Nintendo Classic Mini Edition
There are still a few months until the Nintendo Switch hits the shops, but the firm is filling the gap with this tiny grey box packed full of nostalgia, the NES Classic.
Price
The low price is one of the best things about it. At just £49, it’s cheaper than any of Nintendo’s handheld DS consoles. The cost includes one controller, though you’ll probably want to spend an additional £7.99 on another.
Design
We knew the NES Classic was small, but it was still a shock getting it out of the box. This pint-sized plastic box is so tiny it fits in the palm of your hand (see opposite image), so don’t worry if you thought you didn’t have space for another console in the lounge.
The design is simplistic and for the most part stays true to the original console. There’s no cartridge slot for games though, and the lid doesn’t lift up. On the front you’ll find two small buttons – power and reset – plus slots for the controllers. On the back there’s a Micro-USB socket and an HDMI port.
Although its diminuitive size means it can be located anywhere, its weight of just 173g means that it might not sit properly. During testing we found that the cable attached to the controller occasionally knocked it out of place.
The controllers are true to the original design, with their rectangular shape and four buttons. There is, however, a huge problem here and it’s this console’s biggest flaw. The wire that attaches the controller to the NES Classic is just 75cm long, so you’ll need to either sit really close to the TV or position the console on a coffee table, which may require longer power and HDMI leads. Whoever thought cables this length was a good idea was very wrong.
Performance
Setting up the NES Classic Mini is easy. This is one console that won’t ever need to download updates before you can get going. Just plug the HDMI cable into your television, connect the power and you’re good to go. As mentioned earlier, it uses a Micro-USB port and while a cable is supplied in the box, an adaptor isn’t. Most modern TVs will, however, have a USB port that can power the console.
Once you’re plugged in, press the power button and select the language. You’ll then be hit with a wave of gaming nostalgia.
The menu is laid out in an easyto-use manner, although there are some complications when it comes to saving games, which we’ll come to shortly. The menu lets you adjust settings such as the display format and it’s all very retro with attention to detail. It’s a shame, then, that there isn’t a manual. Instead a QR code is displayed, which you’ll need to scan to find online.
In the middle of the screen you’ll see a horizontal list of games. These can be ordered alphabetically or by release date.
Before you start gaming, you’ll need to select your display format. There are three to choose from:
Pixel Perfect: Gives you square pixels so you see the games as designed. 4:3: Original NES look, but with a horizontal stretch.
CRT: Adds a filter which looks like an old TV, scan lines and all.
Launching a game is almost instantaneous and we didn’t notice any lag while playing or using the console in general. The hardest part is selecting which game to play in the first place. When there are 30 classic titles to choose from, it can get pretty hard. For some, most if not all the games will be familiar, while there will be plenty that others won’t have played or even heard of. Obvious options are the Mario games, of which there are four, Balloon Fight, Pac-Man, Excitebike, Donkey Kong, Kirby’s Adventure, The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. Whether the selection of games suits your taste, we can’t say but we think it’s a pretty good list.
There aren’t many twoplayer offerings and those that are available often require you to take turns rather than play simultaneously. That said, it’s worth the small cost of a second controller for when you do have a friend round, plus it works on the Wii or Wii U for the virtual console by connecting it to a Wii Remote. However, before you rush out and buy one, you’ll be pleased to hear that you can use an old Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro.
The beauty of the NES Classic rests in the reset button on the front. Gone are the days when you had to leave the console switched on and pray no one turned it off so you could complete a game. You can hit the reset button any time you like and you’ll get an instant save point. Some games need it more than others and for some you’ll be using it a lot.
You’ll need to spend a bit of time learning how to use the system, though. Whenever you hit the button, the menu will appear and you’ll see a tiny window showing where you are in the game. That doesn’t save the game, though – you’ll need to move it into one of the four slots below.
It’s fine once you get used to it (and make sure you lock ones you really don’t want to lose by pressing down), but it’s pretty long-winded, which can be annoying when you feel the need to save often. It involves hitting Restart, then Down, then either A (to save) or Down again, then A again – like some kind of complicated hack.
Available games
• 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
Verdict
Although the NES Classic has some flaws – namely the ridiculously short controller cable – we can’t help but recommend getting one if you can find it in stock. This little bundle of joy is insanely good value for those who want to relive days gone past or play these classic games for the first time with the modern benefit of save points.
The hardest part is selecting which game to play in the first place. When there are 30 classic titles to choose from, it can get pretty hard