Super Nintendo Entertainment System Information, Specifications and Accessories
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, officially abbreviated the Super-NES or SNES, and commonly shortened to Super Nintendo is a16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Australasia (Oceania), and 1993 in South America. In Japan, the system is called the Super Famicom , officially adopting the abbreviated name of its predecessor, the Famicom, or SFC for short.
The SNES is Nintendo's second home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System - NES. The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other systems at the time. The development of a variety of enhancement chips integrated in game cartridges helped to keep it competitive in the marketplace.
The SNES was a global success, becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era despite its relatively late start and the fierce competition it faced in America and Europe from Sega's Mega Drive console. The SNES remained popular well into the 32-bit era, and continues to be popular among fans, collectors and retro gamer's worldwide. Including this one.
The SNES is Nintendo's second home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System - NES. The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other systems at the time. The development of a variety of enhancement chips integrated in game cartridges helped to keep it competitive in the marketplace.
The SNES was a global success, becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era despite its relatively late start and the fierce competition it faced in America and Europe from Sega's Mega Drive console. The SNES remained popular well into the 32-bit era, and continues to be popular among fans, collectors and retro gamer's worldwide. Including this one.
The SNES labelled the Super Famicom was released in Japan on November 21, 1990 for around £150. It was an instant success, Nintendo's initial shipment of 300,000 units sold out within hours, and the resulting social disturbance led the Japanese government to ask video game manufacturers to schedule future console releases on weekends.
With the SNES quickly outselling its chief rivals, Nintendo reasserted itself as the leader of the Japanese console market. Nintendo's success was partially due to its retention of most of its key third-party developers from its earlier system, including Capcom, Konami, Tecmo, Square, Koei, and Enix.
The SNES was finally released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in April 1992 for £150. Most of the PAL region versions of the console use the Japanese Super Famicom design, except for labeling and the length of the joypad leads. The Playtronic Super NES in Brazil, although PAL, uses the North American design. Both the NES and SNES were released in Brazil in 1993 by Playtronic, a joint venture between the toy company Estrela and consumer electronics company Gradiente.
The SNES and Super Famicom launched with few games, but these games were well received in the marketplace. In Japan, only two games were initially available: Super Mario World and F-Zero. In Europe and America, Super Mario World launched as a bundle with the console, and other launch titles include F-Zero, Pilotwings, SimCity, and Gradius 3.
With the SNES quickly outselling its chief rivals, Nintendo reasserted itself as the leader of the Japanese console market. Nintendo's success was partially due to its retention of most of its key third-party developers from its earlier system, including Capcom, Konami, Tecmo, Square, Koei, and Enix.
The SNES was finally released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in April 1992 for £150. Most of the PAL region versions of the console use the Japanese Super Famicom design, except for labeling and the length of the joypad leads. The Playtronic Super NES in Brazil, although PAL, uses the North American design. Both the NES and SNES were released in Brazil in 1993 by Playtronic, a joint venture between the toy company Estrela and consumer electronics company Gradiente.
The SNES and Super Famicom launched with few games, but these games were well received in the marketplace. In Japan, only two games were initially available: Super Mario World and F-Zero. In Europe and America, Super Mario World launched as a bundle with the console, and other launch titles include F-Zero, Pilotwings, SimCity, and Gradius 3.
The 32-bit era and beyond:
While other companies were moving on to 32-bit systems, Rare and Nintendo proved that the SNES was still a strong contender in the market. In November 1994, Rare released Donkey Kong Country, a platform game featuring 3D models and textures pre-rendered on SGI workstations. With its detailed graphics, fluid animation and high-quality music, Donkey Kong Country rivaled the aesthetic quality of games that were being released on newer 32-bit CD-based consoles. In the last 45 days of 1994, the game sold 6.1 million units!!. Making it the fastest-selling video game in history to that date!. This game sent a message that early 32-bit systems had little to offer over the SNES, and helped make way for the more advanced consoles on the horizon!. Literally history in the making!
In October 1997, Nintendo released a redesigned model of the SNES - The SNS-101 model referenced by Nintendo as "New-Style Super NES"
Nintendo ceased production of the SNES in 1999.
In Japan, Nintendo continued production of the Super Famicom until September 25, 2003, and new games were produced until the year 2000, ending with the release of Metal Slader Glory Director's Cut on November 29, 2000.
The 16-bit design of the SNES incorporates graphics and sound co-processors that allow tiling and simulated 3D effects, a palette of 32,768 colors, and 8-channel audio. These base platform features, plus the ability to dramatically extend them all through substantial chip upgrades inside of each cartridge, represent a huge leap over the 8-bit NES generation and some supposed significant advantages over 16-bit competitors such as the Sega Mega Drive.
While other companies were moving on to 32-bit systems, Rare and Nintendo proved that the SNES was still a strong contender in the market. In November 1994, Rare released Donkey Kong Country, a platform game featuring 3D models and textures pre-rendered on SGI workstations. With its detailed graphics, fluid animation and high-quality music, Donkey Kong Country rivaled the aesthetic quality of games that were being released on newer 32-bit CD-based consoles. In the last 45 days of 1994, the game sold 6.1 million units!!. Making it the fastest-selling video game in history to that date!. This game sent a message that early 32-bit systems had little to offer over the SNES, and helped make way for the more advanced consoles on the horizon!. Literally history in the making!
In October 1997, Nintendo released a redesigned model of the SNES - The SNS-101 model referenced by Nintendo as "New-Style Super NES"
Nintendo ceased production of the SNES in 1999.
