The hottest gift of 2016 is coming back—in 2018.
Nintendo has announced plans to resume sales of the NES Classic Edition after canceling them earlier this year. The company will also extend sales of its SNES Classic Edition, which was originally set to be a limited release from late September through the end of December.
NES stands for “Nintendo Entertainment System,” the iconic 8-bit video game console first released in the mid-1980s. SNES, which adds a “Super” to the acronym, was the company’s popular 16-bit console released in the early 1990s.
In April, Nintendo said the NES Classic Edition “wasn’t intended to be an ongoing, long-term product.” But phenomenally strong sales and equally strong demand for the SNES Classic Edition, which arrived in stores Sept. 29, forced the company to change its mind.
The Kyoto-based video game giant didn’t give an exact date on when to expect the NES Classic to return, almost certainly because it didn’t want to cannibalize sales of the systems it will be pushing this holiday season.
While pre-orders for the SNES Classic Edition were nightmarish for customers, Nintendo has said it has “dramatically increased” production of the system to meet demand.
“I would strongly urge you not to over-bid on an SNES Classic on any of the auction sites,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, at Variety’s Entertainment and Technology Summit.
