NES Classic Console to Have Limited Availability on Release Date: Amazon

Nintendo’s Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition retro console or NES Classic for short hits the shelves in the US November 11. And while its internals have been laid bare to quench the curiosity of many, it doesn’t seem like its availability would do the same.

(Also see: NES Classic Console Teardown Reveals Linux Computer, Off the Shelf Components)

According to Amazon, the NES Classic will be available in “very limited quantities” on November 11. So much so that one per customer will be sold. If you were thinking of buying a couple of them for gifting purposes, you may need to look elsewhere. The e-commerce giant also stated that it would be available from 2pm PT on November 11. That’s 3:30am IST on November 12, if you plan on ordering it from India. Keep in mind that you’ll need to ship it to someone residing in the US as Amazon will not ship it internationally.

(Also see:  The NES Classic Edition and Sega Mega Drive Classic Represent a Wasted Opportunity)

Unlike most solutions that use the Raspberry Pi, the NES Classic’s flash memory is soldered to its motherboard. This means if you wanted to play games other than the 30 Nintendo has bundled, you may want to consider a Retro Freak or traditional emulation software.

The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition, aside from being a mouthful of a name, is a one-time purchase with 30 games. It's got a few modern accoutrements such as HDMI as well as Wii/ Wii U controller support, and you can also use its classic controller with Virtual Console games on the Wii and Wii U. But you're saddled with its 30 games - no more and no less.

(Also see:  Retro Freak Review: This Console Lets You Play Games From 8 Classic Consoles)

All this is for a princely price of $59.99 (around Rs. 4,000), and an additional $9.99 (approximately Rs. 620) if you need a second controller.