When it comes to classic old school gaming nostalgia, we 90s kids would always look back at the Super Nintendo gaming era. SNES will always remain one of the best gaming platforms, introducing countless gaming classics that hooked us gamers back in the day. Many of the staple gaming franchises today started back then in the SNES era. After making multiple rounds within our gaming team, delving deep into old gaming groups, and adding my experience of SNES on top, here are the best SNES games we feel you should check out.
20. Mortal Kombat II
- Developer(s): Midway, Probe Software, Sculptured Software, Probe Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment, Digital Eclipse, Backbone Entertainment
- Release Date: November 12, 1993
Our list starts strongly with one of the current household names in the fighting game community, Mortal Kombat II. Mortal Kombat II is still considered one of the greatest games in the Mortal Kombat franchise and was one of the biggest reasons for the franchise’s early success. The game introduced many of the franchise’s well-known characters, adding colorful graphics and sound effects with screams and moans previously unseen in the genre.
The game also expanded on the move sets. It improved the fatalities, adding many blood effects that have become almost synonymous with the Mortal Kombat franchise, making it one of the greatest SNES games.
19. Killer Instinct
- Developer(s): Rare
- Release Date: August 30, 1995
The next game on our list is another fighting game, which was once considered a classic, and is still ranked among the most sold games on SNES. Although the game was first created for the Arcades and later ported to the SNES and Game Boy, it remains one of the best fighting games on the Super Nintendo platform.
The game took inspiration from both Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. However, while other fighting games tried new things, Killer Instinct focused on a really good core gameplay experience. The combos in Killer Instinct were considered some of the best and most satisfying in the genre back then, fueling its popularity in Arcades, SNES, and Game Boy.
18. Star Fox
- Developer(s): Nintendo EAD, Argonaut Software
- Release Date: February 21, 1993
Imagine handing a kid in the 90s who loved watching Star Wars a game about flying spaceships. That’s exactly what Star Fox did, bringing a completely out-of-the-box spaceship shooting game in a never-ending 3D environment.
The game had a highly satisfying gaming loop of flying your spaceship while shooting at enemies endlessly. The iconic music inspired by Star Wars also helped a great deal in grabbing kids’ attention back in the day.
17. F-Zero
- Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
- Release Date: November 21, 1990
The next game on our list is the hi-flying racing game of our childhood, F-Zero. This game completely took the SNES gaming scene by storm, setting the standard for racing games back in the day. While the racing genre was still trying to figure out its footing in the SNES space, F-Zero trailblazed the path for others to follow.
F-Zero was undeniably cool in every aspect. From its iconic music to its comic-style story-telling and colorful futuristic cars, the game set a precedent for other racing games. This is why F-Zero gets an easy spot in our best SNES games list of all time.
16. Super Castlevania IV
- Developer(s): Konami
- Release Date: October 31, 1991
When we talk about old platformers, games often let you blitz through them with really good controls. Super Castlevania IV took the opposite route, creating a platformer that was deliberately slow, methodical and atmospheric.
The game centered around creating an atmosphere of careful exploration, with players wishing to experience the world longer than simply reaching the end goal. The game was also incredibly challenging, mainly due to the slow movement mechanics, but that only added to its appeal.
15. Tetris Attack
- Developer(s): Intelligent Systems
- Release Date: October 27, 1995
Tetris Attack was one of the most famous games back in the SNES, completely changing the normal gaming loop of Tetris. Instead of the traditional system of placing blocks to fill the space, the game had players match patterns on blocks by swapping them.
It’s similar to what games like Candy Crush do in the current age, however, this was the first of its kind. Tetris Attack was massively popular back in the day due to its addictive nature, drawing in players with colorful graphics and multiple game modes.
14. Super Mario Kart
- Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
- Release Date: August 27, 1992
A list of best SNES games of all time cannot exist without the mention of Mario, as the prodigal Nintendo son of Italian heritage makes multiple appearances on this list. The first mention of Mario in the list comes with the massively popular Super Mario Kart that started the entire Mario Kart franchise that we have today.
Super Mario Kart was distinctly different from F-Zero, revolutionizing the traditional racing game format back in the day. The game was colorful, fun, and ballistic due to the new power mechanics previously unseen in the racing genre. The power-ups changed the racing dynamic, making it really fun to play with friends by allowing crazy antics.
