SNES - Timeline
Saturday21st Nov 2020
Hardware Classics Super Famicom
Still super after all these years
To many, it's the greatest video game console ever made. The Super Famicom — or Super Nintendo Entertainment System as it is more commonly known outside of its native Japan — is host to some of the finest pieces of interactive entertainment ever made. It was on this console that Nintendo refined so many of the...
Friday13th Nov 2020
Poll Rate Your Favourite SNES Games
Help us assemble the top 50 Super NES games ever
It varies from person to person, of course, but your favourite console generation is often the one you played most in childhood — in that impressionable pre-to-early teen sweet spot where a foundation of gaming memories are formed. That's when you play the classics you return to later in life for...
Sunday8th Nov 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel #67 - F-Zero
From zero to F-Zero
Welcome to Box Art Brawl, the weekly vote to find out which of two or more regional box art variants has what it takes to win your hearts and minds. Last time we boarded the Halloween train with a trio of Resident Evil 0 covers. While Japan and North America scarpered to lock themselves in the WC when the ticket man came, the...
Monday26th Oct 2020
News The SNES Encyclopedia Is An Exhaustive Resource For Nintendo Fans
Penned by Chris Scullion, no less!
As long-time readers of this very site will be aware, Chris Scullion really knows his stuff. That's why we get him to fill these hallowed pages with lovely words; he's something of a boffin when it comes to the world of Nintendo, having worked at Official Nintendo Magazine during its heyday. Scullion has been...
Wednesday16th Sep 2020
News Nintendo Shares Mario’s Super Picross Tutorial As The Game Arrives On Switch
Appearing for the first time in the US
One of the four new games available on the Nintendo Switch Online service next week is Mario's Super Picross, a puzzle game that launched for the Super Famicom back in 1995. This is actually the first time it's ever appeared in the US; European fans were lucky enough to try it out through the Virtual Console...
Thursday10th Sep 2020
News Nintendo Switch SNES Controllers Are Back In Stock In "Limited Quantity" (Europe)
Get on it quick!
Update (10th Sep, 2020 15:05 BST): The SNES controllers for Nintendo Switch are available once again in Europe. Nintendo notes that it only has "limited availability", so make sure to act fast if you want one: Super Nintendo Entertainment System Controller for Nintendo Switch (£26.99 / 29.99€) Delivery is expected between the...
News Evercade's Next Two Cartridges Come Loaded With NES And SNES Titles
Fancy a brawl, bro?
The Evercade handheld console is getting two more cartridges soon, both packed with retro titles from back in the day. If you're a fan of Rival Turf – also known as Rushing Beat – then you're in for a treat. Jaleco Collection 1 is perhaps of most interest; it comes with Bases Loaded, Astynax, Brawl Brothers, City Connection,...
Saturday5th Sep 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel #58 - Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario 2D All-Stars
And welcome back, box art enthusiasts, to the latest entry in Nintendo Life's Box Art Brawl canon. Yes, this week we'll be taking another look at some retro game covers and it'll be up to you to pick the best of them. Last time we took a look at Blue Ninja Shadow of the Kage Dragon as Natsume's variously-named 2D...
Thursday3rd Sep 2020
News Super Mario All-Stars Is Now Available On Nintendo's Switch Online SNES Service
Featuring "enhanced 16-bit graphics"
One of the many Mario announcements during today's Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Direct was that Super Mario All-Stars would be joining the Nintendo Switch Online SNES library. Well, it's now available! Yep, you'll actually be able to play something right away to celebrate Mario's 35th! It's worth...
Thursday20th Aug 2020
Random Playing Super Mario Run With An Official SNES Mouse Looks Quite Fun, Actually
The smartphone game transformed
Super Mario Run was a pretty decent leap to smartphones for everyone's favourite gaming plumber, but even the great pulling power of Mario himself couldn't convince every Nintendo fan to give it a go. Perhaps more would have tried it out if a more traditional control setup were available? You know, like the official...
