Nintendo fans, get your wallets ready. For those unfortunate souls like myself who utterly failed to purchase an NES Classic Edition upon the extremely limited release in 2016, the console is returning to stores on June 29, alongside the SNES Classic Edition followup—which is arguably even more exciting.
In case you missed out on not only the small purchase window in November 2016 but also the news of an NES Classic Edition itself, it’s essentially a modernized re-release of Nintendo’s first, world-famous console. This neo-retro device comes with an HDMI cable, the familiar controller, and 30 pre-loaded games for a respectable $79.99.
Let’s take a look at the list, via Nintendo, and get excited all over again, shall we? We’ve been waiting a year and a half for this news, after all.
Balloon Fight
Bubble Bobble
Castlevania
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Dr. Mario
Excitebike
Final Fantasy
Galaga
Ghosts’N Goblins
Gradius
Ice Climber
Kid Icarus
Kirby’s Adventure
Mario Bros.
Mega Man 2
Metroid
Ninja Gaiden
Pac-Man
Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream
StarTropics
Super C
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tecmo Bowl
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
As for the SNES Classic Edition, it’s the same deal as its predecessor—an updated console with an HDMI cable, two classic controllers, and 20 pre-loaded games. Personally, I’m chomping at the bit for one of these, as I grew up with games like Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, F-Zero, Street Fighter II Turbo, Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi’s Island, Contra III: The Alien Wars, and the greatest game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
Personally, I’ll gladly take the SNES Classic Edition off Nintendo’s hands for a handful of twenties, as it’s priced at $79.99 like the NES. While Nintendo’s modern consoles might not do anything for me, though my heart weighs heavy at missing out the new Zelda entry, the effort and attention paid to those customers who grew up with Nintendo are admirable and respectable. I love that I can have a Nintendo and Super Nintendo in my bedroom, without having to worry about misplacing cartridges or the machine dying of old age overnight. These things are sleek, compact, and modern, and I can’t wait to snatch them up next month.
