MY ‘HIGH 54’ TOP Super Nintendo (SNES) Games THAT ARE STILL FUN PLAYING NOW (+ 41 MORE GEMS TO MAKE IT AN EVEN 95, EH)
As I mentioned in my other top/fave retro video games lists, 2020 was the year I got back into playing retro video games from my youth. This was heavily influenced by me ordering a Sega Mini to hook up to the tv I won at a Super Bowl party right before the world went on a long-running lockdown quarantine, but the thing that really kicked the new hobby up a notch was realizing that my Sega Mini could be ‘hacked’ to add ANY old retro video game from any old retro video game console. And once one goes down that online retro video game rabbit hole, one eventually realizes that one could have been playing any old retro video game right on one’s old iMac the whole time.
I guess that’s why they say hindsight is 2020.
And after blahg’n about some of my Sega Mini adventures, I started noticing that my most visited website pages, month after month, were my blog posts about retro video gaming (even though I am a ‘not a music blog, not not a music blog’). And most of those visits were coming from random Google’rs.
So, since I also did a lot of searching for “best SNES games” or “most underrated SNES games” or “SNES games that are still worth playing today” or “hidden gem SNES games” once I was done googling the same “how to hack a sega mini” queries that started consistently directing more & more people to my blahg, I figured I should put together some console specific lists too… because SEO, innit?
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Please keep in mind that this list is not in a strict ranked order and it is definitely not an attempt at creating a “BEST Super Nintendo games EVER” list (so prepare to adjust your “how could you not include ___?!” outrage appropriately). This is just a list of games that I still find personally enjoyable playing as an elder millennial in the 2020s & the ones that I find myself reaching for most often (which is sometimes influenced by subjective nostalgia) + it should be noted that I don’t really care much for button-mashing fighting games or turn-based strategy RPG games (no matter how ‘critically acclaimed’ they are on the Youtubes & Reddits).
And it should also be noted that this Super Nintendo list takes into consideration what has already been added to my Sega Genesis list (which is why you won’t find many SNES sports titles listed here + there are some games included in my Sega list that are also available on the SNES, but I have not included them on my SNES list in order to make room for more/other games, and vice versa with my Sega list).
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AND NOW THAT WE’VE GOT ALL THE EXPLAINERS & DISCLAIMERS OUT OF THE WAY… HERE’S MY LIST OF 54 Super Nintendo (SNES) GAMES THAT ALIGN BEST WITH MY TASTES & STILL ENGAGE MY MILLENNIAL BRAIN:
#1 - Super Mario World
For me, Super Mario World is probably the subjectively (and maybe even objectively) best game from the 16-bit and under retro video game world. Sure, there’s a bit of nostalgia factored into that statement (as this was one of the games I had as a youth & played a tonne), BUT, at the same time, absolutely everything about the gameplay and graphics & etc holds up when revisiting this game all these years later. It’s just platforming perfection.
*****
#2 - Super Mario All-Stars
In an earlier edition of my SNES list, I combined Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars in one spot, as the list was only 25 spots and I was trying to cheat to make room for listing more games, BUT, now that the list is 54 spots, I feel it’s needed to give All-Stars it’s very own spot. Because not only do you get the updated & improved versions of the original Super Mario 1+2+3 from the ol’ NES days, but you also get a “new” Lost Levels offering. And that’s a whole lot of classic Super Mario gaming packed into one cartridge (or rom). Literally HOURS of entertainment/distraction — and you don’t even need the nostalgia to enjoy this murderers’ row of classics, BUT, good lord the good times if you’ve got the nostalgia going for you as well!
*****
#3 - Super Mario Kart
Speaking of nostalgia, Super Mario Kart definitely earns some extra points for me, as I played this game quite a lot as a kid… to the point where I still remember track layouts all these years later. But, regardless of nostalgia, Mario Kart also just holds up as a great & fun racing game to play. Your cart controls really smoothly, which makes it easy to just concentrate on enjoying the racing stuff — which is not always the case with 16-bit video game driving. Also, racing against a friend / family member and blasting them with a turtle shell or a well-timed banana drop is a pretty timeless good time (and the Battle Mode is still an all-time great hang).
