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[IbizaPocholo]

The Super Nintendo has arguably aged better than any other console. In 1990 the SNES launched with advanced graphical effects. Transparencies, masking, pixelation effects and yes MODE7, but the hardware was capable of much more. In today's episode we deep dive into some of the unique features that the Super NES had built into its hardware that its competition was not capable of (without clever programming tricks). This is the Timeless Beauty of SNES Graphics.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction
01:24 - The SNES has 2 screens.
02:52 - Transparencies and Color Math
05:50 - Why Early SNES Emulators were slow
07:32 - Windows and Masking
09:00 - Mosaic Effect
13:01 - Conclusion and Outro

Spoiler

Launch and Impact of the Super NES

- The Super NES launched in 1990, marking a significant advancement in 2D tile-based drawing technology.
- It featured advanced graphical capabilities that were groundbreaking for home consoles at the time, resulting in visually stunning games.
- Even after 30 years, the graphics of these games remain striking, contributing to the ongoing popularity of the Super NES among retro gaming enthusiasts.
- Nintendo continues to provide a selection of Super NES games through its Nintendo Switch Online service, ensuring the legacy of the platform endures.

Hardware Capabilities

- The Super NES supports up to four background layers and one object or sprite layer, allowing for complex visual arrangements.
- Background layers can be individually scrolled, and each mode used by developers has specific limitations regarding color and layer support.
- The hardware utilizes two screens: the main screen, which displays the primary content, and a sub-screen, which mirrors the main screen's data.
- The sub-screen serves as a render target, allowing developers to enable or disable background layers on either screen to create various visual effects.

Color Math and Visual Effects

- The Super NES employs color math calculations between the main and sub-screens to create effects such as transparency, lighting, shadowing, and masking.
- This technique allows for enhanced animations and visual depth in games, contributing to their overall aesthetic appeal.
- For example, in Donkey Kong Country, volumetric lighting effects were achieved through the combination of background and object layers across the two screens.
- Chrono Trigger also showcases impressive lighting effects, such as God Rays, which enhance the game's atmosphere by simulating natural light.

Color Subtraction Techniques

- Color subtraction is another method of color math where the sub-screen data is subtracted from the main screen, creating darker areas that simulate light sources.
- This technique is exemplified in games like Pugsley's Scavenger Hunt, where it provides the illusion of a light source by darkening the surrounding areas.
- In Donkey Kong Country, torchlight effects utilize color subtraction to create a contrasting dark environment outside the illuminated areas.

Color Averaging and Blending Effects

- Color averaging is a popular blending option that takes the average of two images, allowing for translucent effects such as water, fog, and shadows.
- An example of this effect can be seen in Secret of Mana, where it creates a distinct visual style that enhances the game's immersive experience.
- The blending techniques employed by the Super NES contribute significantly to the unique aesthetic of many games from the era.

Challenges in Emulation

- Early Super NES emulation faced significant challenges, particularly with accurately replicating transparency effects due to a lack of comprehensive documentation.
- Emulators often struggled to simulate the timings between the SNES's PPU and CPU, complicating the recreation of visual effects.
- The limitations of DOS-based systems, which typically supported a 256-color VGA display, further hindered the accurate emulation of the Super NES's 15-bit color palette.
- It wasn't until later emulators like SNES9x that these functionalities were accurately represented, allowing for better transparency and visual fidelity.

Masking Windows and Their Applications

- The Super NES features masking windows that can be applied to either the main or sub-screen, enabling the masking of portions of backgrounds on a scan line basis.
- This technique allows for dynamic visual effects, such as those seen in Super Metroid, where it enhances the game's environmental storytelling.
- In Chrono Trigger, masking windows are used to create color gradients in dialogue frames, enhancing the visual appeal of the game's narrative elements.

Mosaic Effects and Their Uses

- The Super NES includes a mosaic effect that creates a pixelation effect on the screen, often used for transitions or fade effects.
- This effect is distinct from mode 7 and is applied on a per-background basis, allowing for creative visual storytelling in games.
- Games like Street Fighter 2 utilize the mosaic effect for dynamic logo presentations, while magical quest employs it during boss encounters to enhance visual impact.

