How to Go Back to Menu on Snes Classic

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Sep 29, 2017, 09:16am EDT |

Five Things To Do If You Manage To Secure An SNES Classic Edition

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So you've managed to land yourself an SNES Classic Edition. I don't know how you did it, whether you managed to snag a pre-order that actually came through during that chaotic period, or whether you lined up this morning at GameStop and managed to snag one before they ran out. Nintendo promises that SNES will be easier to find that the NES, but that's kind of like saying that Triceratops are easier to find than T-Rexes, so we'll see how it goes.

If you do have one? Congrats! I've had a review unit for over a week now, and I think there are a few things you should know going into playing the system. You may just want to figure everything else yourself, but there are some things that I believe you'll want to know in advance.

Here we go:

1. Get a longer HDMI cable

This is a key point, given how short the controller cords are for the SNES Classic, and the fact that you'll want to be somewhat near the system in order to change games. There's no real easy way to extend the length of the controller cords, so your best bet is instead to get a longer HDMI cable than the one in the box. And having the system itself close by will allow you to hit "RESET" whenever you want, which is the only way to go back to the homescreen and switch between games, because the controllers themselves do not have a home button.

2. Learn about save states/rewind

And one more function of the RESET button. When you're in the middle of a game and use it to return home, you can create a "save state" from the home menu of whatever game you were just playing, and store up to a few of these. This is key for games that don't save very often (which is most of them in the SNES era), but that's not all you can do with it. Depending on the game, the save state you create will allow you to rewind between 30-60 seconds of your most recent gameplay, and start from whatever point you want. This means that yes, you can die, create a save state, rewind and try again without having to start whatever level over from scratch. (I love how this ultra-modern feature has been implemented into the SNES Classic yet we still can't have wireless controllers.)

3. Beat Star Fox level one

If you want to truly unlock the full potential of your SNES Classic, unlock the final game in the roster, Star Fox 2, by beating Star Fox level one. I guess it's to show some sort of base competency with the game, and you'll then have access to the long-lost, previously-unfinished-but-now-mostly-finished SNES game, which is either good or terrible, depending on who you ask (I come down somewhere in the middle). But my advice is to unlock it right away and give it a shot.

4. Keep your phone out for easy access to manuals

Given that it's been about 20 years since many people have played most of these games, the controls for each game are not immediately going to come back to mind (I forgot there were two different types of jumps in Super Mario World for like an hour). Some games will explain the controls up front or in a menu, but many will not. While it would have been nice for this data to be on the SNES itself, you can access to the manual of each game by scanning a QR code on the screen with your phone, which will take you to a place that will give you details about each title including the controls/objectives/etc. It's handy, and I'd recommend taking advantage of it for games you don't remember how to play right away.

5. Don't get frustrated

Even as someone who effectively plays video games for a living, I will be the first to admit that many of these old school games kicked my ass at first. Current video game skill with 3D graphics and dual-thumbstick controllers barely translates into D-pad, SNES controller skill, and it's a totally different skill set that you're going to have to re-learn. And that's going to take time for many players. Expect to die many, many times early in most of these games before you get back on track, and remember that when you were a kid, you played these games a LOT in order to get truly good at them. The same may be true now, so don't get frustrated.

That's all I've got for now. Above all else, just have fun. You got an SNES Classic. You are the lucky few. Enjoy it.

Follow me on Twitter and on Facebook. Pick up my sci-fi novel series,The Earthborn Trilogy, which is now in print, online and on audiobook.

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How to Go Back to Menu on Snes Classic

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2017/09/29/five-things-to-do-if-you-manage-to-secure-an-snes-classic-edition/

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