*****
#4 - The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
I was pretty certain that I didn’t like RPG games AT ALL going into my retro video game resurgence, but what I learned when trying out Zelda on the Super Nintendo for the first time was that I just don’t like ‘turn-based RPGs’, because ‘action RPGs’ are actually pretty good. So far I’ve only played a few hours of Zelda (saved a princess, no big deal), but I can see how this one easily sucks you into the story/world that it has created, even as a cynical adult. Fun and absorbing + I like games where you can take your time exploring and you’re not trying to compete against a clock — and there is no shortage of exploring opportunities when it comes to Zelda.
*****
#5 -
Blackthorne
Blackthorne has a nice slow & methodical pace to it, where you can take your time taking cover in the background until it is safe to pop out and shoot a monster in the face with your shotgun. Everything is dark and foreboding and you move around at a very Prince of Persia / Flashback contemplative speed, but much more entertaining and easier to get into right from the beginning than those two games. You also can do this badass move where you shoot your shotgun behind you, which is pretty badass and a very Terminator-like thing to do. Makes you feel more grown up playing it than a lot of other more cartoon-y 90s titles (which is nice, seeing as how I am now a grown-up). Also, add this one to the short list of games I’ve stuck with & played all the way thru to the end!
*****
#6 -
Majuu Ou / King Of Demons
Speaking of games that are dark & foreboding & more grown-up in their presentation, this never-made-it-out-of-Japan hybrid of Contra-meets-Castlevania called Majyūō (with an English-translated rom version out there called King of Demons) is a really engaging play. Your character looks and handles great + has a very satisfying to fire infinite-ammo handgun (which you can unload on all kinds of creepy looking enemies). And if that’s not enough, you can also get the opportunity to transform into more powerful creatures as you defeat bosses. All in all, it’s just a really bad ass game that I imagine would have been way more popular if it had got a wider release back in the 90s.
*****
#7 - Earthbound
Earlier I mentioned how I don’t like ‘turn-based RPGs’ and this is still mostly true — BUT — Earthboud gets a pass because the story and animations are too fun & entertaining + they let you choose the option of doing the ‘turn-based’ fights on automode. I’m sure that’s not the best strategy, but, for now, it’s been working just fine to move the story along, and it’s the story & characters that are really the best part of an RPG like Earthbound, which feels a little bit like dropping into a choose-your-own-adventure, Calvin & Hobbes meets Charlie Brown comic book.
*****
#8 - Super Mario World 2 - Yoshi’s Island
I had a Super Nintendo when I was a youth, but it must have broke down and got replaced by a Sega Genesis before Super Mario World 2 came out, because I don’t remember this title existing at all (and I really liked Super Mario World). This game focuses more on Yoshi (hence the '“Yoshi’s Island” in the title + Mario is just a toddler) and the graphic style is very different & unique—has a bit of a hand-drawn look to it. But it’s a Super Mario game, so you already know the game play is pretty solid & still holds up, even if sometimes the game can have you thinking stuff like “I didn’t not have kids IRL just to take care of a crying baby as a dinosaur on a video game” as you chase after baby Mario every time you get hit.
*****
#9 - Goof Troop
I guess Goof Troop is mostly a puzzle game, although it really doesn’t feel like your traditional puzzle game. You either play as Goofy or Max (or both, as it’s a good 2-player game) and by picking up things to throw at baddies and kicking stones to the right spots in the right order, you slowly work your way through different stages. It looks good, handles well & is easy enough to pick up and get the hang of straight away—which, it turns out, is one of the main things that appeals to me in a video game at my age. Also… shoutout classic 90s film A Goofy Movie.
