THE RANT: Since everyone probably has one of these I won't waste time with history baloney. So you all how much I love the NES. I loved it so much that I was stuck with it for four years. I finally got one of these when I was 17. I remember I played SMB4 for like 17 hours straight. This system is truly the pinnacle of 16 bit gaming, with decent graphics, amazing sound, and when pushed to the limits even competed with the Playstation and Saturn for a few years while Nintendo lagged with the N64.
What made this system so great you ask? The incredible game design from Nintendo's in house people for starters. Games like SMB4, Super Metroid, and Zelda 3 are some of the best games ever made. Sure this system has it's share of stinkers but most games are better graphically than their Genesis counterparts and play just as well. I think the turning point in the 16 bit wars was Mortal Komabt II and Street Fighter II, the Genesis versions are seriously lacking while the SNES versions were as close to perfect as you're going to get with a 16 bit console. Many of the games are being reborn on Nintendo's GBA and Revolution console. Ten years later I still mess around with this console all the time.
THE GOOD: Great system with great games. Controller fits in your hands perfectly and became the standard with 6 buttons. Was the first controller to have Left and Right shoulder buttons. Games are really easy to find and really cheap and most of them don't suck. To me the graphics don't look too dated yet, but that's my own personal opinion. Easy to find emulators and Roms on the net, and you can even run them on your Pocket PC, or get a GBA flash card and play them on that.
THE BAD: They made the top of the console uneven on purpose as to discourage people from setting their drinks on the system. I always thought the eject button could have been better designed as well, as you have to to push the flat button into the console, then the cartridge sometimes goes flying out. Also the shoulder buttons on the controllers are sometimes awkward to use. I could never get used to using them as fierce and roundhouse kicks. They also tend to break if your friend kicks your butt and you throw the controller too hard.
THE UGLY: The whole Battleship gray thing looks a little weenie to me. Gray console + lavender buttons = homomachine.
Reasons to own a Super Nintendo:
- Games such as Super Metroid, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy II & III, Super Castlevania, Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, and the Mega Man X series are among the best games ever made and are must haves.
- Graphics and sounds have aged rather well and still surprise from time to time.
- Most of the stuff worth playing made it to the states (i.e. games that are not dating simulators, mahjong, or rpgs that take place in Japanese high schools.)
Reasons not to own a Super Nintendo:
- 16 bit graphics and sounds just don't impress you, in which case you are either a) a kid under the age of 15 or b) a shallow, self-conscious jerk.
- The entire Snes romset can be found via various filesharing networks (of course if you're a "collector" like me this doesn't apply.)
- You're still bitter over the fact that Sega lost the 16 bit-wars, in which case may I remind you that was a long time ago. Give peace a chance.
