With the launch of the NES Classic approaching next week, Nintendo has announced they’re temporarily bringing back their Nintendo Power Line hotline. Yes, this means you’ll be able to call a phone number and get hot tips for all those classic 1980’s-released NES games.
Now before you get excited to speak to a professional Nintendo hotline speaker, the service will be all automated messages. Further details weren’t confirmed, however this is sure to please old grognards (like myself) looking to relive some of their golden years in gaming.
The service will kick off on November 11th, the same day as the NES Classic, and will run until Sunday night, November 13th.
Here’s a brief description of what to expect, via Nintendo:
While playing one of the 30 great NES games included on the NES Classic Edition during the weekend following the Friday launch, you might find yourself puzzled by some of the more challenging games. (“How do I find the first Warp Whistle in Super Mario Bros. 3?” you might ask yourself.) If your memories of the original games fail you, no need to fret. You can just call the Power Line, which will return and run from Nov. 11 to Nov. 13, between the hours of 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT each day. The original Power Line was a beloved service in the ’80s that connected fans to Nintendo Game Play Counselors who offered helpful tips and tricks. In this fully automated version, you can use your real-life phone (bonus points if it has a cord!) to dial (425) 885-7529 to hear recorded tips for several games, plus behind-the-scenes stories from original Nintendo Game Play Counselors. You never know what you might learn!
Shiggy Diggy Doo
November 4, 2016 at 9:51 am>Beloved
Not for the parents who found an assraped phone bill.
Mr0303
November 4, 2016 at 10:09 amOr you could just search online.
Anon_Amous
November 4, 2016 at 10:34 amWhat if dad needs to use the phone though?
Mr0303
November 4, 2016 at 10:49 amRemind him that you’ll put him in a retirement home if he doesn’t behave.
NukeA6
November 4, 2016 at 10:55 amMaybe I’ll ask them why the NES mini doesn’t have Castlevania III. Oh wait, they’re automated messages. Too bad.
Maelstrom
November 4, 2016 at 10:55 am“Fully automated”
“Recorded messages”
“Only exists for 4 days, durring business hours only”
Wtf Nintendo
DrearierSpider
November 4, 2016 at 11:33 amGoddamn, could they be coasting on nostalgia any harder?
Grayares Fakcot
November 4, 2016 at 11:44 am>not having a seperate landline dedicated for your 28.8k modem
GamesGoodMeGood
November 4, 2016 at 11:54 amWill the hotline feature a voice advert at the beginning of the call telling men not to rape?
Josh
November 4, 2016 at 1:29 pmKind of funny they’re bringing this back in some way. I still have
Nintendo’s 1-800 number memorized from when I was young and used to call
them. I now use their number to check if my phone has service or not.
OSad
November 4, 2016 at 2:57 pmI thought that too, but the timeframe the service will run for coupled with the launch of the mini-NES, probably signifies they’re doing this as a little nostalgia trip for parents or for them to show their kids how console gaming was around 30 years ago and what you had available in case you were stuck at a game, and not as a regular walkthrough service like it was before.
It is kinda weird that if the pitch is nostalgia, that there’s no person on the other end though, especially since it’s only running for three days.
Paige
November 4, 2016 at 3:15 pm“Behind-the-scenes stories from original Nintendo Game Play Counselors” Ok im pretty interested in that, I hope someone saves it into a youtube video.
sanic
November 4, 2016 at 7:13 pmSo is it still $2.95 a minute or whatever?
GameZard
November 4, 2016 at 7:17 pmIs nostalgia all Nintendo got left?
RHELSAGE
November 4, 2016 at 8:17 pmHas everyone forgotten that Gamefaqs exist? Or did it get taken down during the anti-gaming media war that happened a few years ago? Between lets players that keep getting lost, to just general incompetence in general from youtube gamers, I’m wondering if anyone even knows that walkthroughs, guides, cheats, and hints sites even exist. Why would I ever go back to dialing old 1-900 numbers to pay by the minute for cheats and hints?
“THIS JUST IN, DUE TO THE SUCCESS OF DIAL UP HINT SUPPORT, NINTENDO RE-LAUNCHES ITS OLD BBS SERVERS TOO!”
Zombie_Barioth
November 4, 2016 at 8:38 pmOn the bright side, it sounds like the recordings could be from the real-deal back in the day. I would imagine they kept phone records , although its kinda crazy they kept them this long.
Psichaos
November 5, 2016 at 1:25 amPlease, Nintendo has a hard enough time letting people upload gameplay without issuing takedowns. You think they’ll let people upload their limited-time only nostalgia trip?
Clay
November 5, 2016 at 3:24 amFor a second I thought they were going to announce the return of Nintendo Power magazine. And now I’m sad.
catazxy
November 5, 2016 at 6:47 amWhatever, Nintendo is dead in my country, it has less then 1% of the market here…
John Smith.
November 6, 2016 at 8:40 amThree f***ing days? Geh, I wonder how longer you’ll be stuck in line or working your way through a call tree trying to get your question answered!
Hello Sir or mam, all of our lines are busy at the moment. You are now number forty two in line!
If you’re playing Mario press one, if you’re playing Zelda press two, if your playing…. sorry, you have been disconnected, please hang up and dial again…
John Smith.
November 6, 2016 at 8:42 amYes, yes it is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz8loLIYc2Q
John Smith.
November 6, 2016 at 8:43 amPretty much.
Smug
November 6, 2016 at 10:06 am>self-censoring ‘fucking’
if you cant handle it personally, use other words instead