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DarkZero

685th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member

"Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Fri 26 Mar 21:42

Nintendo is releasing the Famicom Mini series for the GBA in the US, under the name "Classic NES Series". Includes a new NES-style GBA and eight games to start: Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., Excitebike, Ice Climber, Xevious, and Bomberman. All in GBA boxes with GBA markings, but the original box art as the cover art. And they're all... $20USD each.

I know someone's going to call me an ass for saying this, but $20 for an emulated ROM of Excitebike, portable or not, is a little excessive. Is it just me, or should some of these have been put together in package deals, much like the Namco Museum set for the PS2 or the Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition disc for the GameCube?

Replies:

GekigangerV

892th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member++

"Re(1):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Fri 26 Mar 21:53

quote:

I know someone's going to call me an ass for saying this, but $20 for an emulated ROM of Excitebike, portable or not, is a little excessive. Is it just me, or should some of these have been put together in package deals, much like the Namco Museum set for the PS2 or the Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition disc for the GameCube?

No you are not an ass, you are right. I am kinda in to the whole retro thing, but $20 for some of these games now is ridiculous. Weren't they basically giving these games away on the e-reader?

OmegaDog

1175th Post

Red Carpet Premium Member+

"Re(2):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Fri 26 Mar 22:20

But these cartridges are VERY SPESHUL.

Other notes:
- If there really is a lack of demand at $20, prices should go down.
- For the boxes, can't they remove the side logo and make the box more rectangular?
- Will the top of the GBA have the black grill?

"I must pay for my past sins... Let's fight!""I have no choice. You will lose!" | CCT: NEXT STAGE IS 17 |

Radish

2350th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(1):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Fri 26 Mar 22:23

quote:
Nintendo is releasing the Famicom Mini series for the GBA in the US, under the name "Classic NES Series". Includes a new NES-style GBA and eight games to start: Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., Excitebike, Ice Climber, Xevious, and Bomberman. All in GBA boxes with GBA markings, but the original box art as the cover art. And they're all... $20USD each.

I know someone's going to call me an ass for saying this, but $20 for an emulated ROM of Excitebike, portable or not, is a little excessive. Is it just me, or should some of these have been put together in package deals, much like the Namco Museum set for the PS2 or the Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition disc for the GameCube?

I think this is the worst idea Nintendo's had in a while. I'd be all for these if it was a package of games or remakes (like Super Mario All Stars) but $20 for a 20 year old game is ridiculous. We don't get the cool mini Famicom boxes either which was half the novelty (although they're cheaper than they were in Japan).

I think if Nintendo tries to sell this to anyone other than die hard fans they are going to fail horribly. Super Mario was a great game 2 decades ago, but I've moved on since the 3rd time they released it.

This just strikes me as trying to gouge money from their biggest supporters. Since I'm not one I don't care and if people don't mind it I really can't call foul but it still seems pretty cheasy.

Juan

3902th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(1):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Fri 26 Mar 22:59:

If the games had little extras and other features like the GBC Super Mario Bros Deluxe, then I would understand the price.

quote:

I know someone's going to call me an ass for saying this, but $20 for an emulated ROM of Excitebike, portable or not, is a little excessive. Is it just me, or should some of these have been put together in package deals, much like the Namco Museum set for the PS2 or the Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition disc for the GameCube?

STFU

[this message was edited by Juan on Fri 26 Mar 23:00]

Juke Joint Jezebel

2774th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(2):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 05:21

look at the bright side. if no one buys them, prices will drop. but i don't think i'd even pay $10 for a 20-year-old game

the NES look is awesome though. and just in time, since i was starting to save for an SP. here's to hoping it'll sell for the same price as a regular GBA SP

Burning Ranger

682th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member

"Re(3):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 08:56

I bet the Zelda cartridge won't be in gold. *cries*

Advanced Cyborg E. Branger AKA Burning Ranger

"Never underestimate the predictabilty of stupidity." -Vinnie Jones from SNATCH

Mozex

264th Post

Copper Customer

"Re(4):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 09:33

Are these games stretched to fit the GBA screen or do they just put borders around the images.

quote:
I bet the Zelda cartridge won't be in gold. *cries*

It's a damn shame too. I will probably buy a used copy of Zelda just so I can play it wherever I want. I suppose my NES/Zelda cart is going to break one of these days.

