super mario console

I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago where I talked about how Nintendo had discontinued the Classic NES.  And it didn’t make any sense.  The system was selling, the company was making money and everyone was loving it.  But now, maybe we have a reason for it.  It is rumoured that Nintendo might be planning on releasing a mini SNES for the holiday season.  Why mini?  My guess is that the original was just too bulky.  And with the advancements in technology, they can now produce a smaller version.  And thank goodness for that.

Nintendo hadn’t planned that the Classic would be so popular.  And I guess it’s better to underestimate your product and exceed those expectations, than to overestimate and fail.  That aside, the Classic was a hit.  Flying off the shelves within minutes in some cases.  The argument I made in the last post was around the idea of nostalgia.  People of my generation and maybe a little bit older want to be able to experience these moments again.  Not necessarily because they want to play with that system today, but because it brings them some level of joy from days past.

I recently was listening to a podcast where the host and the guest were talking about how they had purchased items recently, because they couldn’t afford them in highschool.  And I don’t just mean a pair of shoes.  I mean a specific pair of shoes to the time when you were 17.  As adults, we now have money to spend on things that maybe our parents couldn’t afford at the time.  And the idea around this conversation was not that they wanted the shoe (or whatever it may be), but they wanted to remember that time.  They wanted to remember what it was like to be 17 and how they felt at the time.  I think the same could be applied here.  You had a system when you were young, and you want to bring back those moments of nostalgia.

Super Mario World

I’ve gotten away from the topic.  Gizmodo wrote an article last year outlining the games that Nintendo should bring back for the SNES.  Including: Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda, Ken Griffey Jr. MLB, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario 2 (and presumably all the Mario’s) and Star Fox.  Just to name a few.  And the list goes on.  Including Mortal Kombat 2 and Street Fighter.  All of these games (and more), I played during my childhood.  So are these systems geared towards my generation, or are they looking for new customers?

My guess is both.  I think that the folks of my generation would be considered hardcore.  Meaning, we want the system and maybe don’t even care about the cost.  Because, like I said, it’s about reliving that experience.  And I think you will get some traditionalists wanting to buy the system, who maybe are a bit younger.  And their reasons are to experience something that they didn’t get to.  Think of a person who is like 20, and considers themselves a fan of the Beatles.  Great band, great music, but it can’t be compared to today.  Because the times have changed so much, and in this case the technology, they long for a simpler time.  Or maybe that’s just me.

Either way, I am super excited that Nintendo is bringing this back.  Yes, I said super.  I hope, though, that they look at the sales from the Classic and they build a model that doesn’t see these things selling so fast.  On one had it’s great for sales, but in this case I think Nintendo is building these to be nostalgic as well.  And not purely from a money making perspective.  Lessons learned, Nintendo.  We want more.