20.) Primal Rage
Ok so right away I know what a lot of you are probably thinking. Primal Rage in a top 20? Yes in this case and here's why. As a kid Primal Rage was amazing to me (a huuuuge fan of Jurassic Park) as it was the closest thing I could find to a dino fighting game. I mean sure, the game is missing a lot of what other fighters such as Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat have, but to me the cast of characters, being able to kick your worshipers around and even eat them was far more appealing then trying to put together a great finish to a fight. The game is nothing special to a lot of people, but to me it's a childhood fighting game that I cannot ignore.
Gradius III was one of the first games released on the SNES. It's a classic side scrolling rail shooting game where you pilot a space craft and blow stuff up. Sounds like most classic rail shooters right? Correct! What I love about Gradius III that sets it apart from the others for me is being able to choose your upgrades prior to starting. This makes things seem so much less redundant when I play this game. This game is quite difficult to boot and the arcade mode is not one to be taken lightly. Overall the mayhem of Gradius III lands it on this list, beating out Super R-Type.
18.) Toy Story
This Disney game is the very first SNES game I ever owned, Super Game Boy aside. Toy Story is a, in my opinion, extremely well done game. You play as Woody and basically go through the story of Toy Story. You knock Buzz out a window, go undercover in fast food containers, play in a crane machine, drive R.C., and even fight a freakish nightmare Buzz in Woddy's nightmares. Personally one of my favorites was donning the food containers and sneaking through Pizza Planet. In the end you make it back to Andy and everyone lives happily ever after. Toy Story got a lot of things right graphically, musically, and play style. Making it a truly memorable game.
17.) Tetris Attack
The first time I played a game like Tetris Attack was Pokemon Puzzle League for the Nintendo 64. Only recently had I actually played Tetris Attack and learned how great it is. Despite the label and box art, the game actually involves many characters from Yoshi's Island. The game was originally called Panel de Pon in Japan and featured different characters, but when it came to the U.S. Yoshi took over the reigns. This challenging puzzle game you've probably seen before, line up like blocks and use them to drop crap on your opponent if you line up 4 or more. You keep going till one player's stack hits the top and loses. Sounds simple in theory, but can be quite challenging in practice. This game continues to try and push it's way up the list, which it could very well do!
16.) Super Mario All Stars
Back when I was younger I did not have a NES (I did for a brief time, but it met an unfortunate end) so the only way I got to really experience the original Super Mario Bros games was through Super Mario All Stars. I was wowed by Super Mario Bros and Super Mario Bros 3. I was confused by Super Mario Bros 2 which I later learned was actually a different game in Japan. To wrap it all up I became frustrated with Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels which I later learned was actually the Japanese Super Mario Bros 2. I logged countless hours into this game when I was younger, but now that I have an NES and the original games to go along with it, I don't play it as much at all, but still certainly a favorite on the system!
From here on in, this is going to get real difficult for me. I have like 20 or so more games that I really love on this system, but only 15 of them are going to make this list. At the end I guess I'll do some honorable mentions or something cause they too need a tick of recognition I think. So let's continue!
15.) Earthbound
Yes bust out the pitchforks on this one people. Burn me at the stake. Tar and feather me too. While I agree that Earthbound is a tremendous game and certainly one of the top games on the SNES, it was just not an all time favorite of mine. Personally RPGs are not my thing. In fact outside of the Pokemon series, I can think of only one RPG that I've been able to go back and play again and again. Earthbound is just not that RPG. I will not knock the game much at all. The game is certainly one of the strangest yet most charming games I've played. I mean you can talk to some animals which is awesome. The battle scenes are lacking a bit with no real combat visuals and backgrounds that can and probably have caused many a seizure. The soundtrack of the game is simply brilliant and in many cases simply trippy. If you are a big RPG fan unlike myself, you will probably fall in love with this game. It really is hard not to and even though I didn't find myself wanting to jump right back into the game after I finished it, I have returned to it and have enjoyed it far more than most RPGs. Earthbound starts out the top 15 and is a game that I really enjoy despite not being a huge fan of it's genre. I'd say I love the experience of playing this wacky game more than I actually like the game itself cause if nothing else, this game is really an experience.
