Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition Gets a Snazzy Trailer and Website

Now You're Playing With Power!

Heck yes!

Though in honesty it needed a narrator spouting out 80s surfer terms and have more neon laser backdrops!

Nintendo needs to bring back that tag line!!!

Better pre-order. This will be the Cabbage Patch Kid / Tickle Me Elmo / Nintendo Wii of Xmas 2016 - you won't find it anywhere.

What I want to know,is there a scale to widescreen option?The video only shows them in 4:3 so I'm not too confident there will be.I had hope there would be as you can with the TG16 games that just came out.

OK, that official trailer is pretty frikin' awesome!

And, I must admit the system is actually pretty cool (even though I’m still not 100% sold on it just looking like a cheaper and even more “toy” version of the original NES), but I personally think it needs way more games in there (especially since you both can’t use actual NES carts with it or download more games later on either). I also wish there was an option to use the controllers either wired or wireless. And, I do actually wish you could use NES carts directly in it too, just because it would add so much value to the system.

Hopefully, if Nintendo decides to do a similar “SNES mini” in the future, it sees fit to include way more games (maybe closer to a hundred), allows both wired and wireless options for the controllers (it could just allow you to unplug the cable from the back of the controller basically), and let’s you actually plug old SNES carts directly into the thing too, just because it would be super cool. That’s a system I would be very much interested in (although, I couldn’t actually play it on my TV anyway, because I literally only own an old CRT SDTV. Maybe I could plug it into my monitor. . . . )

I'll take back what I originally said about its sales though; I think this thing may indeed just fly off the shelves now—especially if Nintendo's really taking that amazing retro approach with all its marketing and stuff.

Absolutely love that commercial—Nintendo hasn't felt quite like that in years to me (that AWESOME!).

@Kirk if your monitor has hdmi input, you most certainly could plug this into it, as this'll connect via hdmi!

@Kirk Haha, I've been thinking of getting a CRT TV for retro games. :--D

Oh how I've longed to hear that slogan again! Fan-freaking-tastic.

@Koranos49 Good to hear.

I won't get a NES mini, but I may just get a SNES mini (especially if Nintendo sees fit to do the stuff I've suggested above).

Amazing trailer

"Now you're Playing with power!" Right in the 80's feels.

@Captain_Toad Now everyone will be reminded that Nintendo did actually care about power once upon a time. lol

I still think they announced this thing way too soon in relation to when it is actually going to be released. But hey, hopefully people still go mad for it when it does release.

@Kirk They certainly did, all the way up until Wii.

Thing is, they tended to have that one thing despite big power that held them back. N64 = carts vs. CD-ROM. GCN = Mini DVD and no 4th shoulder button.

Cool. Probably won't buy it tho cuz I already have most of the games mentioned on my 3ds... I never play them.

@gatorboi352 Totally agree. The NES and SNES basically nailed it 100%. The N64 made a few mistake but was still pretty amazing imo. And then each system after that introduced more and more points of contention for me, until it got to where we are today, where I hardly care about its new systems anymore. Hopefully the NX can change that, but I'm not confident of this.

Anyone else notice how all the stuff that capitalises on Nintendo's '80s and '90s period is just rocking it of late (Pokemon Go, the NES Classic Edition, a Zelda game that harkens back to the NES original . . .)?

That's because Nintendo really was at its peak and truly awesome back then, and it still shows even now.

I want that Nintendo again, through and through, and with its new stuff too. That's a Nintendo I can love!

@FragRed Well, apparently they did bring it back, seeing as it is a trailer they made, so your wish is granted...

Will they give us a new movie as well to go with it? The Wizard 2? After growing up in the late 80s and early 90s with the original NES, I keep expecting Christian Slater or Fred Savage to pop up..

@Nintendzoey But what will they use instead of the power glover?? The Wii remote?

@FragRed No, that is too ordinary. They need something new that is super cool and highly technical - but will be known as garbage to the next generation of kids.

Can't some of these games be downloaded to the 3ds?

@Nintendzoey Oh I get you, you're talking about Virtual Reality right?

