Nintendo Classic Mini Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

What is the SNES Classic Mini?

The Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as the Super NES Classic Edition (in North America) and Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Famicom (in Japan), is a miniature, plug-and-play recreation of Nintendo’s beloved 16-bit home console, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in 2017 as part of Nintendo’s retro revival series.

Release & Context

It was announced on 26 June 2017.
Released in Europe on 29 September 2017, with slightly different dates for North America, Australia and Japan.
It followed the success of the NES Classic Edition / Nintendo Classic Mini: NES, which had already sparked strong interest in retro gaming.

Design & Hardware

The console is a miniature replica of the original SNES hardware, maintaining much of the classic look and feel, but in a much smaller form factor.
It includes two wired SNES-style controllers. Multiplayer is a key part of its appeal.
Modern outputs: it connects via HDMI to HD TVs, uses a USB power cable (though an AC adapter may or may not be included, depending on region).

Software & Games

It comes with 21 built-in classic games, including some of the most iconic SNES titles.
Some highlights include Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Final Fantasy III (known in Japan as FFVI), and Secret of Mana.
A standout feature: inclusion of Star Fox 2, a game originally developed for the SNES era but never released commercially until this classic mini edition. This was exciting for longtime fans.
All games are the original US 60Hz versions.

Technical Specs

Here are some of the technical details:

Feature	Specification
Internal storage	~512 MB NAND flash memory
RAM	256 MB DDR3
CPU / system	Based on emulation, using a system‐on‐chip; listed spec is Allwinner R16 with ARM Cortex-A7 cores.
Graphics	GPU listed as Mali-400 MP
Physical size	Approx. 110 mm × 40.5 mm × 133 mm (width × height × depth)

Features & User Experience

Save states / rewinds / suspend points — users can save their progress manually or use features like suspend or rewinds in many cases. (These are typical in retro re-releases; while Nintendo does not always emphasise “rewind,” suspend / save state functionality is present.)
Two controllers built-in gives you multiplayer capability immediately for games that support two players.
The menu / interface is simple: you can pick a game, view screen settings, etc. There's no official way to add more games (without modding).

Reception & Criticism

The SNES Classic Mini sold extremely well. Pre-orders sold out quickly in many regions.
Critics generally praised it for excellent selection of games, nostalgic design, and good emulation quality.
Some of the criticism includes that the controller cables are a bit short (compared to modern expectations), and that the game list, while excellent, is limited to the 21 pre-loaded games with no official way to expand.

Legacy & Impact

The SNES Classic Mini helped popularize mini, dedicated consoles beyond the NES remake. Its commercial success reinforced Nintendo’s strategy in retro hardware.
It revived interest in many SNES titles, especially those not previously released widely (like Star Fox 2).
Even after being discontinued (in late 2018), the unit remains popular on secondary markets, both among collectors and gamers who did not get one upon release.

Summary

The Nintendo Classic Mini: SNES is a highly successful remake of a beloved system. It balances nostalgia with modern convenience nicely: you get classic games, original-style controllers, and HDMI output, without needing to dig out old cartridges. For fans of 16-bit era games, especially those who grew up with or admire the SNES library, it's a great curated experience. For modern gamers, it also offers an accessible way to sample many of the genre-defining titles from that era.