13. Street Fighter II Turbo
- Developer(s): Capcom
- Release Date: December 17, 1992
Street Fighter II Turbo was arguably the most genre-defining fighting game back in the SNES days. This game was often dubbed the best fighting game for a home console and remains one of the best in the Street Fighter franchise. Although Street Fighter II Turbo was almost similar to its base variant, the Turbo version added the Turbo mode to the game.
The Turbo mode added increased speed, cranking up the combat pace. The Turbo variant also allowed players to play as the four unplayable grandmasters from the first game. In other words, Turbo improved on everything the first Street Fighter II introduced, making it a household name back in the day.
12. Earthbound
- Developer(s): Ape Inc, HAL Laboratory
- Release Date: August 27, 1994
SNES introduced gamers to some really bizarre games, but none of them could hold the candle to Earthbound. This game was the hardest to rank for me on the best SNES games list because its humor is not for everyone. This is also why the game did fairly poorly in sales back in the day in the US market.
Earthbound is like a fever dream where everything looks normal at first glance, only to become absolutely weird in the next second. The game featured an incredible depth in dialogue, making exploration a treat. Talking to every NPC was a must for triggering the next part of the story. The game’s art direction was unique back in the day, perfectly complementing its weird sense of humor.
11. Contra III: The Alien Wars
- Developer(s): Konami
- Release Date: February 28, 1992
No game could compare with Contra when it comes to mindless action and the pure unadulterated fun of shooting at monsters in an endless loop. Contra III: The Alien Wars was arguably one of the best in the franchise, taking the run and gun genre to another level.
Contra III was simply mindless action from the minute you start to the very end, with the game featuring some of the craziest designed bosses in the genre. There is really not much else to add about the game, other than the fact that it still is one of the best time killing games out there.
10. Super Mario RPG
- Developer(s): Square
- Release Date: November 21, 1995
Super Mario RPG is the love child of Square and Nintendo, bringing the beloved plumber away from platformers and into the world of vast RPG games. However, unlike Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, or Final Fantasy VI, Super Mario RPG was not a traditional RPG of that time.
Instead of being a very story-driven game, Super Mario RPG is a silly and fun take on both the Mario universe and the RPG genre itself. The game was very funny, focusing on being silly with an old style cartoon humor that was broadly enjoyed back in the day. Super Mario RPG was a vastly different but pleasant experience for both Mario and RPG fans, so it easily makes the best SNES games list of all time.
9. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
- Developer(s): Rare
- Release Date: March 9, 1996
After the successful launch of Donkey Kong Country, a game that completely changed the dynamic of the old Donkey Kong games into a side-scrolling platformer, similar to Mario, it was only a short while before its sequel would be launched. However, the sequel Donkey Kong Country 2, removed the lead Donkey Kong as the protagonist, instead focusing on little Diddy and his adventures.
Although the decision was frowned upon back in the day, it didn’t take long for the game to become an absolute hit due to the incredible graphics, much better level design, and the addition of the rope climbing mechanic, reminiscent of the old Donkey Kong games.
8. Secret of Mana
- Developer(s): Square
- Release Date: August 6, 1993
Secret of Mana is one of the special games from our childhood. It’s an action RPG that features extremely cool real-time combat mechanics for its time. Although Secret of Mana didn’t have a memorable story like the other RPG giants on the SNES, it still featured an incredibly vast world, really cool boss fights, and one of the best real-time combat mechanics.
What set the game apart from other RPGs was the ability to fly on a dragon and land anywhere on the vast map in real-time. With the iconic music track of Secret of Mana, it quickly became a core childhood memory for many of us 90s kids.
7. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
- Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
- Release Date: August 5, 1995
Another one of the popular SNES games, Super Mario World was one of the biggest titles back in the day. As such, fans had very high expectations from its sequel. While everyone expected Yoshi’s Island to be a bigger and better version of Super Mario World 2, the developers decided to flip the script and create something new.
