In 1985, Nintendo released the Nintendo Entertainment System or NES in North America for the first time. Thirty one years later, Nintendo is releasing the NES Classic Edition.
The new version of the classic gaming console is coming out this November. It will be released in Japan and Australia on November 10 and in North America and Europe a day later.
The most glaring difference between the original and the new release is its size. The NES Classic Edition will be a miniaturized version of the NES which fits in the palm of the hand.
The 8-bit console comes with one NES Classic Controller, and HDMI cable, and AC adapter. But what make people more excited about the NES Classic are the 30 pre-installed games which include classic favourites such as Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros., Dr. Mario, Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Punch-Out!!, Balloon Fight, Excitebike, Ice Climber, and Tecmo Bowl.
The games can be played in three different modes. The classic mode, with a 4:3 aspect ratio, provides the original look of the game. The Pixel Perfect mode allows the user to view the game as it was designed with each pixel seen as a perfect square. The CRT Filter mode makes the user feel like playing using an old TV set.
According to a report, the user can easily scroll through the 30 titles thanks to its software. Players can also lock their games to prevent other players from playing over their saved games.
The console will be available for $59.99 while the NES Classic Controller costs $9.99 each. An additional controller will be necessary to play two-player games. It will be exclusively available from Amazon, Best Buy and Target.
The original NES was actually released in 1983 in Japan. It reached the United States on October 18, 1985. The NES was discontinued in the USA ten years later but lasted until 2003 in Japan.
The NES is the best-selling gaming console of all time with 61.91 million units sold worldwide including 34 million in the United States. Nintendo is hoping the nostalgia will push the NES Classic to success. The company s banking on the children and even young adults of the late 80s and 90s to patronize the NES Classic and once again experience playing the games they loved back then.
