, tiny kids a cheap video game that they can play forever, it's not really expensive or breakable or difficult to figure out so you don't have to set it up for them or show them how to beat the level or anything like that. 

I figure it's the perfect thing to leave sit in your log cabin. Like, if you've got a log cabin or a time share or something, you just leave it in the dresser there in case there's a day that gets rained out when your visiting, and then all the kids will be able to play some games.

Or if my sister has kids and all the sudden I'm Uncle Sam and they're gonna come over to my house while my sister goes out to dinner with her boyfriend or something, I don't have any video games consuls to keep them busy. But I could grab this for an easy 60 bucks and they wont make a peep. Then I can wrap it up and indiscriminately toss it in the dresser until the next rare occasion that I might be asked to watch someone's kids.


Also, I'm certain that if you had a party with a little TV running Dr. Mario VS screen in the corner you'd find people lined up for it in lieu of beer pong.


I swear to God I'd buy the thing if the controllers were wireless. Give it two years, they'll pump out the next one with wireless controllers and improved game selection.


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## bostjan (Jul 15, 2016)

Would it kill them to turn the cartridge slot into something that accepted media, such that other games could be played on it? Or, in this day and age, to connect it to the Nintendo network to download software...

I guess my criticism over that is a missed opportunity complaint, but it's a pretty obvious one, I think.

My wife and kids already said they want this bad, but we'll see once it's closer. I still think it's too limited for what it is.

My ideas to change it would be:

1. Have just a few games preinstalled, and have the option to download more titles. It's not like Nintendo doesn't own enough software titles for the system. This has got to be the biggest problem with it. Otherwise, it's one of those $19 dollar store/drug store cheap junk specials. Different people like different games. As other people mentioned, emulators are not difficult to find, you can get a USB NES controller replica, and then you basically already have this console for the low low price of a controller. With no flexibility in software, I don't think this can compete with the setup described as an alternative.
2. It should come with two controllers, not try to nickel-and-dime you for the second controller, which, it's easy to imagine, every store will be sold out of when the time comes.
3. It should have its own power supply included. I see no excuse for this on a TV-plug-in console. It makes Nintendo look bad, IMO, that it doesn't have one.
4. It should have its own screen. If it has to plug into a TV, then there's no need to make it tiny. If it needs to plug into a TV, then the cost should reflect that. If it ran off a rechargeable battery and had it's own screen, then I could see this going for a higher asking price.

I think these will come out, there will be a flood of people suckered into buying one, then the novelty will wear off in days and it will end up flopping. Then we'll see people making mods with screens and SD cards for more games, and they will become a thing again, but then Nintendo will get pissed and shut it all down, just like they did with the DS and the R4.


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## Aymara (Jul 15, 2016)

vilk said:


> Wii mini doesn't go online, from what I'm reading.



Yeah, right, my fault. But hey ... most kids will prefer the 2DS for just 100 bucks anyway  ... it has everything, kids want, playing online, having a huge game collection and play even on grandpa's boring birthday party 



> I figure this product is for little kids.



If you mean pre-school age, you might be right. But are those games really suited for this age? I guess, not ... some maybe.

Fact is, kids being in school, want what their classmates have, right?

Regarding above feature wishlist ... that chance is missed and even if they would have implemented WiFi and included a second controller and power supply, it would have risen the price over the 100 bucks mark, so it would definitely be a shopkeeper.


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## StevenC (Jul 15, 2016)

I figured this kids was for nostalgic adults. Hence why the box art is so similar to the original. I can see there's a market for nostalgia aunts, uncles and parents getting this to play with their kids, but I think that's only part of it. Fact is that NES games are $5 on the Virtual Console, and 30 of them for $60 is a good deal. Especially if you don't have a Nintendo console already.

Next, they aren't selling the second controller separately to be cheap. The controllers are for sale separately so people with Wiis and Wii Us can use the controller. Also, most of these games are single player, or don't support simultaneous multiplayer.

As to the games selection, it's pretty good and diverse. But the confirmation that it won't expand is unfortunate. As for suitability for kids, I didn't have a problem playing any of these games.

