Nintendo created an interesting problem for itself with the NES Classic Edition.
The NES Classic Classic was a $60 system that emulated an NES with a collection of included games, just like the SNES Classic Edition, and it did the job well. It sold out the moment it was released, with lines regularly forming to buy the restocked units and the system selling for many times its retail price on sites like eBay. Then Nintendo discontinued the system, claiming that limited availability was always part of the plan. Many fans never had a chance to purchase one, nor even see one on store shelves.
It’s rare that a company creates a product that seemingly everyone wants only to cease production while demand was still so high. Fans were angry, and rightly so. It felt like a very large scale publicity stunt.
Update (Sept. 29, 11 a.m. ET) Nintendo has since released the sequel to that hardware, the SNES Classic Edition. If you’re curious about why this is such a big deal, we have you covered. We’ll also be able to provide some guidance on your most pressing questions.
What is the SNES Classic Edition?
It’s an official, legal Super Nintendo emulation machine that’s sold by Nintendo and includes 21 games. It even looks like a little Super Nintendo that connects to your television via an HDMI cable.
That’s it, really. But that’s already a lot, as the NES Classic Edition proved.
When is the release date of the SNES Classic Edition?
The system will be released on Sept. 29, 2017 in North America and Europe, and on Oct. 5, 2017 in Japan.
How much is the SNES Classic Edition?
The system officially sells for $79.99, but it’s likely there will be shortages and the hardware will sell for much more than retail price on the secondary market. Nintendo has ways to stop this, but it’s unlikely the company is interested enough to do so.
The $20 price increase from the NES Classic Edition likely comes down to the addition of the second controller, as well as a possible increase in per-unit cost. But we’re guessing it’s mostly that second controller.
What games come with the SNES Classic Edition?
It’s a pretty great list of classics! You get:
- Contra 3: The Alien Wars
- Donkey Kong Country
- EarthBound
- Final Fantasy 3
- F-Zero
- Kirby Super Star
- Kirby’s Dream Course
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Mega Man X
- Secret of Mana
- Star Fox
- Star Fox 2
- Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fighting
- Super Castlevania 4
- Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
- Super Mario World
- Super Metroid
- Super Punch-Out!
- Yoshi’s Island
The inclusion of Star Fox 2is kind of a big deal.
Will my existing Super Nintendo controllers work with the SNES Classic Edition?
Unfortunately not. The ports on the front of the system only look like the original SNES ports — the controllers will use the proprietary port originally found on the Wii. You can see the ports in detail in the following image:
It’s a bummer.
What other controllers work with the SNES Classic Edition?
Since this hardware is using the Wii controller port, it’s likely that controllers that also use that port should work. The NES Classic Edition worked with a variety of controllers, for instance.
We’ll be sure to test things when we have hardware in the office, but a controller should be compatible if it uses the Wii port and features a directional pad, four face buttons, two shoulder buttons and a select and start button.
Will I be able to add more games to the SNES Classic Edition?
Not officially. The system is designed to be sold with the 21 included games, and that’s it.
The SNES Classic Edition is likely to be hacked in a similar manner to the NES Classic Edition, however, which means you may be able to install games you download yourself, with varying degrees of legality.
How many controllers are included with the SNES Classic Edition?
The hardware comes with two controllers out of the box, so you won’t have to buy a second controller to play with a friend. This is a nice upgrade from the NES Classic Edition, as second controllers for that system were so hard to find at retail.
How do I buy an SNES Classic Edition?
The supply seems to be stronger than the NES Classic Edition, and many fans were able to walk into stores to buy one on launch day. Your best bet is to check online, call your local retailers and stay vigilant online. Nintendo has promised to do a better job of keeping up with supply, so we’re hoping most people who want to buy one will be able to do so.
Is there a different SNES Classic Edition in Europe?
Yep! And it’s adorable.
The selection of games included with the European version is the same as the North American version, but the system won’t come with an AC Adaptor. You can power the system with a USB cable, however, so import away if you can find one and like the aesthetics better.
Is there a Japanese SNES Classic Edition?
Of course there is, and it looks the same as the European system. But the game selection is slightly different.
The new standard can support 4K HDR video, better surround sound, interactive features, and easier access on phones and tablets. Iptv dvr recorders.
The Japanese release of the Nintendo Classic Mini Super Famicom includes Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki (aka Legend of the Mystical Ninja); Panel de Pon, which came stateside as Tetris Attack; Super Formation Soccer (aka Super Soccer); and Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem. The mini Super Famicom will also ship with a different Street Fighter game: Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers instead of Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fighting.
