With the recent release of the difficult-to-find NES Classic (sold on Amazon), Nintendo continues its trend of attempting to monetize the nostalgia fans all over are willing to pay good money for.
If you are not aware, the NES Classic is a replica “re-release” of the classic 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. The system connects via HDMI and utilizes an emulation system to play the included 30 classic titles, no cartridges required.
Out of Stock
In a move that has become a Nintendo forte, the NES Classic is already out of stock. You can’t buy one currently, much to glee of re-sellers, who have bought up what they can and are filling up eBay. I’ve seen most priced at $350 (it retails for $60) all the way up into the thousands.
People will point blame to Nintendo for either failing to anticipate its popularity or intentionally reducing stock. Either way, they claim that more are on the way, but for now you are out of luck.
Playing up the Nostalgia
Nintendo hit the nostalgia nerve perfectly over the summer with Pokemon Go. Casual fans were addicted to the phone app, and the subsequent preorders of Sun and Moon went through the roof.
Before Go, Nintendo re-released the original Pokemon games on virtual console, complete with trading and even a Super Bowl ad. Its the 20th Anniversary of Pokemon, so Nintendo has taken full advantage.
NES Classic continues the retro vibe, reaching back to the beginning of console gaming. With the WiiU officially in the rearview mirror, Nintendo needed a little something for the Christmas season, and the NES appears to have delivered.
Personal Favorites on the System
The system includes 30 games, and they are for the most part the most popular titles from the original system. Here are some of my favorites:
Kirby’s Adventure
Kirby’s Adventure holds a special place in my heart as the first game I ever officially beat. It was one of the only games I had on the original NES that could save your progress in multiple files. Since most of the games on the system were “Nintendo hard,” I needed the safety net of a save file to actually beat something.
The game is a great platformer starring everyone’s favorite pink blob Kirby. The gameplay consists of different “worlds” comprised of numerous levels and mini games, that ultimately culminate in a boss fight. Stealing enemies powers is the main mechanic, and the levels contain lots of secrets.
Definitely give this one a try, even if its not on the NES Classic. It’s a great game from a time long past.
Final Fantasy
The first game in one of the most famous game series of all time. The original Final Fantasy had you build out your party and then grind your way through random battles until completion. If you thought modern games had grinding, this game went for random encounters quite hard.
The game was re-released on Gameboy Advance (which is probably the better version) but really shows were the series came from. Some of the iconic characters and enemies of the series started here.
Super Mario Bros. 3
All of the Mario games are included, but my favorite of the bunch was the third installment. While the first is iconic, the second was very different for a Mario game. The third brought together clean platforming, fun levels, and interesting worlds for a great experience.
Replete with secrets and hidden items, the game became a way to show off how far you could get in the game without really playing many of the levels (hello Mr. Flute). The game promoted speed, and gave us the Tanooki suit. Play it now.
Conclusion
The NES Classic is a great idea to bring back a lot of great games that are slowly becoming unavailable through legitimate channels with Nintendo’s strange online store decisions. However, with low initial stock, the console is currently impossible to get your hands on. If you manage to do so, the game is packed with some classics that are worthy of a replay.
Have you bought one? What were your favorite NES games? Comment below!
Particlebit 
Nintendo really frustrates me sometimes and this was no different! As someone whose first system was a Super Nintendo (thus, missing the NES), I was truly looking forward to picking up this piece of history and enjoying it, but of course, thanks to scalpers, this is why we can’t have nice things.
It’s also evidence of Nintendo’s complete lack of market research. And now that they will offer NES games on the Switch most likely for $3-5, they can’t also sell the NES Mini, so I imagine it will be discontinued, and I still won’t ever have an NES 😦 It makes me sad.
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It feels like the genius in the NES Classic was to give second wind to a console that may have missed a lot of people the first go round. Limiting supply misses that mark completely and just makes it a collectors item, which is a bit of a shame. I saw in your FFX post you mentioned getting a Switch, so hopefully you get access to some of the better titles on that!
