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Mode 7

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Example of a Mode 7 landscape.

Mode 7 is a term used to describe improved graphics on the SNES that are due to an engine made for various video games released on the console. Basically the backgrounds of video games could be turned, falsely giving off the lofty impression that the games the player was participating in featured predated 3D graphics. Nevertheless, for the time these graphics were impressive and dramatically helped sell video games and soar to the top of the charts thanks to praiseworthy reviews claiming that the games that used these chips featured the best graphics the SNES had to offer - and technically they were correct, because without these chips the games wouldn't be able to perform such feats.

Many popular racing titles on the console featured Mode 7 support. For example - Super Mario Kart and F-Zero, two of the most popular games released on the console, both needed Mode 7 in order to work. Basically the engine would allow the game to just scroll through the background as the player's car progressed and turned it when a player pressed the left and right buttons on their control pad.

[edit] Games that use Mode 7

The famous mine scene from Super Mario RPG featured Mode 7 support.