(Sub)Culture

Japan’s Version of NES Classic Edition Is Ridiculously Cute

Nintendo continues its anniversary celebrations by shrinking the Famicom game console

September 30, 2016

Nintendo's Famicom Mini is only available in Japan. Nintendo

Japan’s getting its own version of the palm-sized NES Classic Edition this holiday, and its cute-factor is already rocking the worlds of the Nintendo obsessed, trending all morning on Twitter. The Nintendo Classic Mini: Family Computer – which everyone is already calling the “Famicom mini” – is modeled after the Japanese version of the NES, which was originally released in 1983. It looks every bit the part, with its twin wired controllers, and red, white and gold colorway. All that’s missing is a palm-sized floppy disk drive to rest atop of.

Like the NES mini, it comes pre-programmed with 30 games, covering a broad selection of retro hits, with a heavy emphasis on Nintendo’s canon. It also includes some delightful curiosities that you won’t see on its domestic counterpart. Konami’s proto fighting game Yie Ar Kung-Fu is sure to stoke the memories of arcade rats of a certain vintage, and who needs Punch Out when there’s Tsuppari Ozumo, Tecmo’s 1987 sumo wrestling sim?

The Famicom mini announcement comes alongside news that the domestic NES Classic Edition – which features a design unique to those consoles sold outside of Japan – will feature three different display modes: one that simulates the scan lines on old-school CRT TVs, another that reverts the picture to the NES’s native non-widescreen 4:3 ratio, and a “pixel perfect” mode that aims to sharpen the individual pixels and emphasize the cool 2D art so beloved of these classic games.

The Famicom mini retails for 5,980 yen, which is roughly 60 bucks. If you truly hunger for it, you’ll have to import, as it’s only available in Japan. Safest bet is to make do like the rest of us and grab the NES Classic Edition when it drops on November 11… or, as will inevitably be the case, pay a premium to eBay scalpers.