50 Best SNES Games of All Time

You love the SNES, we love the SNES, so let’s look at the best SNES games ever together. Quick rule: we can’t have multiples from the same series, but it can be from the same franchise. So we can only have one Super Mario World, but you can also have Mario Kart.

 

50. Pilotwings

Every console needs at least one good launch game to help it sell, but the SNES boasted plenty that you’ll see later. For now Pilotwings deserves its shine as one of the greatest technical accomplishments, well, ever.

A super eye-catching 3D flight and skydiving game which showed just how visually incredible Mode 7 could be, Pilotwings has you flying and falling through the air to travel through rings and land as accurately as possible. And at 60fps too!

It’s pretty simple stuff today, and it’s really quite short overall, but as far as showcases for the Super Nintendo go, Pilotwings did more than most games would in the almost decade that followed.

 

49. Tetris Attack

It’s usually quite tricky to delve too deeply into talking about Tetris. The shapes move, the numbers go up, hmm you may actually be dumber than you realise. But Tetris Attack actually…isn’t Tetris? Nintendo just used the name. The 90s were a weird time.

This isn’t a million miles away from the very moreish, very cracklike hit that Tetris gives you, though. Produced by the legendary Gunpei Yokoi, here you have to arrange coloured blocks to match each other to cause chain reactions and rack up high scores.

Featuring Nintendo mascot appearances as vivid sprites, a nice handful of modes, and a fantastic soundtrack, Tetris Attack is a slower puzzle game, but one that still absolutely ruined a few childhoods.

 

48. Pocky and Rocky 2

The SNES saw the gloriest of days for the shoot em up genre, with Pocky and Rocky 2 being one of the best of a very good bunch.

What makes Pocky and Rocky stand out among such a crowded pack is just how it looks and just the vibe it’s going for. I mean, how many other shmups see you battling goblins through Japanese mythology alongside a tanuki?

This sequel is also more ambitious, with you able to have a partner at all times, either AI or another person, and even buy upgrades and chat to NPCs. If nothing else, this is a very solid, eccentric shmup worth playing because you can yeet your friends at enemies at will.

 

47. Wario’s Woods

While it really is a shame we never got a Wario platformer in the west on SNES, as far as consolations go, Wario’s Woods is pretty damn good.

You play as Toad, who has had enough of staring at Wario’s alcholic’s nose, and so wants to kick him out of Peaceful Woods.

To do so, you’ll need to use bombs to clear monsters — sounds simple enough. What makes this game interesting is that you don’t control shapes, but where exactly Toad himself goes, with Wario taking his own turn to mess with stages.

It adds a nice layer of strategy and complexity, but nothing that stops Wario’s Woods from being a game to just immediately pick up and play, and most importantly enjoy.

 

46. Shadowrun

A tabletop adaptation like Shadowrun doesn’t have much business even trying to run on the SNES. But after you get resurrected by a strange dog, you should know you’re in for something special.

Blighted by amnesia, you’ve got to guide Jake through point and click environments with tonnes of interactivity to find out who killed you. You will learn unique phrases that can be brought up in later conversations, use magic, and even plug into the matrix.

The SNES doesn’t boast many RPGs quite like Shadowrun, so it’s a shame that it’s been so many moons since we last saw something from this IP.

 

45. Harvest Moon

The game that effectively launched a thousand ships but I’ll just end up marrying Leah every time anyway, cosy sims like Stardew Valley simply wouldn’t exist without Harvest Moon.

After you inherit a run-down farm from your grandfather, you have to restore it to its former glory by basically doing the work of five people, growing crops, raising livestock, and prettying up the place, but you will also spend a lot of your time getting to know the local townsfolk and trying to live a little.

Harvest Moon may lack a couple quality of life things these days, but give it an hour of your time and even today it will be very easy to lose a few dozen more.

 

44. E.V.O the Search for Eden

RPGs like Shadowrun were pretty rare on the SNES, but RPGs like EVO pretty much anywhere are even rarer.

