Skip to main content

NES Classic Edition trailer showcases Nintendo’s 8-bit legacy

Players eager for an early glimpse at Nintendo’s upcoming NES Classic Edition plug-and-play console can sample the device’s bounty of bundled 8-bit titles in a new trailer released today, while a Nintendo-produced website offers a nostalgic look back at the console for longtime fans.

Footage seen in today’s trailer indicates that the NES Classic Edition will use different or altered emulation technology compared to Nintendo’s previous Virtual Console releases. This has sparked new discussion and speculation regarding the device’s upcoming launch.

Announced earlier this month, the NES Classic Edition is a standalone device that includes 30 fan-favorite titles for the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System. The console connects to modern HDTVs via an included HDMI port, and players can recreate the feel of their decades-old favorites using a bundled controller that closely resembles first-party NES control pads.

Fans were quick to point out the NES Classic Edition’s drawbacks, however. The device does not support original NES cartridges, and it will not allow players to purchase or download additional games, limiting functionality to its 30 included titles.

Those looking for an excuse to invest in an NES Classic Edition may be interested in the device’s apparent bump in visual clarity, however. Footage from today’s trailer showcases crisp, bright graphics for all featured games, suggesting that the package may not be a stripped-down Wii console, as many speculated.

While Nintendo has re-released a number of classic NES games via its digital Virtual Console service for the Wii and Wii U, many players noted that these versions were more visually drab than their original console counterparts, suffering from darkened color palettes and muted tones throughout. Though the above trailer suggests otherwise, it’s currently unknown whether the NES Classic Edition will feature the same emulation technology as Nintendo’s Wii and Wii U consoles.

Among the NES Classic Edition’s included titles are landmark releases like The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Kirby’s Adventure, and Super Mario Bros. 3. Notably, the device also offers up a number of third-party NES releases, including Capcom’s Mega Man 2, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy, and Konami’s Castlevania.

The NES Classic Edition hits retail on November 11 at a suggested retail price of $60.

[amz_nsa_keyword keyword=”Nintendo”]

Editors' Recommendations

Danny Cowan
Danny’s passion for video games was ignited upon his first encounter with Nintendo’s Duck Hunt, and years later, he still…
Play Nintendo Switch games in 1440p with the mClassic USB graphics processor
mclassic usb graphic processor play nintendo switch 4k consoles

Updated headline on 8/8 to reflect 1440p resolution 

In the past, the video game console you bought at launch would have the same graphical capabilities for its entire lifespan, with only software-side updates potentially improving how games looked and ran. It is no longer the past, however, as Merseille's mClassic device is a plug-and-play graphics processor that promises to boost your consoles' performance without modification.

Read more
How to get to Monkey Island in Sea of Thieves
An election poster for guybrush in Sea of Thieves.

Over the course of its many years of updates and expansions, Sea of Thieves has had a few notable crossovers with other pirate franchises. The Pirates of the Caribbean crossover let you team up with the legendary Jack Sparrow, but the Monkey Island content felt like it came out of nowhere. For those unaware, Monkey Island is a series of pirate point-and-click games that were as funny as the puzzles were obscure. Thankfully, you don't have to intuit that you need to combine a cat whisker with a mason jar to bypass a skeleton guard to get to this new content, but it is more challenging than you might think.

Read more
3 Xbox Game Pass games you need to play this weekend (May 3-5)
Senua in Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice.

Another weekend is upon us, and you're probably looking for some games to kill time with over the course of it. We're in a bit of a lull right now ahead of a flurry of releases starting next week, so it's a great time to dip back into the Xbox Game Pass catalog and check out some games that you may have missed. There are three games in particular that I think you should check out this weekend if you're looking for something to play.

One is an unsettling adventure that's getting an Xbox-exclusive sequel later this month. The next is a finely animated roguelike indie that recently made its way to Microsoft's gaming subscription service. Finally, there's a relaxing adventure that gives players a lot of freedom, yet is short enough to beat in a weekend. If you're having trouble deciding what to play this weekend, give one of these games a shot.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

Read more