Take 10 minutes to learn how Super Nintendo graphics work

I’ll admit that I never really knew what “Mode 7 graphics” meant when I used the term as a kid. Through context clues, I pieced together that it referenced games that had a faux-3D look. But I didn’t know what was actually happening under the hood of the Super Nintendo to make that possible — until now.

A new video from Modern Vintage Gamer on YouTube breaks down how Super Nintendo renders its visuals. In just over 10 minutes, MVG covers the tile system that brings background layers into memory as well as the different graphical modes (the Super Nintendo actually had eight “Modes”).