A game in which you basically travel through the Earth’s history at the behest of Gaia, E.V.O the Search for Eden is an evolutionary RPG platformer in which you use XP to give yourself new traits and evolve from being silly silly fish all the way up to potentially even becoming a human.

It wasn’t all that beloved in its time thanks to its niche and grindy nature, which is reflected in these silly silly prices, but it’s easy to appreciate just how ahead of the curve Search for Eden was all the way back in 1992. Hunt it down on your nearest online emporium of borrowed goods and find out what all the fuss is about.

 

43. Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

It feels like a lot of people overlook the Super Star Wars trilogy when it comes to talking about the best Star Wars games these days. Sure, the modern games have more to them (well, some of them) but Super Star Wars remains super tight, lovely looking, and absolutely brutal fun.

But Return of the Jedi is the best of the bunch, and aptly like Return of the King on PS2. It doesn’t change too many core things from the previous game, instead making general play smoother while dialling the spectacle up.

Whether it’s the vivid platformer sections with beautiful flowing hair, the awesome 16-bit soundtrack conversion, or the honestly just incredible looking Mode-7 vehicle sections, Return of the Jedi is the pinnacle of one of the best tie-in trilogies ever. Just maybe get the passwords ready if you wanna see it all.

 

42. SimCity

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo

There were basically no console games at the time of SimCity, apart from maybe Mario Paint, that allowed players to be this creative. Taking on the job of Mayor and City Planner all in one, players are free to build a city however they like, provided they’ve got the resources.

Managing supplies, creating a city in your own image, and dealing with one crisis after another in hopes of appeasing the citizens is what makes a game like SimCity steal dozens of hours of your life. It’s pretty stressful without the granular control you get on PC, but it’s also a total blast once it hooks you.

You’re gonna want to play any city builder on PC these days, but don’t overlook just how impressive this was for 1991, the year of Suburban Commando.

 

41. Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals

The second entry in an RPG series that’s been pretty much dead for the last 15 years, you luckily don’t even need any prior knowledge to jump into this unique blend of ideas that sounds a little bit like a long forgotten Spider-Man imprint.

And jump in you should, as Lufia 2’s mix of dungeon delving and puzzle solving is pretty unique, with the PS1’s Alundra probably being the closest thing to it. But Lufia 2 also lets you summon monsters for turn-based battles, and those dungeons feature enemy monsters who react based on your movement. You can even attack enemies from behind to get initiative on them, which Pokemon Legends ZA is basically nicking.

The crown jewel in Lufia 2’s crown though? The soundtrack.

 

40. Super Ghouls n Ghosts

As Hilary Duff once sang: “Super Ghouls n Ghosts is what save states were made for” or something.

But hey now (hey now), it’s at least easier than the NES game. This is like asking to get bent over the knee of Batista instead of Bane, but still.

Once you get past the back-breaking difficulty of Super Ghouls and Ghosts and get it to give back your lunch money, you’ll find one of the best action platformers on the SNES. You again take up the mantle of knight Arthur as he looks save a princess from a dastardly emperor and those bloody ghouls, sometimes while only wearing boxers.

Super Ghouls n Ghosts looks and sounds great with a nicely spooky vibe, but seriously, save states are your friend here if you want anything close to that fabled “good mental health”.

 

39. Metal Warriors

If you’ve never played or even heard of Metal Warriors before, let the elevator pitch of “side-scrolling Titanfall” make you add it to your playlist.

This is a clever, absolutely gorgeous looking mecha game in which you can leap out of your cockpit and go sprinting around as a mushy little man who can also hijack other mechs. LucasArts knew their way around pixels back in the day, so it should be no surprise that Metal Warriors is also one of the best looking games on the SNES either.

The lack of a save or password system does kinda stink, so definitely do um digitally recreate this one with save states, especially looking at these super wild prices. You should also check out Cybernator, which is not related to this game despite both being published by Konami.

 

38. International Superstar Soccer

Stick with me here, America. International Superstar Soccer really did feel like a big deal for simulated…football when it first released, as it was just leaps and bounds ahead of what came before it in 1994. I’d even say it had way more personality to it than the first couple of FIFA games.

