As was previously rumored, Nintendo has officially announced the Super Nintendo Classic Edition. It’s launching on September 29 with an MSRP of $79.99. It is not yet available for pre-order.
Like last year’s NES Classic Edition, the SNES Classic is a retro remake of the 16-bit console. It’s small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. It comes with an HDMI cable, USB charging cable and AC adapters, and two wired controllers.
The digital retro library is the most important part of the package. The SNES Classic Edition will come with 21 games, including the never-before-released 16-bit sequel Star Fox 2. You’ll actually have to unlock Star Fox 2 as a bonus game by finishing the first level of the original Star Fox.
Without the sad exclusion of Chrono Trigger this library could be considered a Greatest Hits album from what is widely considered to be the greatest console of all time. Likewise many of the included titles, such as Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy III (VI), and Super Metroid are considered some of the greatest games of all time.
I had previously written a wish list of 30 SNES titles I’d love to see included in the then-rumored retro console. Of my list, 16 games are among the 21 in the final box.
It’s notable that the SNES Classic Edition includes less games than the NES Classic Edition at 21 and 30 respectively. The since discontinued NES Classic was also $10 cheaper, but only included the one controller.
Last year’s NES Classic Edition was plagued with product shortages throughout its short production cycle, leading to low stock and horrible price gouging from second hand sellers. It was officially discontinued earlier this year. We can only hope the SNES Classic doesn’t suffer from a similar fate.
