Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Why the Super Nintendo would turn yellow and other SNES trivia

Let’s get this week started by taking a fun look at one of the greatest pieces of gaming hardware ever.

YouTube channel Did You Know Gaming‘s latest video looks at the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Japanese company’s classic console from the first half of the ’90s. It’ll teach you about early prototypes for the system, explain why so many of the consoles turned yellow, and even talk about how a port of the fighting game Mortal Kombat hurt its reputation.

Now I need to figure out how to clean my Super Nintendo to get rid of that yellow color. I’m also jealous that Japan got to play more F-Zero on the SNES than us Americans did. And I remember that Yoshi’s Island commercial grossing me out as a kid. I want to say it was a bad commercial, but it must have done something right if I still remember all these years later.

And here’s that complete South Korean commercial, because I know you want to see the full thing now.

Mike Minotti

Mike Minotti has been with GamesBeat since 2012, starting as an intern. Based near Youngstown, Ohio, he now manages GamesBeat's editorial team. He's also a prolific podcaster, appearing on multiple shows covering the gaming industry.