Konami’s adaptation of the game that Tony Hibbert pioneered was so good, in fact, that reviews at the time called it “lifelike”. While it does look like the Simpsons’ interpretation of football compared to modern peers, I dunno man, boot this up with a friend and there’s still something magical about it.

It’s mainly to do with two-footing your mates and listening to the commentators passionately cry “goal” with the same enthusiasm as me when I’m told we have cheese to grate on the spag bol, but still.

 

37. The Ninja Warriors

There’s nothing like the comfort blanket of a 16-bit beat em up in which you chuck more fists than Conor McGregor near a defenseless old person. Pretty much everyone can pick a beat em up…up and get going immediately, but Metal Warriors does have a bit more to it than most.

As well as featuring three characters to play as, who each play slightly different, The Ninja Warriors has a nice, off-kilter sense of humour, really quite eye-catching sprites, and a big cast of bozos for you to punch about across nine eclectic levels.

Chuck in some just superb music from Hiroyuki Iwatsuki and a nice challenge that’s tough but never brutal, and even the lack of co-op can’t diminish how much no fuss fun The Ninja Warriors is.

 

36. The Lost Vikings

Remember when Blizzard made games and not part-time jobs, the job description mainly being to shout slurs at teenagers? The Lost Vikings remembers.

A puzzle platformer that follows those three displaced norsemen, you must flit between the three different vikings and use their specific abilities to help you deal with specific problems. One of them is fast, one of them uses a sword and bow, one of them has a shield, but all of them must be used to get through some pretty challenging levels.

It’s good then, that you can also bring along a friend to help you in co-op. With big, bold sprites and instant swapping between the characters, The Lost Vikings is a surprisingly substantial game that might just be the one Thor you. You know, Thor? Whatever.

 

35. Kirby Super Star

The Kirby version of that one Bob Marley album everyone knows, Kirby Super Star smushes together seven different Kirby games and a couple of mini-games into one incredibly fun package for the Super Nintendo.

Also known as Kirby’s Fun Pak in Europe, what’s great about Kirby Super Star is that they aren’t all the same kind of game either. Spring Breeze, for instance, is a chill, quite easy platformer in classic Kirby fashion, while Gourmet Race is basically a racing platformer. There’s no Kirby rap showdown sadly, but you can punch a rock in half.

With a real earworm of a soundtrack and gorgeous visuals, Kirby Super Star is really just a brilliant place to start when it comes to the franchise for people of all ages.

 

34. Sunset Riders

The Super Nintendo was a brilliant home for arcade conversions, well…most of the time. There was something about that tech that devs loved the challenge of, and few conversions have ever been as good as Sunset Riders.

A run and gun game set in the wild west, Sunset Riders is absolute chaos in the best of ways, with bullets flying at you a hellish amount. Sunset Riders looks like a million bucks, with silly humor and a nice sense of challenges. Sickos can go real deep into this one, and you can even bring along a fellow sicko for some co-op.

While the Genesis did get its own version a year prior, Sunset Riders on the SNES has more bosses, characters, and voices, making it the definitive way to play an arcade classic in your home for many years.

 

33. Mortal Kombat 2

While the first Mortal Kombat on the SNES was a bit of a misfire, considering the whole lack of blood in a Mortal Kombat game is like a Square Enix re-release without some critical flaw, Midway and Sculptured Software got it right with the sequel.

Just like Sunset Riders, this is another arcade conversion that’s pretty close to the original, though obviously with a few small graphical and audio concessions. Otherwise, though, this is basically the same brilliant coin munching cultural pariah that still has plenty of fun to offer today.

Come for the blood, guts, and bits of sick, and stay for the timeless gameplay — and then leave for the Shao Kahn draining half of your life in one hit.

 

32.Demon’s Crest

Capcom has so many IPs that it’s kinda hard to keep track of them. A lot of people probably don’t know, for instance, that Demon’s Crest is actually a Ghosts n Goblins spin-off. It’s also the best game in the IP on SNES too.

Casting you as Firebrand on the hunt for six elemental crests that give new abilities, Demon’s Crest is a lovely looking action platformer with Castlevania and Metroid elements. The more crests you unlock, the deeper you will be able to explore older areas, with you also flying to and from each in an overworld.

