Chrono Trigger was and still is a crown jewel for Square Enix. And with the best battle mode the series has ever had, Super Mario Kart is one of the console’s proto-party games that can’t be missed. The cartoon of the property wouldn’t come out until 1997. Square was pumping out classic RPGs at such a ridiculous rate in the ‘90s that even Nintendo jumped at the chance to work with the company. From Final Fantasy to Secret of Mana (and more titles you may see down on this list), these games’ stories and gameplay were a marvel for the time. The Big N doesn’t get nearly enough credit for basically inventing modern racing games. Long before remasters were a regular occurrence, Nintendo took its already classic Super Mario Bros. NES titles, re-did the graphics and sound, and released them all in one package on the SNES. We may earn a commission from these links. Mario All-Stars was a fantastic four-game pack and acted as one of the first of many HD remasters. The exception to this rule was the TMNT games, which stand as some of the finest beat ‘em ups ever created. Between launching dozens of franchises and hosting some incredible first and third party content, the SNES might still be Nintendo's crowning achievement – even 20 years after its debut. In fact, there still aren’t many games that look like it. It gained a massive cult fanbase, it was fantastic and revered, but the series never took off. Bring the series back, Square; we’ve been without Chrono for way too long. A sequel to the beloved and better known Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, Turtles in Time‘s levels take place throughout all of history, resulting in plenty variety, even if the gameplay hasn’t changed much. Thankfully, Konami delivered a game that upped the ante with even more ridiculous setpieces (like riding a motorcycle and a missile), better graphics than ever, and the series’ trademark tough-but-fair difficulty. Turtles in Time improves on everything the original Turtles game did and makes it even better, making it one of the best action games on the SNES. It’s not much of a stretch to say that Final Fantasy III (or VI as it’s called now) forever changed RPGs. To top things off, the package included a then-rare save feature and the super difficult Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2, which hadn’t been released in North America up to that point. There are so many classic titles on the SNES that a few have fallen by the wayside over the years. With a whopping six games released on the NES, the original Mega Man series was getting a bit stale by the early ‘90s. Though it’s often overshadowed by the Nintendo 64, the SNES was easily one of the brightest moments for the company. Based on this technique, our best SNES game is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . It came before the age of digitally downloading games and backwards compatibility, so any chance to have re-released versions on newer consoles was extremely rare. While developed and marketed as a sequel to Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island went on to spawn its own series of platformers featuring the beloved dinosaurs, although none are as well regarded as the original. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES, was one of the most iconic gaming consoles ever. This movie tie-in game epitomized the beat-em-up genre. Dom Nero is a staff video editor at Esquire, where he also writes about film, comedy, and video games. —D.N. The games most frequently mentioned on lists of the best SNES games have come out on top. F-Zero’s graphics may not be as impressive now, but it’s still not too hard on the eyes, and the racing still feels fast-paced and challenging, even in the age of Forza. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the SNES, we've assembled our picks for the Top 100 SNES games of all time. Without experiencing those games, Final Fantasy II was light years ahead of the original, featuring the debut of the Active Time Battle system that defined the series for more than a decade, as well as the first real cinematic storytelling in the series. Batman Returns is pretty good, though. There have been a lot of good Batman games. Though the series has seen its ups and downs, Super Metroid remains a game that can be unequivocally recommended to all types of gamers, and such an incredible achievement in the medium that playing through it should be a requirement for every aspiring developer. At times, the game can be downright frustrating, but DKC is still worth the occasional playthrough, as are its many sequels. One of the best SNES games to come out was Final Fantasy VI (or Final Fantasy III in the West). And it can’t be overstated how mind-blowing the graphics and sound were compared to anything on the NES. —D.N. Square went on to make many beloved RPGs on the PlayStation, but looking back, its swansong on the SNES may very well be where the developer peaked. The game-only sequel to the blockbuster movie was released in both Japan and North America for the Famicom and NES respectively, and it remains a fun and highly addictive platforming game. F-Zero pioneered pseudo-3D racing using the SNES’s Mode 7 graphics, which is still the basis for most racing games. In fact, many consider it to be the perfect JRPG. Plus, it came out well after the release of the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and the Sega Saturn — a console generation that introduced 3D graphics to gaming. It’s not easy choosing only 15 SNES video games to rank, but here are our picks for the best titles of all time on the console. Even though Zelda games have grown much larger in scope since A Link to the Past, it’s still easy to get lost in its world for dozens of hours. Uh, no. Add in a cast of instantly iconic characters from around the globe and a pumped-up soundtrack, and you have the recipe for one of the best fighters ever made. —D.N. It just doesn’t get much better than the SNES. Even after all these years, it remains remarkably impressive from a purely visual standpoint. Of course, the best way to play the game is still to find a friend and enjoy its incredible co-op mode. The result is one of the most diverse and deep games in the Kirby series, if not the SNES’s entire library. I think it might be time to replay it again. This is a brand new puzzle game where you must match colored blocks in groups of three or more as they slowly rise from the bottom of the screen. While the single player mode is pretty great and includes a bunch of characters from Yoshi’s Island, the real highlight is the two-player mode. We haven’t seen a new game in the series since 2004. The new hand-drawn graphics also separated it from Super Mario World (and the rest of the SNES catalog). This one might take the cake, for me! Admittedly, the gameplay isn’t quite as smooth as