Instead of playing like Mario, Yoshi’s Island made players play like Yoshi while he carried a baby Mario on his back. Yoshi’s Island had some of the most wacky game mechanics and level design. Instead of the usual combat mechanic of Mario, Yoshi would convert his enemies into eggs and shoot them at enemies. On top of it, Yoshi could become a bulldozer, a race car, or even a helicopter, completely deviating from the traditional systems of a Mario game.
6. Mega Man X
- Developer(s): Capcom
- Release Date: December 17, 1993
Mega Man is arguably one of the biggest gaming franchises in the platformer world today. Unlike other popular franchises of the time, Mega Man had already created multiple sequels with variable differences that all did really well. Among these titles, Mega Man X became arguably the best version of the game franchise, featuring a ton of cool new mechanics.
The game added wall jumps, dashes over the sliding mechanic, and beautiful graphics. Mega Man X was simply better in every aspect from its predecessors. With highly creative level designs, great enemy placements, much better bosses and AIs, Mega Man X easily sets itself as one of the greatest SNES games of all time.
5. Super Mario World
- Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
- Release Date: November 21, 1990
Super Mario World is the golden child of SNES and Nintendo as a gaming company. The game holds the record for the most SNES history sales, with over 20 million copies sold. The game completely outshines every other game on this list when it comes to popularity and propelled the success of the Mario franchise to another level with its success.
Super Mario World is undoubtedly one of the core childhood memories for all gamers. The game was a platforming masterpiece, cementing Mario’s legacy and showcasing the true strength of the Super Nintendo system.
4. Final Fantasy VI
- Developer(s): Square
- Release Date: April 2, 1994
Final Fantasy VI, or Final Fantasy III in the USA, is one of the staple RPG games of the 1990s era. It has the largest cast of playable characters in the Final Fantasy franchise to date, an incredibly in-depth combat system, a highly engaging story, and one of the most iconic soundtracks.
Final Fantasy VI was an absolute behemoth back in the day and easily makes it to the top of our best SNES games list. This game ignited the spark for creating in-depth builds for players like me, which we still continue to showcase in the current-gen tactical RPGs. Final Fantasy VI is simply a gorgeous masterpiece, and every RPG fan should give it a try once in their lifetime.
3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Developer(s): Nintendo EAD
- Release Date: November 21, 1991
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is one of the biggest gaming titles from the SNES era, selling over 4 million copies and making it to the top 10 most sold games in SNES history. A Link to the Past was everything previous Zelda games did, but with much better design, art, soundtrack, and graphics. The game is a piece of art that is still played by many all over the world.
It has withstood the tide of time due to its incredibly meticulous level design, gripping atmosphere, simple storytelling, and iconic boss designs. A Link to the Past is considered one of the best games in the Zelda franchise and helped cement its legendary status, only being outshone by Breath of the Wild on Switch. That by all accounts makes it one of the best SNES games.
2. Chrono Trigger
- Developer(s): Square
- Release Date: March 11, 1995
When it comes to the best RPGs of all time, one game always comes to mind: Chrono Trigger. This game has a legendary status in almost all RPG communities and for good reason. Chrono Trigger is a game that completely outshined every other RPG even after decades of its release due to the sheer size and scope of the world, level design, and storytelling.
This game had one of the best designed combat systems with over a 100 attack combinations, alongside a colorful cast of characters inspired by the popular anime series Dragon Ball. Chrono Trigger’s story was based on time travel, spanning over 65 million years, the game was vast in every possible way imaginable. Chrono Trigger continues to be considered one of the best RPGs of all time, and easily cements its place near the top of the best SNES games ever.
1. Super Metroid
- Developer(s): Nintendo R&D1, Intelligent Systems
- Release Date: March 19, 1994
Super Metroid tops our list of the best SNES games of all time and is my favorite. The game was so legendary that it created its own sub-genre—the Metroidvania. At its core, Super Metroid is a platformer.
So, what set it apart from other platformers before and after it was released? Super Metroid’s legendary status is due to its gripping atmosphere and incredible sound design. The game constantly makes players feel awed when encountering new areas or monsters. From iconic bosses coming to life from stone to sprouting from the ground in seemingly normal areas, the game keeps the players on their toes.
Super Metroid is my favorite SNES game of all time, but any of the top five games on this list could have made it to the number one spot. Tell us your favorite SNES games in the comments, and whether you agree with our list or not.
