Like clockwork, Nintendo confirmed its Super NES Classic Edition this morning, with an arrival date of September 29th. The system will include 21 games in all – including the unreleased StarFox 2, which is sure to make this a collector’s item – and will retail for $79.99, a fairly good deal for anyone looking to get some classic gaming going in a convenient manner.
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And the game selection is good, even including a few titles we predicted the other day, like Contra III: The Alien Wars, Super Castlevania IV, and Super Punch-Out!!, along with bonafide hits like Yoshi’s Island: Super Mario World 2, Super Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: A Link To the Past.
That said, it’s not quite the perfect line-up. There are about a quarter less games in the Super NES Classic Edition than there were in the NES Classic Edition from last year, which means Nintendo could’ve added more. And there are a few titles that are missing that could’ve made the package feel even more complete.
Like what, you ask? Let’s run down a list of five titles that weren’t added to the line-up, but should’ve been…
Chrono Trigger
This is a big one. Obviously Nintendo struck some kind of deal with Square Enix with a pair of classic games on the Super NES Classic Edition, as both Secret of Mana and Super Mario RPG are included. Now, while those are both great picks, we can’t help but think the quintessential role-playing experience for the console should’ve been included. Trigger is an epic adventure, with a number of memorable characters and awesome battles, including one that literally takes place at the end of freakin’ time. And if you don’t think demand is high for this game, you apparently haven’t seen what a boxed copy of Trigger sells for on eBay. Go on and check, we’ll wait.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
So, both Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island are included in the Super NES Classic Edition line-up, but why are we only getting one Donkey Kong Country game? The sequel that followed, Diddy’s Kong Quest, improved on everything that the first game did so well, including a magnificent soundtrack, more crazy gameplay, more hidden secrets and even better graphics than the first game. For that matter, Donkey Kong Country 3 wasn’t bad either, despite some slight changes to the design. There’s no reason that both of these games should’ve been left out in the cold. They deserved to shine just like the original.
Super Mario All-Stars
We know we already have enough Mario goodness to go around in the Super NES Classic Edition, like Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island and so on. But one of the better compilations to arrive on the SNES was Super Mario All-Stars, which basically took all the NES Mario games we grew up with and super-sized them with amazing visuals and sound (for 16-bit, anyway). We can probably understand that Nintendo wanted to celebrate more of the 16-bit accomplishments of the system rather than the older games, but this is a quintessential package that should’ve been thrown in for nostalgia’s sake.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Konami is obviously a partner in the Super NES Classic Edition line-up, with both Contra III: The Alien Wars and Super Castlevania IV happily making the cut. And it’s understood why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time wasn’t included, mainly due to rights issues. But, really, how hard would it have been to throw Zombies Ate My Neighbors in there? It’s a cult classic when it comes to gaming, and its two-player co-op set-up would’ve been perfect for how the system is packaged. Not only that, but it’s a fun game for all ages, despite the idea of creepy Chucky-like dolls sneaking up on you with hatchets. No, really, it’s incredibly fun.
Kirby’s Avalanche
It’s great to see the pink puffball get some love in the Super NES Classic Edition, with the multi-game package Kirby Super Star and the awkward but lovable Kirby Dream Course golf game coming as well. But one game that appears to be oddly missing from this package is Kirby’s Avalanche, which features gameplay taken straight from the Puyo Puyo series. This is a fun puzzle game, especially when two players are concerned, and the Super NES Classic Edition was in dire need of one, just to offer said players a little more variety. Hopefully, Nintendo will find a way to squeeze it in there.
BONUS: Sunsetriders
Okay, so we’re just throwing this one in for fun, but we barely see any kind of arcade action in the Super NES Classic Edition package. Sure, Street Fighter II Turbo is great, but aside from that…well, we need something from that era to keep us happy. And Sunsetriders is a great fit. Originally produced in a four-player arcade package, this Wild West shoot-em-up is good fun – and the SNES port was pretty much arcade perfect (compared to the Genesis version, anyway) and came with two-player support as well. Again, it might be a rights thing, but Konami should’ve let this six-shooter get added to the collection. We would’ve loved it.