*****
#10 - Secret of Mana + #11 Secret of Evermore
Secret of Mana is another quality action RPGs that has made me realize that my assumed distaste for all RPGs was about as real as my previous distaste for all eggs (ie. I thought I hated eggs as a kid and now I like them, especially a fried egg with bacon and cheese & beans on toast). I guess it’s all in the presentation/preparation. True, I do find action RPGs hard to get into as you almost need to block off a bunch of hours at once (hours I don’t often have available), otherwise, the story/gameplay can be hard to get back into if you’re jumping back in after a few days/weeks/months away (which is often the case for me). But, Secret of Mana is good enough to quickly pull me back in (and I’ll use this spot on the list to also shout out Secret of Evermore for its similar quality/style).
*****
#12 - Terranigma
Speaking of very good action RPGs on the SNES that will pull you into a story that’ll require a whole bunch of hours to see through to the end, there’s the non-US-released Terranigma — which, at the moment, might be the action RPG that I enjoy most after Zelda (even if I’ve confusingly put Secret of Mana/Evermore higher up in this not-really-ranked-in-any-real-order-of-preference list). Sure, I’ve only made it as far as tower number 5 so far, but there’s just something about the story & gameplay that seems to keep me hooked a bit more and wanting to free up some more time to play a little further than the other action RPGs I’ve started but never finished (of which you’ll find another one further down the list).
*****
#13 - Super Metroid
This is one of those games that starts of very dark and foreboding and you don’t totally know what you’re doing or what you’re looking for or when the baddies are going to come out — which is actually a very good technique for getting a person hooked & wanting to play more. A lot of games just come straight out of the gates with enemy after enemy, and it can all be a little bit overwhelming and repetitive and “I don’t want to play at this pace the whole game” (I’m looking at you Adventures of Batman & Robin on the Genesis), but Super Metroid lures you in with the anticipation of knowing that you’re going to have to eventually start shooting things, which draws you in & makes you want to keep going. Well played.
*****
#14 - Tetris & Dr. Mario
Because both of these games made my NES list individually, I almost wasn’t going to include this 2-for-1 cartridge on my list of SNES games (y’know, to make room for less talked about titles) — BUT — then I remembered just how great both of these games are individually (now with slight updates/remixes) and how there is a 2-player versus option that rotates between playing Tetris and playing Dr. Mario as you race to clear screens before your opponent. It’s a combination that’s just too addictively good not to include, even if something more unique gets left off the list in its place.
*****
#15 - Tetris Attack
I’m not sure why this game includes the word ‘Tetris’ in its title, besides trying to cash in on the word ‘Tetris’ (so I guess I do know why). Tetris Attack has nothing in common with the original Tetris. I mean, besides the gameplay happening inside a vertical rectangle, there’s no similarities. But that doesn’t mean that Tetris Attack isn’t a fun and addictive puzzle game. You swap colours/shapes around to make matches of 3 or more to make colours/shapes disappear as more colours/shapes keep coming up from the bottom. Simple concept + smooth controls = fun game. Also a great 2-player game.
*****
#16 - Tetris 2
Unlike Tetris Attack, Tetris 2 makes a lot more sense as to why it has the word ‘Tetris’ in the title. This game actually feels like a continuation + reimagining of the original Tetris game (like a sequel should). It’s familiar, but also quite a bit different, requiring a very different strategy and approach than just getting falling shapes to fit into shape-sized spaces. In a way, it combines some elements from Dr Mario with Tetris — kinda like if the Tetris & Dr. Mario 2-for-1 I listed earlier popped out a baby (strong emphasis on “kinda”).
*****
#17 - Mega Man X3
I must admit, I struggle with Mega Man games (as they seem to be a combination of hard + me being specifically bad at them). The enemy patterns and their insatiable respawning nature, it just has a way of not jiving with my usual gaming sensibilities. However, I can also recognize that they are very well-made games that I probably just need to spend a bit more dedicated focus on. And, for me, out of all the ones that I’ve tried so far, I find it’s Mega Man X3 that allows me to get far enough into the game that I start wanting to sink my teeth in and play some more / keep coming back.
