Nintendo to discontinue that mini-NES Classic you still haven’t been able to find

By Matt Gerardi  |  April 13, 2017 | 7:29pm
Aux Features Games

Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition was one of the hottest, hardest to find products of 2016. A tiny replica of the company’s first home console with 30 built-in games, it’s been near-impossible to find in stores ever since its release, and it’s about to become literally impossible. In a statement made to IGN, a Nintendo Of America representative said the diminutive console has officially been discontinued. The last batch of NES Classic Editions will be heading to North American retailers throughout April, and once they’re gone, the device will be gone for good.

And to all you Nintendo fans who’ve been searching for one of these things for months, only to now find out that you’ll never be able to get one without paying exorbitant prices to third-party sources, the company wants you to know it’s sorry. “We understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that we apologize,” the statement read. “NES Classic Edition wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product. However, due to high demand, we did add extra shipments to our original plans.”

It’s a bummer that this nifty little gadget is going away, but considering its success, there’s a chance its retirement is merely a temporary one or at least a necessary stopgap until Nintendo is ready to release a second edition with more games—and new measures to cut down on the rampant hacking the console has suffered. After all, there were a hell of a lot more games released for the NES than the 30 included in the original Classic Edition. And who knows? Maybe Nintendo will have learned something about supply and demand from this whole debacle. (It won’t.)

 
Join the discussion...