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Super Nintendo Entertainment System



 
 
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit
History of video game consoles (fourth generation)

In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of Nippon Electric Company PC Engine ....
 video game console
Video game console

A video game console is an game development that produces a video signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game. The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machi...
 that was released by Nintendo
Nintendo

is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
 in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
, Australasia
Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes ....
 (Oceania), and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 between 1990 and 1993. In Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia....
, the system is called the , or SFC for short. In South Korea
South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
, it is known as the Super Comboy and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics
Hynix

Hynix Semiconductor Inc. of South Korea is a memory semiconductor supplier of dynamic random access memory chips and flash memory chips. Formerly known as Hyundai Electronics, the company has manufacturing sites in Korea, the U.S., China and Taiwan....
. Although each version is essentially the same, several forms of regional lockout
Regional lockout

Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country....
 prevent the different versions from being compatible with one another.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was Nintendo's second home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in . In most of Asia, including Japan , the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Singapore, it was released as the ....
 (NES).






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Encyclopedia


The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit
History of video game consoles (fourth generation)

In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of Nippon Electric Company PC Engine ....
 video game console
Video game console

A video game console is an game development that produces a video signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game. The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machi...
 that was released by Nintendo
Nintendo

is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
 in North America
North America

North America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost totally in the western hemisphere....
, Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
, Australasia
Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania: New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes ....
 (Oceania), and South America
South America

South America is the southern continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere....
 between 1990 and 1993. In Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia....
, the system is called the , or SFC for short. In South Korea
South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
, it is known as the Super Comboy and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics
Hynix

Hynix Semiconductor Inc. of South Korea is a memory semiconductor supplier of dynamic random access memory chips and flash memory chips. Formerly known as Hyundai Electronics, the company has manufacturing sites in Korea, the U.S., China and Taiwan....
. Although each version is essentially the same, several forms of regional lockout
Regional lockout

Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country....
 prevent the different versions from being compatible with one another.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was Nintendo's second home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in . In most of Asia, including Japan , the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Singapore, it was released as the ....
 (NES). The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other consoles at the time. Additionally, development of a variety of enhancement chips
List of Super NES enhancement chips

As part of the overall plan for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, rather than include an expensive CPU that would still become obsolete in a few years, the hardware designers made it easy to interface special coprocessor chips to the console....
 (which shipped as part of certain game cartridges) helped to keep it competitive in the marketplace.

The SNES was a global success, becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era
History of video game consoles (fourth generation)

In the history of computer and video games, the fourth generation began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of Nippon Electric Company PC Engine ....
 despite its relatively late start and the fierce competition it faced in North America from Sega
Sega

is a Multinational corporation video game software and hardware development company, and a home computer and console manufacturer headquartered in Ota, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan....
's Genesis
Sega Mega Drive

The is a History of video game consoles video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. Mega Drive was the name used in Japan and Europe, while it was sold under the name Sega Genesis in North America, as Sega was unable to secure legal rights to the Mega Drive name in that region....
 console. Some consider the SNES to embody the "Golden Age of video games", citing its many groundbreaking games and the perceived focus on gameplay over graphics and technical gimmicks. Others question this perceived romanticism, believing the system was just another step in the evolution of video game technology. The SNES remained popular well into the 32-bit era
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)

The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the close of the 20th century....
, and although Nintendo has dropped all support for the console, it continues to be popular among fans, collectors, retro gamers, and emulation enthusiasts, some of whom are still making "homebrew
Homebrew (video games)

Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods....
" ROM image
ROM image

A ROM image, or simply ROM, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a ROM cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's arcade system board....
s.

History

To compete with the popular NES/Famicom
Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in . In most of Asia, including Japan , the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Singapore, it was released as the ....
, NEC launched the TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16

The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company and released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
/PC-Engine in 1987, and Sega
Sega

is a Multinational corporation video game software and hardware development company, and a home computer and console manufacturer headquartered in Ota, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan....
 followed suit with the Genesis/Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive

The is a History of video game consoles video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. Mega Drive was the name used in Japan and Europe, while it was sold under the name Sega Genesis in North America, as Sega was unable to secure legal rights to the Mega Drive name in that region....
 in 1988. Both systems were built on 16-bit architectures and offered improved graphics and sound over the 8-bit
History of video game consoles (third generation)

In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began in 1983 with the Japanese release of the Nintendo Entertainment System ....
 NES. However, the NES would continue to dominate the gaming market for several years before Sega's system finally became successful. Nintendo executives were initially reluctant to design a new system, but they reconsidered when the NES hardware began to show its age. Seeing its dominance in the market slipping, Nintendo was compelled to create a new console to compete with its 16-bit rivals.

Launch

Designed by Masayuki Uemura
Masayuki Uemura

is a Japanese game hardware designer. Due to the bombings in Japan in that era, his family was forced to move to Kyoto. Having little money, he was forced to make his own toys....
, the designer of the original Famicom, the Super Famicom was released in Japan on Wednesday November 21, 1990 for ¥
Japanese yen

The is the currency of Japan. It is the third most-traded currency in the forex after the euro and the United States dollar. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S....
25,000 (US$
United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
210). It was an instant success: Nintendo's initial shipment of 300,000 units sold out within hours, and the resulting social disturbance led the Japanese government to ask video game manufacturers to schedule future console releases on weekends. The system's release also gained the attention of the Yakuza
Yakuza

, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan, and also known as "violence groups".Today, the Yakuza are among the largest crime organizations in the world....
, leading to a decision to ship the devices at night to avoid robbery.

With the Super Famicom quickly outselling its chief rivals, Nintendo reasserted itself as the leader of the Japanese console market. Nintendo's success was partially due to its retention of most of its key third-party developers from its earlier system, including Capcom
Capcom

is a leading international video game developer and video game publisher of video games headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It was founded in 1979 as Japan Capsule Computers, a company devoted to the manufacturing and distribution of electronic game machines....
, Konami
Konami

is a leading video game developer and video game publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, Japanese arcade cabinetss and video games....
, Tecmo
Tecmo

is a Japanese video game corporation best known for the Ninja Gaiden, Dead or Alive , Deception series, Monster Rancher, Rygar, Tecmo Bowl, Tecmo World Wrestling, Fatal Frame and Gallop Racer video game series....
, Square Co.
Square Co.

was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It Mergers and acquisitions with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix....
, Koei
Koei

Koei Company, Limited , formerly ?? ) is a Japanese video game publisher and video game developer founded in 1978 in video gaming. The company is best known for its historical simulation games based on the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as well as simulation games based on historical events....
, and Enix
Enix

The was a Japan company that produced video games, Anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982....
.