Here is the full list of games:
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- Contra 3: The Alien Wars
- Donkey Kong Country
- F-Zero
- Final Fantasy 6
- Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem
- Legend of the Mystical Ninja
- Kirby Super Star
- Mega Man X
- Panel de Pon
- Secret of Mana
- Star Fox
- Star Fox 2
- Super Soccer
- Super Ghouls n Ghosts
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Mario RPG
- Super Mario World
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
- Super Metroid
- Super Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Nintendo completionists will want the North American and Japanese versions to get both external designs and all the possible games.
Should I buy an SNES Classic Edition?
Good question! You can read our full review, but it’s a pretty great system in general.
It’s Super Nintendo Classic day, which means it is time for us to crack open the console, take a long hard look at the list of games that comes with it, and RANK THEM ALL.
Here, separated by tiers, are the 21 SNES Classic games, ranked from worst to best.
SNES Classic: The Kotaku Review
The Super Nintendo Classic is a miniature blast of nostalgia, a sleekly packaged piece of hardware…
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GAMES THAT HAVE NOT AGED WELL
These are the games you don’t really need to play in 2017.
21. Super Ghouls’n Ghosts
Best known as one of the more difficult games in the Super Nintendo’s lineup, Super Ghouls’n Ghosts wasn’t even fun when it launched. Now it’s just awful. Combine an unforgiving damage system with clunky controls (that double jump—uch) and you’ve got the worst video game on the SNES Classic.
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20. Star Fox
What was once a revolutionary space shooter is today a mess of polygons, with a brutally choppy framerate making Star Fox damn near unplayable.
19. Star Fox 2
As incredible as it is to play a brand new, unreleased Super Nintendo game in 2017, Star Fox 2 suffers from many of the same problems as its predecessor. I found it tough to play, unfortunately. At least the music is really good.
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18. Contra III: The Alien Wars
While it still feels good to jump and roll around as a super-soldier in Contra III, this is a very short, insubstantial game that makes up for its length by being completely unforgiving. If you’re willing to stick with it and use the SNES Classic’s rewind feature, though, you’ll be rewarded with some spectacles (and wild perspective shifts) that still look pretty cool.
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GAMES THAT ARE KIND OF INTERESTING
These games are worth a few minutes of poking, especially if you’ve never played them before, but you don’t need to spend much time with them.
17. Super Punch-Out
Like Punch-Out before it, Super Punch-Out puts you in a boxing ring and asks you to read your opponent’s moves, dodging and punching and countering along the way. It’s fine.
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16. Kirby’s Dream Course
This is a Kirby golf game. I guess it’s also fine.
15. F-Zero
Worth looking into for historical purposes, but if you want to play a racing game on your shiny new SNES Classic, you’ll want to go with F-Zero’s spiritual successor, Super Mario Kart.
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GAMES THAT ARE WORTH CHECKING OUT
Here is where we start to enter “you should actually play these!” territory. This tier includes games that are good but not great.
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14. Kirby Super Star
This collection of platformers and minigames never quite reaches the heights of Kirby’s Adventure, but it remains fun(ish) today.
13. Super Castlevania IV
The platforming in the fourth Castlevania feels clunky today, but dangling your whip like a dead fish never gets old.
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12. Street Fighter II
In the 1990s this game was phenomenal, and today it still feels really neat, if a bit rusty. Dhalsim is OP.
11. Super Mario Kart
Doesn’t hold a candle to Mario Kart 8, but if you’re in the mood for some old-school racing, Super Mario Kart is significantly better than F-Zero. And there’s something really fun and authentic about driving around 16-bit versions of the Ghost House, Bowser’s Castle, and of course, Rainbow Road.
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GAMES THAT ARE ASTOUNDINGLY GOOD
These games are excellent, full stop. They’re not in the upper-upper echelon, perhaps because they’ve got a few niggling flaws or they’ve grown a bit wrinkly over the past two decades, but they’re still worth your time.
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10. Yoshi’s Island
Although it never got as much attention as its perfect predecessor (coming up later), Yoshi’s Island is still a very good—if slightly too easy—platformer.
9. Donkey Kong Country
There are a few technical problems preventing Donkey Kong Country from feeling as perfect today as it did back then. For starters, something’s wonky about the way the screen scrolls when you run through levels. This is still an excellent (and tough!) platformer, but it hasn’t aged quite as well as, say, #4 on this list.
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8. Mega Man X
Why has Capcom given up on such a great action-platforming series? I don’t know. But Mega Man X is the best of them all, and you should definitely play it. It’s challenging but not as infuriating as the NES Mega Mans, and the bosses are pretty damn cool. (Storm Eagle is a highlight.) Tp link tl wn722n driver download.
7. Secret of Mana
Weird bugs and hit detection errors prevent Secret of Mana from being the PERFECT action-RPG, but between the music, the vibe, and the awesome variety of characters and settings, this game is definitely worth your time. You get to fight Santa Claus! You might want to wait for the remake, though.
