Nintendo announced Sunday that it's planning to bring back the NES Classic Edition console, resurrecting the hardware from discontinuation. Nostalgic Nintendo fans will once again be able to purchase the retro platform starting June 29.  The NES Classic Edition will be identical to its initial run, featuring 30 of the Nintendo Entertainment System's best games and retailing for a price of $59.99.

Also coming back will be the Japanese version of the NES Classic Edition, the Nintendo Mini Famicom. The two consoles share identical hardware but have unique looks, localized versions of the games, and a selection of region-specific games. For example, the west has Castlevania 2, Punch Out!!, and Tecmo Bowl, while Japan has Solomon's Key, River City Ransom, and Mario Open Golf. A lot of collectors are interested in buying both, so it's great that Nintendo is giving them that opportunity.

Let's reiterate that the returning NES Classic Edition appears to be identical to what was previously available. That means that the console will be bundled with just a single controller, and that controller will likely still have a very short wire. This was a frequent complaint initially, and one that was fixed with the release of the SNES Classic. It seems like Nintendo hasn't been able to solve the issue for the NES Classic Edition's rerelease, however.

The NES Classic Edition was originally released in November 2016 and became an overnight success. Nintendo couldn't produce enough units to keep the console on store shelves. It came as a huge surprise when Nintendo suddenly announced that it was discontinuing the NES Classic Edition in April 2017, a month in which the NES Classic had outsold both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. At the time of discontinuation, 2.3 million units had been sold.

The discontinuation of the NES Classic Edition led almost immediately into the announcement of the SNES Classic Edition, which was launched in September 2017. Like the NES Classic Edition, the SNES Classic Edition comes bundled with popular games for the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System -- but only 21 games to the NES Classic's 30. Unlike the NES Classic, the SNES Classic bundles in two controllers so multiple players can participate straight out of the box.

Nintendo plans to continue selling both the SNES Classic Edition and the NES Classic Edition through the end of 2018. That might imply that both consoles will be discontinued in 2019, but, as should now be apparent, who knows if Nintendo will change its mind.

Purchase an NES Classic Edition console starting June 29.