In late
June, Nintendo provided fans with their least surprising reveal since Mario +
Rabbids Kingdom Battle with their newest piece of hardware, the Super Nintendo
Entertainment System Classic Edition. The release of this system has been
speculated since the announcement of the NES classic last summer, then was
essentially confirmed when the mini NES was discontinued earlier this year.
Nintendo decided to finally pull back the curtains on the SNES Classic
officially last month, revealing many details about the system, including which
titles it would include. Naturally, with the official announcement and the inclusion
of a near perfect, 21 game library, there was and still is an air of excitement
surrounding this tiny piece of hardware. However, with this excitement does
come some concerns and fears, from both myself and many other fans.
Let’s start
off on a happy note and begin with the near endless list of positive qualities of
the SNES Classic, the things that we are excited for. First things first, the
most obvious excitement surrounding this mini console is its impeccable library
of software. Twenty (plus one) of the greatest games of all time are included
with the SNES Mini and will likely look better than ever as they will no doubt
be perfectly emulated and have been optimized for HD screens. This console will
likely become the definitive way to play all of the games included on it. The
full list of games includes:
·
Super
Mario World
·
Super
Mario Kart
·
The
Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
·
F-Zero
·
Super
Metroid
·
Street
Fighter II: Turbo
·
Super
Punch Out
·
Super
Castlevania IV
·
Donkey
Kong Country
·
Mega
Man X
·
Kirby
Super Star
·
Final
Fantasy III
·
Kirby’s
Dream Course
·
Star
Fox
·
Star
Fox 2
·
Super
Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
·
Super
Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
·
Contra
III: The Alien Wars
·
Secret
of Mana
·
EarthBound
·
Super
Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
Exactly. I
firmly believe that no informed person could read that list and not be beyond
impressed. Is it perfect? Maybe not. Is it close? Absolutely. This is no doubt
one of the greatest game libraries ever assembled, and it all comes in one
sleek, officially licensed package. Some of the best games of all time will be
included in the SNES Mini. Many games that are often regarded as the best in
their respective franchises are here, including: Super Mario World, Super
Metroid, and A Link to the Past. Not only will the system include incredible
first party Nintendo software, but great third party games as well, like Mega
Man X and Final Fantasy III. Oh, and did I mention STAR FOX 2 is getting a
first time official release with this console?! This is truly an awe-inspiring
collection of games that deserves to be praised.
The pros of
the SNES Classic that have fans excited doesn’t stop at just the games. There
are many other smaller details that should be mentioned as well. The SNES Mini
will feature some improvements over its predecessor. One such improvement is
the extension of the controller chord. While this may seem small, it is actually
a HUGE tweak. The tiny, 3 foot-long cable on the NES Classic controllers caused
many uncomfortable gaming sessions, as it forced players to sit ridiculously
close to their TVs, especially in an age where wireless controllers have become
the standard. On the other hand, the SNES Classic will feature a 5 foot-long
controller chord, extending the reach by 2 feet. While this seems miniscule and
still lacks the convenience of wireless, it will actually provide quite a bit
more comfort for most players. Another nice addition to the SNES Mini is the
inclusion of not one, but two controllers, allowing players to instantly enjoy
all the great co-op games on this system, like Super Mario Kart.
While the
list of good qualities of the SNES Classic Edition could go on forever, the
final one I will mention is the quality of it. Nintendo has become synonymous
with high quality standards, both in their games and their consoles. The NES
Classic was a marvel in design. It was lightweight, but still felt durable.
Compact, but still substantial. The NES Mini literally felt like an original
NES, just shrunk down to the size of an NES cartridge. Nintendo’s retro console
made all other similar products feel like cheap toys in comparison. The same
quality standards are expected, and will be praised when the SNES classic
arrives in September.
All of the
aforementioned details no doubt has all of us excited for the upcoming SNES
classic. However, this will not be a perfect product, as there are things that
have us concerned for its release. One such concern is a lack of games compared
to the NES classic, giving us a full 9 less titles than its predecessor. There
are less games included in the SNES Mini, but carries a $20 higher price tag
than the NES Classic, here in the US. The console is coming in at $79.99 USD,
compared to the NES mini’s $59.99 USD. Fewer games and a higher price tag are
concerns of many, but is also being overlooked by a lot of people. The two
issues don’t bother me, for instance, as I am happy with the games included and
understand the price tag. One fear, however, that we ALL share is the biggest
one there is. The one that can NOT be overlooked. Will there be enough consoles
produced to meet demand?
The
nightmare that was trying to get your hands on an NES Classic has been very
well documented, and left many fans without a system they desperately wanted.
This issue allowed scalpers to buy up inventory and charge ridiculous prices
for a relatively affordable item. This is a nightmare that none of us want to
relive. Nintendo HAS to provide enough stock to meet demand, as the SNES Mini
is sure to be a hot-ticket item all holiday season. They cannot repeat their
mistakes from last year. Despite knowing this, though, we are all still very
afraid that we won’t be able to get our hands on a SNES Classic. Pre-ordering
is one of the few ways to guarantee that you will receive a console. However,
here in the U.S., preorders have still not gone live for the system. We are
just over 2 months away from launch, but still no word on preorders, and that
is terrifying. What good is a great system packed with excellent games if you
can’t get one?
There is no
denying the excellence that will be the SNES Classic Edition. Packed full of
legendary games, awesome features and a beautiful, nostalgia filled design, the
SNES Mini will no doubt take the world by storm when it launches on September
29th. However, there are concerns for this console for many, and for
all of us, we fear not being able to get one at all. Nintendo must learn from
past mistakes in order to get the SNES classic into the hands of their most
hardcore fans. Be sure to watch for preorders and good luck to us all!
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