Overview:
Release:
Japan: November 1990
USA: August 1991
Europe: April 1992

Spesifications:
CPU: 16-bit Nintendo custom-made processor
32768 colors, 8 audio channels
Resolution: 256x224/512x417 pixels
Max sprites on-screen in one line: 32 + 34 8x8 sprite tiles

Peripherals:
-Standard controllers
-Super Scope
-SNES Mouse
-Super Advantage (official joystick)
-SNES Multitap 4 player adapter

Other:
Approximately 49 million units sold worldwide
2 controller ports
Top selling game: Super Mario World

The Super Nintendo was Nintendo's second home console system and followed the NES which had recieved great success. However, the SNES was slightly late to the 4th generation party, the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis have been globally released by the end of the 1980's. Due to this, the SNES could not match the NES' success, however it did become the best selling system of the 4th generation despite the Mega Drive's head start. In Japan it even took over 85% of the market, and it had greater overall success than the NES in areas like Europe and parts of Asia.

The SNES saw the oncome of new Nintendo franchises like F-Zero and Star Fox, both making use of the system's Mode 7 3D engine. It also saw the continuation of franchises established in NES with games such as Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Metroid, among others. Super Mario Kart, a spinoff of the Mario series, was also released on SNES and it has had sequels on 4 other systems so far. The DK franchise was reestablished in the Donkey Kong Country games, going away from the previous DK arcade games into a full fledged platformer. The system also gave birth to some of the most epic RPGs ever made due to support by third parties like Squaresoft.

The SNES, while discontinued officially by Nintendo (though various SNES games can be bought through the Wii Shop Channel), through emulators and ROMs the system is still very much alive today.