NES Action Set Finally Restocked At Retailers
Nintendo’s first hardware configuration has been discontinued. The NES Deluxe Set, which came with R.O.B. the robot, Duck Hunt, Gyromite, the Zapper and two controllers is no longer being produced. Normally when a product line has been retired retailers will discount the items, but that wasn’t needed in this case. That’s because the NES has been virtually sold out for the better part of this year thanks to insane demand for the most popular home video game system on the market.
We’re also hearing that Nintendo underestimated the impact of discontinuing one product line and introducing another, and that there was a one to two month gap between the products that helped increase the drought of hardware on store shelves. Nintendo has replaced the Deluxe Set with the NES Action Set, a new configuration that includes the console, two controllers, the Zapper and both Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on a single Game Pak. This model carries a MSRP of $119.99, but as has been the case since the NES arrived back in 1985, many retailers choose to list it at lower prices. An example of this is Toy & Model in Utah, which shows a $109.99 price point.
Making the Action Set even more popular is the fact that Super Mario Bros. is no longer included in the basic Control Deck configuration. For just $20 – $30 more kids can get the light gun and two games – a massive savings of $100 if bought separately.
Retailers across the country have finally been receiving regular shipments of the NES, and big outlets like Target and Toys R Us finally full shelves again. With the ongoing microchip shortage that has gripped the technology world, we’d suggest picking up the system while it’s in stock instead of waiting until later in the year when it could be much more difficult to find.
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