Again, the lack of power supply is only in the European release. But loads of companies have been doing this. All you need is a USB cable and then there are a number of super easy ways to power this.

As for emulating these games for free, that obviously cheaper, but also stealing, and most people who this is targeted towards aren't emulating on their computers.

Finally, to Aymara. This all goes back to the old discussion that if Nintendo don't innovate with hardware, no one will. What was the last Nintendo game you played? Have you seen Breath of the Wild. Comparing Atari's downfall to Nintendo is a severe misunderstanding of gaming history. Nintendo is literally giving people more options to play their games and that's a bad thing? Pokemon Go is not analogous to putting the Virtual Console on mobile stores. Nintendo won't ever do that while they have a successful hardware business, which they do with the 3DS. What about the unannounced, unreleased NX which we know nothing about worries you? Most people who buy this will know exactly what they're buying.

This is a cool little thing for what it is. It has a few flaws, I'll agree. Minimal eShop/VC functionality would have made this amazing. This will sell out, though, and we'll get a SNES version and N64 version, too.


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## Aymara (Jul 15, 2016)

StevenC said:


> What was the last Nintendo game you played?



Some Zelda stuff on the WiiU in Wii mode, because I never had one.



> Have you seen Breath of the Wild.



Yes, nothing spectacular, if you're used to RPGs on other systems, e.g. The Witcher 3, Dragon Age and stuff like that. This title should have been released together with the WiiU and now it comes in 2017 ... embarrassing, sorry.

Yes, I'm not a Nintendo fan boy ... I started with a C64 and moved directly to PC in the late 80ies and later to XBox because I got tired of constant hardware upgrades and driver issues.

No offence intended, I'm just a Nintendo critique


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## bostjan (Jul 15, 2016)

StevenC said:


> I figured this kids was for nostalgic adults. Hence why the box art is so similar to the original. I can see there's a market for nostalgia aunts, uncles and parents getting this to play with their kids, but I think that's only part of it. Fact is that NES games are $5 on the Virtual Console, and 30 of them for $60 is a good deal. Especially if you don't have a Nintendo console already.



30 games for $60 is a good deal, except when you don't choose which games and the games are all ~30 years old, then, not really. Parents getting this for nostalgia's sake, maybe, but parents are typically busy, and spend a lot of money already on kid stuff. I challenge Nintendo to prove me wrong, but I don't think this unit will fly with that demographic.



StevenC said:


> Next, they aren't selling the second controller separately to be cheap. The controllers are for sale separately so people with Wiis and Wii Us can use the controller. Also, most of these games are single player, or don't support simultaneous multiplayer.



Sure, Zelda is single player, but Tecmo Bowl, Bubble Bobble, Mario Bros., and Ice Climber are actually meant to be played by two people. I think even if they include only three or four games designed primarily as two player games, that not including a second controller is a bummer. Maybe they will produce enough controllers that it won't be any problem picking up a second one, though, as was the case with the N64.



StevenC said:


> As to the games selection, it's pretty good and diverse. But the confirmation that it won't expand is unfortunate. As for suitability for kids, I didn't have a problem playing any of these games.




These are all kid friendly games. The selection of games would have been fine if it was expandable. Not being expandable makes it, well, just what I said earlier...



StevenC said:


> Again, the lack of power supply is only in the European release. But loads of companies have been doing this. All you need is a USB cable and then there are a number of super easy ways to power this.



Which consoles don't come with the power supply?!



StevenC said:


> As for emulating these games for free, that obviously cheaper, but also stealing, and most people who this is targeted towards aren't emulating on their computers.



It's not stealing if you already own the game. Maybe I'll but the NES mini just so I can legally obtain a couple more ROMs. I never owned nor played Balloon Fight...hmm, on second though, for $60...no. Who is this targeted toward, besides people who don't do emulation and don't own a functioning NES?



StevenC said:


> Finally, to Aymara. This all goes back to the old discussion that if Nintendo don't innovate with hardware, no one will. What was the last Nintendo game you played? Have you seen Breath of the Wild. Comparing Atari's downfall to Nintendo is a severe misunderstanding of gaming history. Nintendo is literally giving people more options to play their games and that's a bad thing? Pokemon Go is not analogous to putting the Virtual Console on mobile stores. Nintendo won't ever do that while they have a successful hardware business, which they do with the 3DS. What about the unannounced, unreleased NX which we know nothing about worries you? Most people who buy this will know exactly what they're buying.



