Late last week I remembered that the SNES Mini was right around the corner, after it had somewhat drifted out of my mind. The past month has been somewhat busy and chaotic on both a personal and professional level, with Nintendo having the audacity to release a system that's selling rather well. With the silly season of Autumn / Fall and Winter releases there's been plenty to think about, and the humble 3DS has had the occasional gem here and there; throw in a Direct etc, and it's been a busy time.
So I'd lost track of the SNES Mini; being based in the UK I'm fortunate enough to have made a pre-order during the Summer, and when I clocked that its release was imminent it certainly cheered me up. I even held off on a game purchase or two I'd been planning; like most I only have a specific amount I can spend on games, and those pre-orders need to be paid. Besides, the SNES Mini has new games as far as I'm concerned, and not just Star Fox 2.
To quote everyone's favourite Metroid game - confession time... (stares wistfully out of a window). I've never played Star Fox.
Some longer term and particularly attentive readers may have learnt already of my shameful lack of history with Nintendo - considering the fact I write about them - but here's a crash course. My first 'gaming' system was a ZX Spectrum (like a Commodore 64, but British), and then we got a SEGA Mega Drive. I'd have been about 6 years old when the decision was made, and so my older brother made the call; I've never regretted it to this day. I was a SEGA kid in those 16-bit console wars and loved the Mega Drive / Genesis; the original Sonic games, Streets of Rage II, weird games like Gynoug, that was a huge part of my childhood. At one point we got a good PC too, so I grew up with LucasArts titles and Theme Hospital.
Some of my colleagues had both a SNES and Mega Drive growing up, but that was never on the cards for me. We had the PC I mentioned, too, and my brother and I were all about building our game collection as well as we could. Gaming was actually expensive back then - my receipt for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 shows it was £39.99, and that's in the early '90s. I remember we also paid a crazy amount just for the cartridge of Street Fighter 2, it was madness. Throw in PC gaming, and I'm grateful to my parents for getting us all the games they did.
Anyway, my first Nintendo system was when my older brother spent the pay from his first proper job on a Nintendo 64, and it was the Star Fox 64 bundle (or Lylat Wars, as it was in Europe). That game blew my mind, and its brevity didn't bother me because mine had been a childhood obsessed with arcade machines and their stunning games. The 3D visuals were game-changing - which would only become more the case once I saw Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - and even simple things like the Rumble Pak were exciting. I remember we unboxed it, plugged it in and took turns playing through Star Fox 64, over and over again.
That was my first delicious taste of 'owning' a Nintendo system - naturally it went with my brother to University a little while later, it was his system after all! I'd briefly played a SNES in an era gone by at a relative's house, but my first extended time with Nintendo hardware was that N64.
It was the Wii Virtual Console that changed everything for me. I spent a lot of money over the system's life catching up on classics and not-so-classics from the NES and SNES era. In some ways that obsession with the Virtual Console is what turned me from being a Wii and DS fan into being a 'Nintendo' fan, to the point that I now write about them every day. I played dozens of 8- and 16-bit games through the Wii, wonky emulation and all, and that's where my first taste came from. The 3DS and Wii U followed, and on the portable I played catch-up with quite a lot of Game Boy games. I was basically filling in my childhood from an alternate universe, one where we picked up a NES (though their distribution was minimal in my part of the UK) and a SNES instead of a Mega Drive.
So when my SNES Mini arrives Star Fox will be the first game I play, at last. I'm a fan of the series, driven by a love for the N64 game and the excellent 3DS re-release, and I'll finally get to see where it all started. Due to limits in space / time / money I've never retrospectively picked up a SNES or the game, and in gatherings with a clone system or actual SNES it never got booted up. And, of course, it never came to the Virtual Console, which would have been my route in.
I know of it, though, its legend. I've watched the videos, I get the comedic references, I'm aware of how fantastic the music is, I've read about it. To me it'll be essentially a new game that I've waited on for a couple of decades, that gem that should have been on the Virtual Console but never made it. The same buzz many felt when EarthBound finally arrived will be my Star Fox, actually - admittedly, that's a sad lament of a Mega Drive kid.
