Nintendo preparing SNES mini for this Christmas - report
Eurogamer has confirmed with "sources close to the company" that another Nintendo microconsole is on the way
Nintendo's decision to discontinue production on the fast-selling NES Classic has been frustrating for some, but fans of Nintendo's classic titles should take heart, as our sister site Eurogamer is now reporting that another microconsole from the house of Mario is currently in development. According to sources "close to the company," Nintendo is planning on releasing a SNES mini (if the branding stays consistent, it'll be called Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System) in time for this year's holiday shopping season.
Despite the NES Classic selling out repeatedly, the production of the newer SNES Classic could be one reason for Nintendo's decision to stop manufacturing the former. Anecdotally, we've also heard that margins on the NES Classic weren't the greatest and that Nintendo needed its manufacturing plants to be focused on the Switch (which the company has also had a hard time keeping up with demand).
It's unclear how many titles will come programmed into the SNES Classic, but Nintendo has a plethora of classics to choose from in what was a golden era for the company. Some good bets would be Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Country and Star Fox.
At the time of the discontinuation of the NES Classic, Nintendo stated, "We have paid close attention to consumer feedback, and we greatly appreciate the incredible level of consumer interest and support for this product." If the company is taking feedback seriously, hopefully it'll ship the SNES Classic with longer controller cables and facilitate better unit allocation for its retail partners during a busy shopping season.