SNES Online is on the Switch!

You know what? Exactly. Another thing, what’s with this new SNES Online feature that Nintendo have so kindly included with our fantabulous memberships? Why, it’s the SNES, online! Brilliant!

I know we’ve all been asking for it (both myself and someone else) and now, it’s finally here.

It’s only going to be a handful of games, and they’ll be rubbish ones are that.

Am I right? Err… no. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Starwing and, one of my favourites – Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts. Spoilt or what?

As you can expect, I’m going to start posting comments on SNES Online titles now.

Unlike the NES Online ones, I’ve either played them to death or had some experience with them to some extent.

Regardless, they’ll be posted as and when I play them, as and when I write them up.

Back Once Again for the Original SNES (Online)

What’s so good about the SNES? The Super Nintendo, as I recall, was my first console.

I was gaming up until then, but I only had an Amiga, and things like the NES were played around my mate’s homes.

I bought the Super Mario All-Stars pack – alas, it didn’t have Super Mario World, but certainly enough to keep me going.

The SNES was an impressive machine.

It wasn’t as boxy as the NES and cartridges were inserted on the top, because everyone knows that games inserted into the top are the future.

There was something rigid about the SNES, but it looked quite contoured and approachable.

Like it was designed for the family.

Of course, it was the Super Famicom, or for the verbose: Super Family Computer.

By the way, I’m talking about the PAL SNES.

The North American SNES was more angular.

For me, the controllers were the best.

While the majority of people were playing Toejam & Earl and Road Rash on the Mega Drive gaining blisters, the SNES combined glorious grey with rainbow buttons.

So there were four colours, but it was darn pretty, aiiight.

On top of the controller were extra buttons called shoulder buttons.

Now we could play Street Fighter II with the same amount of buttons as the arcade.

Take that you two-button freaks using a keyboard as well (me in the early 90s using an Amiga 500).

Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box

The SNES was bright and beautiful – as were the games.

My issue was not the grey machine or the controllers, but the game packaging. They may as well have come in cereal boxes.

Even the slightest scuff would remove the black on the edges within seconds.

Sega had it covered with their hard cases, but Nintendo cocked up on that one.

In my humblest opinion. I did like how the games were uniform, though. I like order.

In my small game collection, I do have the original SNES with a handful of games.

Like the N64, some of the boxes are so damaged, I might as well keep them separated in a bespoke shelving system.

I’ve seen a lot of collections that place them in outer plastic packaging or have stickers on the cartridge like a book spine.

In this case, digital looks better. Unless you have a pristine collection that’s never be touched by man.

Another thing with cartridges is that it put prices right up.

Computers were so much more affordable as the disks were dirt cheap.

Also, there were more pirates in the gaming communities than there were in Nassau, and you couldn’t copy cartridges.

At the time, anyway. For the Amiga Streetfighter II version was about £14.99. When it came out in places like Toys R’ Us, it was £59.99.

SNES Online’s UK Launch Titles

I haven’t, nor going to check up on the rest of Europe (I think it’s the same), but the launch titles on the UK site couldn’t be better, and I’m genuinely impressed.

Here is the current lineup at this time (17:19):

• Brawl Brothers
• Breath of Fire
• Demon’s Crest
• F-Zero
• Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics
• Kirby’s Dream Course
• Kirby’s Dream Land 3
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• Pilotwings
• Star Fox (Starwing in the UK)
• Stunt Race FX
• Super Earth Defence Force
• Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
• Super Mario Kart
• Super Mario World
• Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
• Super Metroid
• Super Puyo Puyo 2
• Super Soccer
• Super Tennis

That’s a pretty good line up if you ask me.

You didn’t ask me, but as you’re reading this, I think it’s a pretty good line up. What games would you like to see?

Hit me up in any of the contact buttons or social platforms and lets talk shop.

Maybe I’ll think about it properly with a full-on list, but I’d like to see some classics and some not so great games that offer a glimmer of my younger days.

Games such as Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose!, Super Star Wars, Mortal Kombat (I already have this on the SNES, but y’know), and games like ClayFighter.

Yes, I know it wasn’t any good, but the memories.

Is It Time To Get Nintendo Switch Online?

Launched back in September 2018, the NES Online had been a nice little addition to the Switch, though to be honest, Nintendo Switch Online hasn’t been feature-packed.

The price reflects that, but now with the SNES Online, it’s a bargain.

A link to the recent Nintendo Direct can be found below:

As Shinya Takahashi says, it’s all completely free of charge.

What else do we get for our money, seeing as we’re all so bloody ungrateful?

Well, voice chat is a thing.

It’s still not on par as the PlayStation or Xbox, but anti-socialites like me couldn’t give a toss.

I think it’s very thoughtful that they’ve tweaked it. You will need a separate app to use it, though. 

While it’s Nintendo Switch Online is cheap, it has been plagued with a little slowdown for games such as Super Mario Maker 2, but improvements are being made slowly but surely.

Something I swear by is that save games go to the cloud.

You’re not sending your bank details to Nintendo, but losing a saved game is so demoralising and even the most mature of us through a hissy fit.

I’m not looking to plug in a USB to backup my data, so let it be done on the cloud automatically. You’

What Happens Next?

Nintendo brought out the SNES Mini, but you can’t get new games for that.

Who are they appealing to – casual gamers?

With the SNES Online, we’re at the mercy of Nintendo with what will be released, BUT, there will be more games available.

Unlike the SNES mini.

There’s going to be some crap – it’s bound to happen, but the SNES had better crap than the NES.

Does this also mean that there will be a whole family of Nintendo releases in the future?

The Wii and Wii U aren’t likely to appear in the Switch’s lifetime. I do hope the GameCube is on the menu, however.

I didn’t own one the first time around, and I really had missed out. However, the next in line to the throne is the N64.

What do we want from the N64 if it appears?

Well, for me it would immediately be Goldeneye and Mario 64.

Of course, others, but they are my go-to titles from when I had the machine initially.

I own one now but have very few games.

I’m not in a hurry to collect for this as it’s hard to find any with complete boxes, and if they are, they’re overpriced.

Also, considering games like Turok were re-released, maybe Nintendo will withhold this one indefinitely.

Or at least until the triple A’s have been released individually.