many of the other contemporary Nintendo titles. Needless to say, when it comes to the best platforming games, the SNES is second to none. —D.N. Super Metroid is nearly perfect. Yes, the game is great, but an RPG about farming isn’t exactly an easy sell. 14 Goof Troop (SNES) Goof Troop was one of the first Disney games Capcom developed for the SNES, which is somewhat surprising when you consider what a … The best platforming games on the SNES come from classic franchises like Mario, Donkey Kong, and Castlevania just to name a few - but there also plenty of hidden gems on the console as well. This movie tie-in game epitomized the beat-em-up genre. A Link to the Past’s overworld is engrossing enough on its own, but what has really made the game so beloved is its second Dark World map, which you use to solve many of the game’s puzzles. Set in the the year 2560, the game revolves around a racing circuit known as F-Zero, which is financed by multi-billionaires who profit from human civilization’s expansion into the cosmos.. Mega Man X injected new life into the series with a more mature protagonist and faster gameplay that allowed him to dash and climb. It’s too bad that Nintendo doesn’t seem interested in making an HD sequel of the futuristic racer. The title has been remade twice now, but neither of those versions has the same charm as the original. A sequel to Super Mario World that just featured the same gameplay in new worlds would have sold millions, but Nintendo decided to put in the extra work to craft a game centered on Mario’s dinosaur pal, Yoshi, with more puzzles and a focus on Yoshi’s ability to swallow items and spit them out. Like Final Fantasy IV, this game redefines the title, pushing it forward to sci-fi territory instead of mainly fantasy. Even the better graphics and four-player co-op of the New Super Mario Bros. games haven’t topped this legendary platformer. The graphics and character designs are still among the best in gaming, and Samus’s journey through the planet Zebes to find ever more power-ups is expertly paced — an example that would influence many Metroidvania games that came after. Kirby Super Star is the rare exception to that rule, boasting seven unique gameplay segments, plus two shorter minigames that feature multiplayer. While Final Fantasy II on the SNES has aged just fine, later ports that improved the sound and graphics, and most importantly, cleaned up the translation, are really the best way to experience this gem. Super Mario RPG stands out as one of the finest RPGs and Mario games of all time. When the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or SNES) launched, it was an instant success following some of the best NES games.Nintendo sold out … Square’s take on the action RPG genre is remembered fondly for its lush graphics, memorable soundtrack, and three-player co-op gameplay. So have fun with these best Nintendo DSI games by going through these amazing list of best nes games of all time. Yoshi’s Island was a wonderful platform/puzzler that saw players taking control of a Yoshi protecting baby Mario. RPG is a tragic title in Nintendo history. The SNES console was an all-timer from Nintendo. In fact, Yoshi’s Island may very well be the best looking game on the SNES. Read more of his work here. —C.S. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time Donkey Kong was the original face of Nintendo during the early arcade days, but by the time the SNES had rolled around, the big ape had been overshadowed by a certain Italian plumber. It was a nonlinear space opera with a surprisingly deep story and some of the best gameplay we’ll see in our lifetimes. Ocarina of Time was an all-timer, The Legend of Zelda still captivates players, and the recent Breath of the Wild really catapulted the franchise into new territory. Hadouken! Zelda fans have a ton of classic games to enjoy. 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While ActRaiser is often cited as one of the best games of its time by hardcore gamers and developers, there’s been little interest in revisiting its ideas. Super Mario World sold an astonishing 20million copies, making it the winner of the Best SNES Games of all time accolade (in terms of sales at any rate). It followed the philosophy that video games are for kids, because grown … Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! For fighting games, it doesn’t get much more iconic than Turbo. I only managed to say "generic" six different times! You’ll struggle to find a ranking of the top SNES or GameCube games that doesn’t feature at least one Zelda title. The game gave you a survey right at the start and was remarkably rewarding if you answered truthfully and named your party. Easily the best version of the game you can get your hands on. This game had an epic soundtrack and inventive platforming that kept players engaged through and through. The 1992 NES version of this game made our list when we ran down non-sensical licensed games for the 8-bit system. Why Flesh and Blood Is A Must-Play Trading Card Game. The Jurassic Park movies have inspired some surprisingly good games over the years, beginning with the very first title released on the SNES to coincide with the original movie… The Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series games that eventually sprung out of the collaboration have all been developed by Nintendo and its close affiliates without any involvement from Square. While the video game of Gremlins 2 may not be as well known or as famous as Sunsoft's Batman game, it's still a high quality experience with wonderful graphics, great music, and gameplay that keeps you going right to … It was only well into development that Nintendo decided Mario and the gang would fit the game, and thus Nintendo stumbled onto one of its biggest franchises. Even with 16-bit sprites, the game feels more cinematic than a lot of modern releases full of lengthy videos. Released at a time when console RPGs meant questing through a medieval fantasy world, most gamers just weren’t ready for EarthBound in the ‘90s. It may not be the most exciting game, but anyone who has put some time into it can vouch that it’s one of the most addictive. It was the home of not only the best platformers of the day but also a console that brought the best RPGs Japan had to offer. F-Zero was one of the original North American launch titles for the SNES. Mega Man X (1993) The plot may have only been “a big gator stole my bananas,” but hey, we all could relate to that. is still considered one of the greatest games of all time, and Nintendo didn’t change much for the sequel. 14. 10 Best… Square Enix absolutely killed it on the SNES. Contra and its sequel Super C were among the best games released on the NES, so expectations were high for the SNES follow up. 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