As I was discussing with my friends that were exposed to 80s gaming, we noticed some of our favorite games aren't in the 30 games bundled with the NES Classic Edition. If you're still trying out your luck on getting one, try to see the list of games it comes with and see if you'll be satisfied with it. Else, just hold it off until it stops becoming a hot item.
The holidays are coming and the NES Classic Edition is nowhere to be bought. You enter a store and it's out of stock, you go online and it's sold at ridiculous prices at eBay. According to Daily Mail Online, prices for the NES Classic Edition are currently being resold 5 times the original price which almost buys you a brand new PS4 or Xbox One. With the prices today, you might want to stop and think about what you are getting, I understand nostalgia is priceless but let's be practical for a sec, shall we?
Notable games missing
As stated in the introduction, some of the awesome games from our childhood are missing. Though when you check for NES Classic Edition's complete list of games, most, but not all notable games are there. I was half glad since I haven't had the chance to grab the hot console yet.
Contra isn't on the list. Although Super C is included, there's no better alternative to the classic Contra. This is where I first-hand learned about the Konami Code. Back then we called it '30 Lives' since it essentially gives you such. There were no internet, TV wasn't that updated when it comes to gaming, and magazines were sent to us delayed, so I learned the code from hearsay.
Battle City is another notable game as it introduces friendly fire ON. This is one of the first games that you can actually hurt your buddy so being careful with firepower is being promoted in this game. It also features custom maps which brings out the creative architect in you.
Another notable game is Metal Gear which sparked all the Kojima game masterpieces. As always, it's an action-adventure stealth game which features the debut of Solid Snake and Big Boss. (Spoilers ahead) Big Boss reveals to be the ultimate antagonist of the game and Solid Snake has to beat him. At the end of the game, Big Boss got defeated but promised to Solid Snake that they will meet again. The game was released in 1987 and both characters met again after several titles in 2008 in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Alternatives for now
I won't be getting the NES Classic Edition until stocks for it become normalized. Not paying ridiculous amounts of money just for it, I can emulate them anytime. As a short term resolution, my girlfriend bought us an 'NES' clone to calm our urge to get the legit thing. The clone costs around $50 and comes with the classic Contra - also plays classic cartridges, so it's a win-win for me. Another way to get your hands on classic games is to just emulate them. Hello? It's 2016, you can either use your PC to emulate classic games or build the device yourself for almost the same cost.
