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Super Famicom hardware uses serial code SHVC (Super Home Video Computer), while the U.S. SNES hardware uses serial code SNS (Super Nintendo System). In PAL regions (Europe, Australia), the serial code SNSP (Super Nintendo System PAL) is used. What to Do: GameCube DA10000000 You can find the serial number on the bottom of the unit. Nintendo 64 NUP10000000 You can find the serial number on the bottom of the unit. System (SNES) UP10000000 You can find the serial number on the bottom of the unit. (NES) PM1000000 or NP10000000 You can find the serial number on the bottom of the unit. However, the SNS-CPU-1CHIP-01 motherboard revision has supposedly the best video output, because the 'vertical line(s) issue' is mostly invisible (just to let you know in case you were to use a SNS-001 motherboard to do a portable SNES mod). I hope this helps you out. Credit goes to the RetroRGB.

• Snes Serial Number
• Snes Controller To Serial Port

The Super Nintendo is certainly a contender for the world’s most beloved console. The 16-bit juggernaut has a library brimming with first and third party classics that are known for their tight gameplay and pretty pixels. Unsurprisingly, some of those games are worth some serious cash.

With over 700 titles in the SNES catalog, players have had plenty to choose from since the console’s launch in the early ‘90s. Due to the system’s success many games that were popular during its heyday are now highly sought after. But surprisingly those aren’t the type of games that are considered the most valuable.

Most titles in the SNES top ten are those who had a limited print run, work with a special peripheral, or were exclusive to stores and events. They are the rarest of the rare, and therefore fetch a pretty penny when sold. It should be noted that all the estimated values featured below have been taken from the price aggregator site PriceCharting.com, and represent the average spent in online auctions for games that have already been opened (but may still be complete with box, manual, and inserts).

Let’s begin!

Nintendo PowerFest ‘94

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Estimated Value: $10,988

Background: One of, if not the, rarest and most valuable video games of all time, PowerFest ‘94 is (almost) one of a kind. This unattractive circuit board houses three competition versions of Super Nintendo classics, each with their own form of scoring. The Super Mario Bros. entry (as seen above) is actually the updated version of Japan’s Super Mario Bros. 2, known stateside as The Lost Levels. Beyond platforming, players can also burn rubber in Super Mario Kart and slug as many home runs as possible in Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball. Since the specialized PowerFest ‘94 cartridges were only meant to be used during competition the vast majority of the devices were sent back to Nintendo or destroyed after the grand finals in San Diego. To this day only two copies are still known to exist, one of which is actually owned by PriceCharting.com’s J.J. Hendricks. How he acquired this ultra rare title is quite the interesting tale.

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Nintendo Campus Challenge ‘92

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Estimated Value: $4,000

Background: Similar to its younger brother in both looks and rarity, Nintendo Campus Challenge’92 was the first official competition cartridge for the Super Nintendo. The focus for this Nintendo competition was based around three SNES launch titles — Super Mario World,F-Zero, and Pilot Wings. Players who attended the Campus Challenge events attempted to collect coins, complete laps, and land on far-off targets. Unlike Super Mario World, both F-Zero and Pilot Wings had score multipliers in effect to give players a larger overall point total. Like it’s NES predecessor from 1991, Campus Challenge ‘92 has a phone jack built into its circuit board. It’s not known, but many speculate this was used for sending scores directly to Nintendo headquarter via phone lines. How advanced!

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Exertainment Mountain Bike Rally/Speed Racer

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Estimated Value: $1,899 - $2,683

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Background: Long before the motion control revolution brought on by the Wii and Kinect, there weren’t many ways of staying in shape while you played video games. The Exertainment Life Cycle 9XS looked to change this by introducing a special exercise bike and controller set-up, with built in TV to boot. Though players (riders?) could play normal SNES titles or simply watch TV, two games were released specifically for the Exertainment set-up. Both Mountain Bike Rally and Speed Racer featured special racing modes that corresponded with the Life Cycle’s built-in “electronic personal trainer.” A biking game seems to make perfect sense, but peddling a race car seems a bit strange. Dedicated Nintendo collectors are always on the lookout for both the game and working Life Cycle units.

