Nintendo Gets Nostalgic and Strikes Gold Again

This time last year, millions of gamers who grew up in the 80s and 90s were desperate to get their hands on the NES Classic, a mini edition of the Nintendo Entertainment System, equipped with some of that platform’s top games. Nintendo quickly sold out, and fans searched stores and the internet in vain for a chance to get their hands on a relic from their childhood.

Nintendo to Release ‘Classic Edition’

This year, Nintendo is doing it again. The company announced it would be releasing a mini version of its follow-up to the NES, the Super Nintendo. This console, too, is getting the “Classic Edition” treatment. A smaller console equipped with popular Super NES games. This console, if you can get it, will come complete with 21 built-in games, including massive hits like Super Mario World, Super Punch Out, Street Fighter II and Donkey Kong Country.

This year, in an attempt to keep from disappointing customers with too little production, Nintendo is allowing pre-orders. Those numbers have been astounding for the company. And it’s not surprising. In a world awash in “mature” games and first-person shooters, the Nintendo classics offer more than nostalgia.

It’s easy to see parents of young would-be gamers sitting down with their kids and showing them all the tips and tricks that helped define their childhood. And they can do so pretty much without worrying about content or messaging.

These nostalgic parents will probably have to take some time to explain to Junior why the picture is so “pixelated and fuzzy” but, for the people who grew up on these games, that’s likely to be just part of the experience.

The Cord is Still Short

There is one complaint that even nostalgia likely won’t solve. The controller cords are, still, very short. This was a major complaint consumers had of the NES Classic Edition, and Nintendo failed to address that in their newest offering. It’s not nearly as easy to lay in a bean bag and kick back on the floor, a few feet from the TV, as it was when these gamers were kids.

But that – and a few ‘not so great’ games seem to be the only complaints early buyers have about the Super NES Classic Edition. Those aside, judging by the sheer number of pre-orders and all the buzz about these classic consoles, it seems like Nintendo has struck consumer gold again. Will these sales be enough to get Nintendo the attention it needs to get back into the current gaming market? Will gamers who love the Classics shell out the cash for a Switch when they already have an Xbox or PS4 at home?

Ronn Torossian is the Founder and CEO of the New York based public relations firm 5WPR: one of the 20 largest PR Firms in the United States.