In August or September 1991, Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a redesigned version of the Super Famicom, in North America for US$199. The SNES was released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and Ireland
Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an Island country in north-western Europe. The modern Sovereignty state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned by the British on 3 May 1921....
 in April 1992 for GB£
Pound sterling

----The pound sterling , subdivided into 100 pence , is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependency and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands and British Antarctic Territory....
150, with a German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 release following a few weeks later. The PAL region
PAL region

The PAL region is a video game publication territory which covers Australia, New Zealand and varying European countries. Most games designated as part of the region will not play on NTSC-U/C or NTSC-J region consoles because of regional lockout....
 versions of the console use the Japanese Super Famicom design, except for labeling and the length of the joypad leads. Both the NES and Super NES were released in Brazil
Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
 in 1993 by Playtronic, a joint venture
Joint venture

A joint venture is an entity formed between two or more parties to undertake economic activity together. The parties agree to create a new entity by both contributing Ownership equity, and they then share in the revenues, expenses, and control of the enterprise....
 between the toy company Estrela
Estrela (company)

Estrela is a toy manufacturer in Brazil. The company was founded in S?o Paulo in 1937, when it started producing dolls and wooden toy cars. In 1944 it became a corporation....
 and Gradiente
Gradiente

Gradiente is a Brazilian consumer electronics company based in S?o Paulo. The company designs and markets many product lines, including video , audio, home theater, high end acoustics, office and mobile stereo, and wireless....
.

The Super NES and Super Famicom launched with only a few games, but these games were well-received in the marketplace. In Japan, only two games were initially available: Super Mario World
Super Mario World

is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo as a pack-in game launch title for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It has gone on to become a tremendous critical and commercial success, becoming the best seller for the platform, with 20 million copies sold worldwide....
 and F-Zero
F-Zero

is a futuristic racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on November 21, 1990, in North America on August 13, 1991, and in Europe on June 4, 1992....
. In North America and Europe, Super Mario World shipped with the console, and other initial titles included F-Zero, Pilotwings
Pilotwings

is a Nintendo video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, originally released in 1990 in video gaming, and included with the system in some early packages....
 (which demonstrated the console's "Mode 7
Mode 7

The term Mode 7 originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, on which it describes a simple texture mapping graphics mode that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled....
" pseudo-3D rendering capability), SimCity
SimCity

SimCity is a city-building game Construction and management simulation games personal computer game, first released in 1989 and designed by Will Wright ....
, and Gradius III
Gradius III

is a Shoot 'em up#Scrolling shooters arcade game, developed and published by Konami in 1989 for video arcades.The player returns as the role of the pilot of the Vic Viper starfighter to battle the onslaughts of the Bacterion Empire....
.

Console wars

The rivalry between Nintendo and Sega resulted in one of the fiercest console wars in video game history, in which Sega positioned the Genesis as the "cool" console, with edgy advertisements occasionally attacking the competition and more mature titles aimed at older gamers. Despite the Genesis's head start, its much larger library of games, as well as its lower price point, market share between the SNES and the Genesis was about even in April 1992, and neither console could maintain a definitive lead for several years. The Super NES eventually prevailed, dominating the American 16-bit console market, and would even remain popular well into the 32-bit generation.

Changes in policy

During the NES era, Nintendo maintained exclusive control over titles released for the system—the company had to approve every game, each third-party developer could only release up to five games per year, those games could not be released on another console within two years, and Nintendo was the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of NES cartridges. However, competition from Sega's console brought an end to this practice; in 1990, Acclaim began releasing games for both platforms, with most of Nintendo's other licensees following suit over the next several years; Capcom (which licensed some games to Sega instead of producing them directly) and Square were the most notable holdouts.

Nintendo also maintained a strict censorship policy that, among other things, limited the amount of violence in the games on its systems. One game, Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (video game)

Mortal Kombat was the first entry in the famous and highly controversial Mortal Kombat fighting game series by Midway Games, released in Video arcade in 1992....
, would challenge this policy. A surprise hit in arcades in 1992, Mortal Kombat features splashes of blood and finishing moves
Fatality (Mortal Kombat)

In the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games, a Fatality is a special finishing move that can be used against one's opponent at the end of the final match....
 that often depict one character dismembering the other. Because the Genesis version retained the gore while the SNES version did not, it outsold the SNES version three to one.

Game players were not the only ones to notice the violence in this game; US Senators Herb Kohl and Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman

Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the Junior senator United States Senate from Connecticut. Lieberman was first elected to the United States Senate in 1988, and was United States Senate elections, 2006 on November 7, 2006....
 convened a Congressional hearing on December 9, 1993 to investigate the marketing of violent video games to children. While Nintendo took the high ground with moderate success, the hearings led to the creation of the Interactive Digital Software Association
Entertainment Software Association

The Entertainment Software Association is the trade association of the video game industry in the United States. It was formed in April 1994 as the Interactive Digital Software Association and renamed on July 16 2003....
 and the Entertainment Software Rating Board
Entertainment Software Rating Board

The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a self-regulatory organization organization that puts ratings into force, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for Video game and other entertainment software in North America....
, and the inclusion of ratings on all video games. With these ratings in place, Nintendo decided its censorship policies were no longer needed. Consequently, the SNES port of Mortal Kombat II
Mortal Kombat II

Mortal Kombat II is a 1993 arcade game and the second title in the Mortal Kombat versus fighting game series....
 was released uncensored, and this time Nintendo's version outsold Sega's.

32-bit era and beyond

While other companies were moving on to 32-bit systems
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)

The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at the close of the 20th century....
, Rare and Nintendo proved that the Super NES was still a strong contender in the market. In November 1994, Rare released Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country is a video game developed by Rare , featuring the popular arcade character, Donkey Kong . It was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994....
, a platform game featuring 3D models and textures pre-rendered on SGI
Silicon Graphics

Silicon Graphics, Inc. is a company manufacturer high-performance computing solutions, including computer hardware and computer software. SGI was founded by James H....
 workstations. With its detailed graphics and high-quality music, Donkey Kong Country rivaled the aesthetic quality of games that were being released on newer 32-bit CD-based consoles. In the last 45 days of 1994, the game sold 6.1 million units, making it the fastest-selling video game in history to that date. This game sent a message that early 32-bit systems had little to offer over the Super NES, and helped make way for the more advanced consoles on the horizon.

In October 1997, Nintendo released a redesigned SNES 2 in North America for US$99, which included the pack-in game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, originally released as in Japan, is a Platform game video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System console....
. Like the earlier NES 2
NES 2

The NES 2 is a compact, top-loading redesign of the original Nintendo Entertainment System video game console from Nintendo. Nintendo itself called it simply Nintendo Entertainment System exactly the same as the original but users call it the NES 2 or NES Toploader to distinguish from the original....
, the new model was slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, but it lacked S-Video and RGB output, and it was among the last major SNES-related releases in the region. A similarly redesigned Super Famicom Jr. was released in Japan at around the same time.

