DIGITISER
  • MAIN PAGE
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Game Reviews
  • FAQ

REVIEW: SUPER NES ClASSIC MINI

3/10/2017

50 Comments

 
Picture
The Super NES is my favourite console of all time. You knew that already, right? For my money, it was the most perfect combination of hardware and software in gaming history. Nintendo's first-party exclusives are - mostly - beyond compare, but the system brought out the best in others too. Even the worst SNES games usually had a graphical boldness about them which somehow set them apart. 

For gamers in the UK, we also have the knowledge that we had the best version of the SNES. Yes, alright, it might've run slightly slower on our PAL TVs than those elsewhere in the world, but we had the rainbow joypad buttons! We had the bouncy curves! The American SNES was austere and unwelcoming in comparison.

Just because some idiot can run fast doesn't mean you'd want to go for a drink with them.

Regardless of whatever territory you were in, the Super NES had the best software line-up that has ever been made available - and Nintendo clearly knows it.

Having learned from the mistakes of last year's NES Classic Mini - too few to go around, and then abruptly yanked from stores - this time the company has seemingly ensured there's enough stock of its successor to meet demand. Well, almost. The point is, mine arrived on release day, and that's really all that matters.

And now? And now is my review of this thing which I am mentioning. Hello!
Picture
STUFFED
You probably know by now that the Super NES Classic Mini comes stuffed with 20 of the best SNES games ever released, and one that never was: the lost "classic" Star Fox 2.

Over the years, the sequel to Star Fox - Star Wing in the UK - has become mythologised to the point that it could never live up to its legend. And, frankly, it doesn't. There are some nice ideas in there - some of which were borrowed for the N64 instalment of the series - but it suffers the same problems as its predecessor.

To wit: Star Fox has not aged well. The polygons are ugly, the frame rate is appalling, and - while it's easy enough to appreciate that these games might've once pointed towards the future - they're mired in the past in a way that is ungainly and unappealing.

You remember how celebrities who dressed in glitter and shiny jumpsuits were once considered consummate entertainers, who appeared on prime time BBC1 shows, but upon reflection are no longer the sort of people you'd want your children hanging out with? Yeah, it's a bit like that.

Somewhat ironically, the two Star Foxes are the games which have dated the worst among this selection. Everything else on the SNES Classic is a sprite-fest, or makes use of the console's then-groundbreaking Mode 7 3D effect.

​Consequently, they're prettier to look at and nicer to play.
Picture
OBVIOUSLY WHAT?
Obviously, the first thing I did when booting up this beautiful little replica of the SNES - which, unlike the NES Classic, comes with two joypads featuring leads that are almost long enough - was play the games I was already familiar with.

Super Mario World, Yoshi's Island, F-Zero, Mario Kart, Super Punch-Out, Super Ghouls and Ghosts, Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Secret of Mana... and they haven't disappointed.

Indeed, some of the games I prefer to their more modern instalments. Street Fighter II is something I remain actually quite good at, whereas the series - and the genre - lost me long ago, as the games became overly complex and more about pyrotechnics. Similarly, Donkey Kong Country is a game I felt was overrated at the time, but holds up remarkably well. It's no Yoshi's Island though - for me the high watermark of the Super NES, a perfect balance of gameplay ideas and visuals.

Then there are the games I either missed or never spent enough time with. Contra III I've played since, but missed it first time around. It's alright, but rather unforgiving. Final Fantasy III has surprised me - and reminded me why I lost touch with the franchise, as it tried to grow up and lost its charm.

Mega Man X I'm enjoying far more than I did the first time around. As a young man, it irritated me that Mega Man couldn't duck. Now... such things somehow matter less.

Earthbound I never played before, but I can see why it's regarded so highly, while Super Mario RPG is fun, but a bit laborious.

​And then there are two Kirby games... which are fine for what they are. 
Picture
AUTHENTICITY
Being able to play in authentic retro-o-vision, record gameplay footage, and save your games at any point are all welcome bonus features of the SNES Classic. I still wish there was a way to return to the menu from the joypad, but at least I've got long legs and can use my toes to press the reset button on the console.

