Nintendo has confirmed it will be launching a retro console for the second year running, so here's all the key details you need, including the SNES Classic Mini's games list, price and release date, plus pre-order updates. TrustedReviews has rounded up all the latest news for you right here.
Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES – what is it?
The SNES Classic Mini is Nintendo's miniature version of its iconic 16-bit 'Super Nintendo Entertainment System'. Nintendo released a classic NES in Christmas 2016, bundling 30 games into a diminutive version of its classic console, which was powered using a USB cable and could connect to any display using HDMI.
Similarly, the SNES Classic Mini also comes bundled with a HDMI cable and can connected to any high-definition TV. The console also comes with a USB charging cable, an AC adapter, and two wired Super NES Classic Controllers.
"While many people from around the world consider the Super NES to be one of the greatest video game systems ever made, many of our younger fans never had a chance to play it," said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.
"With the Super NES Classic Edition, new fans will be introduced to some of the best Nintendo games of all time, while longtime fans can relive some of their favourite retro classics with family and friends."
Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES hands-on preview
The NES Classic Mini sold like hotcakes when it launched, which is why it's no surprise
Nintendo is back with a miniature version of the console's successor, the SNES, one year on.
It's clear Nintendo has taken some of the feedback it got about the NES slightly controllers woefully short cables onboard. The SNES comes with two controllers, both of which sport longer wires. Although it doesn't completely rectify the fact cables are a faff, it's a nice touch and one that makes the console feel like it'll be another must-have this holiday season.
The new console has fewer games than NES Classic Mini, but arguably this is because the SNES goes for quality over quantity. We could argue until the cows come home about which games are not in the box (I still weep for Aladdin's absence), but there's no doubt that the miniature SNES is loaded with stone-cold classics.
What's great is that many of them are the direct sequels to games on the NES Mini, so for those lucky enough to own both, you get to see the evolution of the likes of Punch-Out!! and Ghosts 'n Goblins.
The one downside is these are exact ports of their original versions, lumps and all. There will be some games where the framerate dips in intense moment, and Starfox in particular becomes almost unplayable at times. Players like myself with the rose-tinted specs of 90s gaming won't be as off-put by this as newcomers, but it's certainly a fly in the ointment.
The console itself is as beautiful as I hoped. It's a perfectly recreated version of the console I spent my childhood playing that can fit in the palm of my hand. The textured plastic case even has the "feel" of the original SNES. Thankfully, the colour of the base of the console hasn't faded to the discoloured yellow mine did. As you'd expect, the eject button has no function and can't be pressed, and I will most certainly miss ejecting cartridges like toast from a toaster in the digital age.
On the front of the console we still have the classic controller ports on a flap which pulls down to reveal the modern inputs, the same as they were on the Mini NES and Wii peripherals.
The controllers are full-size versions of their 90s counterparts, and feel excellent. But in an era of wireless controllers, the fact they're cabled is still a problem for me. I've had to have cables streaming across the room to bring the SNES Mini closer to where I sit to play, turning my bedroom into spaghetti junction. Wireless controllers were made by third-party providers, and I hope something similar will happen with the SNES to alleviate the issue.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The SNES Mini is a gorgeous console, packed with some of the best games of the 1990s. Nintendo has recognised the complaints of the NES Mini and worked to address them here, with the inclusion of two controllers as standard being a huge plus.
The cable length is still an issue, and most likely will be an annoyance for many modern living room setups, but when the gaming on the small device is this good, I'm willing to make the effort to play some of my all-time favourites.
Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES price and pre-order – how to buy the SNES Classic Mini
The SNES Classic Mini will officially cost £69.99/$79.99 at launch, but getting your hands on one is looking like an issue, leading some UK retailers to price it at a heftier £79.99.
One thing to note is that while Argos surprised many by opening up pre-orders early, it seems there have been some reports of orders being cancelled. What's more, the order page appears to have been removed from the website, so if you pre-orderd through the company, it's probably worth checking your account to see if the order is still active.
Unfortunately, all the other major first-party UK retailers we're aware of are showing the console as out of stock.
Here are the links you need, should it become available to purchase again. Most of the sites listed below will send you a notification if they restock, and we'd recommend taking advantage of this service if you've got your heart set on a SNES Classic.
A recent article from Eurogamer included an email supposedly from Amazon informing a buyer that the company is now restricting orders to one item per customer.
The email reads "Unfortunately, there's been a change in the availability of [the SNES Classic Mini] on Amazon.co.uk…As such, we have reduced the quantity of the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System in your order to one (1) unit."
This is a great move from the seller, as it will free up stock for other consumers, and hopefully limit the amount of scalpers looking to buy multiple SNES Classic Minis with the sole intention of reselling them for huge profits.
However, other parts of the email suggest this action could have been taken because Amazon has been allocated less stock than it originally anticipated, so it remains to be seen if these orders withdrawn from some consumers will be freed up to other eager buyers.
Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES release date – when is it coming out?
It's official! Nintendo has confirmed that the SNES Classic Mini Edition release date will fall on September 29, 2017. There will be 21 games on offer, including Super Mario World, Earthbound, and Star Fox 2.
A SNES Classic Mini is a no-brainer for Nintendo, considering how well the NES iteration sold. Plus, for every great NES game there are at least five on the SNES, meaning there are countless opportunities to stick undeniable classics on the little machine.
Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES games list – what will we get to play?
Nintendo has confirmed that there will be at least 21 games available for the launch of the device. Here's the full list of games:
Contra III The Alien Wars
Donkey Kong Country
EarthBound
Final Fantasy III
F-Zero
Kirby Super Star
Kirby's Dream Course
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Mega Man X
Secret of Mana
Star Fox
Star Fox 2
Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting
Super Castlevania IV
Super Ghouls'n Ghosts
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario World
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Metroid
Super Punch-Out!!
The following games will also feature multiplayer options: Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Super Mario Kart, Contra III The Alien Wars, and Secret of Mana.
The inclusion of Star Fox 2 is also a big deal: "For the first time, players who pick up the system can enjoy the intergalactic adventure Star Fox 2, the sequel to the original Star Fox (originally titled Starwing upon release in Europe) game that was created during the Super NES era but never released…anywhere!"
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