14.) Stunt Race FX
Look familiar? Probably because I just did a blog on this fantastic game not long ago. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that this game would appear on this list. Stunt Race FX is a wacky racing game that has many play modes and several completely different vehicles to race with. Sure the graphics aren't the best, and the soundtrack isn't all that expansive, but if you're looking for a great racing experience on the SNES and don't want to deal with items or extremely high speeds, check this game out! For my full thoughts on this game check out the blog on it and check out the game itself. It truly is a hidden gem of the SNES that does not get even close to the recognition it deserves and I will stand by that! Seriously check it out! http://hydragamingblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/stunt-race-fx-thoughts-and-review.html
13.) Mega Man X
The first and by far my favorite Mega Man game I played was Mega Man X. My grandparents got this game for me as a birthday gift and what a gift it still is. My initial thoughts on the game were that the game was really fun and really hard. Now the game feels much easier after playing it for so many years, but it remains just as fun. You play as X and in classic Mega Man fashion proceed through stages stealing the powers of bosses that you kill en route to your final battle (in this case against Sigma). The levels actually interact with each other a bit which I thought was mind blowing as a kid. An example would be after beating Chill Penguin, Flame Mammoth's world becomes frozen over. Little things like that changed levels so much that it really felt like your choice of enemy to pursue was really making a difference (cause it was). I cant really find anything wrong with this game that would make me not recommend it to anyone. It's that good. The music, the stages, the gameplay. All brilliant. Okay perhaps it could have been a bit longer or more difficult, but that's about all I got.
12.) Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble
Donkey Kong Country 3 is the last entry in the Super Nintendo Donkey Kong series. In fact the game came out after Nintendo decided to start pushing the Nintendo 64 so a lot of people at the time had already moved on from the Super Nintendo. This game gets a lot of flack compared to the other two games in the series, but I still had a TON of fun with this game and still do today. Sure it introduced Kiddy Kong who generally feels like a waste of space compared to Dixie, but still, the game is awesome. The challenges of this game I feel in some cases are greater than in the other entries in the series (boss battles in particular). The soundtrack is generally on par or just slightly below the first two games. The game added some unneeded things such as banana birds and a trading family of bears, but both of those are side quests only needed if you're looking to fully complete the game. This game could easily be higher on my list, but there is still plenty more to come that just edge it out.
11.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle IV: Turtles in Time
Now we're gettin down to the nitty gritty with these games. Wow. Turtles in Time. What can I say about this game? Take the arcade game, dub down the sounds and visuals just a tad, add a level and boss fight along with a few other small changes, and slap an SNES label on it and that's what you get. AKA you get a truly incredible game! Turtles IV to this day is still one of the most accurate and similar ports of an arcade game I've ever seen. Action packed levels throughout, tough boss fights, literally (not really) throwing members of the Foot through your TV screen, and even some classic comic book comedy bits all come together in a perfect blend of epicness! This very well could be my favorite arcade style beat em up of all time. There's a reason this game gets incredible amounts of praise to this day. Seriously if you have not tried this game yet you're missing out. The two downsides are that the game is 2 player only compared to it's arcade brother which is 4 players and that the game is rather short (beatable in under 20 minutes if trying hard enough). Still. Phenomenal game right here at number 11.
10.) Super Castlevania IV
Okay want to talk about a game jumping onto a list? Super Castlevania is a game that I played all of 10 minutes of up until a month or so ago. Now it is easily one of my favorite SNES games of all time. The music, the gameplay, the sounds, the story, the levels, the difficulty, the enemies, and all of the everything! It's all just really really good. You play as Simon Belmont in a quest to destroy Dracula. By using his trusty whip you'll progress through Transylvania until you reach your ultimate goal. All kinds of enemies appear including things from mythology as can be seen by Medusa's head clearly being on the box. I have not finished this game yet and yet here it is in the top 10 for me. By the end it could end up higher, but that's for another time right?