With multiple endings, tons of secrets, and just overall great presentation, Demon’s Crest is a pretty fantastic in-roads to the Ghosts n Goblins IP for those who don’t hate themselves.

 

31. Super Bomberman 2

Bomberman is one of those franchises that goes hand-in-hand with 16-bit. Try as they might to modernise it, Bomberman and pixels are just meant to be. Super Bomberman 2 on the Super Nintendo is proof that sometimes simplicity is key.

Super Bomberman 2 retains the violent puzzle brilliance of blowing things up as efficiently as possible. Queuing up chain reactions is as addictive in 2025 as it was in 1993.

Boasting some of the most vibrant pastel visuals on the console with a banger soundtrack to boot, the absolute chaos of Super Bomberman 2’s 4-player multiplayer will still make your weekend disappear. Even the most ardent of modern only gamers will be cackling with glee here. But if you want to play the story in co-op, be sure to check out Super Bomberman 3 instead.

 

30. Terranigma

Sometimes it can be tough to be the middle child, says me, a totally normal and well adjusted person. Terranigma had it so tough, though, that it never officially released in the United States.

The unofficial sequel to Illusion of Gaia, Terranigma is a brilliantly barmy eco-centric action RPG where you play as Ark, a boy who’s given the slightly daunting task of resurrecting an entire planet.

The gameplay is pretty neat here, with you able to use a lot of different spells and attacks on top of some chin-scratching puzzles. But the story is the main draw here, as it’s one you won’t be forgetting in a hurry. Chuck in gorgeous visuals and an excellent soundtrack, and it’s little wonder why this is probably the de facto cult hit on SNES.

 

29. Earthworm Jim 2

Is there an IP that’s as wonderfully, gloriously 90s as Earthworm Jim? Like Bomberman seems made for pixel graphics, Jim in any other decade apart from the peak of Pogs just doesn’t seem to work.

Earthworm Jim 2 is arguably the best of the two-footed wriggler’s eclectic bunch, offering even more bananas level designs, which is saying something after the mescaline eye drops that was the original game.

Earthworm Jim 2 also brings in a lot more gameplay variety, from Snott helping with platforming to more weapons and just generally more of everything. It’s everything you’d want from a run and gun platformer sequel, and is right up there with the funkiest, best looking SNES games ever too.

 

28. Gradius III

Gradius 3 belongs in a small group of SNES arcade conversions that may actually outdo their arcade counterparts. For one, it’s a bit more actually beatable on SNES, but that doesn’t mean that Gradius 3 isn’t still gonna beat your arse first.

One of the most frenetic shmups on the Super Nintendo, Gradius 3 is not for the faint of heart as you fly through space and shoot giant easter island heads for some reason. But once you lock in, you will find it hard to put this one down.

As another SNES launch title that promised big things for the console, Gradius 3 does have a couple of early performance woes the more intense it gets. But this is an absolute spectacle on the SNES, especially for some of the boss battles that still impress today.

 

27. The Legend of the Mystical Ninja

Konami really seemed like they would have to actively try to actually fail at one point. They did make a mistake in bringing this series to the west so late, but what we got in The Legend of the Mystical Ninja makes up for that.

An action adventure in which you and a pal can play as Goemon and Ebisumaru, this is a super charming, often hilarious game where you will battering giant octopi, ghost women, and random dudes just cos you can.

The story is pretty forgettable, but you will forget to care pretty quickly when you get lost in the incredible mini-games, ranging from Snake to a quiz show to even a bit of Gradius. This is one of the most varied games ever made, and all the argument you need if someone says that 16-bit games are repetitive.

 

26. Rock N Roll Racing

If you ever liked Micro Machines but wish the soundtrack had more bitcrushed versions of classic rock songs, Rock N Roll Racing is absolutely the game for you.

A combat racing game that kinda undersells itself with a pretty ordinary name, Rock N Roll Racing is actually super ambitious. From the pretty fantastic graphics that arguably outdo Super Mario Kart to the upgrade system to the incredibly 90s commentary, there’s a lot more going on here than some might realise.