I know you aren't addressing me, but you cannot ignore the fact that the Wii U had dismal sales. We don't know anything about the NX, but Nintendo has, so far, said things about it that most likely will end up equating to nonsense.

3DS sales are okay, but tapered off in 2015. I'd say, though, that Nintendo has the market on hand-held portable game consoles, ... but ... then again, hand-held portable game consoles are quite possibly on the decline, with younger and younger kids getting smartphones and tablets.



StevenC said:


> This is a cool little thing for what it is. It has a few flaws, I'll agree. Minimal eShop/VC functionality would have made this amazing. This will sell out, though, and we'll get a SNES version and N64 version, too.



I don't disagree, I just think the biggest flaw of the device is a tragic missed opportunity. And I honestly don't think it will sell out for long.


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## Ralyks (Jul 15, 2016)

Honestly, I'm grabbing one of these on release day. I hope it has a way to add more games in the future.


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## StevenC (Jul 15, 2016)

When I mentioned lack of power supplies I was mostly talking about how a lot of tablets and phones etc don't come with chargers anymore and at best just a USB cable. Though, Nintendo doesn't package a charger with the 3DS anymore, their reason being it's the same charger since the DS Lite and there are a lot of them out there already.

I reckon it's being targeted at folks who've stopped playing games since their NES or SNES and have since been reminded by the Pokemon Go trend.

The Wii U did have awful sales, there were a variety of contributing factors here. Basically all we've been told about the NX is that it's coming out in early 2017 and will have the biggest game of E3 as a launch title. It's already starting out better than the Wii U.

3DS has been pretty successful, and you've summed it up pretty well.

I just up the inevitable SNES version will be expandable.


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## bostjan (Jul 15, 2016)

But those are all portable handheld things. A console that plugs into a TV and uses cabled controllers not coming with a power supply is just goofy decision making.


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## Aymara (Jul 16, 2016)

bostjan said:


> ... just goofy decision making.



Similar as with the WiiU, that could have been a major success as a family console (not only kids), because it was next gen one year before the competition and was a major fail because of totally idiotic product politics which lead to a lack of good games. By far the best game was ZombiU, which was not only third party, but also had outdated graphics. In one year I only had 5 games, the rest were Wii classics, so I bought a PS4.

And from the announcements about the NX so far, I fear they will do similar nonsense again, maybe even worse.


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## bostjan (Jul 18, 2016)

Aymara said:


> Similar as with the WiiU, that could have been a major success as a family console (not only kids), because it was next gen one year before the competition and was a major fail because of totally idiotic product politics which lead to a lack of good games. By far the best game was ZombiU, which was not only third party, but also had outdated graphics. In one year I only had 5 games, the rest were Wii classics, so I bought a PS4.
> 
> And from the announcements about the NX so far, I fear they will do similar nonsense again, maybe even worse.



ZombiU was the best Wii U game I came across. Nintendoland was okay for me, but I didn't get hyped up about it at all. Pretty much every other game I tried on the Wii U didn't really capture the functionality of the device, was not fun to play, had weird graphics, or a combination of those.

The console, for me, did not capture any of the magic the Wii had in its prime.

And, it seemed, there were not a lot of titles for any contemporary consoles at or just after launch, so Nintendo was poised to make a pretty strong stab into the market, they just didn't pull it off.

If Nintendo doesn't give anyone a peek at the NX in the next 3-4 months, they will not be able to garner any hype over the console in time to get big numbers at release. I think they are already burning prime marketing time now.


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## synrgy (Jul 18, 2016)

Aymara said:


> most of which are not the superb top titles



Wait, what?

