Nintendo's new $60 console will be hard to find
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Classic Edition is going to be a huge sales magnet this holiday season. It packs 30 of the best original Nintendo games into a tiny, plug-and-play package for $60.
Nintendo is banking on nostalgia, and based on how quickly the early pre-orders sold out a few months ago, it's the right move.
If you want one, you'll have to act fast when it releases on November 11. According to CNET, Amazon is not accepting pre-orders for the NES Classic, instead opting to sell a limited quantity starting at 2:00 p.m. PT on the day of release.
This was expected, as Nintendo has another, more complete console coming out in March. That means the NES Classic is designed to be a holiday season cash cow, so limiting quantities to increase demand was a predictable move.
It's worth noting that none of the other major retailers (GameStop, Target, Best Buy, Toys 'R Us) are accepting pre-orders either. You'll have to go to a store on the day of release if you want to snatch one of these up.
It's possible there will be a second wave of NES Classic consoles hitting store shelves in time for Christmas shopping, but nothing is set in stone yet. The moral of the story here is if you want to play "Mega Man 2" in a tiny, adorable Nintendo box, you should get in line this week.