The 30 Best Games on Super Nintendo

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was something of a calculated risk for Nintendo after its success with the NES. The NES had turned the tide for video games in the West, helping almost single-handedly to revive the medium following the industry crash of 1983. The SNES was a separate piece of hardware completely incompatible with the large library of NES games, and players weren’t nearly as receptive to the idea of a new console in 1991. In fact, the whole concept of console generations didn’t even exist yet, meaning Nintendo would have to make it very clear how necessary the SNES was over its predecessor with a strong library of killer software. Thankfully, the Super Nintendo arrived with more than a few must-have titles, and several of the best SNES games throughout the console’s lifespan still stand as some of the most important experiences in the medium.

30. Final Fight

• Release Date — December 21, 1990
• Publisher/Developer — Capcom/Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score — 96% (Universal Acclaim)

Capcom’s arcade hit Final Fight is one of the first beat ’em ups on the SNES, and there’s a strong case for it being its best. Originating as a sequel to the first Street Fighter, Final Fight would eventually transform during development after producer Yoshiki Okamoto was impressed by the Double Dragon II arcade cabinet. Final Fight was a smash hit in arcades, and its SNES port retains most of the audiovisual fidelity of the coin-op version, arriving on Nintendo’s new console as a near-perfect arcade port with just a few caveats. Notably, the SNES version of Final Fight lacks the all-important two-player co-op mode and only features heroes Cody and Haggar, with Guy being cut from the Western release. Still, Final Fight is pure beat ’em up bliss and one of the first titles from a legendary run of SNES games from Capcom.

29. Zombies Ate My Neighbors

• Release Date — September 3, 1993
• Publisher/Developer — Konami/LucasArts
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

The offbeat humor and horror-tinged stylings of Zombies Ate My Neighbors would result in the title becoming a cult classic, but its gameplay still holds up surprisingly well even in a modern context. Across more than 50 different stages, players will control a plucky teenager as they hope to rid their neighborhood of a recent outbreak of zombies and all other sorts of strange creatures, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors never forgets the golden rule of video games: above all else, they should be fun. There are plenty of hilariously zany weapons and items to use in taking down enemies and stage layouts are incredibly complex and inventive, making the use of maps in some of the later stages almost a necessity if players are to have any hope of 100%-ing the game.

28. Super Mario All-Stars

• Release Date — July 14, 1993
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo EAD
• Review Aggregate Score — 90% (Universal Acclaim)

It might be a little bit of a cheat to put a compilation title on a list of “Best SNES Games”, but Super Mario All-Stars is one of those carts that it was practically impossible to get away from upon its release. Even if you didn’t personally own it, chances are you had a friend with the all-in-one Super Mario Bros. compilation. What’s more, the versions of the first three Super Mario Bros. games included in Mario All-Stars are remastered 16-bit versions that retain the same classic precision platforming gameplay but present it in a new visual style more in line with the excellent Super Mario World. And, for true platforming masochists, the original Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 is included as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, allowing players to test their skill against one of the cruelest Mario titles this side of Kaizo Mario World.

27. Demon’s Crest

• Release Date — October 21, 1994
• Publisher/Developer — Capcom/Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)

While most players remember Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, not nearly as many ever got to experience that game’s spiritual successor Demon’s Crest. Instead of controlling Arthur once again, players take control of the iconic red demon from the Ghosts ‘n Goblins series on their own action platforming adventure, and it’s a delightfully dark and entertaining trek through some incredibly designed levels with challenging boss fights. One of the best parts about Demon’s Crest is that it is infinitely more forgiving of a game than Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, giving players a chance to experience Capcom’s excellent Ghosts n’ Goblins universe without the same sadistic challenge of other games in the series.

26. Cybernator

• Release Date — December 18, 1992
• Publisher/Developer — Konami/NCS Corp
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

Cybernator is just the Western title for the excellent Assault Suits Valken, a side-scrolling action platformer/Shmup hybrid with some interesting movement and combat mechanics and a surprisingly complex story for both the genre and the era. Interestingly, Cybernator‘s producer Toshiro Tsuchida would go on to assist with the development of Square’s mech-tactics Front Mission series after Cybernator, and there are some clear similarities between both titles’ politically-charged stories. Unlike Front Mission, though, action in Cybernator is real-time and frantic, with the movement and attack speed of the main character’s assault suit having a definitive sense of weight not dissimilar to Simon Belmont in the first Castlevania. Konami would also deliver the fantastic Metal Warriors, but the superior side-scrolling mech action game is Cybernator.