Maybe it's that I was an 80's kid, but the list has nearly every major game I used to play on the system. It's pretty much their 'Top 30' list, minus a few for which there were licensing issues. Feel free to cross reference against the sales history: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_Nintendo_Entertainment_System_games


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## bostjan (Jul 18, 2016)

synrgy said:


> Wait, what?
> 
> Maybe it's that I was an 80's kid, but the list has nearly every major game I used to play on the system. It's pretty much their 'Top 30' list, minus a few for which there were licensing issues. Feel free to cross reference against the sales history:
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_Nintendo_Entertainment_System_games



Pretty much why I was surprised that they ignored Tetris and Dragon Warrior titles. Now I see those at the top of your list. 

I also would have loved Crystalis to be included, even though it was not as popular a game, it was very popular amongst those who were privileged enough to have played it. But, being an SNK game, I wasn't sure Nintendo would be able to secure the rights even if they wanted to do so. Oh well.


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## synrgy (Jul 18, 2016)

I'm not saying they didn't miss any, but I am saying that the existing list of titles has most of their best and/or most popular titles, so when I read "most are not the top titles" I guess it just rubbed me wrong. I get that these things are largely subjective. I just figure it has Mario/Zelda/Metroid, which, TL;DR = it has the top titles.

Certainly there are titles that I would swap if given the choice, but that doesn't mean the titles in which I'm lacking interest weren't hugely popular.

As for Tetris, specifically, I'm guessing that was a licensing thing, too:

"The Tetris Company, LLC (TTC) is based in Hawaii and is owned by Henk Rogers and Alexey Pajitnov. The company is the exclusive licensee of Tetris Holding LLC, the company that owns Tetris rights worldwide and the Tetris Company licenses the Tetris brand to third parties."

Moot point for me anyway. Being comfortable with emulators, and having hands that really, _really_ don't enjoy the shape of the original NES controllers, I'll likely pass. Not to mention, I still have my original NES in working condition.


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## Aymara (Jul 18, 2016)

bostjan said:


> ZombiU was the best Wii U game I came across.



I found Mass Effect even better, but ZombiU is that reference title, when it comes to the potential of the console, the best integration of the pad into the game experience, though Mass Effect's pad use was quite nice too ... or maybe also Assassin's Creed's pad use.



synrgy said:


> Wait, what?
> 
> Maybe it's that I was an 80's kid, ...



That plays a huge role ... where you say "oh, remember the good old Nintendo days", I say "ha, the C64 days" or "wow, the times of the first Lucas Arts adventures on PC". It's your own personal history, your memories.


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## Demiurge (Jul 18, 2016)

Señor Voorhees;4615518 said:


> This product just stinks of those cheesy old atari "30 in one" things you'd hook up to your TV through the RCA jack and get 20 minutes of fun before the thing goes into the closet to collect dust. If they open up the catalogue, then _maybe_ it'll be worth it. Otherwise, it just seems more user-friendly to buy a controller and DL a .... ton of roms from wherever.



It's funny because not too long ago, the sketchy mall in town would periodically have a kiosk that sold units that were the NES equivalent. IIRC, they were $40 and I heard that they didn't last long before crapping-out. There's also a Sega Genesis with preloaded games that you can get on Amazon cheap, too. It's kind of like Nintendo was trying to get in on the market, because if you think of it, a standalone unit with no network capability, storage, cartridge slot, or expandability makes little sense otherwise.


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## Aymara (Jul 19, 2016)

Demiurge said:


> It's funny because not too long ago, the sketchy mall in town would periodically have a kiosk that sold units that were the NES equivalent.



Aha ... that sounds, as if the Mini NES is some kind of anti piracy unit.


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## bostjan (Jul 19, 2016)

Sad thing is, though, I bet there are a few games the shady NES clone has preloaded that the mini NES does not and vice versa, meaning that they won't really compete with each other.


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## Vrollin (Jul 20, 2016)

Holy crap if we all just say we hate it and won't buy it will Aymara calm down already...


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## vilk (Jul 20, 2016)

Demiurge said:


> There's also a Sega Genesis with preloaded games that you can get on Amazon cheap, too.



https://www.amazon.com/Sega-Genesis...8&qid=1469020477&sr=8-2&keywords=sega+genesis

Holy crud, dude. This thing is cheaper and has better selection, two _wireless_ controllers and a power cord. If only it came with Maximum Carnage...

edit: And it takes cartridges. So I could play Maximum Carnage if I had it.