Ultimately, there's little to grumble about here.

I do wish we'd got Legend of the Mystical Ninja (available on the Japanese edition), Pilotwings and Super Tennis - three of my other all-time favourite games - but it's virtually impossible to argue with the line-up that they have made available. For me it's a good mix of classics that I'm already familiar with and am happy to play through again, classics I've never played, and a handful of curios. 

Furthermore, the vast bulk of these games have stood the test of time. They're representative of an era where games were about the gameplay, not obsessed with telling some sub-Hollywood or wannabe  Tolkien plot. It's easy to dismiss these as the nostalgic ramblings of a dried-up old man, but it also highlights for me how Nintendo has stuck to its guns.

​It's not about nostalgia when modern Nintendo games like Arms, Breath of the Wild and Splatoon demonstrate the exact same philosophy of accessibility, warmth, and economy, and - as far as I'm concerned - are all the better for it.

Shame about Star Fox 2, but at least it made the effort to come to the party. Even if it did pull down its pants and do a big blow-off in the punchbowl.

​SCORE: ALL THE NOSTALGIA-OUT-OF-10
50 Comments
Jareth Smith
3/10/2017 11:38:59 am

It's the best games console of all time, simply due to the staggering range of masterpieces on it. So it's not surprising the SNES Mini is incredible.

My only issues are some of the game choices aren't as good as they could have been. Chrono Trigger should have been on there. Did we need two Kirby titles? And I love DKC, but the sequels were far superior.

Other than that, this is a magical little box of fun!

Reply
Gary BBGames
3/10/2017 11:50:13 am

The NES Mini was hacked to perfection, and the SNES will be done by the end of the week (its already loading custom roms).

It means you can reset the machine direct from the joypad and load on a few hundred more games.

Reply
Jareth Smith
3/10/2017 12:35:41 pm

Mega!

Spiney O’Sullivan
3/10/2017 11:59:19 am

I’m actually surprised there’s a DKC game on there at all. Miyamoto supposedly hated the series.

Reply
Jareth Smith
3/10/2017 12:35:00 pm

From what I've read, he criticised the first one for being disappointingly formulaic (the Stamper brothers seemed more interested in delivering an unprecedented graphical experience due to the new technology they're paid a fortune for). DKC 2 is certainly a classic, though. It should have been on there. That David Wise soundtrack! Amazeballs.

Alastair
3/10/2017 01:39:48 pm

Yes, Goeman or Chronotrigger would have been nice additions.

I'd have paid a few more quid for a few more games, but then I say that about every Humble Bundle and my Steam pile is now unmanageable.

Reply
Jabberwoc
3/10/2017 12:15:14 pm

I am Goujon John.

Reply
Spiney O'Sullivan
3/10/2017 12:42:05 pm

"They're representative of an era where games were about the gameplay, not obsessed with telling some sub-Hollywood or wannabe Tolkien plot."

I have some vague issues with this sentiment, mainly because I don't think it's a bad thing that games are trying (albeit inconsistently) to do something more than just be a fun pure gameplay experience. Nintendo doesn't really care about telling stories in their games (even Zelda does as little of it as possible), which is fine, but overall I like when games try and do interesting narratives. I'd agree that for the most part, games are simply not there as balancing narrative consistency and fun gameplay is very difficult, but it's still a young medium for storytelling, and hopefully someone out there can figure it out...

Reply
RichardM
3/10/2017 03:37:16 pm

I’ve always thought that Nintendo’s style of storytelling was pretty impressive. They give you enough to leave you wanting more... The loose ends, the vague hints, I love that open ended approach. In saying that, I can’t think of any good examples. Maybe the Happy Mask Salesman? A veritable Goujon John of a character. What the fuck was he all about? Where did he come from, what did he really want?

Reply
Spiney O’Sullivan
3/10/2017 04:08:06 pm

I’ll give you that Majora’s Mask is pleasingly deep in a way, but it is very much an outlier in Nintendo’s history, and perhaps all the more special for it.

