The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES or SNES), called the Super Famicom (SFC) in Japan, is a home video game console made and sold by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America on August 23, 1991, and in other countries in 1992. It was Nintendo's second programmable home console after the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The SNES is a fourth-generation console, meaning it was part of a group of consoles from the 1990s. It mainly competed with Sega's Genesis during a big competition for popularity in the United States and Europe.
Masayuki Uemura, a Nintendo engineer, created the 16-bit SNES after Sega's Genesis and NEC's TurboGrafx-16 were released. The SNES had better graphics and sound than its competitors. It used a feature called Mode 7 to create 3D-like views and had eight-channel ADPCM audio. Its central processing unit (CPU) could work with special chips, like the Super FX chip, that added new features to games. The SNES controller had more buttons than the NES controller, including extra face buttons and two shoulder buttons. Nintendo also released many accessories, such as the Super Game Boy adapter for playing Game Boy games and the Japan-only Satellaview modem.
Nintendo included the game Super Mario World with the SNES when it was first sold. The SNES was released late in the fourth generation of consoles when competition with Sega was very strong. Sega promoted the Genesis as the best choice for teenagers through marketing aimed at young people. Despite this, the SNES became very popular because Nintendo kept important third-party game developers, like Capcom, Enix, Konami, and Square. Over 1,700 games were made for the SNES, and Nintendo relaxed its rules for game developers to compete better with Sega. The game Donkey Kong Country (1994) helped the SNES stay popular even as newer 32-bit consoles came out. Nintendo sold 49.1 million SNES consoles, making it the most successful fourth-generation home console.
Nintendo stopped selling the SNES in 2003. Video game journalists consider it one of the best consoles ever made. It has a large collection of well-known games, including The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991), EarthBound (1994), Final Fantasy VI (1994), Super Metroid (1994), Chrono Trigger (1995), and Yoshi's Island (1995). The SNES remains popular with collectors and people who enjoy old games. It can also be played using software like Snes9x and ZSNES. Nintendo has made SNES games available through services like the Virtual Console, Nintendo Classics, and the Super NES Classic Edition console.
History
To compete with the popular Family Computer in Japan, NEC Home Electronics introduced the PC Engine in 1987. Sega later released the Mega Drive in 1988. These systems were later sold in North America in 1989 as the TurboGrafx-16 and Sega Genesis. Both systems used 16-bit technology, which allowed for better graphics and sound compared to the 8-bit NES. It took several years for Sega's system to become successful.
Bill Mensch, who helped create the 8-bit MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor and started the Western Design Center (WDC), gave Ricoh the right to supply 8-bit and 16-bit WDC microprocessors for Nintendo's new system. At the same time, Sony engineer Ken Kutaragi secretly agreed to design the console's sound chip without telling his supervisors. When his supervisors found out, they were upset and nearly fired him. However, Nintendo's CEO, Norio Ohga, supported the project and allowed Kutaragi to continue.
On September 9, 1987, Nintendo's president, Hiroshi Yamauchi, announced the development of the Super Famicom in the newspaper Kyoto Shimbun. On August 30, 1988, Yamauchi told TOUCH Magazine that Nintendo was working on Super Mario Bros. 4, Dragon Quest V, and three other original games. He predicted the Super Famicom would sell 3 million units. He also said that Famicom sales had been declining since its peak two years earlier and warned that continuing to support the Famicom might lead players to move to better-quality games, which could be risky for Nintendo. A magazine called Famicom Hissyoubon suggested Yamauchi's early announcement might have been to stop people from buying the PC Engine before Christmas. Enix, a game company, said it was waiting on sales data to decide whether to make its next Dragon Quest game for the PC Engine or Super Famicom. Both the magazine and Enix wanted networking features as a standard part of the console. The Super Famicom was shown to the Japanese press on November 21, 1988, and again on July 28, 1989. During the second demonstration, Nintendo said the release would be delayed until fall 1990 because of problems like a lack of games from third-party developers and a global chip shortage caused by new technology that required manufacturers to split production, which increased prices.
The final design of the Super Famicom was shown at the Shoshinkai event in August 1990. This included early versions of Super Mario World and F-Zero. The public liked the gameplay, and Nintendo received 1.5 million pre-orders from wholesalers, which worried them about chaos on launch day. To manage this, retailers were encouraged to use a reservation system. On November 20, the day before launch, Nintendo loaded 100 trucks with Super Famicom consoles and game cartridges for F-Zero and Super Mario World. They sent the trucks late at night to avoid theft.
Designed by Masayuki Uemura, who also created the original Famicom, the Super Famicom was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, for ¥25,000 (equivalent to ¥30,265 in 2024). It was very popular. Nintendo's first shipment of 300,000 units sold out quickly. This attention from the public led to concerns about theft, so the devices were shipped at night.
