| 25 March 2009
The Super Nintendo was probably my favorite system released to date. It was such a step up from the NES. Our generation is lucky when it comes to video games. It seems that they have grown up with us. Released in the early 90s, the SNES was around during my early teenage years. Some people consider this the "Golden Age of Video games", and it would be hard to disagree.
The first party titles really stand out for me with the Super Nintendo. These games never get old to me. I can still play through all 10 games on this list and still have just as much fun, and in most cases ever more fun than when they were first released.
Please keep your hate mail to a maximum....
#10 - Chrono Trigger
I played Chrono Trigger back when it came out in the mid-90s, however admittedly I didn't see how completely great the game was until it was re-released on the Nintendo DS this past year. Chrono Trigger is about a group of adventurers that travel through time to stop a global catastrophe. The player can travel to multiple locations at will to affect the future including the post apocalyptic future, prehistoric past, and the middle ages. The path is never spoon fed, and the game is not easy.
It has a turn based battle system that is controlled by an active timer. Your party consists of 3 players at a time, but 2 of the players can be swapped out with people that team up with you on your journey. You can combine attacks with your teammates in battle as well.
This game wasn't quite as fun for me when it was originally released. I'm sure if it was around back then I would have been diagnosed with ADD. I wasn't a huge fan of turn based battles or micromanaging your team. However, now that I have slightly more patience, this game is as fun as ever and deserves a place inside the top 10.
#9 - NBA Jam TE
"HE'S HEATING UP!" To me, this game is the Super Nintendo's version of Tecmo Bowl. It is the most fun 2 player sports game there is. You may have had your weapons in Tecmo Bowl, but nobody could beat my Scottie Pippen / Horace Grant dominating combo (Besides perhaps the Hornets with LJ and Mourning.
This game was a fantastic port from the arcade game. The insane dunks, hard fouls, and easter eggs were all in there. You could play as George Clinton and Mortal Kombat characters (among others). Love Without Nagel and I played this recently, and its just as fun as ever. Tournament Edition was the best of breed.
"HE'S ON FIRE!!!"
#8 - Pilotwings
When Pilotwings came out basically at launch of the SNES, think about what we have been playing before hand. There was nothing like it, not even close. This is a really strange game. There doesn't seem to be any story at all, you don't shoot things, there is no platforming.... You just play it.
It's a simulator in a sense. Its obviously not a simulation, but all the game is is you taking flying lessons, parachuting out of a plane, hang gliding, and using a jetpack. Its simple, and thats whats great about it. It was such an immerse experience at the time. The 3D effects in the game were something never seen in a console.
Out of all the games on the list, this one would probably be the least fun when playing now. However, it gets enough points in my book for its originality and experience at the time.
#7 - ActRaiser
Part Sim City, part platforming beat em up, ActRaiser was like 2 games in one. You played the "Master", a god-like figure who must rebuild his world and regain his followers. The number of followers you have makes you more powerful in the building and side scrolling parts of the game. In the civilization mode, disasters or obstacles often happen in the game that you must protect your civilization from, be it a volcano, or drought, etc. You must build homes and special buildings like farms and windmills to expand your civilization.
When you get to a new land, your goal is to eradicate the evil monsters while building your civilization. Both parts of the game are fantastic. The music and graphics shine as well.
They eventually released ActRaiser 2, however they ditched the entire civ building side of the game. It was not nearly as good.
#6 - Secret of Mana
The Secret of Mana (to me) was like another (not quite as good) Link to the past. I am a fan of the real time battle RPGs like traditional Zelda games. That's what initially got me into Secret of Mana.
However, Secret of Mana is a great game in its own right. Although a little too Japanese anime inspired for my taste, it had an engaging story, and it was just deep enough to keep it interesting. The game is a nice mix of Zelda combat with traditional RPG (Final Fantasy) elements.
Like Chrono Trigger, you manage a team with items and powers, however a second player can take control of a teammate. Like other Square Enix titles around this time, the graphics and soundtrack were greatly praised. It was another game to utilize the 'Mode 7' graphics when you flew on Flammie, the flaming dragon. Ok, so the game is a little gay, but I blame the Japanese anime on that.
#5 -Contra 3: Alien Wars
This game is just so badass. I have beaten this game on countless occasions. Right from the beginning the game is in your face action. You walk 20 feet, blow up a futuristic Ferrari, and enemies don't stop attacking you until everyone is dead. This game is hard as shit with 2 players. You always have to play at the same pace. If someone is lagging behind, they die, if you climb to fast, they die. If your teammate sucks, they can steal your lives, and you both die.
