When you say the word video games, one of the brands that most people first think of is Nintendo. From starting as a playing card game company, Nintendo evolved into the video game corporate giant we all know. It is no hyperbole to connect Nintendo's success to the multi-billion dollar video game industry. On that note, many gamers, experts, and historians consider the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES aka the Super Famicom in Japan) as the greatest console the company has ever produced. It is even arguable that the SNES is the greatest video game console PERIOD.
But this honor and recognition is not based on just the console itself. The SNES is no doubt an impressive piece of hardware for its time. Some would say it was revolutionary, cementing the 16-bit technology, effectively using the innovative parallax animation and high resolution sprites, and leading to innovations such as the Super FX chip. The SNES console remains one of the most influential gaming products ever created. However, other consoles such as the Atari Jaguar and the TurboGrafx-16 were also noteworthy pieces of hardware, but are now mere footnotes in gaming history.
When it comes down to it, what elevates the SNES above the rest of its ilk (including other Nintendo consoles that came after it) are the games created during its reign. As most members of the geek fandom will contend, the Super Nintendo has one of the best, even the absolute best, game libraries. While there are mediocre to stinker games in the library, the ratio of good to great games is more extensive. That is no small feat, considering the SNES had 700+ official games in the North American release (and even more when you include the Japanese and European exclusives).
That level of success can be a problem, however. Retro game enthusiasts are constantly on the lookout for grabbing authentic SNES games. New fans of the gaming hobby also look to start getting their SNES libraries built up. But even with the digital availability of many SNES games, it can be daunting to wade through them. Which is why it is ideal to get the best of the best first. But which ones are the truly outstanding games in the SNES pantheon? That's where we come in.
This is the Xfire list of the 30 greatest of Super Nintendo Entertainment System games of all time!
What Do We Base the SNES Game Rankings On?
In determining the entries on this list, we followed similar parameters as we did for the list of
, as follows:
Only Super Nintendo Entertainment System games. No Super Famicom games or European exclusive games. This is to ensure that the games included are the most widely distributed and accessible for the global audience. However, keep your eye out as we will also tackle the best Super Famicom games never released in North America and the best European exclusive SNES games in the future.
We don't look at sales records. Historically, sales records for SNES games are not clear indicators of how good a game actually is. Earthbound and Final Fantasy III (actually Final Fantasy VI) are key examples, as while considered as masterpieces, these games did not make as much sales as John Madden Football '93. Yes, that's a fact.
Only one entry per series. The SNES was such a successful console that there are games and sequels to games released during its height (sometimes within the span of a single year). Thus, only one entry from particular game series are included, which our reviewers have concluded, are the best. Note that while there are multiple franchise titles in the list, these are different games and not sequels. For instance, Super Mario World is a platformer while Super Mario RPG is, well, an RPG, and Mario Kart is a combat racing game. The Mario brand has been on literally every type of genre and subgenre of gaming at this point!
We limited the list to 30 games. 10 more than the Sega Genesis greatest list, but we feel it is justified, given the wider scope and versatility of the games available on the SNES platform. That is still a small number, but it encompasses a vast array of genres from action, to puzzle, to roleplaying, and strategy games.
WE PLAYED THE GAMES. Oh, yes. No half-baked, rose colored nostalgia lenses here. We played and compared these with the current roster of similar games available. Rating on different areas such as fun factor, replayability, design, graphics, sound, and control, we took a long dive on how well these hold up.
So after hundreds and hundreds of hours of playing, arguing, and kicking each other's butts, Xfire presents the no-nonsense 30 Greatest SNES games of all time! (And the answers might shock you!)
Greatest SNES Games from 30 to 1
Super Bomberman (Hudson Soft, 1993)
Rock n' Roll Racing (Blizzard, 1993)
Kirby Super Star (HAL Laboratory, 1996)
Zombies Ate My Neighbors (LucasArts, 1993)
Harvest Moon (Natsume, 1997)
Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen (Quest/Enix America, 1995)
Tetris Attack (Intelligent Systems, 1995)
NBA Jam (Midway, 1993)
Batman Returns (Konami, 1992)
Super Punch Out!! (Nintendo, 1994)
Super Mario Kart (Nintendo, 1992)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (Konami, 1992)
Super Castlevania IV (Konami, 1991)
The Rest of the Best
These are the games that made the Super Nintendo Entertainment System the greatest console ever created. Most of which are readily available either through the SNES Classic Mini or the Nintendo online store. But a good number of other great SNES games nearly made the cut. However, when weighted against the above, they just fell short of the mark.
The runner-ups include such stalwarts as Super Ghouls n' Ghosts, Final Fantasy IV, Super Return of the Jedi, Yoshi's Island, Killer Instinct, Contra III: The Alien Wars, Demon's Crest, Breath of Fire II, Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse, Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals, Street Fighter II Turbo, U.N. Squadron, Mario Paint, Earthworm Jim, and a dozen or so other classics.
Do you agree or disagree with Xfire's list of the greatest Super Nintendo Entertainment System games of all time? Which games did you disagree with on its standing or even presence on the list? What does your own greatest list of SNES games look like? Let us know! And keep your eye out as we rank the truly greatest games on other consoles in the future!