Be kind to goblins.

Radish

2353th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(1):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 10:21:

"I mean, Donkey Kong and Pac-Man? These are, like, the best games ever," says Perrin "Mallrat" Kaplan, Nintendo of America's vice president, marketing and corporate affairs. "And if you aren't just dying to get your hands on the gnarly new Classic NES Limited Edition GBA SP, you're a total dweeb."

Some people may have missed that quote. While I certainly love Pacman and Donkey Kong, it's not like I need to pay more money when I own like 20 versions of them already (way back to the C64).

[this message was edited by Radish on Sat 27 Mar 10:24]

Rid Hershel

5903th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(1):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 13:25

So Nintendo re-releases Excitebike and Ice Climber (awful controls and annoying gameplay) but they don't bring thinks like Sin & Punishment to the US?

Radish

2354th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(2):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 15:20

quote:
So Nintendo re-releases Excitebike and Ice Climber (awful controls and annoying gameplay) but they don't bring thinks like Sin & Punishment to the US?

Nintendo understands what its die hard fans want. Not trying to be insulting but it seems that's what they think.

Rid Hershel

5904th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(3):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 15:27

quote:
Nintendo understands what its die hard fans want.

You mean "the same crap re-released once and again, and no new interesting things" (and that's the same path that Sony is following). Oh well, that's only my opinion I guess.

CrazyMike

870th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member++

"Re(4):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 17:01

What is ironic is these NES/Famicom titles are only taking up 1% of the space of an average GBA cart and for some reason they want to put only 1 game on each cart and charge you 20 dollars for it...

Radish

2355th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(5):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 17:06

quote:
You mean "the same crap re-released once and again, and no new interesting things" (and that's the same path that Sony is following). Oh well, that's only my opinion I guess.

Yeah I think so too, but I got yelled at in the last Nintendo thread, so I'm trying to be more diplomatic.

quote:
What is ironic is these NES/Famicom titles are only taking up 1% of the space of an average GBA cart and for some reason they want to put only 1 game on each cart and charge you 20 dollars for it...

Nintendo broke up Super Mario All Stars into several different games and sold them for $40 a piece so I'm not surprised they're doing this at all.

Rid Hershel

5905th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(6):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 17:13

quote:
Yeah I think so too, but I got yelled at in the last Nintendo thread, so I'm trying to be more diplomatic.

Oh, I was going to say:

"Excite"bike? There's more exciting things floating on Midway's toilet.

But I decided to be diplomatic as well.

Undead Fred

1438th Post

Red Carpet Executive Member

"Re(5):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 17:36

quote:
What is ironic is these NES/Famicom titles are only taking up 1% of the space of an average GBA cart and for some reason they want to put only 1 game on each cart and charge you 20 dollars for it...

"Some reason"? That part's easy- money. This idea they've come up with is totally insane, though... TWENTY BUCKS apiece?? Is that $1 for every year they've been about? I know they're antiques, but I'm not paying antique prices.

Okay, enough Lock Stock. Heh heh. Are you guys sure this is real? I mean, I'd only be willing to pay $5 for each of these games. They're good games, but they're OLD and a lot of people already still own them. I mean, people should only have to pay $10 at the most just for the convenience of taking the games with them. I mean, if they'd actually GROUP the games in one cartidge, then I'd understand a higher price. But this... this is DUM AS HAIL

BLARGBLARG PLACE YOUR BETS!

Radish

2357th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(7):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 17:54:

quote:
Yeah I think so too, but I got yelled at in the last Nintendo thread, so I'm trying to be more diplomatic. Oh, I was going to say:

"Excite"bike? There's more exciting things floating on Midway's toilet.