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Great write up, I’ve yet to get my hands on an Nes mini but I do have an original and Super Mario Bros 3 is probably my favourite. Hopefully I’ll get a mini when the next batch is released and get to play some Kirbys Adventure 🙂
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Super Mario Bros 3 and Mario 64 are probably my two favorite Mario games of all time. Thanks for reading!
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I have not played a NES Classic, but it sounds interesting. I have enjoyed later games in some series’ and developed a strange interest in playing the early games (even if they have little resemblance to the games I enjoyed). I have little experience of playing NES games, so I would be interested in experiencing some of the well-known games I missed. By the way, I think Sega also has a monopoly on providing nostalgia. I remember a lot of games were released on the PlayStation 2 that were collections of older Sega games (which were only about 10 years old at the time) and released Sonic 4 (which was a continuation of the series from about twenty years before).
Does the console work little the original NES? Is it possible to get more games?
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The console has the games already installed on its system, so there aren’t any cartridges or actual rerelease of any games. Your stuck with what’s on the system.
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No wonder Nintendo stuff seldom drops in price. The limited stock they put out ensures demand remains high for their products. Kirby’s Adventure is awesome. I played it on my uncle’s console years ago. Fave NES game? Tough question. I think I will pick Contra.
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Nintendo has helped a little by doing the “Nintendo Classics” re-releases, but they definitely could help out by churning out some supply or at least putting more backlog into digital.
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It’s seemed to have become something of a pattern with Nintendo, though. It’s one thing when they can’t get enough Wii’s out to make demand, as a complex piece of machinery that they’re barely making a margin on would be a little difficult to just snap up and produce. Then, we hit it again with the Amiibo, and now this. Makes me wonder if the initial failures of both the 3DS and the Wii U after the rampant success of the Wii, along with the gaming market really picking up trends Nintendo deliberately eschewed over the years, have their businessmen losing their faith in their ability to predict market trends.
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It’s interesting to ponder, is Nintendo intentionally keep supply low for marketing/hype purposes, or perhaps more likely (and consistent with your point) they are missing on projections for how these things will go. Let’s hope there is enough Switch to go around come March
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I did manage to get one 10 days after release. I am thoroughly enjoying it and am considering doing a little playthrough of the games on the console. Mario bros. 3 is my favourite game on the NES but a lot of the games on the NES classic are very good.
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Nice! I’ve heard rumors that the cord for the controllers is not exactly long. Has it been a problem for you at all?
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It is short but then I have a small TV and sit quite close. The USB cable and HDMI lead are much longer so that you actually have the console close to you to push the reset button to save game data or to play a different game.
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Great post! I arrived at my store on launch day 4 minutes after they opened and they were all gone. Since then it’s just be impossible to find one that wasn’t triple the price. Oh well, hopefully stock will see a bump up as Christmas approaches. n_n
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Frustrating that the supply is so low especially during the holidays. Hopefully they get production in gear.
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Yeah, I’m hoping I can find one before Christmas. Otherwise, I fear once Jan hits, I’ll be too focused on the Switch 😛
That said, do you share your posts on any other websites? I work over at Creators .Co (we’re part of Movie Pilot and Now Loading) and this is the sort of content that makes for an interesting read. If you were open to the idea of posting your work on our sites in addition to also having your blog/site here, I’d be more than happy to help you get started. My e-mail and more info can be found on my page. (o^.^)b
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I am going to buy one after I am done with Pokemon Moon.
I can’t wait to get it!
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Sounds like the perfect plan in order to avoid supply issues!
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I managed to snag one during the three minute window they were in stock… Nintendo really needs to make more of their awesome products.
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Wow, nice! So I guess some of us normal folks did manage to snag some before they went to the resellers. How have you liked it so far?
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I ended up giving it to a friend for regular retail price. They wanted to give it as a gift to someone special for Christmas. Those evil resellers are killing the stock right now. This was my way of kindly sticking it to them, lol
I’ll scoop up a new one when they are overflowing on the shelves. No doubt shortly after Christmas and the hype dies down. 🙂
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That’s a great gesture, I’m sure they will be hyped to get something that is so “rare” currently. I’m in the same boat – I’m going to wait and get one without (hopefully) any hassle
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