*****
#18 Donkey Kong Country + #19 Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
Graphically, DK Country really felt revolutionary back in the ‘90s when it first came out. And even though we’ve now gotten used to life-like video game animations in the modern era, the style of the DK Country series still holds up quite well, especially when compared to other 16-bit platformers from the era. I have the most nostalgia for the first game, but the two sequels in the series are also of a high quality. However, I dig the gameplay better in the first 2 DK Country games, so that’s why Donkey and Diddy Kong get the official “High 54” list shoutout (and, spoiler alert, maybe Dixie has to wait until the list extension to get her shoutout).
*****
#20 - The Lost Vikings 2
At one point, this list included both the original Lost Vikings game and its sequel (sometimes also referred to as ‘Norse By Norsewest’), as I originally played the SNES version of the original all the way thru (and I like it very much) — HOWEVER — I eventually found out that the equally quality Sega Genesis version of the original Lost Vikings game comes with some extra levels, SO, I have since changed things up to mention the original Lost Vikings over on my Sega Genesis list and I now only mention the very good sequel Lost Vikings 2 on my SNES list (as that way The Lost Vikings series gets a proper shoutout in both of my lists, as it is a game that deserves to be checked out whether you’re a Sega kid or a Nintendo kid, but the sequel doesn’t appear on the Sega).
*****
#21 - Troddlers
This puzzle game could easily have been called Solomon’s Lemmings as it seems to basically be a mix-match of Solomon’s Key and Lemmings (which, it turns out, is not a bad thing). Basically, you make blocks appear/disappear in order to create a path for your little l̶e̶m̶m̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ troddlers to make their way through to the exit before the time runs out. Simple concept to get the hang of, which makes for an addicting challenge as the puzzles get incrementally more challenging, as puzzle games are wont to do.
*****
#22 - Aladdin
I think it is fair to say that the Sega Genesis has a better Aladdin game than the Super Nintendo — but that is not really a knock on the SNES version, the Sega version is just really great (especially how it looks). The nice thing about the SNES Aladdin is that it does not attempt to be the same game as the Sega Aladdin, so what you get is a completely different version of what an Aladdin game can be (a whole new world, if you will). And, it’s a pretty great version itself (a lot more ‘jumping focused’). In fact, Aladdin was probably one of the best-handled franchises in the retro video game world as the Sega Master System version of Aladdin was also its own unique take that works as its own thing.
*****
#23 - Metal Warriors + #24 Cybernator
Metal Warriors sees you playing as a flying / shooting mech (which you can even jump out of and be a little tiny human that shoots things — ALTHOUGH — other tiny little humans can steal your mech, so be careful). Every button on the SNES controller gets used for something, and it’s all done very well, with story cut scenes and everything (and there’s a versus fighting mode which is some real ‘mario kart battle mode’ addicting fun). This game feels very similar to another very good mech game called Cybernator, so consider this an opportunity to consider one of the games as a sequel or a prequel to the other game (even though they’re not) and create your own little Mech-Warrior-Cybernator universe to get lost in for hours.
*****
#25 - Arkanoid: Doh it Again
Arkanoid is a game concept you probably know better as Breakout, or best described as breaking blocks with a ball and a pong paddle, but sometimes simple and familiar game styles are the funnest to pick up and start playing whenever you’re looking to kill a small window of time. A nice thing about this one is that you seem to get infinite continues, which is a nice feature that more games should have — I mean, who has got the time/energy to keep going back to the start? This one does get a bit repetitive, with boss levels literally repeating themselves, but it’s still an addictive game that’ll have you wanting to play it thru to the end so you can add to your short list of games that you’ve actually played all the way thru to the end (aka: this one is now on my short list of games I’ve completed).
