As much as we loved the NES Mini, there was a big problem with the console: the cables on its controllers were so short you had to sit almost directly in front of the TV to play.
Those of us who feared that the SNES Classic Edition would suffer the same fate were pleased to hear that the leads on its controllers would be longer, but we're sad to report that although there's definitely more cord on offer, it's still nowhere near long enough to play the system comfortably from your sofa.
The cable on the SNES Classic controller measures 4ft / 140cm in length, which is a foot longer than the cord on the NES Mini's pad. However, the original SNES has a lead which measures a whopping 230cm - so this new edition loses 90cm of cable. When you consider that back in the '90s we still had to game close to the TV, that's not great news.
We imagine this will result in a series of wireless options, just like those which accompanied the launch of the NES Mini. Are you annoyed to learn that the cable isn't even as long as that on the original SNES? Let us know with a comment.
Comments 80
De ja vu! Those pennies won't squeeze themselves. And there's no plug in the European version.......again.
Though, thankfully, it's nowhere near as bad as the NES Classic Mini lead is. I used a controller extender in conjunction with a Wii Classic Pro controller and it works great.
Can't say I'm surprised.
It's definitely very annoying, it's as if Nintendo doesn't understand that many people have massive tvs and don't sit right on top of it to play games. I'm gonna look into extenders so it's not the end of the world, but still, it makes absolutely no sense to make the cords so short.
Oh well, if I do get one I already have the extensions from the NES mini. And I'd probably invest on a wireless controller anyway.
It's still long enough to hang yourself with due to the frustration. But then again, without a pre-order even that will be tough.
I bought a 5m HDMI-kabel, so I could position my Switch dock on a little table next to my couch, away from the TV. I also use that HDMI cable with my NES Classic and will use it with the SNES Classic. So the length of the controller cables is no problem for me.
Japanese rooms don't usually have that much clearance these days anyway. Why make the cords super long? It'll just make storing the controllers harder for them.
Why are they not wireless? WHY?
This should not be a shock at all. Typical Nintendo cheaping out like normal.
That picture reminds me of a dorm experiment somehow...
Guess I'll grab me an extension cable then.
Since you need the Reset button on the system close to you, the cables might be even too long...
You can pick up 2m controller extensions for £1.50 on eBay, so not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination
So....
Mini size means Mini range of SNES cable controller.
A Mini console for Seven Dwarfs ?
How do they compare to the Club Nintendo SNES controllers for Wii?
Not much of an issue since you have to get up to switch games and make restore points anyway. A long enough HDMI, a long enough USB charge cable and an extension lead for the plug should solve this issues.
@Anti-Matter NESy, SNESy, N64y, Cubey, Wiiy, Wii-Uy and Gameboy-y?
Not a problem as won't even be able to get the console to critisise the lead.
On my NES mini I got a set of those cool third party double packs (as couldn't find an official second controller anywhere), and works like a charm.
@Angelic_Lapras_King I never measured my cable length for it, but I'd imagine it's literally the same controller/cable that they just sent another order for without changing anything.
The Ext port for the Wiimote cord can only go so long without signal loss. So Nintendo made the cord as long as they could realistically make it.
@Angelic_Lapras_King
ROFL
Coincidentally 7 Dwarfs of Nintendo machines.
I thought the biggest problem with the controller was being able to actually pre-order one of these things.
The real question is: why aren't they wireless? This is 2017, not 1994.
I bought 2 extension cables and a second controller for the NES mini (for the scalper's price of $40, which is still better than the Switch Pro Controller's price, to be fair), so if I do eventually manage to get a SNES mini, controller length will not be a problem.
I can't help but feel that this is a deliberate design decision born out of Shiggsy spending 18 hours crouched 4 inches from an 18" CRT playing Turtles in Time and realising that what's wrong with gaming today is that the kids are too far away from the action.
@Angelic_Lapras_King You could have said Switch-y.
@shani I would guess for the same reason this console consists of games from, you know, the 90s.
@Mando44646 That would probably add a decent amount to the cost if the implementation is any good. No excuse for not adding more wire though, that's very cheap.
@shani
I imagine it's part of the nostalgia, but probably more importantly it would have added cost. Still there's no excuse to make the cord so short though.
So is everyone canceling their preorders to free them up for other people? Don't want people to get stuck with systems with short cords.
Looks like Nintendo doesn't recognize comfortable and lazy couch gaming anymore!
Too much motion controls and too much mobile stuff these days!
@Sinton Yeah but the console is from 2017.
Again?! Really?
What are Nintendo's engineers smoking to ignore this issue, specially when it was already brought up with the Mini NES?
I honestly don't get why anyone at Nintendo thinks having these [largely impractical] shorter cables is the right decision here. Thank God it's at least a bit longer than the NES one though.
I genuinely don't understand. Ludicrous.
"lead" Is that a UK English pun? ("cord" is what we call them in America)
@LiberatedAnimal True, but I was mostly just sticking with older systems that might get a Mini version someday (Though Wii U might be a stretch but meh.).
Ah well, least I didnt pick Virtual Boyy. XD
PRO TIP: You're allowed to bring your own HDMI cable. Get a long one! Then you won't have to worry about the controller cable length at all.
Besides, it's not as if you'll be able to find and buy one of these consoles, anyway.
Pathetic. No wonder I'm not buying it. And so will those many who're fed up of waiting for restocks. Disappointed
Would not be an issue for me this is something (if I could get it) that I would play sitting in front of my TV like it's 1995.
@Angelic_Lapras_King Oh I see. Yeah could you imagine a WiiU mini? Lol Reproduce gamepads for them all. They would probably only make about 50 of them.