But I decided to be diplomatic as well.

Hahaha. I think certain NES games are outrageously overrated. While there are classics like Zelda, SMB and Donkey Kong stuff like Excite Bike really doesn't hold up at all.

And yeah Undead Fred this is legit. In fact they were going for the standard GBA game price in Japan so they are in fact cheaper over here.

[this message was edited by Radish on Sat 27 Mar 17:55]

TeirusuCSS
12th Post

New Customer

"Re(8):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 19:08

Despite how overpriced these games are, in Japan they're actually making tons of money. So much so that they're releasing a second set of 'em. They claim the success is due to older gamers buying them.

Joe Randel
108th Post

Regular Customer

"Re(1):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 21:14

I think that the whole idea isn't really a bad one. They're just trying to get people all sappy about thier NES days. I bet a lot of gamers don't have thier old NES games or systems anymore. I wonder if this is an attempt to get young gamers to play older titles. I can also see parents useing these as safe buys for thier kids. Chances are the kids will say the game sucks, but by that point it'll be too late. It would be nice if they at least added new features to the games though...

EddyT

262th Post

Copper Customer

"Re(2):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 21:53

I bought the SMB and Zelda Famicom Mini games and received it on Thursday. Zelda seems to look exactly like it did on NES, yet SMB looks a bit odd probably due to the resolution. You can tell when you become big Mario... his head will sorta fluctuate in size and look when he walks.

I bought these two because they are definitely games I truly adore. I love the packaging that came with it. But I would understand that people who aren't nostaligic fans of the NES games would cringe at a $20 price tag. This is just like how people felt that nothing justified releasing SMB2 US, SMB3 and SM World in separate carts, when they were all available on the SNES in one cart as a pack-in under the Super Mario All-Stars label.

I agree that it is a lot of money to ask out of gamers. If anything, it would have been nicer if SMB was a hidden extra in any of the Super Mario Advance re-releases, or if original Legend of Zelda was in the Link To The Past game. Nintendo's US division should really try to give incentives to buy the NES classics like they did in Japan... where you got nice packaging and special mail-in bonuses if you collect them all.

Overall, I'm glad I bought the JPN versions of SMB and Zelda Fami Mini games. It's fun to play them on the go, most definitely. Now all I need are GBA versions of Ninja Gaiden I-III, Castlevania I-III and Contra.

PS: That e-Reader is garbage. Scanning cards 10 times to play a game and having a big piece of plastic in the way of your hands is no fun at all.

Dr Baghead

2911th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(3):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 22:50:

quote That e-Reader is garbage. Scanning cards 10 times to play a game and having a big piece of plastic in the way of your hands is no fun at all.

I like the e-reader! I already got Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., AND Ice Climber for $5 each as opposed to the $20 Nintendo is expecting us to pay for the "convenience" of not having a 5lb. cash register part jammed into our GBA's.

The only problem with it I've encountered aside from Nintendo making it incompatable with the GBASP is they need to make more Mario 3 card sets.... I need more Mario 3 levels! release more level cards, Nintendo!!!

On topic:
I already have SMB I can play on the GBA... I might get Zelda though for the hell of it.... unless used copies of the completation disc are showing up at Funcoland or something

This picture is unusally orange

no?

[this message was edited by Dr Baghead on Sat 27 Mar 23:25]

TeirusuCSS
14th Post

New Customer

"Re(3):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 22:58

quote:
SMB2 US, SMB3 and SM World in separate carts

Yoyoyo!!! You forgot Yoshi's Island.

EddyT

263th Post

Copper Customer

"Re(4):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 23:02

quote:
SMB2 US, SMB3 and SM World in separate carts

Yoyoyo!!! You forgot Yoshi's Island.

I didn't... Yoshi's Island wasn't a part of Super Mario All-Stars.

DarkZero

687th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member

"Re(3):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 23:03

quote:
Nintendo's US division should really try to give incentives to buy the NES classics like they did in Japan... where you got nice packaging and special mail-in bonuses if you collect them all.

