The holidays are right around the corner and that means it’s time to start putting together your wish lists. This season could be one of the best we’ve seen for retro gaming lovers in quite some time thanks to one item in particular. Nintendo has graced us with what’s quickly shaping up to be a must-have device for old-school connoisseurs with its pint-sized reimagining of its original console, the NES Classic Edition. Nintendo made big news when it announced the release of the NES Classic and we’re glad to learn that the system doesn’t disappoint.
The original Nintendo Entertainment System revolutionised video games as we know them and helped lay the ground work for everything that followed. This site, which hosts its own online arcade featuring a variety of games, put together a comprehensive breakdown of the evolution of gaming that highlights the success of the NES. The infographic points out the incredible 40 million copies of Super Mario Bros. that were sold, though to be fair, many of those were because it was a pack-in with the original system. Still, it was enough to make it one of the best-selling video games of all time for many years to come. The original NES helped to resuscitate the American video gaming market following the demise of Atari and Colecovision during the 1980s. This was largely due to its library of games stocked with unforgettable characters.
According to the games company, the collection includes more than just some of the best games for the original NES, because these are 30 of the best retro games ever. The smorgasbord of iconic titles includes all three of the original Mario games, Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Dr. Mario, Kirby’s Adventure, and Donkey Kong. Even more, the device will include notable third-party games Mega Man 2, Tecmo Bowl, Final Fantasy, Castlevania, and much more. For gamers that are out of luck with their old-school consoles and don’t have a access to Nintendo’s virtual console through the Wii and Wii U, the Classic Edition is a godsend. It provides a quick and easy way to enjoy some of the best games of yesteryear in a convenient new way.
A recent article from this tech blog called the device “everything you want it to be,” which comes to us as a huge relief for a device that seemed almost too good to be true. The NES Classic Edition does a great job of optimizing the games for modern displays (no more RF adapters!) and the addition of save states makes some of these games much more accessible—particularly Ghosts ‘n Goblins.
For a console and 30 complete games, £49.99 is a great price. What’s even better is that the included games don’t include any garbage shovelware. It may not have the same charm of dusting off a vintage NES, but there’s no denying that it’s definitely easier. And hey, if it gets people back to playing these timeless games, then we’re all for it.
Duncan
Dec 9, 2016 -
Although the American market for video games collapsed in the 1980s I think Atari fans will disagree with the word “Demise”. I didn’t even buy my Atari ST computer until 1990 and Atari were still launching new products, like the Jaguar games console in 1993.