I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing that Nintendo privileges gameplay over story pretty much completely, just that we’d be poorer if other companies didn’t try to push the bar on combining gameplay and narrative in a way that simply doesn’t seem to be Nintendo’s focus. Simply put, a lot of my favourite games would never have been made by Nintendo, and a lot of my favourite Nintendo games wouldn’t have been made by anyone else. Different strokes etc.

Jareth Smith
3/10/2017 03:44:47 pm

It'd be fine if these games developers could do a good job of it, but they don't. Sitting around through godawful dialogue and endless cut-scenes is not only tedious but embarrassing - the vast majority of developers have no idea what good narrative structure is. The results are so hamfisted it makes a mockery of anyone trying to claim video games are an art form. They're not when you've got some of the worst scripts imaginable. Most AAA games make The Room look like Shakespeare.

Games are games and they work best by letting you get on with it and severely restricting the amount of movie-esque yammering which has been proven to not work. The only gamers who might not agree are contemporary kids who don't know any better and are used to sitting through hours of horrific dialogue to get to a small segment of hand-holding before sitting through yet more cut-scenes.

Barring very few exceptions, Half-Life 2 and the Monkey Island games for instance, it just doesn't work. Miyamoto has spoken out about this and being extremely critical of modern developers trying to ape movies - despite the anti-Nintendo sentiments which are popular amongst the elitist sects of the press and gamers, he's absolutely right. Nintendo's games have been consistently outstanding for decades. Why change that? Would Breath of the Wild have been better with 10+ hours of additional cut-scenes? Not at all. They had the magic formula perfected years ago and modern indie devs know this, which is why the indie scene is so positively radiant right now. In fact, indie games make AAA titles look like works by amateurs.

Reply
Spiney O’Sullivan
3/10/2017 04:02:35 pm

Please stop confusing “things Jareth Smith doesn’t enjoy” with “objectively bad things for children who don’t know any better”. I can see how those things might look alike to you, but they are really quite different.

Coiled Dennis
3/10/2017 04:32:55 pm

But given your past posts your opinion on this matter is obviously redundant

DEAN
3/10/2017 07:30:41 pm

".... it makes a mockery of anyone trying to claim video games are an art form." - Jareth

Not at all! It's okay to think of art you don't like as being a load of shit.
And just because something is art doesn't mean it's any fucking good! :O)

Hamptonoid
3/10/2017 11:32:10 pm

Are you superbeast in disguise?

Starbuck
4/10/2017 07:04:15 pm

Hampton, I was thinking exactly the same thing!

PeskyFletch
5/10/2017 05:13:32 pm

Now now guys, he is not superbeast, that guy uses random names now and trolls v hard about quite frighteningly right wing things( the muslim takeover of europe and other such fantasy) on the more political posts. Jarth just doesn't like COD/GTA clones, which apparently are worthless in themselves and the only sort of game released on the PS4 and xbox, as opposed to Ninty and indie games, which he likes a lot.

Starbuck
5/10/2017 11:46:37 pm

You're right, Fletch (Dexter). In a gin-infused haze I think I was miscogniscising an earlier read-through. I'm with Jareth!

David W
3/10/2017 12:45:41 pm

I still like Star Fox. It generally handles fine despite the frame-rate, with only a few moments where it interferes with pulling off barrel rolls.

My first impression back in the day was "is this it?", because I had an Amiga which already did the low-poly thing, but it's really grown on me.

I was still bobbing and weaving in my seat through the asteroid field, which sums it up all really.

Reply
Neptunium
3/10/2017 01:57:32 pm

I agree - I think Star Fox actually plays pretty well. I thought it would be, frankly, shit - but I actually really enjoy playing it. I think they could remake it, leave the graphics alone and up it to 30/60fps (like in Wario Ware Smooth Moves) and it would still sell.

Can't say I'm meshing with Star Fox 2 in the same way, though. It's probably a bit too ambitious given the hardware, the walker mechanic is thrown at you a bit too quickly and feels clunky.

