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Full Specifications
General
Alternate names | SNES Classic Mini |
Brand | Nintendo |
Model | SNES Classic Edition |
Release date | September 2017 |
Console Family | Nintendo SNES/ NES |
Console Type | Home Console |
Hard Disk | 512MB |
RAM | 256MB |
Processor | 4xARM Cortex A7 |
Graphics | ARM Mali 400 MP2 |
Ethernet | No |
Weight | 300g |
HDMI | Yes |
USB | No |
Memory Card | No |
Wi-Fi | No |
Tuggle –
When I got this for my birthday, I thought it was a very nice gift. (And not too expensive either.) Ever since Nintendo came out with their NES, they have had an effective method of holding onto the market for decades now. Sure they had their one setback with the Wii U. But they have more than recovered since then.
In the late 80s to early 90s, there was the 16 bit war between the SEGA GENESIS and the SUPER NINTENDO. In the form of flashback devices the war has started again. Once again, Nintendo prevails.
This system has 21 games in it. (Well, 22 if you count “Street Fighter” II twice since it includes both ‘Champion Edition’ and ‘Hyper Fighting.’) True the SEGA GENESIS Flashback has 80. But 40 of those games aren’t even SEGA games. 40 of those games are TERRIBLE crapware games.
PROS (1) The price is right. (2) It come with 2 controllers. (3) While it only has 22 games in it vs the 40 games of the SEGA GENESIS flashback, the 22 games are really good highlight picks. (4) There is a ‘save progress’ feature. So you can finish long games such as “Super Mario World” in segments even if you only play a few minutes a day. (5) There is a rewind feature. So that means if you mess up, you can rewind and rectify the error. (6) It is small and easy to find a place for. (7) Many of the games will look sharper than they did back in the days of the original SUPER NES. Very pleasant surprise! (8) It connects HDMI. (9) Minor, but worth mentioning. You have an option on how you want to play these games. You can make the screen look artificially old, you can accept standard play, or you can make it pixel perfect.
CONS (1) My only con here is somewhat subjective. I would have considered this device PERFECT if it had included “Killer Instinct” (or a cartridge slot like the SEGA GENESIS Flashback). But if you have these original SNES cartridges you want to play again, it’s easy enough to get a SUPER NES device for $50.
SIDE NOTE: Not really a con, but worth mentioning. The screen option allows you to fill in the side bars with different scenery. Besides being pointless, I DO NOT recommend this. Besides it being pointless, it distracts you from what you’re trying to do in the game. As if it’s magic, you will find yourself losing a life where you never would have before.
FINAL ANALYSIS I really do recommend this device. It’s fun and nostalgic. You really are getting a lot for your money. And it combines classic games with the modern convenience of saving progress and rewinding. And you have the option of if you want to play with an artificially old look, a normal look, or pixel perfect look. Buy and enjoy.
FINAL NOTE: When it came down to deciding what to buy back in the 16 bit war era, I chose SUPER NINTENDO because it came with SUPER MARIO WORLD and STAR FOX. And they were smart enough to include these 2 games in it.
Chynah –
My entire childhood in one product.
Malucelli –
First things first. Thankfully, it seems Nintendo has learned their lesson from the NES Classic and the backlash they received for its woefully limited production run. Not only has the second release- the SNES Classic- been more widely available in stores, but thankfully there’s enough of them that scalpers aren’t able to charge completely ridiculous markups for a used copy, as was the case with the previous “Classic Edition.” You can easily snag a new, unopened box for about $100 online, or still find them in stores for about $75 if you look hard enough. Last year, not a single store in my area got more than a dozen, and all were sold-out within minutes- this year, I’ve seen multiple stores with them in stock on several occasions. It seems production on this particular model has been really ramped up.
Second, as someone who really enjoyed the NES Classic Edition, I can’t help but feel that the SNES Classic Edition is an even better release! Sure, there are fewer games… but they’re all certified masterpieces and amongst the best of the best in the Super Nintendo library. From “Super Mario World” 1 & 2 to “Super Metroid.” From “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” to “Star Fox”… the SNES Classic has 20 icons of the 16-bit era loaded and ready to go. And as an added bonus, we even have a 21st game in the form of the previously-unreleased “Star Fox 2” to boot! (Which can be unlocked after you beat Level 1 of the original.) It’s really cool that after only being able to play the game through emulators, we finally have an official, completed release.
I also really appreciated that the system comes with two controllers to support multiplayer games, and some extra added gameplay perks, like save-states and optional borders around the game-screen, given that it’s a 4:3 system made to play on widescreen TV’s.
If you loved the SNES growing up, or even have been looking for an affordable and fun way to play some of its library for the first time… definitely snag an SNES Classic while they’re still widely available! Hopefully, a potential Nintendo 64 Classic is on the way, and it’s as widely available as the SNES Classic is
Heath –
The SNES Classic I received was modded, so instead of the games I was looking forward to, it had a fairly random selection (most of which was for different systems, and ones I had already played). Most importantly, no Star Fox 2. Please check to make sure that it is unchanged BEFORE shipping, please.
EDIT: Turns out the original games were on it, just in a different folder from what it opened on. Still seems odd to ship a modified product regardless, but I suppose no harm was done, so bumping the review up.
Douglas –
This game console consist of 21 built in games (more if you count Kirby All Stars as 8 games) of the classic 16-bit Super Nintendo era with a few extra options to boot. All games I’ve played ran very smoothy like it’s original counterparts, and all are heavy hitters with no fillers games.
Included in the package is the unreleased Star Fox 2 which I’ll review separately at the end.
Unlike the original Super Nintendo where you have to use a RF cable and an old tube TV (unless you buy an adapter) to play; this system includes a modernized HDMI cable output, which i think is a major selling point (along with all games conveniently placed in a single neatly packed location)
-Hardware
System is very small and can fit in the palm of your hand.
