NES Classic Edition Flying Off The Shelves

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) --- One of the hottest items this holiday shopping season is a blast from the past that's virtually impossible to find in stores.

The NES Classic Edition is Nintendo's ode to the original Nintendo Entertainment System, released in the U.S. in 1985. The updated version is a smaller, nearly-identical version of the original. Thirty classic video games are built in - including Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Tecmo Bowl, and Galaga. Newer gamers who can find one to try out should be prepared for a challenge.

"You forget how difficult these games really area," said Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Game Guy Max Parker. "These games are old school and punishing."

The NES Classic Edition sells for a retail price of $59.99, if you can find it. They're sold out in many stores. Even online, you'll probably need to be either lucky or willing to pay far more than the suggested retail price.

However, the NES Classic Edition is not perfect. One of the most common complaints since its release has been the length of the controller cords.

"The cord is actually really short," Parker said. "So, you have to be really close to the TV when you play this unless you move the device back away from the TV. That's the worst thing about it."

Speaking of the controllers, some say they fail to completely replicate the feel of the originals. Still, those drawbacks aren't slowing down demand, or the nostalgia over the classic look and games.

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