When the Super Nintendo Classic (also known as SNES Mini) was announced, I was skeptical. Although the original Super Nintendo was one of my most-played consoles as a kid, I couldn't see a point in owning one outside of collector's value. It had some nice titles built-in like 'Super Mario World,' 'Donkey Kong Country,' and my personal favorite 'Yoshi's Island,' but these were also games that Nintendo offered as a Virtual Console title on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. It was only after I received the SNES Mini as a Christmas gift that I learned what I had almost missed.
As promised, the console is quite 'mini,' fitting in my hand with plenty of room. The controllers aren't as small, though; while they are indeed smaller than the original model, they are still big enough to fit comfortably in an adult's hands. As an added bonus, the controllers can also be plugged into a Wii remote. This means that if you have any Super Nintendo titles on your Wii or Wii U via the Virtual Console service, you can use a Super Nintendo controller instead of having to rely on something with joysticks.
From first glance, you'll see many changes from the original model. On top, the slot used for games is nothing more than a rectangular shape. It doesn't open or function whatsoever and is only there to keep the appearance of the original.
At the front, the two controller slots are actually a clever way to hide the actual input; putting the port piece aside will reveal two new ports for the controllers to be plugged into.
Big becomes little, old becomes new
The little nostalgic box comes with many games built-in. Even if you've never heard of some of them, there is bound to be at least one title in the collection that will spark a memory or two.
In addition to the games I mentioned above, the collection also includes 'Kirby Super Star,' 'Super Mario RPG,' 'A Link To The Past,' 'Earthbound,' and many other titles.
Unlike the old way to play--which consisted of writing down a password or looking for a save point, the SNES Classic has a save state feature. By simply resetting the console, the exact spot you stopped at appears in the menu.
You then have the option of saving this for future play or ignoring it. You can also rewind your gameplay, just in case you happened to miss a secret door or want to fix a mistake.
Filtering in the past
If your television is too "new" for your tastes, Nintendo has given the option of adding filters to your screen. If you so choose, a 'CRT' filter is available to make your TV's screen resemble those old, line-filled screens of the past, along with a pixel-perfect filter. I tried the CRT filter during a small playthrough of 'Yoshi's Island,' and it really made things feel like I was playing on an older TV from my childhood. Nintendo set out to spark nostalgia when they released this little box, and they've succeeded beautifully.
If I had to list one negative aspect, it would be the game manuals. The main menu gives you an option to view instruction manuals for the various games, but selecting this brings up a QR code to scan with a smart device. This is fine for those who have a phone or tablet that can access this, but for me, who wanted everything out right of the package, this feels very misleading.
All in all, Nintendo has done its job in making me feel like a kid again with the Super Nintendo Classic Edition. If this is the kind of presentation that other classic mini versions are going to bring, I can't wait to see what a Nintendo 64 mini would have included; let's just hope that one comes along in the future. A mini Game Boy Color wouldn't be unappreciated, either.
