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Nintendo’s SNES Classic: the latest news about the retro mini console

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Nintendo shocked retro gaming fans with a surprise announcement of the new SNES Classic mini console, which comes with 20 iconic games and an unreleased Star Fox title. With the discontinued NES Classic having generated controversy around Nintendo’s ability to meet consumer demand, the company is now under pressure to try and deliver far more units and make good on its past promises. Check out all the news leading up to the device’s September 29th release.

  • Jul 26, 2017

    Nick Statt

    Walmart confirms it’s canceling every single SNES Classic preorder

    SNES Classic
    Photo: Nintendo

    Walmart confirmed today that it will in fact be canceling all of those SNES Classic preorders it accidentally accepted last week when the product page was mistakenly put live. The company is notifying preorder holders via email — some of whom are game journalists who’ve posted the note to Twitter — saying, "We know that this is incredibly disappointing to you, and we’re truly sorry for this mistake." Well, there you have it, folks: the SNES Classic preorder party is over, at least for now.

    "Unfortunately, due to a technical glitch, our page for the Super Nintendo Classic Edition mistakenly launched on Friday evening ahead of the official release date. We have sent cancellations to all customers who ordered the item," said Walmart spokesperson Danit Marquardt in a statement given to The Verge. "We know this is incredibly disappointing to those customers and we apologize for the mistake. We will update our site as soon as product becomes available." Walmart did not charge those who purchased via credit card — the retailer, like many others, only does so when the item ships — and those who did pay via PayPal or with a gift card and had the amount withdrawn from their account are getting refunds.

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  • Chris Plante

    Jun 27, 2017

    Chris Plante

    Where to preorder the Super NES Classic Edition

    SNES Classic

    The least-stressful option for acquiring the Super NES Classic Edition is to preorder it. Nintendo has promised that its latest mini console will be easier to find than the notoriously limited, and now discontinued, NES Classic. But that doesn’t mean you’ll find the new console collecting dust on store shelves. Nintendo has committed to shipping the Super NES Classic from its release in September until the end of 2017. Nintendo, perhaps more than any other video game company, knows the power of scarcity. Expect resellers to grab as much inventory as possible, and flip the consoles for ludicrously inflated prices on eBay and Craigslist.

    Yes, if you want a Super NES Classic at retail price, take our advice: preorder far in advance.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Jun 27, 2017

    Andrew Webster

    Nintendo's Star Fox 2 announcement surprised everyone — even its creators

    Star Fox 2

    Yesterday, Nintendo surprised fans with the SNES Classic, a mini console that bundles together 21 of the best classic games from the company’s 16-bit console in one tiny package. But perhaps no one was more surprised than veteran game creator Dylan Cuthbert, who learned the gadget would include one additional surprise: his long-canceled game, Star Fox 2. Yesterday evening, Cuthbert and several members of the original Star Fox 2 team went out to have a much-belated launch party for a game they’d made two decades earlier.

    Star Fox 2 was a sequel the 1993 original, which saw Nintendo branch out in a new direction with a sci-fi-themed rail shooter on the SNES. In the game, Fox McCloud and a team of anthropomorphic animals / pilots defend their home planet from powerful alien invaders. The game let players pilot an angular craft called the Arwing, as they battled robots, alien creatures, and spaceships through expansive levels.

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  • Sam Byford

    Jun 27, 2017

    Sam Byford

    Nintendo announces mini Super Famicom for Japan

    Right on the tail of the SNES Mini Classic’s announcement in the US and Europe, Nintendo has followed up with an equivalent product for Japan. The Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom is based on the system’s original design, shared by the European version, and comes with a slightly different selection of games.

    In Japan, the system will include Panel de Pon, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, Ganbare Goemon: The Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Super Soccer, and Super Street Fighter II. These titles replace EarthBound, Kirby’s Dream Course, Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Castlevania IV, and Super Punch-Out from the US model.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Jun 26, 2017

    Andrew Webster

    The SNES Classic's controller cables are two feet longer than the NES Classic

    SNES Classic

    The upcoming SNES Classic from Nintendo fixes at least one problem from its 8-bit predecessor. Just like the NES Classic, the new mini console will feature a replica controller that’s nearly identical to the original. But where the NES Classic controller was hampered by frustratingly short cables, Nintendo says that won’t be the case with the SNES Classic. Instead, it will include a cord that’s around five feet long, two feet longer than the NES. That’s somewhat on the short side, but still a decent improvement — though of course there will likely be some aftermarket wireless options after the system launches in September. On the plus side, the SNES Classic will come bundled with two controllers, instead of one, for out-of-the-box multiplayer action.