Donkey Kong Country Competition Edition

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Estimated Value: $1,800 - $2,803

Background: With pseudo-3D graphics, tight controls, and a toe-tapping soundtrack, the original Donkey Kong Country was exactly the smash hit Nintendo needed to pull the Super Nintendo ahead of the Sega Genesis. To promote the the game Nintendo decided to feature the jungle platformer in both the PowerFest ‘94 finals and the Blockbuster World Video Game Championships II. Players would collect as many bananas as possible while hopping and bopping through classic Donkey Kong stages like Jungle Hijinx and Snow Barrel Blast. Beyond the two Nintendo-sponsored events (where the game was used, but not sold), the competition cartridge was only available to the masses through a special Nintendo Power catalogue. Just 2,500 copies were printed, but the amount of cartridges sold is still a mystery to this day. So the next time you see a worn copy of Donkey Kong Country in the wild, be sure to check the upper right corner for the illustrious markings of the competition edition.

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M.A.C.S. Multipurpose Arcade Combat Simulator

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Estimated Value: $1,500

Background: The Super Nintendo is no stranger to large gun peripherals. The battery-consuming Super Scope was released alongside a handful of games in 1992 to little success. Though it seems someone in the military must have been sold on the concept of using the SNES hardware for target practice, as M.A.C.S. was created for the United States armed forces in 1994. Supposedly delivered in a create with all necessary practice items, the M.A.C.S. cartridge also came complete with an SNES and a range of realistic gun controllers. Seriously. Look at this bad boy.

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No one knows how long the game was used as a practice simulator, but it wasn’t until years later that the legendary title surfaced online. With a limited, but ultimately unknown, quantity of M.A.C.S. cartridges and guns in circulation it’s no surprise collectors have to dig deep into their wallets to add it to their collection.

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Super Star Fox Weekend Competition

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Estimated Value: $799 - $860

Background: With the release of Star Fox and its fancy new polygons powered by the Super FX chip, Nintendo was in need of a showcase for their newest franchise. What better way to attract media and fan attention then a nice friendly competition? Between Campus Challenge ‘92 and PowerFest ‘94 the Big N launched Super Star Fox Weekend. Held in malls and gaming stores across the United States and Europe, Super Star Fox Weekend gave players a chance to win Star Fox merchandise and exotic trips. Pins, shirts, and highly-prized jackets were handed out to flying aces who managed to hit certain score levels. Like the Donkey Kong Country Competition after it, Nintendo sold a limited supply of the game to Nintendo Power subscribers. For a whopping $45 (roughly $75 today with inflation) readers could own a piece of Nintendo history. Hindsight is 20/20 and many of the Nintendo Power faithful (myself included) are still kicking themselves for not jumping on the opportunity.

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Hagane: The Final Conflict

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Estimated Value: $534 - $1,703

Background: Some great games aren’t recognized as classics until long after they launch. This is the case the Super Nintendo sleeper-hit known as Hagane: The Final Conflict. Published by Bomberman creators Hudson Soft, Hagane is an action-platform game in the vein of series like Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi. Players must hack and slash their way through rival ninja clans as the titular Hagane, a cyborg ninja with unrelating power and a violent vendetta. Though the game features a wide range of attacks and some superb 16-bit visuals, many reviewers found it a bit too repetitive to topple other action games of the time. Sadly, this was indeed The Final Conflict, as Hudson never revived or updated the game for future consoles. Not only is a physical copy of Hagane difficult to locate, the game has also never been released digitally. At least, in any legal format...

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Snes Serial Number

Aero Fighters

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Estimated Value: $500 - $910

Background: Possibly the most unremarkable game in the top ten, Aero Fighters is an arcade port featuring a large roster of playable characters and aircrafts. The title is known for being one of the best and most accurate arcade to home console ports of the Super Nintendo era, but went largely unnoticed by many players and critics. A small print run has made Aero Fighters somewhat of a hot commodity in recent times, with some complete copies selling for just over a thousand dollars. Aero Fighters 2, an exclusive for the Neo Geo, is worth roughly the same amount as the original. The last game in the series, Aero Fighters Assault for the Nintendo 64, is worth a staggering five whole dollars. Oh, how the mighty have fallen... into my prince range.

