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Nintendo reveals display modes and save states for NES Classic Edition

Miss your boxy CRT? NES Classic's display modes have got you covered.

David Craddock

September 30, 2016 12:45 PM

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Nintendo's NES Classic Edition console includes three display modes and multiple save-game states for the games baked into its miniature-sized Control Deck. GameSpot got hold of a Classic Edition from Nintendo and took its settings for a spin.

Fans of old-school games hoping for an authentic visual experience are in luck: the Classic Edition's CRT mode captures your fusty tube-based TV, complete with scan lines. By default, you'll play in 4:3 aspect ratio.

Rounding out display modes, Pixel Perfect mode crunches pixels down to squares to provide "the most accurate representation of the games as they were originally designed," according to Nintendo.

Save states a la emulation replace battery-backed saves and password systems, though games like Punch-Out!! retain those password save systems if you enjoy tediously punching in letters and numbers. Each of the 30 games included in the console receive four save states, so you can freeze the action and pick up right where you left off later.

You save and load states—and access the game select screen—using buttons on the front of the console rather than on your controller. This makes sense, given that the NES pad is modeled after the original peripheral and contains no extra inputs, but will likely prove aggravating, especially if you sit far back from your console.

Instruction manuals take the form of digital booklets accessed via a QR code. After scanning your code with a phone or tablet, you can view manuals on that device.

The NES Classic Edition ships out to stores on November 11.

Image courtesy of GameSpot.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.