I feel like we all predicted this.
With the NES Classic having been such success, selling out everywhere due to a combination of frothing demand and shortages endemic to Nintendo’s toy-like approach to mass producing hardware, it was inevitable that they would return for a second round.
After all, there should be a good reason they don’t have the resources to produce more NES Classics, and it definitely shouldn’t be because they were working on a late gen refresh of a seven year old handheld, right?
Well prepare your wallet, and take your anti stress medication, because according to a press release from Nintendo, the SNES Classic is releasing September 29 for $79.99 USD, $20 more than the NES version because of the extra bits.
What’s most surprising is that Nintendo seems to be pulling out all the stops, and recognize the literal goldmine they can shove into one of these devices. Just take a look at the list of games included:
- Contra III: The Alien Wars
- Donkey Kong Country
- Earthbound
- Final Fantasy III
- F-Zero
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Kirby’s Dream Course
- Kirby Superstar
- Mega Man X
- Secret of Mana
- Star Fox
- Star Fox 2
- Super Mario World
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Metroid
- Super Ghouls and Ghosts
- Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting
- Super Punch-Out!!
- Super Castlevania IV
Not only does it read like a “Top Ten” list, but it also features an unreleased gem in there by the name of Starfox 2.
Infamously cancelled in 1995 to pave the way for the game it would eventually “become” in the form of Starfox 64, there was nevertheless a “finished” ROM of the game that’s been bouncing around in various emulators for years. If you don’t mind the hassle of actually finding it, it was actually shaping up to be a great game before they pulled the plug, with improved visuals and light RTS elements revolving around the Lylat system.
I can’t deny that it’s a genius move. If it weren’t going to drive collectors to extremes unheard of by simply existing, now we have an unreleased game from 22 years ago on it in an official capacity for the first time EVER.
When we’re inevitably burned by the mass shortages, and faced with the dilemma of whether or not to sell that kidney to secure eBay dominance (preorders are already sold out), there’s an elephant in the room worth addressing.
For one, Is this really more worth it than the “50+ GAMES IN A CONTROLLER” plug-n-play machines I can score during a trip to the shadier side of Chinatown, cool SNES shell aside? Second, it’s already sold out in preorders at the time of typing. Deja Vu, anyone? Is this really worth physically threatening a Walmart soccer mom just fo–
*Reads “Starfox 2” again…*
Okay, Maybe.
