The original Super Nintendo Entertainment System is one of the greatest consoles of all time. Containing classics like "Super Mario World," "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," "Megaman X" and much more – the games that cemented its status as legendary.
Last year, Nintendo launched the NES Classic, a small look-a-like of their original Nintendo Entertainment System, containing a wide variety of classic games from that era to play, all in one convenient package.
The Super NES Classic follows this same philosophy as it is a miniature sized Super NES, containing twenty-one titles to choose from, all in one package.
It connects to your TV using a standard HDMI cable and comes with two controllers, allowing two users to play many of the two player games available.
The list of 21 games includes a variety of classic games as well as a game that was never released, Star Fox 2.
But is this system worth the $80? First, let’s look at the design.
The system itself, a small replica of the original, has a very nostalgic look and feel to it. Nostalgia is the key factor in a legacy-style console like the Super NES Classic. While it is overall incredibly appealing, there's one hindrance: the chord length for the controller. The chord is about as short as the original, meaning that you have to sit very close to the television to play your games. For some, this won’t be a problem. And while it isn’t a big issue for a short gaming session, a long session could prove to be troublesome.
The chord aside, the system is well made and has very cool, retro menus where you go to select your games. A great feature added is the ability to freeze any game at any time, letting players return to that exact moment when they return to that specific game, rather than having to find the next saving point.
Other features include CRT lines to make the games look even more like they originally did on old television sets as well as a pixel-perfect mode, which slightly changes the ratio of the pixels on the screen, creating a sharper resolution.
But the games are the most important part of any console, of course. Featuring all-time classics like "Megaman X," "Earthbound," "Final Fantasy III" and "Super Metroid," along with some lesser known, but still fun, titles like "Contra 2: The Alien Wars" and "Secret of Mana."
This lineup of games is stellar. All of them are considered all-time classics, and as a collection, they work together well. With everything from classic roleplaying games to action platformers, the Super NES Classic has gamers covered.
Many of these games offer two-player support, like "Super Mario Kart" and "Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighter," so it's easy to grab a buddy to play with, as long as they don’t mind being three feet from the television.
The games all look, play and feel like they did back in the day, including some of the frame rate lag. That’s part of the experience for a retro-style console like this.
These games can keep players occupied for hours and are also great for introducing friends to classic games they may not have had the chance to play yet. The collection of games itself makes the gripe of the short controller wire barely matter.
Overall, the Super NES Classic is a joy to play. Containing 21 classic games with a true to life retro aesthetic, the system is pure fun and nostalgia. Hopefully, more are available this Holiday season
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