Hardly any other company has shaped the video game world as much as Nintendo. The games and consoles from the Japanese often have cult status, which is why quite a few Nintendo fans also want an N64 Mini after the retro revival of the NES and SNES. However, an ex-Nintendo boss sees the chances of this as very small – for one simple reason.
For many he is Mr. Nintendo: Reggie Fils-Aimé, who managed the fortunes of Nintendo of America between 2006 and 2019 and with his wit and charm turned more than just a Nintendo presentation into an entertainment show. In an interview, the 61-year-old looks back on his time at Nintendo and dares to look ahead to the future. For a Nintendo 64 Mini, however, Fils-Aimé sees black.
Online instead of mini consoles: Former Nintendo boss rejects N64 Mini
“I don’t believe in it,” was the dry response of the former Nintendo boss to the possibility of further mini-consoles from Nintendo (source: Cnet). The reason for the pessimism: Nintendo Switch Online. For Reggie Fils-Aimé, the future lies in Nintendo’s online servicewhich was recently expanded to include N64 games for a surcharge.
“If I were back at Nintendo for just one day, my focus would be: How can we bring our great content to consumers online?” Fils-Aimé explains his approach. Launching mini consoles in the look of older Nintendo classics, as Nintendo successfully did with the NES Mini and SNES Mini, is obviously a good thing for the ex-Nintendo boss relic of the past.
According to Reggie Fils-Aimé, the two mini-consoles were born out of necessity anyway and should keep the Nintendo brand in consumers’ minds during the difficult transition from Wii U to Switch. Previously, he revealed his surprising opinion on the Game Boy Micro.
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The trend in the gaming world is towards subscription
Of course, a Nintendo 64 Mini is not excluded forever. Nintendo’s former head of America is only giving his private opinion here. But it also makes sense, as a look at the current gaming world shows. The trend is clearly towards subscriptions and why would Nintendo launch an N64 Mini and only cash in once when they are coming up with regular new releases of N64 classics on Nintendo Switch Online monthly hold your hand? So, at least in the near future, nobody should expect an N64 Mini.