When Nintendo announced it would follow its popular NES Classic edition with a mini SNES Classic, we hesitated to get excited about it. Sure, the NES Classic was an awesome little piece of nostalgia, but Nintendo made so few of the consoles it became frustratingly difficult to actually buy one.
Nintendo promised it would do better with the SNES Classic edition, but it’s already facing a preorder disaster. Walmart briefly—and apparently prematurely—launched preorders on its website at about 11:30pm ET Friday, sending Nintendo fans into a buying frenzy. Many believed their SNES Classic purchasing worries were over—until Walmart confirmed today that all of the preorders made on its website were invalid.
In a notice sent to buyers, the big box retailer apologized, citing a “technical glitch” and stating that the official launch date would be Sept. 29.
Walmart added to the confusion by slowly sending notifications in random batches. Some buyers received cancellation emails two days ago, while others assumed their orders were safe until they received notification today. It doesn’t appear that Nintendo had anything to do with the debacle, but that’s not stopping weary gaming fans from expressing their frustration in all directions.
Wow, @Walmart messed up big with the SNES Classic preorders. Taking my money then waiting 5 days to cancel my order is classy #SNES
— Jonathan Rizzi (@JonathanRizzi26) July 26, 2017
So insult to injury – just for an updated release date email on the #snes classic you just cancelled on me. Thanks. Thanks.
— Michael Bird (@IowaBirdman) July 26, 2017
@Walmart #snes #SNESClassic #snesmini pic.twitter.com/8MDjUTgMZp
— Josh Valerio (@jval101) July 26, 2017
It’s disheartening—but expected—that SNES Classic sales started out on the wrong foot. But perhaps Nintendo will make good on its increased production promises, and when orders launch in earnest, it won’t be a terrible buying experience. (Don’t hold your breath.)
H/T The Verge