What's taking so long for preorders to go up in NA?

They need that "Now you're playing with power" slogan back

@FragRed 😆

I haven't been able to follow all the news on this but have they revealed whether the games are straight up ROM dumps or if they have any added features whatsoever (like save states)? If so, what features? I wouldn't buy this for full price if it didn't have any added features to the game, but even something as simple as save states might sell me on it...

Wii u
Now your playing with power.

@Kirk Nice to see enthusiasm grow, even in the most critical of people...

But all joking aside, the only thing that I have a gripe with (if I can even call it that, but for lack of a better word) is that a lot of people still don't seem to be able to grasp the whole idea behind the Classic Mini, and that is to give you that genuine, classic NES feel.

And you too still seem to want/demand what would literally be a glorified VC channel in a box, and that is so not what this is about.

This is about the ACTUAL original way of playing these games, albeit with the slight twist of having a better picture through the HDMI cable, but other than that, it is not supposed to be online and/or upgradable, just like the original NES wasn't.

And wireless controllers? No, no, no my friend. That's also not a part of the original experience, so that should definitely not be in there. Let the kids know how mum and dad used to play games and that "watch where you step" or "mind the controller cables" was part of the standard vocabulary when playing games back then.

And if people that knew the NES want something to complain about, then the only "real" thing is the lack of a genuine cartridge slot, but even that is hardly realistic since it's so small, they'd have to make a new type of cartridges altogether to provide it with new games, and then you still wouldn't be able to use your original cartridges, unless they would make some kind of adapter.

And all of that is also not very plug and play. This is supposed to be a completely ready out of the box experience that neither needs nor offers any extra hassle.

And people are also still on about the price vs the number of games, or only the latter, which also seems weird to me. You yourself named the clone Sega console a few too many times in the previous thread about the Mini, but I don't consider a console made by Nintendo themselves and one made by an external party in license to be in the same league.

The emulation also sucked on that device, and it was made in China with sub-par materials, which is probably why it was so cheap in the first place. And from all the reviews I posted, it was very clear that half of those games, which were unlicensed homebrew games, were ranging from bad to REALLY bad, so even the Sega clone actually only had 40 games that used to be available on the original system.

So, the 30 games on the NES Mini offer perfect value for money, especially if you also consider the cost of the hardware, which with the controller included should make up at probably half of the price, so that means that the 30 games cost only $1 a piece, which is ridiculously cheap compared to the VC Channel, where games go for prices of $5 and up.

So, thinking that Nintendo would be so crazy as to put around a hundred games on there really isn't very realistic at all.

I think we should just see the Classic Mini series (provided it's even going to be a series) as a nice extra for people that either want to visit or revisit Nintendo's glorious past, and nothing more than that.

@TheDavyStar Well, considering that the trailer is recent and official, it appears that they have done exactly that...

The best commercial that I have seen in a while from any gaming companyI cannot decide what was better: the Wii trailer or this one. The nostalgia is real in these commercials.

AWESOME! Best thing Nintendo has released in a while! I don't even care about the next Zelda or NX right now.

I have a feeling that the NX might be a super upgraded SNES with a gimmick or two... what would they call it though? The Super SNES

Sweet nostalgia.

i prefer the miles manners version.

Can't wait!

@ThanosReXXX Hey, as I've always said, "When Nintendo does it right, I'll be happy to say so."

Now, I still have some issues with the NES Classic Edition, but that Ad was frikin' awesome (so, I said so), and the system is still pretty cool too. It could be better though, a better value proposition at least, imo, but at it's largely pretty good for what it is. But, put about a hundred games in there (since there's no way to add any more after the fact), allow me to OPTIONALLY use the controllers either wired or wirelessly (so there would still be fully wired capability and response quality in there, if that's what you choose to go with), and maybe even let me use standard NES carts with it too (just because that would be a really cool feature and it doesn't break the system in any way), and then I think it would be something really special.

Seriously, those things I'm suggesting would only make it even better, with no real downsides, and it's all still entirely plug & play too if you just use it as is out-the-box (the controllers would be wired by default, you don't have to use actual NES carts if you don't want to, and more games would simply be better and wouldn't be hard to add in the slightest).

