Aluminum NES costs as much as the Xbox One, probably has better games

Can you really put a price on nostalgia? What if its really, really pretty nostalgia?

A company called Analogue Interactive is looking to make the original Nintendo Entertainment System cool again with a modern aluminum chassis makeover. Its called the Analogue Nt, and this lovely piece of retro futurism can be yours for just $499. Sure, you couldget an Xbox One for that price, but how are you supposed to play Duck Hunt on that?

The casing looks nothing like the boxy NES or the original Famicom unit, but the inside is all Nintendo. Unlike some other solutions that rely on software emulation or hardware tricks to play NES games, The Analgoue Nt packs the exact same Ricoh 20A3 and 2C02 microprocessors. The company didnt somehow make more of these 30 year-old 8-bit microprocessors it harvested them from old Famicom systems that were collecting dust.

This hardware swap likely has something to do with the high cost, but it also ensures compatibility with all the games and peripherals ever produced for the NES. It even works with the bizarre Famicom Computer Disk System, and even more rare Famicom 3D System. Yet, somehow Nintendo still went on to make the Virtual Boy.

The Analogue Interactive store is accepting pre-orders right now for the Analogue Nt, but the $499 price tag is only the beginning. You can have different color aluminum cases for an additional $49. Then theres the RGB to HDMI upscaling adapter (another $49). Need some controllers? Analogue Interactive will sell you new, unused NES controllers for $49, or a refurbished NES/Famicom controller for $29. At the end of the day, you could spend quite a hefty sum on this slice of nostalgia. Its expected to ship this summer.

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Aluminum NES costs as much as the Xbox One, probably has better games