Nintendo of America ceased production of the SNES in 1999, about two years after releasing Kirby's Dream Land 3
Kirby's Dream Land 3

Kirby's Dream Land 3, known in Japan as , is the fifth Platform game video game starring Kirby . Specifically, it is the third game under the Kirby's Dream Land name....
 (its last first-party game for the system) on November 27, 1997. In Japan, Nintendo continued production of the Super Famicom until September 2003, and new games were produced until the year 2000, ending with the release of Metal Slader Glory Director's Cut on December 1, 2000.

In recent years, many SNES titles have been ported to the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance

The is a 32-bit Handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo; resembling Sega's 8-bit Game Gear. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color....
, which has similar video capabilities. In 2005, Nintendo announced that SNES titles would be made available for download via the Wii
Wii

The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a History of video game consoles console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3....
's Virtual Console
Virtual console

In computing, some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux and BSD, feature a virtual console ? a conceptual combination of the keyboard and the display for a user interface....
 service. In 2007, Nintendo announced that it would no longer repair Famicom or Super Famicom systems due to an increasing shortage of the necessary parts.

Emulation

Like the NES before it, the SNES has retained interest among its fans even following its decline in the marketplace. It has continued to thrive on the second-hand market and through console emulation. The SNES has taken much the same revival path as the NES (see History of the Nintendo Entertainment System
History of the Nintendo Entertainment System

Nintendo's 8-bit video game console Nintendo Entertainment System , known as the Nintendo Family Computer , or Famicom in Japan, was introduced after the video game crash of 1983, and was instrumental in revitalizing the industry....
).

Emulation projects began with the initial release of VSMC in 1994, and Super Pasofami became the first working SNES emulator in 1996. During that time, two competing emulation projects—Snes96 and Snes97—merged to form a new initiative entitled Snes9x
Snes9x

Snes9x is a popular cross-platform emulator for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Initially the collaborative effort of Gary Henderson of snes96 fame and Jerremy Koot of snes97 fame, Snes9x was later maintained by Brad Jorsch and continues to be maintained by a small group of contributors....
. In 1997, SNES enthusiasts began programming an emulator named ZSNES
ZSNES

ZSNES is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulator for DOS, Windows 95/98/2000/XP/Vista, Linux, and Mac OS.ZSNES is largely written in Intel x86 assembly language, and is therefore not easily portable to other architectures, such as PowerPC....
. These two have remained among the best-known SNES emulators, although development continues on others as well. Recently there has been a push for exact emulation,As opposed to emulation "good enough" for most purposes, exact emulation facilitates the use of the emulator for homebrew game development and documents the operation of the hardware against such time as all existing consoles cease functioning. begun in 2003 by members of both the Snes9x and ZSNES teams and others, and currently led by the development of bsnes
Bsnes

bsnes is a popular modern Super Nintendo Entertainment System Console emulator for Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X written in C++. It does not currently emulate the List of Super NES enhancement chips, List of Super NES enhancement chips, List of Super NES enhancement chips, or List of Super NES enhancement chips coprocessors used by s...
.

Nintendo took the same stance against the distribution of SNES ROM
Read-only memory

Read-only memory is a class of computer storage media used in computers and other electronic devices. Because data stored in ROM cannot be modified , it is mainly used to distribute firmware ....
 image files and the use of emulators as it did with the NES, insisting that they represented flagrant software piracy
Copyright infringement of software

File:Pro piracy demonstration.jpgThe copyright infringement of software refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software....
. Proponents of SNES emulation cite discontinued production of the SNES, the right of the owner of the respective game to make a personal backup, space shifting
Space shifting

Space shifting is a concept that has been argued in copyright law to permit owners of some form of media, such as a song or movie, to convert that media from one format to another, generally by converting an audiotape, videotape, compact disc, or DVD into an electronic file stored on a computer....
 for private use, the desire to develop homebrew games
Homebrew (video games)

Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods....
 for the system, the frailty of SNES cartridge
Cartridge (electronics)

In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer to one method of adding different functionality or content; for example, a video game played on a video game console; or a method by which consumables may be replenished, such as an ink cartridge for a printer....
s and consoles, and the lack of certain foreign imports. Despite Nintendo's attempts to stop the proliferation of such projects, emulators and ROM files continue to be available on the Internet.

The SNES was one of the first systems to attract the attention of amateur fan translators: Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V

is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System ....
 was the first major work of fan translation
Fan translation

Fan translation of video games refers to an unofficial translation of a Personal computer game or video game, sometimes into a language that it was never marketed in....
, and was completed in 1997.

Emulation of the SNES is now available on handheld units, such as Sony's PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during History of E3#During the Rise of Online Gaming , and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004....
 (PSP), the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS

The is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in 2004 in video gaming in Canada, the United States, and Japan....
 and Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance

The is a 32-bit Handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo; resembling Sega's 8-bit Game Gear. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color....
, the Gizmondo
Gizmondo

The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console with General Packet Radio Service and Global Positioning System technology, which was manufactured by Tiger Telematics with industrial design by Rick Dickinson....
, and the GP2X
GP2X

The GP2X is an open-source, Linux -based handheld video game console and media player created by GamePark Holdings of South Korea.The GP2X is designed for Homebrew developers as well as commercial developers....
 by GamePark Holdings, as well as PDAs. Nintendo's Virtual Console
Virtual console

In computing, some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux and BSD, feature a virtual console ? a conceptual combination of the keyboard and the display for a user interface....
 service for the Wii
Wii

The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a History of video game consoles console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3....
 marks the introduction of officially sanctioned SNES emulation.

Technical specifications

The design of the Super NES incorporates powerful graphics and sound co-processors that allowed impressive tiling and Mode 7
Mode 7

The term Mode 7 originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, on which it describes a simple texture mapping graphics mode that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled....
 effects, many times more colors, and audio quality that represented a massive leap over the competition. Individual game cartridges can easily supply further custom chips as needed.