*****
#26 - Firestriker
This game has some Arkanoid elements to it, except instead of a paddle keeping a ball up in the air as you break blocks, you’re now a knight whacking around a fireball with your sword (and you have an assistant that you control with the L + R buttons to help keep the fireball from exiting the bottom of the screen). So a few minor differences. It’s a shame that the physics of how the fireball moves around is a pinch too ‘wonky in a not entirely enjoyable way’, as there’s an interesting/unique game concept here — BUT — all that being said, this is still one that I find myself feeling the urge to come back to, as it offers up a gameplay experience you won’t find elsewhere (and that counts for something in my books).
*****
#27 - Super Tennis
It took me awhile to find an enjoyable retro tennis game — and even though Super Tennis doesn’t come with any professional tennis player names, it more than makes up for it with the least frustrating tennis gameplay. Because, apparently, tennis is a hard sport to nail on a retro video game console, as the timing of your swing and the placement and speed of the ball can be difficult to get right, and a lot of the other tennis titles I tried — the ones with the real professional players — all had me wanting to slam my controller/racket to the ground as I continued to “miss” balls that seemed to be right in front of me. Of course, that still happens a bit with Super Tennis, but once you get the hang of things, it happens a lot less. And it seems easier to get the hang of than the others — which makes it fun to play.
*****
#28 - Plok
Plok is a fun & colourful platformer that looks and handles really well (not to be confused with Plop from The Office). It’s a weird game in the sense that I am not sure what Plok is supposed to be + you seem to be going around levels trying to figure out what happened to all your flags??? For example, at the end of one level you’ll check your flag pole and it will be a pair of underwear instead of your flag, so then that infuriates Plok and you have to go to the next level to check another flag pole only to discover that it’s also not your flag??? I guess that’s why they didn’t call it Plot.
*****
#29 - F-ZERO
F-ZERO is not as fun to play as Mario Kart for a couple reasons: #1 your high speed space car is harder to handle than your 50cc go kart, and #2 you can only play one player on F-ZERO. Reason #1 is understandable because it’s a space car in comparison to a go-kart, but reason #2 really is crazy that they just decided to not make this game playable for 2 players. I mean, how do you do a racing game where you can’t race another person? Still, it’s a pretty fun game and I don’t really have any elder millennial friends to race against + my girlfriend would rather watch something on Netflix and literally chill than race 16-bit space cars against me anyways. So, I guess that ‘1 player only’ mode works just fine for me, thanks for asking.
*****
#30 - Choplifter III
Choplifter III has you going around shooting baddies & trying to avoid getting shot back, all the while also dropping down to the ground to rescue POWs and then safely transport them to drop off points. Simple to get into and a lot less hectic than your typical airforce shoot ‘em up games, which is the right kind of hectic for me. Seems to have been a version of Choplifter on every retro console that existed (and I tend to like all of them), but I think this SNES one seems like the best of the bunch.
*****
#31 - Strike Gunner S.T.G.
For the most part, I am not the biggest fan of shooters — BUT — this is mostly down to the fact that they are either too hard OR I am too not good at them to ever really get hooked long enough to enjoy. Well, Strike Gunner S.T.G. (or Super Strike Gunner in the EU) is a shooter that gets the adjustable difficulty right for someone like me. And, by that I mean, I can shoot stuff and dodge stuff at level that is both engaging to my game playing brain while also not burning out my desire to play by blowing me up and/or overwhelming me with stuff on the screen (and if it ever feels too easy/hard, there’s 5 difficulty levels to choose from in the options). On top of that, the graphics & sound are great AND you can even grab the Goose in your life and Top Gun it on 2-player mode.
