When real-life pixels come together and form a sweet, playable collector’s item, my gamer sense starts tingling.
If I’m being honest, I’ll say that the industry has been dropping the ball in recent years when it comes to interesting hardware variants. Most systems are either black or white (yawn), and maybe if we’re lucky, some almost-worthy shade of muted red or dull blue (more yawn). The occasional military green seems to be as close as we’ll ever get to something worth talking about. Nothing really pops or takes risks. No colors appear that would make couch co-op party guests gasp and say, “Now that’s a console!”. Where’s the modern equivalent to Nintendo’s Funtastic series for the N64? If it’s out there, I’m just not seeing it, so when something rather daring comes along, I sit up and pay attention.
This last August, Microsoft unveiled what was sure to be every 12-year-old gamer’s (and this 30-something writer’s, apparently) dream: A limited edition Xbox One S bundle themed after the uber-popular Minecraft franchise. And if you know anything about the game, or if you just happen to be into anything that suggests 8-bit or 16-bit greatness, then the aesthetics didn’t disappoint. It was to come packaged inside an exclusive bundle along with an included green Creeper controller, as well as a download code for Minecraft on Xbox and the Redstone Pack DLC. Well friends, the wait is over, and Microsoft was kind enough to send over one of these bad boys so I could unbox it for all to see.
Surprisingly, the console looks even more incredible in person that it did in those initial press shots. The mottled green grass looks awesome against the brown dirt motif and gives the box a genuine in-game look, almost as if you could start digging into the fresh plastic and mine it for resources. Don’t do that, by the way. This earthen device is for playing, not excavating. And even though you probably won’t be seeing much of it once you set up and start gaming, the semi-translucent underside, complete with multi-tiered, shimmery red accents, is a great touch. Also, to my knowledge, it’s the first Xbox One console to allow visual access into its own tech-laden underbelly, so that’s worth noting.
The system also features a custom boot-up jingle, as well as unique noises that accompany ejecting a disc from the drive. Because I’d rather you discover them for yourself, I won’t spoil the sounds in this article, but if you’re into Minecraft, then you’re bound to smile when you hear them. Then there's the Creeper controller, which is excellent, bright green and even has a hidden TNT icon emblazoned on the battery compartment. Microsoft also sent over a Pig controller, which is similar to the Creeper variant, only pink, swine-themed and sports a curly-cue tail on the back instead of cartoon explosives. I love that both of these gamepads are so strange, especially the Pig.
The only real drawback to this bundle, which is scheduled to hit retailers tomorrow, October 3, is the price. It’s set to retail for $399.99 and has a 1TB hard drive, but other bundles with the same storage capacity (like the Gears of War 4 and Forza Horizon 3 packages in the past) retailed for around $349.99. I get that it comes with software, the paint job is sweet and the included controller is different and limited, but it’s a tad greedy to ask a good $50 more than other traditional bundles for what simply amounts to a ‘cool factor’. I’m not sure if the Minecraft aesthetic is full license to teeter on price gouging, so you be the judge. I’m sure it will sell just fine at the notable inflation, especially to rushed parents eager to secure an interesting gift for Christmas.
But even with that nitpick, I can truly say that this is a limited edition worth tracking down. But maybe I’m alone in this, so what do you think? Is the blocky skin appealing? Do you think it’s hideous? Let me know in the comments or on social media. And while I wait for your lovely opinions, I think I’m actually going to download and try playing some Minecraft for the very first time. You know, to see what the kids have been raving about and all that.
Disclaimer: Microsoft provided review product for the purposes of this article.
