Last year Nintendo decided to cater to its longtime fans most epically, by re-releasing some of its biggest retro hits from the 80s and early 90s on a 21st-Century mockup of its pioneering home console. The NES Classic Mini was a surprise hit, a miniature gadget shaped like the iconic console of old but fitting the palm of one’s hand, and filled with 30 of its best-selling titles emulated with saving storage.
But Nintendo also stressed that this was a limited edition product, and despite high demand, they discontinued the NES Classic’s production to focus on its latest Switch console.
But there are many more retro hits in Nintendo’s library, and they’re ready to showcase the succeeding generation with a similar treatment for its Super NES console.
Time for SNES
News about Nintendo going one to produce a SNES Classic Mini has long been in circulation, with a prospective release in the 2017 Holidays similar to the 2016 release time-frame of the NES version. In a remarkable surprise, the Japanese game maker did the rumors better by announcing the replica SNES console as coming out in September, well ahead of the end of the year.
The deal with the Super NES re-release is the same as the NES Classic Mini, a chance for die-hard fans of retro Nintendo to indulge their nostalgia. But it also gives them the opportunity to play their favorite SNES titles in glorious HD thanks to the Classic Mini’s HDMI connection.
They would also appreciate the ability to save their progress (especially for old games that don’t have to save) thanks to emulation software for generating save-states, just like with the NES Classic Mini before. And like the previous product, this replica console will have variants in North America, Europe, and Japan (where it will be known as the Super Famicom Classic Mini).
Differing versions
If there’s one thing the SNES Classic Mini falls short compared to its NES version of last year, it’s that the system only has 21 retro titles in its library compared to its predecessor’s 30. But what incredible games they still are. As before, there are SNES titles that are common between Japan and the Western versions (NA/EU), and then there are exclusives to either side of the divide.
For instance, both have “Super Mario World” and “Final Fantasy III” (originally “FFVI”). The Japanese version has “Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem” and “Super Street Fighter II,” while the NA/EU versions get “Earthbound” and “Super Castlevania IV.” Nintendo intends to offer the SNES Classic Mini for $80 and fair warning that like the NES Classic Mini, supplies of the console won’t last forever.