Central processing unit

CPU reference
ProcessorRicoh 5A22, based on a 16-bit 65c816 core
Clock Rates (NTSC)Input: 21.47727 MHz
Bus: 3.58 MHz, 2.68 MHz, or 1.79 MHz
Clock Rates (PAL)Input: 21.28137 MHz
Bus: 3.55 MHz, 2.66 MHz, or 1.77 MHz
Buses24-bit and 8-bit address buses, 8-bit data bus
Additional Features
  • DMA and HDMA
  • Timed IRQ
  • Parallel I/O processing
  • Hardware multiplication and division
The CPU
Central processing unit

A central processing unit is an electronic circuit that can execute computer programs. This broad definition can easily be applied to many early computers that existed long before the term "CPU" ever came into widespread usage....
 is a Nintendo-custom 5A22
Ricoh 5A22

The Ricoh 5A22 is a microprocessor produced by Ricoh for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console. The 5A22 is based around the 16-bit CMD/GTE 65c816, itself a version of the Western Design Center WDC 65816 ....
 processor, based around a 16-bit
16-bit

16-bit architectureThe HP 2100#Descendants and variants , introduced in 1975, was the world's first 16-bit microprocessor.Prominent 16-bit processors include the PDP-11, Intel 8086, Intel 80286 and the WDC 65C816....
 65c816 core. The CPU employs a variable bus speed depending on the memory region being accessed for each instruction cycle: the input clock is divided by 6, 8, or 12 to obtain the bus clock rate. Non-access cycles, most register
Memory-mapped I/O

Memory-mapped I/O and port I/O are two complementary methods of performing input/output between the Central processing unit and peripheral devices in a computer....
 accesses, and some general accesses use the divisor of 6. WRAM accesses and other general accesses use the divisor of 8. Only the controller port serial-access registers use the divisor of 12.

The chip has an 8-bit data bus, controlled by two address buses. The 24-bit "Bus A" is used for general accesses, while the 8-bit "Bus B" is used for support chip registers (mainly the video and audio processors). Normally only one bus is used at a time, however the built in direct memory access (DMA)
Direct memory access

Direct memory access is a feature of modern computers and microprocessors that allows certain hardware subsystems within the computer to access system Computer storage for reading and/or writing independently of the central processing unit....
 unit places a read signal on one bus and a write signal on the other to achieve block transfer speeds of up to 2.68 MB/sThis quantity uses the standard decimal meaning of megabyte
Megabyte

Megabyte is a SI prefix-multiple of the unit byte for digital information computer storage or transmission and is equal to 106 bytes....
: 1000000 bytes.
.

The DMA unit has 8 independent channels, each of which can be used in two modes. General DMA transfers up to 64 kBUnless otherwise specified, kilobyte
Kilobyte

Kilobyte is a unit of Computer data storage equal to either 1,024 bytes or 1,000 bytes , depending on context.It is abbreviated in a number of ways: KB, kB, K and Kbyte....
 (kB), megabyte
Megabyte

Megabyte is a SI prefix-multiple of the unit byte for digital information computer storage or transmission and is equal to 106 bytes....
 (MB), and megabit
Megabit

A megabit is a unit of Computer data storage, abbreviated Mbit .1 megabit = 106 = 1,000,000 bits which is equal to 125,000 bytes....
 (Mbit) are used in the binary sense
Binary prefix

In computing, a binary prefix is a set of letters that precede a unit of measure to indicate multiplication by a power of two. In certain contexts in computing, such as computer memory sizes, units of information storage and communication traffic have traditionally been reported in multiples of powers of two....
 in this article, referring to quantities of 1024 or 1048576.
in one shot, while H-blank DMA (HDMA) transfers 1–4 bytes at the end of each video scanline. HDMA is typically used to change video parameters to achieve effects such as perspective, split-screen, and non-rectangular windowing without tying up the main CPU.

The 5A22 also contains an 8-bit parallel I/O port (which was mostly unused in the SNES); controller port interface circuits, including both serial
Serial communications

In telecommunication and computer science, serial communication is the process of sending data one bit at one time, sequentially, over a communication channel or computer bus....
 and parallel
Parallel communications

In telecommunication and computer science, parallel communication is a method of sending several data signals simultaneously over several parallel channels....
 access to controller data; a 16-bit multiplication
Multiplication

Multiplication is the Operation of scaling one number by another. It is one of the four basic operations in elementary arithmetic .Multiplication is defined for Natural number in terms of repeated addition; for example, 4 multiplied by 3 can be calculated by adding 3 copies of 4 together:...
 and division
Division (mathematics)

In mathematics, especially in elementary arithmetic, division is an arithmetic operation which is the inverse of multiplication.Specifically, if c times b equals a, written:...
 unit; and circuitry for generating Non-Maskable interrupt
Non-Maskable interrupt

A non-maskable interrupt is a computer Central processing unit interrupt that cannot be ignored by standard interrupt masking techniques in the system....
s on V-blank
Vertical blanking interval

The vertical blanking interval , also known as the vertical interval or VBLANK, is the time difference between the last line of one frame or field of a raster display, and the beginning of the next....
 and IRQ
Interrupt request

The computing phrase "interrupt request" is used to refer to either the act of interrupting the Computer bus lines used to signal an interrupt, or the interrupt input lines on a Programmable Interrupt Controller ....
 interrupts on calculated screen positions.

Video

Video reference
ResolutionsProgressive: 256x224, 512x224, 256x239, 512x239
Interlaced: 512x448, 512x478
Pixel Depth2, 4, 7, or 8 bpp
Color depth

Color depth or bit depth, is a computer graphics term describing the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a Raster graphicsped image or video frame buffer....
 indexed; 8 or 11 bpp direct
Total Colors32768 (15-bit)
Sprites128, 32 max per line; up to 64x64 pixels
BackgroundsUp to 4 planes; each up to 1024x1024 pixels
Effects
  • Pixelization (mosaic) per background
  • Color addition and subtraction
  • Clipping windows (per background, affecting color, math, or both)
  • Scrolling per 8x8 tile
  • Mode 7
    Mode 7

    The term Mode 7 originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, on which it describes a simple texture mapping graphics mode that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled....
     matrix operations
The picture processing unit (PPU) consists of two separate but closely tied IC packages, which may be considered as a single entity. It also contains 64 kB of SRAM
Static random access memory

Static random access memory is a type of semiconductor memory where the word static indicates that, unlike dynamic random access memory, it does not need to be periodically memory refresh, as SRAM uses bistable latch to store each bit....
 for storing video data (VRAM), 544 bytes of object attribute memory (OAM) for storing sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)

In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional/three-dimensional or animation that is integrated into a larger scene.Sprites were originally invented as a method of quickly compositing several images together in two-dimensional video games using special hardware....
 data, and 512 bytes of color generator RAM (CGRAM) for storing palette
Palette (computing)

In computer graphics, a palette is either a given, finite set of colors for the management of digital images , or a small on-screen graphical element for choosing from a limited set of choices, not necessarily colors ....
 data. The PPU is clocked by the same signal as the CPU, and generates a pixel every two or four cycles. Both NTSC and PAL systems use the same PPU chips, with one pin per chip selecting NTSC or PAL operation.

