The SNES Classic Edition isn’t yet available and it has already experienced a huge amount of drama. Preorders went live at Walmart late one night, with fans gobbling up the retro console so fast that it crippled the page. These were later said to be a mistake on Walmart’s part, with the retail giant cancelling every single order (including my own). But preorders will come soon, according to Nintendo, with the company announcing that many retailers’ SNES Classic preorders will go live later this month. They also offered assurances that this new console won’t have the same stock issues as its predecessor.
“We appreciate the incredible anticipation that exists for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System: Super NES Classic Edition system, and can confirm that it will be made available for pre-order by various retailers late this month,” Nintendo announced on Facebook. “A significant amount of additional systems will be shipped to stores for launch day, and throughout the balance of the calendar year.”
So, good news all around. Of course, buyers wouldn’t be blamed for taking this with a grain of salt. Nintendo has a huge track record of not supplying enough of a hotly anticipated item. The NES Classic Edition was sold out almost immediately, with small restocks arriving and sailing out the door. Nintendo then abruptly cancelled further production of the device, causing resale prices to skyrocket to four or more times the retail price.
Many worry that the same will happen with the SNES Classic Edition, especially with Nintendo only confirming stock through the rest of 2017. We’ll have to wait and see when preorders go up if they’ve actually sent out enough units this time around.