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6. Super Mario RPG
None of Nintendo’s very good Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi role-playing games have lived up to the original. Super Mario RPG is hilarious, charming, clever, and full of smart ideas that still hold up today. The only reason this game isn’t in the top 5 is that in 2017, its age has really started to show. Combat can be sluggish, and the lack of proper feedback on some of the timed moves can be frustrating for new players. Still, you should play this game.
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GAMES THAT YOU MUST PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE
These five games could basically go in any order. They’re all masterpieces.
5. Earthbound
Even today, it’s hard to find an RPG that can hit your emotions as hard as Earthbound. Telling the story of a psychic kid named Ness and his three buds who must save the world from a nasty alien named Giygas, Earthbound is weird, quirky, sad, hilarious, and beautiful. You probably have heard this before.
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4. Super Mario World
Perhaps the perfect 2D platformer, Super Mario World is the game that introduced us to Yoshi, the best dinosaur in video game history. It’s also a marvelous puzzle box full of hidden secrets, grueling platforming challenges, and infectious music. It has not only held up well—it’s better than just about any other sidescrolling platformer you can get today. (Read more here.)
3. Super Metroid
Super Metroid is a game about secrets, about paying attention to the world around you and remembering where to return once you’ve gotten new abilities. It remains as mysterious and fascinating as it was when we first played it. And rolling up into a Morph Ball just never gets old.
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2. The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
Link to the Past would be the best Zelda game of all time if Breath of the Wild hadn’t come around. But with ten dungeons, two big world maps full of secrets to find and items to collect, and combat that still feels smooth, this game is a gem. Must-play.
1. Final Fantasy VI
Still the perfect role-playing game. (Read more here.)
It's been a year and a half since the NES Classic first arrived, and over a year since one landed in my house. My son was in love with the little thing. He begged his friends to play its games.
I asked him again whether he still likes the NES Classic, which mostly sits unplayed in the living room. Now that it's available to buy again, in unclear quantities, is it worth getting?
'I like iPad games now,' he says. He's referring to Roblox, not Fortnite.
Manga studio 5 download free full version. I dont understand T.T said.
My son is almost 10. Kids get bored with games. Grownups do, too. I don't play the NES Classic much, but I'm still really glad I bought it.
It's like that Blu-ray box set of Twin Peaks I keep on my bookshelf, also mostly untouched. Or the nice art books I collect. It's a library thing, a Nintendo museum. As a $60 self-contained package of 30 of the best Nintendo 8-bit games, it remains a perfect distillation of childhood gaming nostalgia.
But hang on: NES games are coming to the Nintendo Switch in September, if you sign up for its upcoming subscription online game service, which costs only $20 per year. In addition to offering online multiplayer support for games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Switch online service will offer access to downloadable classic NES titles at no extra charge.
It will start with 20 NES games with upgraded online play modes, and promises of more to come. Eight of the ten already revealed mostly overlap with the NES Classic: Soccer, Donkey Kong, Tennis, Mario Bros., Balloon Fight, Super Mario Bros., Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Dr. Mario and Super Mario Bros. 3. And odds are that at least some of the future titles may be duplicates, too.
Those games will be like the free games you get on PlayStation Plus: They're gone as soon as you unsubscribe. You'll never 'own' them. (The Switch does, however, have a good library of retro games already available, sold a la carte or in more expensive compilations.) But for Switch owners, it means the NES Classic isn't the only place to play these old-school games.
If you have a Switch, you might want to hang out a bit. But if you're really a die-hard NES fan, at $60, I doubt you'll regret getting a self-contained box set of NES games. It's still fun, and it's still as good as it was in 2016.
That said, I personally think that the SNES Classic, the 16-bit plug-and-play box that Nintendo is also restocking, is a better choice. There are no announced SNES games coming via the Switch online service, and the SNES Classic's best games -- including Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, and Super Metroid -- are generally better than those on the NES Classic.
The original review of the NES Classic is below.
'Dad, I want to save my allowance to get this.'
My son played on the throwback controller easily: to him, it's like a Wii remote. And he already knows how to play Super Mario Bros. 3: he remembers it from Super Mario Maker, where he's created endless levels.
Nintendo's prepared him well.
Additional NES coverage
If you love retro games, you're probably an obsessive over the culture. A collector, maybe. So the NES Classic Edition, a miniature replica of the system released in the US in 1985, that's also a plug-and-play box with 30 classic NES games installed, probably sounds like a geek dream come true.
It's available now, but it's already very difficult to find; it could well be the hard-to-get gift for the 2016 holiday season.