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## Aymara (Jul 20, 2016)

Vrollin said:


> ... will Aymara calm down already...



Don't worry ... I found the ultimate retro game 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensch_ärgere_dich_nicht


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## bostjan (Jul 20, 2016)

What about Draughts? That game is pretty retro, yet still popular today.


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## StevenC (Jul 20, 2016)

Yeah, Pokemon Go was not what I was expecting.


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## Demiurge (Nov 12, 2016)

Unsurprisingly, the release yesterday went swimmingly for Nintendo. An- I can imagine- intentional scarcity led to quick sellouts at stores, a Ticketmaster-like vaporsale on Amazon, crazy resale prices on eBay, and gobs & gobs of hype. 

I don't want/need one for myself, but I wanted to get one for my brother-in-law for XMas. He is impossible to shop for and this is the only thing he seems excited about- this better not be a Tickle Me Elmo situation (I doubt it will be).


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## TheShreddinHand (Nov 12, 2016)

Saw an article that a third party made a wireless controller. That's clutch! I'm waiting to see how it'll work with the system from reviews first.


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## Demiurge (Nov 12, 2016)

TheShreddinHand said:


> Saw an article that a third party made a wireless controller. That's clutch! I'm waiting to see how it'll work with the system from reviews first.



That's a good thing. Failing that, I saw that there are already long extension cables available, and the included HDMI cable is pretty long, too. Using the reset button to change games and to manage save-states might drive the decisions- like, someone might want to have the console closer to them for that functionality while others won't and prefer the console to stay in the entertainment center, using the controller from a distance.


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## TheShreddinHand (Nov 14, 2016)

Demiurge said:


> That's a good thing. Failing that, I saw that there are already long extension cables available, and the included HDMI cable is pretty long, too. Using the reset button to change games and to manage save-states might drive the decisions- like, someone might want to have the console closer to them for that functionality while others won't and prefer the console to stay in the entertainment center, using the controller from a distance.




Yup, here's both of them:

http://nyko.com/collections/nes-classic-edition

extension cord would still be borderline for me with where my couch is. Crazy to think I gotta spend $20 (probably times 2) to play on the $60 console, but my kids are going to love this thing.


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## Ralyks (Nov 16, 2016)

Have there been availability issues with this? I'm definitely trying to score one for the holidays.


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## synrgy (Nov 16, 2016)

^This is just anecdotal, but on release day, my FB feed blew up with people complaining that it was sold out everywhere.

Which, based on Nintendo's history, would be pretty much par for the course. I remember my parents pre-ordering Mario 2 for my birthday in '89. Demand outpaced supply so badly that Nintendo had to change the pre-orders to back-orders. Having rinsed/repeated that process countless times over the intervening three decades, I'm left to presume it's an intentional part of their business strategy.


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## bostjan (Nov 16, 2016)

It looks like you are absolutely correct in assuming this is Nintendo's business model, according to this Forbes article.

Also, check this auction, and the description even says SOLD-OUT, so you probably won't even get one for 3 grand.


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## Demiurge (Nov 18, 2016)

Ralyks said:


> Have there been availability issues with this? I'm definitely trying to score one for the holidays.



Yeah, it apparently sold out immediately on release day at all brick & mortars and websites. Amazon then declared that more units would be made available at 5pm (that same day, I think) and it was like classic Ticketmaster: site froze, units disappeared from carts, and all sold out by 5:01. WalMart did the same for the past 3 days and the same thing happened. I saw articles about people using bots to snap them up quicker than normal people so that probably explains it.


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## CapnForsaggio (Nov 18, 2016)

Just going to leave this here..... Runs all game systems, put nay game you want on it. SNES controllers. $35.

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-turn-your-raspberry-pi-into-a-retro-game-console-498561192


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## Ralyks (Apr 17, 2017)

So I apologize for the necrobump, although it does technically contain a news item that we didn't post here. But mostly a bit of a story.

So back on Tuesday (April 11th, day before my birthday), I went to Gamestop to trade a bunch of games in. Forgot what I was in the process of grabbing, but then I asked out of curiosity; 

Me:"Are you folks ever getting NES Classics in again?"
Gamestop employee: "Actually, we have 4 in the back right now."
Me: "..... Cancel [whatever game I was getting with the trade in] and ring one of those up."