Tile Offsets and Advanced Scrolling Techniques

- The Super NES features offsets per tile, allowing for individual horizontal and vertical scrolling, which can create unique visual effects such as rotation simulations.
- This capability is exemplified in games like Star Fox, where the background rotates in response to the player's actions, adding to the immersive experience.
- Another example is found in Super Turrican 2, where vertical tile offsets create a visually dynamic environment as players interact with enemies.

Mode 7 and Its Unique Features

- Mode 7 is a distinctive feature of the Super NES that allows for complex transformations of a single background layer, enabling effects such as rotation and scaling.
- Classic examples include the rotating backgrounds in Super Mario Kart and Super Castlevania, showcasing the hardware's capabilities.
- Mode 7 also allows for a secondary background, known as EXT BG, which can layer sprites behind the mode 7 background, enhancing the illusion of depth in gameplay.
- Games like Contra 3 and Super Turrican 2 effectively use this layering technique to create engaging visuals that enhance gameplay dynamics.

Conclusion and Legacy of the Super NES

- The Super NES remains a landmark in gaming history, with its innovative graphical capabilities and unique blending techniques that continue to impress players today.
- Many games from the Super NES era still hold up well due to their artistic design and the advanced technology utilized at the time.
- The ability to blend visuals in unique ways and the introduction of features like mode 7 were significant selling points that set the Super NES apart from its competitors.
- The launch price of $199 made it an accessible and appealing option for gamers, solidifying its place as a beloved console in the history of video games.

 

[Chiggs]

I have to hand it to MVG here...nearly all videos like this (i.e., ones that gush about SNES visuals) use titles that are, for all intents and purposes, cheating because the SNES used more custom "helper" chips than any console known to man, hence this thread I made years ago:

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/later-genesis-titles-using-base-hardware-are-the-most-impressive-of-the-16-bit-era.1465448/

MVG, however, avoids that trap and provides some great reasons as to why the SNES has aged well. Good stuff!

 

[Damigos]

My cousin had one and my eyes almost cried each time i played on it. Never had i seen such beauty

 

[64gigabyteram]

the SNES era was to pixel art 2D what the PS4 was to 3D. A culmination of the 10 years past of advancements from the 2600, to the NES, Master System, Turbografx 16, Genesis and SNES.

that console is the benchmark for all modern pixel art (and the PS1 to some extent)

 

[Buggy Loop]

I have to hand it to MVG here...nearly all videos like this (i.e., ones that gush about SNES visuals) use titles that are, for all intents and purposes, cheating because the SNES used more custom "helper" chips than any console known to man, hence this thread I made years ago:

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/later-genesis-titles-using-base-hardware-are-the-most-impressive-of-the-16-bit-era.1465448/

MVG, however, avoids that trap and provides some great reasons as to why the SNES has aged well. Good stuff!

I mean if its on a cartridge and invisible for the customer, then good on Nintendo for thinking about these enhancement chipsets that devs could decide which would help them best for the type of games they had. How is that cheating?

 

[diffusionx]

I have to hand it to MVG here...nearly all videos like this (i.e., ones that gush about SNES visuals) use titles that are, for all intents and purposes, cheating because the SNES used more custom "helper" chips than any console known to man, hence this thread I made years ago:

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/later-genesis-titles-using-base-hardware-are-the-most-impressive-of-the-16-bit-era.1465448/

MVG, however, avoids that trap and provides some great reasons as to why the SNES has aged well. Good stuff!

Bumping a five year old thread you made just to console war for the Genesis, lol Sega fans

And the SNES didn't use more chips than the NES did, where after a couple years basically every single game had at least a basic mapper on the cart. Many of the most visually impressive and advanced SNES games were totally stock which you can't say about the NES. And the SNES was explicitly designed to support chips because of this fact on the NES.

