Super NES Works Vol. I: 1991

by Jeremy Parish

(Unofficial—Not Endorsed by Nintendo) Nintendo’s Sweet 16: Following the worldwide success of the Nintendo Entertainment System and the home video game industry’s overall shift toward a new generation of more powerful hardware, a successor to the NES seemed inevitable. In August 1991, Nintendo brought that successor—the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES—to America, and in the process launched one of the most beloved consoles of all time. Super NES Works Vol. I looks back at the early days of the Super NES in the U.S. with comprehensive retrospectives of both the console and all 31 games to ship for it through the end of the year. Each entry is accompanied with sidebars, supplementary features, photos of U.S. packaging, and crisp high-resolution direct-feed screenshots. Super NES Works Vol. I also includes an overview of Japanese releases for Super Famicom through the end of 1991, a comprehensive timeline of events leading up to the system’s launch, and more! It’s the definitive 30th anniversary retrospective of how one of the greatest consoles ever got its start.

256 pages, Paperback

Published February 3, 2023

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jeremy Parish's "Works" series. Each book is a deep dive into the history not just of a particular year in games--this volume covers 1991, the Super NES's debut year--but a brief overview of each game's development history. A review of each game complements that history so that you finish each chapter feeling like you've learned something more than you knew before reading.

The Super NES was my favorite console for a long time. I think it's since been supplanted by the Switch, but I don't look back at it any less fondly, and SUPER NES WORKS VOL. 1 was a trip down memory lane in some cases. Super Mario World is still my favorite platformer, and I thoroughly enjoyed Jeremy's exhaustive chapter on its influences and influence. I knew nothing about certain other games and came away impressed by Final Fantasy II in particular. I'm not an RPG guy, although I used to be, so learning what exactly made FF2 (really FF4; if you know, you know) so beloved was a treat.

My only complaint is that I wish I had a second volume to dive into. Hopefully one day, and hopefully sooner rather than later.