With the Super Famicom selling more than its competitors, Nintendo regained its position as the top console maker in Japan. Nintendo's success was partly because it kept many important third-party developers, including Capcom, Konami, Tecmo, Square, Koei, and Enix.
Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a redesigned version of the Super Famicom, in North America for $199 (equivalent to $470 in 2025). It began shipping in limited quantities on August 23, 1991, with a full release on September 9, 1991. The Super NES was later sold in the United Kingdom and Ireland in April 1992 for £150 (equivalent to £330 in 2025).
Most PAL region versions of the console used the Japanese Super Famicom design, except for labels and joystick cable lengths. The Playtronic Super NES in Brazil, which used PAL-M technology, had the North American design. Both the NES and Super NES were sold in Brazil in 1993 by Playtronic, a partnership between Estrela and Gradiente.
The Super NES and Super Famicom launched with few games, but these games were well received. In Japan, only two games were available at first: Super Mario World and F-Zero. Bombuzal was released later that week. In North America, Super Mario World was sold with the console; other launch games included F-Zero, Pilotwings (which showed the console's Mode 7 pseudo-3D rendering), SimCity, and Gradius III.
The competition between Nintendo and Sega was one of the most famous console battles in video game history. Sega marketed the Genesis as the "cool" console, targeting older audiences with games and advertisements that sometimes criticized Nintendo. Nintendo gained early public support by being the first to release a version of Capcom's arcade hit Street Fighter II for the Super NES, which took over a year to appear on the Genesis. Even though the Genesis had a two-year head start, more games, and a lower price, it only reached about 60% of the American 16-bit market in June 1992. Neither console had a clear lead for many years. Donkey Kong Country helped the Super NES gain popularity later in the 16-bit era and competed with the PlayStation and Saturn. Nintendo reported selling over 20 million Super NES units in the U.S. A 2014 report by Wedbush Securities showed the Super NES sold 1.5 million more units than the Genesis in the U.S. market and led the North American 16-bit market
Hardware
The Super NES uses a 16-bit design with special chips that help create graphics and sound. These chips can handle tasks like tiling, simulated 3D effects, and use a color palette of 32,768 colors. It also has 8-channel ADPCM audio. These features, along with the ability to improve them using better chips in game cartridges, made the Super NES better than the 8-bit NES and had advantages over other 16-bit systems like the Genesis.
The CPU is a Ricoh 5A22, which is based on the 16-bit WDC 65C816 microprocessor. In NTSC regions, its clock speed of 3.58 MHz slows to 2.68 MHz or 1.79 MHz when connecting to slower devices.
This CPU has an 8-bit data bus and two address buses. The 24-bit "Bus A" is used for general tasks, while the 8-bit "Bus B" connects to support chips like the video and audio processors.
The WDC 65C816 includes an 8-channel DMA unit, an 8-bit parallel I/O port, a controller port for serial and parallel data access, a 16-bit multiplication and division unit, and circuits to generate interrupts during screen updates.
Early versions of the 5A22 in SHVC boards had problems that caused issues like graphics glitches in Mode 7, black screens on startup, or controller malfunctions. The first version had a serious bug in the DMA controller that could crash games, but later versions fixed this issue.
The console has 128 KB of general-purpose "work" RAM, separate from 64 KB for video and 64 KB for audio.
The Picture Processing Unit (PPU) includes two connected chips. It has 64 KB of SRAM for video data, 544 bytes of OAM for sprite data, and 256 × 15 bits of CGRAM for color data. This CGRAM allows up to 256 colors from a 32,768-color palette. The PPU uses the same clock signal as the CPU and generates a pixel every two or four cycles.
The S-SMP audio system uses a 16-bit DSP to mix sound samples, an 8-bit SPC700 CPU to control the DSP, and 64 KB of PSRAM. Designed by Ken Kutaragi and made by Sony, it is separate from other system parts. It runs at 24.576 MHz in both NTSC and PAL systems and can produce stereo sound with eight voices using compressed 16-bit samples. Early versions used four separate chips for the S-SMP, but later models combined them into one chip called the S-APU.
Nintendo used regional lockout methods, including physical and hardware differences. Cartridges for different regions have different shapes. North American cartridges have a rectangular bottom with grooves, while others are narrower with smooth curves. These differences can be bypassed with adapters or console modifications.
A lockout chip (CIC) in the console and cartridges prevents PAL games from working on Japanese or North American systems and vice versa. This can be bypassed with adapters or by disconnecting a pin on the lockout chip. Later games could detect this change, so switches were added to reconnect the chip as needed.