 

[calistan]

I have to hand it to MVG here...nearly all videos like this (i.e., ones that gush about SNES visuals) use titles that are, for all intents and purposes, cheating because the SNES used more custom "helper" chips than any console known to man, hence this thread I made years ago:

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/later-genesis-titles-using-base-hardware-are-the-most-impressive-of-the-16-bit-era.1465448/

MVG, however, avoids that trap and provides some great reasons as to why the SNES has aged well. Good stuff!

I had an import Mega Drive, which I enjoyed for a while, but I knew I'd made a mistake the instant I saw a SNES. Made no difference to me if the extra chip was in the cartridge or in the console.

 

[64gigabyteram]

And the SNES didn't use more chips than the NES did

I was gonna mention this. if this guy considers the SNES egregious then the NES by comparison must be an abomination. Mario 3 couldn't even run on an NES without a chip.

NES used more chips and even more assistance and it still couldn't match what the later consoles did. Calling SNES out for that by comparison when the chips were inconsequential and not that interesting by comparison is just funny.

I mean if its on a cartridge and invisible for the customer, then good on Nintendo for thinking about these enhancement chipsets that devs could decide which would help them best for the type of games they had. How is that cheating?

It's genius design that got abandoned in the industry the moment CDs came along.

I don't think it's any coincidence that games on consoles started to have worse and worse performance as the years went by around the same time that the PS1 came by and abandoned carts for CDs.
We need to purchase 700 dollar pro consoles to have hardware that used to come with the game.

 

[dragonyeuw]

Maybe this is some of my inner child coming out, but for me SNES will always be the GOAT ( been gaming since the early 80s).

 

[Holammer]

Mario World on the SNES was kind of plain looking tbh, but I knew the machine could deliver when I bought an import copy of Super Ghouls & Ghosts.
If the Megadrive had just a pinch better colour capability it could have kept a more even pace with the SNES, even outshine it most of the time.

 

[cireza]

If the Megadrive had just a pinch better colour capability it could have kept a more even pace with the SNES, even outshine it most of the time.

MegaDrive needed to have 8 palettes instead of 4. Would have made a world's difference.

These consoles aged beautifully though, especially as the following generation was a move to 3D, which looks 99% of the time like a pixelated mess.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Maybe this is some of my inner child coming out, but for me SNES will always be the GOAT ( been gaming since the early 80s).

Me too

There's no words for the first time I played Super Mario World and knew all the levels and paths by heart. Or Zelda Lttp, which had a french version in Quebec to this was a special game for a young kid back then when everything else was a sea of english texts and very difficult for us to follow.

Or booting this for the first time



or this



I wish I could wipe my memory and just start again in a room with an SNES and a huge catalogue

 

[cireza]

No, you will enjoy your bloated, uninteresting open-world RPG that lasts for 100 hours, thank you.

 

[Celine]

Some gifs with cool visual effects in SNES games (within spoiler to not kill the bandwidth of those ones not interested):

Spoiler

Bonus:

 

[amigastar]

Yoshis Island and DK Country are my favs.

 

[Sooner]

Absolutely. Some SNES games still look better than modern games. Secret of Mana on SNES looks better han its remake.

Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI look amazing still. I feel remakes will lose the magic, unless they are done in the HD-2D style.

 

[adamsapple]

I was always more fond of the Geneiss as that was the console of choice in my house growing up, but SNES definitely had the better RPG's as a whole.

 

[Ikutachi]

Watching the world map zoom out when ascending on the airship in FFII (IV) was cool.

 

[IAmRei]

I remember first time I saw Super Metroid and Alien 3... Mind blowing ...

Then years after, I saw lot of games I didnt knew they are existed thanks to fan translation and emulator, Super Famicom is beast imo <3

 

[Esppiral]

I grew up with a Master System and then the following 16 bit machines, And I would never understand the love for those horrid graphics and the pursue to still recreate it in today games, those are ugly as fuck and belong to the past. Rose tinted glasses to the max.

 

[Beechos]

The avail colors on screen is really what made the snes stand out. I think genesis was limited to 64 colors as opposed to like 256 on the snes. Everything just looked more dull on genesis.

