Topic: SNES Classic thread

[Khushrenada]

[Khushrenada]

[Khushrenada]

[that Baby guy]

Thefts and swordfights aside, now that I have full streaming capabilities, maybe NWR would like to join me in a community playthrough of EarthBound? Seems like a thing people do.

[pokepal148]

Is it sad I'm more interested in the SNES controller than I am the system itself?

[Ian Sane]

It has arrived!  It sat safe and sound in my mailbox all day yesterday so congratulations to Canada Post for not screwing up.  My paranoia only came about because the last time they delivered something it was placed on my door step.

Like everyone has mentioned it is rather shockingly small.  I feel like people posting pics of them holding it all have tiny little hands because my massive palms dwarf the thing.  It is also super cute!  I don't know what drugs Nintendo is on to not have looked at the adorable NES Classic and not think "this is going to sell like hot cakes".  Yeah, the game selection is amazing and like pretty much everything Nintendo makes the quality is off the charts but I seriously think the appearance of this thing is enough to attract attention.  If you had people over and this was sitting by the TV, anyone who was a kid during the SNES years would ask about it... and then want one for themselves.  One beef I have with the physical design is that you have to open the front panel to plug in the controllers.  I worry that over time the panel is going to wear out and not snap back in place correctly or it will get wrecked.  A hinged flap might have worked better.  And the controllers are way too short but everyone has mentioned that.  The controller itself though feels right.  Actually it feels too right.    I'm so used to my SNES controllers feeling a little worn out I can't remember what a new one felt like.

The first game I played was Star Fox so as to unlock Star Fox 2.  I was actually pretty rusty at first and almost choked and died on the first boss but in the end I got to level 4 on the easy path which is about how I usually do.  Star Fox always feels a little off to me as it feels like it needs analog controls but we didn't know what that was back then.  I've played a bit of Star Fox 2.  I don't know what to make of it as the design is unconventional.  Actually I feel like I'm not playing it correctly though it is good enough that I want to figure it out.  It's rather odd that this was Nintendo's original idea for a sequel when Star Fox 64 is such a conventional follow up.  It would have been an interesting alternate history where Star Fox 64 was the third game, returning to the style of the first game.  Actually that used to be an odd trend as demonstrated by Zelda and Castlevania (and to us outside of Japan, Super Mario Bros.)

It is just so exciting to load up Star Fox 2!  It's like when they find some unreleased recording by a dead musician and it turns out to be pretty good.  Like not necessarily at the standards of their best work but good enough that for a lesser artist it would be a highlight.  It's a compliment to the artist's talent that something this good was thrown aside.  Nintendo, particularly around this time frame, was talented enough that a game like Star Fox 2 is an outtake.  Anyway, I found myself completely immersed in the intro cinematic like as if I suddenly found a Christmas present from my childhood I forgot to open.  That's perhaps the best nostalgic element of the SNES Classic, it has recreated the feeling of a new SNES game being released!

[broodwars]

Played a bit with the SNES hacking tools last night, & it's pretty hit or miss in my experience. Generally speaking, everything except Enix games & Goof Troop are working right now on the default emulator. I only just before bed last night figured out how to actually activate the mod that swaps out the emulator so games like Terranigma will work, so I'll try that out tonight.

On a side note, if you're going to add Terranigma & you're on a US SNES Classic, make sure you ALSO download the 60 Hz patch & the SNESStuff tool & patch it into the game.

Still, it was great to finally play some Lufia 2 & Turtles in Time again last night.

And yes, the ability to just hold down Select + Down to reset is a godsend.

[lolmonade]

Played a bit with the SNES hacking tools last night, & it's pretty hit or miss in my experience. Generally speaking, everything except Enix games & Goof Troop are working right now on the default emulator. I only just before bed last night figured out how to actually activate the mod that swaps out the emulator so games like Terranigma will work, so I'll try that out tonight.

On a side note, if you're going to add Terranigma & you're on a US SNES Classic, make sure you ALSO download the 60 Hz patch & the SNESStuff tool & patch it into the game.

Still, it was great to finally play some Lufia 2 & Turtles in Time again last night.

And yes, the ability to just hold down Select + Down to reset is a godsend.