SNES Mini is awesome. N64 mini next year? :)

Reply
DEAN
3/10/2017 07:55:32 pm

Could be an N64 mini but I hope with all my heart it's a Gameboy!

Chris
3/10/2017 01:37:14 pm

"You remember how celebrities who dressed in glitter and shiny jumpsuits were once considered consummate entertainers, who appeared on prime time BBC1 shows, but upon reflection are no longer the sort of people you'd want your children hanging out with?"

*Digs out photo of Mr Biffo hosting Quiz-Me-Do at Digifest*

Reply
Starbuck
3/10/2017 07:45:16 pm

# QUIZ-ME-DO #

Reply
TrinnyPins
3/10/2017 03:14:52 pm

This still strikes me as the kind of cynical, sycophantic-fanboy bait that Nintendo fans constantly claim is being produced by other companies...I feel like I should be able to just say 'minis' whenever anybody brings up any kind of criticism levied at another brand's superfluous marketing

Reply
Neptunium
3/10/2017 03:43:48 pm

I consider myself a "Nintendo fan" and I don't constantly claim anything, apart from my constant claim that I don't constantly claim anything.

Reply
Jareth Smith
3/10/2017 03:47:27 pm

TrinnyPins - A vacuous comment and pointlessly caustic. Just buy the SNES Mini and enjoy the incredible games.

Reply
trinnypins
3/10/2017 04:54:22 pm

Who knew you were so easily offended by 'vacuous and caustic' comments Jareth? You must type with white knuckles and gritted teeth.

I am, of course, not buying one. It shouldn't take much thinking to deduce that I don't agree with Nintendo's actions here, it seems they are taking advantage of their slavish fan base by releasing decades old games, with no embellishments, on a tacky plastic faux-console, at premium cost. I've also played all the excellent games, multiple times in most cases: they have been out for 25 years, and have been released multiple times across multiple formats at a far cheaper price.

Why did you buy one? The only reason I can see in doing so is corporate sycophancy, which I find distasteful. 'Just buy the SNES Mini' seems to be the summation of your thoughts on the matter

Reply
Benjo
3/10/2017 05:52:54 pm

What do you think of Kittens?

Trinnypinz
3/10/2017 06:14:41 pm

I love them, cats are in my top 3 animals. I don't see how the question is related to the matter at hand. Care to expand?

Cat Fan
3/10/2017 06:34:03 pm

I love kittens, they’re great and remind me of how I felt when I first played with kittens as a kid. Too bad all other pets that the anti-cat masses and media love so much are generic clones of older pets.

Why does anyone want a parrot anyway? The parrot industry just pumps out similar birds time and time again, unlike cat breeders, who give me new cats (and sometimes sell cats I already own back to me, but in weirdly restrictive ways, like putting them on really short leads). We should all just buy more cats.

Have to go now, as my anti-cat neighbours are at the door complaining that my house smells of cat urine and that I keep yelling at dog owners about how awful their dogs are whenever they pass by my house.

DEAN
3/10/2017 07:27:46 pm

That made me proper laugh, Cat Fan!

Brilliant :O)

Scott C
3/10/2017 08:20:22 pm

I agree with Trinny. I was done with the SNES when I sold mine in the local paper back in 1997. I have no interest in going back and playing the games I enjoyED, when I have so many good ones still to play. I did emulate Starfox 2 back in 2003; it was pants even then (as a fan of the original and Lylat Wars...cough...Starfox 64....cough).

TrinnyPins
3/10/2017 11:05:29 pm

You could have just said 'any dissenting opinion is wrong' and been just as redundant in half the space CatFan

Cat Fan
4/10/2017 12:36:10 am

Uh, does anyone else want to explain the joke to Trinny?

(It wasn’t about you)

Voodoo76
4/10/2017 01:48:23 pm

'Taken advantage of'? No one HAS to buy one and how is £80 premium cost? Really shit comment.

trinny
4/10/2017 04:44:44 pm

£80 is a lot of money for decades-old games that have been available far cheaper in many other places, and I don't see where I claimed anyone is forced to buy one, that isn't what 'take advantage of' means.

