Nintendo Entertainment System’s NES Classic Nov. 10 Release A Throwback To 1980s Christmas

Reports say the Nintendo Entertainment System’s November 10 release will feel an awful lot like the 1980s. That could be because this year’s hottest Christmas gift will be an actual return of the 1980s’ most popular gaming console, the classic (a.k.a. original) Nintendo Entertainment System.

Just how retro is Nintendo willing to go for the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System’s classic, yet palm-sized, entertainment system? I4U News reports it is bringing back a gaming classic to go with the classic Nintendo Entertainment System.

“Nintendo has planned a trip to the 80s for the launch on the NES classic on November 10. On the night of Nov. 10, fans who visit the Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Plaza will have a blast in the past with an ’80s-themed launch event. On the launch weekend (Nov. 11-13), Nintendo is bringing back its righteously nostalgic Power Line for three days only.

“The original Nintendo Power Line was a popular service in the 1980s that connected games to Nintendo Game Play Counselors who offered helpful tips and tricks. In this fully automated version, you can use your real-life phone to dial (425) 885-7529 to hear recorded tips for several games, plus behind-the-scenes stories from original Nintendo Game Play Counselors.”

Destructoid reports the Nintendo Entertainment System’s NES Classic launch will also feature social media campaigns focusing on the 1980s nostalgia sure to make this Christmas and holiday season a great time for adults in their 30s and as for kids in their teens and early 20s? Who knows what they will think. But here is what you can expect to see flooding Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of social media with next week’s launch, according to Destructoid.

“On November 10 and 11, Nintendo’s social media accounts will host an event it’s calling ‘Remembering #NESterday,'” it reports. “Nintendo fans will be encouraged to share their photographs and memories of playing the NES, and will be able to participate in a Twitter sweepstakes where it’s safe to assume some of the miniature consoles will be given away.”

While the device is not being released until Thursday (November 10), complaints – however minor – are already starting to filter through the Internet. The primary complaint on an otherwise good device appears to be the Nintendo Entertainment System’s NES Classic controller, which reviewers have said is too short.

“The console comes with one NES Classic Controller which thankfully is the same size as the one bundled with the original release,” Tech Times reported.

You may be saying to yourself, “Wait. If it is the same size as the originally released Nintendo Entertainment System, what’s the big deal?” The problem, of course, is while many children in the 1980s (myself included) were fine with the cable length, we were also playing on considerably smaller televisions that required sitting closer to the screen. Arguments on whether it was healthy to sit so close to the television aside, this appears to be something that should have been addressed before the release of the updated Nintendo Entertainment System. After all, we all tend to have larger televisions than the 13-inch screen we had as children.

Tech Times reports that there is a solution to this cord problem on the Nintendo Entertainment System’s NES Classic.

“… Nyko is offering another accessory, the Extend Link for NES Classic Edition which does what its name suggests, adding 6 feet of additional cord length for $10,” Tech Times reports. “And as a bonus, the Extend Link will also be compatible with wired controllers for Wii and Wii U.”

While there is nothing like the original, it appears as though the Nintendo Entertainment System’s NES Classic will be a pretty awesome gift for many adults in their 30s and 40s this holiday season.

[Featured Image by Paul Stringer / Shutterstock.com]