Is the SNES the best game console of all time?

Is the SNES the best game console of all time?
The Switch is perhaps one of Nintendo's biggest hardware releases to date thanks to the company's home and portable interests now converging on a single platform. Golden Joystick Awards 2021 We're celebrating 50 years of gaming together with the Golden Joystick Awards 2021, the world's largest publicly voted gaming awards ceremony. This year's show will celebrate a milestone in video game history, the launch of Computer Space, the world's first commercial arcade machine, in November 1971. And we'll be seeking your votes on the greatest console of all time: Will the SNES pass the court? But that doesn't diminish the fact that Nintendo has released some of the most important and influential pieces of gaming hardware of all time, with the 16-bit Super Nintendo arguably the most famous. And with the SNES Mini and Nintendo Switch Online libraries reliving the glory days of the console, now is the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane and check out what everyone is excited about: the sprite-filled console. . Read on to find out what earned it such a special place in the hearts of a generation of gamers.

a secret beginning

With its first home console, the NES, Nintendo virtually reinvented the term "home gaming" after Atari's catastrophic mismanagement led to the video game crash in 1983. Nintendo's 8-bit system has become synonymous with gaming. in North America, revitalizing the industry. and emboldening their rivals. like Sega and NEC, who have tried to build muscle with their 8-bit and 16-bit consoles. Sega's Mega Drive, known in the US as the Genesis, was the most successful, and by targeting players who had effectively moved over to the NES family, Sega was able to annex much of the US market, putting Nintendo on the defensive.

Stunning box art made building a SNES game collection a joy

The stunning box art made building a collection of SNES games a joy. To the casual observer, Nintendo seemed like old news. It was almost inevitable that the company would follow the NES with a 16-bit successor, but it was also keen to keep its current system alive for as long as possible, given its huge global install base. As recently as 1990, more than a year after the Mega Drive's debut in Japan, millions of sellers like Super Mario Bros. 3 were still making their way to retail, so Nintendo's reluctance to pull out the goose that laid the golden eggs it was understandable. However, that doesn't mean the company is resting on its laurels; in the late 80s, work was already underway on what would become the Super Nintendo.

Arms race game

Unlike today's Nintendo, which is reluctant to get involved in the expensive technological arms race between Sony and Microsoft, the Japanese veteran has decided to go all out to produce the successor to the NES, which, let's not forget, already had seven years. it was time for 1990. In addition to its 16-bit architecture, the SNES featured powerful graphics coprocessors that enabled smooth scaling and amazing rotating 3D effects, and these were put to use in early games like Super Mario World, Pilotwings, Super Castlevania IV and F... Zero.

Super Nintendo's Super FX chip in action during Star Fox

Super Nintendo's Super FX chip in action during Star Fox The console could display 256 colors on the screen simultaneously from a palette of 32,768 (the Mega Drive, its closest rival, could only muster 61 in a palette of 512) and offered a incredible 8-channel ADPCM audio through your Sony-made audio equipment. - designed by none other than Ken Kutaragi, the father of PlayStation. The console's only weakness from a technical standpoint was its processor, clocked at 3,58 MHz compared to the Motorola 68000 Mega Drive, which ran at 7,6 MHz. This meant that the SNES often struggled. with intense scrolling shooters, but Nintendo's intention was to boost the processor with special chips included in the game cartridges, just like it did with the NES. This strategy led to the development of the Super FX chip with UK-based Argonaut Software, and the eventual release of Star Fox in 1993, one of the first home console titles to convincingly harness the power of 3D graphics.

Yakuza Madness

The system's Japanese release took place on Wednesday, November 21, 1990, under the name "Super Famicom", which was in keeping with the branding of this region (the NES was known as the "Family Computer" in Japan, or "Famicom" To abreviate). 300.000 systems were sold in a matter of hours, drawing the attention of the Yakuza (Nintendo moved the shares at night to prevent theft) and the Japanese government itself, which launched an application soon after. Imploring gaming hardware manufacturers to release their consoles on the weekends. . to avoid future interruptions.

The North American SNES was given a boxy design that was thought to be more suitable for this market.

The North American SNES received a boxy design that was thought to be more suitable for this market. Equally impressive was the North American release in September of the following year, as poor European gamers had to wait until April 1992 to get their hands on the new console. The SNES design was drastically changed for its US release (see above), but thankfully the European version retained the attractive rounded casing seen in Japan, as well as that iconic four-color button cluster on the controller ( American players were all about hideous purple and lilac buttons).

controller perfection

Speaking of the controller, this was a revelation after the square pad that came with the NES. Ergonomic and comfortable to use for long periods of time, the SNES controller introduced two major innovations: a diamond-shaped design for the main face buttons (something all major consoles use these days) and the shoulder buttons.

The SNES controller introduced the diamond button layout and the L and R buttons, two features common to today's joypads.

The SNES controller introduced the diamond button layout and the L and R buttons, two features common to today's joypads. This six button layout made the SNES the perfect platform for Capcom's conversion of Street Fighter II, arguably one of the best games of this period. Street Fighter II, a timed exclusive for the system, wouldn't arrive on the Mega Drive until later, and Sega was forced to release an (admittedly brilliant) six-button joypad so players could experience it the way it was planned.

Street Fighter II was a huge SNES exclusive during the height of the 16-bit console war.

Street Fighter II was a huge SNES exclusive during the height of the 16-bit console war.

A Lasting Legacy

The SNES has sold nearly 50 million units in its lifetime thanks to Nintendo exclusive releases like Super Metroid, Super Mario Kart, Yoshi's Island, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Super Punch-Out!! But it was the system's strong third-party support that really made it such an essential purchase during the 16-bit console wars. Some of the best games of the time were console exclusives, including Chrono Trigger, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Contra III, Axelay, Secret of Mana, and many more. This rich and varied library of classic titles designed by developers who were arguably at the peak of their creative powers is what makes the SNES such a beloved console, even after all this time; While the NES and Wii have sold more units in total, this 16-bit powerhouse arguably has the best software lineup and it's no wonder you voted it your favorite console of all time.

The definitive SNES games

The world of Super Mario

Undoubtedly one of the best 2D platformers ever made, Super Mario World is extraordinary; Not only does it offer more levels and variety than you ever thought possible in the genre, it offers great cartoon visuals and an impressive soundtrack. The most surprising thing is that this was a launch title for the console, but it was never improved during the SNES's long lifespan, and some would say it hasn't gone out of date since.

Link's first 16-bit adventure is a bit special; it takes the pattern established in the original NES and dramatically increases the scope and scale of the quest. The visuals are still amazing even after all this time, while the vast dungeons around the world will keep you entertained for weeks. It is without a doubt one of the best adventure titles ever created.

Super Metroid

<p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"> Another NES update, Super Metroid is cited as an influence on titles such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and (more recently) Axion Verge. It picks up the platforming action seen in the first Metroid and adds a huge game world to explore, more items to collect, and plenty of fearsome bosses to fight.

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