And then I'll play the sequel, to see whether it was a great game cruelly cut at the last minute or a flawed one that should have been left in the ROM recesses of the internet. Yes, I'm aware that I could have played both Star Fox games through emulators and ROMs long before now, but I never owned them so I never thought of doing that. Whether I'm an idealist or a naïve fool is up to you.
Of course I'll just be playing 'official' ROMs on the SNES, as I was on the Virtual Console, but that's fine. I'll probably even have to sit close to the TV because the controllers are wired and limited to a few feet. I may be a 30-something gamer now, positively ancient in the world of the internet, but it'll be another chance to see what I missed out on in the early '90s.
I don't regret being a SEGA kid, but I know that being a Nintendo kid would have been equally awesome.
Comments 58
The Star Fox games are the 2 least I want to play on the SNES Classic Mini. Them and Kirby's Dream Course. I'll likely start with either Donkey Kong Country or Final Fantasy 3.
I remember K.B. Toys selling Earthbound for $5.00. Important lesson: if you see a game for $5.00, buy it; you never know what the future market might be.
I wish I could have actually gotten a SNES mini preordered. I doubt I’ll be able to find one in the wild. The lack of DKC 2 + 3 is extremely disappointing though.
Great read. I think many of us in the UK share similar gaming experiences in the 90s. From owning a Commodore 64 to getting a Mega Drive I was fortunate enough to have close neighbours and family with NES/SNES consoles and I owned a Gameboy myself so I had a very rounded experience.
What changed for me was going back and playing all the awesome Japanese games that either didn't get released here or had such a tiny presence hardly anyone knew they existed.
the first game i play alone will be starting a save file on ff6/3, ive never played through it because i bought the gba version and glitched it D=. its a big reason i bought this machine
first multiplay will prob be mariokart or contra3
Star Fox was amazing for the time, but its extremely low framerate and clunkier controls compared to Star Fox 64 will probably hurt it for anybody who hasn't played it before. If anybody looks back at the PS1/N64 era and comments how dated it feels next to gracefully aged sprite games, I can only imagine what they would say about SNES era polygons.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE Just so you know, if you got it in Gamestop and your local shop is doing a midnight launch for FIFA, you can actually pick it up at midnight.
@MegaTen my favourite racing game of all time. I've still got it boxed 👊
The only game on the snes classic I haven't played is super punch out. Most of the other games I played on the original SNES, with the console borrowed from a friend's brother-in-law, and renting a ton of games. I actually went the route of C64 to Sega Master System to Sega Megadrive to N64. I chose this route to complement the systems my friends had, so we could enjoy all the games on all the systems. It definitely was a fun-filled experience.
I had a similar experience growing up being a Sega kid. The first console I remember was a Mega Drive, and occasionally we'd get the old Master System out and play that as well. I lived on Sonic. We got a Saturn next, which was brilliant at the time. Weirdly enough we never got a Dreamcast, my older brother opting to move onto PlayStation. When I was finally old enough to pick my own console it was a Gamecube, along with Mario Sunshine and Sonic Adventure 2. It was when I bought Smash Bros that I started to discover Nintendo's rich history, soon I was playing Zelda, Metroid, Star Fox and finding ways to play the NES, SNES and N64 classics I'd missed out on. I've never actually owned a NES or SNES, but we did pick up an N64 years after it was considered old school.
I've always played Gameboy games since I was a kid though. The Game Gear was never going to win that battle.
@justin233
Yeah hopefully they'll have some sort of Virtual Console for that inevitable large number of gamers who will not be able to buy a SNES Mini. I have waited to play Star Fox 2 since what? 1995 when I was reading about it in gaming magazines?
