Top 5 reasons the SNES Classic is worth purchasing
Time to get excited. Nintendo’s Super Nintendo Classic Edition (or SNES Classic) is set to release on September 29th, and eager purchasers will be waiting at stores to get their hands on one.
At $79.99, the retro console might seem a bit pricey at first, but think about how much SNES games went for back in the day. The top-tier titles went for roughly $59.99. An SNES Classic with 21 quality games is only $20 more than that.
Is it worth the purchase? Here are five reasons to buy one.
1. Twenty Excellent Previously Released SNES Games
Not one clunker exists in the lineup for the SNES Classic. From Super Mario World to Star Fox, the SNES Classic is loaded with quality 1990s Super Nintendo games from top to bottom. Super Mario Kart alone will keep gamers busy for hours as a “retro party game.” Plus, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is still considered by some fans as the greatest The Legend of Zelda.
Plus, the list includes a few Squaresoft (Square Enix) releases such as Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy III.
Secret of Mana does not enjoy the same popularity as Final Fantasy, but gamers should check this one out for its multiplayer feature (does the 3-player option still work though?). Most Final Fantasy games are single player.
The Nintendo and Squaresoft collaboration Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars also made the cut. It offers a lot of quirky humor, along with the same excellent RPG mechanics gamers know from Square.
Another great RPG Earthbound is on there too.
2. One Unreleased SNES Game
Admittedly, most gamers who wanted to play Star Fox 2 already did so “through other channels.” But more gamers never had the chance to try this would-be classic title. Even though the developer completed the game for Nintendo, the Big N had shifted its focus to the Nintendo 64.
From a graphics standpoint, this sequel uses the same similar, polygonal style as the original Star Fox. Nintendo is trustworthy when it comes to gameplay though, so fans probably should not worry if it is fun.
3. Small Size
Portability just seems like a good trait for a console these days. No one wants to lug around a giant brick (think original Xbox) when traveling. The small size makes it easy to pack and take over a friend’s house or go on longer trips with.
It most certainly will not take up too much room space either. The SNES Classic should look great next to the hybrid-console Switch, while not eating up space reserved for an Xbox One or PlayStation 4.
4. Coolness
At some point, the original Super Nintendo may have become outdated and “uncool.” Why would anyone be playing an old SNES when PlayStation and Xbox existed? Or newer Nintendo consoles like the Gamecube and Wii? But these days, retro is in style. No one walks into a room, sees a retro console and thinks “That sucks.” Gamers respect the past, and if they see a mini-replica of a Super Nintendo inside the room, they will be impressed.
5. Still no Virtual Console on Switch
Want to buy these titles on the Switch? Well, it is too bad because the Switch currently does not offer a Virtual Console library. Many Nintendo fans bought the same SNES Classic games on the Wii U and Wii. But for Switch owners who do not own the Wii or Wii U (or sold them), the mini-sized NES Classic (which is coming back soon) and SNES Classic are the two options. On the negative side, gamers do not get to choose the classic games.
There is the main problem. These mini-remakes force gamers to accept a set library, instead of giving choice. But the positive aspects will likely outweigh the lack of individual game choice for many Nintendo followers.
