SNES News (Page 4)
Random This Browser-Based Version Of Mario Paint Composer Will Entertain For Hours
Face the music
What's the best part of Mario Paint? No, not the painting! The Composer mode! Who didn't spend hours on Mario Paint making tunes with fire flowers, mushrooms, coins, and boos? Mario Paint Composer has become something of an online hit in the years since the SNES game's release, with many budding musicians picking up their SNES mouse...
News Undertale Creator Toby Fox Explains How EarthBound's Fans Kept The Game Alive
Praises the "active and aggressive" fan community
Undertale creator Toby Fox has made no secret of the fact that he was heavily inspired by EarthBound when crafting his legendary post-modern take on the humble RPG, and he's one of many people who has spoken to Lost in Cult for the next issue of its boutique video game publication, Lock-On. Lock-On
Random Get A Glimpse At The Glory Days With This Retro SNES Video
Featuring the famous Nintendo Gameplay Counsellors
Just recently, we caught a sneaky glimpse at the dedicated workers testing and packing NES consoles back in 1989. While it hardly contained any surprises or revelations into how consoles were manufactured back in the day, it was nevertheless a fascinating look at the fine folks who worked tirelessly...
News Brand New Details On The Cancelled SNES Kirby Game Have Been Discovered
Manual pages and story details
A major discovery has been made on the cancelled Super Nintendo Kirby game, Kid Kirby. This unusual title, which was being developed by DMA Design (who are now Rockstar North — yes, that Rockstar North), the game was meant to use the Super NES Mouse to launch Kirby across the levels, but slow development and poor...
News Nintendo Expands Its Switch Online SNES Service With Three More SP Titles
A celebration of Kirby
Nintendo has added not one, not two, but three more Kirby games to its Switch Online Super Nintendo service. The catch is they're technically existing releases but are the 'SP' versions. They include Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Land 3 and Kirby's Dream Course. This also bumps the Switch Online SNES application to Version...
Random These All-In-One SNES And Famicom Consoles Are True Works Of Art
We'll take two!
We've seen our fair share of custom designs for retro consoles over the years, but we reckon this one takes the cake. Swedish audio-visual artist Love Hultén has created all-in-one devices for the Famicom system and the SNES, combining the genuine consoles with a 9" Sony Trinitron PVM-9042QM display monitor. The result is not only...
News Rendering Ranger: R2 Is Officially Making Its Way To Switch And SNES
1995 SHMUP was previously one of the rarest games in existence
Update - Tue 7th Jun, 2022 13:00 BST: Rendering Ranger: R2 has been announced for western release by Limited Run Games, officially ending its absurd scarcity since its initial Japan SNES launch in 1995. No release date has been set at the time of writing, however a physical edition of...
Random Hyperkin Recreates The 'Americantendo' From Stranger Things 4
We award this 11/11
If you've managed to watch Stranger Things 4 by now, you might have caught the rather bizarre mention of the 'Americantendo', a hypothetical 16-bit console that's mentioned by the character Argyle. Don't worry if you haven't seen it yet, that's all the context we'll be providing here for fear of spoilers! Well, Hyperkin has gone...
News Nintendo Expands Its Switch Online SNES And NES Service With Three More Titles
Out now!
Following on from the news that we could be getting more NES and SNES games this week, Nintendo has now added three classics to its Switch Online service. The titles joining the service on this occasion include Congo's Caper (Data East, 1993) and Rival Turf! (Jaleco, 1992) for Super Nintendo, along with Pinball (Nintendo, 1983) for NES.
News SNES Platforming Shooter 'Jim Power: The Lost Dimension' Returns On Switch
With multiple physical releases
In another obscure retro rerelease, publisher QUByte Interactive and developer PIKO Interactive have announced the return of the SNES platformer Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D in the form of a brand new release — Jim Power: The Lost Dimension. Released in 1993 on the Super Nintendo, Jim Power is an action...
News This Important Piece Of Star Fox History Was Almost Thrown Away
I can't let you do that, Fox
Star Fox might not be one of Nintendo's biggest-selling franchises, but it certainly has a passionate following; the first SNES game was revolutionary in that it harnessed the Super FX chip to create a convincing 3D world, while subsequent titles both refined the format and took it in new directions. However, since...
News Newly-Translated Article Reveals Sega And Nintendo's Worries Of A '90s Atari-Style Crash
“It’s almost like a return of the 1982 Atari Shock"
Many of us think of the '90s as the golden age of video games. The Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis / Mega Drive were brimming with a huge variety of games. But when Sony's PlayStation hit in 1995, it was an indication of another huge shake-up in the video game industry — though even then,...
Random Here's Why Wolfenstein 3D On SNES Replaced Dogs With Rats
"You can't shoot dogs!"