I have a Wii U that I kept when I moved on to the Switch solely because I have over 200 VC/Wiiware/eshop games sitting on it that I wasn't about to lose. I'll even accept what we got with Wii U, where we had to pay a small upgrade fee for games that we had already previously purchased on Wii.
Trying to remain hopeful about the recent news concerning Nintendo's commitment to produce both Mini consoles for an extended period of time. I would like both, as I have missed both chances to secure a purchase.
I was a Nintendo kid. I found myself envious of my Sega friends, seemingly blown away by the power of blast processing. That's certainly not to say I didn't enjoy Nintendo games. Nintendo has been and probably will always be my favorite developer.
On that, the Switch presents a unique opportunity to corral people like me. Gamers are older now, and channeling nostalgia I believe will be very successful for Nintendo. Bottom line: Nintendo needs to extend the BotW and Odyssey treatment to its other franchises. Pokemon and Metroid are already contenders for this, but old-schoolers like me would greatly appreciate seeing (proper) returns for series like Star Fox, F-Zero, and — yes, Nintendo — even Earthbound.
People pick on the StarFox graphics a bit today, but I still think like a 90's gamer and in context they are fun, and the gameplay, sound, etc. is awesome. "Me-muh-num mnah-neh" is a quotable quote in my house (go listen to Falco talk on SNES...)
In turn, the SNES library is so brilliant I am STILL finding amazing games I never heard of. Some carts are $$$ but some are only $ or $$. Can't remember the last time I bought a current-gen game b/c I'm so hooked on SNES again.
@rdrunner1178 It’s frustrating that we can’t transfer all our VC games to Switch. I’m perfectly fine paying “upgrade” fees. Hopefully we learn something about it soon.
OK, SNES was great, but I still think the Mega Drive was better for 2-player fun. To me, it just felt more like the machine of the time.
I hope that inner child is smiling ear to ear when you finally get to play it! Sega boy!
SEGA came along second for me back then after SNES. I was lucky my parents were able to buy me this stuff then, I didn't get many games but luckily there was a rental place close by. We had a NES, but I never got into the games much other than the Mario games. I played through many years later in my high school years to see what I missed.
@H1B1Esquire There were probably 99 other $5 games that are worthless now.
I hated early polygon graphics back in the day. I eventually became a fan of Virtua Fighter in spite of the visuals. I wasn't impressed with Star Fox at the time. However, I've come to appreciate what they did with it visually.
I started with a Commodore 64 and have had a few Nintendo products over the years but never a GameCube, original ds or the wii u. My biggest mistake has been selling my retro collection a few years ago which included a nes, snes, Nintendo 64 and quite a few Other old consoles . Now we are getting these official micro consoles I can at least relive some of my favourite eras without spending a small fortune , can't wait to try earthbound , starfox 2 and mario rpg !
@justin233 Soon has come! I will tell you how it will most likely go.
If you get the traditional VC at all you will get a drip feed with an `upgrade fee. This time though, you won't be able to transfer for free as there is no Wii or Wii U mode.
You will get a drip feed of slightly altered retro games that you will pay full price for or the option to buy them won't exist as you will pay a monthly subscription fee.
Given the tiny differences between the ROM and official release of Star Fox 2 (based on what I've seen in recent comparison videos), I'd say the original Star Fox is the better of the two SNES Star Fox games (and by quite some ways imo), so I really hope you enjoy it as much as I think it deserves to be enjoyed.
PS. I've never played Kirby's Dream Course, so that will be something new for me.
Sadly i had neither a mega drive or a Nintendo system growing up. Had to rely on visits to friends house to play these games. I'm catching up now though.
If you were into RPG's, the Genesis was the weaker console. In fact, I remember wondering if Genesis games could even do battery backed saves.
RPG's require little processing power but were some of the best looking games on the SNES. RPG's played to the strengths of the SNES.
I am also a sega kid that became a Nintendo fan with time therefore I can feel quite well the feeling.
I was a Nintendo kid in the '80s, and still am.
That said, the Genesis/Mega Drive has a wonderful library of shmups, run and guns and platformers, along with a great selection games by Sega.