And, PLEEEASE, you people REALLY need to stop sucking Nintendo's **** when it comes to the price of these 30 years old digital NES games. Nintendo has been ripping us all off with the VC prices for years. Even $1 a piece for 30 bundled titles, or whatever, isn't some kind of magical bargain. These games are basically free for Nintendo to include at this point, regardless of how many it adds. It could technically include the entire NES library on a tiny bit of internal storage, with almost zero hassle, if it really wanted to. Expect more, or else you'll simply never get it; Nintendo will be more than happy to give you the bare minimum you ask for for as long as it can get away with it—which, with fans like you, is clearly going to be a long, long time. I, however, am not so happy about that. And it's people like you who give Nintendo permission to screw over people like me, because you take what they give you a praise them for it, even when any sane person knows they could be getting so much more bang for their buck in situations like this.

But, I'll happily admit I'm slowly changing my opinion on how well this thing thing is gonna sell, regardless of the niggles I have with it. With Ads like the one above, it will find its market, and well at that.

As I've said before, the lack of composite out for CRTs makes me quite hesitant to get this. Not only is there no natural blur to make images seem less blocky, response often feels quite off. I've already had a taste of this from playing NES Remix on my monitor. (Hadn't gotten around to playing it since hooking up my WiiU to my CRT just for A Link to the Past though.)

But, it's meant to be a snappy way to play those old games on modern displays (even if they do suck for retro gaming). And that new ad...yeah, Nintendo's really playing with power now! Let's see more of that, and then have them play it loud when the time comes!

Everything about this had me excited. It makes me realize Nintendo has not forgotten about its original fans. The trailer alone is magical. Now if we could just preorder the damn thing already....

I feel that tagline at the end doesn't make sense anymore without Nintendo Power.

Oh, and it's REALLY stupid and annoying, as well as being a hidden extra cost, that the UK version of this doesn't come with a power adaptor.

But the Ad is still awesome.

@Peach64 Unrelated to this article, but what do you think of the new NPD format being a revenue ranking rather than a units sold ranking?

Love it!

What a great video! Love it, I'd love to see / know how small the console is. Nintendo have given us a great gift with the controller as we all know plugs into a Wii remote and I think thats pretty nice.

I've pre-ordered two consoles from two different websites, I will use one and keep the other sealed. However I have ordered 3 standalone controllers.
Nearer the time I think Nintendo should do a direct and I'd love to know the sale figures. Judging from what I have read on Nintendo life there is / are a lot of positive feelings for this console and others like me are hoping for other consoles to be released in time (SNES, N64 and wonder what they're do about Gamecube) It's an exciting time to be a Nintendo fan, player, collector.

@Kirk They (Nintendo) will probably will sell a separate lead for the console, I think. Surely they know not everyone has a USB power plug? I'd buy one because it will be official and they know this.

@Kirk Some of the points you are trying to make are rather baffling.

"These games are basically free for Nintendo to include at this point, regardless of how many it adds. It could technically include the entire NES library on a tiny bit of internal storage, with almost zero hassle, if it really wanted to."

Nintendo are ultimately a business. They are a business who create IPs to sell to the public at a profit, why should they essentially distribute these IPs free of charge (as good as in your eyes) when they can generate revenue from them? Do the creators not deserve to make money from their works? Nintendo also float on the stock market, they have shareholders who (rightfully) demand a return on their investment. How do you think these shareholders would feel if the company was throwing away potential income by severely undervaluing products?

Here's a hypothetical scenario: Say you (as in yourself) started a web design business, and after a decade or so this business becomes very successful. You have amassed a number of digital designs and templates for sites that you can continue to tender to potential customers to generate income.

How would you feel if a potential customer said to you:

"You've been developing websites for 10 years, and you have the framework for my site more or less archived. Why shouldn't I be charged 90% less than the price you've quoted?"

Would you substantially undervalue your works because they are old, potentially losing you important income? Income you could use to further develop new concepts and ideas? I'd hazard a guess that you wouldn't, because this would be unsustainable business practice.

