SNES - 25 years old, Aug 23, 2016

[Tanooki]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_...ainment_System
Kind of curious why this got overlooked here. The place has been mostly dead for a little while now, but this seems kind of hard to ignore.

Anyone care to share some memories or favorites?

[eskobar]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_...ainment_System
Kind of curious why this got overlooked here. The place has been mostly dead for a little while now, but this seems kind of hard to ignore.

Anyone care to share some memories or favorites?

On my twitter feed it was a heavily commented topic, the Super NES is huge in Mexico and still played on many homes. Great hardware and one of the best libraries on the history of video games.

My favorite game is The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past followed up by Gradius III, Super Mario World, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, Lufia, Breath of Fire and International Superstar Soccer

[celerystalker]

Yeah, I'd have thought Steven would be all over it.

Anyway, I got my SNES for Christmas in 1993, and it was the set that came with Super Mario World with a free send-off for Super Mario All-Stars. My parents sent in for it ahead of time, so we had both on Christmas Day along with Super Star Wars. Probably the biggest Christmas I ever had.

The first time I played an SNES, though, was New Years Eve, 1991 at friends of my parents' home. Their sons would let us play their games while all the parents played board games and talked. That year for Christmas, Mike, the younger son, had gotten a Turbografx 16, whereas Matt, the older son, scored an SNES.

We started with the Turbo, playing predominantly Keith Courage, though Mike also had Final Lap Twin, Victory Run, and Davis Cup Tennis. We actually played a ton of Davis Cup, as we thought it was hilarious late at night to toss the ball up to serve but not swing, just posing with an arm in the air.

Super Mario World, though... good God. That was the only game Matt had, but seriously, we didn't need another. That was where most of the night went. It blew me away. Yoshi, the cape power-up, the tons of secrets... and then we found Star Road, with its multiple exits and trickery... that game got into my head HARD. I remember finally going to bed around 4AM,eyes burning from so much time at the TV, with images of the game just burned into my head.

The SNES is still probably my favorite system. As much as I love playing oddball games and imports, the mainstream SNES stuff in undeniably fun. Earthbound has been my favorite game since my first playthrough in the mid '90s. The Final Fantasies on the system are easily my favorites of the series, especially III. Super Mario World and Super Metroid easily make it into my personal top ten, and games like A Link to the Past, The Illusion of Gaia, and Soul Blazer are some of the best action RPGs out there. Ogre Battle may be my favorite strategy game.

The system has its deficiencies. Stuff like R-Type III, Space Megaforce, UN Squadron, Gradius III, and Pop'n Twinbee are cool, but it was easily outclassed for shooters by its contemporaries. The Super Scope stuff can be fun, but I much prefer a traditional light gun any day. Still, its ports of arcade beat 'em ups are top notch, with Turtles in Time, King of Dragons, Knights of the Round, Captain Commando, etc., and it holds its own with action platformers like Tiny Toons, Contra III, Magic Sword, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Marios, and Donkey Kongs.

The SNES was also the last system where I actively played traditional sports games like EA's Madden and NHL games. From there, I only played a handful of traditional sports games, like Griffey MLB on N64 and NFL 2K on Dreamcast. It is hands down my favorite RPG console, as well as action RPG.

I don't think Nintendo will ever be that good again, as a developer of a console brand. They'll make their money, but the 16 bit era is my favorite to revisit. The comparable arcade experience, the refinement of 8-bit concepts, and the rise of console RPGs made it a very special time for me, and the SNES is my favorite of the three tremendous dominant consoles of that time. It has more of my personal favorite games than any other system.

Plus, ActRaiser rules.

[Tanooki]

Damn right Actraiser rules, it's unmatched in the category it uniquely sits within and it's a crime the sequel wasn't like it or another game since hasn't been made in its style. I made this post over at Racketboy where they did a proper send up for it, now 5 pages deep I've been posting up in quite a bit. Here's my start...

