Nintendo Switch, NES Classic Edition. Wherefore art thou? These two consoles have been selling like hot cakes ever since they came out, even when the contrast between the two of them could not be any more stark. For instance, the NES Classic Edition is an old school, 8-bit machine that has been reworked to ensure that you will still be able to enjoy 8-bit goodness in front of your Full HD TV thanks to a HDMI out port. As for the recently launched Nintendo Switch earlier this month, it has brought joy to millions of gamers everywhere, as it offers the chance to play games right smack in the comfort of your living room, only to bring the same game with you on the move when you need to go out. Oh yes, we failed to mention, it does help when one of the launch titles for the Nintendo Switch is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Well, each time either console is said to arrive on store shelves, they more or less end up getting sold out on the very same day itself, well within a few hours.
3/29.
Noon CT.
Limited quantities of the #NintendoSwitch and NES Classic will be available online.@NintendoAmerica https://t.co/Yux4ba9VQ6— Best Buy (@BestBuy) March 28, 2017
The same can be said for the latest stock availability at Best Buy. Best Buy announced that they will carry “limited quantities” of the Nintendo Switch and NES Classic Edition from 1pm ET today, only to have it sold out in a matter of minutes. These systems are one of the hotter franchises around at the moment, and even the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ has failed to detract attention from avid gamers who would stop at nothing to pick up both consoles.
The Nintendo Switch continues to maintain its regular state of flux where stock is concerned ever since it launched earlier this March, but its availability continues to remain way ahead of the NES Classic Edition. Strange to see how technology that is more than three decades old continues to go strong -- and only Nintendo is able to pull it off. You do not see Microsoft pushing Nibbles.bat or Gorilla Basic in their new Windows operating systems, do you? The $59.99 pre-loaded retro NES Classic Edition continues to fetch high prices, sometimes even triple the recommended retail price, from resellers in the US. This just goes to show how much of a demand there is for Nintendo’s 8-bit wonder, making us scratch our heads as to whether the Sega Master System would fare just as well if it were to be repackaged and released today.
This vicious cycle of stock being made available, only to be sold out in a short while, is set to continue in the foreseeable months ahead. We do hope that Nintendo will be able to sort out its production issues sooner rather than later, so that the initial clamor for both consoles will not peter out because of unavailability. Are you willing to pay a scalper double or triple the market price for the NES Classic Edition, just so that you can get your 8-bit gaming fix?
