The NES Classic Mini, Nintendo's retro console that released in November 2016, was a dream come true for many, especially those born in the '80s and '90s, thanks to its wonderful design and the selection of classic 8-bit games that it shipped with.
However, it also became an object of frustration for some, as the device was so successful during the holidays that retailers quickly ran out of stock. Usually, in this type of situation, one only has to be patient and wait, but this time Nintendo decided not to build on this commercial success and halted production.
Now, though, the company has given us a little more insight into its decision, and in a recent interview with Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aimé in Time, the following justification was given:
"We had originally planned for this to be a product for last holiday. We just didn't anticipate how incredible the response would be. Once we saw that response, we added shipments and extended the product for as long as we could to meet more of that consumer demand," he said.
"Even with that extraordinary level of performance, we understand that people are frustrated about not being able to find the system, and for that we really do apologise. But from our perspective, it's important to recognise where our future is and the key areas that we need to drive. We've got a lot going on right now and we don't have unlimited resources."
No doubt Reggie is referring to the runaway success of the Switch, and with the incredible demand for the new system, it looks like Nintendo has made room for increased production of its new console. Of course, there's also the rumours doing the rounds of the SNES Mini, which if true, would further explain the decision to bench the NES Mini.