Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Nintendo to stop making the NES Classic and Famicom Mini

Joining the NES Classic, Famicom Mini also facing canceled production

By

nes classic discontinued nintendoclassicdisc 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
If you are still hoping to snag a hard-to-find NES Classic or the Famicom Mini in Japan, you don’t have very much time. In a surprising move, Nintendo has ceased production of the nostalgia machines — though there is a suggestion that they could make a comeback sometime in the future.

“Throughout April, [Nintendo of America] territories will receive the last shipments of Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition systems for this year,” Nintendo said in a statement (via IGN). “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 apologize. We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product.”

Nintendo later released a follow-up statement on the Famicom Mini site that it was ceasing production of that micro-console too.

Related

To say that these systems has been difficult to find is perhaps a bit of an understatement. We’ve been tracking NES Classic availability since it launched in November, and stock replenishment at major retailers has been sparse.

However, although it seems the NES Classic and Famicom Mini actually outlived Nintendo’s plans, there is some hope that they will make a comeback in the future. In the statement posted on the official Famicom Mini site (thanks Famitsu, via Kotaku), Nintendo suggested that the halt to production may only be for a short while.

“Production of this product is ending temporarily. When manufacturing resumes, we will provide information at another time on this homepage.”

It may be that Nintendo only has plans to restart Famicom Mini production and won’t do the same for NES Classic, but considering demand for the mini-system remains high, it would be a winning strategy if it did. Since the news of its cancellation was released, prices of the NES Classic have skyrocketed on auction and classified sites.

Indeed, Nintendo never quite caught up with the demand of the console, even when it was in full production. Although it did create extra shipments of the system, they were still not enough to meet demand, as each time units popped up at retailers, they subsequently sold out almost instantaneously — both online and in-stores.

It’s unclear how many units Nintendo originally planned to manufacture, but as of January, the NES Classic had sold 1.5 million units.

The NES Classic was one of the most sought-after gadgets over the holidays. It came loaded with 30 games (hackers found a way to expand its library) and featured a simple plug-and-play mentality, perfect for those wishing to relive the 8-bit era or introduce their kids to the good old days of gaming.

The Famicom Mini proved to be a popular piece of kit in Japan too, selling more than a quarter of a million in its first few days on sale.

If you’re unable to pick up a unit from the final shipments, resellers will be your only option from now on. Right now, a brand-new NES Classic will cost you north of $250 on eBay.

R.I.P. NES Classic. Five months wasn’t long enough for everyone to get to know you.

If you still wanna get your hands on the NES Classic, we’re giving two away here!

Updated 04/14/2017 by Jon Martindale: added Famicom cancellation and possibility of a return.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Steven Petite
Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Nintendo and HAL Laboratory want to make more 3D Kirby games
Kirby and bandana waddle dee dance in Kirby and the Forgotten Land.

In a developer interview posted on Nintendo's website ahead of Kirby and the Forgotten Land's launch, developers from HAL Laboratory and Nintendo discussed wanting to make more 3D Kirby games in the future.
Much of the four-part interview series is focused on the development team's struggles to adapt the mainline Kirby series' formula to 3D. Thankfully, their efforts were worth it as the game garnered critical acclaim (Digital Trends gave it four stars). Now that Nintendo and HAL Laboratory have cracked the code on how to make an enjoyable 3D Kirby experience, everyone involved seems pretty optimistic about the series' future in 3D. 
"To create Kirby's first-ever 3D action game, however, there were still a lot of learnings, like how to manage stage density and direct 3D camera movement," HAL Laboratory level design director Yuki Endo explained. "If we can apply the skills we gained from this title, I feel we'll be able to come up with a lot of new gameplay ideas in future Kirby titles."
In response to the question about Kirby's future, HAL Laboratory director Tatsuya Kamiyama focused on the idea that he wants to make games that appeal to players young and old and possibly "earn the attention of players who may have moved on from Kirby." Meanwhile, HAL Laboratory general director Shinya Kumazaki promises that the development team will be "even more wild and free when we create future Kirby titles." He also believes that Kirby and the Forgotten Land is both a masterpiece and "just another checkpoint in Kirby's long history."
As for Nintendo's perspective on the matter, associate producer Kei Ninomiya seemed bullish on continuing to make games of this style. "We were actually worried that Kirby's most beloved qualities would have to be reduced to better fit a full 3D action game," he said. "Once we completed creating the game, however, it became clear that this is a fun-filled title that still feels like Kirby and is easy to enjoy. That made me very confident. This title encourages us to keep making games that cherish the "Kirbyness" of Kirby, and it challenges us to do many new things in the future, in both 2D and 3D."
Kirby and the Forgotten Land launches for Nintendo Switch on March 25. If the developers' comments are any indication, it also seems like this could be the start of a new era for the franchise

Read more
Nintendo makes organizing games on Switch easier with Groups
Image of various games in groups on the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo finally added a much-requested quality of life feature to the Nintendo Switch. Now, Switch owners can create folders called groups of software and games, making for an easy way to organize one's console game library. This new feature comes as the main draw of the Nintendo Switch system update version 14.0.0.

This new UI update comes over five years after the launch of the Nintendo Switch. This makes it a somewhat bittersweet addition in the eyes of many fans that have been asking for it for so long.

Read more
Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works
Basim perched on a ledge overlooking Baghdad

In a company interview with CEO Yves Guillemot posted on the Ubisoft website Thursday, the executive reveals that there are remakes of Assassin's Creed games in the works, although he doesn't specify which ones.

"Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them," he says, implying that it could pertain to games made before Odyssey. "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich."

Read more