Nintendo’s new mini-console, called the NES Classic, is an ‘80s-themed throwback for anyone who wants to play 30 of the best video games made for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. It packs in truckloads of mostly-excellent classic games, including hits like Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, and Castlevania. Overall, it’s an impressively lightweight system that outputs significantly better software emulation compared to Nintendo’s current offerings. And it’s available at a budget-friendly $59.99 USD, but there is one catch: The decision to use wired controllers, and not modify the iconic look of the NES, makes the user-end experience slightly clunky.
But there’s still a lot to love about the NES Classic. It’s a lovely little system, and right out of the box it renders classic games better than any other Nintendo system to date. The NES Classic offers three display modes, one that emulates the look of classic CRT TVs from televisions made in the ‘80s, one that presents the game in a 4:3 format, and Pixel Perfect mode, a slender-yet-more-precise output method that maps the pixels as they were originally designed. It looks much improved over the squashed, slightly faded look of the same games running on Nintendo’s Wii U Virtual Console.
Even with the better tech, each game keeps its original presentation quirks. So little things like the blank line on the left of screen in Super Mario Bros. 3, or the slowdown whenever too many enemies were on screen in Metroid, is just the way you remember it. Hitting the reset button on the console itself mid-game pops you out to the front-end menu, where you can change display options, load up another game or save the state of the one you’re playing in one of four slots, or play with a few other features. But be careful, if you don’t save the state of the game you’re in, you could lose progress in a second.
In terms of features, the NES Classic has a few nifty extras. There’s an option to reduce screen burn-in and auto-shutdown settings to protect your TV, it supports eight languages, and there’s a demo screensaver mode that displays a funny tug of war for the screen between Mario and Luigi if you leave the system idle. You can’t look at the original manuals on the system itself, but you can check out fully scanned versions on your smartphone or tablet using this QR code when the system is released.
The hardware unit itself is lightweight but doesn't feel cheap, as is the case with a majority of Nintendo's products. The included NES Classic Controller, which the company is also selling for $9.99 USD, feels just right in your hands. Let's face it, there's nothing more distracting than playing a retro console with a low quality controller. Thankfully, the NES Classic Edition did not skimp out on look and feel.
All-in-all, the NES Classic looks like a neat retro console experience, but the system comes up short in one area. In what appears to be a decision to keep costs low, or appeal to the retro consumer by recreating the original NES wholesale, Nintendo decided to go with wired controller cords for the NES Classic Controller. It appear to be an intentional part of the design because you have to hit the reset button so you can open the home menu. But in today’s wireless world of tech, it feels like an odd design choice. If you have a big TV or a home theatre setup, you best bet is to consider picking up a long HDMI cable just so you can keep the system within reach.
Even if you need a longer HDMI to take full advantage of its features, the NES Classic looks like an excellent way to re-engage with 30 of the best games in video game history. OK, it's more like 29, because no one likes Ice Climber. None of us expected Nintendo to create a separate device to play games from its amazing back catalog. But from what we've seen, it looks like the company is taking the first device in its new retro label seriously (despite the short wired controller cord) by packing in the right system features to make it a tempting purchase for fans and lapsed gamers alike.
Jose Otero is an Editor at IGN and host of Nintendo Voice Chat. You can follow him on Twitter.
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