SNES Mini is just an updated NES Mini?

[WMGroomAK]

According to OC3D, Eurogamer has dissected the upcoming SNES Mini and is confirming that the hardware inside is the same as was in the NES Mini meaning that all Nintendo did was rework the external casing and update the ROMs being provided.  This also means that it is theoretically possible to get either a SNES Mini or NES Mini and add emulation for the other system. (NES Mini first picture, SNES Mini second).

https://www.overclock3d.net/news/systems/nintendo_s_snes_mini_uses_the_same_hardware_as_the_nes_mini/1

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Eurogamer has confirmed that Nintendo's upcoming SNES Mini console will utilize the same hardware as their existing NES Mini, with the new console only offering a change in the console's available ROMs and its external casing. 
 This is rather disappointing given the fact that this is supposed to be a "new" product but also because it reveals that there was not much reason to cancel production for the NES Mini, given the fact that the same mainboards were still being produced for the SNES Mini.  
 Under the hood, this console uses the same Allwinner R16 SoC with the same four ARM Cortex A7 cores and ARM Mali 400 MP2 GPU, the same 256MB of Hynix memory and the same 512MB of NAND storage. Yes, this is still more than adequate to emulate a SNES, but they didn't even change the shape of the PCB to better fit the device's external casing. 

With the SNES utilizing the same hardware as the NES, it is likely that hackers will quickly be able to exploit the system to add older or newer games, just like the NES Mini before it. There is also a chance for SNES emulation to be added to the NES Mini and vice-versa. 

Utilising the same hardware design is a smart move from Nintendo, as it allows the same production line to create new SNES and NES Mini consoles when they are required, streamlining the manufacturing process and allowing the device to be created in a more economical way. 

The SNES Mini is expected to be manufactured from now until the end of 2018, with a re-release of the NES Mini coming in the summer of 2018. Thankfully this new console will be created in higher quantities to help stem the tide of eBay scalpers and other similar price-hikes. 

I would personally prefer to have all of the SNES and NES library in the NES Mini case myself and would much rather see Nintendo just release something like a gaming classic system that had their complete SNES and NES library installed in a single device...

[samcool55]

Makes sense, they have already experience and tools to port NES games to it so i can imagine it's much easier to modify them to accept SNES games compared to starting from scratch again.

[potoooooooo]

I would be more surprised if it were different

 

Why make more parts than you have to?

[Mira Yurizaki]

So is this the real reason why Nintendo dropped the NES Classic too early? :3

 

Not that it should matter, since really any cheapo SoC these days should be able to run what they want.

[Tech Enthusiast]

Never expected new Hardware. Why would they?

Not needed, just added cost and all i care about is the case for that nostalgica feeling anyways.

[TidaLWaveZ]

God bless it people, stop paying for these!

[Drak3]

PCBs aren't quiye identical. It's possible that the SNES mini is essentially a V2 PCB, for some reason.

[AG1233]

As others have said why were people expecting new hardware in a emulation box.It would just raise the manufacturing costs for the system and would have either increased the MSRP or lowered the profit margins of this system.

 

Also this might be the reason Nintendo is planning is to do a re-run of the NES classic,considering its essentially the same thing with a different shell its basically free money.

[WMGroomAK]

6 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

Makes sense, they have already experience and tools to port NES games to it so i can imagine it's much easier to modify them to accept SNES games compared to starting from scratch again.

 

6 minutes ago, potoooooooo said:

I would be more surprised if it were different

 

Why make more parts than you have to?

Yeah, I agree with the efficiency aspect of it, but I would still prefer to be able to purchase from Nintendo directly a single emulator system like this with the catalog for both SNES and NES games as opposed to having to either buy the games through the Nintendo Shop or having to build my own Pi based solution...

[PlayStation 2]

Think smarter and not more expensive or harder.

[Notional]

It still annoys me that they didn't include a socket for old games. It would cost almost nothing, and it would make it amazing to use your old cartridges lying around.

[GoodBytes]

58 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

So is this the real reason why Nintendo dropped the NES Classic too early? :3

 

Not that it should matter, since really any cheapo SoC these days should be able to run what they want.

NES Mini will be back in production, Nintendo said. but will be released sometime in 2018.

[Delicieuxz]

There are differences between the two PCBs in the circled areas. I wonder what those different components handle.

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, Notional said:

It still annoys me that they didn't include a socket for old games. It would cost almost nothing, and it would make it amazing to use your old cartridges lying around.

