Nintendo Classic Edition will hit retail chains before Christmas including Walmart, Target, Best Buy, GameStop, Amazon, and Toys 'R' Us. The mini NES is one of the hottest gaming consoles this holiday shopping season but high demand and low supply of the retro system have created a calamitous situation for shoppers. That includes sky-high mark-ups at eBay and other e-commerce sites for the $60 mini console.
Last month an NES Classic sold for $5,000 on eBay. The irony is that the original NES and the 30 included games would actually cost less than $5,000 although some of the 8-bit titles might be hard to find.
Nintendo of America commented about the problem. It tweeted it is working hard to match customer demand for the Nintendo console and will provide a steady flow of stock to retail stores throughout holiday season 2016.
Nintendo of America's President Reggie Fils-Aimé told Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show" that consumers can get an old-school game console before Christmas Day.
NES Classic is also listed at online retailers including Amazon, eBay, and Craigslist. It is unclear, however, if stock is available.
Nintendo's mini console was restocked in Amazon physical stores in California, Washington, and Oregon, but has reportedly sold out again. Jeff Bezos' retailer will provide updates in the future as they are available.
The palm-sized system is also available at Walmart ($264) and Target for in-store purchase only.
Mini NES will be available in Best Buy stores starting December 20, according to News Everyday. The retail giant, however, stated that the restocking will only be for in-store purchases.
Toys 'R' Us is ending its Great Big Christmas Sale. It is likely that most of the units at the toy store chain have been sold already.
Nintendo's NES Classic Edition includes 30 built-in classic games such as "Super Mario Bros.," "Metroid" and "The Legend of Zelda." They are remakes of the titles from the original console released in 1985 as the Nintendo Entertainment System in the United States and Family Computer in Japan.
In related news, the original NES console is out-of-stock almost everywhere. It is still sold at Nintendo's store and listed at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and GameStop, according to Tech Radar.
Here's an unboxing of NES Classic Edition: