Oh that’s a solid pick, but I’ll save it for my Genesis list :-D
Shadowrun!!!
Only Shadowrun chummers.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors is bar none the best coop game I’ve ever played on a console. I had $20 in birthday money and I went to the store and picked it up because I thought the box looked cool, and I still play it to this day.
I actually bought it for the Genesis, but the SNES version is better (and is currently the one I play on emulation). Since I played far more Genesis than SNES, I’ll include it on this list.
Sunset Riders
Donkey Kong Country
Super Mario World
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy III/VI
Earthbound
Zelda - A Link to the Past
Shadow Run
The Lost Vikings
Not many games for me either, I have never really liked this platform: lots of games, very poor quality overall.
My top SNES game, and one of my absolute favourite games ever, is a horror adventure game from 1995: Gakkodeattakowaihanashi. This predates the coming visual novels, and was released commercially back then. The genius of the game is, first, the quality of the stories, but also its structure, with tons of inputs from the player, and a lot of the choices having a real influence on the narrative. I would love to get into the details of the structure and incredible nuances of this titanesque work of genius, still cherished to this day, but that’d require much more space. The fact it was never considered for a translation speaks of all the wrongs of our world.
In no particular order:
Street Fighter 2: the addiction of the days in the arcade, and the reason I bought this console I had no interest in, the day that port was released.
Front Mission is a nifty Tactical RPG with mech customization and parts exploding and stuff. It’s the most satisfying Battlemech game to me, and doesn’t even support the licence! Also, what a soundtrack.
Septentrion/SOS is a unique adventure-action game about trying to save your ass (and hopefully, some others’) from a sinking liner. This game seems to use the same engine as the coming Clock Tower, and is marred by very poor detections and general gameplay, but it was really atmospheric and ambitious. Won’t spoil anything from it, if you are curious enough to play it!
Itadaki Street 2 is a cute variation on Monopoly, with an economy and tile system that will inspire the later Culdcept obviously. Like Monopoly, it is exhaustingly long-drawn and not very fit for multiplayer sessions.
Ganbare Goemon/Mystical Ninja is River City Ransom in idealized Edo Japan with a lot of mini-games. I remember having fun playing it in 2-player modes, maybe as a fighting game.
Shin Megami Tensei for the prologue’s atmosphere, which is so bizarre and awesome! All gone to smithereens (ha!) when they press the red button though… The peculiar visual identity was great: it is really sad they gave up on it when the game series went 3D.
I seem to remember R-Type III being good, while Super R-Type was horrible…
I had totally forgotten about that game: a (sick) friend of mine had bought a Nintendo 64 not to play any Zelda titles, but to play the sequel (starring “Josephine”, if memory serves right).
One that really stands out for me was playing Rock n’ Roll Racing with my wife. I don’t think we ever found it to purchase it for ourselves, but we rented that cart for weeks at a time, heh.
Looks like it was cross-platform, but may have been best on the SNES.
Totally forgot about this. Yes, it was terrific. A worthy RC Pro Am followup.
- A Link to the Past
- Street Fighter 2
- Puberty
- Sports
- Girls
I’d throw in a vote for Metal Marines. It’s this interesting proto-RTS that is also sort of a city builder with a bit of a tower defense vibe. You and the enemy are on separate islands, and lob missiles and the titular Metal Marines back and forth at each other.
It was ported to Windows 3.1. The port recreated all the maps and kept all the stats the same, but it made the game fully real time and changed the attack rules in a way that made it play out differently, Also, it had multiplayer, which made all the annoying flaws worthwhile when you could get a game set up. Which I guess these days is “never.”
Not any order. Sorry not sorry.
First the holy JRPG trinity that will never be surmounted ever because of the reality that is:
- Earthbound
- Chrono Trigger
- Final Fantasy VI
Second the bias, platformers
- Yoshi’s Island
- Super Mario World
- Donkey Kong Country / DKC2 (tie)
Third the worst because I didn’t play Zelda or Metroid but who cares because these games are awesome!
- Mega Man X
- Rock n’ Roll Racing
- Metal Warriors
This accurately reflects the 10 games I played the most and enjoyed the most on the SNES. Thank you.
P.S. Honorable mentions: Shadowrun, Pilot Wings, Final Fantasy IV
P.P.S. I do wish I played Super Metroid and A Link to the Past as a kid. I really do.
P.P.P.S. Street Fighter 2 was an Arcade game
I missed this when it was posted…
Top 10
Super Metroid
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Super Castlevania IV
Final Fantasy VI
Super Street Fighter II
Wild Guns
Pocky and Rocky
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Axelay
The next 10. Easily just outside the Top 10 or there on any given day…
F-Zero
Star Fox
Super Mario World
Super Mario RPG
Super Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts
R-Type III
Demon’s Crest
Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Cybernator
Kirby’s Dream Course
The only reason Chrono Trigger isn’t on my list is because gasp I’ve never played it! I own the DS release. One of these days…
- Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer
- Super Metroid
- Yoshi’s Island
- ActRaiser
- Mega Man X
- Soul Blazer
- Ogre Battle
- Final Fantasy VI
- Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Final Fantasy IV
Honorable Mention:
- Chrono Trigger
- Treasure of the Rudra
- Super Mario World
- Super Mario Kart
- Final Fantasy V