In Japan, Nintendo continued production of the Super Famicom until September 25, 2003, and new games were produced until the year 2000, ending with the release of Metal Slader Glory Director's Cut on November 29, 2000.
The 16-bit design of the SNES incorporates graphics and sound co-processors that allow tiling and simulated 3D effects, a palette of 32,768 colors, and 8-channel audio. These base platform features, plus the ability to dramatically extend them all through substantial chip upgrades inside of each cartridge, represent a huge leap over the 8-bit NES generation and some supposed significant advantages over 16-bit competitors such as the Sega Mega Drive.
Nintendo employed several types of regional lockout, including both physical and hardware incompatibilities.
On a physical level, the cartridges are shaped differently for different regions. North American cartridges have a rectangular bottom with inset grooves matching protruding tabs in the console, while other regions' cartridges are narrower with a smooth curve on the front and no grooves. The physical incompatibility can be overcome with use of various adapters, or through modification of the console.
Internally, a regional lockout chip 'CIC' within the console and in each cartridge prevents PAL region games from being played on Japanese or North American consoles and vice versa. The Japanese and North American machines have the same region chip. This can be overcome through the use of adapters, typically by inserting the imported cartridge in one slot and a cartridge with the correct region chip in a second slot. Alternatively, disconnecting one pin of the console's lockout chip will prevent it from locking the console, hardware in later games can detect this situation, so it later became common to install a switch to reconnect the lockout chip as needed.
On a physical level, the cartridges are shaped differently for different regions. North American cartridges have a rectangular bottom with inset grooves matching protruding tabs in the console, while other regions' cartridges are narrower with a smooth curve on the front and no grooves. The physical incompatibility can be overcome with use of various adapters, or through modification of the console.
Internally, a regional lockout chip 'CIC' within the console and in each cartridge prevents PAL region games from being played on Japanese or North American consoles and vice versa. The Japanese and North American machines have the same region chip. This can be overcome through the use of adapters, typically by inserting the imported cartridge in one slot and a cartridge with the correct region chip in a second slot. Alternatively, disconnecting one pin of the console's lockout chip will prevent it from locking the console, hardware in later games can detect this situation, so it later became common to install a switch to reconnect the lockout chip as needed.
The standard SNES controller adds two additional face buttons X and Y to the design of the NES iteration, arranging the 4 in a diamond shape, and introduces two shoulder trigger buttons. It also features an ergonomic design by Lance Barr.
Throughout the course of its life, a number of peripherals were released which added to the functionality of the SNES. Many of these devices were modeled after earlier add-ons for the NES, They include: The Super Scope, that is a light gun functionally similar to the NES Zapper. The Super Advantage is an arcade-style joystick with adjustable turbo settings akin to the NES Advantage. Nintendo also released the SNES Mouse in conjunction with its off tha hook Mario Paint title. Hudson Soft, under license from Nintendo, released the Super Multitap, a multiplayer adapter for use with its popular series of Bomberman games. Some of the more unusual controllers include the BatterUP baseball bat, the Life Fitness Entertainment System; an exercise bike controller with built-in monitoring software, and also the TeeV Golf golf club.
While Nintendo never released an adapter for playing NES games on the SNES. The Super Game Boy adapter cartridge allows games designed for Nintendo's portable Game Boy system to be played on the SNES. The Super Game Boy touted several feature enhancements over the Game Boy, including palette substitution, custom screen borders, and for specially enhanced games access to the SNES console.
Like the NES before it, the SNES saw its fair share of unlicensed third-party peripherals, including a new version of the Game Genie cheat cartridge designed for use with SNES games. In general, Nintendo proved to be somewhat more tolerant of unlicensed SNES peripherals than it had been with the NES add-on's.
Like the NES before it, the SNES saw its fair share of unlicensed third-party peripherals, including a new version of the Game Genie cheat cartridge designed for use with SNES games. In general, Nintendo proved to be somewhat more tolerant of unlicensed SNES peripherals than it had been with the NES add-on's.
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Japan saw the release of the Satellaview, a modem which attached underneath to the Super Famicom's expansion port and connected to the satellite radio station. Users of the Satellaview could download gaming news and specially designed games, which were frequently either remakes of or sequels to older Famicom titles, released in installments. Satellaview signals were broadcast from April 23, 1995 through June 30, 2000.
During the SNES's life, Nintendo contracted with two different companies to develop a CD-ROM-based peripheral for the console to compete with Sega's CD-ROM based add-on, The Mega-CD.
Ultimately, deals with both Sony and Philips fell through, with Philips gaining the right to release a series of titles based on Nintendo franchises for its CD-i multimedia player and Sony going on to develop its own console based on its initial dealings with Nintendo.. The PlayStation 1!.
During the SNES's life, Nintendo contracted with two different companies to develop a CD-ROM-based peripheral for the console to compete with Sega's CD-ROM based add-on, The Mega-CD.
Ultimately, deals with both Sony and Philips fell through, with Philips gaining the right to release a series of titles based on Nintendo franchises for its CD-i multimedia player and Sony going on to develop its own console based on its initial dealings with Nintendo.. The PlayStation 1!.
In it's lifetime available to buy in the shops, 49+ million SNES units were sold worldwide!. Although it could not quite repeat the success of the NES, which sold 61+ million units worldwide!. The SNES was still the best-selling console of its era!.
In 2009, IGN named the Super Nintendo Entertainment System the 4th best video game console of all time!.
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on SNES Games
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on other Retro Games
In 2009, IGN named the Super Nintendo Entertainment System the 4th best video game console of all time!.
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on SNES Games
See Information,Specifications and Reviews on other Retro Games