9.) Super Mario Kart
As much as I love Stunt Race FX, Super Mario Kart is where my SNES racing gold medal lives. Another game I got as a gift from my grandparents, Super Mario Kart wowed me as a kid and as time has come and gone and Mario Kart has evolved into some really crazy stuff, the original still holds a special place for me. The tracks (minus that horrific Rainbow Road) are not overly difficult, but are all unique and very different. Even tracks of the same set I.E. Bowser's Castle tracks, all behave differently making it feel like those recycled songs and backgrounds didn't even exist. I've spent probably more time on this Mario Kart than any other (besides Mario Kart 64). I find it to be that entertaining, in particular when playing with someone. The game that started all of the Mario Kart madness sits at number 9 and while I wish the AI of the computer controlled racers was better, but it can still put up a challenge on 150cc. The box says "where racing becomes an adventure". That's a pretty accurate statement as you'll be trying to dodge thwomps, monty moles, pipes, ice blocks, ledges, mud, water, and other hazards as you race. Trying to do all that and then dealing with Mario or Luigi who can just turn on a star whenever they want is a challenge in itself let alone trying to collect coins for a speed upgrade... Ah. Such good times!
8.) Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country is the first in the trilogy for the SNES. The game is still simply beyond impressive. I've played through this game many times and was actually the first of the series that I beat despite it not being the first of the series I owned(Makes sense right?). This game really needs no introduction. If you've spent any time playing a SNES, you probably know about this game. The graphics are revolutionary, the soundtrack is perfect for background music, all the level designs are inspiring (Those forest levels though), the gameplay is virtually flawless. In fact the only thing I can really say negatively about this game is that there is a lack of collectibles given the sheer amount of bonus rooms in the game. Yeah. That's reallllly nit picking isn't it? I will also say that this game serves up a nice dose of difficulty too. The first world is really a cake walk, the first level of the second world isn't hard at all either, but then the difficulty starts to ramp up with the first mine cart level. Personally I think the difficulty peaks on Snow Barrel Blast and then actually drops a tad for the rest of the way. Man that level still gives me headaches. Trying to perfectly time rotating barrels in the middle of a blizzard isn't exactly the easiest thing to do...
7.) Kirby Superstar
There are actually 4 Kirby games that were released on the Super Nintendo. Each of these games are pretty good in their own right and will eventually be reviewed as part of my Kirby series, but Kirby Superstar stands out as one of my favorite Super Nintendo games. The games aren't overly long at all, but each of them are a lot of fun. From the loose remake of Kirby's Dreamland in the form of Spring Breeze, to racing against time to destroy Metaknight's ship in Revenge of Metaknight, to racing King Dedede for all kinds of food, to collecting lost treasure, to stopping Dyna Blade (a massive bird) from destroying the crops of Dream Land, to so much more, this game offers a ton of fun. One of my favorite parts about this game is the expanded copy ability that allows you to create allies. The ally can actually be controlled by a second player. So this game is actually a multiplayer game, which is freaking awesome! The cartoon graphics, the silly music, and the sheer expanse of abilities that Kirby can use makes this game truly a great one and one that can provide gamers of all ages with a lot of fun!
6.) Super Mario World
More pitchforks! Super Mario World just misses my top 5 favorite SNES games. This game is a magical game to say the least. It took everything that the NES had set up with Super Mario Bros 3 and did nothing but in my opinion, improve upon it. I could probably say there are times when I feel like I am lost in Super Mario World. Literally I feel like I get sucked into this game. Countless hours have been spent trying to unlock the whole map, defeating Bowser, and clearing the Special Area of Star Road. I could go on and on about this game and perhaps I will at some point, but right now I'll highlight some of my favorite things about this game! There are a ton of different paths to unlock, a very well done soundtrack, exciting gameplay and well... The rest can be summed up in this commercial.
Good stuff there for sure and as you can see the graphics are pretty good in their own right as well. This game really hits all the right marks and is a great experience for gamers looking for something casual or challenging as things can get a bit dicey in Super Mario World.
