With the release of the “Nintendo Entertainment System – Classic Edition” earlier this year, Nintendo successfully propelled it’s classic retro video game console back into the headlines. This smaller modern “reboot” of the NES was wildly popular upon it’s release this November, due to limited supply, stores who were lucky enough to get any of the consoles were sold out within minutes.  

Now that the holidays are over, the systems are slowly becoming more readily available, but at a high markup. The NES Classic Edition is currently selling at upwards of $150 dollars on auction sites like Ebay, and around $190 on marketplaces like Amazon.

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I’ll be the first to admit that the NES Classic Edition is a really cool idea. It’s small and compact, making the ideal candidate to take games to a party or friends house. Despite it’s reduction in size, Nintendo chose to retain the form-factor of the original NES.

As a retro game enthusiast myself, I was excited when I heard that it was to be released. But as more details emerged, the downsides of the Classic Edition became apparent. The Classic Edition includes hallmark games like Metroid, Mario Bros., and The Legend of Zelda, but won’t play original NES cartridges, and with no way to expand the game library outside of the 30 classic games that come preloaded, the exceptional games that didn’t make the cut will still be inaccessible. Sure, 30 games will keep you occupied for a while, but when you think about the fact that there are over 700 licensed titles available for the NES, you’ll realize that you are paying a high price to play a very small fraction of the spectrum of released games.

So, I’ve said all that to say this: why limit yourself to 30 games and pay over $150 for the NES Classic Edition? You could just as easily come to Bookmans and snag an original NES for as low as $60 (depending on local availability). Each and every Bookmans location buys and sells retro games at a competitive price, meaning there is an ever changing selection of NES titles to peruse. All of our consoles come with the standard Bookmans guarantee, and the original NES is extremely durable (they really don’t make them like they used to), so the consoles longevity is really a non-issue. Who knows, maybe you already have some of old cartridges lying around that you’d like to revisit?  

Don’t spend a small fortune just to scratch that retro gaming itch. Head over here and grab yourself a console so you can start stompin’ some good old-fashioned Goombas!