The bosses are still some of the coolest ever in a video game. The music goes quiet when a boss approaches, then chaos. Shit, you battle one boss while hanging from missiles shot from a helicopter.
The game goes over the top with every level, and throws you into every environment imaginable. There are a couple levels from the top down perspective that kind of suck, but they don't last too long, and they arent too hard.
#4 - Super Mario World
Has a better game ever come bundled with a system? Hell no!
Super Mario World takes everything done in the past Mario games and makes it better. This is the ultimate platformer. Controls don't get better than this. the vibrant crisp colors and the simple and fantastic graphics only add to it. Everything about this game is a classic now. The enemies, the levels, the music...
Yoshi was introduced in this game... he has gone to appear in about 300 games since. If the normal game wasn't enough for you, you could enter star road and unlock 'SPECIAL' world. These include by far the hardest levels in the game. If you beat all these, the turtles in the game will be wearing Mario helmets.
I love this game, and still cant get enough of it. I bought it on my Wii virtual console and played through it until I unlocked 100%.
#3 -Super Mario Kart
Still one of the most fun 2 player game ever, Super Mario Kart probably got the most mileage out of any SNES game for me. I played the shit out of this game. My friend and I played this game so much, we knew every shortcut, knew the best strategy for battle modes, etc...
The 4 cups seem pretty short by today's standards, but it was a lot for back then. This game was a lot more intense than it may seem. Throwing items at the right time, and dropping them in defense added a whole new level to this racing game. You could hit people right before some jumps that would pin them against walls, or in a couple cases, knock them back half a lap on figure 8 tracks.
Yes, better Mario Karts have came out since, but this one started it all. The soundtrack is also fantastic, and you get your trophies from a giant flying fish. lassic game.
#2 - Super Metroid
Just watch the beginning sequence of this game and you can tell just how awesome it is going to be. Then you play the first little level and its the most cinematic experience on the Super Nintendo. You enter a familiar area from the original Metroid, and everything is abandoned. There is no music, and the walls are decaying.... You get to the Metroid canister and a huge monster attacks you and intense music kicks in. When it finally flies away, a countdown timer displays and the screen starts shifting. You eventually escape while the station falls apart around you. Your ship flies at the screen through a huge explosion. So awesome, and the game didn't even start yet.
The game doesn't let up from there. This is not only the best side scrolling action-adventure game on the SNES, but probably of all time. There is a decided RPG element to the game as well. You need to collect artifacts to power up Samus and access other areas.
The game gives off such a unique tone. Its probably the most immersive game on the SNES. Just writing about this game makes me want to play it. Check out the video below for a 1hr speed run:
#1 - Zelda: A Link to the Past
I was going back and forth with Link to the Past and Super Metroid. It came down to the franchises for me. I like the Zelda franchise just a bit more than the Metroid one.
Zelda games have always really sucked me in. They always seem to do everything so well. The look of the game, the story, the enemies, the weapons, the control. The Link to the Past took the franchise to a whole new level though. I don't think any franchise has evolved so much, and gotten better with every evolution than Zelda (I'm still waiting on a proper Wii Zelda though).
In Link to the Past there really isn't THAT much different in terms of gameplay mechanics than the original Zelda. However the technology enabled the developers to expend so significantly on everything. The dungeons are so complex. They are fantastically designed so that there are literally two seamless paths in each. One to the specific item, and another to the Boss Key and Boss (that can only be accessed by the specific item just found). The boss battles are all great as well.
The big addition to this installment is the parallel universe accesses by the Magic Mirror.
The progression of this game really makes you feel more powerful. You start as a kid with a wooden sword and 3 hearts of health, and by the time you are finished you have all kinds of weapons and magic, and 2 rows of hearts.
Everything about this game is classic now. The score, the story, the look.... everything is at the top of its respective list.
Whats amazing about this game is that it isn't even the best of the series.
Notable Runners Up:
Street Fighter II, UN Squadron, Donkey Kong Country, Star Fox, TMNT: Turtles in Time
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Comments (7)
Subscribe to this comment's feedhmmmmmmmmmmm
oh i think i also had some wrestling game that was pretty good, oh and definitely a good wrestling game for nes i hadn't mentioned previously, like Wrestling Pros or something like that...
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Bring on N64
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N64
I was going to skip to Playstation, if you want to do an N64 one though be my guest.
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NCAA Basketball
check out this video, is this what you were talking about?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_vAzFuhPL4
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