SNES: 20 years of Glory

The 20th anniversary of one of the best and most beloved consoles around the world could not be forgotten. How does a console achieve such success? Check the items listed in order of importance:

-An unparalleled list of titles, both in quantity and quality;
-The biggest list of RPGs in history;
-The operating system reproduced very accurately what was played in the arcades;
-The console hardware is extremely sturdy and durable;
-The audio system is almost independent of the rest of the features, allowing memorable soundtracks (to date);
-The games that needed more graphics processing power, just received an internal chip. (like the Super FX chip in Star Fox).

For those who still do not know, SNES stands for Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The console was released in 1991 and sold more than a prodigious 46 million units around the world. It all started with the company selling Hanafuda, a simple Japanese card game. The success was so resounding that the company had to increase production and build new factories. Until a certain point in history, to the delight of the gaming world, they launched the first console: NES (Nintendo Entertainment System, Famicom in the East). The company did not intend to produce new devices, until the biggest rival of the Big N, Sega, decided to launch its 16-bit platform: Genesis / Mega Drive. This is why Nintendo released another console that would compete with its rival, and that's how the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was born. The first major war of the consoles was starting. Until today, the comparison between the SNES and Mega Drive  is very controversial.

In Japan, the fun machine was launched one year before the American version, with the name Super Famicom. In the video games’ glory days, it was not uncommon to find some people in the house of peripherals used on the SNES, like the famous "turbo control," inscribed with the Japanese logo. The British also had their own version of the device, which was launched in June 1992. The European version was much like the Super Famicom compared to the American model, including the colors of the buttons on the joystick. Some years later, launched a smaller version of the console, named Slim. It has decreased a little in size, with the same color of the U.S. version, but with the on/off and reset buttons at different positions.

To get an idea of the power and influence of this console, even after the devices with twice the graphics processing capability, the Super Nintendo continued to be produced and remained well positioned in the global sales. Nintendo America has not stopped manufacturing the 16-bit machine by the year 1999. In Japan, the miracle was even greater: the SNES just stopped being manufactured in September 2003. A curiosity is that very special at that time, when SEGA released the SEGA CD. Nintendo has established a strong partnership with Sony at the time. The purpose of this union was to develop an attachment to the SNES to read CDs, rivaling with Sega. The project, which turned out to be fruitless for the Big N, was called the PlayStation. Any resemblance is purely coincidental.

The controller consisted of a hand-controlled analog directional left and right buttons X, B, A and Y arranged in the shape of a cross. In the upper hand, well within reach of your index fingers, were the right and left bumpers. The Big N would later innovate with the Wii and its controls. However, the standard today is the same. Through PlayStation, Xbox and Dreamcast all the consoles have a controller design based on the SNES, especially with regard to the L and R buttons and triggers.

And how do you talk about Super Nintendo without mentioning the mustachioed plumber? At first, Super Mario All-Stars was the cartridge that came with the newly acquired equipment. Later, it was Super Mario World which took the place of the first official game. The slim version of the platform also brought with it Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. 

You're probably tired of hearing: "Wow, this console has a list of good games." But at the time of listing it, it always ends up doing the same six or seven games. This often happens because no one ever remembers the names of older games, either because they end up arguing about the relevance of each suggestion. The Super Nintendo could, in some unknown way, produce a ridiculous amount of good games, a number of them considered by critics and the public. Even the bad games of the SNES are missed. In any case, to prove that it is easy to make a bundle of excellent titles, here goes:

The Lion King
Rock N' Roll Racing
Top Gear
The Mask
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Final Fight
NBA Jam
Breath of Fire
Harvest Moon
Super Star Soccer
Blackthorne Flashback: The Quest for Identity
Pilotwings
Super Metroid
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
Super Castlevania IV
Kirby Super Star
Secret of Mana
Toy Story
Super Mario World
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja





E.V.O.: Search for Eden
F-Zero
Star Fox
Super Star Wars
Pocky & Rocky
Illusion of Gaia
Earthworm Jim
The Lost Vikings
Shadowrun
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy VI
Out of This World
The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
Gradius III
Demon’s Crest
EarthBound
Stunt Race FX


Lemmings
Soul Blazer
Lufia & the Fortress of Doom
Kirby’s Dream Course
Vegas Stakes
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
Secret of Evermore
On the Ball
Super Punch Out!!
Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse
Sim City
R-Type III: The Third Lightning
Cool Spot
Killer Instinct
Aladdin
Mega Man X
Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures
Axelay
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
Zombies Ate My Neighbors

 

And you? What was the Super Nintendo game that impacted your life? Do not forget to comment and explain why it was so special for you!


Marco Cecilio, NoobFeed