The final miniature Nintendo consoles will ship over the coming weeks.
Nintendo has confirmed that they will discontinue the NES Classic. In a statement to IGN, the company explained that the console was always going to be available for a limited time:
“NES Classic Edition wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product. However, due to high demand, we did add extra shipments to our original plans.”
The statement also laid out a time frame for when retailers and consumers will be able to obtain the final consoles, while also apologising to consumers who have had problems trying to purchase the console:
“Throughout April, NOA territories will receive the last shipments of the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year. We encourage anyone interested in obtaining this system to check with retail outlets regarding availability. We Understand that it has been difficult for many consumers to find a system, and for that we apologise. We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.”
The company also confirmed that the discontinuation will also apply to the NES Classic controller, but third-party accessories will be subject to individual manufacturers.
The NES Classic was released in November 2016 and comes with 30 titles pre-loaded onto the console, including Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda.
Words by Megan Roxburgh