Was that with Hackchi?  Or a different service?  I haven't bothered with it yet, since I know that the NES classic took a couple months til they truly figured out all you could do.  Although given I've heard it's essentially the same hardware being used for the SNES classic, the learning curve might be much easier for them. 

[broodwars]

Played a bit with the SNES hacking tools last night, & it's pretty hit or miss in my experience. Generally speaking, everything except Enix games & Goof Troop are working right now on the default emulator. I only just before bed last night figured out how to actually activate the mod that swaps out the emulator so games like Terranigma will work, so I'll try that out tonight.

On a side note, if you're going to add Terranigma & you're on a US SNES Classic, make sure you ALSO download the 60 Hz patch & the SNESStuff tool & patch it into the game.

Still, it was great to finally play some Lufia 2 & Turtles in Time again last night.

And yes, the ability to just hold down Select + Down to reset is a godsend.

Was that with Hackchi?  Or a different service?  I haven't bothered with it yet, since I know that the NES classic took a couple months til they truly figured out all you could do.  Although given I've heard it's essentially the same hardware being used for the SNES classic, the learning curve might be much easier for them.

Hakchi 2.20, to be exact, yes.

And, incidentally, the "default emulator" is the SNES Classic itself. The mod just basically has the SNES Classic run a different emulator that's more compatible with the Enix games.

And apparently you have to hex edit Goof Troop to make it work. -_-

[lolmonade]

Thanks for the update.  Looks like i've got some work to do tonight.

[broodwars]

I recommend these threads for anyone looking into doing this. The actual instructions on the hacker's site aren't very user-friendly:

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1444556

Also, a thread on game-specific issues & patches:

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1438071

Side note: 62 games is the hard limit on the SNES Classic, regardless of file size, & you can't remove the original games. You add any more than 62, & the SNES Classic crashes.

[lolmonade]

Thanks for all the info, Broodwars.


Even if anyone doesn't want to engage in legally murky things like adding games to this device, I'd strongly suggest everyone look into this for at least:

• Being able to exit the game you're playing by hitting "start+select" on the SNES controller
• Being able to add custom backgrounds beyond the pre-set ones built into the system.

That first one is critical to me and my wife.  Super happy about this.

[broodwars]

Thanks for all the info, Broodwars.


Even if anyone doesn't want to engage in legally murky things like adding games to this device, I'd strongly suggest everyone look into this for at least:

• Being able to exit the game you're playing by hitting "start+select" on the SNES controller
• Being able to add custom backgrounds beyond the pre-set ones built into the system.

That first one is critical to me and my wife.  Super happy about this.

FYI, the controller command that acted as reset for me last night was Select + Down.

[Khushrenada]

Thefts and swordfights aside, now that I have full streaming capabilities, maybe NWR would like to join me in a community playthrough of EarthBound? Seems like a thing people do.

How does a community playthrough work?

I still need to finish my own playthrough of the game. I got to Twoson but then stopped playing. I've got a love/hate relationship with Earthbound. I love the story, setting, mood and atmosphere of the game but I hate the battle system. The battle system just comes off as random chance so even if you are playing well then you can still lose. A bunch of times I've just selected the option to have the game handle the battle for me while I just watch it play out because why bother myself. I've stated before that it turns the game into a more passive experience because of that and it eventually led to my disengagement from the game even though I keep thinking about going back to it from time to time.

[that Baby guy]

From what I've seen, it isn't very complicated at all. In this case, it's just reach X point in the game by Y point in time. Discussion is posted, other members can help out, usually a part of the game is streamed, which I intend to do, but I invite others to do as well.

In my case, I'd be looking to divide the game up into 10 parts or more. Progression would be slow to make it more accessible. If you get behind one week, you'd have lots of time the next to catch up.

[Shaymin]

ALLEGEDLY there's an update to the software that ups the limit to 150 or so.

And I'd probably want Down+Select to be the system reset command because I've been soft resetting like a madman on the Veldt in FF3.

[Ian Sane]

So I've played more Star Fox 2 and I beat it?  Huh?  I can't even get to Venom on the easiest path in Star Fox 1 yet I beat Star Fox 2.  It's a very creative but short game.  Now I only got a D score so there's room for improvement and I really had a blast beating it.  Beat-in-one-sitting is not that uncommon during the SNES years.