We love a good documentary here at Nintendo Life, and CREATORVC's upcoming film, First Person Shooter, looks like it will fill a big gap in our lives. Shooting for a Q4 2022 release, this 3+ hour documentary is all about the genre's rise. Ahead of its release later this year, CREATORVC has shared a six-minute snippet with IGN...
News Get Your Funky Kong On With This Donkey Kong Country Ska Album
In a ska-bound land
David Wise's work on the Donkey Kong Country series soundtracks is arguably some of the most iconic of the SNES era. The original set the tone, from the 'Main Theme' to 'Aquatic Ambience' to 'Gan-Plank Galleon'. And because of Wise's excellent work, we've all heard of 'Stickerbush Symphony' from Donkey Kong Country 2 and the...
News David Ward, Co-Founder Of UK Game Developer Ocean Software, Has Passed Away
A "legend of the UK games industry"
Co-founder of Ocean Software, David Ward, has sadly passed away. A titan of the UK games industry, Ward's Ocean Software was one of the biggest European game developers and publishers in the '80s and '90s. This news was revealed by Just Flight founder Andy Payne on Twitter, and there has been an outpouring of...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel #95 - Earthbound / Mother 2
It's going to get Ness-y
Greetings, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, we took a look at the SNES classic Super Castlevania IV, and boy, you folks really didn't like the Japanese box art, did you? The North American variant took a resounding victory with 94% of the vote; one of the most decisive Box Art Brawls we've perhaps...
News Limited Run Games Releasing SNES Cartridge For Side-Scrolling RPG 'Dragon View'
It's worth a look
We have another beautiful-looking Limited Run Games release for you today — or in this case, a rerelease. The video game distributor has announced a brand new retro release for the SNES side-scrolling action RPG Dragon View. Limited Run revealed the rerelease of this cult classic yesterday, complete with a green SNES cartridge:...
Random You Can Play SNES Games On A Toaster With This DIY Kit
ToastBound
When we think of custom consoles, the first thing that comes to mind is custom plates, portable versions of home consoles - like this portable GameCube, which, in the absence of GameCube games on the Switch, we need. Yes, need. We're going a bit beyond these examples today, though! Japanese manufacturer Columbus Circle, who creates parts...
Gallery This Incredible Axelay Art Proves We Need A Modern Remake
Created by Housemarque's Tomi Väisänen
While the end credits of Konami's stunning SNES shmup Axelay promised a sequel, we sadly never got one – and the game remains a true one-of-a-kind thanks to its gorgeous visuals, fantastic level design and brilliant music. Someone else who is clearly a huge fan is Housemarque's Tomi Väisänen. When he's...
News As 'Power Instinct' Approaches 30, The Chances Of A Re-Release Seem Slim
Character designs not "politically correct"
While it might not be quite as well-known as Street Fighter or King of Fighters, Atlus' zany Power Instinct (Gōketsuji Ichizoku in Japan) still has many fans – and those same fans might be expecting some kind of celebration to mark the series' 30th birthday in 2023. However, according to one source in...
News Switch Online SNES And Sega Genesis Wireless Controllers Are Back In Stock (North America)
Get 'em while you can
One of the best ways to experience Nintendo's Switch Online retro library is with authentic wireless controllers. If you've not been able to get your hands on the SNES or Sega Genesis wireless controllers just yet though, the good news is that they're now both back in stock on Nintendo's official websites in North America...
News Nintendo Adds Super Mario World And Super Punch-Out!! Switch Online Special Versions
Special World and 'Champion Edition' await
As you're likely aware, Nintendo bolstered the NES and SNES Switch Online line-ups with three new games, but there are a couple of other additions to check out. We have another two 'Special' editions to try, both for iconic games in the Super Nintendo app. First up we have 'Champion Edition' in Super...
Rumour Could We Be Getting New NES And SNES Games This Week?
Update: Three more classics have been added!
Update [Thu 31st Mar, 2022 02:05 BST]: It's official, Nintendo has expanded its SNES and NES service with three more titles. Nintendo Expands Its Switch Online SNES And NES Service With Three More Titles Original story [Wed 30th Mar, 2022 13:45 BST]: New games for the Nintendo Switch Online service...
Rumour Buster No, The Original DOOM Doesn't Take Place In March 2022
"that date did not come from anyone at id"
At the start of this year, a rumour was apparently doing the rounds online that the original 1993 DOOM video game (released on the Super Nintendo in the same year) was set during March 2022. This "rumour" comes from the game's SNES manual. FPS specialist magazine E1M1 (via PCGamesN) previously confirmed...
Random Discover How Mode 7 Works On Super NES, In Just 10 Minutes
Who needs blast processing?
