Super Famicom
- Manufacturer
- Nintendo
- Production
- 1990–2003
- Generation
- Gen 4
- Type
- Home
- Region
- JP
- Media
- Cartridge
- Units sold
- 17.2M
About Super Famicom
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released as the Super Famicom (SFC) in Japan on November 21, 1990, as the Super NES in North America on August 23, 1991, and internationally throughout 1992. It was Nintendo's second programmable home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). A fourth-generation console, the SNES primarily competed with the Sega Genesis in the console war, a fierce battle for market share in the United States and Europe.
Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Library & collector facts
1,448licensed games
- Japan: 1,448
Pricing
Launch price (1990)
- 🇯🇵 JPY
- ¥25,000
Launch titles & exclusives
Super Mario World · F-Zero · Pilotwings · Bombuzal · Populous · Gradius III · Actraiser · Final Fight
None (sold as standalone hardware in Japan)
Super Mario World · Chrono Trigger · Final Fantasy IV/V/VI · Seiken Densetsu series · Dragon Quest V & VI · Romancing SaGa series · Tales of Phantasia · Star Ocean · Treasure of the Rudras · Bahamut Lagoon · Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Metal Slader Glory: Director's Cut (2000, Nintendo's last SFC release via Power Loader) is widely cited as the final licensed game
Star Fox 2 cartridge (cancelled, finally released on SNES Classic 2017); Power Loader rewritable carts; many JP-exclusive late RPGs in CIB condition command strong premiums
Hardware specs
- Weight
- ~0.96 kg (2.12 lb)
- Dimensions
- 203 × 68 × 254 mm
Hardware revisions
- Original Super Famicom SHVC-001(1990)
original launch hardware
⚠ cream plastic does not yellow like NA SNES did
- Super Famicom Jr. SHVC-101(1998)
final cost-reduced redesign, smaller footprint, composite-only
Launch colorways & special editions
- Satellaview-bundled Super Famicom (BS-X service); various JP retailer color variants
Modding scene
- Difficulty
- soft-mod
- Custom firmware
- N/A; FXPak Pro / SD2SNES (flashcart)
Reception & legacy
Massive launch in Japan — initial 300k units sold out instantly, scalpers reported in Tokyo within hours
Yakuza groups reportedly extorted retailers around launch leading Nintendo to schedule shipments mid-week to avoid public chaos; Satellaview broadcasts (download-only games) created preservation challenges that persist today
Defining JP home console of the 16-bit era; Square and Enix's collaboration with Nintendo here produced the JRPG canon that defined the genre worldwide
References
More from Nintendo
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Super Famicom in the news
Recent coverage mentioning the Super Famicom, gathered from 80+ gaming-news sources.
"I Am Proud Of What's Been Achieved Here" - After Years Of Work, Super Robot Wars 4 English Fan Translation Is Finally Out
"This project has been a long time coming, and has not been without difficulty.". Over 31 years after its original release, an English fan translation patch has been released for Winkysoft and Banpresto's Super Famicom strategy RPG Dai 4 Ji Sūpā Robotto Taisen (otherwise known as Super Robot Wars...
’90s puzzler Panic Bomber W joins Super Bomberman Collection for free, marking its first Western release
A ’90s spin-off from the Bomberman series has been given its first ever official Western release. Panic Bomber W, which was released on the Super Famicom in March 1995, has been added to retro compilation Super Bomberman Collection. Konami initially announced Super Bomberman Collection during a...
’90s puzzler Panic Bomber W joins Super Bomberman Collection for free, marking its first Western release
The Super Famicom game has been added to the compilation as a free update
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Has Been Translated Into English With New Features
🤝 Like our website? Support us as an independent publisher by tipping, joining our paid community or checking out our accessories brand GAMENOOK! It's been over three decades since Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon released on the Game Boy and Super Famicom/SNES in Japan, and if you'
This New Patch Lets You Play Chunsoft's Landmark Super Famicom Sound Novel 'Kamaitachi no Yoru' In English
"No generative AI or LLMs have touched any part of this translation". The original Super Famicom version of Chunsoft's highly influential "sound novel" Kamaitachi no Yoru has just received a fan translation, allowing players to experience it in English for the very first time. Released in 1994,...
Super Bomberman Collection Adds Super Famicom Game In Free August Update
Panic Bomber W returns. Bomberman made a return in February with an entirely new collection and in a surprise announcement, Konami has revealed it will be releasing a free update next month. On 20th August 2026, Super Bomberman Collection for Switch and Switch 2 will add the Hudson Soft...