 

[NeverYouMind]

SEGA 32X looks better.

I was always more fond of the Genesis as that was the console of choice in my house growing up, but SNES definitely had the better RPG's as a whole.

That is debatable. You could say that it had the more popular RPGs, but nothing on the system is on the level of Phantasy Star IV or Langrisser II mechanically or depth-wise.

P.S. Mode 7 is absolute ass. I have seen better scaling in NES racers.

 

[diffusionx]

The avail colors on screen is really what made the snes stand out. I think genesis was limited to 64 colors as opposed to like 256 on the snes. Everything just looked more dull on genesis.

The colors are why TG16/PCE games still look so nice, although the system was much more limited in terms of background layers and the like.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

The colors are why TG16/PCE games still look so nice, although the system was much more limited in terms of background layers and the like.

The PC Engine color palette is absolutely perfect when it comes to anything anime. The "cutscenes" of a PCE CD game look so damn good.

 

[NeverYouMind]

The PC Engine color palette is absolutely perfect when it comes to anything anime. The "cutscenes" of a PCE CD game look so damn good.

It looks like a slideshow with animation running at ~10fps. The audio is magnificent though.

 

[dave_d]

Mario World on the SNES was kind of plain looking tbh, but I knew the machine could deliver when I bought an import copy of Super Ghouls & Ghosts.
If the Megadrive had just a pinch better colour capability it could have kept a more even pace with the SNES, even outshine it most of the time.

I guess we'll always wonder how the Genesis would have been if they dropped backward compatibility with the Master System and used the budget to get a color space closer to the System-16. (FWIW I have no idea how close from a hardware perspective the Genesis and System-16 really are other than both use the 68k.)

 

[Trunx81]

I’m a big dork who cries at Chrono Trigger and dreams lustily of Seiken Densetsu 3. And I wouldn’t do anything different. SNES was my first home console and coming from the Commodore 64 it felt like at least 2 generations apart. Best console ever.

 

[RedC]

I mean if its on a cartridge and invisible for the customer, then good on Nintendo for thinking about these enhancement chipsets that devs could decide which would help them best for the type of games they had. How is that cheating?

 

[Syphon Filter]

dk and killer instinct looks nice even now, wonder what they used. those look like 32 bit before 32 bit was a thing.

 

[RedC]

I grew up with a Master System and then the following 16 bit machines, And I would never understand the love for those horrid graphics and the pursue to still recreate it in today games, those are ugly as fuck and belong to the past. Rose tinted glasses to the max.

They love it due to nostalgia.

It becomes a style.

It's a phenomenon across all industries where older or outdated technology becomes fashionable or stylish.

It reflects a cultural shift where items once considered obsolete or passé are now celebrated for their nostalgic appeal or unique aesthetic qualities

 

[adamsapple]

That is debatable. You could say that it had the more popular RPGs, but nothing on the system is on the level of Phantas

Sure, there's a healthy debate here.

Personally, I rate Phantasy Star IV higher than any of the SNES FF games, with Chrono Trigger being the only one above that. But looking as a whole lineup of the two, I think SNES easily surpassed Genesis in terms of quality RPGs.

 

[cireza]

I was always more fond of the Geneiss as that was the console of choice in my house growing up, but SNES definitely had the better RPG's as a whole.

Including the entire library of Japanese RPGs that nobody played back then ? Sure.

But in the West ?

In Europe, SNES actually gets destroyed by the MegaDrive in terms of Adventure/RPG games. Many more games, more quality games.
In the USA, the output is pretty close strictly in terms of numbers of games. And if you consider the SEGA-CD, then I would give the edge to SEGA's console without any hesitation.

 

[cireza]

dk and killer instinct looks nice even now, wonder what they used.

Nothing, they are base hardware and absolutely brilliant games. Best use of the hardware, and not that shitty pixelated Mode 7 everywhere (it aged like milk).

 

[diffusionx]

dk and killer instinct looks nice even now, wonder what they used. those look like 32 bit before 32 bit was a thing.

These games are totally stock hardware, no add on chips.

