Right on the heels of its NES Classic restock announcement, Nintendo is apparently also releasing a variant of the Famicom Mini. Unlike the 2016 classic rerelease, this one will come with 20 classic games that were based on Weekly Shonen Jump manga series.
For the uninitiated, the Famicom is the original Japanese version of the NES, first released in 1983. The special edition console will mark the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, which prints beloved serials including One Piece, Boruto, and others.
Among the included titles are Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, and Fist of the North Star. Most of the titles are very old school, which is perfect for those famished for nostalgia. The console will cost JPY 7,980 — or about $73 — as Kotaku reports.
Nintendo already released a Famicom Mini back in 2016, loaded with mostly the same games as the NES Classic Edition. The console came with controllers hardwired to the console itself, similar to the original design.
You Can't Buy This Famicom Mini
The manga edition Famicom Mini will be released in Japan this July 7. Considering hardly any Americans are familiar to the manga magazine it pays tribute to, it's easy to say Nintendo won't be bringing to console stateside. Avid collectors who want it will have to rely on eBay or other overseas shipping services to acquire one. Nintendo also hasn't confirmed just how many units it plans to produce.
Special NES Classic Editions?
That said, this could be the beginning of special retro rereleases. Perhaps at some point Nintendo will also release themed NES Classic Edition variants that include far more games than just 30, but that's highly unlikely. Even more unlikely is the notion of NES Classic Edition that can be expanded with more games via downloading. Sure, gamers have found a way to hack the system and put half of the entire NES library on the device, but it would be nice if Nintendo just allowed for that to happen.
The NES Classic Edition is scheduled to hit retail stores again come June 29 following stock problems and recurring shortages. Upon its release in 2016 the console became a massive hit, and part of why it's so hard to find was because Nintendo had failed to anticipate just how many people would want to buy one. The company later apologized for the stock issues and promised to produce more units. It also released the SNES Classic Edition a year later, much to the excitement of fans.
Rumors say it's planning to release a classic version of the Nintendo 64 next.
