| In 1991, Nintendo released its follow-up to the original Nintendo Entertainment System, entitled the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES for short. The NES was a considered to be a huge success only in Asia and the United States, but the SNES became a worldwide phenomenon. In the era of 16-bit consoles, the Super Nintendo was the best-selling system of the time. Some of the console's most popular games featured Nintendo's flagship mascot, Mario. The system came bundled with Super Mario World, and later on Super Mario Kart was released. Instead of creating another platform Mario game, Nintendo designed a racing game instead, featuring popular characters from the Mushroom Kingdom. This title became a fan favorite and had sequels released on Nintendo's subsequent consoles. The SNES was bundled with two controllers, but like most other systems, peripherals could be purchased separately. Much like the light gun for the original Nintendo console, the Super NES had its own upgraded and larger version. This was the Super Scope, which was a shoulder-mounted bazooka instead of a traditional handgun. A mouse was also released which came bundled with Mario Paint--a drawing and animation program for the system. Today, over a decade after the console's release, the Super Nintendo is still a popular and highly sought-after system for classic gamers. Some Super Nintendo games--Earthbound in particular--sell for incredible amounts of money, which is a testament to the console's longevity and continued success. This one title regularly fetches well over $100 depending on its condition, showing that good games, no matter how old, will never go out of style. |