Nintendo aren't screwing people over, they are operating as any business would, operating to generate revenue and make profit.

And no, I'm not sucking up to Nintendo, my points are applicable to any large company. Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Sony....

It's business. And there is one key objective in business, and that's to make money.

Don't think of the NES Classic as a game console. Think of it as a $60 game cartridge containing 30 top tier games. Seems a good deal to me.

Oh, and @Kirk, to say that Nintendo's games are free to give away is like saying Disney's entire movie catalog is free to give away. Technically true, but irrelevant. That's not how intellectual property works.

Nice for them to show off the ports and if the flap opens and how it handles, turns on ect..

Even when they do a plug-n-play system, they do it in style.

@cwong15 I think we all know the idea is for companies to make money off its properties. Clarifying that Nintendo is out to make money here is beyond redundant.

I'm saying that putting these games on this system at this point in time is basically free for Nintendo, be it 30 games or 300, and therefore I think it would just make sense, in multiple ways, to include more in there by default:

1. Because you can't add/download any more games after the fact.

2. You can't use any original NES carts.

3. It means people don't have to worry about Nintendo fleecing them a few months down the line with another $60 dollar NES mini 2 that has 30 other games, when, unless these people are mentally ********, they should be aware that they really shouldn't and don't need two pieces of the same $60 hardware just to get another 30 digital versions of 30 year old NES games when the entire NES library can literally fit on a 256MB memory card.

4. It would just make the whole thing a more attractive value proposition, and it ultimately doesn't cost Nintendo anything to add more games. So, how about actually really satisfying the customer for once, rather than just doing enough to make sure only the most blindly loyal fanboys can defend your utter greediness? How about entertaining this crazy notion of totally blowing people out the water and going above and beyond their lowest expectations, for once. . . .

@rjc-32 Just because Nintendo is a business and out to make money off its properties, that doesn't automatically mean it always has to rip us off in doing so and leave us somewhat unsatisfied (as far as this end consumer sees it).

Some of you might think it's a steal that we are getting this NES Classic Edition for £50 in the UK, with 30 games, no ability to add more games or even use old NES carts, wired only controllers, and even without a power adapter. I don't think that's a steal; I think that's around the bare minimum we could have expected for this price.

I think if Nintendo were a real smart company it would be satisfying both elements of the following mantra rather than only one:

"Satisfy the customer, at a profit." — Me, many years ago at high school during a Young Enterprise business class

£50 in the UK, with say 80-100 games (they are basically free to include at this point), possibly the ability to use old NES carts too (but it's not really necessary if enough games are actually included by default), controllers than can be used either wired or wirelessly, and with an actual power adapter—that would both satisfy me and make Nintendo money at the same time.

Again, it always seems to come down to this: I fight for what's best for you guys . . . and you guys fight for what's best for the corporations.

@Pj1 Yes, it probably will sell an official lead.

So, the real truth here is that the NES Classic Edition isn't actually £50 in the UK at all; it's £50 plus whatever a power adapter for the system costs. It's a hidden cost right there for UK consumers. And, the fact the Nintendo fanboys aren't calling Nintendo out for this kind of sneaky crap is exactly why it continues to take the ***.

Why are more people not calling Nintendo out for this crap!

@Kirk No offense, but I literally just tolerate your comments now. You go on and on about what everything is "supposed" to be, but offer farfetched & unrealistic solutions in terms of business finances.

Sure, we get it. You want NIntendo to stroke your gaming fantasies every time you ask for it. But then where would Nintendo be at the end of the day??

This a huge corporation. Aside from obviously making a profit, pleasing shareholders, etc... They have one major goal as a company of their size. Longevity & relevancy. You don't obtain longevity by oversaturating the public with your IP's. The IP's lose their value at that point, and become dime-a-dozen eventually. Especially in today's world, where something amazing can come out, and then almost instantly become forgotten because it's been replaced by another release of sorts.

If you want the latest "tech" and "features", go play a rival system. Nintendo has, and always will, try and cater to the masses. They always aim to remain accessible.