@LiberatedAnimal Meh, could work. Smaller gamepad and tiny system, 15-20 games installed (Which if they don't go crazy on Switch Wii U ports would be a good bunch of games not everyone has played.) and a decent price.
But I guess it all depends on how far they'll take this Mini line for. If they were to stay on the Gameboy Line or even do new models of the NES and SNES Mini (Different games and based off the Dogbone NES and SENS Jr designs), they could easily do it till the Wii U becomes "retro" enough. XD
Why is anyone concerned with cable length on the controller? It's not like anyone is going to be able to buy one anyway
I'm seriously beginning to question some people's understanding of the term "retro console gaming"...
The year a console comes out in or because other consoles do have them has nothing to do with it. You simply can't have genuine retro console gaming with a wireless controller (although there were some third party efforts even back then, but still: not originally); that's part of the whole feel/charm of it, and that is something you need to understand.
Same goes for "having to walk all the way over to the console" to push that reset button. Heaven forbid you'd actually have to take a few steps to perform that action...
If you want to use all your modern, wireless, motion enabled controllers with it, then maybe this just isn't for you. But there's still VC on older consoles for you, and the Switch will soon also come up with its own solution.
As for a solution of this "problem" right here:
As one smart person has already said, the cost of buying a couple of extension cords is so cheap, that this slight f-up by Nintendo definitely isn't the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination, so people should really not get their knickers/boxers in a twist about such a minor offense.
Yes... yes I am
Seriously, whoever approved the use of wii plugs instead of USB needs to be drawn and quartered at this point. This person clearly wants to watch the world burn.
I'd be annoyed about this but I'm not since the mini is most likely going to be out of stock anyways.
Doesn't bother me in the slightest. Just glad I managed to preorder one.
Have you ever seen a Super Famicom controller? That one has a shorter cord than even the SNES mini one.
@Krisi
Just what I was going to post. The controllers that came with my Super Famicom back in the day were 3 feet at the most!
Well if i manage to get one I can worry about it then, but I'm still afraid I won't even get one after trying very hard to get a pre-order in with that fiasco here in america . I'm going to probably end up camping out in a bigger city near here to try my hand thinking probably going to do Toys R Us since they are not pre-ordering hopefully that means their in store stock will be better.
Coming from the company that, against all odds and common sense, chose Maxwell over Pascal, this is not at all surprising.
I bought extension cables for the NES mini so I'm covered. Kinda hoped I wouldn't need them though. Oh well.
The main problem is the lack of stock but that will never be fix.
Story of my life, everything I get is too short
I assume you still have to hit the reset button on the console itself or something similar to bring up the system menu like on the NES Classic? If so, I don't see what the problem is. What you really need is a long HDMI cable (unless you're like me and are using your NES Classic on your PC monitor and saving the fancy full TV for the modern consoles with their fancy graphics), not a longer controller cord. Considering how often you actually have to hit that reset button, a long controller cord gets in the way during proper use of these things.
I'm wondering whether or not anyone's gonna be making accessories for the snes classic this time. When all those wireless controllers for the nes classic came out, it hadn't been announced as a limited time only thing.
just do what I did, buy an 8bitdo RetroReceiver SNES and use your WiiU controller wirelessly...cable length problem solved (for the old SNES, if you are going to have an SNES Classic, you are on your own!)
Not again, sitting that close to a 55 inch TV will be painful.
Just bought an extension cord for $2.99 on eBay.
Now I just need a SNES Mini...
A lead? That's a new one on me. Is it European terminology to call a controller cord a lead?
@Angelic_Lapras_King That would be nuts and I hope everything you said happens. 😀
@Atariboy British yes. 😉
the cord is still long enough for the chronic complainers to choke themselves with. so its got that going for it.
140cm is 4ft 6inch not 4ft. Just saying
I just want them to give up on this silly hardware binge and give us these games on a proper Switch VC. Then they should sell classic style wireless controllers for the Switch for those who want the classic feel.
Why do you guys want to devote an entire HDMI port, or change the plug every time you feel like playing a retro game?
They call it mini for a reason.
In Japan they have smaller rooms etc.. that's my theory on the silly short cables...they aren't worried about the west. We just buy their stuff. We try to anyway... looks like raspberry pi for me, I'll never actually see the SNES Mini at retail and the scalpers aren't getting my money.
It's disappointing that they are still not giving us a proper cable, yes.
Considering I'm thinking of streaming it when it launches, I'm a bit disappointed, this will make my setup all the more difficult. :-/
Ya know extension cords exist for a reason.
It's a decision based purely on packaging, surely. This is the Super Nintendo MINI after all. Yes, of course I would have (like many) preferred longer cables, but options are available for those with which this is an impossible situation.
Yeah we all know where this leads - MORE MOANING!!
@dew12333 Moaning? In here? Never. They're called opinions in these parts.
then they sell the NES MINI and SNES MINI on the switch - and all of these problems go away
who cares? no one will be able to buy one anyway
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Wait, what? No plug? What the hell are we supposed to use to power it then? Is it compatible with 3DS or Switch's power supplies? How the hell are they able to ship a product that requires a plug to even function without one?
I don’t understand why they make awesome choices and then also make equally terrible decisions in the same sentence. 3 steps forward, 2 steps back. Look I have extenders but I shouldn’t need them is all I’m saying.
EDIT: I’m absolutely happy they’re not wireless by default.
Short cables by default > Wireless by default
I totally agree with the person above about how that’s part of the retro experience not having wireless.
@Krisi Yes, SFC controllers. I bought a Super Famicom Controller once and when the package arrived, I was dismayed to find the cord was literally one third the length of it's North American counterpart...
@Spike6958 from what I've read you're supposed to use a cell phone charger. Probably the standard 5 pin adapter that most cell phones use.
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