After Nintendo’s NES Classic Edition turned into a near-impossible to find piece of gaming gold last year—and then became fully impossible to find when the company discontinued the miniaturized console—everyone suspected this year’s release of the Super NES Classic would be just as dispiriting of a shit show. And for a while there, it seemed like it would be, as preorders showed up sporadically, lasted for mere minutes, and/or got canceled en masse. But Nintendo Of America president Reggie Fils-Aime recently tried to brighten up that dire situation, telling fans they shouldn’t turn to scalpers and pay more than the retail price for one of these devices. And just today, Nintendo followed up with a statement that might provide some hope for those trying to snap up a Super NES Classic this holiday season and beyond.
In a press release, the company is now claiming more Super NES Classic Editions will be available in stores for its September 29 launch than NES Classic Editions throughout all of 2016, “with subsequent shipments arriving in stores regularly.” (So, at least more than 50.) It’ll continue shipping the system into 2018, despite initially planning to offer it only during the 2017 holiday season.
And for one last twist, Nintendo is now saying it plans to bring back the original NES Classic Edition in summer 2018, so if you never managed to get one and you haven’t yet been overcome with spite for Nintendo and its seeming inability to ever properly gauge public interest in a product, you might have a second chance. Just don’t get your hopes up for buying a Switch this Christmas.