Nintendo has been delivering countless industry-defining classics since the launch of the NES back in the mid 1980s, amassing a back catalogue of critically acclaimed, system seller hits. These legacy titles are numerous, and with so many generations of fans, the company has recently begun creating a new line of products to capitalize on that nostalgia and deliver some of its greatest hits all at once.
Both the NES and SNES Classic Editions serve a purpose exactly as advertised by Nintendo, being designed as miniature versions of the larger original consoles they serve to emulate. These new devices come pre-loaded with many of the most iconic hits from each console lifespan, with the NES Classic featuring titles such as Super Mario Bros and Metroid while the SNES version showcased great games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past and Star Fox.
Both mini classic consoles function as great time capsules for the hits of each respective era of gaming; however, this act of collecting older games into one device did not continue as many would have expected. The NES and SNES Classic Editions were both launched in 2016 and 2017 respectively, and it has since been years without any indication if the expected follow-up, a Nintendo 64 Classic Edition, is in the works. Whatever the cause may be for Nintendo's delay of the product (or possible reluctance to even pursue it), there remain many positive reasons for this product to hit the shelves.
First Party Titles
Similar to the many hits that first found home on NES and SNES, Nintendo continued the trend by releasing a swarm of blockbuster exclusives for its fifth generation home console. These many titles included Super Mario 64 and Star Fox 64 as well creating brand new franchises with Paper Mario and Super Smash Bros. Simply put, the Nintendo 64 had a string of excellent exclusive games that have stood the test of time, remaining landmark achievements to this day.
Similar to the concept of both the NES and SNES Classic, having access to all of these top tier titles all in one place is a very compelling offer. Regardless of whether it is a player that grew up in that era and wants to relive all of these gaming greats or a younger gamer seeing a compelling method to catch up on what all the buzz was about, a Nintendo 64 Classic can be a showcase for all of the company's first party hits during this time period.
Nostalgia and Demand
Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, and while younger games can easily experience these older titles as mentioned above, the appeal of a Nintendo 64 Classic would be primarily targeted at the audience that grew up with the device in the first place. From The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to players clamoring for more Pokemon Snap, the N64 had an experience for just about everyone, and carefully choosing a variety of these old games is sure to attract nostalgia fueled by particular gaming memories.
Additionally, after the success of the NES Classic and SNES successor, it is no surprise that these compilation items were runaway hits. After releasing these two devices back to back and now with a several year absence without a Nintendo 64 follow up, leaves many gamers wondering what the hold up is. It isn't as if there is no demand for the product either, with countless gamers being vocal about the desire for it and even compiling lists of games that should appear on a N64 Classic.
Fragility and Accessibility of Older Tech
Another simple benefit to having a Nintendo 64 Classic would be to have an updated way to access all these games, with brand new hardware. The original N64 console, as well as all of the cartridges containing the games, are well over two decades old, with consistently aging chips and parts within them. The technology for its time, while definitely sturdy, will not last forever.
Even if the hardware remains to be functional, tracking down many of the classic games for the Nintendo 64, whether first or third party, can be a tricky and expensive endeavor. Some of the must play experiences come with a costly price tag when being hunted down on website like eBay, with arguably the best racer on the system Diddy Kong Racing reaching the whopping $300 range for it being complete with the box and manual.
Nintendo releasing a classic edition for N64 would fix these issues, with a collection of these games being stored digitally on the device (as opposed to being on separate cartridges) and sold within the reasonable price range of the NES and SNES Classic. This way, for a flat fee, any gamer can have a compact, budget alternative to update a classic collection of games and not break the bank doing so.
The Nintendo 64 Classic Edition is not yet confirmed to be in development.