The Best Super NES Games of All Time

During the 1990s, Nintendo released one of their best selling consoles with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Though it was not able to duplicate the success that they had with the original NES, the Super NES was considered to have left its mark on the history of gaming. With Nintendo having just released the Super NES Classic Edition, which is basically the miniature version of the SNES, now is the perfect time to talk about the best games that were ever released on that console.

Just like the NES Classic Edition, this version of the console doesn’t require cartridges and the internal storage already contains 21 of the most critically acclaimed SNES games. Though the new miniature console only carries 21 games, there are actually over a hundred very good games that were ever released on the SNES console, and we will only be mentioning 19 on this article, but stay tuned because we might write a follow-up to this article and feature even more games. Below are some of the best Super NES games of all time, and we categorized them to make it easier for you to navigate through. Go ahead and scroll down to check out the games. And if you are into the more recent games by Nintendo, check out the best games released on the Nintendo Switch console.

Casual Games Category

Tetris Attack

To start the ball rolling, here is Tetris Attack, which is a puzzle video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. This game was released in 1995 and involves blocks of different colors that players should arrange to remove them. Arranging these blocks can be done through horizontal swapping, and being able to make a row or column of at least three of the same color removes it from the board. Although this game contains the word Tetris in the title, its gameplay mechanic is entirely different. If you enjoy casual games, you can find a lot on mobile devices, check out our list of the best mobile games of 2017.

Puzzle Bobble (also known as Bust-A-Move)

Puzzle Bobble, or Bust-A-Move in the United States, is a puzzle video game that involves matching bubbles of the same color. This game was both developed and published by Taito, and was released in 1994. This game was based on Taito’s earlier game, Bubble Bobble, which was released in 1986, and it even features the characters and music from that game.

Lemmings

For a game that even the developer has lost count on how many times it has been ported to other platforms, Lemmings is definitely one that you should try. This game was originally released in 1991 and was being developed by Psygnosis during the time. A few months after its original release date, the game was ported to multiple platforms, including the SNES, and this port was developed by SunSoft Inc. This game involves guiding a group of lemmings through obstacles to a designated end point. If you have an Xbox One and are looking for what games you should buy, check out our list of the best Xbox One games of 2017.

Super Bomberman 2

Super Bomberman 2 is a game that involves players defeating enemies (or in battle game mode, the other players) using bombs. In the story mode, once all enemies have been defeated, the exit will be opened so the player can proceed to the next level. There are five stages with eight sub-stages, which makes it a total of forty stages that players need to complete. This game was developed by Produce Co. Ltd. and published by Hudson Soft, and was released in 1994.

Simulation Category

Sim City

The first simulation video game on this list is Sim City, which has been critically praised during its release and has built up a large franchise with several sequels and spin-off Sim titles. This game was developed and published by Maxis, and was released in 1993. The primary objective of this game is to build a city without any specific goals and to guide this city to become mature. If you are looking for what Nintendo has in store in the near future, check out our list of the most anticipated Nintendo Switch games.

Populous

Populous is a simulation video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and published by Electronic Arts, which was originally released on June 5, 1989, for the Amiga Personal Computer. Being considered as the very first God game, the player here takes control of a divine being, who is responsible of leading followers through direction and divine intervention. The goal of this game is to have the player’s followers conquer the enemy’s forces, which is led by an opposing divine being.

Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon is an agricultural simulation video game developed by Amccus for the SNES console. Depending on the region, this game has had several publishers, namely Pack-In-Video in Japan, Natsume Inc. in North America, and Nintendo in Europe. This game is the very first entry to the long-running Story of Seasons game video series. The player takes control of a young farmer who has been tasked at maintaining the farm of his absent father, and the objective is to restore and maintain a farm that has been neglected.

Sports Category

Madden ’94

Madden ’94 is a sports game that has had so many firsts under its name, one of which is that this game is the first one to have used the official NFL team license, another is that this is the first game that allowed players to play a full regular season. Madden ’94 is also the first game that allowed players to pause an action and be able to rotate the screen. Lastly, this is the first Madden game to use the now famous “EA Sports, it’s in the game!” intro. For those who enjoy playing mobile games on a large screen and at the convenience of your living room, check out our list of games that are great for playing on an Amazon Fire TV.

NBA Jam

NBA Jam is a basketball video game developed by Midway and published by Acclaim, and was released for the SNES in 1994. This game serves as the first entry to the long-running NBA Jam video game series. During its release on the arcade platform, this game became widely popular and has since become the highest earning arcade game of all time. All praises to this game were addressed to the fast and action-packed gameplay, as well as the exaggerated realism, and this gave rise to an entirely new genre of sports games.

