The NES Classic Edition, a miniature replica of the NES with thirty games, came out in 2016 followed by a SNES version the following year. Some have hoped that Nintendo could try out something similar with other systems like the N64 or even the Game Boy, but we haven’t seen anything like that. Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime believes we won’t see anything like it again.
Reggie was asked about the possibility of more miniature systems while speaking with CNET. In his view, it’s not something Nintendo will revisit. Reggie believes Nintendo should instead pursue more N64 titles for Nintendo Switch Online as well as the addition of GameCube and Wii.
Reggie’s full words:
Those initiatives were a critical moment in time, as the Wii U was suffering in the market, the Switch wasn’t ready to launch. They were some stopgap initiatives that the company saw that could fill a need from a business perspective. They also helped the company think through how to deliver some of this great legacy content in a way that consumers could enjoy. It also formed a bit of foundational thinking for the Nintendo Online experience, and providing that legacy content to the consumer.
Will it come back? Will there be other physical boxes with legacy content? I don’t think so. If I were back at Nintendo for a day, I would be much more focused on: How does the company leverage all of its great content, deliver it to the consumer through that Nintendo online experience? Which they are doing… they’re putting out some N64 content, they’re working with other platform holders to bring out some of that legacy content. But that’s where the opportunity is. Nintendo still has more N64 content to leverage. They’ve got GameCube content to leverage, They’ve got Wii content. I see this future of digitally delivered content to you, the consumer, as just this burgeoning opportunity that I would want to keep taking advantage of.
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