Nick
3/10/2017 04:07:21 pm

I like the fact that, just like the original, they don't ship it with a plug. Going that extra step for nostalgia is what sets Nintendo apart from the competition.

In all seriousness I'm bloody loving it with one small caveat. I always wanted Super Probotector for my SNES but couldn't find it anywhere growing up. It turns out I'm crap at the game and can't get the Konami code to work. Ho-hum.

P.S. I'm also terrible at Street Fighter but t'was ever thus.

Reply
colincidence link
3/10/2017 05:12:26 pm

I know it's mini, but I'll always struggle with the lack of cartridge port. Being finite like that makes it not a console but a Games Multipak.
I've got a tatty old SNES and, like, half of the 20 games there, plus Unirally and whatever. It'd be lovely to be able to replace it with this clean, primed console...
I might just have both.

[also just wanna say the two Kirby games present are masterful. Mas ter ful.]

Reply
Benjour
3/10/2017 05:13:59 pm

Man, I love it, it's like they took my misspent youth shrunk it down to pocket size, ruffled my hair and sent me off with a kindly wink and a knowing smile. I genuinely welled up when I opened the box, the nostalgia was so palpable.

However, I am a games guy, so despite the general aceness of it all, I do have a gripe; the shameful, glaring omission of Super Tennis, an all time favourite for me, especially the Japanese version with the swears. It seems both niche, underexposed and classic enough to have made the cut, especially as they haven't (with the exception of Mario Tennis which isn't the same at all) done anything with it since...Has it ever been re-released at all?

Like everyone else, I'd also have loved Goemon, Chrono Trigger and Pilotwings too, not to mention Actraiser, Parodius, Area 88 and countless others, but you really can't have it all.

All told, it's pretty flipping awesome and only the biggest, coldest grump could fail to feel the fuzzy warmth this little box of joy spoons into your face hole.

Reply
Matthew Long
3/10/2017 06:23:32 pm

The SNES was my favourite console, from my favourite era of gaming. I made the foolish decision to sell mine years ago when I was broke (still am) and got virtually nothing for it from my local games shop.

So needless to say I definitely want one of these. As to whether this gadget constitutes cynical recycling of old IP and fleecing gullible fans - and therefore ceding the 'moral highground' that seems to irk people who (understandably) tire of hearing about how great Nintendo is - I don't know. Certainly they're a company who wants to make a profit, like any other business. But there unquestionably is something special about them.

This gives me a chance to relive a happier part of my life, replay games I have a deep affection for and experience some that I've never played or have never been released in this country (or any other, in some cases). Putting it all in a dinky physical form that doubles up as cute collectable ornament, giving us something tangible rather than just making the games downloadable on a modern console, makes the recreation of an era much more believable. Add to that modern enhancements like HDMI output, saving and rewinding games and so on. I think it's a great idea, not perfect in its implementation, maybe, but very welcome.

Now if only I could find somewhere that's selling them at a reasonable price...

Reply
Nikolay Yeriomin link
4/10/2017 01:15:41 am

It is a bit sad to hear that you sold your SNES because you were broke and that you still consider yourself broke. Financial problems happen with all of us, I guess, and I believe they should be perceived as a temporary event, while what we feel about it somehow might remain with us for the rest of our life.

I'm not here to preach optimism (I am mostly a pessimist... on Sundays) but I've noticed recently the thing which startled me: in the moments which frankly suck or are just not that good people, me included, tend to theorize how they will live a prolonged period with the same feeling and in the same circumstances. The mood can change the very next day, but the more you think like that, the more bad scenarios you have stuck in your head plaguing your everyday life.

Sorry, if I'm mumbling.

Reply
Matthew Long
4/10/2017 04:46:22 pm

Thank you for your kind words, Nikolay.

Matthew Long
3/10/2017 06:30:43 pm

One more thing - GameCentral wrote a very good review of Star Fox 2, written both from a modern perspective and in the context of its intended era. Considering the impact it would have had at the time if it had been released back in the '90s was an interesting way to look at it:

http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/27/star-fox-2-review-the-sequel-that-never-was-6959742/

Reply
DEAN
3/10/2017 07:25:00 pm

Didn't preorder and don't even want one!

