Classic NES Series

by purchasing all of the Famicom Mini games.|alt=Three large game cases resembling books or binders sitting on a table, consisting of a maroon one labeled Famicom Mini, a white one labeled Famicom Mini Volume 2, and a yellow one labeled Famicom Mini Disk System Selection, all subtitled 20th Anniversary Family Computer. The Family Computer, commonly shortened to Famicom, was Nintendo's first cartridge-based home video game console, originally released in Japan in 1983. The Classic NES Series was developed to celebrate the collective 20th anniversary of these systems' launches. Each game was priced at in Japan, in the United States, and in the United Kingdom. The Classic NES Series games run through emulation and are largely unchanged from their original releases, though some games have received minor modifications, such as an updated translation in The Legend of Zelda and a new autofire function in Xevious. Due to having to fit the GBA's lower screen resolution, the games are not displayed in their original aspect ratio, and have been modified to fill the screen. Games with multiplayer functionality support single-cartridge multiplayer using the Game Link Cable or the Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter. In Japan, the Famicom Mini series was targeted at collectors. The Famicom Mini games' availability was limited, with each volume's games being discontinued after three months. In the West, the games used standard GBA packaging designed after their original NES box art, and were released on light gray cartridges based on the default color of NES cartridges. A Game Boy Micro variant designed to resemble the Famicom controller was also available when the system launched in September 2005, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise; a reissue of Famicom Mini: Super Mario Bros. was released alongside it. ==List of games==

A total of 32 games were released, only 12 of which saw distribution outside of Japan. == Reception ==

Upon launch of the Famicom Mini series in Japan, one million units were sold within eight days. The re-release of Super Mario Bros. went on to become the 13th best selling Game Boy Advance game, selling over 2.2 million copies. The Classic NES Series garnered mixed critical reception. While most reviewers found that the games were still enjoyable to play, the cost was a common point of criticism. Many believed that the price for a single game compared unfavorably to that of contemporary video game compilations, which often featured multiple games from the same era. Craig Harris of IGN noted that several of the available games were already playable on the Game Boy Advance in less expensive formats, such as via cards for the Nintendo e-Reader and as unlockables in Animal Crossing. Both GameSpot and IGN noted that Nintendo had recently given away The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for free in the ''Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition bonus disc for GameCube, although they conceded that the Classic NES Series versions were portable. Reviewers generally believed that while some games like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Castlevania were potentially worth their asking price, others like Ice Climber, Donkey Kong, and Dr. Mario'' did not offer enough gameplay to justify the high cost of the cartridge. Some critics were annoyed by the games' altered screen ratio, which caused odd graphical artifacts. Reviewers additionally noted that because the games were based on their NES releases, some games were missing features present in other versions. Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot said of Bomberman that "a Bomberman game without multiplayer is hardly a Bomberman game at all." Similarly, reviewers lamented a missing level in Donkey Kong, which was present in its original arcade version but removed from the NES release. Harris also felt that the new autofire function in Xevious removed much of the game's challenge. == Notes ==