Nintendo has applied for an N64 trademark in Japan, fueling speculation that a Nintendo 64 Classic Edition, or “N64 Mini,” could be on the way soon.
According to JapaneseNintendo, “Nintendo Co., Ltd. have applied for a N64 trademark in Japan. Purposes include video game program, controller for game machine, joystick for video game machine, TV game machine and more.” The linked article then goes on to post images of the application, but not much can be gleaned from those. What you see is what you get, but there are a few facts that make the timing of this application really exciting.
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For one thing, we know that Nintendo is re-thinking the way that it approaches and distributes its classic games. We finally have an official confirmation that Nintendo has no plans to return to the “virtual console” brand for the Switch, meaning that it’s going to find some other way to sell games from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, GBA, and Nintendo 64.
We’ve seen “classic editions” for both the NES and the Super NES, and both of those have sold extremely well. In fact, they’re still selling extremely well. It’s not a stretch by any means to assume that Nintendo will continue this trend with the Nintendo 64. Fans have been asking for it, and Nintendo may finally reveal it soon.
And speaking of reveals, that’s another piece of this puzzle that leads us to believe that this could actually be a significant development. Two years ago, the NES Classic Edition was revealed. A year ago, in June, the Super NES Classic Edition was revealed. Now as we look ahead to June and E3 approaches, we can’t help but wonder if Nintendo will continue this trend of Classic Edition reveals. If they keep up their current rhythm, we’re due for a Nintendo 64 Classic Edition reveal some time next month, and this trademark application could be in preparation for that reveal!
What do you guys think? Would you be pleased to see a mini N64, or would you rather Nintendo release these games individually on the Nintendo eShop for the Switch like they did for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more breaking Nintendo news!
