News – Super Famicom Turns 25
It was only a month and half ago that we were celebrating the 30th anniversary of the NES’ launch in North America, and before that, the Virtual Boy’s 20th Birthday. So, it will probably come as no so surprise to learn that we now have another anniversary to celebrate, and it’s a big one. On 21st November 1990, Nintendo introduced Japan to the Super Famicom, or the Super Nintendo as it is known in the west.
Additionally, despite not being released in North America until the following year, and not until 1992 in PAL regions, the Super Famicom’s release also introduced us to a few other memorable experiences and characters. These came through the console’s two launch titles, Super Mario World and the original F-Zero. So, not only was the world first introduced to Nintendo 16-bit console 30 years ago, we were also given our very first opportunity to play as both Yoshi and Captain Falcon.
Nintendo’s 16-bit console, is for many one of the greatest consoles ever made, an opinion that’s shared by us here at Rings & Coins. Furthermore, this was something that was clearly quite evident from the moment the iconic console first hit Japanese shelves, as Nintendo sold through their entire shipment of 300,000 within a matter of hours. This may have been caused in part thanks to the fact it was launched alongside Super Mario World, yet anyone who grabbed their console on launch day was in for a years worth of amazing experiences.
We all know the legacy of Super Mario World, a game for many that is the pinnacle of arguably gaming’s most influential series, yet F-Zero was just as important, and I’m not just referring to Captain Falcon’s “Falco Punch”. F-Zero introduced the world to Nintendo’s cutting-edge Mode 7 graphics mode that allowed for pseudo-3D backgrounds. No other console on the market could replicate this, and without both Mode-7 and F-Zero, some of the greatest 16-bit titles may have never happened, including the likes of Super Mario Kart and Yoshi’s Island.
The 16-bit era gave us some of gaming’s greatest ever moments, and a great many of which can be found on the the Super Famicom. So, let’s all wish the Super Famicom a happy 25th Birthday! I personally still have an original Japanese Super Famicom plugged in and ready to roll at a moments notice. In fact, in honour of this celebration I think a quick game on Super Mario World is in order.