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Pocky and Rocky 2

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Estimated Value: $262 - $1804

Background: You don’t see many shoot’em-ups that are set in an adorable version of feudal Japan. And yet, here we are with the Pocky and Rocky series. In the original Super Nintendo title, shrine maiden Pocky is tasked with destroying a group of possessed goblins who have run amuck in her home village. A second player can assist as her tanuki pal, Rocky. Pocky and Rocky 2 has the duo teaming up once more to save the kidnapped Moon Princess from the clutches of demons. Unlike many shoot’em-ups, Pocky and Rocky 2 allows players to move freely in eight directions while they blast enemies and progress through levels at their own discretion. No bullets or swords to be found here, as Pocky throws talismans and wales on opposing baddies with a purification rod. I suppose that’s one way to exorcize a demon.

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Final Fight Guy

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Estimated Value: $220 - $1,200

Snes Controller To Serial Port

Background: Hey, it’s that Guy! Not just any guy, but a guy whose name is actually... Guy. While a title like Final Fight Guy may sound decent to the people of Japan, it’s a somewhat bizarre title for any English-speaking players. Final Fight Guy was an enhanced version of the original Final Fight for the Super Nintendo, showcasing new power-ups and various difficultly levels for players to test their beat-’em-up skills. One of the original Final Fight protagonists, Cody, is not playable in this version, with only Guy and Haggar as selectable characters. The English version of the game was only playable as a rental from Blockbuster video stores, meaning collectors had to buy the game from the store after it scrapped its SNES library or went out of business. It’s unusual blazing orange box and gratuitous Japanese text make it stand out as a true oddity.

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And since the average Super Nintendo player probably doesn’t own any of these gems, let’s a take a moment to look at the value of some decently rare...

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Games You Might Actually Own

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Mega Man X3: $200 - $400

Harvest Moon: $200 - $390

EarthBound: $175 - $590

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Chrono Trigger: $97 - $270

Kirby’s Dream Land 3: $89 - $255

Super Mario RPG: $56 - $100

Obviously there are plenty of other collectable Super Nintendo games out there, many of which may hold more emotional value than monetary worth. Which SNES titles are the crown jewels of your gaming collection?

The Super NES CD-ROM System^[1][2] (commonly shortened as the SNES-CD), also known as the Super Famicom CD-ROM Adapter,^[3] is an unreleased video game peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The add-on built upon the functionality of the cartridge-based SNES by adding support for a CD-ROM-based format known as Super Disc.^[4][5]

The SNES-CD platform was developed in a partnership between Nintendo and Sony. The platform was planned to be launched as an add-on for the standard SNES, as well as a hybrid console by Sony called the PlayStation (nicknamed the 'Nintendo Play Station' to distinguish it from the later Sony console of the same name) similar to Sharp Twin Famicom and NEC TurboDuo. Another partnership with Philips yielded some poorly received Nintendo-themed games for the CD-i platform instead of the SNES-CD. Sony independently furthered its developments into their own stand-alone console of the same name, which served as the chief competitor of the Super NES's cartridge-based successor, the Nintendo 64.