Unlike NES, most SNES games are stock.

 

[Chiggs]

I mean if its on a cartridge and invisible for the customer, then good on Nintendo for thinking about these enhancement chipsets that devs could decide which would help them best for the type of games they had. How is that cheating?

Because the games are not solely running SNES hardware. They're running on SNES + advanced processor/co-processors that are making up for the atrocious Ricoh CPU inside the SNES. Did you look at that Wiki page to see some of the specs these helper chips had? Holy fuck.

The SA1 also features a range of enhancements over the standard 65C816:

• 10.74 MHz clock speed, compared to the 5A22's maximum of 3.58 MHz
• Faster RAM, including 2 KB of internal RAM
• Memory mapping capabilities
• Limited data storage and compression
• New DMA modes such as bitmap to bit plane transfer
• Arithmetic functions (multiplication, division, and cumulative)
• Hardware timer (either as a linear 18-bit timer, or synchronised with the PPU to generate an IRQ at a specific H/V scanline location)
• Built-in CIC lockout, for copy protection and regional marketing control

Also, the Genesis could use helper chips--look at Virtua Racer, which absolutely fucking smokes similar Super FX chip offerings--but the Genesis actually had a good CPU, and so the need just wasn't there.

The Genesis was also held back by a really limited color pallete.

The SNES with a 68k is basically a Neo Geo with ghetto transparency support. Would have been an amazing machine.

^^^^^The truest words ever published on NeoGAF.

 

[diffusionx]

Because the games are not solely running SNES hardware. They're running on SNES + advanced processor/co-processors that are making up for the atrocious Ricoh CPU inside the SNES. Did you look at that Wiki page to see some of the specs these helper chips had? Holy fuck.



Also, the Genesis could use helper chips--look at Virtua Racer, which absolutely fucking smokes similar Super FX chip offerings--but the Genesis actually had a good CPU, and so the need just wasn't there.

The Genesis was also held back by a really limited color pallete.



^^^^^The truest words ever published on NeoGAF.

35 games ran on the SA1. Out of 1,757 SNES games.

Go home, you're drunk.

 

[Futaleufu]

that console is the benchmark for all modern pixel art (and the PS1 to some extent)

Neo Geo is the benchmark for all pixel art

 

[Isa]

I do think the SNES looks good with some really neat features and achievements, my love and preferences lean towards the PC Engine/TurboGfx 16 and Genesis/MD. Simpler in some respects but I feel the more vibrant color palettes and even sound chips appeal much more to me, even my family. Plus the libraries as well are also so tied to one's tastes. My Dad couldn't handle the jump to the 16 systems parallax scrolling and Genesis speeds, but he could handle the 3D slideshow of F-22 Raptor and 15 Strike Eagle. Also that M1 Abrams game. So many good memories.

For me, most spritework is lovely and has great value. I'm still being surprised by NES games and plenty end up working so well by trying to get the most out of their limitations. I love that late 80's early 90's color palette of Shining Force and Golden Axe. Road Rash, Shadow Run, Thunderforce 3&4, Sonic 2 and Knuckles. Not to mention all of the gorgeous PC Engine stuff including cd for both. And then going back further into the 80's with the MSX and PC88-98, western stuff too my god those people were so talented. Genuine timeless art to me visually and aurally.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

It looks like a slideshow with animation running at ~10fps. The audio is magnificent though.

Yeah but its 10fps that looks like this

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

The peak of 2D art will always be amazing to look at. Be it SNES, Genesis, PS1, GBA or Neo Geo, most of the 2D stuff made between 1994 and the early 2Ks still looks like a million bucks. Heck, even late NES games look almost like a generational leap from those made just 2 years prior. The SNES was squeezed to impossible levels in the ‘94-‘96 period.

Lots of Mode 7 effects look like ass today, though. I always hated those top-down stages in Contra 3, even before those graphics were outdated. When used sparingly and wisely, though, it looked good and still does.

 

[Jack Package]

The SNES is THE greatest console of all time. Such a variety of games, most made with real love put into them. I dearly wish the 32-bit era was 2D-based...

