SNES Classic Edition Review | Culture of Gaming

One of my most memorable childhood experiences was on Christmas morning of 1993, unwrapping my Super Nintendo Entertainment System bundled with Super Mario World. Little did I know that I would experience the same feeling over 20 years later as an adult standing in line at Walmart when a cashier handed me my SNES Classic Edition.

I have spent a few days with the SNES Classic Edition, mesmerized by the colorful interface, retro sounds, and overwhelming quality of games included with this bundle. It has captured my heart all over again. Thousands of people lined up just to have a chance to purchase this fantastic piece of gaming memorabilia, but does the hype meet the demands of gamers in the current generation?

You can view my unboxing video of the SNES Classic Edition and also take a peek at the Playing with Super Power Guide here!

You can’t complain about this lineup.

Playing with Super Power!

The SNES Classic Edition features 20 games from the SNES library, plus one that we have never seen before. There is no doubt that hundreds of hours of fun have been packed in with this collection, with titles ranging from Super Mario World, Kirby’s Super Star, Donkey Kong Country, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy III, and my all-time favorite, Super Mario RPG. The never before the released title, Star Fox 2, has also made its debut, and it plays exactly how a sequel should. Sure, we can think of a couple of misses, such as Chrono Trigger or Turtles in Time, but overall, what is included is almost a definitive list of must-have titles.

Each title in the SNES library is wonderfully timeless and still playable even in today’s world. Many of the games featured are also compatible for two players, and Nintendo was generous enough to include 2 controllers, so a friend can also join in on the action. The controllers look and feel fantastic, a replica of the original. What is disappointing is the fact that Nintendo did not make the cords too functional. It improved the NES Classics 2.5 foot long cords, but not too much at about 4.5 feet. You still have to sit relatively close to the console and your gaming setup to play. Extensions are available, and third-party wireless controllers are also an option, but it would have been nice for Nintendo to have remedied the issue by including either one.

The interface, though not much different than its NES counterpart, is visually appealing and easy to maneuver.

The games are emulated wonderfully, exactly the way I remember them, and look fantastic on a high-definition television. You do not get the widescreen 16:9 aspect, but you can add on frames to give a little flare. You also have the option of applying the CRT Filter, which adds on the scan lines of an older television or utilizing the Pixel Perfect mode, which optimizes the looks of the game, but decreases the screen size.

Another great feature of the menu is the ability to load save states after you have reset the game. You can pick up right where you left off in the game, without having to save the game at an actual save point.

Several different display options are available.

While loading a save state, you can also rewind to a particular point within that saved portion, a very convenient feature to have. Every game is also different in how far and what segments it allows you to rewind, so you will have to become accustomed to each games settings. It is tedious to use, and it would have been nice to actively rewind during game play like in the Disney Afternoon Collection, which you could do at the press of the button. You actually have to walk to the console and physically reset the system, which is an inconvenience. You can reset just the game with the traditional Start+Pause+L+R combination, but that will only take you to the game’s title screen. A quick access controller prompt to the SNES Classic main menu would have been very nice.

The rewind feature is tedious but helpful at times.