Reggie Says a N64 Classic Isn't In the Works

So far, Nintendo has put out two “classic” consoles, the NES Classic and the SNES Classic, mini versions of their most iconic consoles pre-loaded with a number of highly-loved classical games. While they were a minor source of controversy due to the fact that they were in high demand but had limited releases, they were ultimately extremely successful and people loved the damn things to tiny pieces. So it’s only natural that there would be some curiosity – and demand – for an N64 Classic console, considering that was the generation that brought us the first Super Smash Brothers, GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Donkey Kong 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and lest we forget, Super Mario 64, which is the game I want to be playing when I die.

But in an interview with Kotaku, Nintendo of America’s Reggie Fils-Aimé said that while he was happy with the two classic consoles, they were very specific products with specific goals and it seemed unlikely we’d see the N64 get the same treatment.

“We were clear when we did the first two Classic series that, for us, these were limited time opportunities that were a way for us as a business to bridge from the conclusion of Wii U as a hardware system to the launch of Nintendo Switch… That was the very strategic reason we launched the NES Classic system.”

“I would not ever rule something out, but what I can tell you is certainly [The N64 Classic is] not in our planning horizon.”

That’s sad, especially since Nintendo clamps down so hard on emulators, yet still slags behind releasing classic games on their virtual marketplace. Which for a normal company might be fine, but when you’ve got the deep roots of Nintendo, and your entire portfolio is built on nostalgia and familiar IPs… well… it really kinda sucks.

But, what can you do?