Images may be output at 256 or 512 pixels horizontal resolution and 224, 239, 448, or 478 pixels vertically. Vertical resolutions of 224 or 239 are usually output in progressive scan
Progressive scan

Progressive or noninterlaced scanning is a method for displaying, storing or transmitting moving images in which all the lines of each Film frame are drawn in sequence....
, while 448 and 478 resolutions are interlace
Interlace

Interlaced scan refers to one of two common methods for "painting" a video image on an electronic display screen by scanning or displaying each line or row of pixels....
d. Colors are chosen from the 15-bit RGB color space
List of palettes

This article is a list of the palette s for notable computer graphics, terminals and video game consoles hardware.Only a sample and the palette's name are given here....
, for a total of 32,768 possible colors. Graphics consist of up to 128 sprites and up to 4 background layers, all made up of combinations of 8x8 pixel tiles. Most graphics use palettes stored in CGRAM, with color 0 of any palette representing transparency.

Sprites can be 8x8, 16x16, 32x32, or 64x64 pixels, each using one of eight 16-color palettes and tiles from one of two blocks of 256 in VRAM. Sprites may be flipped horizontally and vertically as a whole. Up to 32 sprites and 34 8x8 sprite tiles may appear on any one line; exceeding these limits causes excess sprites or tiles to be dropped. Each sprite lies on one of 4 planes, however a lower-numbered sprite will always cover a higher-numbered sprite even if the latter is on a higher priority plane. This quirk is often used for complex clipping effects.

Background layers in most modes range from 32x32 to 128x128 tiles, with each tile on one of two planes ("foreground" and "background") and using one of 8 palettes. Tiles are taken from a per-layer set of up to 1024 (as VRAM permits) and can be flipped horizontally and vertically. Each layer may be scrolled both horizontally and vertically. The number of background layers and the size of the palettes depends on the mode:
  • Mode 0: 4 layers, all using 4-color palettes. Each BG uses its own section of the SNES palette.
  • Mode 1: 3 layers, two using 16-color palettes and one using 4-color palettes.
  • Mode 2: 2 layers, both using 16-color palettes. Each tile can be individually scrolled.
  • Mode 3: 2 layers, one using the full 256-color palette and one using 16-color palettes. The 256-color layer can also directly specify colors from an 11-bit (RGB443) colorspace.
  • Mode 4: 2 layers, one using the full 256-color palette and one using 4-color palettes. The 256-color layer can directly specify colors, and each tile can be individually scrolled.
  • Mode 5: 2 layers, one using 16-color palettes and one using 4-color palettes. Tile decoding is altered to facilitate use of the 512-width and interlaced resolutions.
  • Mode 6: 1 layer, using 16-color palettes. Tile decoding is as in Mode 5, and each tile can be individually scrolled.
  • Mode 7
    Mode 7

    The term Mode 7 originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console, on which it describes a simple texture mapping graphics mode that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled....
    : 1 layer of 128x128 tiles from a set of 256, which may be interpreted as a 256-color one-plane layer or a 128-color two-plane layer. The layer may be rotated and scaled using matrix transformations. HDMA is often used to change the matrix parameters for each scanline to generate perspective effects.


Background layers may be individually pixelized
Pixelization

Pixelization is a video- and image-editing technique where an image, or part of it, is blurred by displaying part or all of it at a markedly lower resolution....
, and layers and sprites can be individually clipped
Clipping (computer graphics)

In rendering , clipping refers to an optimization where the computer only draws things that might be visible to the viewer....
 and combined by color addition or subtraction to generate more complex effects and greater color depths than can be specified directly.

The PPU may be instructed to latch the current pixel position at any time during image output, both by game software and by the device attached to controller port 2. The game software may then read back this latched position. The PPU may also be used for fast 16-bit by 8-bit signed multiplication.

Audio

Audio reference
ProcessorsSony SPC700, Sony DSP
Clock RatesInput: 24.576 MHz
SPC700: 1.024 MHz
Format16-bit ADPCM, 8 channels
Output32 kHz 16-bit stereo
Effects
  • ADSR envelope control
  • Frequency scaling and modulation using Gaussian interpolation
  • Echo: 8-tap FIR filter, with up to .24s delay
  • Noise generation
The audio subsystem consists of an 8-bit Sony
Sony

is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
 SPC700
SPC700

The Sony SPC700 is the 8-bit sound integrated circuit designed by Ken Kutaragi and used in the Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console together with a digital signal processor....
, a 16-bit DSP
Digital signal processor

A digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor designed specifically for digital signal processing, generally in real-time computing....
, 64 kB of SRAM
Static random access memory

Static random access memory is a type of semiconductor memory where the word static indicates that, unlike dynamic random access memory, it does not need to be periodically memory refresh, as SRAM uses bistable latch to store each bit....
 shared by the two chips, and a 64 byte boot ROM
Booting

In computing, booting is a Bootstrapping process that starts operating systems when the user turns on a computer system. A boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the computer performs when it is switched on....
. The audio subsystem is almost completely independent from the rest of the system: it is clocked at a nominal 24.576 MHz in both NTSC and PAL systems, and can only communicate with the CPU via 4 registers on Bus B.

RAM is accessed at 3.072 MHz, with accesses multiplexed
Time-division multiplexing

Time-Division Multiplexing is a type of digital or Pulse-amplitude modulation multiplexing in which two or more signals or bit streams are transferred apparently simultaneously as sub-channels in one communication channel, but are physically taking turns on the channel....
 between the SPC700 and the DSP . This RAM is used to store the SPC700 program and stack
Call stack

In computer science, a call stack is a dynamic Stack data structure that stores information about the active subroutines of a computer program....
, the audio sample data and pointer table, and the DSP's echo buffer.