25. Star Fox

• Release Date — February 21, 1993
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo EAD, Argonaut Software
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)

The first Star Fox is more of a proof of concept for what would come later and perfect the formula in Star Fox 64, but it’s no less impressive that a full-3D on-rails flight simulator was able to run on the SNES. Sure, it may look rudimentary now by today’s standards, but in 1993 the original Star Fox was practically a revelation. Long before 3D, polygonal-based graphics became the norm (and years before the Sony PlayStation or even stepping stones to 32-bit hardware like the Sega 32X), Star Fox was a groundbreaking technological leap on a machine dominated by 2D sprite-based graphics. And yes, it did run terribly and struggle to maintain 15FPS, but without Star Fox, we would have never gotten the amazing Nintendo 64 sequel/remake.

24. Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts

• Release Date — October 4, 1991
• Publisher/Developer — Capcom/Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)

While it wasn’t a launch title for the Super Famicom in Japan, Capcom’s Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts was one of many excellent offerings from Capcom available for the Western launch of the SNES. Unfortunately for most, though, Super Ghouls n’ Ghosts also happens to be one of the hardest games ever made and a step up in challenge even from its already tough predecessor Ghost n’ Goblins. Once again, players take control of the honorable knight Arthur as he seeks to rescue the princess from a host of demonic monsters, and new armor power-ups and weapons at least give him a fighting chance against the hordes of Hell. However, movement is still just as floaty and hard to gauge as in Ghost n’ Goblins, meaning if the monsters don’t kill you, your own platforming mistakes surely will.

23. UN Squadron

• Release Date — July 26, 1991
• Publisher/Developer — Capcom/Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)

The SNES isn’t quite the Shmup powerhouse that other 16-bit consoles are (specifically, the PC Engine and Sega Genesis), but that’s not to say that Nintendo’s first “next-gen” console didn’t have some incredible shoot ’em up games. Like Final Fight before it, UN Squadron is a near-perfect arcade port of one of Capcom’s best coin-op classics to the SNES. Unlike Final Fight, though, UN Sqadron‘s SNES port is arguably the definitive version of the title, with some light RPG elements through leveling up the Vulcan and a compelling resource management aspect to stages. UN Squadron is also one of the more approachable Shmups with a manageable difficulty curve, making it a perfect first entry for gamers just getting into the genre.

22. Tetris & Dr. Mario

• Release Date — December 30, 1994
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)

What’s better than either Tetris or Dr. Mario? Why, both games in one cartridge, of course. Tetris & Dr. Mario may have arrived later on in the SNES’ life cycle but it’s one of the more essential games for any SNES library thanks to its inclusion of two of the best puzzle games of all time. On the one hand, you have Tetris, Alexey Pajitnov’s cultural phenomenon and genre-defining falling-block puzzle game. On the other, there’s Dr. Mario — the excellent Match-3 puzzler featuring Nintendo’s mascot and some truly infectious (pun intended) music. The 16-bit visual uplift to both titles is a nice touch, but ultimately it’s the sterling gameplay of both titles that makes Tetris & Dr. Mario a staple on the Super Nintendo.

21. Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen

• Release Date — March 12, 1993
• Publisher/Developer — Enix/Quest
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)

Though it may have been somewhat criminally overlooked during its time, hindsight continues to be kind to Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, particularly with how influential the game continues to be on modern entries in the tactical and strategic RPG subgenre. This year’s excellent Unicorn Overlord bears a striking resemblance to Enix and Quest’s now legendary SRPG, and it’s amazing to see just how well the title holds up more than 30 years later as a foundational entry in a niche subgenre with a cult following. Ogre Battle is definitely prototypical in comparison to newer games in the Fire Emblem series or the aforementioned Unicorn Overlord, but it nails the fundamentals so well that it’s an obvious building block for the foundation of the SRPG subgenre.

20. EarthBound

• Release Date — August 27, 1994
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Ape Inc., HAL Laboratory
• Review Aggregate Score — 81% (Generally Favorable)

The arrival of EarthBound was a majorly-hyped event in 1994, with the title actually being the second entry in the Japanese Mother series of RPGs. And though the game has what appears to be a charming and lighthearted atmosphere, EarthBound hides a stirring tale of cosmic proportions as Ness and his friends work together to thwart armageddon at the hands of the galactic destroyer Giygas. Famously, future Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata served as EarthBound‘s lead programmer, giving the game that undeniable “Nintendo charm” that pervades nearly all of the company’s first-party titles. Aside from the pedigree of its development, EarthBound is a compelling and mechanically rich title that takes an atypical approach to the RPG genre and shines because of it.