But it's not just Nintendo's move into a landscape well-traveled by lots of other all-in-one retro game boxes over the years. Finally, these classic games have been freed from their Nintendo console prison. Into, well, a small, very affordable box.
Nintendo's classic archive of games, many of which are flat-out legendary, have always existed behind a protective wall of proprietary hardware. Buy a Nintendo 3DS, or a Wii, or a Wii U, and download Virtual Console mini games. What you buy for one system doesn't necessarily carry over to another. This is how I've bought Super Mario Bros. 3 about three times.
The stand-alone NES Classic Edition bundles 30 NES games in one self-contained package for $60, £50 or AU$100. As my son noticed right off the bat, it's 30 games for the price of one Wii U game, just about.
Is that a good deal? Well, yes, considering that Nintendo normally sells most of these games for $5 a pop via its Virtual Console service.
The included 30 games are all pretty good, too, and they all play perfectly, even down to the authentic sprite-flicker and slowdown. Super Mario Bros. 1-3 are here, and Zelda 1 and 2. Metroid, Kirby's Adventure, Castlevania, Super C. The whole list, in case you're curious:
- Balloon Fight
- Bubble Bobble
- Castlevania
- Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
- Donkey Kong
- Donkey Kong Jr.
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge
- Dr. Mario
- Excitebike
- Final Fantasy
- Galaga
- Ghosts'n Goblins
- Gradius
- Ice Climber
- Kid Icarus
- Kirby's Adventure
- Mario Bros.
- Mega Man 2
- Metroid
- Ninja Gaiden
- Pac-Man
- Punch-Out! Featuring Mr. Dream
- StarTropics
- Super C
- Super Mario Bros.
- Super Mario Bros. 2
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Tecmo Bowl
- The Legend of Zelda
- Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Twenty classic NES games will be available for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers when the service launches on Tuesday. Nintendo revealed the full lineup today, plus another nine that will join the library between October and December.
Ten were already announced when Nintendo Switch Online was first announced back in May. The 10 games announced today are:
- Ghosts ’n Goblins
- Excitebike
- Tecmo Bowl
- Yoshi
- Double Dragon
- Gradius
- Ice Hockey
- River City Ransom
- Pro Wrestling
- Baseball
They will join Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, Dr. Mario, Ice Climber, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros. Soccer, Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros. 3 and Tennis.
More are on the way. Solomon’s Key, NES Open Tournament Golf and Super Dodge Ball arrive in October; Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack and TwinBee launch in November; and Wario’s Woods, Ninja Gaiden and Adventures of Lolo are available in December.
Of the 20 announced for Nintendo Switch Online’s launch, 12 are also also available on the popular NES Classic Edition that launched in 2016 and re-launched this summer. Nintendo says the Nintendo Switch Online versions of these games will feature online multiplayer, including cooperative and competitive play.
The classic NES games are accessible as long as a user maintains their Nintendo Switch Online subscription. This explainer has more on Nintendo Switch Online’s features.
Available now
NOW YOU’RE PLAYING
WITH SUPER POWER.
Trust us, it was worth the wait.
The Super NES Classic Edition system looks and feels just like the original ’90s home console, except it’s super small. Play 20 classic Super NES games plus *gasp* the never-before-released Star Fox™ 2 game!
Check out the trailerTwo wired Super NES™ Classic Controllers are included for instant multiplayer action.
Yep, you read that right: two controllers. Play some of the best 2-player games of the era, including Super Mario Kart™ and Street Fighter® II Turbo: Hyper Fighting.
Rewind
An all-new feature lets you rewind a minute or more based on your game’s last suspend point. Each game can save up to four suspend points.
My Game Play Demo
This new demo mode will replay your saved Suspend Points as part of the demo game footage instead of using built-in demos.
Frame
Wrap a cool border around your game with the new Frame feature. Some of the frames change color based on the game being played.
The Super NES Classic Edition is compatible with the Classic Controller™ and Classic Controller Pro™ accessories (sold separately). Just plug it in and play!
Live out the golden age of 16-bit gaming like never before.
Don’t miss out on your chance to unlock and play Star Fox 2, the never-before-released sequel to Star Fox. You can even get a little help from the game manual (we won’t tell).
Get the game manual- Miniature Super Nintendo Entertainment System replica with 21 pre-loaded Super NES games
- Two wired Super NES Classic Controllers
- One HDMI cable
- One USB cable with AC adapter
- Operations manual (with a poster on the back!)
Please check with your local retailers for availability.
Get the inside story on games that changed the way we play.
Playing with Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics
A nostalgic celebration and exploration of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System is all its 16-bit glory.
Discover everything you've always wanted to know about some of the most beloved Super NES games, including speedrun tips and little-known facts.
Read more