PAL consoles have a slower frame rate (about 16.7% slower) when playing NTSC games because of the 60 Hz vs. 50 Hz video standards. PAL's higher resolution also causes letterboxing. Some PAL games have the same issue, but others run 20% faster on NTSC systems. A switch can be added to make the PPU use a 60 Hz mode for newer PAL TVs, though later games might refuse to run unless the switch is adjusted after a check.
All Super NES consoles are mostly gray, with slight shade differences. The North American version, designed by Lance Barr, has a boxy shape, purple switches, and a dark gray eject lever. The loading area is curved to prevent spills. The Japanese and European versions are more rounded with darker gray accents.
All models have a top-loading slot for cartridges, with region-specific slot shapes. The MULTI OUT port can output composite video, S-Video, RGB, and RF signals. Original models had an expansion port and RF output, but later models only supported composite video.
The Nintendo Super System (NSS) was an arcade machine that let players try 11 Super NES games for a fee. It used modified Super NES hardware with a menu and a 25-inch monitor. Production ended in 1992.
A cheaper version called the New-Style Super NES (SNS-101) or Super Famicom Jr. was released later. It combined design elements from the original models but was smaller. It had purple buttons in North America and gray buttons in Japan. It lacked the bottom expansion slot, making it incompatible with the Satellaview add-on.
The redesigned model moved power and reset buttons to the left side and removed the eject button and LED. Internally, it used a system-on-chip (SoC) design. It only supported composite video natively, with RGB and S-Video support disabled. An external modulator was needed for RF output. The SoC design made it popular among collectors because of its RGB video capabilities.
Games
In total, 1,757 Super NES games were officially released: 717 in North America (including 4 championship game cartridges), 521 in Europe, 1,448 in Japan, 231 on Satellaview, and 13 on Sufami Turbo. Many Super NES games are considered among the greatest video games of all time, such as Super Mario World (1990), The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991), Final Fantasy VI (1994), Donkey Kong Country (1994), EarthBound (1994), Super Metroid (1994), Chrono Trigger (1995), and Yoshi's Island (1995). Many Super NES games have been released again multiple times, including on the Virtual Console, Super NES Classic Edition, and the Nintendo Classics service on Nintendo Switch Online. Game Boy games can be played using the Super Game Boy add-on.
Peripherals
The Super NES controller was designed to improve on the NES model. It features four face buttons labeled A, B, X, and Y arranged in a diamond shape, along with two shoulder buttons. Lance Barr designed the controller for comfort, and he later used this design in 1993 for the NES-039 "dogbone" controller. The Japanese and PAL region versions of the Super NES included four colored face buttons that matched the system's logo. In North America, the X and Y buttons were lavender with concave (curved inward) faces, and the A and B buttons were purple with convex (curved outward) faces. Many later controllers, such as those for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Xbox, and Wii Classic Controller, included elements from the Super NES design. This face button layout also appeared on future Nintendo systems, including the Nintendo DS.
Several accessories added to the Super NES's capabilities. Some were required for specific games, such as the Super Scope light gun and the Super NES Mouse for pointing and clicking. Hudson Soft released the Super Multitap with the game Super Bomberman, which allowed up to four extra controllers to connect to the Super NES, enabling up to five players in supported games. Other companies later created similar multi-player adapters, including the Super Links by Bulletproof Software and the Super 5-Play by Performance. All Super NES games that worked with the Super Multitap or compatible adapters had a "Super NES Multi-Player Adapter" logo on their packaging or cartridges. Japanese Super Famicom games used a "Multiplayer 5" logo instead, which was Nintendo's general name for the Super Multitap and similar devices.
Third-party companies made specialized joypads and joysticks for the Super NES, including the AsciiPad and Super Advantage by Asciiware, the Capcom Fighter Power Stick and Capcom Pad Soldier by Capcom, the Super Joy Card by Hudson Soft, the Super Commander and SGB Commander by Hori, and the Hissatsu Command Controller by Konami. Other unusual controllers included a baseball bat called BatterUP, an exercise bike controller called the Life Fitness Entertainment System, a golf club called TeeV Golf, and a revolver-shaped light gun called the Justifier for the game Lethal Enforcers.
Although Nintendo did not release an adapter for playing NES games on the Super NES, the Super Game Boy allowed Game Boy games to be played on the Super NES. The Super Game Boy had features like changing colors in games, custom screen borders, and the ability to use the Super NES's features in specially enhanced Game Boy games. Japan also released the Super Game Boy 2, which added a communication port for connecting a second Game Boy for multiplayer games.
