Why the SNES mini emulates more than just the console

The upcoming Super NES mini console is more than just a SNES emulator. Like its predecessor, it harkens back to a time where physical cartridges allowed for the integration of custom hardware on a per-game basis that would evolve the capabilities of the base hardware. The Super NES - or Super Famicom, if you like - took that to the next level, not least with the introduction of the SuperFX chip, bringing hardware-based 3D to the 16-bit era. The SNES mini features Nintendo's first ever official emulation of that chip, but SuperFX is just one example of custom hardware that improved the console's capabilities.

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