I owned a Genesis for a time, and while its selection of quality games was almost equal that of the SNES, I always had one major gripe with the Genesis: the controller, both because of the clunky d-pad and the layout of the A, B, and C buttons. Jumping over from A to C would often make me have to adjust my grip mid-play... argh!
I played the original Star Wing on the SNES but this will still be the first game I play on the SNES mini as all the others I've experienced more recently through the Virtual Console. The SNES was my brothers and I had the Megadrive.
Hopefully I can pick up a snes classic this Friday. Working midnight shift so I am worried by the time I get off work they will probably all be gone. 😭 I would really like to play super Mario rpg. Wish Nintendo would release a multi cart with all these games for switch.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE I think Kirby's Dream Course is one of my top 10 SNES games, not because it was "better" than other SNES games, but because it was more fun.
I'm the exact same. I didn't have an NES or SNES growing up in the late 80s and through the 90s. My first home console was the N64 so I too never played the original Star Fox. I did play on friends' SNES systems but never had one for myself (despite lots of begging to my parents....likely one of the reasons why I finally got an N64 because I finally wore them down). The moment SNES Classic preorders went up, I jumped on them. This is my chance of finally owning a SNES, just like how I own the NES Classic as well. Virtual Console helped me with discovering these classic gems but owning these new "Classic" systems just makes playing them all the more special.
@Crono1973
That's the chance you take, but obviously a copy of Madden '13 won't be as popular as an underrated RPG.
I've grown in the ZX spectrum era too (and the local arcade shop). My contact with Nintendo and Sega games was at friend's house. But I know a few SNES games, so I'm buying it to check them.
GOD the European version is 100x sexier!
I was Nintendo through and through until I could afford more than one system as I got a job etc though I had a Nintendo console almost all the time. Will always have a soft spot for the Snes though.
I really wish I'd gotten a pre-order in... I have an NES Mini but the SNES was my thing, I actually had one for a start lol. Really hope you enjoy yours @ThomasBW84
I feel like I could have written the very same article myself, with a few system replacements here and there. Living in the states I had an IBM PC and a Genesis as a kid and never became a Nintendo fan until the GameCube era, at which point I completely and utterly fell in love with Star Fox Adventures and then later Star Fox Assault. I've since played Star Fox Command and Star Fox 64 3D by way of Nintendo's more recent handhelds, which I quite enjoyed (though never to the degree that I fell head over heels for Adventures and Assault, popular opinions be damned) but to this day I've still never experienced the original SNES Star Fox. For this reason alone I'll be getting up at 3:00 AM this Friday and waiting in line for many long hours outside my local Best Buy for chance to purchase a SNES Mini.
So hyped to not be able to find a SNES Mini anywhere!!!
Anyway, so happy I was a Nintendo kid. My brother and I were saving every penny for a Genesis and needed our oldest brother's buy-in to hit the goal. He agreed to invest on one condition: we change our choice from Genesis to SNES. That moment changed the course of my life and the rest is history.
@invictus4000 Wow! Cool story.
Nintendo kid since the 80s. Looking forward to revist Star Fox and Yoshi's Island!
I was an Amiga kid back in the day and loved the mix of arcade and PC type titles.
I always felt it never rivalled the consoles for what they where great at though. The cool kids had SNES's and that was that. I remember briefly getting a turn on Mario World at a pals at lunchtime gaming gatherings - one life pass it on rules. Had another pal who was from Hong Kong and his older brother had all kinds of cool SNES games and gear. So my experience has been much more aspirational than hands on.
I've got a pre-order in and delighted to say The only game i've really ever played much of is Street Fighter. Going to take my time and savour them all.
