This coming November 11, we will see the launch of yet another Nintendo console. The thing is, it will not be the portable hybrid console that is known as the Nintendo Switch (the Switch is set to be released some time in March next year), but rather, it would be the $60 NES Classic Edition. The NES Classic Edition will be pretty much a static console -- i.e., it will not have any more games apart from the ones that it ships with, but at the very least you will be able to play 30 classic titles on the NES that had you riveted to your fat, chunky CRT TV all those years ago, except that you will be able to enjoy your childhood memories on a HDTV now.
I would like to think that it is only Nintendo who can pull this off. After all, you do not see Sony repackaging their original PlayStation more than a decade down the road and try to push it down the throats of the masses -- it simply does not work. Even then, Sony’s attempt at the cute little PSOne was riding on a small wave of nostalgia, and nothing else, which meant that it was ultimately unsustainable. Nintendo, on the other hand, could probably sell another repackaged version of their NES another decade down the road, and folks would probably lap it all up. Heck for all you know, it could be just like the NES Classic Edition, except that Nintendo decides to throw in a classic NES cartridge slot -- you know, just in case you have a few NES cartridges in your attic that would be able to work after blowing into the cartridge pins.
It seems that there might be a bit of confusion out there about pre-orders of the NES Classic Edition on Amazon. Amazon apparently provides just a basic listing for the NES Classic Edition, and all that you can do is to be notified when pre-orders open up. Having said that, what are some of the cool stuff about the NES Classic Edition?
Display options
For starters, the Display options allow one to enjoy their classic titles in the original 4:3 output, which will also be accompanied by the application of a CRT filter that ensures you would be transported back many, many years in terms of gaming experience. Of course, if your HDTV is large at more than 55” or even 60”, it would also be a new experience, since back in the day, even a 15” CRT TV is a luxury.
The other way to maximize your enjoyment would be to take advantage of the Pixel Perfect display option, which Nintendo claims will be able to offer the very best visual experience, showing off everything just like how the original creators envisioned back then. Can you say that Nintendo was so visionary in the early days, that they knew the day would come when HDTVs ruled the earth, and technology would finally catch up with how 8-bit games were supposed to look?
Suspend Points
No longer do you need to memorize or scramble for a piece of paper to write down a long, randomly generated password to register a faux save point, or hit the pause button if the game does not have a save point. Suspend Points is here to save the day, being virtual save game slots. Each game will come with a quartet of Suspend Points, letting you return to your game at a later time when you are free.