 

I agree, though the Classic NES / SNES are not wider than a SNES game cartridge, so the design of the Classic consoles would have to be very different than they are now, more expensive to produce and ship, and not be as portable. Also, Nintendo didn't expect them to be as popular as they've turned out to be, so making a more expensive console that costs more money might have seemed like too big a gamble for them.

[Master Disaster]

So the updated emulation box turns out to just be a very slightly updated emulation box? Whoda thunk it?

[GoodBytes]

26 minutes ago, Master Disaster said:

So the updated emulation box turns out to just be a very slightly updated emulation box? Whoda thunk it?

Yup. Well, it is more interesting than anything. Back in the old days, console manage to deliver graphical experiences better than on PC (unless you go crazy on that PC), because they used chips that were specialized to be really good at doing something specific. Like sprite generation and moving. At the time, seeing Mario scroll smoothly on the NES, was was just insane. A 3000$ computer (which was still a potato back then, for the period), could not deliver this. This has of course changed.

 

So now, today a a shit ARM based CPU can do everything that the N64 did.

I won't be surprised if the N64 Classic (if that comes out) has also the same hardware. This is also helped that the emulator is based on architecture design that Nintendo knows 100% about, and knowing how to translate is none issue.

 

 

Going in a tangent, what I do fun funny, is reviewers rating StarFox 2 due to its poor performance and graphics. I guess the reviewers forgot that the game is from the 90s designed for 90s technology, and can only run on 90s tech (emulator needed, which goal is not enhance things really, but try to replicate the old hardware the closest as possible). I am not saying to rate the game 10/10, but graphics and game performance should not be considered, unless you compare with games of that area with systems of that area, and focus on the actual gameplay. Anyway, I kinda find it funny, like the reviewer is too young to know how gaming was, and compares it with today AAA titles.

[Alariel]

@StageOwl You might find this relevant, or at least moderately interesting.

[corsairian]

This doesn't surprise me in the slightest. No need to change the hardware that is perfectly capoable of running it. They could probably get the N64 games, and maybe even Game cube games(Perhaps GC games need far more power) on the same hardware. It's also cheaper to produce when the internals are the same. 

 

I'm just glad they're doing this. If they doubled the amount of games on it it would be really cool. I'm waiting for the N64 one before I throw my money at Nintendo again. 

[rawrdaysgoby]

I don't even care Lol those old games wouldn't have a problem running on the same hardware.

[Techhog]

4 hours ago, TidaLWaveZ said:

God bless it people, stop paying for these!

No.

[Mooshi]

There's a reason I built a Retropie build.

 

I love Ninty, but it's amazing how complacent some posters are. Glad it's an NES mini with a new shell and different roms? Huh? If Nintendo is going to be recycling the same hardware, then the "shortage" and gauging was just made even more inexcusable. 

[Misanthrope]

Well did anyone expect differently? Because as one might say...

 

Spoiler

 

[Trik'Stari]

Oh look, the ROM's they used are available for free online.

 

Screw Nintendo.

 

11 hours ago, rawrdaysgoby said:

I don't even care Lol those old games wouldn't have a problem running on the same hardware.

It's more about the fact that the ROM's being used are ones created for emulation, by a fan, who did it to help preserve Nintendo's work. They later sued saying he had no legal right to create them, they lost, but are now using the exact same ROM's to make millions.

 

Let me be clear, Nintendo had no copies of the original games, so they used the same ROM's that they had previously tried to destroy. They are in essence, by their own arguments, violating their own intellectual property.

[TidaLWaveZ]

13 hours ago, Techhog said:

No.

YES!

 

Take the money you would have spent on both an NES Mini and SNES Mini and buy a first generation nvidia shield. Do it now.

[AshleyAshes]

2 hours ago, Trik'Stari said:

Let me be clear, Nintendo had no copies of the original games, so they used the same ROM's that they had previously tried to destroy. They are in essence, by their own arguments, violating their own intellectual property.

...Do you even comprehend that a copyright holder can make as many copies of their own copyrighted material as they please without 'violating their own intellectual property'?

 

Your entire complaint here makes no sense.

[Master Disaster]

Just now, AshleyAshes said:

...Do you even comprehend that a copyright holder can make as many copies of their own copyrighted material as they please without 'violating their own intellectual property'?

 

Your entire complaint here makes no sense.

While what you say is entirely true, Nintendo can do what ever the hell they choose with their own property you gotta concede its a shitty move to go and DMCA every trace of their games from the internet and then a few months later go and release exact copies of the ROMs that they had removed as their own property.

 

Are they in breach of any copyright laws? No. Is it a shitty thing to do? Yes.