Nintendo has announced the Nintendo Classic Mini: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, a tiny console designed to look like the incredibly popular SNES that was first released in Australia in 1992.

Following up on the well received but impossible to get NES version from last year, the diminutive Super Nintendo is powered by USB and connects to your TV via HDMI. It comes packaged with two controllers and is loaded with 21 of the system's greatest games. That's not hyperbole either, there is seriously not a mediocre game on the list.

The 16-bit versions of Nintendo's own franchises are of course included, with Super Mario World, Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Country, Kirby Super Star, Yoshi's Island and more.

But there's a diverse handful of fan favourite games from publishers other than Nintendo too, including Mega Man X, Street Fighter II and Super Castlevania IV. True to the console's legacy, there is also four of the greatest role-playing games of all time from Nintendo and publisher Square Enix: Earthbound, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy III (released as Final Fantasy VI in Japan) and Super Mario RPG.

In a surprising move Nintendo is also including Star Fox 2, a game that's gained almost mythical status as it was known to be completed by was never released for sale.

The system will launch in Australia and New Zealand on September 30 at a price of $119.95. This is a little pricier than last year's model, but then Super Nintendo games are significantly more complex than the older NES games. As last time there will be no USB power adapter in the box, but if you don't have plenty of those laying around Nintendo will sell you one for $20.

The company has confirmed to Fairfax that the versions of the games included with the mini SNES are the US versions, which means a couple of them will have different names than you may remember. More importantly, this means they'll run at a full 60Hz versus the 50Hz that Australian gamers experienced back in the day. Some games may play a bit differently (or the music might be a faster tempo) then you remember as a result, but the smoother motion means the 60Hz versions are generally considered far superior.

Retro gaming is big business as players who remember these games from childhood and adolescence gain disposable income, and passionate young gamers look to delve into classics from before their time. But getting access to the original hardware and cartridges can be difficult and expensive, resulting in software piracy and the rise of clever new hardware that can play old games on new TVs. Either way, Nintendo makes no money and has no quality control. The Classic Mini line, then, is a smart strategy, assuming Nintendo can make enough of them to avoid angering fans.

The new console's announcement comes almost exactly a year after the mini NES system was announced. That console was also preloaded with games that could be played in HD, and turned out to be a pretty nifty little box. But the nostalgic trip was spoiled for many when Nintendo failed to supply anywhere near enough consoles to meet demand, discontinuing shipments of the machine in April this year.

In a statement to Kotaku, Nintendo said it will produce "significantly more units" of the SNES Classic than it did of the NES, but that it was only planning to ship those units until the end of calendar year 2017.

"Our long-term efforts are focused on delivering great games for the Nintendo Switch system and continuing to build momentum for that platform, as well as serving the more than 63 million owners of Nintendo 3DS family systems", the statement says. "We are offering [SNES Classic] in special recognition of the fans who show tremendous interest our classic content".

While it remains to be seen if Nintendo underestimated demand once again, it does seem that the company has paid attention to the most frequent criticism levelled at the NES Classic hardware itself: the cables on the SNES Classic controllers will be 1.5 metres long, 60 centimetres longer than the tiny cords from last year.

FULL GAMES LIST

• Contra III: The Alien Wars
• Donkey Kong Country
• EarthBound
• Final Fantasy III (since renamed Final Fantasy VI to fit with the original Japanese numbering)
• F-ZERO
• Kirby Super Star (originally Kirby's Fun Pak in Australia)
• Kirby's Dream Course
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
• Mega Man X
• Secret of Mana
• Star Fox (originally Starwing in Australia)
• Star Fox 2
• Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting
• Super Castlevania IV
• Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts
• Super Mario Kart
• Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
• Super Mario World
• Super Metroid
• Super Punch-Out!!
• Yoshi's Island