Super Nintendo Classic Edition review: the perfect way to play 16-bit classics

The Super NES Classic Edition is perhaps the most obvious product Nintendo has ever

made. Given the frenzy surrounding the NES Classic, it seemed inevitable that the company would produce a miniature version of its 16-bit console as well. Launching this Friday, the SNES Classic is pretty much identical to its predecessor in terms of execution, but with a different form factor and new lineup of games. That means it’s a simple and effective way of playing old-school games on your modern television. But the SNES Classic also provides a different value proposition compared to its 8-bit predecessor. For one thing, it costs $79.99 compared to the original’s $59.99. That price gets you an extra controller, but fewer games. Whereas the NES Classic included 30 built-in titles, with the SNES you only get 21, including the never-released Star Fox 2. That number is misleading, though. While the SNES Classic features a smaller number of games, those that it does include are much bigger and more expansive. The miniature NES was great for getting in quick doses of nostalgia, whether it was Super Mario Bros. or Pac-Man. But the SNES Classic demands your time, and it’s much more rewarding because of it. THE BASICS Like the original, the SNES Classic is essentially a tiny plastic box that looks just like the original Super Nintendo, only a lot smaller. It comes with two near-identical replicas of the SNES’s controllers, which plug into the console using Wii-style ports. (This also means that you can use them with the NES Classic, Wii, or Wii U.) In order to accommodate these ports, Nintendo has created a tiny flap at the front of the device where you plug in the controllers. It’s a bit awkward to open and feels pretty flimsy. Overall, while the SNES Classic is definitely a cute machine, it tends to feel like a cheap plastic toy. One of the great things about it, though, is its simplicity. Setting up the SNES Classic requires virtually no effort: you plug in the power, connect the HDMI cord to your TV, and you’re set. There are no wireless connections to deal with, no firmware to install. It’s plug-and-play at its finest. Accessing games is similarly simple. The SNES Classic’s main menu is a carousel of game boxes, which you can organize in a number of ways, whether it’s alphabetical, by most recently played, or by separating the two-player games from the single-player ones.                                                                                                               https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/9/27/16363696/super-nintendo-snes-classic-edition-review