The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (also known as the Super NES, SNES or Super Nintendo, as well as the Super Famicom in Japan) is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Australasia (Oceania), and 1993 in South America.In Japan, the system is called the Super Famicom, officially adopting the abbreviated name of its predecessor, the Family Computer, or SFC for short.In South Korea, it is known as the Super Comboy 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.