Anniversary: The Super Nintendo Is 25 Years Old Today

Happy Birthday, SNES !
My...25 years passed so quickly.
I remembered Street Fighter II was the first SNES title that i knew from my cousin when i was a kid.

I wish I'd been old enough to appreciate this thing in its day (thinking especially of the cool sims like Aerobiz that I just wasn't old enough to understand), but I'm slowly trying to make up for that. Hard to believe that something so ugly held such magic!

Recently and finally acquired an Aussie pal snes. Very happy, it only took me 25yrs from release. Now the only problem is games cost crazy stupid numbers. While my uncle searches for his genuine pal lufia cart (losing faith by the week) sd2snes it will likely have to be. I wish they would juat officially repro all the snes rpgs and even the system. Heres hoping for a snes mini with decent rpgs but i guess they will never release fan translations anyway. Especially the likes of star ocean and tales of phantasia. Wii/wii u Vc just isnt the same and lacks the rpgs i want.

They released a new console in late August, a week or 2 before Labor Day weekend? No wonder I can't figure them out.

Summer of '91 I was working hard on my masters thesis, if I even had a TV it would have been a small 13" b&w, video games weren't on my radar. Half a lifetime ago, wow. I wasn't back into video games, after Atari time in the mid-80s, until PS and FF7.

I hope the NX name becomes as memorable.

Happy birthday to the SNES! It's one of the main reasons why I play video games today, and why Nintendo systems are my go-to devices.

So many good RPG's... I remember when Donkey Kong Country and Killer Instinct were such graphical advances. That FX Chip though. Great memories of LoZ LttP, Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Ninja Turtles Turtles in Time, Contra, Madden, NBA Live drafts and tourneys with friends, Top Gear, Super Tecmo Bowl III. A fantastic system during teen years.

Boy, we're getting old over here! I'm only twenty, but I remember so much about the SNES. Some of my favorite games to this day are some of them. I remember bringing in TLOZ Link to the Past to show-and-tell in my K4 class and thinking I had the best thing ever. I remember playing some classics such as Super Mario World, LTTP, Donkey Kong Country. Then there were the subtle classics. There was a shooter called UN Squadron. Now THAT was a fun game. I never beat it until a few years ago, but hey, that's the power of hard games.
There was also playing with my older brother. Man, those were fun times, playing games together, getting frustrated together, and beating him (and then we would fight and I usually lost those).
The SNES was great. I hope that when I have kids one day, I'll be able to let them play some of the classics that kept me entertained during my childhood

... yet you show a pic of that purple monstrosity!!! 20th July 93 .... my mama surprised me with a Snes ... has to be the best pressie ever!! ... with M World ... the best freebie ever!!! Up until the small hours every night .... those were the days!!!

I was 5 years old and I remember getting one with Super Mario World on that Christmas. That is one game I'm proud to share the initials with. lol

I still believe to this day that the SNES has the most impressive software of any console. Maybe it's rose colored nostalgia. Maybe it's my fine tastes in gaming.

The US SNES really isn't the prettiest looking console... but at least you guys got the much nicer looking Jr. version.

@Darkwario1 Yeah you're really pushing it at the ripe old age of 20.

I bought the SNES in high school & still use it to this day. I remember buying it with F Zero & Super Mario World, with Super R Type and Populous shortly after, as those were part of the 2nd wave of releases.

The design of the console was strikingly different than the NES, and the controllers were much improved. I was in total awe.

I remember being blown away by Super Mario World's map, the very bright colors and the insane speed from F Zero. The music from Super Mario World seemed earth shattering in quality. Super R Types bosses and overall challenge floored me. It looked amazing.

I remember how weird the eject button was at first (for the cartridges) and how I looked at every nook and cranie of the console for additional plugs, for future add ins. And more importantly, I ceased being jealous of the Sega Genesis.

It locked me in as a Nintendo fan for life. And now I feel warm & fuzzy with nostalgia.

The SNES was truly a Super Nintendo and one console that will live along with my high school memories, forever.

Happy birthday SNES

Little purple, Grey Console

I still have mine, too

Oh my sweet love, how the time has flown! <3
The SNES is truly a timeless console.

@World

I still play Supersonic Aerobiz to this day!!! A truly great & underappreciated biz sim. I've beaten every era, with different carriers. I have played that game, consistently, since it's come out.

Love my snes!! But I love my Genesis more!! Lol

@Jimmy_G_Buckets

Naw, you sir, are a connoisseur! Long live the SNES!

"The SNES is home to some of the finest video games of all time, including Super Mario World, Zelda 3, Super Mario Kart, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, ActRaiser, Axelay, Legend of the Mystical Ninja, Street Fighter II... we're sure you have your own personal favourites to add to that tiny list."

You bet I do:

http://www.inceptional.com/2016/01/18/kirks-top-10-super-nintendo-games-in-pics/

The SNES is pretty much the most satisfying all-round console of all time imo.

And yeah, the American SNES is a bog beast; this is where it's at:

SNES is the best console ever. 3DS is 2nd best.