Rock n Roll Racing is the perfect rental game, something for you to pick up and play with your friend over a weekend until one of you inevitably tries to bludgeon the other with a shoe while a compressed version of Paranoid by Black Sabbath plays in the background. Better times.

 

25. Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen

From one rock heavy game to another, slightly subtler one, Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen is a pretty ambitious tactical RPG for the SNES that deserves some more flowers.

You play as a custom character who becomes embroiled in a revolution against a rather evil empire. You’ll be deploying units to free towns in approachable but still deep enough battles, while also doing things like upgrades and equipment. What’s neat here is that different units will also be more effective or vulnerable at different times of day.

It might sound like relatively regular by stuff today’s standards but Ogre Battle basically laid a lot of that groundwork for the whole genre. March on down to your nearest search engine and give it a shot.

 

24. Actraiser

A long-term obsession on this channel, Actraiser is such a good, weird, good game that you really couldn’t imagine working half as well today. Heck, even its sequel dropped some of its brilliant weirdness.

Part action game, part city builder, Actraiser is an unusual marriage of ideas that works super well. Most of your time will be spent slashing as a statue controlled by an all powerful being, but you will also be spending a good chunk of your playthrough as a cherub who must fly around in lite shmup sections and help humans to build civilization.

Yeah, it’s kinda wild, but both halves of Actraiser are pretty great to the point where the weirder half doesn’t feel like a gimmick. With a mesmerising atmosphere and rather bloody visuals, get your act together if you’ve never played this one.

 

23. Zombies Ate My Neighbors

Zombies Ate My Neighbors is the kind of game that would be played on The Simpsons, and it’s all the better for it.

This is one of those wonderful “what it says on the tin” games. Zombies and all manner of other beasties are running amok in your neighborhood, so you and a friend must use alien weapons, weed whackers, and Pandora’s Box in order to win the day. There’s zero pretense here: just get blasting and save your neighbours

While absolutely brutally difficult, this is one of the greatest co-op games of all time, and you had a pretty good childhood if you remember struggling to defeat the giant boss baby (not that one) with your best friend.

 

22. Super Punch-Out!!

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo

Super Punch-Out!! Benefits from having much of the legwork done by its predecessor, but Nintendo managed to make this one feel even more timeless — it looks like it could be released as a Steam indie even today. Just be warned, this one is tough, and it requires a very precise understanding of the mechanics in order to become the heavyweight champ.

Super Punch-Out!! Is the absolute epitome of easy-to-understand but tough-to-master gameplay, as the player must duck and weave their way through one brutal fighter after another in hopes of becoming the world champion. This one is just endlessly replayable, which is lucky cos you’re gonna need to play it over and over again to have any chance of beating it.

 

21. Killer Instinct

A frankly incredible arcade conversion that outdoes the original in a lot of ways, Killer Instinct remains a killer fighting game all these years on.

One of the reasons for that is that the combo system honestly puts a lot of modern games to shame, with beyond elaborate inputs needed to pull off the craziest tech. This arguably has the highest skill ceiling of any 16-bit fighter, and there are still KI tournaments going on today.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t just mash buttons as a skeleton guy and have an absolutely great time. Killer Instinct has a lot to offer fighting fans of all experiences, but just remember: if a game lets you be a dinosaur, be a dinosaur.

 

20. Star Fox

If you’re a younger person, it’s hard to relay to you just how mind-blowing Star Fox was back in the day. This was pure witchcraft.

Few games had ever been as eye-catching as this when it released, with Star Fox doing a lot to pioneer 3D graphics. Even in the following generation, Star Fox was a pretty decent looking game.

And the game itself is a pretty fun rail shooter packed with character, as you zip around as the fox himself alongside his mates as he looks to stop Andross. Sure, it’s lacking a bit on the performance side these days, but just boot up the first level today and not immediately get sucked in.

 

19. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

It’s wild that it took the TMNT IP pretty much 30 years to recapture the same brilliance as Turtles In Time, but that speaks to just how great this game really is.

