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TechThe Mobile Executive

Here’s Your Next Chance to Buy the NES Classic Edition

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
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By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 12, 2016, 1:32 PM ET

Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition video game console, one of this year’s hottest holiday gifts, is difficult to find in stores. But it should be available again next week.

The NES Classic Edition, a replica of the original NES system from 1985 that comes with a built-in library of 30 retro games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda will be on sale at Best Buy on Dec. 20, a company spokesperson confirmed to Fortune. Best Buy (BBY) expects to have only “limited quantities” available on Dec. 20 that will be sold “on a first-come, first-serve basis” in bricks and mortar stores, but not online.

Nintendo released the NES Classic Edition in the U.S. on Nov. 10. The $60 device is designed for nostalgic gamers who want to play the games of old, as well as those who don’t mind missing out on the high-end graphics and sophisticated games they’d find in today’s gaming hardware.

The Nintendo Entertainment System is among the pioneering video game consoles that helped give rise to the current industry. At the time of its release, the gaming industry was in a major downturn as players shifted from home consoles and arcades to other forms of entertainment.

Analysts criticized Nintendo’s decision to release a home console amid the industry’s troubles. However, thanks to popular franchises like Super Mario, it proved to be exceedingly popular and prompted other companies such as Sega and Sony to double down on the market.

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Nintendo used its success with its Nintendo Entertainment System as a jumping-off point for the NES Classic Edition. The console has the same design as the original console, but it is substantially smaller. Nintendo’s new hardware also isn’t compatible with game cartridges, so users are only able to play the 30 games that come pre-loaded. And unlike the 32-year-old Nintendo console, the NES Classic Edition connects to a television via HDMI—a technology that became popular long after the Nintendo Entertainment System’s debut.

The NES Classic Edition sold out at retailers across the world soon after it was made available last month. Some people who have managed to buy consoles are trying to sell them eBay for hundreds of dollars more than its retail price. Whenever Nintendo ships more units to retailers, like it did last week at Urban Outfitters, it has quickly sold out.

Now people hoping to get the NES Classic Edition in time for Christmas have another shot. But considering the high demand, don’t expect the device to be available for long on Dec. 20.

Looking ahead, Nintendo says it’ll continue to produce new units and hopes to make a “steady flow” of consoles available through early 2017.

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By Don Reisinger
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