Super Nintendo Entertainment System

スーパーファミコン Sūpā Famikom
North American model
Release dates
Japan	November 21, 1990
North America	August 23, 1991
Europe	April 11, 1992
Technical information
Display	16-bit
Media	ROM cartridge
Other information
Console generation	Fourth generation
Console type	Home console
Successor	Nintendo 64

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Japanese: スーパーファミコン Super Famicom or SFC), often abbreviated as the SNES, is Nintendo's third home video game console and the successor to the Nintendo Entertainment System. EarthBound was released on this system, being the first game in the series officially released outside of Japan. The console's best-selling titles are Super Mario World and Donkey Kong Country. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was succeeded by the Nintendo 64.

Many games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System were re-released as Virtual Console titles on the Wii Shop Channel and later the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U. Among these titles is EarthBound, which was released on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2013. Several Super Nintendo Entertainment System titles are included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as Masterpieces, including EarthBound in both titles (omitted from the international release of Brawl).

Hardware

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System supported 16-bit graphics, an improvement from the 8-bit graphics of its predecessor. It supported two-player games, which EarthBound utilized only in battles.

EarthBound/Mother games for the SNES

• EarthBound (Mother 2 in Japan)

Trivia

• Ness's name is an anagram of SNES. This is similar to how the protagonist of EarthBound Beginnings is named Ninten, which is an abbreviation of Nintendo and a nod to the Nintendo Entertainment System.