Nintendo’s new Super Famicom-themed 3DS is a blast from its awesome past

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Further proof that the company’s 16-bit console was one of the best-looking systems ever made.

My family had some kind of video game system in our home as far back as I can remember, but Nintendo’s Super Famicom was the first console I actually followed the development of. For months, I pored over glossy magazine spreads with in-development pictures of games that were destined to become classics (as well as some that were destined to be forgotten, like Ultraman: Towards the Future and Jumbo Ozaki’s Hole in One Golf).

So when the Super Famicom finally made its way to the U.S. as the Super NES, I was psyched, and when I got one of my own, I was not disappointed. Not only did the holy triumvirate of its launch lineup, Super Mario World, Pilotwings, and F-Zero, represent unparalleled levels of fun, polished gameplay, their graphics were jaw-droppingly vivid and detailed.

Which was a good thing, because the Super NES itself is pretty ugly.

▼ But hey, it really does have a nice personality.

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The Super NES was oddly angular up top and had a weird, wavy, baked good-like ridge running along its base, plus its entirely subdued hues made it look cold and lifeless. In comparison, the Super Famicom looked equal parts high-tech and fun, thanks to its sleek, colorful design.

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As a matter of fact, the Super Famicom is so memorably eye-pleasing that Nintendo is bringing its design back again for a new edition of its 3DS LL handheld system.

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Set to be released in mid-April, the casing’s artwork is so faithful that you might find yourself trying to actually slide the drawn-on power switch up or insert a Super Famicom game into the semi circule that represents the cartridge slot.

The theming continues inside, with the buttons Y, X, B, and A buttons colored just like their counterparts on the Super Famicom controller.

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The 3DS LL Super Famicom Edition comes bundled with a 4-gigabyte memory card and is priced at 21,600 yen (US$195). The special system will be sold exclusively by preorder through Nintendo’s website here. No announcement has yet been given regarding the possibility of a North American-spec version, or an unappealing Super NES equivalent.

Source: Nintendo h/t Kotaku U.K.
Top image: Nintendo
Insert images: Wikipedia/Evan-Amos (1, 2), Nintendo

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Nintendo’s new Super Famicom-themed 3DS is a blast from its awesome past

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