19. Contra III: The Alien Wars

• Release Date — February 28, 1992
• Publisher/Developer — Konami/Konami
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)

The arrival of the SNES as the first “next-gen” console in the West meant that several of the NES’ definitive franchises would make return appearances on Nintendo’s new hardware. Aside from Mario and Zelda, third-party classics like Castlevania, Mega Man, and Konami’s Contra would also have their own “Super” 16-bit entries on the console. The SNES’ Contra, Contra III: The Alien Wars, is one of the toughest and most rewarding games in the long-running run n’ gun series, delivering plenty of iconic setpiece moments that have become part of the series’ iconography in their own right. Beyond its importance to the Contra franchise and its legendary toughness, though, Contra III is peak run n’ gun action showing Konami at the top of its game.

18. Super Punch-Out!!

• Release Date — September 14, 1994
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo R&D 3
• Review Aggregate Score — 84% (Generally Favorable)

It may have taken a while for the SNES to get a new, “Super”-ized entry in the Punch-Out!! series, but it ended up being well worth the wait. Super Punch-Out!! uses the same basic template as the NES port of the arcade original, with players needing to be observant, memorize enemy patterns, and respond accordingly with a limited set of moves. But Super Punch-Out!! takes what would otherwise be a pretty simplistic boxing simulation and elevates it through some pitch-perfect controls and a list of hilariously over-the-top boxers to compete against. The Punch-Out!! series would continue on the Wii, but it never quite reached the same highs as the series’ best entry on the SNES.

17. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

• Release Date — March 9, 1996
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)

Several may remember Super Mario RPG for its relative rarity as a physical cartridge, netting insane prices in the secondary market as one of the last high-profile and most sought-after SNES games right before the launch of the Nintendo 64. What Super Mario RPG should be remembered for, though, is its excellent blending of traditional JRPG mechanics with the characters, charm, and sense of humor of the Super Mario series, resulting in one of the most refreshingly lighthearted and fun RPGs on the SNES. Square and Nintendo knocked this one out of the park, and the recent remake’s faithfulness to the original only serves to underscore how excellent of a game Super Mario RPG has always been.

16. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

• Release Date — July 24, 1992
• Publisher/Developer — Konami/Konami
• Review Aggregate Score — 83% (Generally Favorable)

Beat ’em ups are one of the oldest genres in gaming, and it wouldn’t be until the SNES era that home consoles would finally catch up to the fidelity of the arcade games in the genre. One of the best developers working in the beat ’em up space was none other than Konami, whose legendary line of early 1990s arcade cabinets included two titles based off of the hugely popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IP. The best of the two, Turtles in Time, received its own port to the SNES that features its own unique extra stages and some additions that bring it in line with the then-recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze major motion picture. Turtles in Time represented a little piece of the arcade at home, and it’s the SNES’ greatest beat ’em up as a result.

15. Super Castlevania IV

• Release Date — October 31, 1991
• Publisher/Developer — Konami/Konami
• Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)

Like Contra III, Castlevania IV sees Konami taking one of its most iconic franchises and revamping it for Nintendo’s new 16-bit console, delivering what is arguably the greatest game in the “old-school” Castlevania titles ahead of the series’ pivot into becoming an action-platforming RPG (and one half of the Metroidvania portmanteau). Castlevania IV is significantly less challenging than its predecessors, with Simon Belmont now moving faster, being able to swing his whip in 8 directions, and even having the new ability to latch onto whip hooks and grapple across chasms. Don’t let that fool you, though, as Castlevania IV is still a challenging game. But its balance and presentation elevate it to being the definitive 16-bit entry in the series over the Genesis’ Castlevania: Bloodlines.

14. Super Mario Kart

• Release Date — August 27, 1992
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo EAD
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)

The first game in the Mario Kart series of spin-off titles is just as amazing as you might imagine, given it being responsible for birthing one of Nintendo’s most successful franchises. Super Mario Kart has all the elements that have come to define the series over the years front and center in the franchise’s first entry, with an iconic cast of racers from the Mushroom Kingdom battling it out for first place on some incredibly inventive tracks. The inclusion of weapons and the ability to sabotage competitors’ progress in the race only adds to the fun, and it says a lot about Super Mario Kart that it still holds up in the presence of newer, more feature-rich entries.