I could go on and on, and I've discovered as time has marched along as much as my love for the NES has held on, I've come to realize that my high school gaming system the SNES was ultimately my favorite and I'm glad to see it has aged like a fine wine against what modern experiences we get today. A lot of it just still isn't dated given its hardware capabilities and styles of games as they meld well with the mobile market OS formats.

The day I got my SNES was the day it came out, it was no holiday, it was just another day. I had planned plotted and begged for this thing for a long time and got my mom to go to the store when it came out. I was going to have her hold the thing until Christmas. She went and picked one up at Toys R Us for me, but after she left it dawned on me I had money all over my room, and a decent amount stored up in my old wooden mailbox safe in my room. I hadn't bought much at all for NES that entire year, not much GB wise either, most of it came as b'day gifts in March. I still to date can't recall how I managed it, but somehow down to the penny I actually had saved up enough for the thing tax and all which because it hit me hard I can still remember it which is weird ($216.50 with then state tax.)

I counted it, double and triple counted it, sorted it into dollar bills of sorts, then stacks of various coins in piles of dollars. It took me awhile, but I had it all laid out on the floor, found a bag or container and shoved it all in there. When I heard the garage going up I bolted downstairs, said nothing yet, but got her to open the trunk. She was like no no, Christmas, and I was like 'HERE!' and shoved the money on her. I doubt it registered immediately, I was up the stairs and opening it up up with care. For the next two weeks straight all I did was tear up Super Mario World and got it at fully unlocked with that little star you get for it. I did nothing but eat, sleep, crap, school work, and other chores I was mostly made to do (which netted more $.) Once I was cleared out on Mario I had racked up some good funds again, went out and snapped up ActRaiser and Gradius III at the same time, and I was set for the year up until I got some more for Christmas (I recall Super Ghouls n Ghosts and Final Fight at the least.) I know I got FF2 early on too.

I still have my old games I've held onto all these years with their paperwork(manuals and maps) too but the boxes are long gone.

[homerhomer]

I remember seeing the Super Nintendo the first time at a Electronics Boutique. It wasn't for sale yet, but they has a display unit. There colors and sounds of Super Mario World were amazing.

I bought one not too much later and was ready for the arcade ports. .

[Gamevet]

I had a Genesis in 1991, so I didn't jump the gun on getting the SNES. I kept telling myself that I didn't need the console, because the Genesis had better games. Then 1992 rolled around, along with Street Fighter II. I had to have SF II.

I really loved the SNES version of SFII. I thought that the music was improved on the console and it pretty much looked like the arcade game. I'd take the console back home during the holidays and my brother, cousin and I would have many bouts with the game. I was the best.

My 1st games for the console were U.N. Squadron, Gradius III, Super Mario World, and Street Fighter II. I would later get MKII (it was awesome), F-Zero, Pilot Wings, Final Fantasy II (loved the music), Super Metroid, Super Star Wars, Mario Kart, Rock N' Roll Racing, Super Castlevania IV, Contra III, Chrono Trigger and one of my favorite RPGs of all-time, Final Fantasy III.

The Genesis was my go to console from 1990 to 1993, but by mid-1993 the SNES really started to blow away what I could get on the Genesis, even with the Sega CD. Super Metroid is one of my all-time favorites, Star Fox was pretty amazing and Final Fantasy III was the perfect RPG. The SNES is definitely in my top 3 to 5 for favorite consoles of all-time. It was Nintendo at it finest and I think even they knew that when they designed the Game Boy Advance, which is pretty much a SNES on the go.


Edit*

I can't believe that I forgot to mention A Link to the Past. ALTTP is my 2nd favorite Zelda game of all-time, just behind The Wind Waker. The music was perfect, the graphics blew me away at the time, and the amount of dungeons and puzzles kept you exploring every nook and cranny of the world. It's easily in my top 10 for the 16-bit era.