This is exactly the problem. If the box art looked exactly like the original NES box art, the carts looked just like the original NES carts (right down to Zelda being gold), and they were releasing a collector's box just like they did in Japan, then $20 would be fine with me. I'd agree that it's a niche product, it's not intended to sell like hot cakes, and that the extra ten bucks or so is going to the rarity and ingenuity of the product.

But this isn't like the Japanese releases. These games really aren't any different than the Namco and Atari collections: new packaging, new feel, new marketing, and to some degree, the hope for a new audience. It's not a faithful collector's product, it's just a rerelease. It's not reverent, it's just taking NOA's old stuff and putting it out for a garage sale.

I really felt like the Famicom Mini games were a cool idea, but the American version really isn't. And Perrin Kaplan's lame '80s slang joke really drives that home.

The NES-style GBA SP still kicks ass, though. But it's too bad that they're only selling it as a brand new system, rather than a conversion kit for the millions of people that already own one. But we've already gone over that complaint in the past...

EddyT

264th Post

Copper Customer

"Re(4):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sat 27 Mar 23:18

It would be mega cool if the retro game came with not only a mini-replica of the box like the JPN version did, but had one of those black sleeves to hold the cart in... just like the old days. The black sleeve may be a bit too much to ask for, but the smaller replica box would be feasable.

Also, I have to question Pac-Man being released as an NES classic in either JPN or USA. Pac-Man Collection is not only cheaper (usually 10-15 bucks US), but it has Pac-Man Arrangement... easily the most fun Pac-Man game I've ever played. They should have re-released another game that was much more in need of an NES revitalization.

I'm tempted... tempted to get that NES GBA SP. It looks pretty nice and retro.

CrazyMike

871th Post

Red Carpet Regular Member++

"Re(5):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sun 28 Mar 00:38

quote:

Hahaha. I think certain NES games are outrageously overrated. While there are classics like Zelda, SMB and Donkey Kong stuff like Excite Bike really doesn't hold up at all.

"Excite"bike? There's more exciting things floating on Midway's toilet.

Eh, I can't diss on Excitebike. It was my FIRST NES game I ever got, and I still love it. Not enough to pay 20 bucks for though lol.

But as for the NES retro GBA SP, considering I got the original GBA, I might want to get this...

Undead Fred

1439th Post

Red Carpet Executive Member

"Re(8):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Sun 28 Mar 21:40

quote:
And yeah Undead Fred this is legit. In fact they were going for the standard GBA game price in Japan so they are in fact cheaper over here.

Argh... I'm not really surprised, but man... it's hard to take it too seriously with that quote about how gnarly the games are and stuff. Ugh. GREEEEEEEEEDYYYYYYY.... Like others have said, if there were more to the re-releases appearance or something, then maybe $20 would be reasonable. But... ugh... $20 is WAAAAY too much. Ugh. I've got to think about something else now. [thinks of Lewis Black ranting about two Starbucks across the street from each other...]

quote:
It's not reverent, it's just taking NOA's old stuff and putting it out for a garage sale.

Heh heh. Well, technically, if it were a garage sale, the games would be a hell of a lot cheaper.

BLARGBLARG PLACE YOUR BETS!

Ishmael

1274th Post

Red Carpet Executive Member

"Re(9):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Mon 29 Mar 07:47

Who are these games being marketed to? Really active game players or casual fans who remember these games from when they were younger and who might not have played many games in the intervening years?

Radish

2359th Post

Platinum Carpet V.I.P- Board Master

"Re(10):Famicom Mini US Release" , posted Mon 29 Mar 07:49

quote:
Who are these games being marketed to? Really active game players or casual fans who remember these games from when they were younger and who might not have played many games in the intervening years?

Personally I'm guessing it's towards people who simply must own everything Nintendo. Most of these games are already availible either through the e-card reader or Gameboy Color rereleases.