Still I feel like this might not have cut it in 1996 with the N64 due the same year and the Playstation already out.  The game is technically impressive for SNES tech but compared to the 3D games that the next gen was outputting at the time it's kind of half-baked.  If it came out in 1994, say in fellow Super FX game Stunt Race FX's release spot, then I think it would have been a classic.  Stunt Race FX itself got pretty dated pretty quickly and benefited greatly by not having to directly compete with Ridge Racer and Daytona USA.  I think it's telling that the only Super FX game to come out post-Playstation used the chip to create a very impressive 2D game rather than a rough-around-the-edges 3D game.  Nintendo was probably right to cancel Star Fox 2 as it was showing up too late for its tech to impress.

I wondered why Nintendo then made a brand new Star Fox 64 rather than just up-port this game to the new console like they did with later N64 titles like Dinosaur Planet and Eternal Darkness.  But again I think it's too short for what was expected game length in 1997.  Star Fox 64 is pretty short as well but this really seems like a "beat your score" kind of game which was very out-of-fashion and unmarketable by the 32/64 bit era.

Star Fox 2 oddly enough seems to best fit its current role as an unreleased rarity.  In the historical context of other great SNES titles it doesn't seem out of place because it doesn't have to meet contemporary expectations of console games.  On it's own it's a pretty awesome game.

[lolmonade]

ALLEGEDLY there's an update to the software that ups the limit to 150 or so.

And I'd probably want Down+Select to be the system reset command because I've been soft resetting like a madman on the Veldt in FF3.

I took the time to go through the Hackchi boot for the SNES classic.  the Down+Select system reset is an essential addition IMO, even if you have no intent to add games. 

That said, I'm not sure there's more than 20 games I wanted to add to the SNES classic's library.  There are probably some gems I'm overlooking, but I'm wanting more a "greatest hits" of the games I know I'll want to replay, and games I've wanted to try but can't obtain outside of paying prices for the original carts.

[Ian Sane]

I have no desire to mod my SNES Classic because to me part of the appeal is the item itself as a collectable.  So I would want it to remain as it was upon release.  For me the other reasons for owning it were to get a proper Star Fox 2 release and the convenience of being able to play most of the top SNES games on an HDTV.

I have a good SNES collection so having access to most of the big games isn't an issue.  There are a handful of expensive titles that I really want and have no realistic way to get in an affordable manner but if I really wanted to resort to piracy to play them I'd rather use something like an Everdrive to play them on a proper SNES.  I'm not typically into emulation in the first place over using authentic hardware.  There's just something about the SNES Classic being an official Nintendo product, and the high quality that come with that, that makes this an exception.  But once I start dumping ROMs on it why aren't I just running them on my laptop or getting a Raspberry Pi?  There's something about this and the NES Classic that's more than just running ROMs of old games.

[broodwars]

I have no desire to mod my SNES Classic because to me part of the appeal is the item itself as a collectable.  So I would want it to remain as it was upon release.  For me the other reasons for owning it were to get a proper Star Fox 2 release and the convenience of being able to play most of the top SNES games on an HDTV.

I have a good SNES collection so having access to most of the big games isn't an issue.  There are a handful of expensive titles that I really want and have no realistic way to get in an affordable manner but if I really wanted to resort to piracy to play them I'd rather use something like an Everdrive to play them on a proper SNES.  I'm not typically into emulation in the first place over using authentic hardware.  There's just something about the SNES Classic being an official Nintendo product, and the high quality that come with that, that makes this an exception.  But once I start dumping ROMs on it why aren't I just running them on my laptop or getting a Raspberry Pi?  There's something about this and the NES Classic that's more than just running ROMs of old games.

I remember when I still thought like this. Then Square-Enix spent 20 years thoroughly abandoning the entire Enix side of their history outside Dragon Quest. I've been waiting for games like Illusion of Gaia, Lufia 2, Terranigna, etc. to appear on the virtual consoles for a decade. I WANTED to pay S-E & Nintendo money to play these games again.

But S-E didn't give a ****, nor did Nintendo.