Super Tennis

In Japan, this game was called Super Tennis World Circuit, but in other parts of the world, this game was referred to simply as Super Tennis. This 1991 tennis video game was developed and published by Tonkin House in Japan, but in North America, it was published by Nintendo. There are three different modes that you can play this game: Singles, Doubles, and World Circuit mode, wherein the player can challenge either a human player or a character controlled by the computer.

NHL ’94

NHL ’94 is an ice hockey video game both developed and published by Electronic Arts Sports (or EA Sports), and was released in 1993 in North America and 1994 in Europe and Japan for the SNES console. During its release, it received critical acclaim and has been referred to as one of the greatest sports video games of all time as well as one of the best video games ever made. The only downside to this game is that it doesn’t have the fighting feature, as ordered by the National Hockey League.

Top Gear 2

Top Gear 2, the sequel to Top Gear, is a racing simulation game developed by Gremlin Interactive and published by Kemco. This game was first released on August 8, 1993, for the Super NES. Just like its predecessor, Top Gear 2 uses recycled graphics from the game Lotus—also by Gremlin Interactive. On the other hand, this game is highly realistic that it has a damage meter on the left side of the screen, and also the ability to upgrade your vehicle to keep up with the opponents’ cars that also become faster throughout the game.

Super Punch-Out!!

Super Punch-Out!! is a boxing video game both published and developed by Nintendo, and was released in 1994, 1995, and 1998 in North America, Europe, and Japan, respectively. In the Punch-Out!! series, this game serves as the fourth entry, taking place after the Punch-Out!! title for the NES. The game received positive reviews during its release, and these were addressed to the game’s simple gameplay, funny opponents, and high replay value.

Super Mario Kart

From Nintendo’s long-running Mario-themed racing game, here is Super Mario Kart, which is the very first game in the series. During its release in 1992, this game was very well received by both critics and gamers that according to the Guinness Book of World Records, this game is the number one on the list of the top 50 console games of all time. With over 100 million copies sold during its first release, it’s no wonder that this game has made an impact and a lasting legacy.

Fighting Game Category

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

From Midway, the company that developed Mortal Kombat, comes the Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, which is an updated version of Mortal Kombat 3. This fighting video game was both developed and published by Midway, and was released initially for the arcade platform in 1995. This game was ported to the SNES, which was released worldwide in 1996. Though still as controversial as its predecessors because of its excessive use of gore and violence, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 was mostly well received and was even considered a high point for the Mortal Kombat game series. If you want to immerse yourself more in your game, try wearing a headset, and we may just have a list of the best gaming headsets for you.

Fatal Fury 2

We already know that the Fatal Fury and Street Fighter series were developed by two different companies, but we didn’t know that the first Fatal Fury title was designed by Takashi Nishiyama, the creator of the very first Street Fighter game, and this was intended to be a spiritual successor to Street Fighter. Fatal Fury 2 (also known as Legend of the Hungry Wolf 2: The New Battle in Japan) is a 1992 fighting video game developed and published by SNK. Between Fatal Fury 2 and Street Fighter II, the latter places more emphasis on combos while the former places it on the timing of special attacks.

Killer Instinct

We already have Mortal Kombat, now here is Killer Instinct, which is also a rather controversial game due to its violence. This fighting video game was developed by Rareware and published by Midway and Nintendo, and was initially released in 1994. Killer Instinct has a No Mercy feature, which resembles the Fatality feature from Mortal Kombat, wherein when an opponent’s health is critically low, the player may be able to execute a finishing move to them.

Street Fighter Alpha 2

While the Street Fighter Alpha series were released later than Street Fighter II, they are actually the first ones according to the game’s story. Street Fighter Alpha 2 serves as both the sequel and remake to Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior’s Dream, and is the prequel to Street Fighter II. This game was both developed and published by Capcom, though in Europe, this was published by Virgin Interactive Entertainment. Street Fighter Alpha 2 was released in 1996 and introduced new attacks, gameplay features, and a number of improvements from its predecessor.

Street Fighter II Turbo

Street Fighter II, the fighting game that revolutionized the genre, and the sequel to 1987’s Street Fighter was originally called Street Fighter II: World Warrior and was released for the arcade in 1991. After it was ported to the SNES, the title of the game was updated to Street Fighter II Turbo (also known as Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting) and was released in 1993. This port of the game featured a faster playing speed, new special moves, and a refined balance between characters. If you are a PC gamer and you are into external accessories to make your experience even more enjoyable, check out our list of the best gaming accessories in 2017.