NES Classic Edition Canceled? Retailer-Based Rumor Not True [Debunked]
Has the NES Classic Edition been canceled? According to a Nordic retailer’s Facebook post and someone who claims to work for them, it has. However, Nintendo has debunked this rumor, but it’s unclear exactly what is going on with the retailer who started it.
When the miniature retro gaming console was announced last year, it sparked a frenzy of anticipation. For $60, you could get a console you can literally hold in your hand, a controller exactly like the original, and 30 games built in. For fans of games like the original Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Super Mario, and Donkey Kong, it sounded too good to be true.
The machine was revealed to have save states for all 30 titles, even action-heavy ones like Super C and Punch-Out!!. While this could be seen as unnecessary for such titles, others like Final Fantasy and the aforementioned Zelda would practically be impossible to finish without them.
One of the most literal shortcomings was the length of the controller cord, which if you’re playing more than three feet away from your HDTV, forces you to get closer to the screen. Of course, there is a workaround involving a tray table, two HDMI cords, and a female-to-female HDMI coupler, which might actually be a better option. It gives you easier access to the console in order to use those save states.
The 30 included titles include mostly first-party games, though some enterprising hackers have found a way to put up to 80-plus games on the console. It’s not recommended, though, as it could end with you owning a $60 miniature NES display, having been “bricked” by your efforts.
Nintendo may be taking the news of this hack and fixing the appropriate port to stop allowing it to work, but nobody knows yet.
Now, since scalpers have bought a good 99 percent of all consoles and have been selling it for outrageous prices, including thousands of dollars on eBay, Nintendo is struggling to come up with enough consoles to meet retail demands. This may have led a Nordic retailer to simply stop selling them.
NeoGAF user Roarer claims to work for a major retailer, according to Geek.com, and has claimed that the NES Classic Edition’s production has been canceled.
“According to them, production has ended, and we will be receiving a few more shipments before everything dries up. By our estimates, we (as a single retailer) might not be able to fulfill all orders that have been placed so far. Our last shipment should arrive in April or May, and after that, there won’t be any more shipments. I have heard from other retailers that they’ve received the same information. Some of them are emailing customers to tell them that their order might be canceled.”
The supplier, Bergsala Ab, has been contacted for confirmation and explanation, but no comment has been made on their behalf.
Nintendo had already shot down this rumor, claiming that the parts needed for the mini-console were difficult to acquire quickly, but they are working to increase production. They reiterated that statement once again on Valentine’s Day, according to Auto News World.
It may simply be that Bergsala Ab is not optimistic enough to continue selling the console and has stopped ordering it, with final orders shipping in May. Nintendo, however, hasn’t abandoned the little console that could and will continue with regular shipments.
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[Featured Image by Ron Tiew Photography/Shutterstock]
