This must-have item for Christmas is already sold out

The gaming world’s appetite for nostalgia appears to have reached a peak ahead of the weekend with Nintendo’s brand new retro games console selling out across the Republic faster than you can say: “Do you fancy a game of Donkey Kong”?

The new game console has already flown of the shelves of actual and virtual toy shops in both Ireland and the UK just hours after it hit the shelves and panicked gamers have taken to the Internet to complain about toy shops cancelling their orders for the must-have device in the run-up to Christmas.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Snes) is Nintendo's hotly anticipated follow-up console to its legendary Nintendo Entertainment System which - effectively - reshaped the world of gaming after its 1990 release and comes with 21 pre-loaded games that will resonate with gamers who have long since laid down their consoles.

There is Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Zelda, Street Fighter and Super Mario and the way the game has been designed will allow people to recreate the gaming experiences of the past although with high definition and bigger and fancier tellies added to the mix.

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The console which is retailing in the Republic for between €90 and €100 - or at least would be if there were any left - has already started appearing for re-sale on the web with people looking for as much as €600.

The console has sold out on Argos and Smyth’s Toys and discussion boards have lit up as people have reacted furiously after their pre-orders for the consoled were cancelled by some retailers.

Others have been consoling those who have missed the boat and pointing them to shops that may still have the Snes for sale .

This new-look Snes has been significantly scaled-down and certain features - including the cartridge slot and the eject button have been added for their aesthetic appeal rather than their functionality.

It connects to a television screen via a HDMI and there are three graphics modes which will allow users recreate the screen resolution and aspect ratio of times gone by or to make everything look and feel 21st Century.

While the leads are long they will probably not be of sufficient length to reach from a television to a couch so players might have to sit on the floor to get closer to the telly which is what we did back in the 1990s so the kids of today would do well to not complain about it.