Your Top 10 SNES Games

[Alyxx Thorne]

What games are YOUR favs on the good old 16bit Nintendo?

 

Here's my list:

 

10. X-Zone

Largely unknown due to being a Scandinavian exclusive title and also designed for the Super Scope, it's actually a pretty good shmup for the time with impressive graphics and even multiple endings. Finishing the game on hard grants you the best ending, so it has some replay value. It also eliminates the need for using the scope since it uses an onscreen reticle so you don't even have to hold it on your shoulder, which is a plus, and it makes use of the Scope's turbo function. The music is also damn good. I recommend trying it out in emulator, because getting a copy can prove expensive.

 

9. B.O.B.

Probably one of my favourite shooter/platformers on the SNES, this game is about a young 90's space robot going out on a date with his dad's spacecar. Of course, things turn sour when he totals the vehicle and lands on an asteroid populated by evil robots and aliens. Tight controls, a pletora of weapons and items and a kickass soundtrack make this one of the better platformers on the SNES, and the lovably cheesy 90's dialogue fits the 16bit era perfectly.

 

8. StarFox

I've got to be honest with you. When I first played StarFox (called Starwing for us Europeans), the graphics absolutely blew my mind. Now, they just plain blow, but back then, this was probably as close to actual 3D you could get on the SNES. This is largely due to the SuperFX chip they included with the game, a microprocessor that did most of the work the poor SNES CPU couldn't do. The game is actually a very good railshooter with music that has since become legendary and the franchise has spawned several sequels, among others the legendary StarFox 64 (Lylat Wars in EU) and StarFox Assault and Adventures on the GameCube.

 

7. Donkey Kong Country

Though you could easily say people judge DKC by its graphics, which looked one generation ahead of its time, the game is actually a pretty solid platformer that not only copies the Super Mario formula, but also kinda improves on it. Couple this with an almost frustrating difficulty and some catchy music and you have a sureshot classic on your hands. Ah Rare... once you were the king of Nintendo. Now you're Nintendo's shadow with your Kinect games...

 

6. Terranigma

Though released as late as 1996 and only in Japan and Europe, Terranigma is one of the finest action RPG's to arrive on the SNES. Combining a stellar soundtrack with addictive gameplay, tight and responsive controls and gorgeous graphics, this game pushes the SNES to its very limits and has a storyline that is both touching and impressive for the time, making this game one of the biggest cult classics for the system. Now if only Nintendo would release this on VC...

 

5. Super Mario Kart

Out of all the racing titles on the SNES, I think SMK is the only one I really recommend. Sporting gorgeous Mode 7 graphics and fast-paced action racing, this game spawned the most popular Mario spinoff series in existence. In many ways, I think SMK still remains the best title in the series, and me and my brother still play the battle mode competively to this day.

 

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time

Well, I guess the list wouldn't be complete without a beat'em-up, and TMNT IV is probably the closest you get to the perfect beat'em-up on the system. While it is an arcade port, in a lot of ways it's even better than the original arcade game as in this game you can actually throw foot soldiers at the screen, an ingenious move only made possible by the SNES' scaling capabilities, really showcasing the power of the system. Add a kickass rocking soundtrack and you've got a great multiplayer action game that is easy to learn, but tough to master.

 

3. Super Mario World

I've spent more hours playing Super Mario World than I can count, and for a good reason too. The game is one of the best examples of great game design there is. It's super-intuitive and easy to learn, but as you progress through the game, the levels become tougher and tougher. This is probably my favourite Mario game ever, and one I'll always have fond memories off. Even to this day I still pick it up and play it once in a while just to relive my childhood and to see if I'm still as good as back then. Definitely a must-have title if you own a SNES.

 

2. Megaman X

Wow... just wow... talk about a way to upgrade a series to the new 16bit era. If you thought the classic Megaman games were good, this is something you HAVE to play if you own a SNES. Simply a mandatory game to own. The game is easy to learn but it will take a lot of skill and wits to complete. It sports impressive graphics, a kickass soundtrack and feels like a very polished game overall, and it has some of the best controls ever. Oh Capcom... what have you become...

 

1. Super Metroid

Often heralded as the best game of the 16bit era, once you've played Super Metroid it's easy to see why. This is as close as you get to perfection on the SNES. With its top notch graphics, soundtrack, controls and overall presentation, Super Metroid comes off as probably one of the most atmospheric games ever, let alone of the 16bit era. It's also one of the biggest games on the SNES, and will take quite a while to complete. It's also worth mentioning that Super Metroid continued being one of the few games that really kickstarted the speedrunning trend. This is not only a must-have for the system, but a crowning achievement of gaming in of itself.

