20.) Earthbound (prev. 15th)
At the beginning of the blog I said this was my top 20 favorite SNES games list. That being said, that does not make this my top 20 best SNES games list. So.... The now legendary RPG on the SNES has fallen from 15th in 2017 to 20th. As was the case in 2015, RPG's are just not my thing. They never were my thing and never will be. Honestly I have played Earthbound once since 2015. Still though, Earthbound is one of the few that managed to both grab and hold my attention throughout. This is a one of a kind experience and is one of the best RPG's on the system. The game is quite strange and quite charming all at the same time. It's a good time and offers a ton of content for RPG fans everywhere.
19.) Stunt Race FX (Prev. 14th)
Stunt Race FX is still a very fun game to me. To this day it remains one of my favorite racing games of all time. That being said as more and more games, and other SNES racing games have come into my life, this game has slipped a bit for me. Almost two years after it was inside my top 15, it sits in 19th place. Still though, thanks to my experiences and countless years of fun with this game, it could just as easily crawl back up the list as it fell down the list. My reasoning for this game being on this list are the same as they were in 2015. This game is an underrated gem that got heavily overshadowed by Super Mario Kart. This game is chock full of different game modes and wacky arcade style racing.
18.) Gradius III (prev. 19th)
Gradius III is a classic rail shooter in space. The screen scrolls left to right and it is your job to blow as many enemies out of the... well... space as possible. Along the way you'll pick up powerups to make your ship, faster, stronger, and deadlier. Before setting out you can even customize which powerups you'd like to see appear. Gradius III is one of my favorite Super Nintendo games because of it's frantic, yet smooth gameplay (especially when you grab a speed upgrade) as well as having an awesome soundtrack, Gradius III is one of the SNES's launch titles, but it plays just as good today as it did way back when! My feelings on this game have not changed at all since 2015 when I had first really started playing it.
17.) Aladdin (prev. N/A)
I look back on my 2015 list and I see Toy Story in this spot. While I do love Toy Story and it was one of my first SNES games, after doing some thinking, it really does not make the top 20. Rather I felt kind of dumb for not including Aladdin. This game came out on both the SNES and Sega and there is all kind of debate on which is the better game. One thing there is no argument about. Both version are one of the best, if not the best, Disney games on their respective platforms. The SNES version takes you though the movie with a familiar soundtrack, characters, and throws in some new stuff to go along with it. Aladdin will take you to a whole new world and is one of Disney and Capcom's masterpieces.
( Couldn't resist showing Genie's face when you die there XD)
16.) Zombies Ate My Neighbors (prev. N/A)
Ask me about Zombies At My Neighbors in 2015 and I would have said "I've heard of it, never played it". Since then I have gotten my hands on the game and let me tell you this game is the definition of good time wasting fun! You go through each level blasting zombies and rescuing your neighbors from them. It's a very simple plot, but it is a lot of fun. The fun is literally doubled in two player mode where you and a friend take on the game. This is easily one of my favorite two player games on the console and a game that should never be ignore. I'm ashamed it took me so long to finally get into it!
15.) Kirby Superstar (prev. 7th)
Kirby saw a bit of a tumble in my favorites list since 2015. Despite a fall, Kirby Superstar remains one of my favorite games on the Super Nintendo. It is literally eight games in one and each one of the games are extremely well done. None of the games are really that long at all or difficult for that matter, but they all have that fun and exciting Kirby charm to them. Another fun part about this game is the two player mode where your friend can play as Kirby's sidekick adding an experience that wasn't normally seen in a Kirby game at the time. Kirby Superstar is a ton of fun and holds in the top 15. Another reason for the slip is that personally I feel that the DS remake of this game is an overall better experience as it has more game modes and is easily portable.
14.) Clock Tower (prev. N/A)
Clock Tower. What can I say. I am a sucker for horror games and this game helped to pioneer the survival horror genre. I have only recently played through this game for the first time, but man do I love it. The atmosphere, the sounds, the imagery. Everything about this game is impressive for the Super Famicom. Finally getting my hands on an English version of the game has caused it to catapult into my top 15 and it still has potential to climb higher as more secrets in the game are uncovered by more playthroughs. This game is a nightmare I intend to relive again and again.
13.) Mega Man X (prev. 13th)
Mega Man X was actually the first Mega Man game I had played. It instantly became one of my favorite games on the Super Nintendo and left me wanting more. The levels, the bosses, the music, the graphics, and the gameplay itself all had me hooked then and I remain hooked years later. From this game I became interested in the rest of the early Mega Man games, but was not able to play the sequels of this game for several years. It could be the nostalgia talking, but for me the original Mega Man X is my favorite of the bunch and is certainly worthy of a spot on this list. Honestly I wish I could put this higher, but the rest of the way is just soooooo difficult to decide.