I didn't play many SNES classics on its time like Star Fox and Mario Kart but for another weird reason. I didn't have a SNES because of lack of money but the friends and relatives I knew that were into gaming had NES even in the mid-90s. The very few and ocassional people I knew that had a SNES had the same old same choices of Street fighter, Mario World, Donkey Kong country and sometimes Killer Instinct. I don't know why. I tried SMK until I had a PC in the very early 00s
GameXplain has uploaded a comparison video between three games on the SNES Mini and the original console and there is one glaring emulation problem that a lot noticed in Yoshi's Island where the background flashes/disappears when you touch a fuzzy. It's actually quite irritating.
I moved from the ZX Spectrum to the Mega Drive but once I got a look at Star Wing got a SNES ASAP.
Still got my +3 and all my games (yay). My Mega Drive and games are long gone (boo). And, I have all my SNES games but no system (d'oh).
Starfox is in my opinion an absolute masterpiece. The way you honestly feel like your squad mates are actually flying along with you and engaging in the missions. Make sure you find the fruit machine! Blew my mind as a kid. 😊😉
Sega kid here, though NES was my first console followed by SNES. I was so young. It wasn't until I was in second grade (around 1992) that I discovered the Genesis and fell in love with Sonic. I'd come back to Nintendo with the N64 in 1996 and break 4 world record time trials in Mario Kart 64 according to GamePro magazine (Wario Stadium 21.92 seconds, maybe that one still stands?). I loved that game, and F-Zero X, and Mario 64... didn't play much else though... well, San Francisco Rush- that stunt mode was amazing!
A Sega Kid???? Really???? You should be embarrassed...
Just kidding. The SNES is my favorite console of all-time. Loved those old school JRPGS and one of my favs was the american made Secret of Evermore, that was sadly eclipsed by the more successful Chrono Trigger. Still, one of my favorite games of all time.
I think I could make a great hidden gem and some not so hidden gems version of the SNES mini. With games like Act Raiser, Illusion of Gaia, Aero the Acrobat and some more that I can't remember off the top of my head.
Objectively, Star Fox 64 probably is the best. There is a certain quality and difficulty to the level design in the original, though, that was never really replicated in later games. If you think 64 or Zero are hard, you really need to play the original.
I have not played the original Star Fox since I was a wee lad, so I'm also very much looking forward to playing it. The previously unreleased sequel too!
I've never played Earthbound.
Yes, I was a sucker that paid heaps for SNES games. Star Fox was $120 as a USA import into Australia, and local SF2 Turbo was $145 - and that was cheap. RRP might have been $150. Local Star Fox was $130. Most games were around $90 to $100.
Genesis kid then and a bigger one now!
I feel bad for all you sega people that picked the wrong side as a child. Sorry you missed out on the magic that made Nintendo so awesome back then. That said, NANABOOBOO!
Hi all
It's been a long time since I have played star fox
And look forward to playing star fox 2
@theberrage Genesis is more rad tho.
I first had a Commodore 16 + 4 which I never hear mentioned nowadays
Then became Sega person, having the Master System then Mega Drive mainly due to Sonic, moved onto N64 when I had money to buy my own console, then Gamecube, Wii, Wii U then Switch. Played SNES around my friends house and loved it even though he didn't have any of the RPG's - Donkey Kong Country games were a highlight for me.
I'm a bigger fan of SNES now I'm grown up though.
With regard to Star Fox, I played the N64 version before the SNES version so find it hard to appreciate the SNES version.
@speedracer216 I agree. It seems everyone picks on the Star Fox graphics these days and I just don't see what they're seeing. There may be no textures, but they're clean and simple and pleasing to look at. I think it actually looks better than Star Fox 64.
@BlueKnight07 I'm glad a Star Fox 64 fan has something good to say about the original. Usually their comments are negative. Yes, Star Fox is probably the hardest Star Fox game.
@Freelance Yeah, I was fan from the beginning. I do hope these games become downloadable on Switch somehow.
@BlueKnight07 I was hoping it'd come to 3DS VC (with 3D it would be even cooler) but that's a bust. I don't want/need a Switch so if they came out there, then I'd still be out of luck.
Tap here to load 58 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...