I prefer Ocarina of Time, the latest Mariokarts, Super Mario Bros 3, Metroid Prime, Kirby's Adventure, etc... Either way, Happy Birthday SNES!!!

I remember getting mine with DKC and NBA Jam.

Happy Birthday too the SNES the best console of all time.

This is the system that cemented my love for video games. I remember like it was yesterday being at my cousins watching them play street fighter 2, thinking pretty awesome. Then he showed me zelda (he was stuck at the beginning...couldn't find the secret path next to the castle). Still think that rainstorm in the beginning is frickin cool. Then he said wanna try the newest game I just got, Star Fox? Mind blowing. That ride home that night was spent convincing my mom why I NEEDED a snes. Sorry mom. Be happy in knowing I still play the game. Money well spent. And the obsession continued... so happy anniversary to my favorite system, maybe I'll hook it up and play with power..super power!!!!!

Wow, I was 2 when this was out?! I grew up with a NES and a GameBoy until I got an N64 one Christmas. Suffice to say, I never got wrapped up in the 16-bit console wars, but I generally enjoy SNES games more.

Though I already own a lot of the greatest games via the E-Shop I can't help but wish that we would be getting a Snes Mini instead of an NES one. Oh well It is inevitable anyway...

Created an account after years of lurking just for this so I could say:

SNES is hands down the greatest console ever. That library... I'm STILL discovering amazing games. It is hooked up in the main room of the house, still gets the most playing time, and when I tell friend "I got a new game!" it usually means an SNES game. Haha. (Like Lufia 2. Greatest ever.). Do love the 4-colored controller scheme best.

I remember the only game I had for the console was super mario all stars +world.....(good times)

The amount of fun I had playing the SNES back in the 90s is something that I've barely been able to replicate since. Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Mortal Kombat, TMNT IV, Mario Paint and Super Mario All-Stars are just a few of the games that I spent countless hours having endless fun playing. The SNES was just a magic machine, and I still enjoy its library of great games to this day.

Happy anniversary, Super Nintendo!

My second console, and my second favorite all time!
But suck it SNES I'm still older than you!

My first game system, and still may have the most awesome games

Wow just had do drop the name Super Metroid here because it hasn't shown up yet and was my fave on the console. Super Mario World and Actraiser and Zelda 3 also blew my mind.

Was a fascinating time and I always somehow managed to have the Sega competitor as well. Genesis was amazing but then the Nintendo games were just so much better to me. Much closer battle in my mind than the Master System vs NES though. Sega Genesis had Target Earth and Herzog Zwei that were transformative and it was much better for shoot'em-ups that I was more into back then.

I don't understand the love for the design of the JP/PAL SNES. It doesn't look like anything to me. I'm indifferent to the NA model

When I was a child Nintendo threw a small event at the local mall. No one had seen an snes yet so the systems had to be hidden under black boxes at the kiosks. There was a small slot at the top of the boxes with the game insides sticking out with no plastic housing and a wired controler coming out of the kiosk. That day I demoed super castlevania, street fighter 2, and a link to the past. It blew my damn mind. Happy birthday snes.

I remember when my brother and I got our SNES and playing Super Mario World for the first time. It was pure magic.

@aaronsullivan I was just thinking the same thing! How come no one's mentioned Super Metroid yet?

Anyway, among classic consoles I think the SNES has more games that remain as much fun today as they ever were, and I don't think that's just nostalgia speaking. The visuals were appealing and the controls were perfect. I never had a Sega console so I can't comment on those, but I would say most NES games, and even most N64 games, have aged badly, but the SNES never gets old.

Since I already owned a Turbografx-16 and Genesis, and an Amiga 500 computer, I couldn't afford a Super Nintendo. I did manage to play several of the games though through a friend. He had one of those, you know, illicit devices (console copier- Super Wild Card? Super Magicom? Can't remember which) and so between BBS's and game rentals, had several games (Sorry, Nintendo and game publishers).

Oh, I just remembered Rock n Roll Racing. Man I loved that game and I played it a few years ago and it's still awesome! "Rip is dominating the race. RIP IS ABOUT TO BLOW!! Tarquin lights him up! Rip fades into last..." Just thinking about it gives me so much joy.

I clearly remember picking one up on launch day.
Anyone else remember Babbage's?
Still my favorite console of all time.

What happened with Mitch Vogel article, it disappeared after 4 minutes? Did Damo hit Mitch with a C&D takedown notice? I suppose I could just be hallucinating again.

The Super Famicom is my joint favourite games system ever (alongside the Dreamcast). I was going to import a US machine until I saw a picture of the redesign in the old Games X magazine and decided a breeze block with purple bits was not what I wanted.

There was no way I was going to have another PAL system and be stuck waiting for Nintendo of Europe to release games 6 to 12 months after everywhere else AND be saddled with large borders and games that ran 17.5% slower.

Super Mario World is still the best game ever...

Grew up with this console. There was a Tiny Toons game that I played a lot on there. Buster Gets Loose, I think. Good times.