The SPC700 runs programs (uploaded using the boot ROM program) to accept instructions and data from the CPU and to manipulate the DSP registers to generate the appropriate music and sound effects. The DSP generates a 16-bit waveform at 32 kHz by mixing input from 8 independent voices and an 8-tap FIR filter
Finite impulse response

A finite impulse response filter is a type of a digital filter. The impulse response, the filter's response to a Kronecker delta input, is 'finite' because it settles to zero in a finite number of sampling intervals....
 typically used for reverberation
Reverberation

Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of Echo to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air....
. Each voice can play its PCM sample at a variable rate
Frequency modulation synthesis

In Sound recording and reproduction and music frequency modulation synthesis is a form of sound synthesis where the timbre of a simple waveform is changed by frequency modulation it with a modulating frequency that is also in the audio range, resulting in a more complex waveform and a different-sounding tone....
, with Gaussian interpolation, stereo panning
Panning (audio)

Panning is the spread of a monaural signal in a stereophonic sound or multi-channel sound field. A typical pan control is constant power. At one extreme, the sound appears in only one channel....
, and ADSR
ADSR envelope

An ADSR envelope is a component of many synthesizers, sampler s, and other electronic musical instruments. Its function is to Modulation some aspect of the instrument's sound — often its loudness — over time....
, linear, non-linear, or direct volume envelope adjustment. The voice and FIR filter outputs are mixed both for direct output and for future input into the FIR filter. All audio samples are ADPCM compressed using Bit Rate Reduction
Bit rate reduction

Bit rate reduction may refer to:* Data compression, a synonym for data compression.* Bit Rate Reduction, a name given to an Audio data compression format used by the SPC700....
.

Hardware on the cartridge, expansion port, or both can provide stereo audio data for mixing into the DSP's analog audio output before it leaves the console.

Since the audio subsystem is mostly self-contained, the state of the audio subsystem can be saved as an .SPC
SPC700 sound format

An SPC700 sound file is a type of video game music file consisting of a copy of scores and music data from Random Access Memory used by the SPC700 sound chip on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super Famicom ....
 file, and the subsystem can be emulated in a stand-alone manner to play back all game music (except for a few games that constantly stream their samples from ROM).

Onboard RAM

Memory reference
Main RAM128 kB
Video RAM64 kB main RAM
512 + 32 bytes sprite RAM
256 × 15 bits palette RAM
Audio RAM64 kB
The console contains 128 kB of DRAM
Dynamic random access memory

Dynamic random access memory is a type of random access memory that stores each bit of data in a separate capacitor within an integrated circuit....
. This is mapped to various segments of Bus A, and can also be accessed in a serial fashion via registers on Bus B. The video and audio subsystems contain additional RAM reserved for use by those processors.

Regional lockout

Nintendo employed several types of regional lockout
Regional lockout

Regional lockout is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country....
, including both physical and hardware incompatibilities.

On a physical level, the cartridges are shaped differently for different regions. North American cartridges have a rectangular bottom with inset grooves matching protruding tabs in the console, while other regions' cartridges are narrower with a smooth curve on the front and no grooves. The physical incompatibility can be overcome with use of various adapters, or through modification
Modding

Modding is a slang expression that is derived from the verb "wiktionary:modify". The term can refer to the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software or anything else for that matter, to perform a function not originally conceived or intended by the designer....
 of the console.

Internally, a regional lockout chip (CIC) within the console and in each cartridge prevents PAL region games from being played on Japanese or North American consoles and vice versa. The Japanese and North American machines have the same region chip. The console CIC releases the reset signal to the rest of the system only after completing a handshake with the chip in the cartridge. This can be overcome through the use of adapters, typically by inserting the imported cartridge in one slot and a cartridge with the correct region chip in a second slot. Alternatively, disconnecting one pin of the console's lockout chip will prevent it from locking the console; hardware in later games can detect this situation, so it later became common to install a switch to reconnect the lockout chip as needed.

PAL consoles face another incompatibility when playing out-of-region cartridges: the NTSC video standard
NTSC

NTSC is the analog television system used in most of the Americas, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Burma, and some Pacific island nations and territories ....
 specifies video at 60 Hz while PAL
PAL

PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a color-encoding system used in broadcast television systems in large parts of the world. Other common analog television systems are SECAM and NTSC....
 operates at 50 Hz, resulting in approximately 16.7% slower gameplay. Additionally, PAL's higher resolution results in letterbox
Letterbox

Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio....
ing of the output image. Some commercial PAL region releases exhibit this same problem and therefore can be played in NTSC systems without issue, while others will face a 20% speedup if played in an NTSC console. To mostly correct this issue, a switch can be added to place the SNES PPU into a 60 Hz mode supported by most PAL televisions. Later games will detect this setting and refuse to run, requiring the switch to be thrown only after the check completes.

Casing

Super Nintendo Entertainment System Usa
Snes 800
Original Japanese versionOriginal North American versionOriginal PAL versionSuper Famicom Jr.
All versions of the SNES are predominantly gray, although the exact shade may differ. The original North American version has a boxy design with purple sliding switches and a dark gray eject lever. The Japanese and European versions are more rounded, with darker gray accents and buttons. The North American SNES 2 and the Japanese Super Famicom Jr. are both smaller with a rounded contour, however the SNES 2 buttons are purple where the Super Famicom Jr. buttons are gray.

All versions incorporate a top-loading slot for game cartridges, although the shape of the slot differs between regions to match the different shapes of the cartridges. The card-edge connector has 62 pads, however many cartridges only connect to the middle 46. All versions also incorporate two 7-pin controller ports on the front of the unit, and a plug for a power supply
Power supply

Power supply is a reference to a source of electrical power. A device or system that supplies electrical or other types of energy to an output External electric load or group of loads is called a power supply unit or PSU....
 and a Nintendo-proprietary "MULTI-OUT
MultiAV

MultiAV is a Nintendo proprietary audio/visual port used in its Video game console. It has also been labelled "AV OUT" "MULTI OUT" and "ANALOG AV OUT" ....
" A/V connector on the back. The multi-out connector, later used on the Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64

The , often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo's third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1, 1997 in France and December 10, 1997 in Brazil....
 and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube

The , is Nintendo's fourth home video game console and is part of the History of video game consoles . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
, can output RF
RF connector

An RF connector is an electrical connector designed to work at radio frequencies in the multi-megahertz range.RF connectors are typically used with coaxial cables and are designed to maintain the shielding that the coaxial design offers....
, RGB, S-Video
S-Video

Separate Video, more commonly known as S-Video, and sometimes incorrectly referred to as "Super Video" and also known as Y/C, is an analog signal video signal that carries the video data as two separate signals, lumen and chroma ....
, and composite video
Composite video

Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulation onto an Radio Frequency carrier wave....
 signals. Original versions additionally include a 28-pin expansion port under a small cover on the bottom of the unit and a standard RF output with channel selection switch on the back; newer versions use the RF capability of the multi-out connector.

Game cartridge

While the SNES can address 128 Mbit
Megabit

A megabit is a unit of Computer data storage, abbreviated Mbit .1 megabit = 106 = 1,000,000 bits which is equal to 125,000 bytes....
, only 117.75 Mbit are actually available for cartridge use. A fairly normal mapping could easily address up to 95 Mbit of ROM data (48 Mbit at FastROM speed) with 8 Mbit of battery-backed RAM. However, most available memory access controllers only support mappings of up to 32 Mbit. The largest games released (Star Ocean
Star Ocean (video game)

is the first of the Star Ocean video game series developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix, made for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is also the first game that was developed by tri-Ace....
 and Tales of Phantasia
Tales of Phantasia

is a Super Nintendo game in the Console role-playing game genre published by Namco and released in Japan in 1995. It is the first mothership title in the Tales RPG series and was later remade/re-released on the PlayStation, Nintendo Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable....
) contain 48 Mbit of ROM data, while the smallest games contain only 2 Mbit.