13. F-Zero

• Release Date — November 21, 1990
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo EAD
• Review Aggregate Score — 85% (Generally Favorable)

Nintendo’s futuristic racing game F-Zero is the exact kind of technical showpiece that was necessary to illustrate the power of the SNES and push players over the edge into buying a new console. Thanks to the SNES’ separate graphics modes (particularly, Mode 7), the machine was capable of facilitating a faux-3D effect by layering graphical assets, and F-Zero looked just as futuristic in 1990 as its setting would indicate. A blindingly fast and challenging racing game, F-Zero is not for the faint of heart, and it’s one of many essential first-party Nintendo titles in the SNES’ launch library.

12. ActRaiser

• Release Date — December 16, 1990
• Publisher/Developer — Enix/Quintet
• Review Aggregate Score — 79% (Generally Favorable)

Enix and Quintet’s ActRaiser is the type of game born from a desire to innovate and bring something new to the table in conjunction with the launch of a new console, and it ends up being one of the more satisfying and compelling early SNES games as a result. A unique mix of action RPG and city-builder, ActRaiser succeeds by making sure that the twin halves of its gameplay are balanced appropriately and paced to where players never get too tired of one before switching to the other. On top of its excellent and atypical genre-blending, ActRaiser features some truly inspired story beats and an iconic score that’s sure to get stuck in players’ heads.

11. Pilotwings

• Release Date — December 21, 1990
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo EAD
• Review Aggregate Score — 82% (Generally Favorable)

Like F-Zero, Pilotwings is another first-party Nintendo title making great use of the console’s Mode 7 to simulate the act of flying in full 3D. As a launch title for Nintendo’s new console, few games were as impressive as Pilotwings, wowing players right from the start with the iconic Light Plane test and the startling realism of its flight sim mechanics. Pilotwings is definitely much more of an “arcade-style” flying game disguised as a flight sim, but the variety present across all its different challenges (planes, parachutes, jet packs, and even helicopter piloting sections) makes it a “jack-of-all-trades” experience that the SNES sorely needed.

10. Secret of Mana

• Release Date — August 6, 1993
• Publisher/Developer — Square/Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)

One of Square’s many iconic games released for the SNES, Secret of Mana is actually the first title in the series to arrive using the franchise’s naming, and it ends up being a singular experience that many players remember fondly for its excellent visuals, music, gameplay, and co-op functionality. While most other RPGs and action RPGs of the era were solo experiences intended for one player, Secret of Mana allows up to two friends to join the hero on their adventure in a full co-op campaign. Part Final Fantasy and part Legend of Zelda, Secret of Mana is one of the best RPG experiences on the SNES and a legitimate contender for one of Square’s best titles on the console.

9. Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV)

• Release Date — July 19, 1991
• Publisher/Developer — Square/Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)

Regardless of its different naming conventions between Japan and the West, Final Fantasy II (actually Final Fantasy IV) would end up being the first game in the series to launch worldwide almost simultaneously. Japanese gamers would get the Super Famicom version in the summer of 1991, with the Western release of Final Fantasy II coinciding with the launch of the SNES in North America. For many, Final Fantasy II was either their first game in the series or a surprise new sequel to the fairly recent original Final Fantasy (which didn’t make its way to the West until 1990). As such, the game holds an important place in many players’ memories as the first “mature” feeling story in gaming, and the mechanics, visuals, score, and gameplay of Final Fantasy II are just as impressive as its series-defining narrative.

8. Street Fighter II Turbo

• Release Date — July 11, 1993
• Publisher/Developer — Capcom/Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score — 96% (Universal Acclaim)

It speaks volumes about the importance and impact of Street Fighter II Turbo on the SNES that it is still quite possibly the best version of one of the most groundbreaking and timeless fighting games. The arcade version of Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting arrived as a result of Capcom’s interest in and acknowledgment of Street Fighter II‘s modding community, and the popularity of the Turbo version of Street Fighter II (complete with its own expanded roster of characters including the boss enemies) would inevitably result in the game getting its own console port like the vanilla version of Street Fighter II had. Street Fighter II Turbo is the best version of Street Fighter II, and the SNES port is the definitive release of the game.

7. Donkey Kong Country

• Release Date — November 18, 1994
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Rare
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)

Leave it up to Rare to almost outdo Nintendo at its own game, delivering one of the most iconic platformers on the SNES in Donkey Kong Country, the only title that could possibly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Super Mario World. Like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country is a near-pitch-perfect platforming game with plenty of incredible level designs and an iconic score, but Donkey Kong Country takes the cake in terms of challenge. However, like the best platforming games, Donkey Kong Country never feels unfair or imbalanced, forcing the player to learn from their mistakes and simply become better at the game through trial and error.