History[edit]

The relationship between Sony and Nintendo started when Sony engineer Ken Kutaragi became interested in working with video games after seeing his daughter play games on Nintendo's Famicom video game console. He took on a contract at Sony for developing hardware that would drive the audio subsystem of Nintendo's next console, the Super NES. Kutaragi secretly developed the chip, known as the Sony SPC 700. As Sony was uninterested in the video game business, most of his superiors did not approve of the project, but Kutaragi found support in Sony executive Norio Ohga and the project was allowed to continue. The success of the project spurred Nintendo to enter into a partnership with Sony to develop both a CD-ROM add-on for the Super NES and a Sony-branded console that would play both SNES cartridges, as well as titles released for the new Super Disc format.^[6]

Development of the format started in 1988, when Nintendo signed a contract with Sony to produce a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES. The system was to be compatible with existing SNES titles as well as titles released for the Super Disc format.^[7][8] Under their agreement, Sony would develop and retain control over the Super Disc format, with Nintendo thus effectively ceding a large amount of control of software licensing to Sony. To counter this, Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi sent Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa and executive Howard Lincoln to Europe to negotiate a more favorable contract with Philips, Sony's industry rival. At the June 1991 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony announced its SNES-compatible cartridge/CD console, the 'PlayStation'.^[7] The next day, Nintendo revealed its partnership with Philips at the show—a surprise to the entire audience, including Sony.^[9][8]

While Nintendo and Sony attempted to sort out their differences, between two and three hundred prototypes of the PlayStation were created,^[10][11] and software for the system was being developed. In 1992, a deal was reached allowing Sony to produce SNES-compatible hardware, with Nintendo retaining control and profit over the games, but the two organizations never repaired the rift between them and by the next year, Sony had refocused its efforts on developing its own console for the next generation of consoles.^[6][12]

In November 2015, it was reported that one of the original Nintendo PlayStation prototypes had been found. The prototype was reportedly left behind by former Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson during his time at Advanta.^[13] A former Advanta worker (Terry Diebold) acquired the device as part of a lot during Advanta's 2009 bankruptcy auction. The system was later confirmed as operational and the unit plays Super Famicom cartridges as well the test cartridge that accompanied the unit, although the audio output and CD drive were non-functional.^[5] The prototype came with a Sony/PlayStation-branded version of the standard Super Famicom controller (model number SHVC-005).^[14] In March 2016, retro-gaming website RetroCollect reported that they (and influential members of online emulation communities) had received (from an anonymous source) a functional disc boot ROM for the SNES-CD.^[15][16]

In July 2016, a homebrew game titled Super Boss Gaiden was developed for the add-on.^[17] Later that month, Benjamin Heckendorn posted a teardown of the device to his YouTube channel, 'The Ben Heck Show', and repaired the CD-ROM drive to the point of getting CD audio output, but games could only be played from the top cartridge slot.^[18] On May 5, 2017, Heckendorn published a video of a fully functional version of the console to his channel, where he described the procedure by which he repaired it, and played a couple of homebrew games from the console's CD-ROM drive.^[19]

Specs[edit]

In July 2016, Benjamin Heckendorn documented a teardown of the only known prototype of the SNES-CD and published the specs of the console.^[20] He said the system would have probably been as powerful as a standard Super NES, but not as powerful as the Sega CD. The standalone unit has the following connectors: two Super NES controller ports, a cartridge slot, a dual-speed CD-ROM drive, RCA composite jacks, S-Video, RFU DC OUT (similar to the PlayStation SCPH-1001), a proprietary multi-out AV output port (the same one featured on the Super NES, Nintendo 64, and GameCube), headphone jack on the front, a serial port labelled 'NEXT' (probably for debugging), and one expansion port under the unit.^[21]

Legacy[edit]

After the original contract with Sony failed, Nintendo continued its partnership with Philips. This contract provisioned Philips with the right to feature Nintendo's characters in a few games for its CD-i multimedia device, but never resulted in a CD-ROM add-on for the SNES.^[12] The Nintendo-themed CD-i games were very poorly received, and the CD-i itself is considered a commercial failure.^[22] The main game in development for the SNES-CD platform launch was Square's Secret of Mana, whose planned content was cut down to the size suitable for cartridge and released on that medium instead.^[23][24]

Ken Kutaragi and Sony continued to develop their own console and released the PlayStation in 1994. The CD-based console successfully competed with Nintendo's cartridge-based Nintendo 64 and other CD-based console systems such as the FujitsuFM Towns Marty, the NECPC-FX, the Panasonic3DO Interactive Multiplayer and the Sega Saturn. The broken partnership with Sony has often been cited as a mistake on Nintendo's part, effectively creating a formidable rival in the video game market.^[25][6] Nintendo would not release an optical disc-based console of its own until the release of the GameCube in 2001.^[12]

