not sure what they needed a kickstarter for? seems like a fairly uncomplicated game, and there are people making homebrew games for NES, and selling them in "new" boxes with carts and manuals for $40-$60 all without the need for tens of thousands of dollars.
Some people do Kickstarter just for the hope of publicity; it can create a viral message as fans tell their friends about it to get donations. It's pretty ingenious - why pay for advertising your product when people will pay you.
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