[Scorpia]

i only have nine.

 

1. Super metroid

oh this game takes me back. excellent game play, ridiculously high replay value. not to mention a plethora of weapons, bosses, items, a kitty, and two suits makes this game perfect in almost every way.

 

2. Kirby's avalanche does anyone know if there's a similar game to this?

a game my mom introduced to me. we used to play this for hours, i was quite good at it. the game has nice gameplay, and a very nice rise in difficulty. also, it has a high need for strategy..in terms of creating combos that drop boulders with eyes on your opponent. don't know what i'm talking about? try it out! seriously. move it.

 

3. Super Mario world

Turtle murder!! i loved this, i spent an uncountable amount of hours on this game. like Alyxx said it's rise in difficulty is great, it's music is awesome, and curb stomping a turtle has never been funner!! i highly recommend this.

 

4. & 5. Donkey Kong 1 & 2

this game requires no description, but my ever present need to contradict myself is forcing me to give you one. the bosses are ridiculous, the levels are fun, the enemies are against potassium, what more could you want!?

 

 

6. Mortal Kombat 3

violent! bloody! and an oh so necessary part of stress relief! your arcade style experience will never be greater! warning: this game may cause a need to learn karate, please keep it away from cats, Ludwick corps. will not be responsible for Karate or cat related deaths.

 

7. Killer Instinct

a tamer version of Mortal Kombat, was a fun game. plus the cartridge was black!

 

8. Sim City

become the mayor, create your city, make it a beautiful empire, get respect, then start a cataclysm of apocalyptic events killing all the residents!

 

9. Tiny Toon: buster Busts Loose

this game drove me crazy, it was silly, irreverent, and a decent game. by what little i actually recall it's worth it to try it out.

[Alyxx Thorne]

Good list, Bill.

[Scorpia]

thank you, i might give reviews on these as well, i'm just not sure.

[Alyxx Thorne]

Please do, I'm curious as to why you chose them.

[Scorpia]

done!

[Alyxx Thorne]

I actually own a real black cart of Killer Instinct.

[Scorpia]

same here. i added a few things in the review, some games didn't get proper justice.

[Alyxx Thorne]

Hehe, cool. I kinda wanna see more lists though.

[Obsidian]

My list is going to be less detailed than Bill's and Alyxx's, unless someone wants me to talk about why these games are in my top 10.

 

1. Final Fantasy 3 (otherwise known as Final Fantasy 6)

2. Doom

3. Ninja Gaiden Trilogy

4. Street Fighter II Turbo

5. Wolfenstein 3D

6. Worms

7. Contra III

8. Super Mario World

9. Super Metroid

10. Super Godzilla (mostly for nostalgic reasons, though).

[Alyxx Thorne]

Ah nice, Doom on number 2. Good to see someone else who appreciates it. And I'm surprised to find Wolfenstein 3D on 5, it was heavily censored upon release.

 

And I didn't know Ninja Gaiden existed on SNES.

[Obsidian]

Yeah, I really liked the SNES Doom. And I almost forgot about the censoring for Wolfenstein 3D... it's been years since I've played SNES games, I'll admit.

 

The Ninja Gaiden trilogy had a re-release on the SNES in a combo pack (or whatever you'd call it) containing all three games. I don't remember how much of a run it had in terms of distribution.

[Alyxx Thorne]

I might check that out on ZSNES. I have a bijillion roms and hacks for it.

 

And contrary to rumors, I find SNES DOOM to be very enjoyable to play and I find it impressive they just got Doom to run on a 16bit machine to begin with.

[Obsidian]

Yeah, I think a lot of the dislike for the SNES Doom just comes from comparing it with the other versions available at the time. It's a shame it couldn't be appreciated for still being a kick ass game. Thinking about it, things haven't changed much with modern gaming. A lot of people still get hung up on what version is the better version, when it mostly doesn't matter that much.

[Alyxx Thorne]

On its own, it's probably the only FPS on SNES worth playing.

[The Scoutman]

The only thing i dislike a little bit on DKC is that most of the bonus locations are so random, to get most of them you would have to jump on death-pits because 1% of them would contain a barrel that would throw you into a bonus and run back and forth all the levels while carrying a barrel to check for destroyable walls

 

Thats why i personally like DKC2 better a tiny bit, the bonus still kinda hard to find but they are not completely random and neither require suicide runs, that and the fact DKC2 Final boss is 1 tough S.O.B

[Alyxx Thorne]

Yeah, DKC2 was a bit of an improvement.