Cartridges may also contain battery-backed SRAM to save the game state, extra working RAM, custom coprocessors, or any other hardware that will not exceed the maximum current rating of the console.

Peripherals

The SNES standard controller adds two additional face buttons to the design of the NES iteration, arranging the four in a diamond shape, and introduces two shoulder buttons. It also features an ergonomic design later used for the NES 2. The Japanese and PAL region versions incorporate the system's logo in the colors of the four action buttons, while the North American version colors them lavender and purple to match the redesigned console and gives the lighter two a concave rather than convex top. Several later consoles derive elements of their controller design from the SNES, including the PlayStation
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
, PS2
PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a History of video game consoles video game console manufactured by Sony. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation of video game consoles....
, PS3
PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....
, Dreamcast, Xbox
Xbox

The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube....
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....
, and Wii (Classic Controller)
Wii Remote

The Wii Remote is the primary Game controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its Motion detection capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via movement and pointing through the use of accelerometer and technology....
.

Throughout the course of its life, a number of peripherals were released which added to the functionality of the SNES. Many of these devices were modeled after earlier add-ons for the NES: the Super Scope
Super Scope

The Super Scope, or Nintendo Scope in Europe and Australia , is the official Super Nintendo Entertainment System light gun. It was released in the European and United States markets, with a limited release in Japan due to a lack of consumer demand....
 is a light gun
Light gun

A light gun is a pointing device for computers and a controller for arcade game and video game console.Modern screen-based light guns work by building a sensor into the gun itself, and the on-screen target emit light rather than the gun....
 functionally similar to the NES Zapper
NES Zapper

The NES Zapper, also known as the Beam Gun in Japan, is an electronic light gun accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Japanese Famicom....
 (though the Super Scope features wireless capabilities) and the Super Advantage
Super Advantage

The SNES Advantage was a large joystick produced by Asciiware, sold for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The device was meant to rest on a flat surface at a comfortable level, such as a tabletop, or the floor while the player was seated behind it, but was often used while resting on a players lap....
 is an arcade
Video arcade

A video arcade is a venue where people play arcade game that are housed in colourfully-decorated cabinets. The cabinets consist of a video monitor, gameplay controls and buttons, computer hardware and software, and a coin-, Token coin-, or magnetic card-based payment mechanism....
-style joystick
Joystick

A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks are often used to control video games, and usually have one or more push-buttons whose state can also be read by the computer....
 with adjustable turbo settings akin to the NES Advantage
NES Advantage

The NES Advantage is an arcade style controller released by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. The device is meant to rest on a flat surface at a comfortable level, such as a tabletop or the floor, with the player seated behind it....
. Nintendo also released the SNES Mouse
SNES Mouse

The Super NES Mouse is a peripheral released by Nintendo in 1992 for the Super Nintendo video game system . Originally designed for use with the game Mario Paint, the SNES Mouse was sold in a bundle with the game for United States dollar59.95 in the United States and included a plastic mouse pad....
 in conjunction with its Mario Paint
Mario Paint

Mario Paint is a video game created by Nintendo for use with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and was released on August 1, 1992 along with the SNES Mouse peripheral device....
 title. Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft

is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher. It was founded on May 18 1973. Initially, Hudson dealt with personal computer products, but has expanded to the development and publishing of video games, mobile content, and video game peripherals....
, under license from Nintendo, released the Super Multitap, a multiplayer adapter for use with its popular series of Bomberman
Bomberman

Bomberman is a computer strategy game, maze-based computer and Media franchise originally developed by Hudson Soft. The original game was published in 1983 in video gaming and new games in the series are still being published to this day....
 games. Some of the more unusual controllers include the one-handed ASCII Stick L5, the BatterUP
BatterUP

BatterUP is a "24-inch foam-covered plastic" baseball bat-shaped controller manufactured for the personal computer, SEGA Genesis, and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System by Sports Sciences Inc....
 baseball bat, and the TeeV Golf golf club.

While Nintendo never released an adapter for playing NES games on the SNES, the Super Game Boy
Super Game Boy

The Super Game Boy is an adaptor cartridge for Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan....
 adapter cartridge
Cartridge (electronics)

In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer to one method of adding different functionality or content; for example, a video game played on a video game console; or a method by which consumables may be replenished, such as an ink cartridge for a printer....
 allows games designed for Nintendo's portable Game Boy
Game Boy

The is an 8-bit handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in August , and in Europe in ....
 system to be played on the SNES. The Super Game Boy touted several feature enhancements over the Game Boy, including palette substitution, custom screen borders, and (for specially enhanced games) access to the SNES console.

Like the NES before it, the SNES saw its fair share of unlicensed third-party peripherals, including a new version of the Game Genie
Game Genie

The Game Genie is a series of cheat cartridges designed by Codemasters and sold by Camerica and Galoob for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Sega Mega Drive, and Sega Game Gear that modifies game data, allowing the player to cheat, manipulate various aspects of Video game, and sometimes view u...
 cheat cartridge
Cheat cartridge

A cheat cartridge is a device that connects to any sort of cartridge-based video game console. It allows a user to input special cheat codes to manipulate a game in a way not permitted by its original programming....
 designed for use with SNES games and a variety of game copier devices. In general, Nintendo proved to be somewhat more tolerant of unlicensed SNES peripherals than they had been with NES peripherals.

Soon after the release of the SNES, companies began marketing backup devices such as the Super Wildcard, Super Pro Fighter Q, and Game Doctor. These devices were sold to create a backup of a cartridge, in the event that it would break. However, they could also be used to play copied ROM image
ROM image

A ROM image, or simply ROM, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a ROM cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's arcade system board....
s that could be downloaded from BBSes
Bulletin board system

File:Monochrome-bbs.pngA Bulletin Board System, or BBS, is a computer system running list of BBS software that allows User to Telecommunication circuit and Logging to the system using a terminal program....
 and the Internet, or to create copies of rented video games, often violating copyright
Copyright infringement of software

File:Pro piracy demonstration.jpgThe copyright infringement of software refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software....
 laws in many jurisdictions.