So with my trade in, I didn't pay a dime and finally got my hands on an NES Classic.

The very next day, Nintendo announces they are discontinuing the NES Classic, or at least the verbiage says in the US.
So here I am, wondering if I should be lucky to have scored one, enjoy it, and maybe make it my sons first console..... Orrrrrrr careful put it back in the back in the box (which is still in perfect condition and with all of the internal packaging) and observe evilBay over the next few weeks.


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## bostjan (Apr 17, 2017)

Ralyks said:


> So I apologize for the necrobump, although it does technically contain a news item that we didn't post here. But mostly a bit of a story.
> 
> So back on Tuesday (April 11th, day before my birthday), I went to Gamestop to trade a bunch of games in. Forgot what I was in the process of grabbing, but then I asked out of curiosity;
> 
> ...



Ask yourself how much it's worth _to you_ then check the price. I don't know how crazy they'll get, but the craze might be near peak at this moment. If Nintendo announces an NES Classic Mini II, then you might as well keep it.


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## Ralyks (Apr 17, 2017)

bostjan said:


> Ask yourself how much it's worth _to you_ then check the price. I don't know how crazy they'll get, but the craze might be near peak at this moment. If Nintendo announces an NES Classic Mini II, then you might as well keep it.



I feel its more likely that we get the Super NES Classic next. Nintendo even stated in their press release about the NES Classic that it was never meant to be a long term thing, I guess more of a collectors item. While its awesome to finally play some of the best games ever on a 4k without it looking awful, there are other ways to play those games, and the funds would be helpful.

On the other hand, its a freakin' mini NES with some of the best games ever. Its oddly adorable sitting next to my PS4 Pro.


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## bostjan (Apr 17, 2017)

Ralyks said:


> I feel its more likely that we get the Super NES Classic next. Nintendo even stated in their press release about the NES Classic that it was never meant to be a long term thing, I guess more of a collectors item. While its awesome to finally play some of the best games ever on a 4k without it looking awful, there are other ways to play those games, and the funds would be helpful.
> 
> On the other hand, its a freakin' mini NES with some of the best games ever. Its oddly adorable sitting next to my PS4 Pro.



You could hock it on eBay, then grab a RetroPi and pay half a semester's college tuition for your kid.


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## Ralyks (Apr 18, 2017)

bostjan said:


> You could hock it on eBay, then grab a RetroPi and pay half a semester's college tuition for your kid.



That was part of the thought process, yes


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## Demiurge (Apr 18, 2017)

Some of those prices on eBay- oof. At this point, it's purely a matter of people paying for the design and the chassis. 

For those who just want to play the games, there's obviously a price point where the unit is no longer pragmatic. Why pay $400 for this when one could buy a refurbished Wii download all the games on the virtual console and have cash left over? Even better, they can make their own retro game roster with the wider selection: swap-out Super C with Contra, Castlevania II with Rondo of Blood, Ice Climber & Balloon Fight with literally anything else...


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## extendedsolo (Apr 18, 2017)

I thought about tracking one of these down because they were only 60 dollars, but 400? That's absurd. 

I saw one on craigslist that was 100 dollars and now the same guy wants to trade it straight up for the Switch. I think if we wait a few months they'll become reasonable again. 

Couldn't you theoretically get a used system online and order some of the games, resell and then buyothers? It's not like you play all 30 simultaneously.


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## Ralyks (Apr 18, 2017)

extendedsolo said:


> Couldn't you theoretically get a used system online and order some of the games, resell and then buyothers? It's not like you play all 30 simultaneously.



I'd honestly just get a real NES if it didn't look awful on modern TVs


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## Ralyks (Apr 19, 2017)

GameSpot is reporting that we are indeed looking at a Super NES Classic this Holiday. All I ask for is Super Mario World, Super Metroid, A Link To The Past, Donkey Kong Country (at least the first 2), Super Mario RPG, Yoshis Island, Earthbound, and Super Mario Kart. (There's a couple others like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III/VI, but I have those on PS3 already).

