Paul Briden 25/07/2017 - 9:42am

Nintendo is re-booting the old Nintendo 64 as a Classic Edition

Following on from the launch of the NES Classic Edition and SNES Classic Editon, Nintendo appears to be preparing another re-booted, miniaturesed Classic Edition console; the Ninentdo 64 Classic Edition.

The Nintendo 64 – or N64, as it was more commonly known – was one of my favourite consoles of ALL TIME. I spent untold hours, usually bunking off school, playing Golden Eye death matches.

You can still by the original console via Amazon for around 40 quid.

I loved everything about the N64; the controller, the console design itself, the games – everything. For me, this is was my first proper love affair with a console and gaming in general, so the news of a rebooted Classic Edition made me very happy!

How do we know this? Simple really, Nintendo just filed a trademark in Europe for a Nintendo 64 Classic Edition; it's not named as such, but it is most definitely a console, and it shows an image of the controller, which is classic Nintendo 64 style.

We can only assume that Nintendo will follow the same model it has done with its existing Classic Editions's; they've both been made smaller and more compact (fits in the palm of your hand) than the original versions, but with the same capabilities, and they've been quite cheap; as in under $100.

These releases, while odd, are huge money spinners for Nintendo. The cost of re-making these systems is minuscule compared to creating a brand new, high-end console like a PS4 or Switch. And because of the nostalgia/geek angle, Nintendo knows it will sell a lot of systems.

I don’t know how much it costs to remake these systems, but you can bet your ass it isn’t much, and when you look at the sales Nintendo generated for the Classic NES system, the return on investment must have been ENORMOUS!

According to Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé, the total global sell-in for Nintendo's pint-sized version of its 1980s Nintendo Entertainment System is 2.3 million, reported TIME.

"We had originally planned for this to be a product for last holiday," Fils-Aimé told TIME. "We just didn't anticipate how incredible the response would be. Once we saw that response, we added shipments and extended the product for as long as we could to meet more of that consumer demand."

He also discussed why Nintendo put the brakes on the system, despite HUGE demand: "Even with that extraordinary level of performance, we understand that people are frustrated about not being able to find the system, and for that we really do apologize," he said. "But from our perspective, it's important to recognize where our future is and the key areas that we need to drive. We've got a lot going on right now and we don't have unlimited resources."

Also the above image matches with Nintendo's earlier trademarking of Classic Edition consoles and the subsequent branding imagery on the packaging. The NES Classic Edition filing had the same line-drawing style of its own controller, while the retail box had that image on the top.

And it's the same story for the SNES Classic Edition too.

The NES Classic Edition launched in late 2016 but has now ended production after six months of being on the market. The Super NES Classic Edition was announced already but will not hit the market until September 29 2017, but is only expected to see production until the end of the year.

So as well as playing on the fond memories of old-school gamers and retro gaming fans, and the affordability of these new machines, Nintendo is also making an appeal through scarcity and limited-time availability. It's not clear when the Nintendo 64 Classic Editon will arrive, but we'd guess it will be after the SNES Classic Edition closes production. 

That means we could be waiting until Q1 2018, at the very latest. Another option, though unlikely, is that Nintendo will get the N64 Classic out in time for Xmas. But then you have the issue of it competing directly with the SNES Classic.

The fact that the trademark for the N64 Classic has been registered though tells us that Nintendo is 100% doing it, making it not a case of if, but when. Fingers crossed we don’t have to wait until 2018!

Of course, none of this is official yet, and Nintendo is keeping its mouth completely zipped. We'll have more for you as we hear it.