TOP TEN SUPER NINTENDO GAMES
Ahh, the Super Nintendo. One of the greatest video game systems ever devised. The Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis era was without question one of the, if not the, greatest periods in the history of video games. The video game craze was booming and everybody wanted in on the action! From Marvel and DC Comics, Shaquille O'Neal, the NBA and NFL, major studio movies like Bram Stoker's Dracula (what kid walked out of that movie saying, "I want to play as Keanu Reeves in a game!"?), and kids cartoons such as Tiny Toons and Animaniacs. And that's only the tip of the iceberg.
I never got into the Super Nintendo as heavily as I did the original Nintendo, but looking back on those experiences today, if I'm being honest, those games that I played on the Super Nintendo were just as influential if not more impactful on my gaming evolution. Truly the SNES helped me grow as a gamer and introduced me to many games that would become lifelong favorites. The love I have for many of the franchises I'm a fan of today were either born of or cemented with the games on the SNES.
Retro Gaming is a fast growing market today and acquiring the original cartridges for both NES and SNES, even the Nintendo 64, is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. I'm sad to say that, in my ignorance, I parted with most of my collection over the years. More than half of my NES collection and at least half of my SNES collection as well. Had I but known...
Thankfully there are still a few games in my collection yet, games I could never part with (although current market prices have been quite enticing). Below are the games that I personally enjoy the most on the Super Nintendo. These are the games that helped shape the gamer I am today, the games that were a revelation upon discovery, that blew my mind as a kid in the 90's. Many of these games I still have in my collection today, but some no longer are (to my everlasting chagrin 'sigh' I sold some back in the day).
The Super Nintendo isn't my favorite video game console system, that honor goes to the original NES, but I do hold the SNES near and dear to my gamer's heart. These games may not be the best games ever to come out on the SNES, and there are a ton of SNES games I've never played, but the games below represent my personal favorites.
For my list of Top Ten Favorite NES Games click here!
On with the list!
I never got into the Super Nintendo as heavily as I did the original Nintendo, but looking back on those experiences today, if I'm being honest, those games that I played on the Super Nintendo were just as influential if not more impactful on my gaming evolution. Truly the SNES helped me grow as a gamer and introduced me to many games that would become lifelong favorites. The love I have for many of the franchises I'm a fan of today were either born of or cemented with the games on the SNES.
Retro Gaming is a fast growing market today and acquiring the original cartridges for both NES and SNES, even the Nintendo 64, is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. I'm sad to say that, in my ignorance, I parted with most of my collection over the years. More than half of my NES collection and at least half of my SNES collection as well. Had I but known...
Thankfully there are still a few games in my collection yet, games I could never part with (although current market prices have been quite enticing). Below are the games that I personally enjoy the most on the Super Nintendo. These are the games that helped shape the gamer I am today, the games that were a revelation upon discovery, that blew my mind as a kid in the 90's. Many of these games I still have in my collection today, but some no longer are (to my everlasting chagrin 'sigh' I sold some back in the day).
The Super Nintendo isn't my favorite video game console system, that honor goes to the original NES, but I do hold the SNES near and dear to my gamer's heart. These games may not be the best games ever to come out on the SNES, and there are a ton of SNES games I've never played, but the games below represent my personal favorites.
For my list of Top Ten Favorite NES Games click here!
On with the list!
THE BONUSES
#13
MARVEL SUPER HEROES IN WAR OF THE GEMS
Release Date: 1996
Long before Avengers: Infinity War was even a twinkle in Kevin Feige's eye, CAPCOM and the SNES were adapting the comic story for the screen. This game was basically a "copy and paste" job based off of Capcom's extremely successful X-MEN games of the time, specifically X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse. Obviously the X-Men are awesome and were on top of the world at the time. But my heart has always belonged to THE HULK.
This is just your classic style 2D action platformer "Beat um' up!" What makes it special for me is being able to play as the Hulk and battle two of my favorite Marvel villains by the end, The Magus and Thanos. The Infinity Gauntlet was one of (and still is) my favorite stories and it was amazing seeing it transformed into a video game 22 years before it became a movie.
#12
FINAL FIGHT 2
Release Date: 1993
The side-scrolling "beat um' up" genre really hit its peak in the SNES/Sega Genesis era. Capcom's FINAL FIGHT franchise really led the way during the SNES period, the original Final Fight trilogy being some of my favorite games. The original Final Fight SNES port of the game was problematic in that it removed the two player co-op function as well as deleting one of the chief characters completely: one of Capcom's greatest ninjas, GUY!
