The Nintendo Super NES Classic Edition has already hit its fair share of snags, and it’s still weeks away from release. Two retailers—Best Buy and Amazon—opened short pre-order windows on Aug. 22, and though it happened in the middle of the night, the pre-orders sold out almost instantly.
Nintendo fans hope it’s not a repeat of July, when Walmart accepted and then canceled all SNES preorders, citing a “technical glitch” that sent hopeful owners into a spiral of disappointment. Even if you’ve missed opportunities to buy the SNES Classic Edition so far, you still have time and options.
The retro gaming system is a perfect mini replica of the original Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), originally released in 1992 in North America. It’s responsible for such modern classics as Super Mario Kart and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.
As with the NES Classic released last year, the light gray system is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. The included controllers are full size and have longer wires, so you can get some distance from the TV if you so desire. It also comes equipped with updated ports: a micro USB for charging as well as an HDMI port. The 21 included games are listed below, and it’s worth noting that the never-before-released Starfox 2 is one of them.
On Aug. 1, Nintendo confirmed on Facebook that the Super NES Classic Edition system “will be available for pre-order by various retailers late this month.” The posted added: “A significant amount of additional systems will be shipped to stores for launch day, and throughout the balance of the calendar year.”
Here’s hoping Nintendo is better prepared for the demand this time around. If we learned anything from the painful rollout and discontinuation of the NES Classic Edition, it’s that these retro consoles aren’t a long-term priority for Nintendo. They’re a way to celebrate Nintendo’s history and fans around, so you’ll want to be prepared to move quickly.
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Where to buy the SNES Classic
The SNES Classic officially launches on Sept. 29 with a retail price of $79.99. It is currently out of stock at Nintendo’s online store, but hopefully, Nintendo will be replenishing its stores soon. Here are some other options if you’re looking to preorder the SNES Classic.
Amazon has a listing for the SNES Classic up, but the product itself is currently unavailable. You can sign up for alerts to be notified when it does become available.
Best Buy also has it listed in its online store, though it’s currently unavailable. Like Amazon, the retailer does provide an option to be notified when it becomes available for either preorder or purchase.
Following its screw up in July, when a listing accidentally went live and hundreds of fans pre-ordered the console, Walmart notes that the SNES Classic is “no longer available.” But on the same page, Walmart notes that the product is coming soon.
You can also sign up for updates from GameStop.
Chunktoys is the only outlet offering a preorder of the SNES Classic right now, but it’s at a whopping $499.99. You’re probably better off waiting for another retailer.
Here is a full list of the games that come pre-installed on the SNES Classic:
- Contra III: The Alien Wars™
- Donkey Kong Country™
- EarthBound™
- Final Fantasy III
- F-ZERO™
- Kirby™ Super Star
- Kirby’s Dream Course™
- The Legend of Zelda™: A Link to the Past™
- Mega Man® X
- Secret of Mana
- Star Fox™
- Star Fox™ 2
- Street Fighter® II Turbo: Hyper Fighting
- Super Castlevania IV™
- Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts®
- Super Mario Kart™
- Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars™
- Super Mario World™
- Super Metroid™
- Super Punch-Out!! ™
- Yoshi’s Island™
Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.