The NES Classic Edition is a special home video game system made by Nintendo. It copies the games from the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Family Computer (Famicom). The console was first released on November 10, 2016. It looks like a small copy of the original NES. It includes a set of 30 games from the NES library, and players can save their progress in all of them.
Nintendo sold about 2.3 million NES Classic Editions from its launch until April 2017. The product sold out quickly, but Nintendo stopped making it soon after, causing confusion among buyers. Some private sellers raised prices greatly because of high demand. Due to the popularity of the NES Classic and the success of the Super NES Classic Edition, Nintendo released a limited number of NES Classics again in June 2018. Production ended once more in December 2018. The console was praised for how well it played the games.
Hardware
The NES Classic Edition is a special console that plays 30 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games. It is available in two versions: one for Japan, which looks like the original Family Computer (Famicom), and one for the rest of the world, which resembles the original NES. The global version uses the same game titles and settings as the original NES in the United States, including 60 Hz display and English names. The Japanese version only has a Japanese interface, while the global version supports up to eight languages, though the games themselves do not change language.
Inside the console is a chip called Allwinner R16, which includes four central processing units and a graphics unit. It has 512 MB of storage and 256 MB of memory.
For video, the console connects through an HDMI port, providing 720p resolution at 60 Hz for all games.
The global version’s controllers use the same connector as the Wii Nunchuk, allowing them to connect to the Wii Remote for use with Virtual Console games on the Wii and Wii U. Accessories like the Classic Controller for the Wii can also be used. The Japanese version’s controllers are permanently attached to the console, like the original Famicom, and cannot be used with the Wii. These controllers are smaller to fit into the console’s side slots. The microphone on the Player 2 controller is only for appearance and does not work.
The console runs on the Linux operating system and uses a new NES emulation system created by Nintendo European Research & Development (NERD). This system supports some special chips used in original NES cartridges, such as those in Super Mario Bros. 3, though not all were included. The emulation was considered better than earlier Virtual Console versions for visuals and sound.
A 320-page book titled Playing with Power: Nintendo NES Classics, published by Prima Games, was released on the same day as the console. It explains some of the games included. Nintendo of America also reactivated the Nintendo Power Line phone service from November 11 to 13 to celebrate the console’s launch.
All versions of the console include 30 built-in games. Some games had different names in PAL regions, such as Ninja Gaiden (originally Shadow Warriors) and Super C (originally Probotector II: Return of the Evil Forces). Of the 30 games, 22 are the same in all regions, while 8 are exclusive to either Japan or North America/PAL regions.
Release
The NES Classic Edition was first sold on November 10, 2016, in Japan and Australia, and on November 11 in North America and Europe. Because there were not many units available, the first shipments sold out quickly.
Over the next five months, Nintendo made about 2.3 million NES Classic Editions. On April 13, 2017, Nintendo said it would stop making the console, and the last shipments were sent out shortly after.
Nintendo’s decision to stop making the console was criticized because many people did not know the console was limited in supply. Later, after announcing the Super NES Classic Edition, which was a version of the NES Classic Edition for Super Nintendo Entertainment System games, Nintendo said it would restart production of the NES Classic Edition in 2018. New shipments of the system began on June 29, 2018, and production was expected to continue for the rest of the year.
When the NES Classic Mini was released again in June 2018, it sold more units than the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
By September 30, 2018, combined sales of the NES and SNES Classic Editions reached more than 10 million units.
On December 13, 2018, Reggie Fils-Aimé confirmed that the NES and SNES Classic Editions would not be restocked after the 2018 holiday season. He also said Nintendo does not plan to make similar mini-console versions of other home consoles in the near future.
Reception
The NES Classic Edition received mostly positive feedback from users, though some criticized the short length of the controller cord and small problems with how sound worked in some games. It is one of many "plug-and-play" consoles available, meaning it is easy to use without needing extra setup. Demand for the NES Classic Edition was very high, with retailers selling about 196,000 units in its first month, and many stores selling out within hours of release. By the end of 2016, Nintendo reported selling 1.5 million units. On April 28, 2017, Nintendo announced that 2.3 million units had been sold in total. After the console was rereleased, Nintendo sold about 1.3 million more units by June 30, 2018. Combined sales of the NES and SNES Classic Editions reached over 10 million units by September 30, 2018.
Journalists were confused when Nintendo announced the NES Classic Edition would be discontinued in April 2017. At the time, Nintendo did not say the console would only be sold for a short time, and its messages suggested it would be available for a longer period. Nintendo later explained that the NES Classic Edition was not meant to be a long-term product, but high demand led to extra shipments beyond the original plan. The console was often sold out quickly after shipments arrived, which made some people think Nintendo was not ready for the high demand. Nintendo’s CEO, Reggie Fils-Aimé, said the company was surprised by how popular the console became, even though it had studied sales of similar retro consoles. He also said Nintendo had to stop production because it had limited resources for other projects.
A report from Eurogamer in April 2017 suggested that Nintendo was ending the NES Classic Edition to shift production to the SNES Classic Edition, which would include games from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo did not confirm this, but it later said it would produce more SNES Classic Edition units than NES Classic Edition units to avoid similar shortages. Nintendo also stated the SNES Classic Edition would not be an ongoing product. In December 2018, Fils-Aimé confirmed that neither the NES nor SNES Classic Editions would be restocked after the holiday season, and Nintendo would not make similar mini-consoles for other systems in the future.
Soon after the NES Classic Edition was released, hackers found ways to add up to 700 extra games to the console, as well as enable support for games from other systems like the Nintendo 64 and 32X. However, the original release had very limited stock, with some stores receiving fewer than 10 units at a time. This, along with high demand, led to scalpers buying large quantities to resell at much higher prices. In the U.S., some resellers sold the console for $200 to $500, far above its original price of $59.99. A separate controller that could be bought without the console also sold out quickly and was often included with the main unit. The limited supply of the NES Classic Edition was compared to similar issues with Amiibo figurines, which also faced high resale prices.
When Nintendo announced the NES Classic Edition would be discontinued in April 2017, some fans and media outlets believed Nintendo intentionally limited the supply to create a sense of scarcity and boost sales. However, Nintendo denied these claims, saying it was limited by its production capacity for other products. It also stated it was not trying to make the market scarce on purpose.
After the discontinuation, fake versions of the NES Classic Edition appeared on third-party auction sites, often made by companies in China. Some of these copies were nearly identical to the real console in hardware and software, which could confuse buyers. One example is the "Mini Game Anniversary Edition Entertainment System," which is actually a Famiclone and only supports composite video output.
LimitedShōnen JumpVersion
A special gold-colored Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer Weekly Shōnen Jump 50th Anniversary Version was created by M2 and made available only in Japan on July 7, 2018. This version honors the 50th anniversary of Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump manga magazine. It includes 20 games from the Famicom system, most of which are based on popular manga series from Weekly Shōnen Jump, such as Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, and Kinnikuman.
The console includes the following games:
Within two days, more than 110,000 units of the Shōnen Jump Version were sold. In a review for Nintendo Life, Damien McFerran pointed out the same design issues as the original Famicom version and noted that some games had lower quality. He praised the packaging and called the gold color "extremely beautiful." McFerran also mentioned that many games from other companies were included in this release and wondered if Nintendo might include more games from other companies in the future.