Like the NES, the Super NES had unlicensed third-party accessories, including a new version of the Game Genie cheat cartridge for Super NES games.
The Japan-only Satellaview was a satellite modem connected to the Super Famicom's expansion port and linked to the St.GIGA satellite radio station from April 23, 1995, to June 30, 2000. Satellaview users could download gaming news and specially made games, often remakes or sequels to older Famicom games, released in parts. In the United States, the short-lived XBAND let users connect to a network through a dial-up modem to play against others nationwide.
Nintendo tried to partner with Sony and Philips to create CD-ROM-based accessories to compete with systems like the TurboGrafx-CD and Sega CD. Sony's project led to a prototype called the PlayStation, a Super NES with a built-in CD-ROM drive, which never reached the market but helped prepare the way for Sony's later PlayStation console. Philips canceled its project before making a prototype. However, under the original agreement, Philips had the rights to use Nintendo franchises for games on its planned CD-ROM system. After the project was canceled, Philips used these rights to create Mario and Zelda games for its CD-i multimedia system.
Enhancement chips
As part of the Super NES design, engineers avoided using a costly main processor that would quickly become outdated. Instead, they created a system that allowed special coprocessor chips to connect easily to the console, similar to the MMC chips used in most NES games. This feature is often identified by 16 extra pins on the cartridge's edge.
The Super FX is a type of processor called a RISC CPU. It was designed to handle tasks the main CPU could not perform efficiently, such as creating 3D game environments using polygons, texture mapping, and light source shading. It was also used to improve 2D games.
The Nintendo fixed-point digital signal processor (DSP) chip enabled quick calculations for vector-based graphics, bitmap conversions, and transformations of 2D and 3D coordinates. Four versions of the chip exist, all physically identical but with different internal programming. The DSP-1 version, including later bug-fixed revisions, was used most often. The DSP-2, DSP-3, and DSP-4 were used in only one game each.
Like the 5A22 CPU in the console, the SA-1 chip includes a 65C816 processor core running at 10.7 MHz, a memory manager, DMA, decompression tools, bitplane conversion circuits, programmable timers, and region lockout features.
In Japan, games could be downloaded at a lower cost than standard cartridges through Nintendo Power kiosks. These downloads used special cartridges with flash memory and a MegaChips MX15001TFC chip. The chip handled communication with kiosks to transfer ROM files and provided a menu for selecting games. Some titles were released in both cartridge and download formats, while others were available only as downloads. The service ended on February 8, 2007.
Many cartridges included other enhancement chips, most of which were developed for use by a single company in a limited number of games.
Reception and legacy
About 49.1 million Super NES consoles were sold worldwide. Of these, 23.35 million were sold in the Americas and 17.17 million in Japan. Although it did not match the success of the NES, which sold 61.91 million units globally, the Super NES was the most popular console during its time.
In 2007, GameTrailers ranked the Super NES as the second-best console of all time, placing it behind only the PlayStation 2. They praised its graphics, sound, and collection of high-quality games. In 2015, GameTrailers also called it the best Nintendo console ever, noting its impressive list of games. Technology writer Don Reisinger claimed in 2008 that the SNES was the greatest console of all time, highlighting its game quality and improvements over the NES. Another writer, Will Greenwald, gave the Super NES high marks for its games, the NES for its reliability, and the PlayStation for its controller. GamingExcellence named the Super NES the best console in 2008, calling it "the most timeless system ever created" and praising its controller design, graphics, and storytelling. GameDaily ranked it fifth of the ten greatest consoles for its graphics, audio, controllers, and games. In 2009, IGN listed the Super NES as the fourth-best console, praising its audio and variety of high-quality games.
SNES emulation started with VSMC in 1994. Super Pasofami became the first working emulator in 1996. Later, two emulator projects, Snes96 and Snes97, combined to create Snes9x. In 1997, ZSNES development began. In 2004, Bsnes started with the goal of preserving the console through accurate emulation and was later renamed Higan.
Nintendo of America continued to oppose the sharing of SNES ROM files and emulator use, as it had with the NES, calling them copyright violations. Supporters of emulation argue that discontinued hardware production, the right to make backups, the need for homebrew games, and the fragility of old cartridges and consoles justify its use. Nintendo created a development system for the SNES but never released it.
Unofficial SNES emulation is available on many platforms, including Android, iOS, game consoles, and PDAs. Some GameCube discs included official emulators with individual games. Nintendo’s Virtual Console service for the Wii offered officially licensed SNES emulation.
The Super NES Classic Edition was released in September 2017, following the NES Classic Edition. This small, emulation-based console resembles the North American and European versions of the SNES. It includes two SNES-style controllers and 21 games, such as the unreleased Star Fox 2.