For all the claims of the SNES being unattractive, I always found the Super Famicom to be far uglier. The SFC felt crushed/smooshed and, I dunno, like a non-gaming piece of hardware- like an answering machine or part of a blender.

That said, I did like the 4 color logo of the SFC better. I used the ASCII SNES controller as my main pad and it uses that scheme.

@shonenjump86 Buster Busts Loose.

And Nintendo celebrates with, well, nothing apparently.cel

Secret Of Mana and Killer Instinct were the 2 player games that got the most play time with my brother. There were lots of gems in the 16-bit era. Surely there must be a SNES mini in development. If there is, I hope it has some good third party offerings.

Happy birthday to one of the best console and still the best gaming system to date.

It was 24 years ago it was released in Europe. What a magic time that was. The best gaming memories ever.

@3MonthBeef
What was under the hood was "Super power" 🙂

If you had told me 25 years ago I would still be writing to this day about Super Nintendo video games for the world's biggest Nintendo website, I would laugh it off and accused you of pulling my leg. Yet, here we are...

Honestly the best games I've ever played were on that console. Never had the pleasure of owning one. when I was in high school, I went to a friend's house everyday just to play. We would play street fighter 2 and super tecmo bowl like crazy!!
If Nintendo comes out with a SNES MINI I'm there day one.

@samuelvictor Great to hear we share some similar tastes in gaming.

"There were 3 games that changed my mind and made me want a SNES - Street Fighter 2, Star Wing (Star Fox) and Donkey Kong Country."

I can totally see how those three games could convince anyone the SNES was at least worth trying, and in most cases likely blew them away once they did play them.

Yeah, I think something about having less games but pretty much all of them being generally amazing really made gaming different back then to what it's like now. Even if you're still skint and can only afford a handful of titles for whatever console, there's so much free stuff and throwaway garbage that it dilutes the whole experience imo. It's like how people say a bad new movie in a franchise can't ruin the older ones—but it can. It's about how it makes you feel altogether. The SNES, on the whole, is by far the most satisfying all-round console experience I've ever had. And part of that probably was specifically because I only owned a handful of games at the time, maybe ten or so. But, just like you, when I finally got a job some years later I went out and got a crap load of games at bargain prices and thoroughly enjoyed them too.

I think gamers are maybe spoiled a bit too much for choice and have access to far too much shovelware and freemium titles these days, such that the level of genuine magic I felt playing the SNES as a kid might never be felt quite the same for them.

@samuelvictor I was the same. Also most most of my mates were sega. Master system was a dream. Games were brilliant. I did buy the snes with the street fighter 2 turbo with it but loved my sms and mega drive games. I also bought the mega drive converter that played the sega master system games.
Overall I think I bought the snes for one game only and that was super street fighter 2 turbo.

@samuelvictor Many thanks. ^_^

Happy Birthday to the ultimate gaming machine. Love u SNES! Xo

@PigmaskFan

Ah, thanks. I knew it was something like that. Lol

Favorite system to this day. All those amazing games... FF, breath of fire, dragon quest, earthbound, the list is endless.

Although, I don't understand the hate for the North American design... I think I'm the only one that loves it. Lol. The original design is amazing as well, but they are just different

@samuelvictor Yeah, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I accepted the "Federation Force" assignment... people never fail to be predictable and disappoint, but I learn to shake it off many decades ago.

@samuelvictor Totally agree. I guess it's just "progress". lol

My most favorite classic system of all time, I loved my Super Nintendo like it was my best friend! From the unboxing on X-mas morning in '91 when I was merely 9 years old, to passing it on to my step-daughter, where it finally died after 17 years of awesomeness and wonder. I'm getting weepy-eyed just thinking about it!

It was also the first console where I started experimenting with recording audio and video. I used to plug the red and white RCA jacks into a stereo system and blast Mario, Zelda, R-Type, Super Metroid(though the audio was but a whisper), as well as an assortment of other games that I rented at the local video store.

One game, on which my cousin and I used to have HOURS of fun, was good ol' Super Mario Kart! During the racing part, we would help each other out to get first place until we got good enough to stand on our own. Then in battle mode, we would annihilate each other in what was one of the most fun battle games of it's time!

Thank you, Super Nintendo!

And Thank You, Nintendo, for making it all possible!

Edit: I have THOUSANDS of memories with this system, but I don't want to write a BOOK in the comments, he he!

First games machine we had, can remember watching dad play Mortal Kombat on it when he bought It.
That Christmas when I was 4, I got the original Mario Kart, I can remember it vividly.

@samuelvictor spot on. I miss watching save by the bell. Good days.

Screeech was funny

NES is the boxy one.

@samuelvictor I think that was aired in the Saturday mornings so everyone use to watch it. They also showed California dreams which was similar. But nowadays all they show is antique road show, homes under the hammer and Jeremy Kyle.

And kids watch news now along with politics
How the world has changed

Lol. True

@tedko Good point. SNES didn't have the flickery graphics and limited palette and the problems for many types of games that come with it while N64 made all the wrong trade-offs in 3D graphics in retrospect. SNES is in that sweet spot that feels just fine to go back to. Some NES games feel as timeless to me though.