Nintendo might be taking a page from Samsung’s gadget spam approach with its holiday hardware lineup. Polygon reported on Monday that the Wii Mini console, which was previously exclusive to Canada, will be coming to the United States before the end of the month in a $99 bundle that includes a Wii Remote Plus, a nunchuk controller, a sensor bar and Mario Kart Wii.
The is Nintendo’s second console refresh release in the U.S. in as many months following the 2DS launched in October. Similar to the 2DS, the Wii Mini lacks several key features of the original console. The Wii Mini is unable to connect to the internet and has been stripped of the ability to play GameCube games. Storage space will be limited as well as Nintendo has not included an SD card slot on the Wii Mini.
The decision to release the Wii Mini this month is an interesting one considering the recent uptick in Wii U sales figures, but filling up store shelves with Nintendo hardware might not be a bad way to combat the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 releases later this month.
