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Retro Gaming

The SNES Mini Is Real, Includes ‘Star Fox 2,’ and Is Out in September

The previously rumored 16-bit mini-console features 21 games and, look, just hold me right now, okay?
All images courtesy of Nintendo.

This article originally appeared on Waypoint.

The SNES Mini is real. Really, really real. We were chatting about the possibility of such a micro-console back in April—and we picked what we wanted to see on it, too—but now, it's confirmed. Official. Legit. And it's out really, really soon, too—from September 29, assuming you can find one in stock, you can plug a little bundle of retro-gaming joy into your TV.

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A little bad news, before we go any further: Just like the now-discontinued Nintendo Classic Mini, the SNES Mini—or Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System to use its full, nobody's-sticking-with-that name—doesn't come with an AC adaptor. I'm sure you'll get over it. Me, I found an old phone charger for my NES Mini, and it works a treat.

But the good news is really, really good. Unlike the NES Mini, the SNES Mini is coming packed with two controllers (no info on the length of the leads, though). And, and this has surprised me, its 21 pre-loaded titles include Secret of Mana. It's the one I wanted! The one I've always wanted!

Yes, it's the Japanese and European model that this Mini is based on.

Oh, yeah, and the games include some little thing called Star Fox 2. As in, the sequel to Star Fox. The sequel to Star Fox that never came out. Until now. Sure, I suppose that's a big deal. (Here's a thing, though: you'll have to complete the first level of Star Fox before gaining access to the sequel. Which is, okay, I suppose?)

Okay, deep breath, here's what you get with the SNES Mini and just look, look, at how many classics are on here. I'm almost in tears.

Contra III: The Alien Wars, EarthBound, F-Zero, Final Fantasy III (as in the Japanese Final Fantasy VI, Espers and all that), Donkey Kong Country, Kirby Super Star, Kirby's Dream Course, Mega Man X, Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Super Mario Kart, Star Fox, Star Fox 2(!), Super Castlevania IV, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Super Punch-Out!!, Super Metroid, Yoshi's Island, and Secret of Mana.

Note: the above is the list of games that will appear on the UK SNES Mini, as that's what's dropped into my inbox. So far as I can tell, though, the same 21 will be on the US version, which is based on the old, blockier stateside SNES design. Uh, so ugly. Check the tweet below.

Secret of Mana, man. Secret of Mana. They went and did it. I can hear that title screen music now. Calling. The sweetest song. The birds, flying across the screen. The tree. Take me there, Nintendo. Take me there, now.

It's alright, actually. I can wait until September. Just about. Seriously, though: how cool is this? Anything missing, that's bumming you out? You'd be hard pressed to find any other plug-in-and-play system offering such quality, IMO, but y'know, the SNES did have a whole lot of damn good games.