When Nintendo announced the release of an all-in-one replica of their original console earlier this year, you could have been forgiven in thinking of it as a niche item, with a fairly small target audience. Gamers have proven that entirely wrong however, as sales of the NES Classic have outstripped supply across many areas of the world.
The system sold out at retailers shortly after its opening weekend at shops in November. This prompted an angry tweet from Microsoft Studios Publishing GM Shannon Loftis, berating the fact that Nintendo had been short sighted in their shipment of the retro item. In an interview with CNET, Nintendo executive Reggie Fils-Aime responded, by saying that more stock would be arriving at retailers every day.
The NES Classic console is a miniature version of the NES, and comes with a replica of the old rectangular controller from the 1980’s machine. The Classic packs in 30 of the biggest games from the original, including the Super Mario Brothers Trilogy, Donkey Kong, and the first two Legends of Zelda. The inclusion of some of these legendary games may go some way to explaining the popularity of the item with shoppers.
If you can get your hands on the NES Classic, then they retail at $60 or £50. Perhaps once the festive season is over, Nintendo may be able to make sure supply meets demand.