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  • Jun 26, 2017

    Nick Statt

    Amazon UK opens preorders for SNES Classic

    Photo: Nintendo

    Nintendo’s SNES Classic mini console, which comes with a more vibrant system and controller color scheme in Europe, is now up for preorder on Amazon’s UK storefront. The page, which says the product is sold by Amazon EU S.a.r.L. (the company’s official European trading name), appears to have gone live sometime in the last hour.

    Pricing is listed on the page as £79.99 ($101.76), but the final amount with shipping mysteriously comes out to around £71.61 ($91.10). Amazon is limiting purchase quantities to one unit per account, but it specifically says it will not ship to the US.

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  • Jun 26, 2017

    Nick Statt

    Nintendo’s SNES Classic has a confusingly named Final Fantasy game

    Photo: Square

    Nintendo’s SNES Classic announcement this morning means 21 stellar retro games are coming back in a mini console bundle this September. The list includes some obvious favorites, like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, and Earthbound. But one notable addition worth pointing out is Final Fantasy III, which most North American gamers might not recognize because of a localization name change.

    In Japan, Final Fantasy III is actually the excellent Final Fantasy VI, making the SNES Classic a great way to replay the iconic role-playing title, or try it out for the first time. FFVI is widely considered one of the best, if not the best, in the series for its sprawling cast of characters — the most in a Final Fantasy game to date — and its prototypical RPG villain Kefka, who set the standard for later maniacal and showy bad guys like Sephiroth, Kuja, and Seymour.

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  • Andrew Webster

    Jun 26, 2017

    Andrew Webster

    Nintendo curated the perfect selection of games for the SNES Classic

    SNES Classic

    When Nintendo released the NES Classic last year, it came bundled with a surprisingly robust collection of 30 games. They ran the gamut from classics like the original Super Mario Bros. trilogy to more obscure titles like StarTropics, striking a nice balance that covered a wide range of experiences for the 8-bit console. And now, with the just-announced SNES Classic, the company has taken things a step further.

    The SNES Classic lineup is just about perfect. It’s a bit smaller than the NES Classic, with a total of 21 games compared to the original’s 30. But the 21 games are substantial: almost every single one is a blockbuster of its day. The roster includes some of the best games Nintendo has ever made, like Super MetroidSuper Mario World, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

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  • Chaim Gartenberg

    Jun 26, 2017

    Chaim Gartenberg

    The European SNES Classic is even more adorable than the US version

    Nintendo just dropped a bomb in the sedate post-E3 summer game news cycle by announcing the SNES Classic, a miniature $79 version of the classic Super Nintendo Entertainment System preloaded with 21 fan-favorite SNES games. In other words, it’s basically a SNES version of last year’s nearly impossible-to-find NES Classic.

    The NES Classic was adorable, but many fans coveted the Famicom Classic Mini, the Japanese markets version of the console based on the original Japan-only Famicom design. Similarly, the SNES Classic is getting a Europe-only version that shrinks down the sleek curves of the Japanese SNES design. Meanwhile, Americans will get a mini version of the iconic, dour purple and boxy protrusions of the original SNES.

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  • Chris Plante

    Jun 26, 2017

    Chris Plante

    The mini SNES Classic launches in September for $80

    SNES Classic
    SNES Classic
    Nintendo

    Nintendo has revealed details for the SNES Classic. The standalone mini console will feature 21 games, including Super Mario World, Earthbound, Super Mario Kart, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. But the most surprising inclusion is Star Fox 2, the unreleased sequel to the original Star Fox for SNES.

    The Super NES Classic Edition will launch on September 29th for $79.99. Like its predecessor the NES Classic, it will allow players to easily play retro games on high-definition televisions, thanks to an HDMI connection.

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