So at this point, emulating these games on the SNES Classic is my only option to play these games again on a TV with an official SNES Controller. It's not how I wanted it, but here we are.

[Adrock]

But S-E didn't give a ****, nor did Nintendo.

I’m curious how this is even partially Nintendo’s fault. I’m sure Nintendo would have loved taking a cut from those Enix titles had Square Enix put it on Virtual Console. I guess Nintendo could have pushed harder to get them on the store.

Anyway, I’m mildly interested in modding, but I’m afraid of putzing something up. I’d be mildly interested in have a modded and unmodded SNES Classic. Who has that kind of money? “Not I,” said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

[lolmonade]

I have no desire to mod my SNES Classic because to me part of the appeal is the item itself as a collectable.  So I would want it to remain as it was upon release.  For me the other reasons for owning it were to get a proper Star Fox 2 release and the convenience of being able to play most of the top SNES games on an HDTV.

I have a good SNES collection so having access to most of the big games isn't an issue.  There are a handful of expensive titles that I really want and have no realistic way to get in an affordable manner but if I really wanted to resort to piracy to play them I'd rather use something like an Everdrive to play them on a proper SNES.  I'm not typically into emulation in the first place over using authentic hardware.  There's just something about the SNES Classic being an official Nintendo product, and the high quality that come with that, that makes this an exception.  But once I start dumping ROMs on it why aren't I just running them on my laptop or getting a Raspberry Pi?  There's something about this and the NES Classic that's more than just running ROMs of old games.

If your view is that you want to keep your SNES classic as a pristine, untouched product, I can see why you'd be weary of tinkering with it. 


That said, as someone who has a raspberry Pi and has gone through the process of setting it up, there are a bunch of reasons why the SNES classic has advantages over that.


- After initial set-up, using hackchi is literally plug into PC, change games/settings, save.  Even initial set-up was 15 mins at most, given how good the instructions are for it, whereas the retro-pie set up took a good couple of hours over a few nights for me.


- The menu & navigation for SNES classic is great IMO, and while the retropie menu is good for what it is, the presentation leaves something to be desired.


- A lot of the controller options I found for the retropie didn't feel great (even 8bitdo).  These controllers feel really close to the originals.


- The emulation on the SNES classic IMO appears much better.  Encountered lots of problems with sounds fading in/out on my retropie, and couldn't find a solution in the settings.


So for someone who is using it more utilitarian as a way to share some of my gaming childhood with my wife & kids, a nifty Nintendo package that plugs into HD tvs that I can add a feature (soft reset via controller input), amend the library by a few games to make it closer to content complete for me (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time is NEVER being released), and even have the option to get custom backgrounds installed, if I want to go through the trouble. 

[lolmonade]

But S-E didn't give a ****, nor did Nintendo.

Anyway, I’m mildly interested in modding, but I’m afraid of putzing something up. I’d be mildly interested in have a modded and unmodded SNES Classic. Who has that kind of money? “Not I,” said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

For what it's worth, i'm not a technical savant.  The neogaf threads broodwars linked give very clear step-by-steps, and the hackchi software is VERY user friendly. 

[Adrock]

- A lot of the controller options I found for the retropie didn't feel great (even 8bitdo).  These controllers feel really close to the originals.

Gah, I have two 8bitdo controllers preordered. I heard good things.

[broodwars]

But S-E didn't give a ****, nor did Nintendo.

I’m curious how this is even partially Nintendo’s fault. I’m sure Nintendo would have loved taking a cut from those Enix titles had Square Enix put it on Virtual Console. I guess Nintendo could have pushed harder to get them on the store.

Anyway, I’m mildly interested in modding, but I’m afraid of putzing something up. I’d be mildly interested in have a modded and unmodded SNES Classic. Who has that kind of money? “Not I,” said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

Nintendo never courted devs or games for the VC. They pretty much had a policy of "Propose a game to us, and we'll think about putting it on the VC...maybe." We know this is how it works because Natsume TOLD us so in regards to Nintendo blocking SNES games on the Wii U VC. Just imagine the games that MIGHT have been on the VC if Nintendo hadn't gated it so hard or insisted upon Nintendo themselves doing the emulation work. But no, Nintendo wanted their walled garden...even after they stopped caring about it once WiiWare released.