The SNES was a global success, becoming the best-selling console of the 16-bit era after launching relatively late and facing intense competition from Sega's Genesis console in North America and Europe. The system was designed to accommodate the ongoing development of a variety of enhancement chips integrated in game cartridges to be competitive into the next generation. The console introduced advanced graphics and sound capabilities compared with other systems at the time. The SNES is Nintendo's second programmable home console, following the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Although each version is essentially the same, several forms of regional lockout prevent the different cartridges from being compatible with one another. In Japan, the system is called the Super Famicom (SFC). The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Australasia (Oceania), and 1993 in South America.
