Claim: The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a home video game console.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System -LRB- officially abbreviated the Super NES or SNES , and commonly shortened to Super Nintendo -RRB- is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea , 1991 in North America , 1992 in Europe and Australasia -LRB- Oceania -RRB- , and 1993 in South America . In Japan , the system is called the , or SFC for short . In South Korea , it is known as the Super Comboy -LRB- 슈퍼 컴보이 Syupeo Keomboi -RRB- and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics . Although each version is essentially the same , several forms of regional lockout prevent the different versions from being compatible with one another . It was released in Brazil on September 2 , 1992 , by Playtronic .   The SNES is Nintendo 's second home console , following the Nintendo Entertainment System -LRB- NES -RRB- . The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other systems at the time . The development of a variety of enhancement chips integrated in game cartridges helped to keep it competitive in the marketplace .   The SNES was a global success , becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era despite its relatively late start and the fierce competition it faced in North America and Europe from Sega 's Genesis/Mega Drive console . The SNES remained popular well into the 32-bit era , and continues to be popular among fans , collectors , retro gamers , and emulation enthusiasts , some of whom still make homebrew ROM images .