My Top 25 SNES Games

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System went by many names. In Japan, it was the Super Famicom. In Korea, Hyundai sold it as the Super Comboy. In the West, it was the Super Nintendo, the Super NES... in our house it was always just the SNES. (That's pronounced “snez” by the way. None of that “ess-enn-ee-ess” here.) When we got our own second-hand SNES in the mid-90s, it was a revelation. Our first home console, with full colour games to play on our terribly modest TV screen. Some will favour the Mega Drive/Genesis, others the PlayStation; but for me, the SNES was the great console of the 1990s. Don't worry, I'll get to those other two.

Settling on a mere twenty-five favourite SNES games was a hard task but I managed it. There were so many truly excellent games on the SNES (often with the word “Super” in the title), I could have made it a list of fifty. Keep in mind that these are just my personal favourites, not a “best of” list. It's platformer heavy because platformers are my thing. No doubt your own lists would look very different.

As before I've included details of where these games can be legally played, although with retro gaming such a huge market nowadays it's quite possible I've missed some options.

(For maximum effect, put on some nineties hits and imagine the countdown with a Top of the Pops-style voiceover.)

25) WildSnake (1994)

I don't know why this game never caught on. Named WildSnake in North America, Super Snakey in Japan and not released anywhere else, this is presented as a new game from Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, although it looks like his involvement was limited. This is basically snake Tetris; snakes of various lengths and colours slither down the screen, and you can steer them slightly as they descend. Connect two matching-coloured snakes and the lower one disappears, with all the rest shifting to fill the gap. Simple enough to get straight away but tricky enough to test you, it really comes into its own in the King Cobra mode, where you are presented with continually tougher challenges.

Availability: Nothing through official channels, so far as I know.

24) Tetris Attack/Panel de Pon (1995)

Two versions of this game exist: The Japanese original Panel de Pon/Paneru de Pon, and the western reskin, Tetris Attack. This is a cracking block-switching puzzle that features either cutesy fairies or Yoshi's Island characters depending on the region. While I much prefer the Game Boy version, this is a great game on any platform, and there's something to be said for this hugely colourful version. The inclusion of a two-player mode, which lets you drop junk blocks on your opponent's field, Puyo Puyo-style, is a big tick in its favour.

Availability: Panel de Pon is available through the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service in its original design, but not the Tetris Attack version.

23) Super Castlevania IV (1991)

Fundamentally a remake of the first Castlevania game on the NES but playing far better, in Super Castlevania IV the challenge comes from the undead enemies and the precarious platforming, not awkward controls. Vampire hunter Simon Belmont gets to wield various enjoyable weapons, but to be honest the standard Vampire Killer whip is so much fun to use I don't mind it when I'm out of hearts or with an empty weapon cache. A good spooky time all round.

Availability: Super Castlevania IV is on the SNES Classic Mini console and the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service. It's also included in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, which is available for the Switch/Switch 2, PS4/5, Xbox One and PC via Steam.

22) TMNT: Tournament Fighters (1994)

Although most players would likely cite the 1992 port of Turtles in Time as the best Turtles game on the SNES – and it is pretty great – I have so many fond memories of this one-on-one fighter that it would be impossible not to include it. The single player and story modes were great fun, but it was long rounds of versus mode against my brother that stick in my memory. There are actually three games that went by this title, on the NES, SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis. They're all distinctly different, and the SNES game is by far the best. A genuinely great fighting game with good graphics, great tunes and a cracking cast of characters to choose from. Wingnut the bat was my go-to (I also had the action figure).

Availability: Along with all of Konami's Turtles games from the 80s and 90s, Tournament Fighters is included in TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection for Switch, PS4 & PS5, XBox One and Series S/X, and PC via Steam. The SNES iteration, unlike the other two versions, features online multiplayer options.

21) Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (1994)

This was actually the third version of Street Fighter II, the second and last to be released on the SNES, followed in arcades and on other platforms by The New Challengers and the wonderfully hyperbolic Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Fighting games aren't in my particular skillset but they can be a ton of fun. This is a nostalgic favourite, particularly in Turbo Mode, faster than the Champion Edition which sits as the standard mode. Still a great one to get out for a quick scrap with a mate.