Great and everything but I got my fill with the NES mini and have played all the games I want from this fairly recently on the Virtual Console.

I read something the other day which made me go OOOOOOH!
I had completely taken for granted that next up would be the N64 mini but some folk reckon that it could be a Gameboy!!!!!

I would love that a lot. Mario Land and Mario Land 2 are completely brilliant little games and so is the Zelda one. Mario is pretty cool on it too.

I hope they do this and they could even have an e-ink screen which is super efficient and easy to see.

Probably.

Reply
Dog Breath
3/10/2017 07:42:05 pm

Not a fan of this product.

I mean the emulation is good but not great. A truly accurate emulation is surprisingly difficult and requires a lot more power than this tiny box has and this is by no means the best emulation option out there especially for my TV or monitor.

What it does have is the appearance but for me this is where it fails.


The replica pads are great sure.

But I'd rather the console was full size. By all means keep the same tiny circuit board and chip inside the thing and fill it with some lead to make it feel similar in weight!

But ideally I'd like it to be the same size with all the functioning buttons and instead of the games being internal, put them on one cartridge that you can shove in and eject like the old days.

Then make it compatible with old SNES cartridges for the collectors out there.

Sure this might add £10 to 20 to the cost but clearly that would have ZERO impact on demand given that these would still sell out at that price.

Oh and replicate the smell of the original manuals/game boxes.

Reply
colincidence link
4/10/2017 01:00:59 am

What you want is a SNES
(unsure if comment was satirical and I actually honestly share most of your sentiment so)

Reply
Dog Breath
4/10/2017 06:02:05 pm

I will elaborate.

Like a lot of people I'd like an emulation device that produces a great picture on a modern High Definition display and an accurate recreation of the sound.


I currently have something that pretty much delivers.

It is called a PC and it is enormous.

I want a "SNES Classic" as opposed to a "SNES Classic Mini".

I don't get the "Mini" part. A SNES does not take up massively more space than this Mini device. I could fit an original sized SNES on the regular sized TV shelf beside my Sky Q box.

The Mini just leaves me with empty shelf space to look at whilst compromising the experience.

Being able to use original game cartridges or upload ROM's to a cartridge would add to the nostalgia and authenticity (granted hacking will solve the latter). Nostalgia and authenticity is the reason the Mini looks like a SNES in the first place and why people were lapping up New 3DS's just because the colour scheme reminded them of the SNES.

Ideally I'd like to use an original SNES but they have yellowed, their numbers are dwindling, they are too precious to risk but more importantly you need to buy an adaptor to convert the video signal and it doesn't upscale to 4K etc as well as PC emulators.

Voodoo76
4/10/2017 01:45:33 pm

Nice review, probably better posting this on the Argos website.

Reply
colincidence link
4/10/2017 01:02:45 am

and going for any version of Street Fighter 2 other than Super is a bit silly? The number of games is a bit conservative too, considering some were deleted internationally as if to make space for others.

Reply
PeskyFletch
5/10/2017 05:20:28 pm

A couple of left field suggestions for games i'd have liked would be Metal Marines and UN squadron. Also i'd like the option to turn the army guys from contra back to the robots from Probotector

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    This section will not be visible in live published website. Below are your current settings:


    Current Number Of Columns are = 2

    Expand Posts Area =

    Gap/Space Between Posts = 12px

    Blog Post Style = card

    Use of custom card colors instead of default colors = 1

    Blog Post Card Background Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Shadow Color = current color

    Blog Post Card Border Color = current color

    Publish the website and visit your blog page to see the results

    Picture
    Support Me on Ko-fi
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    RSS Feed Widget
    Picture

    Picture
    Tweets by @mrbiffo
    Picture
    Follow us on The Facebook

    Picture

    Archives

    December 2022
    May 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014


    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • MAIN PAGE
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Game Reviews
  • FAQ