Try to remember to get two this time...


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## bostjan (Apr 19, 2017)

Ralyks said:


> GameSpot is reporting that we are indeed looking at a Super NES Classic this Holiday. All I ask for is Super Mario World, Super Metroid, A Link To The Past, Donkey Kong Country (at least the first 2), Super Mario RPG, Yoshis Island, Earthbound, and Super Mario Kart. (There's a couple others like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III/VI, but I have those on PS3 already).
> 
> Try to remember to get two this time...



There were a lot of excellent games for the SNES, but there were also a disproportionately high number of terrible games for the SNES, too.

If the thing doesn't have Super Mario World and A Link to the Past, Nintendo would be certifiably insane.

Personally, I'd also love to see Donkey Kong Country (and 2), Super Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG, Star Fox, and whichever Final Fantasy was the first one on the system (the numbers from that time period always confuse me). They need some form of Street Fighter II, and then at least a couple of the deeper cuts that were good, like Earthbound, Secret of Mana, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, etc., and I think they'd most likely need to have Chrono Trigger. Other games I loved at the time might not translate as well onto a reissue console, like Mario All Stars, Mario Paint, and Sim City. I kind of like F Zero, but honestly, I played it only for a couple of days before I got bored with it back then, so I don't imagine it'd be very exciting now, but maybe that's just me. They can keep Shaq Fu, Wayne's World, Race Driver, Super Wizard of Oz, and Lester the Unlikely off of it, though. 

In the end, though, this will end up being just as scarce as the NES Mini, so there's not much chance I'll actually get one.


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## TedEH (Apr 19, 2017)

Seems to me like the SNES has a much bigger library of decent-to-good games, enough that it would be much harder to nail down a handful of them that would hit most people's sense of nostalgia the same way. Most people I know who had an NES played more or less the same games, but I'm not sure the SNES was quite the same kind of shared experience.


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## bostjan (Apr 19, 2017)

TedEH said:


> Seems to me like the SNES has a much bigger library of decent-to-good games, enough that it would be much harder to nail down a handful of them that would hit most people's sense of nostalgia the same way. Most people I know who had an NES played more or less the same games, but I'm not sure the SNES was quite the same kind of shared experience.



I agree. Even in the couple minutes since I typed my post above, I thought of the Lost Viking Series, which was different, but was a total blast to play, Turtles in Time, which was fun to play alone, but even better with a friend, and Knights of the Round, which was a King Arthur side scrolling smash and slash game.


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## MFB (Apr 19, 2017)

Ralyks said:


> Try to remember to get two this time...



I guarantee that everyone selling them will have a 1 per customer limit


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## StevenC (Apr 19, 2017)

Yeah, the rumour going round is that they ended the production of the NES Classic in favour of getting ready for SNES Classic production.

It almost definitely won't have Star Fox and Yoshi's Island as those are Super FX games and they've never been released on Virtual Console because the legal complications surrounding that chip. Yoshi's Island was only on the VC as the inferior GBA version.


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## bostjan (Apr 19, 2017)

StevenC said:


> Yeah, the rumour going round is that they ended the production of the NES Classic in favour of getting ready for SNES Classic production.
> 
> It almost definitely won't have Star Fox and Yoshi's Island as those are Super FX games and they've never been released on Virtual Console because the legal complications surrounding that chip. Yoshi's Island was only on the VC as the inferior GBA version.



...because they can only make one retro console at a time...    



Boo to no Star Fox. It had spectacular graphics for a 16-bit machine. The N64 version looked better, but not as much better as it should have.

Anyway, doesn't matter, since there won't be any, and they'll just discontinue the SNES Classic mini before any are available, so they can ramp up production of the N64 classic.


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## StevenC (Apr 19, 2017)

Well, they're also doubling Switch production, and they've only got so much capacity.

The joke was always that the Super FX chip was so powerful, the SNES was just a box you plugged it in to.


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## beerandbeards (Apr 20, 2017)

I can't wait for the mini Virtual Boy to come out!


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## Ralyks (Apr 20, 2017)

beerandbeards said:


> I can't wait for the mini Virtual Boy to come out!


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