NES Classic Edition finds an extra life, returns to stores in June

The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition was a huge success for Nintendo when it launched in 2016, but the console’s demand far exceeded its supply, and resellers helped to make it nearly impossible to find before it was discontinued. If you still haven’t purchased one, however, you’ll soon have a chance, as it’s returning to store shelves in June.

The NES Classic Edition will return on June 29, hopefully with a large enough stock to guarantee those looking for the console are able to get it. Along with the NES Classic Edition, the SNES Classic Edition will also be available through the end of 2018. The latter console has still been difficult to find online, but we’ve seen it pop up occasionally at retail stores.

The plug-and-play NES Classic comes preloaded with 30 games from the original NES. These include first-party classics like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros 3, as well as third-party games like Castlevania, Super C, and Ninja Gaiden. It sells for $60, making it a great option for a collector looking to return to some of their favorite retro games, though unlike its successor, it only comes with a single controller. The cord is also extremely short, all but necessitating the use of an extension cable.

Back in 2017, Nintendo filed a new trademark for the Nintendo 64 controller with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. As the original console has long since ceased production, this got people speculating that a Nintendo 64 Classic system was in the works. It hasn’t been announced yet, but if it ends up being real, it will likely launch this fall.

Looking further ahead, it seems unlikely that Nintendo will give the GameCube a similar treatment. YouTube user “Nintendrew” recently created his own custom GameCube “Classic” using a single-board computer, emulator software, and a 3D printer, but the total cost to complete the project far exceeded what Nintendo could charge. The software was also unable to reliably run some of the system’s biggest games, like Super Mario Sunshine. It’s all the more reason for Nintendo to release a Virtual Console for the Nintendo Switch — something the company has seemingly no interest in doing right now.