What we want in an “SNES Mini”

Eurogamer's report this morning that Nintendo is working on an "SNES Mini" plug-and-play console in the style of the NES Classic Edition (according to "sources close to the company") isn't too surprising. The original NES Mini was an unexpectedly large success that should logically inspire Nintendo to mine more of its classic hardware for more easy profits.

On the other hand, Nintendo recently discontinued the NES Classic Edition despite evidence of continuing huge demand that hasn't been satisfied by the paltry supply Nintendo rolled out to stores. Eurogamer goes so far as to say the SNES Mini's impending release is part of the reason the NES Classic Edition was discontinued, suggesting that the company thinks only one retro console can exist on the market at a time, for some reason.

In all likelihood, the SNES Mini will likely be nearly identical to the miniature NES that came before it. If we had Nintendo's ear, though, here's what we'd recommend to help it build the retro console of our dreams:

A downloadable game store

Sure, we get the appeal of a system that "just works" out of the box, without the need to hook anything up to your Wi-Fi or bust out a credit card for an online account. That said, allowing the SNES Mini library to expand via purchased downloads (a la the Virtual Console on other Nintendo consoles) seems like a no-brainer way to provide a continued revenue stream and longer-term interest in the hardware.

Support for multiple systems

The power of nostalgia means styling distinct "mini" boxes after distinct classic Nintendo consoles is a powerful marketing move. But there's no reason that the overpowered innards on the NES Mini couldn't also emulate games from the Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, or even Game Boy and Game Boy Advance in a single box (à la a RetroPie-equipped Raspberry Pi box). Market it as the Ultimate Nintendo History Arcade or something, and put all your classic systems in one place.

Classic video outputs

We love that the NES Classic Edition has a built-in filter to simulate the fuzzy glow of an old CRT television. Still, nothing can completely replicate the way a game looks on a pre-HD TV. We don't imagine there's a huge market of CRT users out there who would be demanding RCA, S-Video, or even RGB outputs for a modern SNES remake, but this is our dream console, so we'll ask for what we want.

Support for original controllers

The proprietary controllers released for the NES Classic Edition were pretty authentic, though they were hampered by a ridiculously short cord. For the SNES Mini, though, we'd love to be able to plug in our still-working AsciiPad or hook up the ridiculously large Super Advantage joystick to a new, HDMI-equipped system. While third-party adapters have filled in this hole on the NES Classic Edition, an official adapter would show that Nintendo cares about its old controllers.

(Support for original SNES cartridges would be nice, too, but would likely require making the box a lot bigger than it otherwise needs to be).

Multitap support

If NBA Jam, Super Bomberman, and/or Secret of Mana appear on the SNES Mini, we sincerely hope there's a way for four people to play them simultaneously.

A continuing supply

We understand that the NES Classic Edition's success took Nintendo by surprise, and the company didn't really have plans for continued production of what was supposed to be a holiday season novelty. That excuse won't work this time around. Nintendo really should commit to continuing to produce the SNES Mini as long as market demand makes it a reasonable and profitable proposition. It's a bit ridiculous that we even have to say this, but here we are.