Nintendo is bringing back the NES — NES Classic Edition

[vwalbridge]

Nintendo is releasing a miniature NES with 30 built-in games

- comes with 30 games built in
- You can connect it to your TV via a HDMI cable
- includes a controller designed to work just like the original NES gamepad (The new controller will also connect to a Wii Remote)
- multiple suspend points
- available on November 11th for $59.99

One can only hope for an i/o port on this thing for *cough* future expansion. 

[JDFan]

Was just about to make a new thread after seeing this on PC World article - ( http://www.pcworld.com/article/3095790/hardware/nintendos-releasing-a-miniature-nes-console-packed-with-30-classic-games.html )

Interesting little device and for $60 seems to be a good deal - though it should include the 2nd controller rather than them hitting you up for an extra $10 for that.

And the game list is pretty good also and since it's an actual Nintendo release the games should play pretty much like the originals and through HDMI as well  - Wonder how long after release it will take for someone to make a MAME/RPi project out of it !

[pbj]

Be a lot cooler if it had a cartridge slot.

[JDFan]

Be a lot cooler if it had a cartridge slot.

Agreed 

[Howard_Casto]

It seems to miss the point on a lot of stuff. 

The gamepad has the wii/wii u connector on the end, meaning that your old gamepads won't work.  There's no cart slot, ect ect...

My suggestion is to wait for it to come out and see if it's running actual NES hardware and/or if a cart slot can be hacked in.  Even with extensive soldering, this would be a good alternative to the costly nes rgb mods IF a cart slot can be added.

[pbj]

Probably dusty, unsold WiiU motherboards shoved in this thing running Virtual Console.

I highly doubt this will support additional games in any form.

[Howard_Casto]

More likely it would be dusty, unsold wii mini motherboards.  That thing bombed so hard they are still filling in the crater.  Yeah I can get a Wii with NGC and online support, or get the mini without that for the same price.... lol I hope they fired whoever came up with that one. 

[yotsuya]

No cart slot/expansion slot? GTFO.

Although I read an article that said you COULD use original controllers.

[Nephasth]

Looking forward more to the AVS...

[Howard_Casto]

LOL!  I just noticed, even this thing doesn't support Castlevania 3

#HarassPBJ

[JDFan]

Although I read an article that said you COULD use original controllers.

Don't think so -- I think you read this section wrong :

If you already have a Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro for the Wii, you can use that controller instead of buying another one.

SO it can use the Wii classic controller which plugs into the wiimote not the original NES controllers.

[yotsuya]

Although I read an article that said you COULD use original controllers.

Don't think so -- I think you read this section wrong :

If you already have a Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro for the Wii, you can use that controller instead of buying another one.

SO it can use the Wii classic controller which plugs into the wiimote not the original NES controllers.

You may be right.  Thanks for the clarification.

[thomas_surles]

Only 30 games though? No battletoads no deal.

[yotsuya]

Yeah, only 14  of the games interest me.

[JDFan]

You may be right.  Thanks for the clarification.

I read it the same way as you the first time but then looking at the pic of the system noticed it used the wii type connection and not the old NES style and didn't figure they'd include some type of adapter that would cost them a bit to include and also lose the extra $10 sale they can get for the second controller ! 

[Vigo]

Will be hard to justify when I own all but 5 games on the list. Maybe it will be hackable.

[thomas_surles]

Will be hard to justify when I own all but 5 games on the list. Maybe it will be hackable.

I'd be interested if it gets hacked.

[pbj]

100% guaranteed this won't be hackable.

[yotsuya]

100% guaranteed this won't be hackable.

I'm in agreement with this statement.

[Howard_Casto]

Eh I dunno..... I mean the wii and wii u were hacked fairly easily.  It basically depends upon if it's possible to get at the OS or not. 

[thomas_surles]

I see this as more of a gimmick "toy" aimed at hipsters. I don't feel like they are going to put a whole lot of effort into protection for it.

[vwalbridge]

Anything can be hacked. It might take a while... but nerds are always looking for the next challenge.

[yotsuya]

Enh.... if I want to play NES games that badly, I'll get an NES. I have a CRT, so I'm golden.

[pbj]

Eh, I think this is going to be more along the lines of one of those TV joysticks.  Small PCB with a big epoxy solder blob on it.

