Hey everyone. Today we all got some surprising news that on September 29th Nintendo will be launching the Super Nintendo Classic for a modest price of $80. As of now we know quite a bit about the little system. First, we know that it will contain twenty one games from the Super Nintendo's library and one that until now never saw the light of day. Before getting into the twenty games that many people know and love lets take note that Starfox 2 will actually finally be released on the system. Starfox 2 was originally going to be released on the Super Nintendo itself, but the fact that it was being worked on so late in the console's as well as various other issues led to the game never coming out despite being mostly finished. Rom files of the game have leaked out on the internet and have been translated and what not, but no official release was ever given to the game. Finally it will see the light of day. Not sure exactly what to call it, but I guess it can be said that a new game is coming out on the Super Nintendo in the year 2017. Now if only we could get a cartridge for it.
Speaking of cartridges it seems like Nintendo will once again not allow original console carts to be played on the mini system. Size probably has something to do with that, but we still have time and things could (probably wont) change. The controllers, similar to the NES Classic, look just like the controllers for the original system. The good news here is that the cord for them is around five feet in length as opposed to the extremely short cords for the NES Classic. So that's about it for the console itself as well as a major selling point in Starfox 2. Now lets look at the rest of the games in alphabetical order. I'll throw my thoughts out on them too.
Contra III: The Alien Wars: Great choice. One of the best shooters on the system. I was kind of bummed when Super C was on the NES Classic over Contra, but this is a great choice.
Donkey Kong Country: My opinion here is obvious. This is a no brainer.
Earthbound: It's funny that a game that came out on the tail end of the SNES's life and sold not as well as hoped has exploded in popularity. Earthbound is one of those games that has not dipped below $200 online in quite some time. It's a great RPG and it's great that it will become more accessible (hopefully).
Final Fantasy III: One of the most popular RPGs on the system. No brainer really. While not as expensive as Earthbound, this could still give more people access to it.
F-Zero: An SNES launch title that remained one of the best racing games on the console. It belongs here for sure.
Kirby Super Star: This is great to see in here and honestly kind of surprising. Seven games in one and in my opinion, the best Kirby game on the original console.
Kirby's Dream Course: Not sure why this is here over Kirby's Dreamland 3. My only thought is they wanted some form of golf game. Since this is kind of a hybrid of golf/billiard/Kirby, I guess it works, but I wouldn't have chosen it over a lot of other titles in the library.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: This is another no brainer. Still arguably the best Zelda game out there. If it wasn't on here there would be online riots.
Mega Man X: Yay for third party games! Mega Man X started a whole new generation of Mega Man games and absolutely should be here despite also having two very good sequels.
Secret of Mana: Another of the system's best RPGs. Also another game that is becoming harder and harder to get because of it's price tag. Again, this will hopefully help people who want to get the game actually get the game.
Starfox: The game that introduced Fox, Peppy, Slippy, and Falco as well as being an overall great experience should be on here. That being said it's fun to see how far graphics have come from this game to those of Star Fox Zero. Good choice.
Starfox 2: HOLY CRAP STARFOX 2 IS GETTING RELEASED. WHAT YEAR IS IT!!!!!!??????
Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fighting: Pretty sure Street Fighter II does not need any reasoning as to why it' on here. No brainer.
Super Castlevania IV: More third party glory. Castlevania IV is easily one of the best games on the console. Glad to see this over Castlevania Dracula X. No brainer.
Super Ghouls N' Ghosts: Ok now this is interesting. This game is one of the hardest on the SNES and now a whole new generation will get to know what it's like to have a game just kick the crap out of them. Surprising pick to me, but a welcome one.
Super Mario Kart: No brainer. The first Mario Kart game had to be in this.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars: Honestly surprised to see this game, but I love that it is here. Here's to hoping that a whole new generation of fans can start the movement once again for a true sequel! Seriously though a very pleasant surprise and yet another awesome RPG on the mini console.
Super Mario World: No brainer. It'd be like not having Super Mario Bros on the NES Classic.
Super Metroid: Look at all the love Samus is getting lately! Nintendo does care right? Another no brainer as Super Metroid is often viewed as a top five game in the entire library.
Super Punch-Out!!: The sequel to Punch Out and every ounce as brutal. Great choice here and easily a classic on the SNES as a whole.
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island: Yoshi's Island is finally starting to get some serious recognition as a fantastic game and this should solidify that. The original I always liked the best so hopefully more will get a chance to play. No brainer. It's a "sequel" (not really) to Super Mario World.
So overall we're looking at quite the strong lineup. The only one I question is Kirby's Dream Course in here, but everything else fits perfect. That being said there are a couple MAJOR games that are missing. Why? Could be licensing, could be something else, but I find it hard to believe that these titles were just overlooked or ignored.
Chrono Trigger: Arguably the best RPG on the SNES, but it is missing. Since it was made by Square it's possible that Nintendo went the route of Final Fantasy over this. Mario RPG makes sense since it at least contains Mario and the gang and not all Square characters.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time: One of the best beat em ups on the console. However, the game was made by Konami so who knows why it didn't make the cut.
Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3: DKC 2 is often viewed as one of the best platformers on the SNES. My best guess with this game and the third is that Nintendo wants to continue to distance themselves from Rare's characters. It's a shame because the Donkey Kong trilogy really led the charge in getting the Super Nintendo over the Sega Genesis.
There are plenty of other great titles that did not make the cut outside of these four, but I'm really surprised they missed the cut. In particular I'm surprised about Chrono Trigger and DKC 2 as they both are widely considered one of the bests in their respective genres.
Overall the SNES classic looks great! I wish it had more games, but still for the games that are on there, the price is pretty fair especially when you consider Starfox 2 is technically a brand new game. Many of the games on here go for well over $50 dollars at retro game stores as well as Ebay so all in all, it's a good deal. Now here's the problem. Nintendo has already said that a limited supply of these will be made as it is a special edition console and they are still focusing on both the 3DS and the Switch. They have said they will be making more SNES classics then they did NES Classics, but it still sounds like Nintendo is not learning from a past mistake. The overwhelming fear around the internet is that we are in for NES Classic round two where scalpers will grab them and throw them on Ebay for insane prices, leaving none left on the shelves. If the continuing shortage of Nintendo Switch on the shelves is any indication, I don't expect many people to be able to get their hands on this amazing looking mini system which is a real shame.
Time will tell and I do not want to judge too early as to whether or not Nintendo will repeat the same mistakes, but right now it is already starting to look that way. Thank you all for reading. This was a surprise blog as the news broke earlier today about the SNES mini, so I still am working on the Donkey Kong Land III Review which will be up sometime this week.
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