*****
#32 - Operation Logic Bomb
First of all, I like the title: Operation Logic Bomb. It seems both nerdy and sarcastic, which must mean it’s actually cool. As for the game, it’s an enjoyable overhead shooter-ish game that has these not-totally-sure-what’s-being-communicated-here 16-bit cut scenes thrown in that just adds to the overall charm. But, for the most part, you just go around shooting everything — but you have unlimited ammo and if you hold the R button down you can do that thing that the nerdy and sarcastic kids call “strafing”… which are things that I like in a “shooter”.
*****
#33 - Super Bomberman 3
Whether you're playing solo or with friends (highly recommended for maximum chaos), the addictive gameplay of Bomberman always shines through (and #3 in the SNES series is no exception to that rule). Because maneuvering through mazes, strategically placing bombs, and outsmarting opponents never gets old. With colorful graphics and smooth controls, Bomberman is always a blast to jump into. Plus, the multiplayer battle mode guarantees endless hours of fun (as long as you have friends to play with).
*****
#34 - MR. NUTZ
Mr. Nutz is just a nice looking, colourful, well handling platformer — one that’ll see you jumping on fruits and bugs and throwing acorns and hitting things with your tail, while also collecting coins (with some surprisingly impressive bosses). It starts off easy enough, but there’s enough challenge to keep you interested in continuing on / coming back to it. But, more than anything, it just handles nicely — and sometimes you just want to play a game where your character jumps to where you expect them to jump, and moves at a speed that doesn’t feel hurky-jerky & frustrating. And there’s A LOT of retro video games that don’t meet that requirement.
*****
#35 - Pocky & Rocky 2
Pocky & Rocky 2 is a delightful blend of action and strategy, that sees you navigate through vibrant levels, dodging enemy attacks and unleashing a barrage of projectiles. The cooperative gameplay shines in this sequel (although the first game is pretty good too), allowing seamless teamwork or solo play with a computer-controlled teammate. With its charming pixel art and intuitive controls, it's a joy to pick up and play (but don’t let its cute characters confuse you into thinking this game won’t kick your ass).
*****
#36 - SUNSET RIDERS
I didn’t play a tonne of arcade games growing up (it wasn’t always an available option when you grow up rural), but one game I do remember fondly dropping a bunch of quarters into was Sunset Riders. I remember always choosing the Double Shotgun Mexican and being completely blown away by the multi-player action (up to 4 on the arcade!). Well, all these years later and the nostalgic enjoyment is still there with this one (even if you can only play 2 players at one time). It’s also available on the Sega, but I think the SNES version is a bit better.
*****
#37 - Bust-A-Move
Do you like puzzle games that immediately make sense as to what you need to do? Well, do the little dinosaurs from Bubble Bobble have a game for you! With Bust-A-Move you just shoot coloured marbles at other coloured marbles to try and get 3 or more in a row so you can make them drop, with the eventual goal of trying to get all the marbles to drop before stacking up on top of you. Simple, fun, addictive. Pairs nicely with multi-tasking a podcast listen.
*****
#38 - Pop'n TwinBee
Pop'n TwinBee is a delightful shooter that blends vibrant visuals with addictive gameplay. You soar through whimsical landscapes, blasting quirky enemies in the air and on the ground, and its lighthearted tone & charming characters set it apart from the usual suspects in the shooter genre.
*****
#39 - Pop'n TwinBee: Rainbow Bell Adventures
Rainbow Bell Adventures answers a question you didn’t think you were thinking: what would happen if you turned the Pop’n Twinbee shooter game into a platformer game? Turns out what you’d get is a charming platformer that handles well and comes with a nice chunk of variety, where you can jump on baddies or bash them with a hammer or get shooting power-ups or use a rocket to blast your character all over the screen (kinda like in Rocket Knight or Sparkster). ‘Tis a great genre-bending twist on the TwinBee series.