 

[cireza]

western stuff too my god those people were so talented

Amiga games in the West, PC-98 in Japan... So many games that look like pieces of art. Such incredibly talent.

 

[dave_d]

The SNES with a 68k is basically a Neo Geo with ghetto transparency support. Would have been an amazing machine.

^^^^^The truest words ever published on NeoGAF.

I always figured they did that because 65816 is backward compatible with the 6502 and that it made it easier for companies that used to work on NES games to get up to speed on the SNES. (Similar to how if you programmed on PC's back in the day jumping from an 8088 to a 286 or 386 would be easier than a new chip like DEC alpha.)

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Amiga was better.

 

[Trilobit]

Amiga was better.

I wonder why it gets so little love and isn't spoken of as much? I remember having a blast with Rod Land and James Pond: Robocod on my friend's Amiga.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

the SNES used more custom "helper" chips than any console known to man

still wish this was a thing

so cool to see a single game have its own hardware upgrade

 

[Chiggs]

35 games ran on the SA1. Out of 1,757 SNES games.

Go home, you're drunk.

Too bad it's not just the SA1 we're dealing with. And even if the numbers are low, the number of quality titles using these chips is notable.

Comparison videos across the internet always use games like...

• Kirby Superstar
• Kirby's Dream Land 3
• Mario Kart
• Mega Man X2
• Mega Man X3
• Pilotwings
• Star Ocean
• Street Fighter Alpha 2
• Super Mario RPG

...to show what the Super Nintendo is capable of. And I haven't even touched on the SuperFX nonsense. Like, how many YouTube videos are always raving about what a miracle the SNES version of Doom is, despite the fact that there's basically another console inside of the cartridge?

I'm drunk, says the guy downing the Nintendo Kool-Aid.

still wish this was a thing

so cool to see a single game have its own hardware upgrade

Would you also be good with the pricing? I remember SNES (and later N64) carts not being all that cheap.

 

[HogIsland]

The visuals on SNES hold up pretty well, but the gameplay is clearly limited compared to new 2D games. I've been replaying Super Castlevania and you can clearly feel in the controls that it's dated. Great game design obviously, still fun to play, but dated.

 

[diffusionx]

Too bad it's not just the SA1 we're dealing with. And even if the numbers are low, the number of quality titles using these chips is notable.

Comparison videos across the internet always use games like...

• Kirby Superstar
• Kirby's Dream Land 3
• Mario Kart
• Mega Man X2
• Mega Man X3
• Pilotwings
• Star Ocean
• Street Fighter Alpha 2
• Super Mario RPG

...to show what the Super Nintendo is capable of. And I haven't even touched on the SuperFX nonsense. Like, how many YouTube videos are always raving about what a miracle the SNES version of Doom is, despite the fact that there's basically another console inside of the cartridge?

I'm drunk, says the guy downing the Nintendo Kool-Aid.



Would you also be good with the pricing? I remember SNES (and later N64) carts not being all that cheap.

I don't understand what you are on about. I'll repeat myself. The system was designed to support these chips. It was built from day one to do so, because of the experience with the NES. Only a small number of games used them, and many impressive/notable titles did not. The primary reason was a math co-processor which was also a pretty common add-on for PCs at the time. I have no idea what videos you are watching to form this weird narrative. The three games in the title screen of this video (DKC, Chrono Trigger, Magical Quest) all run on stock SNES.

As for Doom, it's a pretty impressive port even taking into account the SuperFX, which ultimately was far weaker than what the game was designed for. This isn't complicated.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

I wonder why it gets so little love and isn't spoken of as much? I remember having a blast with Rod Land and James Pond: Robocod on my friend's Amiga.

Oh god, I can still here that games music in my head to this day

I reckon it's ease of use mainly, and I think the Snes was quite a bit more popular in the US. It can't have been the price of games as they cost a fortune back then in the UK.

Even so I still found the Amiga the better of the two, in looks, games and sound. The games were so much more varied

I think the only game I ever preferred over the Amiga version was Alien 3