Japan saw the release of the Satellaview
Satellaview

The was a satellite modem add-on for Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System system in Japan released in 1995. It retailed for Japanese yen18,000 ....
, a modem
Modem

Modem is a peripheral device that modulation an analog carrier wave Signal to encode digital information, and also demodulation such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information....
 which attached to the Super Famicom's expansion port and connected to the St.GIGA
St.GIGA

is the name of a defunct satellite radio company that was formed as a subsidiary of satellite television company WOWOW and later became semi-independent, forming a keiretsu with its parent....
 satellite radio
Satellite radio

A satellite radio or subscription radio is a digital radio signal that is broadcast by a communications satellite, which covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio signals....
 station. Users of the Satellaview could download gaming news and specially designed games, which were frequently either remakes of or sequels to older Famicom titles, released in installments. Satellaview signals were broadcast from April 23, 1995 through June 30, 2000. In the United States, the similar but relatively short-lived XBAND
XBAND

XBAND was an early online console gaming network for SNES and Sega Mega Drive systems. It was produced by the Cupertino, California software company Catapult Entertainment, and made its debut in late 1994 and 1995 in various areas of the United States....
 allowed users to connect to a network via a dial-up modem to compete against other players around the country.

During the SNES's life, Nintendo contracted with two different companies to develop a CD-ROM
CD-ROM

CD-ROM is a pre-pressed Compact Disc that contains Computer data storage accessible to, but not writable by, a computer. While the Compact Disc format was originally designed for music storage and playback, the 1985 Yellow Book standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of Binary file....
-based peripheral for the console to compete with Sega's
Sega

is a Multinational corporation video game software and hardware development company, and a home computer and console manufacturer headquartered in Ota, Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan....
 CD-ROM based addon, Sega CD. Ultimately, negotiations with both Sony
Sony

is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
 and Philips
Philips

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , usually known as Philips, is a Netherlands electronics company. It is one of the largest electronics companies in the world, founded and headquartered in the Netherlands....
 fell through, and Sony went on to develop its own console based on its initial dealings with Nintendo (the PlayStation
PlayStation

The PlayStation is a 32-bit history of video game consoles video game console released by Sony Computer Entertainment in December .The PlayStation was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation ....
), with Philips gaining the right to release a series of titles based on Nintendo franchises for its CD-i
CD-i

CD-i, or Compact Disc Interactive, is the name of an interactive multimedia CD player developed and marketed by Philips CD-i also refers to the multimedia Compact Disc standard used by the CD-i console, also known as Green Book , which was co-developed by Philips and Sony in 1986 ....
 multimedia
Multimedia

Multimedia is media and content that utilizes a combination of different content format. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms....
 player.

Enhancement chips

Snes Star Fox
As part of the overall plan for the SNES, rather than include an expensive CPU that would still become obsolete in a few years, the hardware designers made it easy to interface special coprocessor chips to the console. This is most often characterized by 16 additional pins on the cartridge card edge.

The Super FX is a RISC
Reduced instruction set computer

The acronym RISC , for reduced instruction set computing, represents a CPU design strategy emphasizing the insight that simplified instructions that "do less" may still provide for higher performance if this simplicity can be utilized to make instructions execute very quickly....
 CPU designed to perform functions that the main CPU could not feasibly do. The chip was primarily used to create 3D game worlds made with polygons, texture mapping and light source shading. The chip could also be used to enhance 2D games.

The Nintendo fixed-point digital signal processor
Digital signal processor

A digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor designed specifically for digital signal processing, generally in real-time computing....
 (DSP) chip allowed for fast vector-based calculations, bitmap conversions, both 2D and 3D coordinate transformations, and other functions. Four revisions of the chip exist, each physically identical but with different microcode
Microcode

Microcode is a layer of lowest-level instructions involved in the implementation of machine code instructions in many computers and other processors; it resides in a special high-speed memory and translates machine instructions into sequences of detailed circuit-level operations....
. The DSP-1 version, including the later 1A and 1B bug fix revisions, was most often used; the DSP-2, DSP-3, and DSP-4 were used in only one title each.

Similar to the 5A22 CPU in the console, the SA-1 chip contains a 65c816 processor core clocked at 10 MHz, a memory mapper, DMA, decompression and bitplane conversion circuitry, several programmable timers, and CIC region lockout functionality.

In Japan, games could be downloaded for a fee from Nintendo Power kiosks
Nintendo Power (cartridge)

The Nintendo Power flash RAM cartridge was a Japan-only peripheral produced by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy, which allowed owners to download Super Famicom/Game Boy games onto a special flash memory Cartridge for cheaper than the full cartridge would have been....
 onto special cartridges containing flash memory
Flash memory

Flash memory is a non-volatile memory computer storage that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It is a technology that is primarily used in memory cards and USB flash drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other digital products....
 and a MegaChips MX15001TFC chip. The chip managed communication with the kiosks to download ROM images, and provided an initial menu to select which of the downloaded games would be played. Some titles were available both in cartridge and download form, while others were download only. The service was closed on February 8, 2007.

Many cartridges contain other enhancement chips, most of which were created for use by a single company in a few titles; the only limitations are the speed of the Super NES itself to transfer data from the chip and the current
Electric current

Electric current is the flow of electric charge. The electric charge may be either electrons or ions.The International System of Units unit of electric current intensity is the ampere....
 limit of the console.

Market share

49.10 million Super NES units were sold worldwide, with 23.35 million of those units sold in the Americas and 17.17 million in Japan. Although it could not quite repeat the success of the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in . In most of Asia, including Japan , the Philippines, China, Vietnam and Singapore, it was released as the ....
, which sold 61.91 million units worldwide, the Super NES was the best-selling console
List of best-selling game consoles

This is a list of video game consoles and handheld game consoles that have sold or shipped at least one million units....
 of its era. The Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive

The is a History of video game consoles video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988, North America in 1989, and the PAL region in 1990. Mega Drive was the name used in Japan and Europe, while it was sold under the name Sega Genesis in North America, as Sega was unable to secure legal rights to the Mega Drive name in that region....
 came in second with 29 million sold worldwide, and the TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16

The TurboGrafx-16, known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company and released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
 was third with 10 million sold worldwide.

See also

  • List of SNES games
    List of Super Nintendo Entertainment System games (A-M)

    This is a list of 785 games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, organized alphabetically by name. This list is split between two articles....
  • List of Super Famicom games
    List of Super Famicom games (A-H)

    This is a list of video games released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in Japan. Some of them have been translated into English through Console emulator....
  • List of Player's Choice games
    Player's Choice

    Player's Choice is a marketing label used by Nintendo to promote video games on Nintendo game consoles which have sold well; Player's Choice titles are sold at a lower price point than other games....


Content notes


External links

, archived from Nintendo.com.