[yotsuya]

I got pretty excited when I heard the Atari Flashback 2 was hackable.... until I looked into it and saw a using an original Atari and a Harmony Cart was easier.

I get the "I love the challenge!!!1!!" mentality. I'm the same way. But I'm also at the point in my life/in this hobby where I'm not going to needlessly complicate things,  either. I'll live vicariously through you dudes.

[Vigo]

Eh, I think this is going to be more along the lines of one of those TV joysticks.  Small PCB with a big epoxy solder blob on it.

It's HDMI, so I am guessing there will be a little more going on under the hood. I get what you are saying though. Even though demand on these things would skyrocket the minute they are known to be hackable, I doubt Nintendo would listen to that music.

[Howard_Casto]

Strangely enough, one of the easiest ways (aside from the pi or a pc of course) to play nes games with rgb is to mod a n64.  They have a pretty good nes emulator for it that works with all the flash carts. 

I was actually serious when I said that the console probably has wii mini guts.  A nes gamepad can be manufactured for around a dollar or less at this point.... so to use the needlessly complicated serial chip found in the wii/wii u doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless the console's pcb is already setup for it. 

[yotsuya]

Funny, I had never seen a Wii Mini before you guys mentioned them.

[Howard_Casto]

I might end up picking a mini up after they are at bargain basement prices.  Despite the obvious drawbacks they are a sharp looking machine. 

[yotsuya]

I bet I get one of these NESes for Christmas.

[thomas_surles]

I might end up picking a mini up after they are at bargain basement prices.  Despite the obvious drawbacks they are a sharp looking machine.

I'm already seeing them at goodwill and other thrift stores for 30 bucks

[Yenome]

I already have a launch wii softmodded so got all the nes i need. tho not through hdmi but CRT or go home on classics

[Howard_Casto]

I might end up picking a mini up after they are at bargain basement prices.  Despite the obvious drawbacks they are a sharp looking machine.

I'm already seeing them at goodwill and other thrift stores for 30 bucks

I think it must be a regional thing... the only video game related thing I've ever got at ours is a plug n' play game, and a bad one at that.

[thomas_surles]

I might end up picking a mini up after they are at bargain basement prices.  Despite the obvious drawbacks they are a sharp looking machine.

I'm already seeing them at goodwill and other thrift stores for 30 bucks

I think it must be a regional thing... the only video game related thing I've ever got at ours is a plug n' play game, and a bad one at that.

Man that sucks. They have a ps2, original xbox, gamecube, or a wii every time I go. I live in GA BTW.  They always charge 30 for a console and 20 for hand held.  ( most of the time it's just a wii or a Nds)

[pbj]

Did the hackers ever get the menu system cleaned up on the Wii? 

Drove me nuts that you had to navigate that thing by waving the remote.

It'd be nice if they could get it customized to the level of XBMC and CoinOps.....

My wife wants one of these mini-NES things.  Doesn't matter we've got 50 devices that can emulate the ROMs laying around the house.  Don't underestimate the appeal of plug and play.

[vwalbridge]

Don't underestimate the appeal of plug and play.

+1 The average Joe is going to eat this thing up simply for this reason alone.

And $60 is a a deal. I know its not necessarily a fair comparison, but if you tried to collect all 30 of these games on eBay, you are going to be in it for well over $60.

[pbj]

Or get the multicart that's readily available at major internet retailers....

[yotsuya]

Or add all the roms to your hacked Wii for $0 and go to town!

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah I made tools a million years ago to properly inject roms, screenshot and all, into the official virtual console emulator.  It just becomes impractical if you want to put a whole set on there. 

pbj:  not sure what you mean man... you can navigate the wii menu via the classic controller or a sideways wiimote as well as via the pointer.  I think via the analog stick of a nunchuck as well.  It's always been that way afaik. 

I honestly don't think it's a bad value, for the record.  It's 60 dollars, so that's two bucks a game and that doesn't even include the cost of the unit or the gamepad.  They also managed, unlike most plug n play systems, to actually have a solid gamelist.  Sure I prefer some of those titles over others, but there isn't a single stinker on the list. 

[pbj]

It's entirely possible they corrected that.  My Wii is running some very old system menu because I didn't want to lose MP3 playback functionality... and I haven't turned it on in probably 5 years.