I am sure, if you are a gamer, that you have heard that Nintendo plans on marketing a plug-n-play NES Mini this fall. It is self contained having only a limited number of games, as all plug-n-play devices. 30 original Nintendo games crammed into a small little console no bigger than the controller makes it appealing. Even the price, if you hadn’t purchased any of these over virtual console, makes it a real deal.
I’m a retro gamer and I love gadgets. I think the NES Mini is out there for a niche market. I will get one just to place it in my collection of “things.” I wished Nintendo would have given us a cart port. That would have put it up there on top for me, the icing on the cake. I hope there is a younger generation that will not be so spoiled by modern graphics that they will be able to discover the fun of early 8-bit gaming. Even if it is nothing more than a taste. But then again, I can envision it as something that some unknowledgeable grandparents will give to that unsuspecting child wanting the Nintendo NX. Then again, I can see it as something that many will snatch up making it hard to get a hold of, scarce. Only to jack up the price and sell it over eBay, spoiling it for everyone seeing it as a trip down nostalgia lane.
Whether to recommend this to you brings mixed feelings. I am one who loves to handle my original hardware and games. Holding the original cart in my hand and pushing it down into the slot is part of the experience for me. But then again owning something like this that Nintendo is marketing makes me want it. If it was anyone else, I would not bother.
But if I was someone who knew the fun value of the old Nintendo 8-bits, and on a very limited budget, or in a dorm room with limited space, I’d say jump on it. And enjoy the revival.
Pieces of Me 