Super Nintendo Classic Edition

Super Nintendo Classic Mini

Front of the SNES Classic Edition Box

Back of The SNES Classic Box

The Backstory

The original Super Nintendo was released in 1991 in North America when I was an infant. So I never got to really play the Super Nintendo in its prime. Actually I was given a second hand Nintendo Entertainment System on Christmas in the mid 1990's. So as a young child I played only the NES along side my Gameboy which was the first gaming system I ever owned. When the N64 (Nintendo 64) dropped I bought one with my saved up money and never thought about the SNES (Super Nintendo) again. The years past and the Gamecube came out, then the Wii and Wii U and finally the Switch.

Nintendo decided to release a classic edition of the NES which was miniaturized and held 30 games within its small shell. Initially I was excited but short supply and re-sellers removed me from the market. However, the next year Nintendo upped their game and decided to make an SNES Classic too. Since I never had a SNES I never had any connection to it and initially passed on it. But as time went on I seen reviews of it and seen a few in stores. They usually sold out within days of being resupplied. I decided to get on for my birthday present in July 2018 even though my birthday is in September. My wife was kind enough to give me money to buy it as a present. We searched a few stores and found it eventually in a game store. It was the last one at that store and the shipment had just arrived earlier that week. I was lucky and ready to play my new Super Nintendo Classic Mini.

Unboxing

I actually waited a couple of days before unboxing the SNES Classic as I was busy. The box was crisp and showed the SNES Classic on the front and the games it included on the back. It included 20 games that were release in the early to mid 1990's and the never before released Star Fox 2.

Here is my unboxing video of the SNES Classic Mini:

Inside the box was the SNES Classic Mini as well as two wired controllers. The System has two switches one for power and one to reset the system. The System has a flip door that covers the two controller ports.The two controllers looked just like original Super Nintendo Controllers without any additional buttons. I don't remember holding the original controllers for the Super Nintendo so I don't know if they are the exact same or not. The system also came with a Nintendo branded HDMI cable which was nice because HDMI cables can cost a fair bit on there own. There was also a USB mini cable and power brick to allow the unit to be powered. The box also included an instruction manual with doubled as a cool 1990's style poster showing of the heavy hitter games. A warranty and health booklet was included too.

The system didn't include composite cables or even a connection for them and no headphone jack is present on the machine so you have to use the T.V.'s sound or connect head phones to the T.V. This is okay as most people have newer T.V.'s that don't have composite cables and most modern T.V.s have headphone jacks or options for surround sound.

Powering Up The System

Once the Usb cable and the HDMI cable are connected to can play with super power. Flipping the on SNES Classic will bring you initially to a language selection page where you guessed it you choose your language. After this page you reach the game interface. All the games except star fox 2 are initially available to play. You navigate the screen by pushing left and right on the controller pad. The games can be re-arranged in numerous orders from release date to publisher. Each game allows for four game saves and they can be saved at any point. Choosing a game will take you to its main screen pushing the reset button will bring you back to the SNES Classic interface where a suspended game point can either be discarded or saved. You can also lock the saved file to keep it from being erased by other suspended save points.

Powering down the system is as easy as flipping the On switch to Off. This prompts a message saying that the system is shutting down. Once the system is turned off it can be safely unplugged and stored in a case or in a safe area.

  The Games

I will play and review the games individually so this page will be updated as I get time to play each game. Most of the games included in the SNES Classic are new to me and it's like time travelling back to the 1990's to relive my nostalgic years. 

The list of games included are as follows: Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Zelda: A link to the past, F-Zero, Super Metroid, Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Super Punch Out, Castlevania IV, Donkey Kong Kong, Mega Man X, Kirby Super Star, Final Fantasy III, Kirby's DreamCourse, Star Fox, Yoshi's Island, Mario RPG, Contra III, Secret of Mana, Earth Bound, Super Ghouls and Ghosts, and Star Fox 2.

The game line up seems solid and there are a few games that I have never heard of before so come back often and check out my reviews of each game as I get to them.

Is it worth it?

The SNES Classic is about one hundred Canadian dollars before taxes. It is a fair chunk of change but based on the games and your preferences it could be a great deal or a expensive piece of plastic. The system is worth it if you like Nintendo exclusive games like Mario, Kirby, and Zelda. The addition of third party games is great too. Final Fantasy III, Secret of Mana, Mario RPG and Earthbound are great action RPGs that offer hours of game play and are a must for people who have never played them. Star Fox and Star Fox 2 are great space shooters and offer a fair amount of fun. The system definitely has some fun games that offer fun for almost everyone but depending on the number of games you like the hundred dollars price might be steep or a great deal


The Two controllers also work with the Wii U so they can be used on the virtual console. They are modeled after the original SNES controllers and have no extra buttons. If you are a fan of Nintendo SNES controllers it might be a great deal for you to pick two up with agame system for only a hundred dollars. If you're not a fan of the SNES controller than I'd pass on the system.

The system is small and compact and doesn't take up much space. It holds 21 games in total which equates to under five dollars per game. The system can't be updated and games can't be legally added. So if you are looking for an expandable system this might not be the system for you. If you are okay with the games and a small compact HDMI system the pick it up all day.

In my opinion it is a great deal. I like Nintendo games and RPGs so it was a no brainier for me and I picked it up when I had the money. It was kind of hard to find at retail but I'm sure it will be more available in the future. The two controllers also make it possible to play multiplayer without dropping more money on an extra controller. If you're a Nintendo fan boy or new to the SNES there is something for you here and I recommend picking it up.

Game Reviews:

To be continued check back