The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (スーパーファミコン, Sūpā Famikon, Super Famicom), often abbreviated as the SNES, Super NES, or Super Nintendo, was a 16-bit cartridge-based console and is Nintendo's second home system released internationally, in August 1991 for North America and 1992 for Europe, and originally released as the Super Famicom (SFC) in November 1990 for Japan. Like the NES before it, this console is known for having different model designs between regions in spite of having identical hardware; The American model has a boxy shape, while other regions use the more rounded Super Famicom design. The Super NES is iconic among classic gamers and critics alike for its high-level technology and large variety of equally great games.
A powerful and revolutionary console for its time, and part of the 16-bit era alongside the slightly older Game Boy, true to its name, the Super NES was essentially a significantly more advanced release of its already successful predecessor and its library consists of improving the groundbreaking franchises seen before such as Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy VI, Super Metriod, Mega Man X, Super Mario All-Stars, Street Fighter II, and so on, and has its own set of critically acclaimed introductions such as F-Zero, Super Mario Kart (latter two used the Mode 7 graphics), Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi's Island, Star Fox (latter two used the Super FX chip), Chrono Trigger and many more, giving the SNES its legendary status and is widely considered Nintendo's best, if not the best system ever created, to this day. But this console's huge accomplishments did not come without a fight, however, for during this era, Nintendo had a fierce rivalry with Sega, especially in North America, with the release of the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 1988 and introducing the Sonic the Hedgehog series in 1991 to directly compete with Super Mario throughout the decade, known as the "Console Wars". Ultimately, the Super NES was the best-selling console of its generation (though it sold less than the NES due to intense competition), barely surpassing its main rival's sales. It also competed with the much less successful TurboGrafx-16 (PC Engine) and Atari Jaguar.
The Super NES sold 49.1 million units worldwide and was discontinued in 1999, though Japan continued its support until 2003.
Like the NES before it, the Super NES were to have a compact, cost-reduced version late in its lifespan in 1997 called the New-Style Super NES or SNS-101 (called "SNES Jr." by fans). The Japanese version is called Super Famicom Jr.. This redesign was never released in Europe, however.
The Super NES' predecessor is the Nintendo Entertainment System and was proceeded by the Nintendo 64.
Super NES Classic Edition[]
Like the NES Classic Edition before it, the SNES Classic Edition is a smaller emulated-based version of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System released in 2017 that does not accept cartridges.
It instead comes with 21 pre-installed games, including the unreleased Star Fox 2 - a cancelled sequel of Star Fox that was replaced by Star Fox 64 for the Nintendo 64 during its supposed release in 1995 or 1996. A Link to the Past is among them.
The Legend of Zelda games[]
Trivia[]
- The slogan of the Super NES is "Now you're playing with power; SUPER POWER!", a modification of the NES'.
- The SNES' original retail price in 1991 was $199.99, which is the equivalent of $461.32 as of 2024.
- The original launch titles of the Super NES as the Super Famicom are Super Mario World and F-Zero.
- This console's library consists of 1,755 games.
- The SNES is one of the first home consoles to have standard stereo audio.
- Although the console's main rival, the Sega Genesis, was aggressively advertised with "Blast Processing" in North America due to the fast-paced Sonic series and having a 7,67MHz CPU, the Super NES, despite having only 3.58MHz processing speed, have some games with very fast gameplay such as F-Zero and Top Gear 3000. However, it should be noted that Sega usually uses it for platform games, while the aforementioned titles of Nintendo's system are racing games.
- A Link to the Past is the 7th best-selling game on the Super NES, with 4.6 million sold. For comparison, its highest seller, Super Mario World, sold 20.6 million (though it is a pack-in title in all regions).
- Despite the Super NES' well-built hardware, there is a rarely known design flaw of its video output, where, most often seen with its earlier revisions, have a faint vertical line on the center of the TV screen as well as being slightly blurred. Though often missed through its intended use with CRT televisions, it is more noticeable in modern HD screens. The later revision in its lifespan, known as the "1Chip", due to the motherboard combining its PPU and CPU together to become a more reliable system-on-chip, has improved contrast and mostly eliminating the vertical line (at the cost of less saturated colors and minor glitches), especially when using RGB signals. This had led this particular revision of the console to be highly sought after by collectors today, including the much rarer compact SNS-101 model, although that version of the SNES requires a modification to make the S-Video and RGB signals function (as they were internally disabled by Nintendo to reduce cost).
- With an add-on cartridge called the Super Game Boy, the Super NES is capable of playing every Game Boy title in full color, similar to that of its successors such as the Game Boy Color.
- The SNES' controller is arguably the most influential ever designed, as many later consoles, including Nintendo's own since the Nintendo DS, were to reuse its button layout.
An example of a yellowed Super NES unit
- Many, though not all SNES/SFC consoles, and even its game cartridges and controllers, are infamously known to turn into a dirty yellow color over age. This is because of factory casing issues of the gray ABS plastic during its mass production causing it to oxidize with longtime exposure to air (especially common with neglect owners). Some units can have a "two-tone" effect by only having one half of the system being yellowed. This also applies to the later SNS-101/Super Famicom Jr. models, albeit rarely.
- It is widely believed by older fans that a yellowed Super NES means the console is damaged or unusable. On the contrary, however, the distorted coloration of the shell, does not harm the internal hardware, as the system itself in fact runs without issue. It is possible to restore the ABS plastic through a complex method called "Retrobrighting", though the effects are only temporary and can actually damage the original casing due to bleaching.
- The NES, Game Boy, N64, and even the GameCube can also suffer from yellowing as well, due to them sharing the same manufacturing plastic on their own casings.
- The iconic high-quality sound of the Super NES comes from the S-SMP chip, which, interestingly, is the only part of the console's motherboard not made by Nintendo, but by Sony, and designed by none other than Ken Kutaragi, which would later create the PlayStation line of consoles.
- Ironically, Nintendo once planned to have a CD-based add-on for the SNES called "PlayStation", but a conflict between the companies resulted in it being cancelled. Only one known functional prototype exists.
Gallery[]
Alternate image of the Super NES
Super Famicom, the Japanese version of the SNES
The New-Style Super NES (US late compact model)
The Super Famicom Jr. (Japanese late compact model)
SNES (top) and SFC (bottom) controllers
An original Super NES (left) in comparison to the SNES Classic Edition (right)
Mario as he appears on the Super NES (SMW)
Luigi as he appears on the Super NES (SMW, corrected)
Princess Peach as she appears on the Super NES (SMW)
Bowser as he appears in the Super NES (SMW)
Yoshi as he appears on the Super NES (YI, all colors cycled)
A Link to the Past, the Zelda game released on the Super NES
The SNES cartridge of A Link to the Past
The Super Famicom cartridge of A Link to the Past
Link as he appears on the Super NES
Princess Zelda as she appears on the Super NES
Ganon as he appears on the Super NES
The Bow as it appears on the Super NES
The Bomb as it appears on the Super NES
The Boomerang as it appears on the Super NES
The Master Sword as it appears on the Super NES
The Mirror Shield as it appears on the Super NES
The Silver Arrow as it appears on the Super NES
The Triforce as it appears on the Super NES