Monday17th Aug 2020
Random Finally, Sonic The Hedgehog Spins Onto The Super Nintendo
To be this good takes AGES!
Ah, the good old playground arguments of the '90s. Which camp were you in? Even if you were a dedicated Super Nintendo owner with all of the wonderful exclusives that the system offered, it was hard not to be a little bit jealous of the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive's impressive library of games. And of course, the Mega Drive...
Sunday9th Aug 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel #55 - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Crying in a bubble
And we're back for another edition of Box Art Brawl, the weekly poll where you vote for your favourite classic (or sometimes not-so-classic) retro video game box art variant from around the world. Last week we checked in with Dr. Mario on the Game Boy (and NES) 30 years on from
Saturday25th Jul 2020
News Classic Nintendo Source Code And Prototypes Allegedly Leaked
For SNES games and much more
Following on from those "massive" Nintendo leaks earlier this year, it has now reportedly happened again. Alleged prototype versions of classic Super Nintendo titles such as Yoshi's Island, Super Mario Kart, and
Sunday12th Jul 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #51 - Super Aleste / Space Megaforce
A Megaforce to be reckoned with
Welcome to Box Art Brawl, our weekly contest that pits three box art variants from around the world against each other in a fight for your vote. Last week observed three versions of ActRaiser 2 locked in combat. While Japan trailed from the very beginning, it was an exceptionally close fight between North America and...
Wednesday8th Jul 2020
Random Rather Than Pay A Fortune For The Legendary SNES PlayStation, One Man Built His Own
The dream of the '90s is finally here!
The discovery of the SNES PlayStation sent shockwaves through the gaming community back in 2015. A collaboration between Sony and Nintendo, the unit was intended to meet the challenge of CD-based systems like the Mega CD and TurboDuo, but it was never released; Nintendo infamously left So
Sunday5th Jul 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #50 - ActRaiser 2
Raise your act
Welcome back to Box Art Brawl, the weekly contest between box art variants from around the globe to find out which is the best, better than all the rest. Last week Puzzle Bobble, or Bust-a-Move as it's known in North America, graced us with its presence. It wasn't a contest, really - Japan absolutely stormed it with over two thirds...
Tuesday30th Jun 2020
Random Turns Out NBA Jam Has Been Cheating The Chicago Bulls All This Time
"Make sure you pick the Pistons over the Bulls"
If you're a Netflix subscriber, you'll no doubt have seen the excellent basketball documentary series, The Last Dance. It charts the incredible story of Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls during one of the most exciting periods in the history of the sport. It also spends a bit of time covering the...
Monday29th Jun 2020
News Fan Turns Broken SNES Into A Working Switch Dock
Even the eject button (kind of) works
If you fancy a new project to take on while you're stuck at home, or if you happen to have a broken SNES already lying around, perhaps it's time to turn one into a custom, fully-working Switch dock? Remember last month when we shared Reddit user IMOKRUOK's work on a broken NES, which transformed the faulty...
Sunday28th Jun 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #49 - Bust-A-Move / Puzzle Bobble
Bust-a-Bobble
Welcome once again to Box Art Brawl, our weekly poll to discover which of three regional box art variants sits at the top of the tree. Last week we scrutinised Natsume's Wild Guns on Super NES. Following a classic Western-style gunfight, North America emerged from the smoke victorious, growling at second place Japan and third place...
Sunday21st Jun 2020
Poll Box Art Brawl #48 - Wild Guns
Wild world
Welcome to Box Art Brawl, our weekly dust-up to find out which of three regional box art variants is the best. Last week it was Shadowrun's turn to battle itself. Japanese Shadowrun obliterated the competition with over 70% of your approval, leaving second-place North America and third-place Europe to mop up the remainder. This week...