It just seems like it's impossible to please some people these days.

I'm with @cwong15 on this one... Imagine if for Wii U they released an "NES greatest hits collection" for this holiday. 30 hand-picked games on a disc for retail value ($50-60). A lot of people would be pretty happy with that. They took it one step further and included a dedicated miniature console that hooks up to HDTV's. EVERYBODY can buy this, not just Wii U owners.

I think it's a great move.

Personally, I don't think there will be other "mini consoles", i.e. - SNES MINI/N64 MINI/ETC. At least not for a longgg time. SNES and beyond will still continue to be E-shop sales-based. This NES mini is a hook to recapture a lost and forgotten player base Nintendo used to have.

@Kirk One more thing, I really don't think Nintendo rips us off at all...with one exception-- lack of VC cross-buy/purchase history.

Everything they put out is generally "new" and warrants a purchase. My only gripe is re-buying VC games after I already have. Other than that I'm good.

@kingc8 Well, that's actually true. But, Nintendo certainly only cared about the fact that the consumers thought they were playing with real power, as opposed to it actually technically being the most powerful system at the time. It knew power was an important selling point as most people associated more power with better games, and, on a technical level at least, they weren't wrong. Nintendo totally played on that fact. It can't, however, even pretend this with the likes of Wii and Wii U. lol

@HeroOfTime32 Personally, I think Nintendo rips us off way more often than necessary. The whole Virtual Console library is a perfect example: These games are just vastly overpriced for what they are, imo. And, it often just gives us the bare minimum necessary for our buck too, as far as I'm concerned; just like it's doing with the NES Classic Edition.

@HeroOfTime32 Zero of the solutions I offer are far-fetched; they just reduce Nintendo's profits a little and give the end consumer a bit more bang for their bucks. You just don't know any better.

"Personally, I don't think there will be other "mini consoles", i.e. - SNES MINI/N64 MINI/ETC. At least not for a longgg time."

And this total ignorance shows just how blinded you are, imo.

There will almost certainly be more Nintendo "mini" systems in the future. I'd put a lot of money on there being a SNES Classic Edition (probably sooner rather than later), and likely even more iterations of the NES Classic Edition too (just like Sega has done for the last few years with its own Genesis Classic Game Console's). Especially if the NES Classic Edition sells a few millions units, which I think it's now looking like it just might.

The exact timing . . . who knows; maybe it will just be a yearly thing, or maybe it will be to coincide with a kind of 30 year anniversary of each of the systems or something—but I'll not be shocked one bit when I see the SNES Classic Edition, or if I see new NES Classic Editions in the near future.

@Kirk You're right. I have an MBA and am a licensed and practicing E.I. in Civil Engineering...but I don't know any better.

@HeroOfTime32 Exactly: You have an MBA and you are a licensed and practicing E.I. in Civil Engineering . . . but you don't know any better. I couldn't have said it better myself. lol

@Kirk Enjoy your day pal.

@HeroOfTime32 You too, mate.

@Kirk Fair point on the game prices. I still think it's a fair price, especially compared to the actual VC prices, but these were WAY too expensive in the first place, so you're right about that. I never feel I'm too big of a man to admit that I was wrong about something, and you've explained it eloquently enough.

Now, thanks to you all I have to do is get the picture of doing something oral to Nintendo out of my mind, since that is not really how I roll...

By the way: did you know that on NeoGAF an Reddit there is a rumor spreading that inside of the NES Mini is actually a cartridge like the ones that are supposedly going to be used for the NX home console and handheld? If so, then this cartridge could be removed/hacked to change games and such. I obviously take it with a grain of salt, but if true it could be interesting to take one apart and see what NX cartridges look like...

@ThanosReXXX I've not seen/read that rumour.

Yeah, I'd take that one with a pinch of salt for sure, but it would certainly be interesting if it were true.

GET N OR GET OUT

I still think a better campaign would've been to either re-release the NES with full HD audio and video capability, or offer a conversion service for those who wanted an upgrade. Another good idea would've been an exchange program, knocking off maybe $100 for those who donated their existing NES hardware.