XBAND
A modem that enabled multiplayer over a private dialup network.
Description
An early attempt at nationwide online multiplayer for consoles, the XBAND modem brought dial‑up head‑to‑head play to the Super Nintendo in the mid‑’90s: years before broadband and Xbox Live made it mainstream. Developed by Catapult Entertainment, the SNES version was a chunky cartridge‑shaped 2400 bps modem that plugged into the console’s slot, with your game cart inserted on top.
Supported software included:
- Doom
- Ken Griffey, Jr. Presents Major League Baseball
- Killer Instinct
- Madden NFL ’95
- Madden NFL ’96
- Mortal Kombat II
- Mortal Kombat 3
- NBA Jam Tournament Edition
- NHL ’95
- NHL ’96
- Super Mario Kart
- Super Street Fighter II
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (secret maze game)
- Weaponlord
Matches were peer‑to‑peer over dial‑up, so lag and long‑distance charges were part of the experience. Pricing plans ranged from a low monthly fee with limited connections to an unlimited tier. Despite its novelty, the service peaked at around 15,000 members before shutting down in 1997.
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