Nintendo of America President Sets Expectations for N64 Classic

In a recent interview with Kotaku, Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime, delivered a hard truth to many Nintendo and retro-gaming fans alike. Sitting down with Fils-Aime, Kotaku reporter Stephen Totilo asked about the prospect of an N64 Classic, mentioning the success of the NES and Super NES classic, released in years prior. While not officially denouncing the possibility of an N64 classic, Fils-Aime set fan expectations – urging them that they should not expect in it the near future.

“We were clear when we did the first two Classic series that, for us, these were limited time opportunities that were a way for us as a business to bridge from the conclusion of Wii U as a hardware system to the launch of Nintendo Switch,” Fils-Aime shared.

Hoping to get a clearer answer from Fils-Aime, Totilo pushed, asking, “Would you rule out an N64 Classic coming?”

“I would not ever rule something out … but what I can tell you is certainly that’s not in our planning horizon,” Fils- Amie stated.

While being met with wide critical acclaim, a common critique of the Nintendo Switch is that does not offer a great deal of support for retro titles. This criticism was slightly curbed after the release of the NES Online library – a free subscription bonus for those who purchased the Nintendo Switch Online service. However, this small library of select NES titles pales in comparison to the robust Virtual Consol library on the Wii U.

Fils-Aime feels that the company should instead focus their retro-support on their online library. “We’ve also now been very clear that as the consumer looks forward to engaging with our classic content that is going to happen more and more with the subscription service,” states Fils-Aime.

While it is uncertain as to what level of support Nintendo fans will see for some of their most-beloved classic titles, one thing is certain: they shouldn’t be holding their breath on an N64 Classic.

Travis Williamson

Travis is a gamer, writer, and cat lover from the greater Pittsburgh area. While he is a multi-genre gamer, there is a special place in his heart for fighting games - particularly the Super Smash Bros. franchise. Outside of gaming, Travis enjoys embarking on pizza and Rupaul’s Drag Race benders.