Another one, not another one, of the greatest arcade conversions of all time that features even more content, Konami’s Turtles in Time sees you flipping between the past and future to defeat Shredder alongside a friend.

While the lack of 4-player multiplayer is a shame, Turtles In Time is still a timeless beat ’em up with incredible level design and unique mechanical tweaks that can still take you by surprise today. Also, that soundtrack?

Very cowabunga.

 

18. Breath of Fire 2

A series that sadly lost its way in a big, erm, way, Breath of Fire may not be the biggest RPG name these days, but don’t discount just how incredible it used to be.

Breath of Fire 2 in particular is an incredible 16-bit JRPG, with pretty ahead of itstime town-building mechanics that’d later be realised in 3D by Dark Cloud.

This is also generally a more polished game than its predecessor, with you animorphing all over the world as an orphan in a wildly ambitious story for the time.

Breath of Fire 2 is turn-based brilliance that really deserves more love these days.

 

17. NBA Jam Tournament Edition

Developer: Midway
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment

One of the things that made the SNES so great was how many incredible 2-player games it boasted. Hands down, one of the most addictive was NBA Jam. This is a game that takes a standard sports game and essentially introduces anime rules, allowing you to pull off all kinds of crazy nonsense in its two-on-two approach.

If you wanna hurl a flaming basketball all the way across the court and watch it sink in like it’s a limit break attack in Final Fantasy, this is the game for you. There were few sports games that could even come close to matching the fun factor of NBA Jam, and the game is still remembered today for just how big, brash, and brilliant it is.

There aren’t enough sports games like this these days. Now they’re just like jobs.

 

16. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

Boasting arguably the boldest story in 16-bit RPG history, apart from, well, one we’ll get to, Dragon Quest V was incredibly ahead of its time at release in 1992.

A coming of age adventure that ends up spanning decades with a little bit of time for romance in-between, Dragon Quest V stretches its narrative muscles more than most JRPGs that came before it, and also after.

The gameplay is, of course, pretty dang good too, with tricky dungeons, plenty of monster recruiting and lovely spritework. Considering this was only released officially in Japan on SNES before later getting a DS remake in the west, you may need to get a bit “innovative” with how you play this one, but it’s worth the effort.

 

15. Contra III: The Alien Wars

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

Few other games on the generally family-friendly SNES can boast as much carnage, empty lead cartridges, and rather sour tasting humble pie as Contra III: The Alien Wars. This game is a blistering challenge to play, but the insanely imaginative visuals of the boss fights and the unique, mind-blowing for the time perspective shifting overhead sections make them worth getting to every time.

A non-stop blitz of projectiles and splattering guts, this game laid the groundwork for how the Contra series would be remembered, and many still argue that it’s among the best games in the series. It’s tough, but that adrenaline rush of finally battering a bastard boss is hard to replicate in many other games. Drag a friend along to share the load, because a trauma shared is a trauma halved. Maybe.

 

14. Secret of Mana

Few action RPGs have ever been as striking as Secret of Mana, whether that’s down to the graphics or the music that really just has no business coming from the Super Nintendo’s audio chip. The colour variety here is also nuts, but that’s the game summed up: it’s so varied that it’s easy to forget it came out in 1993.

From the clever ring inventory system to the drop-in, drop-out co-op to the fast travel to the iconic soundtrack, Secret of Mana might not quite have the narrative weight to match some of its peers, but everything else it pioneers more than makes up for it.

Secret of Mana is a huge yet earnest action RPG that’s arguably even more essential playing even today than its modern remake.

 

13. Super Castlevania IV

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami

The modus operandi for games that crossed over from the previous generation was bigger and better. You can see this in countless examples from the SNES, but Super Castlevania IV offered some of the coolest examples. The look and feel of the levels took full advantage of the system’s capabilities, leading to some insane visuals for the time.

With the ability to swing Simon Belmont’s whip in eight different directions, a massive uptick in enemy design detail, and levels that took full advantage of everything that the SNES was capable of, Super Castlevania IV is still brought up as being among the very best of Konami’s vampire-fighting franchise right alongside Symphony. Neither have really aged a day.

