Messiah’s Generation NEX :

I’m not easily caught off-guard by certain gadgets and gaming technology is surprisingly interesting to me when I can find it. A few months back, I was standing at a GameCrazy, perusing the Nintendo DS games when I saw a curious looking box on the shelf. It looked almost exactly like the original 8-Bit Nintendo. Gray, black striping with hints of red here and there. Yes, it was very similar but with new packaging and a new company toting the console. What was this? Did Nintendo know? Jeepers! When I got home, I immediately looked it up to find that the Generation NEX is a console that is built to play Nintendo games, but without the ancient console to bog it down with dirt, dust and the usual confusion of digging it out.

When I received the NEX, I opened it up and studied it’s design. Gone were the wonky RC and AC adapters that were so insanely cumbersome in changing which TV you played on and which outlet you could plug into. Thankfully, this was done away with in favor or the newer AV cords and a tinier AC adapter.

Also new is the wireless controller capability, which - if you get the wireless NEX controllers, work almost too well for retro gamers. Did you ever play your Nintendo with wireless controllers? I know I didn’t. In fact, I remember sitting around and having to pull chairs closer or just sit on the damn floor because that console wouldn’t stretch any further. That’s just how it is. Being able to sit on your bed quite a few feet away is just awkward.

Inside, there’s a tiny manual that’s fashioned as an NES cartridge and it tells you in comic book styling, how to get your retro-gaming on in the easiest and most palatable form. It’s simple to plug in and setup, it’s much lighter and thinner than the original console and seemingly more fast and efficient than what I was used to. While it’s still styled like the Nintendo, the addition to being able to play Famicom games in addition to your NES games - is something collectors and retrophiles are going to be in love with.

Really, people who can’t get their NES console to work and who want to revisit but hate the hassle of fiddling with their old hardware — they’re going to LOVE this. Wireless gaming capability as well as corded controllers (They even have a light-up “M” on the front. Teehee.) are going to be fawning over the new take on an old favorite with the NEX. Get your beloved retro-gamer this beautiful little package and you can’t go wrong.

Nintendo CAN’T be happy that Messiah Entertainment made their console this damn pretty.