Has HDMI out as mentioned before and is compatible with most, if not all modern HD TVs
It has a micro SD plug for power (DC in). Power adapter is included
Comes with two controllers. Very similar to the original SNES controller except the Y and X buttons are more concave in the original, this model has a more matte instead of glossy finish to them. and the D-pad is more textured for better grip. The included controllers is also 2 feet shorter and has the same plug as the Wii Classic controller (which you can use instead if you prefer). With the Wii Classic controller you can hit the home button to switch games/go to home menu instead of having to hit reset button on the system. Controller port on the system has a dust cover in the shape of the original Super Nintendo ports
The eject button doesn’t do anything and only there for display
Setup is very simple as it’s just plug-n-play with no software updates, or have to connect to the internet.
Game manuals for each game are included via QR code which you scan with your phone which brings you to a PDF
-Extra options include:
4 suspend points where you can save any game at any time
A rewind feature, where you can go back in time up to a few minutes depending on the game. RPGs give you more time while action games gives you 30-40secs. Great for practicing a segment of a game you’re stuck on, or do a simple retry when doing a risky reckless move
You can select from a variety of borders/frames and visual filters (Pixel Perfect, CRT, or 4:3)
-Value
Cheaper than purchasing each game individually on Nintendo eshop for Wii, Wii U or 3DS as they can go around $8 average. I believe Earthbound on the eshop is going for $10 right now.Some games not on the Virtual console like StarFox, Yoshi’s Island and Star Fox 2. If you want Yoshi’s Island you have to get the GBA port which is very inferior to the SNES version
If you go the original route and buy the original console; some game cartridge are hard to find and can be expensive. For example, Earthbound is going for $200+ on ebay. As mentioned before you need an old compatible TV with RF connector or have to buy an separate adapter to play on a modern TV. Seeing all games are in a compact convenient location you don’t have to switch out games physically and/or blow on the game cartridge for it to work. Also you don’t have to hunt them down individually via ebay, criagslist, garage sales, or flea markets/swap meets.
Another route is downloading ROMs, but i do not condone that since it’s piracy and is illegal in most cases. Also all games on this system feel and sound like the original with no glitches, which some ROMs do not have.
Currently the system is hard to find in most areas, but Nintendo says they’ll produce more in the coming months, best to hold off and not pay ridiculous scalper prices.
Overall, very good selection of games. If you wish to complete most of them all; it will provide you hundreds of hours of fun. Super Mario RPG, and Final Fantasy III alone is already 20+ hour games each for the core campaign. I’d say very good deal if you have any nostalgia for the Super NES and want to re-live your childhood. For those born or started playing after the 16bit era, also a good deal as it showcases 21 solid AAA games in that time period.
—StarFox 2 Review
First thing to note is that you have to play the first level of Star Fox 1 to unlock Starfox 2 which doesn’t take more than 2mins tops
Starfox 2, unlike Starfox 1 is non-linear as in you have to manage territories (planets) while trying to defeat the main boss. The more you capture the easier the final boss is and vice versa. When the enemy capture a territory they’ll launch missiles on your main ship. If your main ship sustain too much damage it’s game over. So it’s a lot of micro managing especially in the higher difficulties
Gameplay changes is that you can turn into a walking tank in certain areas, which has high damage, but low speed. Also you can move your ship 360 degrees giving you more freedom on the map.
Very nice addition in the package.
Calvin –
once I figured out that this, what look like piece of crap of plastic was
turns out the product isn’t as bad as I thought it was sorry about that earlier bad review that I deleted
Izquierdo –
I was hesitant to buy this because I really wanted one, but many of the reviews stated they’d received knock-off products and not the SNES Classic. I decided to go ahead and buy it, though, and I did indeed receive the real thing. I can’t speak for other reviewers, but the seller I ordered from was called GFMEDIA, and the order was fulfilled by Amazon, so maybe that has something to do with it. Since I bought it from another seller, I did pay about a 25% mark-up on top of its retail price.
That said, onto the actual product!
The SNES Classic is MUCH smaller than I expected. When I saw the box on my doorstep, I thought I’d been sent the wrong item because it was so tiny. It really does fit right in your hand, and it’s very light. The controllers have no weight to them, which was probably the most disappointing thing about this console. The controller cords are about 5ft long, which is going to be very short for some people, but Amazon does appear to sell controller extension cords. The console comes with an HDMI cable, which is about 3ft long, and a USB cable. If you want an AC adapter, you have to buy it separately, but I just plugged mine into the USB port on my TV.
The console plays well, and the controllers are very responsive, and the menus are fairly user-friendly, although it did take some fiddling to figure out exactly how to get back to the home menu after entering a game (you just hit reset on the console). This makes the short controller cable kind of better, in a way, since you need to be near the console to quit out of a game. The short cables are also sort of charmingly nostalgic. I sat on my living room floor leaning against my coffee table playing Zelda, and, for a moment, I felt like a kid again.
Speaking of Zelda, the titles on this thing are GREAT! They’re the reason I bought it! Earthbound, A Link to the Past, Super Mario RPG, Donkey Kong Country, Star Fox, Star Fox 2, and so much more all on one console for about $100 was worth it to me. These are all titles I played (save for Star Fox 2, for obvious reasons) as a kid on my big brother’s SNES, so having them all again is bringing back some great old memories.
All in all, I would highly recommend the SNES Classic if you can find it for a decent price. $110 is probably the highest I’d go for it, but the nostalgia factor is pretty high for me, so your personal limit may be lower. It is a great little console with some incredible games, though. If you can find it for under $100 anywhere (or for its MSRP of $79.99), it’s definitely a must-have!