There’s another console joining the parade of machines set to hit the gaming landscape this year. But this one isn’t new at all: It’s actually a blast from gaming’s past.
And by the sound of things, it’s a mix of awesome nostalgia and ever-so-slight disappointment. The NES Classic Edition will take longtime gamers back to the era of the 8-bit Nintendo, the beginning of Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. It’s set to release on November 11 and will retail for $59.99.
This year’s other new console promises to be far smaller than that old 8-bit Nintendo sitting in your closet, and it’ll have everything you need to get it working on a new-age TV, utilizing an HDMI cable and a new controller that looks just like that classic NES gamepad. The new machine includes some modern touches, too, sporting what is essentially a quicksave feature, and it will deliver 30 built-in games.
It all had gamers instantly abuzz upon its Thursday announcement, especially since that old NES has long been one of gaming’s most fondly remembered consoles. The Atari era featured the most rudimentary of games, while the current run of games often have so much depth and variety that some can find them overwhelming.
But the NES era of games seemed perfect, breeding a generation of titles that were filled with challenge and depth yet featured the kind of simplicity that has to exist when a controller has only a D-pad and two face buttons. Think Blaster Master and those first three Super Mario titles and a pair of Adventure Island titles. Sure, a great majority of games were essentially platformers, but that didn’t stop The Legend of Zelda or Dragon Warrior from shining, either.
It’s no wonder Nintendo ROMs and emulators were so popular throughout the early 2000s, and still exist today. And when the Nintendo Wii and Wii U arrived, Nintendo itself capitalized on the nostalgia, letting gamers buy and download 8-bit era games onto their newer machines.
If there’s anything that’s shaping up to be an unfortunate omission on the NES Classic Edition, it’s the fact that it won’t permit gamers to add such extra games. According to gaming website Kotaku (http://kotaku.com/the-mini-nes-wont-open-cant-connect-to-the-internet-1783693116), the Classic Edition can’t connect to the internet, and it has no removable media slot, so it won’t be able to take any additional games. That’s definitely a minor letdown to anyone hoping to unlock a truly jam-packed library of nostalgic titles.
At least the list of included games is filled with quality, with all three Super Marios, both Zelda titles, the first two Castlevanias, Punch-Out, Ninja Gaiden and Metroid among the lot.
And at least it’s coming, meaning 8-bit Nintendo action without the need to ever blow on your console and pray the cartridge works.
SAMSUNG KEEPS ADDING VIRTUAL REALITY CONTENT
Actor Mekhi Phifer checks out the “The Divergent Series: Insurgent – Shatter Reality” Samsung Gear VR virtual reality experience.
(NEILSON BARNARD/GETTY IMAGES FOR SAMSUNG)
Sony’s PS VR is coming, and HTC’s Vive has started kicking things into high gear, and both virtual reality units are easily going to have the attention of hardcore gamers’ hearts. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for Samsung’s venerable Gear VR unit.
Samsung continues to pour resources and energy into Gear VR, which arrived in November and now retails for $99.99. This week, the company added something for the sports fan. On Wednesday, the company announced a collaboration with The Players’ Tribune on a series of “athlete-driven, short-form, 360-degree videos and photography.
Among those producing content for the collaboration are Broncos linebacker Von Miller and Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside. Both players will utilize the still-unreleased Gear 360 camera, taking 360-degree video from a variety of events.
Give Samsung props for continuing to expand its VR ecosystem. Among VR headsets, the Gear VR remains an intriguing value proposition.
NYC MUSIC FESTIVAL GETS AMEX FLAVOR
There’s a new music festival in New York City. So of course, American Express will have a strong presence.
When the inaugural Panorama Music Festival hits Randalls Island next week, it will be extra-fun — and extra-easy — for Amex users to utilize their Amex cards. The Panorama Music Festival app will come with Amex integration, as well as a $10 off offer when users use their Amex with Panorama merchants. There are also several festival spots that Amex users will gain “unique” access to, according to American Express.
None of this is new for American Express, which used a similar tactic to play a key role at Coachella earlier this year. And now, it’s set to take over the Big Apple.
TURBO BOOST
The trippiest virtual reality experience you’re ever going to play very well may be Here They Lie, a PlayStation VR game due out Oct. 13, in time for the console’s launch. No, you don’t actually fight anyone in the brief demo, but you do wind up confused after walking through, among other things, blood, flames and the stars . . . There’s WWE 2K17, and then there’s WWE 2K17 NXT Edition. And if you’re a hardcore wrestling fan, you may want to shell out the $100 for this set, which includes WWE 2K17, a piece of authentic ring canvas from NXT: Takeover: London, and a Finn-Balor figure. You also get three day-one playable NXT stars (Shinsuke Nakamura, Nia Jax and Apollo Crews). Every other gamer will wait until later this year to see those wrestlers in the game . . . Raw Data, an intriguing VR title for the Vive from indie developer Servios, has now hit Steam Early Access. It’s a game with tremendous potential, in large part because the fighting mechanics are fluid and intuitive, and Servios seems open to tweaking the game based on feedback from its audience . .
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