FINAL FIGHT 2, in my opinion, was the best of the trilogy and simply the most fun of them all. Final Fight 2 had the two player co-op option and played beautifully. The only downfall was that Haggar was the only returning hero (my least preferred of the original three heroes). However, the game offered two new heroes including MAKI (perhaps Capcom's first kunoichi) who is one of the best characters of the series.
#11
MEGA MAN X2
Release Date: 1994
Umm... seriously? Another Capcom game?
It need not be said, but Capcom ruled my world during this period of my gaming career. Yeah, they had great games during the NES era but during the SNES era Capcom was on top of the world. One of the most iconic series in video gaming across all eras is MEGA MAN. With the Super Nintendo Capcom introduced the world to the second Mega Man, MEGA MAN X. X is arguably the coolest of the two Mega Men and really advanced the series, at least in terms of design and story.
Mega Man X2 offers the same great gameplay as the the previous Mega Man games but has, in my opinion, the cooler story. X is a Maverick Hunter. After defeating Sigma, a group of Mavericks emerged calling themselves "X Hunters." Their mission: destroy Mega Man X! And their tactics are brutal, luring X to his death with body parts of ZERO, X's deceased partner.
THE TOP TEN
#10
THE NINJA WARRIORS
Release Date: 1994
Yet another beat um' up action game, but this is perhaps the my favorite of the beat um' up genre. THE NINJA WARRIORS had the benefit of being a later release and the game developers paid close attention to the competition. As a result, The Ninja Warriors takes the best elements of the beat um' up genre and puts them all in one game! The graphics are some of the best on Super Nintendo and the game plays like a dream.
Who am I trying to kid? It's the ninjas! You get to choose between three ninjas to play the game as: NINJA, KAMAITACHI, and KUNOICHI. Ninja is the big man with the most power. Kamaitachi is the quick one. And Kunoichi is the one in between, meaning the most balanced of the three (and easily the best one of the three!). And did I mention all three ninjas are robots?!
I love this game! And it is so much fun to play!
#9
CONTRA III: ALIEN WARS
Release Date: 1992
I have enjoyed the CONTRA games for NES all my life. The original Contra was one of the first games I remember playing in my life. SUPER C is arguably superior to the original. CONTRA FORCE, the third game in the series, sucked (it's no wonder Konami didn't call it Contra III). And then there's CONTRA III: THE ALIEN WARS (the real Contra III), maybe the best of the entire series.
This game didn't do anything different from the previous Contra games, but rather it perfected the Contra style gameplay. This game is incredibly fun! The graphics are amazing! And the action is peddle to the metal. It's just the original Contra all over again but that in no way is that a bad thing. It's Contra refined, the best the series has ever been, in my opinion.
#8
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES IV: TURTLES IN TIME
Release Date: 1992
"Bury my shell at Wounded Knee!"
You've got to be kidding, right? Another beat um' up?! I thought we were done! Ah, but not just any beat um' up: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES IV: TURTLES IN TIME! To many, including me, this was perhaps the greatest chapter in the saga of the Ninja Turtles. Greater than anything in the movies or the cartoon. To my ten year old self this was the greatest TMNT adventure ever. As a game it was hands down the best of the TMNT games (maybe it still is!).
Following in the footsteps of the classic NES hit, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE ARCADE GAME and TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES III: THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, this game refined what its predecessors created. I'm speaking for most kids my age when I say that this game was what I hoped the third TMNT movie was going to be. I'll say that this isn't the best of the beat um' up genre, but what places it ahead of The Ninja Warriors on this list is how wild the game is and, of course, its four leading protagonists.
Don't worry, folks. This is the last beat um' up game on this list. But, wow, I've got a serious soft spot of these kinds of games from this era.
#7
DONKEY KONG COUNTRY
Release Date: 1994
As a good friend once said, "Funny like a bunny. Cool like a King K. Rool."
A true Super Nintendo classic that everyone can agree on (well just about everyone)! Donkey Kong Country is undeniably fun, fast paced, and massive in scope. I can still remember the fun of such levels like MINE CART MADNESS or BARREL CANNON CANYON. And I can still hear the music from the game in my head.
This was the first game I ever used a strategy guide for, not because I couldn't figure out how to beat the game, but to get all the hidden stars. In fact, this is likely the first game that I 100% completed, having done absolutely everything that there was to do. This game introduced me to the "Completionist" gaming concept and changed the way I looked at gaming going forward. I played the sequels on SNES and they were amazing too. But none of the sequels could match the experience of the first DKC.
#6
GRADIUS III
Release Date: 1991
One of the first NES games that blew my mind as a kid was Konami's LIFE FORCE (or Salamander in Japan). It was the first "Scrolling Shooter" game I ever beheld, let alone played, and happens to be the second outing for the hero ship of the Gradius series, the VIC VIPER. Needless to say, it left an impression on me.