Castlevania may have spawned many, many indie imitators, but few have managed to capture the same kind of magic.

 

12. Mega Man X

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

Few games that made the jump from NES to SNES were able to boast the kind of jaw-dropping transformation that Mega Man X has. While the many entries on the NES by this point were fun enough in their own right, it didn’t really give Capcom enough time to innovate.

Mega Man X changed this by planting secrets in every stage, giving the titular android upgradable parts, and introducing new characters like Sigma and Zero, who are still iconic to this day. While there have been many, many Mega Man games over the years, Mega Man X remains one of the absolute most beloved, and it really just looks and plays as good it ever did.

Plus, if you like giant, impossible bosses at the end of your games, this one offers up one of the all-timers. It could give Icon of Sin a pretty good run for his money.

 

11. Street Fighter II Turbo

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

What’s so incredible about the Super Nintendo is how games that had come out before were able to slowly be improved in real-time. The SNES saw three different iterations of the Street Fighter franchise, but only one of them remains an all-time classic to this day, and that’s Street Fighter II Turbo.

Adding iconic bosses as characters, additional modes, and a never-ending reason for you to fight your best pals with one carefully crafted character after another, Street Fighter II Turbo is easily one of the most influential and easy to grasp yet tricky to master fighters ever.

Pick it up today, watch your mate choose Dhalsim over your friendship, and it’s like the last thirty years never even happened.

 

10. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo

Of the three original Donkey Kong Country games, there’s a pretty clear winner when it comes to the best one. In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, the big lug’s got himself captured by K Rool, so it’s up to Diddy and newcomer Dixie to save him.

The awesome co-op and brilliant level design will hook you, but  that intimidating difficulty curve means that you’re going to need to lock in and get very familiar with hating parrots a bit if you want that full completion.

Everything here is just so much tighter than the first game that it’s basically everything you could want from a platformer sequel, and the peak of an iconic trilogy with a killer soundtrack to boot.

 

 

9. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Developer: Square
Publisher: Nintendo

Super Mario RPG is one of the absolute most legendary dream team projects of all time, even more so than Fortnite and Crocs, some might say. Nintendo and Square were really quite tight back in the day, and you can see just how well they combined here in one of Mario’s greatest ever games.

The game that would eventually give birth to the big N’s own Paper Mario series, Super Mario RPG is a brilliant evolution of the Super Mario franchise that still holds up nearly 30 years later and is always on the shortlist when it comes to discussing the best SNES games ever, as well as one of the finest RPGs ever published by Nintendo.

Considering the missteps of The Origami King and Brothership, maybe it’s time to return to this formula?

 

8. F-Zero

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo

You knew this was coming.

F-Zero basically took racing to a whole new level. With its treacherous, futuristic courses, colorful cast, and exploding cars, F-Zero was a racing game that was unlike anything anyone had ever seen before.

Though the series has struggled to stay relevant since this initial release, that doesn’t diminish just how good essentially every single F-Zero game remains, including this original. F-Zero hasn’t really aged a day where it counts, and it still remains an airtight experience with a legendary soundtrack to match.

Even few modern games can match F-Zero in terms of spleen-crushing speed and sense of reward for mastering every dastardly corner, but I just wish Nintendo could master making a proper new F-Zero.

 

7. EarthBound

Developer: APE, HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo

One of the fun things to remember about this time in gaming is just how many totally bizarre and out-there games were coming out. But, Earthbound is as deliberately silly and over-the-top as it is dark, deep, and endearingly original.

With a surprisingly deep story, a penchant for off-kilter comedy, and some of the wackiest visuals of the era, there really just isn’t anything out there quite like this story of a boy’s quest to defeat a cosmic interloper who is basically the manifestation of pure evil. One of your party members is also called Poo.

EarthBound remains one of the biggest cult classics in gaming history nearly three decades later, as well as one of the most luuuuuuuudicrously expensive retro games on the market. I think there’s only one place you are bound to play this one, and it definitely shouldn’t be from eBay.

 

6. Super Mario Kart

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo

How many families do you think would still be together if not for this game? Though the Mario Kart entries that have come since have each added their own gimmicks or changes to the formula, this was basically perfect from the jump.