6. Final Fantasy III (Final Fantasy VI)

• Release Date — April 2, 1994
• Publisher/Developer — Square/Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 93% (Universal Acclaim)

American gamers would miss out on the excellent Final Fantasy V in favor of localization efforts at Square focusing on Final Fantasy III (actually Final Fantasy VI) and experiencing this generation-defining RPG makes it easy to see why. Final Fantasy III takes cues from the first 5 games in the Final Fantasy series to deliver the most mechanically dense and satisfying RPG gameplay that the franchise had seen up to that point, and the storytelling, music, and atmosphere are just as remarkable. Final Fantasy III is more than just the last and best Final Fantasy on the SNES, it’s one of the greatest RPGs ever made and a strong contender for the greatest game in the series.

5. Mega Man X

• Release Date — December 17, 1993
• Publisher/Developer — Capcom/Capcom
• Review Aggregate Score — 88% (Generally Favorable)

The first Mega Man game for the SNES wouldn’t be Mega Man 7 but instead, the phenomenal Mega Man X, transporting players into a far-flung future where Dr. Light’s latest creation, the fully -sentient artificial intelligence X, leads to the creation of a new race of robot beings known as Reploids. Of course, their sentience leads to free will and, eventually, a revolt, and humanity is destroyed in the process. Teaming up with his fellow Reploid Zero, players get to control the latest iteration of Mega Man across a series of ingeniously designed stages featuring near-perfect action-platformer gameplay. Mega Man X might be the start of its own long-running spin-off of the Mega Man franchise, but it’s just as good as the best mainline Mega Man games, if not better.

4. Super Mario World

• Release Date — November 21, 1990
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo EAD
• Review Aggregate Score — 94% (Universal Acclaim)

Super Mario World is both one of the greatest 2D games in the Mario series and the perfect pack-in title for the SNES, introducing players to Nintendo’s newest console with a platformer that possibly outdoes the practically perfect Super Mario Bros. 3. Everything about Super Mario World is a step up from its predecessor (particularly its visuals and audio), and the unique setting of Dinosaur Land is a refreshing change of pace from the Mushroom Kingdom, complete with some inventive worlds and enemies. That Super Mario World is still commonly accepted as one of the greatest games ever made almost 35 years later is a testament to its genius.

3. Chrono Trigger

• Release Date — March 11, 1995
• Publisher/Developer — Square/Square
• Review Aggregate Score — 96% (Universal Acclaim)

Only a collaboration between Square and Enix could outdo each publisher’s flagship franchises, as evidenced by the impeccable Chrono Trigger. Better than any of the Super Famicom-exclusive Dragon Quest games or mainline Final Fantasy entries from the 16-bit era, Chrono Trigger takes a “best of both worlds” approach to its gameplay, setting, story, and visuals, incorporating iconic character designs from Akira Toriyama and some truly inventive monsters and environments to accompany its millennia-spanning epic tale of world-saving proportions. Crono and his allies are one of the most endearing casts in gaming, and the tried and true JRPG mechanics that both Enix and Square had practically perfected by that point are on full display across the entirety of Chrono Trigger‘s perfectly-paced adventure.

2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

• Release Date — November 21, 1991
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo EAD
• Review Aggregate Score — 93% (Universal Acclaim)

A Link to the Past is more than the Zelda series’ first and only entry on the SNES, it’s a triumphant homecoming for the franchise after a somewhat disappointing sequel. Returning to the top-down perspective and open-ended exploration of the NES original, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past eases players into Link’s 16-bit debut with familiarity before pulling the rug out from under their feet through the introduction of the Master Sword and the reveal of the game’s true quest — saving the descendants of the Seven Sages and battling none other than Ganon himself in the Dark World. Link to the Past would go on to inform the foundation of every subsequent 2D Zelda game precisely for how perfectly it captures the core elements of the series.

1. Super Metroid

• Release Date — March 19, 1994
• Publisher/Developer — Nintendo/Nintendo R&D 1, Intelligent Systems
• Review Aggregate Score — 97% (Universal Acclaim)

In an era where many games strictly adhere to either one specific genre or a blending of already established elements and mechanics across multiple genres, it’s easy to forget that the 8 and 16-bit eras of gaming were home to games that birthed their own unique genres without even realizing it. One of those games is Super Metroid, which writes the rulebook for what would become the Metroidvania subgenre of action platformers and represents a massive leap in quality from its two predecessors in the Metroid series. The original Metroid is an amazing experience that is somewhat let down by the limitations of the hardware it released on, but Super Metroid squeezes every bit of power out of the SNES to deliver a thrilling, and at times haunting, isolated adventure across an alien planet. Super Metroid is the gold standard for Metroidvania design.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©SNES hardware and software.