The NES Classic Edition and the Sega Mega Drive Classic represent a wasted opportunity

Everything old is new again. We’ve seen Pokemon take the world by storm, the Ghostbusters franchise has started anew, He-Man is back and Sega and Nintendo are re-releasing the Sega Mega Drive and Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) respectively – nostalgia is clearly in demand here. ‘actual hour.

On the surface, it seems that we are suffering from creative bankruptcy, a sign that there are really no more new ideas. But this is not correct in all cases. Pokemon Go actually forces you to go out and catch Pokemon, instead of sitting around and doing it virtually, and the new Ghostbusters movie, while of questionable quality, at least tried to differentiate itself with an all-female team of snappers. spectral. There is an attempt to bring something new to the table. That’s until you look at the Mega Drive and the NES.

(Also see: Nintendo releases NES Classic Edition with 30 built-in games like Mario, Pac-Man)

Nintendo kept the world in suspense with the announcement of its next console, the NX, due in September, while Sega, in addition to being known for Sonic the Hedgehog, has quietly become the world’s best publisher of strategy games on pc. Both companies are rightly iconic, but looking at their attempts to reintroduce their classic consoles, one can’t help but be disappointed.

The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition, aside from being a mouthful in name, is a one-time purchase with 30 games. It has some modern amenities like HDMI as well as support for Wii/Wii U controllers, and you can also use its classic controller with Virtual Console games on the Wii and Wii U. But you’re stuck with its 30 games – no more and no less. All for a princely price of $59.99 (around Rs. 4,000) and an additional $9.99 (around Rs. 620) if you need a second controller.

From the house of Sonic is the Sega Mega Drive Classic game console. It comes with 80 games, plays Sega Mega Drive cartridges, and ditches HDMI for composite cables. There is also a portable variant with an SD card slot. Both will retail for 49.99 GBP (about 4,400 rupees).

(Also see: Sega Mega Drive Classic game console with 80 built-in games revealed)

Although they haven’t been released yet, with the NES expected in November and the Mega Drive sometime around September, they’ve already been taken by eager fans proving there’s an audience for them. The NES is already sold out and the Mega Drive should also be sold out. And it’s a shame because Nintendo and Sega could have done so much more with these devices.

In a world where there are cheap Android emulations and devices with relatively unlimited customizations, and where there are countless old-school re-releases on Windows, modern consoles, as well as Nintendo’s own Virtual Console, it’s not enough not just making old games available.

(Also see: Five emulators to play Mario and other classic games on your Android phone)

The most popular and best classics are already available through these channels, so what’s the point of a dedicated box that has little upgradeability or options? By releasing them as one-time purchases with little or no way to take advantage of modern hardware, Nintendo and Sega are essentially selling boxes with expiration dates when they could be so much more.

Sure, there’s undeniable novelty, but having an NES or Mega Drive in your living room next to an HDTV and set-top box, but why stop consumers from even more games? Don’t console us – excuse the pun – with a handful of games, consider adding features like Wi-Fi, more storage options and access to a retro storefront with great content?

The video game industry has an extremely poor approach to preserving and making its products relevant after the technology around them has been deemed obsolete. And now Sega and Nintendo are more than happy to imitate the clone console makers, who copied them in the first place. Adding a few more features may have eaten away at their margins, but it would have added value beyond the fixed number of games currently on offer to us. It’s even more disappointing in Nintendo’s case, as it already has its own classic Virtual Console digital store.

The Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic Edition and the Sega Mega Drive Classic game console are just wasted opportunities. They exist solely to capitalize on nostalgia rather than lean on it, making them nothing more than clumsy, short-term attempts to cash in.