8BitDo is selling a NES mouse, and it carries lots of the design hallmarks of the classic console.
Basically, it’s a homage to the NES. Released in its full form in 1985, the NES is an 8-bit home video entertainment system that’s become a gaming icon. The angular, grey machine evolved from Nintendo’s Famicom console, which was released two years earlier.
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It’s called the 8BitDo N30 Wireless Mouse, and if you fancy one, it will set you back $24.99. You can even add a matching mouse pad for $0.99. 8BitDo says the battery of this 2.4GHz mouse will last 100-120 hours.
So, if you’re a NES fanatic in the market for a mouse, this could be the purchase for you. Though that is a slightly niche market. Even if you’re not a huge NES fan though, this is an appealing (or at least amusing) homage to old-fashioned console design.
Diving down the NES nostalgia tunnel will have fans remember games like Vice: Project Doom from 1991, which saw players take on the role of a detective with platforming, driving and combat game-play. Also notable was Jackal, which was basically Rambo: First Blood Part II in 2D. Also memorable was epic platformer Castlevania.
However, one of the fondest memories for many NES players will be 1987’s Metal Gear. Yes, the Metal Gear franchise is that old. If you fire it up today, don’t expect the game-play to rival Death Stranding.
The game was fantastic for its time though and was a fun showcase of the NES’s gaming capabilities. Players got the chance to sneak around as Solid Snake and take on guards. Very dim-witted guards, mind you.
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If all this is whetting your appetite for nostalgia, then you could fire up a NES. Or, you could try out 8BitDo’s NES mouse… it’s up to you really.
We love the design. It’s a real throwback. However, there’s also a gimmicky feel to this piece of kit and, in the end, it’s likely to just be one for NES fanatics.