12.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time (prev. 11th)
Enough cannot be said about Turtles in Time. This game to this day is still one of the most accurate ports of an arcade game I have ever seen. The biggest differences are lightly downgraded graphics and an added level and boss fight. That's it. Otherwise this game seems like a carbon copy of the arcade game, which for the SNES is amazing. In a similar manner to earlier Turtles games, you play as one of the Ninja Turtles and fight your way through multiple stages until you eventually meet up with Shredder. Sounds like a typical arcade beat em up, but this game is far from average and is one of my all time favorite beat em ups let alone a game flirting with my top 10 favorite SNES games of all time!
(yes the video says 11th. Back in 2015 when I first made the video that was the case....)
11.) Super Mario All Stars+Super Mario World (prev. ???)
Back in 2015, Super Mario All Stars was ranked 16th and Super Mario World was ranked 6th. Things have changed since then. I actually sold my NES collection (to focus more on SNES/N64) which means I no longer have the original carts for the NES Mario Bros games. As a result, my appreciation for Mario All Stars has regrown and it has slowly climbed back up the list. There is no denying that every game here is a classic. Since the cartridge I have includes Super Mario World I figured it'd make sense to include it here as opposed to it's own entry. If I had to pick Super Mario World would be my favorite of the bunch though. It's Mario All Stars, all the classics in one. What more can you ask for right??? Actually there is one more thing I could have asked for, but it's already here. With all of the games you can save your progress! So you could stop playing at any time and pick up where you left off without having to leave the system on! Brilliant!
10.) Starfox
Here's a game that is a solid argument for me personally as to why my first top 20 list was done without me taking some time to really think about it. Somehow I managed to neglect Starfox. One of my all time favorites on the SNES. While today the game looks a lot like a bunch of flying polygons, back when it came out it looked awesome. The action is high paced, the difficulty level scales nicely, the soundtrack is great. In the end this is my favorite rail shooter on the system. The first in the series, Starfox would pave the way for the insanely popular Starfox 64. Despite often being overlooked, Starfox remains one of my favorite Super Nintendo games.
9.) Super Mario Kart (prev. 9th)
The game that really started the kart racing craze stays put at number 9 on my favorites list. If you have never had a chance to play the game that was the first in the Mario Kart series, do whatever you can do to change that. While Super Mario Kart is nowhere near as flashy, creative, or havoc ridden as later installments in the series, it is a blueprint of what was to come. Items are present, but only the star and lightning are truly overpowered. Coins, which were removed in various games in the series, help you to reach top speeds and keep you kart pointed in the right direction. The computer opponents have unique items at their disposal and are not afraid to spam them all over the place. All of this plus a fun multiplayer in both racing and battle make Super Mario Kart the king of SNES racing games and number 9 on my all time favorite SNES games list.
8.) Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (prev. 12th)
Here's a game that I think a lot of people would disagree with me having this high on a list like this. For me though, Donkey Kong Country 3 is the swan song of my favorite gaming trilogy. While it doesn't exactly hold up to the standards of the first two games, DKC3 still is a great game in it's own right. Keeping in mind that this game came out when the majority of both Nintendo and Rare's resources were going towards the Nintendo 64 helps me to realize just how good this game is. The world is massive, the graphics look more cartoon-like, but are still great. The music is different, but by no means bad, and the gameplay is at a slower pace which for some people is a plus. Donkey Kong Country 3 did enough for me not to alienate it from the other two games like some people tend to do and is one of my most played and enjoyed games on the system.
7.) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (prev. 4th)
Falling out of the top 5 is Yoshi's Island. That being said, this game is still (in my eyes anyway) a masterpiece. The colors are out of this world. It's like a rainbow vomiting all over the screen. It's bright, it's colorful, it looks like a child's toy-box. I could go on. This installment in the Mario World series focuses on Yoshi, along with baby Mario, trying to rescue baby Luigi from baby Bowser. Yep, this is the game that started up all the baby characters that are now seemingly in every spin off Mario game. The gameplay is so different that it doesn't even feel like a Mario game. Instead of mushrooms and fire flowers you are eating enemies, turning them into eggs, and beaming them at other enemies. Seems incredibly morbid to me, but a whole lot of fun. Yoshi's Island is a unique platformer that has it's own unique charm, style, and annoying screaming baby.
6.) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (prev. 5th)
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is often regarded as one of the best games in the entire series. That is incredibly high praise for the top down view that this game has against the now more immersive 3-D games. The praise though is not unfounded as this game truly is one of the best in the series. The story is gripping, the adventure itself is exciting, and the world is simply huge. Not only is the world large, but there are literally two of them. Travel between realms and save Princess Zelda. Sounds simple right? Well there are two whole worlds out there doing everything they can to impede Link and prevent him from reaching his goals. This game is a true work of art and one of the best Zelda games ever made. That being said though, it now sits just outside the top 5 as my craving and taste for a certain type of game will pretty much take over the top 5.... Pretty much, but not completely I may add...
(This video was recorded in 2015. Sorry for quality/incorrect number. I no longer have access to the account...)