5.) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
I see a bunch of little red dots on me right now... Am I about to be shot? Seriously though The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is easily one of the best Zelda games ever made. It's just that I happen to enjoy 4 other titles on this system more. The first Zelda game I played was the original on NES. Then I played Link's Awakening on Game Boy. Then I played Ocarina of Time on N64. Then I finally got to play this game and was blown away. I can still rmember the first time I stepped on that portal that threw Link into the Dark World and was hit in the face with the fact that the game literally had two worlds in it. Needless to say I was thrilled when Lowrule appeared in A Link Between Worlds as well. I am a huuuuuge fan of the top down view Zelda games and let me just say that out of all of those top down Zelda games, this one really takes the cake. The story is amazing, the gameplay is amazing, the grapics are amazing and still stand up today as incredibly bright,clear, and oozing of nostalgia, the sound effects are amazing, the whole game is simply in one word. Amazing. Some people call this game the best Zelda game of all time. That of course is a huge debate though. For me A Link To The Past is probably my 3rd favorite Zelda game!
4.) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Just missing the Bronze Medal is Yoshi's Island. This game, this game, this game... So much to say. This game is a beast to say the least. The graphics are out of this world colorful. It's like a rainbow exploded in your face! Yoshi's Island really offers up some of the most colorful, fun loving, and beautiful graphics that the SNES had ever seen. Everything that was right with Super Mario World can be found in here to some degree with a bunch of new stuff added in. This is the game that saw the debut of a helpless duo of babies in the form of baby Mario and baby Luigi. The hero of the game is Yoshi who up to this point played the role of Mario and Luigi's little dino friend and nothing more. For the first time Yoshi was the hero. Yoshi can hover in mid air, eat enemies and spit them back out or turn them into eggs. The eggs can then be used as weapons. Kinda morbid if you think about it. Anyway. The game controls great, the music is upbeat overall, and challenge awaits as you inch closer to the end of the game. This has always been one of my favorite Super Nintendo games and has only recently been bumped out of the top 3. While some people may say it's too cartooney or silly or stupid looking, the game is truly one of the best platformers the system has to offer and that my friends is an opinion backed by many, many people.
3.) Super Metroid
The Bronze Medal goes to Super Metroid!!! Growing up, this game was a legend to me. I had heard about it. Heard how good it was. Heard how it took everything that was from the previous Metroid games and exploded it. Heard that it could just be one of the best of all times. Sadly, I never had a chance to play it. Years later it sits in the top 3 of my Super Nintendo games. There is literally nothing that I can find wrong with this game. It is massive, it is beautiful, it is legendary. The music fits perfect to the environments, the detail is stunning, the gameplay is beyond fluid, etc etc. This is another game that I could go on and on about as far as it's greatness is concerned, but for now I won't, but I will say that this game is one of my 3 favorites for the system for many many good reasons!
2.) Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
The Silver Medal goes to a game that came out during the end of the Super Nintendo era. People had already began ditching their Super Nintendos in favor of the shiny new Nintendo 64. Those that did not abandon their 16 bit consoles were treated to a truly spectacular game. Square (now SquareEnix) teamed up with Nintendo and put a spin on Mario that the world had never seen and really has not seen since. Super Mario RPG introduced a slew of new characters to the Mario Universe (many of which have not been seen since) that made Bowser's minions look like child's play. From Exor, a massive sword the pierces into Bowser's Keep to Yardovich who was the bane of my existence in this game for the longest time, the new characters are just plain dirty. Of course Mario's new allies in Geno and Mallow are brilliant in their own rights as well! The soundtrack of this game is border line intoxicating. Tunes can and will get stuck in your head from this game! The RPG turn based combat system is incredibly well done and unlike many other RPG's, not boring at all. The attack animations from both heroes and villains are great with everyone having their own animations for different attacks. The equipment you can use is pretty basic in terms of picking out which items work the best. This simplicity honestly adds to what I love about this game. I feel like too many RPGs have soooo many items to equip that it becomes almost tedious trying to figure out which item is the best for the current situation in every town. This game lacks that feeling for me however.
