Back in September I preordered the Nintendo Classic Mini. After a delay that postponed the order all the way to March 2017 I was really surprised to hear that this December, the console will be delivered. So here I am, after playing hours of 8bit nostalgia, I am ready for the review.
What's in the box?
Once you open the box, you will get the following: the console, the gamepad, mini-usb cable, HDMI cable and the manual. The console itself is very light and very small. It's an accurate reproduction of the original, yet there is no cartridge slot. The console comes with an HDMI port so you can experience the 8bit games in HD. It also comes with a power and reset button.
The interface
The interface is pretty simple. You can explore the list of games via a carousel-like gallery. At the top you have several settings while at the bottom you can load or save a game (suspend points as they call them). Yes, you can save your progress. You can be sneaky and save your lives/continues before game over. Regarding the settings, it's worth mentioning that you can change the display—switch to HD (real pixels), 4:3 or apply a CRT filter for those memorable VCR-like experiences. Moreover you can check out the original game manuals for each game. That's pretty sweet!
30 Games
The Classic Mini is jammed with 30 classic games to keep you occupied. Here's the complete list.
- Balloon Fight
- Bubble Bobble
- Castlevania
- Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge
- Dr. Mario
- Excitebike
- Final Fantasy
- Galaga
- Ghosts'n Goblins
- Gradius
- Ice Climber
- Kid Icarus
- Kirby's Adventure
- Mario Bros.
- Mega Man 2
- Metroid
- Ninja Gaiden
- Pac-Man
- Punch-Out! Featuring Mr. Dream
- StarTropics
- Super C
- Super Mario Bros.
- Super Mario Bros. 2
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Tecmo Bowl
- The Legend of Zelda
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
To be honest, from all the games listed only of few I really really really wanted to play. And those games are Super Contra, Double Dragon, Ninja Gaiden and Excite Bike. I played them with my brother then and I'm gonna play them now. Although I wish they included more, like Duck Tales, Street Fighter, Darkwing Duck, Tiny Toons Adventures, Eliminator Boat Duel, Darkman, Battle City, Battletoads or Goal 3. Man, I know too many retro games!
To finish up, here are the final toughts:
The pros
- 30 awesome games
- You can save your game.
- 8bit in HD via an HDMI port.
- It feels good to play them.
- Even the glitches are reproduced.
And cons
- Only 30 awesome games. C'mon, Nintendo. Why not buying more online? Or adding via USB?
- You can save the game. Yes, it feels like cheating. When I was a younger geek I had to work my ass to reach some levels. These games are hard.
- It only comes with one gamepad and its cable is too short. C'mon, Nintendo. It takes two to tango in Double Dragon or Super Contra.