If you want one of those NES Classic or SNES Classic consoles then you had better get your hands on one quickly because Nintendo does not plan to produce anymore after this holiday season. This disappointing news was confirmed by Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Once these diminutive consoles are sold out Nintendo plans to support retro titles through the Switch Online subscription service. That service costs $20 USD annually and is required for online multiplayer functions for Nintendo Switch games. One of the ancillary benefits of a Nintendo Switch Online service is the ability to download and play a growing library of NES games. The three most recent NES games to be added to the service are Ninja Gaiden, Wario’s Woods and Adventures of Lolo. There is currently no way to purchase these NES games for the Nintendo Switch nor is there any support for SNES or N64 games as of this writing.
“We’ve said that the current systems are the extent of our classic program. We’ve also been clear that, at least from an Americas perspective, these products are going to be available through the holiday season and once they sell out, they’re gone. And that’s it. The way that consumers will be able to continue participating with our classic content is going to be through Nintendo Switch Online,” said Fils-Aime.
Reggie seems to be implying that there will not be classic versions of the N64, Game Boy or Gamecube in the future.
The NES Classic and its SNES counterpart are miniature versions of iconic Nintendo consoles that come pre-loaded with an assortment of games for each system.