5.) Donkey Kong Country (prev. 8th)
The legendary game known as Donkey Kong Country ranks in at number 5 on my list. Countless hours have I spent trying to rescue Donkey Kong's Banana Horde from the villainous King K. Rool. The first game in my favorite video game trilogy started a massive tidal wave that helped Nintendo sky rocket back into the lead against rival Sega. It was simply on like Donkey Kong. For the first time it seemed like Mario had taken a backseat to another character and from there on in, the ape seemingly took over the SNES. The graphics are incredible for the SNES and the soundtrack is right there with it. Rareware hit the ball out of the park with this game and it is still a complete blast to play today. Luckily, the game is available on the Wii U's Virtual Console and I think it is also on the New 3DS's Virtual Console as well...
4.) Super Metroid (prev. 3rd)
The true masterpiece of a series that has been neglected for years. Super Metroid is one of the ultimate games on the Super Nintendo. The size of this adventure has no scale. It can be as immersive as you want it to be. You can go where you want, do what you want, and even to some extent, find what you want. Super Metroid begins with Samus feeling pretty basic and plain as she did in the previous adventures, but by the end, she feels like literally nothing can defeat her. When this game came out that feeling of becoming so powerful was truly awesome and only added to the experience that is this game. Super Metroid is brilliant in every way and I think it's safe to say that almost anyone who has played through this game would rank it somewhere in their favorite Super Nintendo games.
Phew. We are finally down to my top 3 favorite Super Nintendo games. Looking back on my old list I can see that a lot of things have changed and a lot of my feelings towards certain games have either changed or stayed the same. Tetris Attack, Primal Rage, and Toy Story all came off the list for one reason or another while Aladdin, Zombies At My Neighbors, Clock Tower, and Starfox all made a well deserved place on the list. Some games moved up, some moved down, and Super Mario World I decided to merge with Super Mario All Stars since that is the form I have the game in. Choosing 20 games from the vast library of good Super Nintendo games was by no means easy. Games like Street Fighter II, F-Zero, and Super Ghouls and Ghosts while being amazing games just miss out on being in my 20 favorites. All in all revisiting this list has been a blast and now it is time to finish it.
3.) Super Castlevania IV (prev. 10th)
In 2015 this game was ranked 10th. Now it has reached my top 3. This game is so so so so good. It is the fourth installment in the Castlevania series, but it is more of a remake of the original than anything. As far as the classic platforming Castlevania games go, this one is in my opinion the ultimate (not counting the Castlevania games that feature a Super Metroid style gameplay with that statement, a different story for a different time). It is this game that brought everything I enjoyed about the original NES games, added new features, improved every aspect of the originals, and delivered in a big big way. There is nothing bad I can really say about this game. Back in 2015 I had just gotten my hands on it and was extremely happy with how much I was enjoying it. Now I can safely say that it is one of my three favorite games on the system!
2.) Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (prev. 2nd)
Holding strong at number 2 is Mario RPG. For me, not only is this game a timeless classic, but it is by far my favorite RPG game. I kicked this list off with Earthbound and made mention of the fact that RPGs really are not my preferred style of game. Well for me personally, Mario RPG hit every nail square on the head. I can't even count the number of times I've played through this game anymore. The characters are all so unique, the dialogue throughout is great, the gameplay varies and does include some platforming in-between fighting enemies, the soundtrack is catchy, and best of all, there is just a plethora of things to do. I never once found myself bored with this game as I normally do with RPGs. Perhaps it was because I never really felt like I had to do a real big level grind or have to perform a bunch of mindless tasks to achieve one goal. Whatever the case, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars gripped me when I was young and continues to do so to this day. There has never been a RPG style Mario game like this one and chances are there never will be. There is always hope, but even then. At this point would a new one really be able to top this?
1.) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
At last we arrive at my favorite Super Nintendo game. Honestly, there should be no surprise here at all. I've blogged and blogged about this game. I've talked about my feelings on this game both past and present. Heck, I've pretty much done everything short of completely breaking the game down and giving my thoughts on individual levels, music tracks, etc etc etc. You can tell by looking at this list that platforming games have a special place for me on the Super Nintendo. For me, this game takes the creativity, look, and feel of Donkey Kong Country and mixes it with some of the speed from Sonic the Hedgehog. Now I'm not saying the game is that fast paced, but the more I play and the better I get, the faster it becomes and that is something I love. This game makes me feel like I'm being rewarded for practicing, which is something I don't get with a lot of games, in particular modern games. I'm not going to say anything else about this game, but leave it to the game itself to do the talking... All I ask is that you see one of my favorite features about the game. No two levels are even remotely alike outside of backgrounds and music.
Thank you all for reading. I'm sorry this took so long to finish, but I knew it was going to be a project with this new software combination I'm using for recording videos. I think they came out pretty nice though. So where do I go from here is the question. My next blog is going to be a review of Michael Jackon's Moonwalker on the Sega Genesis. From there I'll probably give into the want to blog about some more Rareware games. One of the ideas I'm tossing around is looking more closely at the Donkey Kong Land games. The other idea involves a look at a 64 bit Rareware game.... Stay tuned...
No comments:
Post a Comment