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| Best Christmas gift ever? It's a stronger contender, that's for sure. |
News of the Super Famicom first hit me in the summer of 1990 via newspaper article. I didn't read much newspapers outside of the comic section back then, but anything game related was sure to grab my attention. The console wouldn't release in the United States until the summer of 1991 and like the Nintendo Entertainment System before it, it was given a name change, being called the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES for short in America and the UK. Not only did the SNES appeal to me but so did the game that was focused on with the article, Super Mario Bros. 4, which would later go by it's subtitle, Super Mario World.
When August of 1991 arrived, I coveted a SNES more than anything. I didn't want toys, nor did I want a Sega Genesis, no matter how much Sega tried to sway me with Sonic's attitude. The SNES and Super Mario World was all I cared about. But my dad knew how gullible I was back then. He had me convinced that I was getting a Genesis for Christmas and I fully believed him. I even told my friends that's what I was getting. I thought that maybe owning a Genesis wouldn't be so bad. I mean, Sonic certainly looked nice. But dang it, I wanted Super Mario World!
December 25th finally arrived (when you're a kid, it seems like it takes Christmas forever to come) and I had only one present, a big box. I assumed it was the Genesis like my dad said, but when I unwrapped it, a huge grin hit my face. It was the Super NES Super Set! It came with the system, two controllers, and of course, Super Mario World. I couldn't believe it. My dad just smiled seeing me so happy with my gift. Back in the late 1980s, my mom and dad got my sister and I and NES, but the SNES was 100% mine. This was the first time I'd ever received such a large scale gift. I was truly wowed.
The system itself was amazing to look at. Yeah, the American SNES model seems more clunky compared to it's UK and Japanese counterparts, but I still loved the way it looked. Even the controller was a marvel. The curves, the four button layout, the shoulder buttons. I'd never seen a controller like it. My sister and I just felt the comfort of the SNES controllers (this was back when Nintendo actually included two controllers AND a game with their systems) as my father hooked the system up to the TV. NES controllers were fine, but they felt rougher compared to the SNES controls.
I had the honor of placing Super Mario World in the cartridge slot and turning on the power. I can still hear that chime and the picture the Nintendo logo appearing on that old SD TV as I type this. The Super Mario World logo appears along with the title music. We see Mario and Yoshi teaming up to take down some Koopa Troopas. If there's a better way to spend Christmas morning with the family, I haven't heard of it.
My first stage was World 1-2, where you first encounter Yoshi. Despite having never played the game, I played as if I'd been playing the game for years. I didn't need to know how to run or how to eat enemies with Yoshi. Everything just felt so natural to me. The SNES controller having more buttons than the NES pad didn't throw me off one bit. It wasn't long before we passed World 1 and went off to the much larger, secret-filled World 2.
Each time I think back to Christmas 1991, I just smile. I'd not only gotten what I wanted for Christmas, I got what is my favorite video game console of all-time. The SNES is the system that got me into shooters, despite it's processor not being as fast as the Genesis. I discovered Gradius here, Final Fight, Street Fighter and a wealth of other franchises. The SNES really did open up a new world of gaming for me. My love for RPGs is largely attributed to this system. On top of that, it's also the prime reason I can remember a Christmas of 20 years ago. So there's yet another reason the system rocks.
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