Sunday14th Jun 2020
News The Super Game Boy Is Now 26 Years Old
Only for Super Nintendo
If you're as old as some of us here are at Nintendo Life, you might have fond memories of the Super Game Boy. It was an adapter cartridge for the Super Nintendo that allowed you to play Game Boy and dual-mode Game Boy Color cartridges on the big screen - aka your television. Some games, like the Pokémon titles, even had...
Friday5th Jun 2020
Anniversary EarthBound Turns 25 In The USA, And A Whole Generation Feels Old
Mother!
As time continues to march on relentlessly, it's time for another significant video game anniversary - and today's is a particularly nostalgic one. It's 25 years to the day since Shigesato Itoi's lovely EarthBound first arrived on US shores and gamers in the West got to take on Giygas with Ness and his band of young heroes on the SNES. They...
Wednesday3rd Jun 2020
Poll Rate Your Favourite Nintendo Switch Online SNES Games
Help us rank the 29 SNES games on Nintendo's online sub service
They might have taken a while to arrive, but the library of 29 SNES games available as part of Nintendo's Switch Online subscription service adds considerable value to Switch's online offering for many retro gaming fans. Throw in authentic-feeling wireless controllers that mimic the...
Thursday28th May 2020
News Blimey, Donkey Kong Country 2 Looks Lovely In HD
The SNES classic gets a new lick of paint
Thankfully, fans of the Donkey Kong Country series have been treated rather well over the past few years, with Donkey Kong Country Returns and its sequel Tropical Freeze launching across all of Nintendo's latest systems. We can't sing the praises of Tropical Freeze enough - se
Wednesday20th May 2020
News Nintendo Expands The Switch Online SNES And NES Service With Four More Titles
Update: Out today!
Update: Here's your friendly reminder that these games are out today! Original Story [Fri 15th May, 2020 02:05 BST]: It's been quite a while since Nintendo updated its Switch Online service. Fortunately, it's now announced three SNES games and one NES game will be arriving next week, on 20th May. The three SNES titles include...
Monday4th May 2020
News Sega's Blast Processing? We Did It On The SNES First, Says Former Sculptured Software Dev
"That was before Sega adopted the slogan"
During the epic console war of the early '90s, Sega and Nintendo used every weapon in their arsenal to gain the upper hand on each other. Any feature or technique that was seen as an advantage was quickly turned into a marketing point, and when Sonic the Hedgehog arrived on the scene, Sega was quick to focus...
Monday27th Apr 2020
Video Secret Of Mana Fan Creates Stunning 2D Animation Tribute
Straight outta the '90s
If you've been following the Mana series ever since Secret of Mana came to the SNES in the early '90s, you might want to prepare yourself for a wonderfully nostalgic trip down memory lane. YouTube user Benoit Tranchet has created a lovely 2D animation based on the classic RPG, releasing it on the platform just as the series'...
Friday24th Apr 2020
News The Japan Retro Game Association Offers Super Famicoms To Avoid Lockdown Boredom
Donkey Kong Country saves the day
Despite all the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has also brought out some amazing acts of human kindness. Now we can add the Japan Retro Game Association to our list of lovely people, as they have offered to loan out 100 slightly yellowing Super Famicom consoles to Japanese residents...
Tuesday21st Apr 2020
News Developer Creates New SNES Game In Just 10 Hours
And you can play it for free
It's not often you hear about developers working on new SNES games these days, and it's even rarer to hear about one that was fully created in just ten hours. 'Keeping SNES Alive' is a brand new game from developer Dr. Ludos, who recently released another game for the SNES called Yo-Yo Shuriken - which came on a...
Friday17th Apr 2020
Random Nintendo's Hotline Guided Super Metroid Players With This Forbidden Map
Featuring an extra room
Before we had the internet at our fingertips, players had to call up companies and ask for some assistance when they got stuck in a video game. One Nintendo game a lot of people found a little confusing at times was the 1994 title, Super Metroid. Back in the day of the Nintendo Power hotline, gameplay counselors were using a...