The Super NES Classic Edition has arrived in the grimy hands of media reviewers, including here at Retronauts. We've been counting down the best games on the mini-console over the past few weeks, of course. Now I've finally had a chance to see how those games actually look and sound running on Nintendo's bite-sized edition of the Super NES. And the answer is… not too shabbily.
But don't take my word for it. I've captured about half an hour of footage of different games, including the never-before-released Star Fox 2. In several cases — Mega Man X and Final Fantasy III — I've also spliced in footage from original Super NES hardware, recorded on the same setup I use for Super NES Works. In fact, the video below is an impromptu Super NES Works episode. It isn't every day that a running retrospective series on a 25-year-old game console intersects with one of the hottest video game releases of the year.
This episode is, in terms of overdubbed audio, pretty brief and to-the-point. I'll have a full review of the console next week, once Nintendo allows reviews to go online. In the meantime, you can check out the system in action and compare it to the output of my original hardware setup. I notice that the mini looks almost identical in terms of graphical quality —the HDMI connection is quite a bit brighter than the original hardware's RGB connection, but bear in mind the actual Super NES is running through an SCART switcher into an upscaler via analog cables, then by HDMI to the capture unit. Some brightness is lost in the process. Likewise, the analog daisy-chain introduces a slight buzzing sound. That's not really part of the original Super NES experience, but I left the distortion in to underscore the fact that it's awfully difficult to have a classic game experience with perfect fidelity.
Anyway, consider this a sample of the upcoming review, and feel free to drop any questions you may have in the comments. I'll try and answer to the best of my ability. Also, I apologize for any glitches or errors in the video; the system just came in and I didn't have time to edit the video as I normally would.
Introduction
- 0:00-3:22: Introduction and video samples, incl. i
- 3:22-3:50 Star Fox 2
- 3:51-4:36: Yoshi's Island
- 4:37-5:46: Star Fox
- 5:47-9:14: Star Fox 2
Comparison footage
Final Fantasy III and Mega Man X, with comparisons vs. original SNES hardware
Extra footage
Super Castlevania IV, because I love Super Castlevania IV.