*****
#40- Batman Returns
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not the biggest fan of button-mashing beat ‘em ups, BUT, if I’m going to button-mash-beat-up on the SNES, I don’t think there’s a more satisfying way to do so than as the giant sprite caped crusader in Batman Returns. Some of the moves you can do, like grabbing baddies by the throat & smashing them into shop windows in the background, is just very well done & satisfying. Also, this game just looks and sounds really great too.
*****
*****
#41 - Final Fight 3
Speaking of beat ‘em ups that supply you with the satisfying feeling of smashing baddies around, it’s hard not to feel a sense of satisfaction going around as Haggar and body-slamming and supplexing everyone who comes at you (and out of the three version of Final Fight that let you experience this experience, I find that Final Fight 3 gives the best experience).
#42 - Ninja Warriors
Speaking of beat ‘em ups that offer a satisfying experience of kicking more ass than you could in real life, Ninjawarriors offers some nice looking graphics and an enjoyable array of moves that make progressing through levels a slightly addictive process (which is important, as beat ‘em ups have a tendency to get quite repetitive after awhile, especially if the beating up doesn’t have a satisfying feel to it).
*****
#43 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
When it comes to beat ‘em up games, it’s hard to think of a game that comes with more baked-in nostalgia (especially for an elder millennial) than a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle game — and Turtles in Time is probably the best from the retro era. Definitely best played as a 2-player experience, but, even if playing solo, you’ll find yourself getting a kick out of kicking all the familiar faces (especially if you used to have a big TMNT action figure collection as a youth).
*****
#44 Super Castlevania IV + #45 Castlevania: Dracula X
According to the internet, some people think iV is the best Castlevania game and some people think it’s overrated. Like most things on the internet, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Personally, I find this one to be the most enjoyable Castlevania to play from the 16-bit and under era. It’s not a perfect game (and has some of the cheap/frustrating deaths you’ll often find in a Castlevania game), but you can swing your big whip in all kinds of directions and that goes a long way for making a game like this more enjoyable to play for a player like me. That being said, Dracula X is also really good and feels more like a beefed-up & polished 16-bit version of the original 8-bit Castlevania games (and is also deserving of a spot in my “High 54”).
*****
#46 - Nosferatu
The way this game controls can take a little bit to get used to (especially if you think you’re walking into a typical beat ‘em up / platformer), but once you wrap your head around how this game is meant to be played (I highly recommend looking up the controls online if you don’t have a manual on your person, as there are a lot of button combos that do a lot of different things that you’d have a hard time figuring out by guessing), what you end up with is a sort of cross between Prince of Persia and Castlevania, which, when you throw in the quality graphics & atmosphere, makes for quite an unexpectedly engaging play.
*****
#47 - Super Smash T.V.
First of all, the concept for this game is great & immediately reminds you of being in movies of the same idea (ie. a tv game show where you have to either kill or be killed). The controls are also well done (your 4 buttons control which direction you shoot in while your d-pad controls your running around & trying to dodge not getting hit by the never-ending onslaught of things trying to kill you). You’ll probably want to find a friend to join you on 2-player mode because goddamn does this game get quickly intense when playing on 1-player mode.
*****
#48 - Contra III: The Alien Wars
Just because I suck at Contra games, doesn’t mean that I don’t think Contra games are really well made and worth spending more time on so that I can get to a point where I suck less at them. And Contra III is definitely a game where I can recognize the gaming value in trying to get better at it (even though even when I think I’m getting better at it, I only end up making it slightly further in a level). If possible, make a friend so you have someone to play with and help you cope with all those 1-hit deaths.
*****
#49 - Space Megaforce
As far as shooters go, this one almost has too much stuff going on on the screen for my simple-brained tastes, but the power-ups and graphics and ways that you can rotate thru your shooting options/directions makes for a space shooter that I can sometimes manage to stay alive in long enough to feel like I don’t mega suck at it (also, you can take more than one hit as long as your weapon level is not at 0, and I’m a big fan of games that don’t kill me with just one hit).
