Nintendo fans rejoice! Continuing on from the success of the adorable NES classic last year, its younger sibling, the Super NES Classic, is here. Fitting into the palm of your hand, the bite-sized console packs 21 brilliant games from what many believe to be Nintendo’s best ever library. This time around, the package includes not one but two controllers, and yes, they have longer cables (although not by much).
Unsurprisingly, the SNES Classic is selling out quickly as pre-orders hit vendors. Also unsurprisingly, Nintendo has confirmed that production will run for a disappointingly short amount of time. The Super NES Classic will only run from September to the end of the year, so expect huge demand to overwhelm supply once again. Those wanting to pre-order are going to need to be on their toes.
In Europe, where the Super NES Classic is already available for pre-order, reserves lasted mere hours. Some devilishly clever folk are already on-selling their pre-orders for reserves for astronomical prices, at around double recommended retail. Surely a repackaged 20-year-old console isn’t worth any more than the $80 price tag, let alone swollen prices of over $160. Or is it?
We’re talking about a limited edition official licensed Nintendo product, which, quite apart from its slinky aesthetic, is packed with 21 games and two controllers. So what would the equivalent price be if one was to purchase an original SNES and the carts for each game? We’ve done the research and you’d be amazed at just how much value you’re getting with the Super NES Classic.
The following breakdown lists the current value of each game on the second-hand market. The prices are based on the averages of “loose” authentic carts, which are the cheapest official versions found online.
- Contra III: The Alien Wars – $40.50
- Donkey Kong Country – $15.50
- EarthBound – $152
- Final Fantasy III – $39
- F-ZERO – $10.75
- Kirby Super Star – $40.50
- Kirby’s Dream Course – $22.97
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past – $26
- Mega Man X – $28.94
- Secret of Mana – $51.49
- Star Fox – $12
- Star Fox 2 – NA
- Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting – $13.18
- Super Castlevania IV – $38.07
- Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts – $20.50
- Super Mario Kart – $24.40
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars – $52.35
- Super Mario World – $33
- Super Metroid – $44.99
- Super Punch-Out!! – $22.09 688.23
- Yoshi’s Island – $26.50
That’s a combined total of $714.73, and that’s without even factoring in an original SNES console with two controllers. Gamestop’s used console search engine lists the SNES at $89.99 and each controller at $9.99. All together, that brings the combined price to an astonishing $824.70.
The inevitable inflated Ebay prices for the Super NES Classic won’t seem so hard to swallow now, right?
The next time you hear someone lamenting the concept of these repackaged retro consoles, just remember there is value way beyond the form factor. Don’t forget, too, that one of the games in its library is technically an all-new game, the mysterious Star Fox 2: an unreleased classic that has been sitting on a Nintendo’s storeroom shelves for over twenty years.
Indeed, with such a wonderful compilation of first and third party games that are worth a small fortune bought individually, nobody should be feeling too hard done by, even if you end up having to pay more than the $80 retail price.
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