With Famicom getting on in idol years, Nintendo was hard at work developing a 16-bit system with an idol to match. A girl from the city with exceptional musical ability was chosen to be Nintendo's next top idol. Japan's version of the SNES, it's Super Famicom!
Super Famicom (nicknamed "Supa" by friends and fans) was a girl who already had big dreams on her plate. This beloved tomboyish girl was in her second year in high school achieving top marks, especially in music. She was a trombonist in band who had dreams of being part of an orchestra someday, while singing was more a hobby for her. However, upon trying out an audition, Nintendo got ahold of her and made her into the idol we know her as today!
Supa is a very definition of what one would think when talking about idols. Her active, bubbly, and passionate personality shines in all of her work! The "Super" in her name is no joke-- Her concerts were a huge step up from Famicom's in terms of technical presentation. Colorful costumes, dramatic lighting and new stage effects including the amazing "Mode 7" were all employed on stage which were no doubt breathtaking for the time, and still hold up today.
Many Nintendo series got a 16-bit makeover on the Super Famicom, and that was reflected in the music as well. Series such as Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Fire Emblem in Japan, and Game Boy's Kirby all got amazing installments with audio sounding much closer to their live performances. New series were introduced as well such as F-Zero, Pilotwings and Star Fox. Supa was also keen on RPGs, bringing Earthbound overseas as well as some fantastic Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest titles. Her Final Fantasy opera "Aria di Mezzo Carattere" is still hailed as one of the most striking live performances in all of gaming.
Unlike Famicom, Supa faced tough competition in the industry. The Sega Mega Drive (Genesis in America) had their own idol as well, resulting in a harsh rivalry between the two companies. While her American counterpart had bitter feelings toward the Genesis, Supa reportedly saw the Mega Drive as a friendly rival, who also featured some amazing music from games such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Streets of Rage. Despite a tenacious tussle, Super Famicom turned out victorious in the end!
Near the end of her career Super Famicom did work for many games with 3D graphics, such as Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario RPG. You may have heard a rumor going around that Supa hated 3D graphics in games. These rumors are NOT TRUE! They are based on lines taken out of context from older interviews and other anecdotes. According to a translated interview in 2017 she was only particularly upset at Star Fox 2's cancellation, slated to be released in 1995 originally, as Nintendo considered the 3D technology it used to be dated. While she says she thought of 3D to be a gimmick in the past, now that is not the case with her.
Supa was active until 2000, but she did very little work with Nintendo after 1997. Most of the titles she did were Japan-only titles made downloadable through the Nintendo Power flash cartridge (not to be confused with the American Nintendo Power magazine.) These soundtracks sadly did not get any concerts, only CD releases.
In 2017, one year after Famicom's comeback, Supa was also gifted the chance to do another tour. This tour featured a handful of her best titles as well as the previously unreleased "Star Fox 2." Supa and Famicom even got up on stage together at some points! This made fans happier than ever to know that the two are still lifelong friends to this day.
