| Classic NES Series | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Various |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Distributor(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Various |
| Series | Classic NES Series |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Release date(s) | 2004-2005 (various) |
| Genre(s) | Various |
| Mode(s) | Various |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Everyone) CERO: A (All ages) PEGI: 3+ OFLC: G |
| Media/distribution | cartridges |
The Classic NES Series in North America (Famicom Mini Series in Japan and NES Classics in Australia and Europe) are a series of Game Boy Advance games that were originally released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (the Family Computer and the Disk System in Japan) emulated on the Game Boy Advance. A special edition Game Boy Advance SP, which has a similar color pattern to a NES controller (along with a Famicom counterpart in Japan), was released to go along with these games. The color of the cartridges match the color of the original NES carts.
All of these games were released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Famicom in Japan.
Contents |
The Famicom Mini Series was released in Japan.
Released on February 14, 2004:
Released May 21, 2004:
Released on August 10, 2004:
In addition, Super Robot Taisen 2 was released as a promotional item alongside Super Robot Taisen GC.
The Famicom Mini Series was retitled to Classic NES Series in North America and NES Classics in Europe.
Series 1 was released in North America on June 7, 2004 and in Europe on July 9, 2004
Box art for Europe was numbered as follows:
Series 2 was released in North America on October 25, 2004 and in Europe on January 7, 2005
Box art for Europe was numbered as follows:
Some reviewers were annoyed that the Classic NES Series versions featured differences from the original. For example, Craig Harris complained that Xevious had an automatic firing setting, which destroyed the difficulty of the original.[3] Reviewers also complained about the lack of the pie/cement level in Donkey Kong (the pie level was in the arcade version, not the NES version, although reviewers still criticized it).[4][5] In Super Mario Bros., the screen ratio aspect was altered, causing odd graphical appearances.[6][7]
The prices of the Classic NES Series and previous rereleases were also criticized. Many reviewers noted that $20 was a high price for one game.[8][5] Both GameSpot and IGN noted that Nintendo had given away The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for free in the Collector's Edition bonus disc, although they conceded that the Classic NES Series version was portable.[9][10] However, reviewers consistently hailed The Legend of Zelda as one of the games worth the cost of the cartridge.[9][10][11][12]