Mode 7 is definitely one of the coolest features of many SNES games. Remember hopping into your first go-kart in Super Mario Kart and seeing your favourite characters drive around "fully-3D" courses? Or playing Secret of Mana and getting on Flammie's back for the first time, and looking down at the world map? Don't forget...
News Unofficial F-Zero 'World Championship' Aims To Celebrate The 30th Anniversary Of The Series
(That's 30 years in Europe, by the way)
F-Zero burst onto the scene over 30 years ago now as a launch title for the Super Famicom. Since then, Captain Falcon and his pals have enthralled millions of players – but even so, there hasn't been a new entry in the franchise since 2004's F-Zero Climax. For shame, Nintendo. Pop culture publication Cool...
Random Portal 2's Intro Was Apparently Inspired By Super Metroid's Opening
Game's project lead reveals all
The 1994 action-adventure Super Metroid is arguably the best entry in the mainline Metroid series and as a result, it's inspired many other games over the years. One game that you may not have realised took a little bit of inspiration is Valve's 2011 puzzle-platform game is Portal 2. Speaking to YouTube channel Kiwi...
News Square Enix Is Looking Into More HD-2D Remakes Of SNES Classics
"The president ordered us to make more use of HD-2D"
Square Enix is looking to follow up the likes of Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy and Live A Live with more 'HD-2D' remakes, it has been revealed. The report comes via Japanese publication Famitsu (thanks, VGC), which reveals that the deve
News Thousands Of Dollars Of Rare Factory-Sealed SNES Games Unearthed After 27 Years In Storage
TMNT! Evermore! Chrono Trigger! Sunset Riders!
When a video game store in Nebraska closed its doors for the final time in 1994, its entire stock was packed away and placed in storage, waiting for a new owner. Now, almost 30 years later, the stock has been unearthed and documented – and YouTube channel THISISGAMEROOM was there to record it. As you...
News Super Mario RPG Director Would Love His Final Game To Be "Another Mario RPG"
Super Mario RPG celebrated its 25th last year
Before Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series, there was the 1996 SNES title, Super Mario RPG. If you've ever wondered about a possible sequel, you're not alone. In fact, Chihiro Fujioka - one of the game's directors is also up for it. In a recent interview with the YouTube channel MinnMax, Fuj
Review EarthBound - A Quirky, Cosmic Adventure Bound To Warm Your Heart
Mother!
This review originally went live in 2016, and we're updating and republishing it to mark the arrival of Earthbound in the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library. Fuzzy pickles! Back in 1995, this second instalment of Shigesato Itoi's much-loved Mother series (as it's known in Japan) only received a western release in North America, where...
News Square Enix's SNES JRPG 'Live A Live' Is Coming To The West After Almost 30 Years
Better later than never, right?
The Japan-exclusive SNES RPG Live A Live is finally coming to the west, it has been revealed. Originally released in 1994, the marked the directorial debut of Takashi Tokita - who worked on Chrono Trigger the following year. Live A Live was made available (in Japan) on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2015, and this was...
Random Check Out This Adorable 'Coat' For Your SNES
It's cold outside
If there's one video game accessory that's been unfairly ignored over the decades, it's console clothing. We live in a world where people will happily dress up their pets without any fear of rebuke, so why not their beloved gaming systems, too? It would seem that, once upon a time in Japan, someone thought this might catch on...
Random This Fan-Made SNES Hack Combines Celeste With Super Mario
It's also Celeste's 4th birthday!
Remember the Super Mario Maker craze, when a bunch of masochistic platforming-obsessed players would show off their near-impossible levels? And then, just days later, some even more masochistic platforming-obsessed player would post a video of themselves beating it? Well, now you can relive those glory days with...
News Metroid Prime Dev Confirms That Nintendo Blocked The Addition Of Super Metroid To The Game
...but it paved the way to the inclusion of the original Metroid
A few years back, it was reported that Super Metroid almost made it into Metroid Prime but Nintendo decided against it because the emulator used was an unofficial third-party one. In a conversation with Kiwi Talkz, Metroid Prime developer
With "high stability and low latency"
Taiwanese accessory maker Brook has made a name for itself via its innovative 'Wingman' series of adapters, and the company's latest product will be of particular interest to Nintendo fans. The 'Wingman SNES' makes it possible for retro gamers to use modern controllers on their classic systems. The adapter will...
News Legendary SNES Emulator Liberated Using NSA Tool
Swedish programmer bags long-rumoured SNESticle
The fabled SNES emulator known as SNESticle, which for much of the past two decades was considered to be nothing more than a rumour, has finally been unearthed and excavated by a Swedish programmer using, of all things, a National Security Agency-designed open source tool. SNESticle, the follow-up to...
Feature Artist Kamui Fujiwara Talks Terranigma Amid Drive To Resurrect Classic SNES RPG
"It means the quest is not over, right?"
