Put down your next generation console. Call your friend over and buckle in for that nostalgia wave. The NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) Classic Edition has arrived and it is a blast from the past. While growing up my family had the NES. My mother loved playing Super Mario Bros. and Tetris. That was years ago and time has passed since any of us have touched the NES. With the recent release of the NES Classic, it is amazing that there 30 solid games in this palm sized system.  

Now we can relive childhood memories and “play with power.” A small little box that still contains all the power from the original. The system has been scaled down to fit the palm of your hand. Aside from the down size of the actual system, the NES Classic comes with 30 of the best games from the past. 

Each game has been remastered for the modern television. There are several video options you may choose from; CRT Filter, 4:3, and Pixel Perfect. The CRT mode allows the player to truly relive the ’90s as it adds noise to the TV screen. CRT mode is my personal favorite as I love the thought of having old graphics on an HD screen. The 4:3 mode makes the game look clearer than usual with a slight stretch to fit the TV screen. Pixel Perfect does exactly what the 4:3 does, just without the stretch.

Some people remember the struggle of playing NES games. After you reach a certain level you need passwords to save and continue the game. Scribble away on a piece of paper and pray that parents won’t throw it away. If those passwords were lost, you start from the beginning. Fear not, as passwords are a thing of the past now. Nintendo has heard the struggles and added suspended points. When ever you go into the main menu of the console a smaller image of the game will appear. From here you can save it and go back to it whenever you want to. This can be used to cheat at Mega Man 2 because let’s face it, the Quick Man level sucks. You have four points that can be used to save at any point in the game. Each save point can be overwritten as many time until deleted.

Personally this helps out with games such as Metroid and Mega Man. I use it in a way of trial and error. Where if I died jumping on a platform that vanished. I just hit the reset button and I’m back in the game.

There are no more gaming cartridges and this may be a downside to some. In the end they are still the same games from the past. Just without the struggle of some games not working.

The NES Classic is easy for anyone to plug and play. There is no need to connect to the internet like the gaming systems of today.

Everything about this console brings back memories of the past. All the games to the actual gaming system feels as if I went back in time. Even the controllers still gives out those horrible cramps on your hands, but it’s worth it. The only downside to it is that the controller wires are only three feet long. In a world filled with wireless controllers, one would think Nintendo might stretch it out or give us wireless. Although, I see the point of keeping it similar to the original.

The set price for the NES Classic Edition is $60. This comes with all 30 games pre-installed along with one controller. For two players, a separate controller can be bought for $10.

There are emulators and the “Eshop” on the Wii U. Although if all games were added up on the Wii U, it would bring the price to $150 for all 30 games, whereas the NES Classic has them all for less. Relive all those childhood memories as an adult, now the anticipation is over. For all retro gamers out there, go and pick up the NES Classic.