Nintendo NES Classic Edition Review: Nostalgia For Retro-Gamers

Nintendo is rekindling the love for its retro-games just in time for the holiday season, with the Nintendo NES Classic, a miniaturized, plug-and-play version of the 1985 gaming console.

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We are only half-way through November, but it’s apparent that Nintendo’s latest nostalgia offering is quickly becoming the must-have gift this year, already difficult to find. However, the prize may be worth the hunt, as the NES Classic is a self-contained system that bundles thirty iconic games into one portable package (about $2 per game). It’s also about the size of one old-school NES cartridge.

Those looking for analog hookups to your TV will be disappointed. The mini-NES looks like the original, but the design is mostly for show, and the system runs through an HDMI out to your television and a micro-USB to power the device. While the controller included with the system mimics the feel of the original NES controller, it’s not wireless. A short cable and the fact that only one is included means having to trek out to the store for cord extensions and additional controllers and $10 each. There’s also no wireless option, but that defeats the point of nostalgia, doesn’t it?

All the games are accessible through a home menu, and switching titles requires physically pushing the reset button. It’s also worth mentioning that games cannot be added to the system. For contemporary gamers used to checkpoints and saves, the NES Classic offers four save slots for every game, as well as an auto-save feature for when the NES automatically powers down after an hour. Further playback customization is possible with three TV modes: Pixel Perfect, which creates a square on your display, 4:3 which fills more of the display, and CRT, giving the old eighties effect you’ve been searching for.

If you can get your hands on it, the NES Classic makes for the perfect and affordable way to satisfy your 8-bit nostalgia.

Here is the list of the titles included in the system:

• 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