Another thing that has to be said about this game right here and now is that there is literally a TON of things to do. There are mini games and easter eggs literally littered throughout the entire game! Secret paths, racing, an arcade game, and various other challenges can be accomplished that aren't even part of the game's storyline. Speaking of story, the story of this game is crazy good. I've heard some people say that RPG's don't hold too much replay value, while I tend to agree with that, this game is a huge exception in my book. Super Mario RPG is my favorite RPG of all time and will probably continue to be my favorite RPG for a long time to come!
Okay. It's all come down to this. My all time favorite Super Nintendo game! Before revealing what some of you have probably already guessed I'd like to take a moment to list off a few honorable mention games that I thoroughly enjoy playing, but just missed this list.
1.) F-Zero
2.) Aladdin
3.) The Lion King
4.) Super R-Type
5.) Claymates
Really I could think of about 20 or so more titles that I would throw on this list. The Super Nintendo holds a special place in my heart. I've spent more time playing SNES than I have any other system. The list of SNES games I've played continues to grow and I have yet to find even one that I can say I 100% hate everything about. Sure there are games I'd rather never play again, *cough* Bubsy *cough*, but even those games I can't say I hate. Enough of all of that though... My all time favorite Super Nintendo game and quite possibly my favorite game of all time is....
1.) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
The gold goes to Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest! This game has literally consumed my SNES at times. When I was younger I remember waking up early to play a little bit of this before school. More recently it's been late nights of Kremlin bashing fun. The plot of the game is simple, rescue Donkey Kong from Kaptain K. Rool (King K Rool). The way the game goes about doing this though. Wow. First of all there is virtually nothing friendly about the feel you get playing this game. It is obvious without even being said that you are not welcome on any of the levels. This is different than the first and third games where some of the music and levels feel a bit upbeat. No, in this game you get a sense of danger that starts on the first level of a creaking old ship and lasts the entire way. I'm probably looking to far into it, but it's literally like you are straight up invading Crocodile Isle. I can sum it up like this. You ride a ship smack into a volcano that you escape and end up on another ship (this time sunken in a swamp at the island's base, then you finally start moving up the island passing through a twisted carnival, haunted woods, a castle, and finally to your ultimate destination. All out offense in trying to save the big ape.
Besides the story that I think is pretty easy to follow despite no actual story being recited there is a ton more I love about this game. The level designs are beautiful for one. The first game had backgrounds that looked nice, but really didn't do too much. In DKC 2 though, that all changed. Take the bramble levels for example.
There is just an added layer of creativity in these small things that Rare completely nailed in each and every level. Even though the backgrounds may be used more than once, none of them (except for the carnival and lava levels that I can think of) are exactly the same.
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You can see what I mean here. The lighting of the woods is replaced by a sort of mist blowing through the woods despite the background being the same, it gives the illusion of being on a completely different level!
Another huge high point for me is the climbing difficulty throughout (culminating in one brief area as Squawks the parrot... Go die Animal Antics) the game. The first world isn't bad at all, but as you start to progress through the second you will notice a slowly climbing difficulty.
Squawks + wind = one of the most evil things to exist in a video game...
Donkey Kong Country 2 is a game in which Rare took everything that made the first Donkey Kong Country great, expanded on it, added in a bunch of new ideas, and created a MASTERPIECE. While this game may not be the favorite of most it is hardly ever forgotten about as one of the best games the Super Nintendo has to offer. After playing this game for over 10 years, it still is by far the most entertaining game on the Super Nintendo to me. It is my absolute undisputed favorite and that is something that will not be changing anytime soon! Check out an extremely good DKC 2 player completing one of my favorite levels "Hornet Hole" and the notorious "Animal Antics".
Well everyone that completes my top 20 SNES games! Again, there are so many games I enjoy on this system and trying to pick just 20 was no easy task for me. It feels good to finally have this thing finished for now. Expect more lists and Donkey Kong Country 2 stuff in the future!
I hope you enjoyed reading and watching! There is lots more to come of course. Next time I'll be diving into the second Kirby game in the Kirby Series. That of course being Kirby's Adventure on the NES.
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