See also[edit]

• TurboGrafx-16, the first video game console with a CD-ROM drive attachment (see CD-ROM add-ons section).
• Sega CD, a CD-ROM attachment for the Sega Genesis.
• Microsoft Xbox 360 HD DVD Player

References[edit]

1. ^'Super NES Technology Update: CD-ROM'. Nintendo Power. No. 35. April 1992. pp. 70–71.
2. ^'Super NES CD-ROM System documentation' (PDF). Nintendo of America, Inc. February 1, 1993.^{[permanent dead link]}
3. ^'ニューマシン総まくり' [Overview of New Consoles]. Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). July 3, 1992. Archived from the original on August 19, 2017.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
4. ^Theriault, Donald (July 3, 2015). 'Nintendo Play Station Superdisc Discovered'. Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
5. ^ ^abLai, Richard (November 6, 2015). 'We turned on the Nintendo PlayStation: It's real and it works'. Engadget. AOL Inc. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
6. ^ ^abcFahey, Rob (April 27, 2007). 'Farewell, Father'. Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on August 17, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2012.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
7. ^ ^abEdge staff (April 24, 2009). 'The Making Of: PlayStation'. Edge. Future Publishing. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2012.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
8. ^ ^abIGN staff (August 27, 1998). 'History of the PlayStation'. IGN. Archived from the original on February 18, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2012.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
9. ^Nintendo-Philips Deal Is a Slap at Sony - The New York Times, June 3, 1991
10. ^'Sony PlayStation'. Next Generation. No. 24. Imagine Media. December 1996. p. 48.
11. ^Lipshy, Jarrod S. 'Why the Super Nintendo CD Would Have Been the Greatest Console Ever'. Unrealitymag. Archived from the original on November 9, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
12. ^ ^abcCowan, Danny (April 25, 2006). 'CDi: The Ugly Duckling'. 1UP.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2012.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
13. ^Brian Crecente (July 3, 2015). 'HOW MISFORTUNE AND A BIT OF LUCK LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE FABLED NINTENDO PLAY STATION'. Polygon.com. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2015.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
14. ^'Did a SUPER RARE Sony-Nintendo PlayStation prototype just pop up online? Possibly, maybe'.
15. ^Buchanan, Adam (March 1, 2016). 'Unreleased Super Nintendo CD 'Nintendo PlayStation' Boot ROM Discovered'. RetroCollect. RetroCollect. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
16. ^'Super Disc Boot ROM - The Cutting Room Floor'. Archived from the original on February 18, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
17. ^Life, Nintendo (July 11, 2016). 'Someone Has Actually Made A Game Which Works On The SNES PlayStation'. Archived from the original on March 22, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
18. ^The Ben Heck Show (July 22, 2016). Ben Heck's Nintendo-Playstation Prototype Part 2 Repair. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016 – via YouTube.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
19. ^'Hacker Makes the Nintendo PlayStation Fully Operational'. Kotaku. May 5, 2017. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
20. ^'Ben Heck tears down the legendary Nintendo PlayStation'. Archived from the original on May 10, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
21. ^The Ben Heck Show (July 15, 2016). Ben Heck's Nintendo-Playstation Prototype Pt 1 Teardown. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2017 – via YouTube.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
22. ^Blake Snow (May 4, 2007). 'The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time'. GamePro.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
23. ^Finnegan, Lizzy (April 7, 2015). 'Secret of Mana: A Good Game With The Great Cut Out'. The Escapist. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)
24. ^Schaulfelberger, Frederik (September 2006). 'Sanningen om Mana'. Level (in Swedish). IDG (6): 114–121.
25. ^Nutt, Christian. 'Birthday Memories: Sony PlayStation Turns 15'. Gamasutra. Archived from the original on February 14, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2012.Cite uses deprecated parameter deadurl= (help)