Adding in ways to sabotage your opponents helped to level out the difficulty curve of other racing games, so players of all ages could get in on the fun. Meanwhile, learning all of the secret pathways, tricks for utilizing each item, and how each character performed in different circumstances added extra depth, but never to the point where your mum couldn’t still whoop your arse with Koopa Troopa.

Mario Kart: destroying bonds for decades. You can’t quite beat it, especially if you have forgotten the warmth of God’s light.

 

5. Super Mario World

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo

Despite all of the games that have come out in the franchise since Super Mario World, Mario and Yoshi’s SNES adventure is still fondly, and arguably rightly remembered by many as the absolute best of the bunch.

No Mario game had ever changed throughout your playthrough in the way that Super Mario World did, and not just because of the little green guy either. Secret exits could be found in the most unlikely places, and they made searching every inch of the pixel perfect world that much more inviting.

A huge technical leap over the Mario NES games and an incredible selling point for the power of the SNES at launch, Super Mario World is one of those games that you’re wasting time talking about instead of playing.

 

4. Final Fantasy VI

Developer: Square
Publisher: Square

Even with heavy hitters in the series like FFVII and FFIX, there’s a reason why so many JRPG fans cite Final Fantasy VI as the best game in the franchise.

The game grabs you immediately with that iconic trudge through the snow — you just know you’re in for an experience you’ve never had before. Even in 2025, there’s something hauntingly beautiful about it. Final Fantasy VI is easily the most beloved of the 8 and 16-bit Final Fantasy titles, with arguably the best, most varied cast of characters across the entire  IP.

A true genre-defining masterpiece, Final Fantasy VI is one of the most important games in Square and RPG history, and it helped to set the benchmark for the series, with one of the most shocking moments in video game history that still hits hard today. It’s not the ghost train suplex.

 

3. Chrono Trigger

Developer: Square
Publisher: Square

When people say that Square was at its absolute peak in the ‘90s, it’s largely because of mind-blowing JRPGs like Chrono Trigger and FFVI on the SNES.

But this one has to get the nod here, as not only did Chrono Trigger give you a big world to explore and navigate, it changed that world over and over again depending on which time period, an idea that is still mind-blowing to this day.

Chrono Trigger didn’t also forget to be grounded where it mattered though, with one of the most charming supporting casts in any RPG ever. Add in brilliant ATB action, gorgeous spritework, non-random battles, and a bevy of different endings, and this is an RPG that will still absolutely make you fall in love with it, time and time again.

 

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

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo

Even in the wake of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, many still offer the crown of the best Zelda game ever to this SNES icon. As fun as it is to cook those little arseholes, it is hard to argue with that. When I close my eyes and think of the series, this is still the kinda game I see.

A Link to the Past takes the framework behind the original NES game and expands it to bring the formula up a level, and beyond a level ever seen for a game of its kind. The way that the world changed would go on to become not just a signature of the series, but of all of the many, many inspirations it spawned.

With tons of items, heart pieces, and other secrets to find across its vast, engaging dual world, A Link to the Past is as effortlessly fun today as it was back in the early ‘90s.

 

1. Super Metroid

Developer: Nintendo R&D1, Intelligent Systems
Publisher: Nintendo

Few games can lay a claim to having had as much of an impact on gaming as a whole as Super Metroid. One of the two games largely responsible for the subgenre known as Metroidvania, the other of course being Mr Nutz, Super Metroid’s intuitive exploration and the secrets it hid behind every corner of its world, while also being far more approachable than the first Metroid, marked it as a true game-changer.

Meanwhile, its use of wordless storytelling throughout helps to set it apart from just about any intergalactic adventure before or since. The game is also fondly remembered for its masterful soundtrack that would probably give John Carpenter the creeps. Every inch of Super Metroid feels like you’re not really meant to be there.

There’s a reason why this is one of the most popular speed-running games nearly 30 years after its release: people want to keep finding reasons to play this absolute beauty of a game, and the absolute best that the Super Nintendo has to offer.