Japan is Getting A Nintendo Classic Mini
By Jason Gallagher 01 October 2016
The Mini NES won’t be the only highly coveted stocking stuffer this holiday season, as Nintendo announces the Mini Famicom to be sold exclusively in Japan.
Gaming fans across the Internet just about lost their minds a few months ago when Nintendo announced it was releasing a miniature version of the Nintendo Entertainment System in time for the 2016 holiday shopping season. Dubbed the NES Classic Edition, the pint-sized console will come with 30 classic titles and will include a few modern conveniences like save points and different display options when it hits stores on November 11. Given the excitement around the initial announcement, it’s been assumed by most industry watchers that the NES Classic Edition will be difficult for stores to keep in stock. But now, Nintendo has announced another holiday stocking-stuffer that may prove to be even more highly coveted.
Take a look below at the announcement video for the Mini Famicom. That’s right, Nintendo is giving its home country of Japan a miniature version of the original Family Computer in all of its red and white glory.
Ars Technica reports that the Mini Famicom is going on sale in Japan only, but that hasn’t stopped Nintendo fans in the United States and elsewhere from drooling over the last 24 hours. The system goes on sale in Japan on November 10 for 5,980 yen or roughly the same $60 price tag as the Mini NES.
Like the Mini NES, the Mini Famicom will also ship with 30 pre-installed games and include modern features like HDMI. But what’s especially interesting for hardcore fans is that the game lineup for the Japanese console is slightly different than the Mini NES. The Mini Fanicom swaps out some North American titles like Punch-Out in favor of including Japanese-only titles like Atlantis no Nazo and sumo wrestling game Tsuppari Oozumou. Here’s the full list of games on the Mini Famicom:
- Atlantis no Nazo
- Balloon Fight
- Castlevania
- Donkey Kong
- Double Dragon 2: The Revenge
- Downtown Nekketsu Kōshinkyoku Soreyuke Daiundōkai
- Dr. Mario
- Excitebike
- Final Fantasy 3
- Galaga
- Ghosts n Goblins
- Gradius
- Ice Climber
- Kirby’s Adventure
- Mario Bros.
- Mario Open Golf
- Mega Man 2
- Metroid
- Ninja Gaiden
- Pac-Man
- River City Ransom
- Solomon’s Key
- Super C
- Super Mario Bros.
- Super Mario Bros. 2
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- The Legend of Zelda
- Tsuppari Oozumou
- Yie Ar Kung Fu
- Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link
Gamers will have to be fluent in Japanese to get the full experience out of the Mini Fanicom but the console is likely to be in demand with English-speaking fans simply because of its novelty. Japanese import sites could see some heavy sales this holiday season if Nintendo makes enough Mini Famicoms to go around.
Following the announcement of the Mini NES, Nintendo made clear there would be no additional games coming after the launch, so one would assume the Mini Famicom will follow the same game plan. Still, it’s good to see Nintendo expanding its mini console plans. Fans have spent the last three months petitioning the company to release a similar mini console for the Super Nintendo, and while this is not that, it’s certainly a start. If the Mini NES and Mini Famicom sell as well as everyone expects them to this holiday season, Nintendo could very well release a sequel in 2017.
At the very least, this announcement provides further evidence that Nintendo is continuing to seek ways to expand its business. The company will release its first Mario game for iOS later this year and has several other mobile titles in development.
The Mini Famicom releases in Japan on November 10. The Mini NES releases in the U.S. on November 11.
Source: Ars Technica