Terranigma is a SNES title that holds a special place in the heart of many an RPG fan, which is remarkable when you consider that it was only released in Japan and Europe, and bypassed North America entirely. Part of Quintet's loose RPG trilogy (which also includes Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia),...
News Almost 30 Years Later, This Super Mario Kart Player Has Achieved An "Impossible" Record
From legend to Myth+
Super Mario Kart may have launched way back in 1993 and spawned several sequels since then, but it has lost none of its power when it comes to attracting record-breaking attempts. We've covered the likes of Sami Cetin on Nintendo Life in the past, as well as Guillaume "Antistar" Leviach – two of the world's best Super Mario...
News Yes, This Is Stunt Race FX Running On The Game Boy
Seriously impressive stuff
Stunt Race FX (known in Japan as Wild Trax) was quite an impressive feat when it launched. Sure, it looks hopelessly crude by modern standards, but back in the early '90s when 3D visuals were still in their infancy, it really turned heads – lest we forget, consoles like the SNES simply were not designed for this kind of...
News Masayuki Uemura, Creator Of The NES And SNES, Has Passed Away
"I think we have accomplished all the things we could accomplish with console games"
It has been revealed that NES and SNES lead architect Masayuki Uemura passed away on December 6th at the age of 78. The Famicom – the system that would become the NES in the west – was the brainchild of Uemura, who joined Nintendo as an engineer from Sharp in...
News Music From Kirby Super Star Has Just Been Nominated For A Grammy
'Meta Knight's Revenge'
Today in 'headlines we didn't expect to be writing in 2021 – or indeed, ever', we bring you the news that a track from SNES classic Kirby Super Star (known as Kirby's Fun Pak in PAL regions) has been nominated for a Grammy. The prestigious awards ceremony is gearing up for its 64th event and the full list of 2022...
News There's A $5,000 Reward For Anyone Who Can Find These 'Lost' F-Zero Tracks
"More like a lottery at this point"
Long before DLC become a regular part of our gaming lives, Nintendo broke new ground with its Satellaview service for the Super Famicom. Using satellite broadcasts, this system allowed players to download and store games on special rewritable BS-X memory packs – and preserving these titles has become a serious...
Random Want A Live Band In Zelda: A Link To The Past? The Game Brass Has You Covered
Yes, it's called A Link to the Brass
It's a big anniversary year with The Legend of Zelda turning 35, but it's also notable that 21st November brings us the 30th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past arriving in Japan. It's one of the greatest games in the series, and indeed gaming history, and of course fans will be celebrating in...
Gallery Breaking The Seal On Retro-Bit's 'Undercover Cops' Reissue
One of the rarest Super Famicom games lives again
Irem's Undercover Cops is one of the most expensive Super Famicom titles, regularly changing hands for $200 just for the loose cartridge. However, Retro-Bit has come to our rescue with a reissue of the game which comes with a bunch of other goodies that collectors will want to check out. Retro-Bit...
Random This Normal-Looking LEGO SNES Is Secretly Four Robots
Same
Baron von Brunk is at it again. We know that sounds like the beginning of a video game about shooting evil guys who definitely aren't Nazis but kind of are, but Baron von Brunk is a REAL MAN, whose actual name is Julius von Brunk, and he makes LEGO transformers. He's made a LEGO Game Boy Transformer, a LEGO N64 Transformer, a
News Don't Worry, Nintendo Isn't Abandoning Switch Online's SNES And NES Libraries
People who "don't upgrade" can still look forward to new additions
Nintendo's new tier for the Switch Online service has raised some concerns about future support for the SNES and NES libraries. Will games continue to be added to this service, or is Nintendo done with these older retro libraries for good? It seems there's no need to worry. Axios...
News Retailer Appears To Have Uncovered New And Sealed '90s SNES Games, And They're Up For Sale
What a find!
It's not often you stumble across brand new stock of games released in the '90s when browsing your favourite game store, but here we are with one of the most intriguing retail listings you're likely to see all year. German retailer Galeria Kaufhof has today added a brand new listing for Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals, known simply as...
Video The History Of The 'Silhouette' Super Nintendo Emulator Might Be An "Elaborate Hoax"
MVG takes a closer look
The Switch generation has seen Nintendo call on emulation for games such as the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, but long before this, there was apparently an official emulator that could run Super Nintendo titles. Starting out life as 'Mirage', project 'Silhouette' was a SNES emulator for MacOS and Power PC that...
News Two Classic '90s Games Are Being Reprinted On SNES, And Pre-Orders Are Open
Sega Mega Drive and NES options also available
Stone Protectors Piko Interactive, which you'll likely know for its strategy of hoovering up old gaming IPs to re-release them on old hardware, has two more titles for your retro-loving consideration. Both Jim Power: The Lost Dimension and Stone Protectors, two games that were first brought to life in...