I was unfamiliar with the title GRADIUS when I just happened to rent and play Gradius III and I was shocked to see a Life Force like game in front of me. The fun, action, and excitement of Life Force was rediscovered. And as with most of my favorite SNES games, Gradius III was an enhancement of a gameplay style I had already loved.
I became a long time Gradius fan after that and still hold it as one of the greatest game franchises out there.
#5
DEMON'S CREST
Release Date: 1994
I discovered this game by chance in college. My friends and I stumbled across an emulation of the game and the name itself prompted investigation. An ominous and frightening opening title led to a first level where I was controlling a little red-winged demon and fighting a giant zombie dragon! It was love at first sight.
Then I started recognizing the character I was playing and the world I exploring. I was that super annoying red demon from GHOSTS N' GOBLINS! I had no idea that Firebrand (Red Arremer) had his own video game let alone a series (Demon's Crest is the third game in the GARGOYLE'S QUEST trilogy). The sprite details and artwork are amazing and there is a wide variety of gameplay that make this game feel fresh and captivating.
And the monsters! Oh how I love the monsters and the setting of this game. It's like someone tailor-made this game for me. It also helps that I was really big into DEVILMAN at the time. Anyway, after demoing the game on that emulator I rushed out to buy it and have held it near and dear ever since. It's a great adventure game!
#4
SUPER METROID
Release Date: 1994
One of the first games I ever owned on the Super Nintendo, SUPER METROID was a mind-blowing experience for me. I had played the original Metroid on NES. I used the password cheat JUSTIN BAILEY all the time, and enjoyed it, but the game was nothing compared to this.
The mood. The atmosphere. The exploration. I had no idea a game could offer such an experience. The sheer scope of this game still blows me away thinking about it. The power-up system, the monsters, SAMUS ARAN, all of it I found incredibly captivating. And the smooth gameplay was addictive. Never before had I played a game for that long nor a game as massive as this. Super Metroid was my first epic video game conquest.
There are only a few Nintendo owned franchises that I go gaga over and Metroid is the biggest. But when the franchise went from 2D to 3D with Metroid Prime I was done. Even so, I still love Metroid and Samus. This game would've been number one on this list, but when thinking about all the games here, the following games could not be denied.
#3
SUPER STREET FIGHTER II
Release Date: 1994
One of my biggest video game passions are Fighting Games. I could play fighting games forever and be perfectly fine. I remember the craze surrounding the first STREET FIGHTER II, seeing and playing it for the first time on an arcade machine in a bowling alley and then later in a gas station. I wasn't sold quite then but it had caught my attention.
I got into Street Fighter rather late in the series. It was the late 1990's and a friend of mine had purchased STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3 for the Playstation. That game drew me in like no fighting game had before. But I didn't own a Playstation at the time. I was a generation behind and still had my SNES.
SUPER STREET FIGHTER II (the fourth version of Street Fighter II) was the SF game that I first went crazy over. I had Street Fighter II Turbo prior but that one didn't do it for me. Super added four new playable characters, two of them being some of my all time favorites for the series: FEI LONG and CAMMY (my all-time favorite Street Fighter character). Never had I engaged with a video game quite like this. I hosted Super Street Fighter II tournaments in my basement for months on end, gathering as many as twelve people (for a loser like me that was a lot!)!
My love of Street Fighter would only grow from there. And when I finally got a Playstation you better believe one of the first two games I purchased was Street Fighter Alpha 3.
#2
SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV
Release Date: 1991
I am, if anything, predictable, yes? How many saw this coming?
What haven't I said about this game? What praises haven't I heaped upon its shoulders?
Much of my 16 bit era gaming didn't involve new or revolutionary games that evolved the medium. No, much of my love for the 16 bit era comes from sequels and similar gameplay to beloved 8 bit era games. The graphical enhancements and gameplay refinement of such old favorites like Contra, Gradius, Metroid, and more captivated me. None more so than Castlevania.
There were few games on the NES that I could beat as a kid. I remember renting SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV from Main Street & Davisson's and playing it over a weekend. I remember beating it on my own without cheating and thinking, "It is possible to win at video games!"
What places this game above the rest like Super Metroid or Demon's Crest (games which I considered for the #1 spot) is the replay value. Super Metroid and Demon's Crest, while being some of the greatest games ever made, take a LONG time to defeat. Super Castlevania IV resides in that sweet spot of being lengthy but not too long to dissuade repeat playings. While my love for these games may well be equal to each other, I've replayed Super Castlevania IV far more than I have the others.
