Updated by Gabe Gurwin on 06-26-17: Updated with Nintendo’s statement on console’s availability, as well as information on controllers’ cord length.
Confirmingrumorsthat recently came to a boil, Nintendoannouncedthe Super Nintendo Classic Edition, a follow-up to Nintendo’s incredibly popular plug-and-playNES Classic Editionemulator box, will hit stores September 29. The bite-sized SNES will come loaded with 21 classic titles, includingStar Fox 2, which was never officially released anywhere, including Japan.
The Super Nintendo Classic Edition will include an HDMI cable, USB charging cable and adapter, and two wired SNES controllers, enabling multiplayer right out of the box. The cables for the controllerswill be five feet in length, up from the three feet from the NES Classic’s controllers — that console also only included one controller per package.
SNES Classic games:
The list should have many gamers in their 30s and 40s salivating over the chance to dive back into theirnostalgic favorites. The jump from 8- to-16 bits on the SNES was a huge jump in the creative potential of games as a young medium: Many games from the console are still widely played and listed among the best games of all time, likeThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid,Donkey Kong CountryandStreet Fighter II. The role-playing games on offer are also particularly extensive, with hundreds of potential hours waiting inFinal Fantasy III, Super Mario RPG, Earthbound,andSecret of Mana.
For many players, though,Star Fox 2will be the main selling point for many, however. Developed in 1995 as a direct sequel to the originalStar Fox, Nintendo axed the release in order to focus on their upcoming Nintendo 64. Various unofficial ROMs and fan translations have circulated ever since, but this will be the first time Nintendo has officially released the sequel in any capacity. Players will need to beat the first level of the originalStar Foxto unlock it.
Nintendo also hopes rectify its biggest issue from last year’s NES Classic launch, creating enough hardware to meet consumer demand. The NES Classic sold out almost immediately when it went on sale in 2016, with sporadic units making their way to store shelves before the system was discontinued completely. Nintendotold IGNthat “significantly more” devices will be available. Like the NES Classic, however, the system might not be available after its first few months on sale: Nintendo said it will sell the SNES Classic through the end of 2017.
“At this time, we have nothing to announce regarding any possible shipments beyond this year,” Nintendo said in a prepared statement.
There were nearly 800 games officially released for the Super Nintendo from 1991 to 1998, so inevitably some people’s favorites won’t make the cut. We think thatChrono Triggeris the most glaring absence, for instance. It’s nevertheless an impressive line-up, however, and given its predecessor’s success, we expect it to sell like hotcakes this fall.
