The NES Classic was a huge hit when it first launched in 2016. With 30 built-in games likeFinal Fantasy,The Legend of Zelda,Dr. Mario, andDonkey Kongalongside a price of just $59.99, the same price as most triple-A games currently on the market, Nintendo created a valuable way to bring back fan favorites for an affordable cost, leading theNES Classic to sell outduring both its limited runs.
But around the same time, the Game Boy and eventually the Game Boy Color would thrive as handheld consoles, and many great games released during its lifespan. Despite being somewhat technologically inferior to competition at the time, theGame Boyoutsold other handhelds, making the Game Boy and Game Boy color the third best-selling game consoles of all time. With nostalgia driving the gaming market, if Nintendo were to release it for an affordable cost, a Game Boy Classic Edition could be just as big of a hit as the NES Classic.
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Games on the Game Boy
Not unlike how fans pleaded for ports ofSuper Mario 64on the Switch, or how many would love to seeLegend of Zeldaclassics likeWind Wakerget another HD remaster, many call for someGame Boy games to be ported because they are trapped on the systemand cannot be played on any other console, such asKirby’s Dream LandandCastlevania Legends, a series that spawned the modernly popular Metroidvania genre. Regardless, there is a slew of nostalgic titles which premiered on the Game Boy that gamers still return to sometimes.
Many famous Nintendo franchises had big breaks thanks to their Game Boy releases, such asDonkey Kong,Yoshi, andWario Land, and theiconicLegend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningwas originally released for the ‘89 console. Also considered one of the console’s best launch titles wasSuper Mario Land. And thanks to modern technology all of these, and basically the entire Game Boy library, could easily fit on a 4 GB SD card.
But most notably, thePokemonfranchise started on the Game Boy 25 years ago withRed, Green, Blue, and later,Yellow,which now sit at the 7th best-selling video games of all time. For the Game Boy Color, Nintendo would also releaseGoldandSilver, which are often noted as being fans’ favorite installments in thePokemonfranchise.
RedandGreenreceived remakes in the form ofFireRedandLeafGreen, andGoldandSilverbecameHeartGoldandSoulSilver. It’s also worth noting theBlueand the iconicCrystaldidn’t get trapped on the Game Boy or Game Boy Color either; they can be purchased for the discontinued 3DS, though not allPokemonfans own one.
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Price Value and Comparison to Modern Ports
During the latest Nintendo Direct, it was announced thatThe Legend of Zelda: Skyward Swordwould get a Switch release, as previously predicted by some fans. But not everyone is happy about the idea of paying $59.99 for a port with slightly improved graphics when it originally launched for $49.99 on the Wii. Comparatively,Super Mario 3D All-Starsalso costs $59.99, but it contains 3 ports in a bundle. And if players were to grabPokemon BlueorCrystalfor the 3DS, it would only run them $9.99.
But the NES Classic was marked down from the original NES’s price to $59.99 as well, which is not only an entire console but easily hundreds of hours of retro content for the price of a triple-A game on the Switch or PlayStation 5. TheSNES Classic Edition launchedfor a slightly higher price of $79.99.
Perhaps Nintendo will keep its plans focused on the Switch. But to some players, the Switch isn’t as portable as a truly handheld-sized console. And a price similar to the NES Classic would be an amazing deal for nostalgic gamers.
