The NES Classic Edition is a recreation of the classic console that was part of the 80s and 90s generations.
The console can fit your hand, it needs an HD TV and lets you play it with classic or Wii controllers. Nintendo has made a few mistakes, including making the traditional controllers’ cables extremely short, which will force you to sit too close to the screen. The small console comes with 30 classic games in a pixel-perfect emulation. The quality of the graphics is better to that of any emulator of an old game, including Nintendo Products like the Wii U.
From the outside, the NES Classic Edition looks almost exactly like the original one but on a smaller scale and with different outputs. The controller’s port are exactly where the original NES had them, and the power and reset button are the same people see in their childhood memories. There are only two outputs in the back of the console: a micro-USB port for power and an HDMI port.
The console can be connected to a Wii remote, but because there are only two outputs, Nintendo makes it impossible to add more games. So, if your favorite game is not included in the 30 video game list of the NES Classic Edition, you are out of luck.
To start using the console, you just need to plug it into a TV with an HDMI port and a source of power with a USB port. The NES Classic Edition has its own wall adapter in case you do not want to charge it from a TV.
Once the console is set up, pressing the power button (which feels like the original one), makes the menu of the NES Classic Edition appear on the screen, showing the 30 games available in alphabetical order. The mini console includes titles such as “Balloon Fight,” “Donkey Kong,” “Final Fantasy,” “Kirby’s Adventure,” “Mega Man,” “Pac-Man,” “Super Mario Bros,” and “The Legend of Zelda.”
The most exciting thing about the new console is the graphics’ quality, that although it shows pixels, the image seen is colorful, clear, and detailed, which suggest that the Nintendo Switch might have a similar visual quality.
In the main menu, players can choose between a 4:3 presentation, the CRT filter that simulates the blur and scanlines of an old television, or the Pixel Perfect option which shows the improved graphics.
The NES Classic Edition menu has a feature that the original version did not have: Suspend Points. The new option lets users save states when they pause a game to continue playing from that point later.
The flaws of the NES Classic Edition: The controllers do not have a home button and their cables are too short
The small console includes a classic controller, which can be bought separately for $10. The only problem is that if you want to use similar controllers to those you used when you were a kid, you will have to sit near the TV as well.
The classic controller cable is 2.5 feet long, and it does not let people get to the couch, so you will have to sit on the floor unless you have Wii controllers. Another problem with the length of the cables is that today’s TVs are larger than in the past and sitting in front of a large screen can result uncomfortable for some people.
Another flaw is that the mini NES controller is a replica of the original. Thus, it does not have a home button, forcing users to use the reset button to get there. Because of that, you need to sit near the console or to stand up if you managed to reach to the couch. If you want to use the Suspend Point on the menu, you have to press the reset button, unless you have Wii controllers, which do have a home button.
Source: Engadget