I may have been young, but I can still remember the day I drove with my dad to pick up the, then recent, Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
It was 1992. Disney’s Aladdin had just been released and the television show Friends was two years from its debut. No doubt it was a simpler time, but boy, was the SNES a marvel of technical and video game sophistication. And boy did it help create a generation of geeks and nerds.
I was one of them…
Enter 2018. The simpler times may be gone, but for SNES lovers everywhere, the appreciation they had for the original classic gaming system can, thankfully, be revisited.
How you ask? Through a little something known as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition.
And while I don’t necessarily consider myself a nostalgic gamer, the temptation of playing classics like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, and Castlevania IV was too great to pass up.
Walking through my local Target last month, I first laid my eyes upon her. The elusive SNES Classic Edition. She was a beaut, and I had to have her! For only $79.99, plus tax, I was able to take her home and plug her in to my SUHD TV – and via HDMI to boot.
My screen was happy, and so was my childhood. But one question remained… what would I play first?
To be perfectly honest, I still haven’t played most of the 21 games loaded in the golden vault that is the SNES CE’s database. Between work, school, and my beautiful girlfriend, I just haven’t had the time! I have, however, had a chance to experience the system and develop a fond appreciation for the work that went in to creating this retro device.
Let me start by saying that I believe the folks over at Nintendo did a truly wonderful job creating this magnificent machine. From its small stature, to including two classic SNES controllers in the box for immediate multiplayer play, I believe the SNES Classic Edition is a console anyone, who even has a remote interest in nostalgic gaming, will appreciate to play.
The ease of setup utilizing the included HDMI and power cables (which can be powered by any USB port that produces at least 5 amps, including your television’s) ensure that you’re up-and-running in no time.
That being said, there are a few things I wish Nintendo would have done and a few words of caution I have to those interested in purchasing this exquisite device.
First, Nintendo did a terrific job of going back in time to capture the nostalgic feel of the original SNES – perhaps too terrific. In a day in age where virtually every gamer is able to reset their device via a controller, the SNES CE requires users to physically reset the machine utilizing the “Reset” button located atop the console.
While this may be a bit like saying it sucks to change the TV channel without a remote control, it SUCKS to change the TV channel without a remote control!
Additionally, though the 21 games included with the gadget are some of the truly best-known classics, the library available on the system is nowhere near definitive of the collection available for the original SNES.
This would not be such an issue if users were able to update their device to include different games, but sadly, this is not the case. What you get for your $79.99 is – well – what you get. Unless of course, you are willing to risk jailbreaking the device to include more games whilst simultaneously skirting the chance of ruining the console.
For that word of caution, just bear in mind that these games were developed 25+ years ago. Like I mentioned, I originally had the SNES CE hooked up to my SUHD 55-inch Samsung television. And, while overall this worked out fine, some of the old-school graphics on such a large high-def TV left me with a discernible headache to deal with the next day.
I found that I much prefer to play the SNES CE on my secondary 30-inch HD TV upstairs – and from the previous week forward, this is where she will remain.
So, what do I think overall?
Great job Nintendo!
There really isn’t anything like playing these classic games on a gadget as cool as this – unless of course you’re one of the few to still have an original SNES.
For those who aren’t lucky enough to own one, however, the SNES CE, with its minor flaws, is a terrific way to experience at least a few of the games of a bygone era.
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OUT OF 5
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Pulse Magazine 2018. The views on this website do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley or it’s employee’s.