And, well, it's Castlevania. C'mon!
#1
CASTLEVANIA: DRACULA X
Release Date: 1995
Have you ever just simply taken to a game? Or have you ever invested so much of yourself into a game that you kinda feel a personal ownership of it? I'll be the first to admit, in just about every aspect, this game is technically inferior to Super Castlevania IV. But I just like it. I really like it!
At first I was understandably disappointed when this game didn't play exactly like Super Castlevania IV. And it was much harder too. It was overall far more abrasive. But it looked good. And it had a rockin' soundtrack. At the time I was knee-deep in my first Castlevania franchise binge. I had managed to defeat the impossibly hard original Castlevania somehow. Surely I could beat this one too... right?
It took a lot of work. A lot! But during this brutal ordeal trying to defeat the game, a bond formed between me and the protagonist Richter Belmont. A bond forged in the fires of high video game difficulty. Over time I became really good at the game, even looking for ways to make it harder. As crazy as it sounds I came to love this game in its challenge. At the time, anyone and every one who had played the game spoke negatively about it. With no one else embracing the game as I had, I kind of felt like it was my job to sing its praises.
And after having taken this game to the limit, this was one of the first instances in my gaming career where I felt a sense of pride in having defeated a very hard game. Such pride would follow me in many other games going forward. At any rate, there are many reasons why I love this game and why it is my personal favorite Super Nintendo game, most if not all being personal reasons. Which I guess is what this blog is all about: these pieces of fandom that are personal to me and those here at Blood Work.
I said earlier that Capcom ruled my world during this era. Well, Konami was my video gaming god for a time too! Oh, how the mighty have fallen 😢
And there you have it!
My top ten personal favorite Super Nintendo games!
What are your top ten favorite SNES games?
Leave your list in the comments below!
And for more Top Ten lists from Blood Work, check out the lists below!
And as always, keep the blood flowing!
TOP TEN FAVORITE NES GAMES
TOP TEN INCREDIBLE HULK VILLAINS
TOP TEN ACTION MOVIE HEROES
TOP TEN GREATEST TURTLES
TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
At first I was understandably disappointed when this game didn't play exactly like Super Castlevania IV. And it was much harder too. It was overall far more abrasive. But it looked good. And it had a rockin' soundtrack. At the time I was knee-deep in my first Castlevania franchise binge. I had managed to defeat the impossibly hard original Castlevania somehow. Surely I could beat this one too... right?
It took a lot of work. A lot! But during this brutal ordeal trying to defeat the game, a bond formed between me and the protagonist Richter Belmont. A bond forged in the fires of high video game difficulty. Over time I became really good at the game, even looking for ways to make it harder. As crazy as it sounds I came to love this game in its challenge. At the time, anyone and every one who had played the game spoke negatively about it. With no one else embracing the game as I had, I kind of felt like it was my job to sing its praises.
And after having taken this game to the limit, this was one of the first instances in my gaming career where I felt a sense of pride in having defeated a very hard game. Such pride would follow me in many other games going forward. At any rate, there are many reasons why I love this game and why it is my personal favorite Super Nintendo game, most if not all being personal reasons. Which I guess is what this blog is all about: these pieces of fandom that are personal to me and those here at Blood Work.
I said earlier that Capcom ruled my world during this era. Well, Konami was my video gaming god for a time too! Oh, how the mighty have fallen 😢
And there you have it!
My top ten personal favorite Super Nintendo games!
What are your top ten favorite SNES games?
Leave your list in the comments below!
And for more Top Ten lists from Blood Work, check out the lists below!
And as always, keep the blood flowing!
TOP TEN FAVORITE NES GAMES
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (COMIC BOOKS)
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: MALE)
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: FEMALE)
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GUYS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GALS
TOP TEN CINEMA SAMURAI
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: MALE)
TOP TEN FAVORITE NINJAS (VIDEO GAMES: FEMALE)
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GUYS
TOP TEN FIGHTING GAME GALS
TOP TEN CINEMA SAMURAI
TOP TEN GHOST RIDER VILLAINS
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC HEROES
TOP TEN DOCTOR STRANGE VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC VILLAINS
TOP TEN MARVEL COSMIC HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL SUPERNATURAL HEROES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL ROMANCES
TOP TEN MARVEL HEROES YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF
TOP TEN MARVEL ROMANCES
TOP TEN JOHN CARPENTER FILMS
TOP TEN CHILDHOOD CARTOONS
The Super Nintendo is one of the most important consoles in gaming history and I played my fair share on it SNES roms games at https://techtoroms.com/roms/super-nintendo-snes/. The influence these games had can't be understated, not just for myself but also others who came after like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs!
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