Like many of you, I was unable to get a Super NES Classic when it was first released. Growing up, The SNES was the first system that I remember playing on and I was disheartened when every place was sold out. Luckily, I had someone who was able to get me a copy and I plugged it in to be transported back to my youth. The system looks great, the game choices are amazing, and it is a must have for any fan of Nintendo or retro gaming.
The Look
The SNES Classic looks exactly like the Super NES I had when I was a child. The only difference is that it is smaller by a huge margin. The case really doesn’t matter, it could have come in a black square. I think by making it look exactly like the old system, Nintendo is taking you on a trip down memory lane. There is just something about the grey and purple color scheme that makes me think of sleepovers with my best friends. The controllers are the same as well, with a longer cord then the NES Mini. Still not quite long enough, but I don’t have to be standing in front of my TV to play. A funny thing was how strange the controllers felt. Being used to Xbox or PS4 controllers, I kept wondering where the rest of the buttons were. This is strange for another reason, as when the Super NES first came out, people said it had to many buttons!
The Games
Twenty-one games come preloaded on the system. The first one I went to was Super Mario World. This had been a favorite and it was just as fun as I remembered. The system has a few different visual options. You can make it look exactly like it did back in 1991 or clean it up a bit. One of the things I like is that not all the choices for games are the obvious ones. This allows for a little bit of discovery. My husband said I must play Earthbound, as it is one of the best RPG’s of all time. Of course, the biggest game is StarFox 2, a game that was never released. I was never a huge StarFox fan, but the chance to play a game no one had seen was very appealing. The game library is full of different genres and I fully intend to play each one. The only one that seemed to be missing is a sports game, but it might have to do with licensing. Your favorite might not have made the list, but you just may find a new one.
The Verdict
I read a few discussions where people like the system, but feel it was created for the people who grew up with the original. I disagree. This system should be shared with people who never got a chance to play the original. Gamers sometimes look at certain characters and their games, but fail to see that the games we play now owe a debt to the games from the past. When I played Earthbound, my husband asked me if it reminded me of another game. After thinking a few minutes, I said it felt like Undertale. I didn’t know that this was a game that Toby Fox was influenced by. Without Samus going through the many maps in Super Metroid, we might not have had a lone Knight trying to find out what happened to the Hollow Knight. I want to share this system with my nieces and nephews, a generation who grew up on touch pad games. Showing them what I consider to be a real video game system We might remember the game that is our favorite, but do you remember the system that got you playing? For me, it was this one and having this system to look at and play is a real delight. Nintendo has said that they will keep making them well into next year. Pick one up when they become available. Your inner child will thank you.
