A company out of Seattle named Analogue Interactive is currently working on a $500 NES gaming console. Yep. You read that correctly. The future of gaming consoles is going retro.
Analogue Interactive is a company that specializes in doing designer versions of old school consoles. Their first project was a hand crafted, walnut encased Neo Geo arcade system with a price tag of $649 (which in all fairness is what the Neo Geo was priced back in the day). Now their latest project is the Analogue Nt. This NES console is to be crafted out of an aluminum alloy usually found in the construction of yachts and civilian aircraft. For an extra $50 Analogue Interactive will also let you choose a different paint scheme if the pure aluminum look isn’t your thing.
Though being crafted from fancy materials isn’t all the Analogue Nt boasts. The game not only plays NES titles, but Famicom as well, having slots for both cartridges with no region lockout. With RGB, component, composite, S-Video cable and separately sold HDMI adapter, you won’t be scrambling to get an older TV out of grandma’s basement, and four controller ports making it easier to roll out those old multiplayer brawlers and play with friends. It also joins the old with the new, using the original NES hardware but with some forward thinking engineering to make sure the Analogue NT can handle the NES and Famicom’s massive libraries while also giving the Analogue Nt better staying power. So you’re paying for an actual console with updated design specs rather than an emulator.
The Analogue Nt will certainly make it easier to play the beloved Nintendo titles of yesteryear, with today’s options being attempting to snipe on NES from an online seller, trying to repair ones old system, or downloading illegal and sometimes damaging emulators. However the pricetag on the Analogue Nt isn’t cheap especially when you consider the 8th generation of consoles is currently vying for your money. However where the Analogue Nt gets a leg up is in the fact it’s looking to fill a niche, and not compete with the current market. This is definitely a system for retro fanatics, hardcore gamers and collectors.
Analogue Interactive will start taking pre-orders for the console on Monday, with plans to ship the Analogue Nt out in late summer. For more on the Analogue Nt and to pre-order check out their website.