*****
#50 - Raiden Trad
According to the internet (or at least the comments section on Youtube) quite a lot of people describe the SNES version of Raiden Trad to be kinda rubbish (or at least not as good as the ports on other consoles). And one of the complaints I noticed were people saying that the difficulty wasn’t hard enough. Well, as someone who isn’t usually the biggest fan of shooters because I find them to be too hard to get into, I find Raiden Trad on the SNES to be quite enjoyable to play (probably because I can actually progress through levels better than I usually can on a shooter) — and, for me, that’s what helps make it a game that I find myself coming back to again & again (anonymous haters be damned).
*****
#51 - Skyblazer
If you’ve ever played the Hook game before, than you will likely recognize the way that your character in Skyblazer looks and feels and moves (as the game was made by the same team). But, unlike the Hook game, Skyblazer is actually quite fun to play (with a lot better gameplay and special moves/abilities). Great ‘pick-up & play’ action platformer (with a nice soundtrack to go along with it).
*****
#52 - E.V.O. Search for Eden
E.V.O. definitely scores some points for being quite a different concept of gaming when compared to others. You start off as a fish and as you gain evolution points for eating other sea creatures you can choose different ways you want to evolve, eventually working your way out of the sea and onto the land to carry on evolving. It’s not quite a kick in the junk to all those creationists out there who don’t believe in evolution, as there still is a god/creator element to the game, but E.V.O. definitely provides a unique gaming experience that I find myself getting caught in enough to keep trying and trying to beat the damn shark boss on the water level (which I finally did, thank you very much). But be prepared to grind.
*****
#53 - Illusion of Gaia
Illusion of Gaia is another well-done action RPG on the SNES, with a story that is both engaging & weird, which pulls you into the world right away. Before you know it, voices are talking to you through the flute you carry around with you and you’re soon being busted out of a castle prison by a princess’ pet pig. Who wouldn’t be a little curious to see where the story goes from there?
*****
#54 - Super Alfred Chicken
As someone who put Alfred Chicken on his ‘fave NES games’ list, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the Super-ized version of the Alfred Chicken experience would also squawk its way onto my SNES list. Basically, it’s just a basic puzzle-platformer, and, yes, the music can sometimes get a bit annoying, BUT, I still find the overall look & feel and general gameplay to be quite pleasing and addictive (in that ‘keep coming back to play some more’ way). And, for me, that’s kind of the most important criteria for deciding what games make a personally subjective list like this.
*****
Ok, that’s it for my personal “HIGH 54” Top Super Nintendo Games That Are Still Fun To Play Now list — I know that there may be some classic titles that seem crazy not to have included, BUT, again, this is not meant to be a ‘Top 54 All-Time Best Ever’ list and it’s also not meant to be your list. Besides, reading another list that just confirms what’s on every other ‘best of’ list is a bit boring and pointless, especially if you’re looking for games that might not be top of mind (and especially when you consider how all this stuff is individually subjective & doesn’t really matter beyond the enjoyment that comes from thinking/talking about your own experiences & finding temporary moments of connection/agreement/discovery with others).
So, on that note, here’s FORTY-ONE more Super Nintendo games (the cover art is linked to Youtube gameplay) that are of the kind of quality that have them constantly circling just outside my personally subjective “HIGH 54” list looking for an opening (and for fans of math, yes, that does make this a list of 95 Super Nintendo Games That Are Still Fun To Play Now):
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And while we’re listing things, here’s my other lists of retro video games that are still fun playing today… if you happen to be looking for more than just Super Nintendo games to check out (and if you think you might have some crossover retro gaming tastes with me):
Finally, please feel warmly encouraged to hit up the comments below if there’s any games that I left off that would definitely be on your ‘Fave Super Nintendo Games’ list (whatever number you cap your list off at; whichever factors you consider more), as I’ve been known to make tweaks to my lists when a new ‘old game’ starts making a stronger case for more of my limited attention span.
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JEREMY / @HI54LOFI
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