Availability: The SNES version is on the SNES Classic Mini console. There are arcade ports easily available today as part of the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection and as a cheap additional purchase with Capcom Arcade Stadium, both of which are available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and Steam. The most modern remake in the SFII series is (deep breath) Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers from 2017 for the Switch, with a bunch of extras beyond the Turbo and Super Turbo versions.

20) Super Mario Kart (1992)

The first game in the Mario Kart series is, of course, another groundbreaking title, creating the kart-racing genre that has since housed dozens of imitators. While I loved playing this back in the day, it just doesn’t entertain me the same way as some of its successors. The sprites and Mode 7 courses were extremely impressive in the day, but unlike a lot of vintage graphics I find them a bit hard on the eyes now. While I don’t get as much enjoyment from the single player modes these days, I can’t fault the gameplay in the two-player races and Battle Mode. Still a good one to bring out when a friend pops over, even if we’ll usually opt for Mario Kart 64.

Availability: A mainstay on Nintendo’s Virtual Consoles, Super Mario Kart is today available through the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service, as well as being included on the SNES Classic Mini. The Nintendo Classics service also offers an SP version, Super Mario Kart – Fully Souped Up! which begins with all cups, courses and engine levels unlocked.

19) Gradius III (1990)

This isn't the same game as the original arcade Gradius III, which is, by all accounts, bastard brutal hard. No, the SNES version tweaks the levels considerably and lowers the difficulty level to merely “damned hard,” making it a bit more accessible than the classic NES Gradius. It includes the arcade game's edit mode, giving you an array of customisable weapons for the Vic Viper, even adding some new options not seen in the arcade. Tremendous fun, easily my favourite shoot-em-up on the SNES, although it was a dirty trick making the Konami code a “suicide code” in this game. (Swap the direction buttons for the shoulder buttons and you'll be fine.)

Availability: No legal availability for the SNES game beyond tracking down a working SNES and an original cartridge. However, the arcade Gradius III is on the recently released 40th anniversary collection Gradius Origins, along with a whole bunch of others in the series, on the Switch, PS5, Xbox Series S/X and Steam.

18) Kirby’s Fun Pak/Kirby Super Star (1996)

The big Kirby game for the SNES went by several names: Kirby’s Fun Pak in PAL regions, Kirby Super Star in North America, and Kirby of the Stars: Super Deluxe in Japan. It’s a compilation game, which is an interesting way to go, with six main platforming games, a boss rush game and a couple of unlockable mini-games. The first game is basically a remake of Kirby's Dream Land, and one, “The Great Cave Offensive,” is the first Kirby Metroidvania. While Fun Pak is a hell of a lot better than the later SNES title Kirby’s Dream Land 3, I can’t help but feel a more focused game would work better. I can have a lot of fun with this pak, but I can finish feeling weirdly dissatisfied.

Availability: It’s on the SNES Classic Mini and also through the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service, including an SP version with the secret games already unlocked.

17) Super Bomberman (1993)

Part of Hudson Soft’s enormous Bomberman series, Super Bomberman was the first one on the SNES and also the first one to release in Europe without changing the name to something weird like Eric and the Floaters. It’s actually the first Bomberman game I’ve played; I was very aware of the series back in the day and loved the aesthetic, but never actually got hold of a game and played. It’s straightforward Bomberman gameplay: stuck in a single-screen maze, you drop bombs to knock down walls, kill monsters and reveal the exit portal. Once you’ve killed all the monsters you can escape through the portal to the next stage. Try not to let the monsters kill you first or, my speciality, blow yourself up by mistake. There’s also a great multiplayer battle mode, which made use of Hudson’s patented multitap back in the day. A pretty addictive and very replayable game, enough that I haven’t yet sought out any of its four sequels or the modern relaunch.

Availability: The recently released Super Bomberman Collection features Bomberman, Bomberman 2 and Super Bomberman 1-5. It's available for download to Switch and Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, with a physical release forthcoming.

16) Super Metroid (1994)

An archetypal Metroidvania, Super Metroid built on the already compelling gameplay of the NES Metroid and the Game Boy's Return of Samus, presenting an intricately structured subterranean world. The caves of planet Zebes are as foreboding an environment as they come, filled with deeply unsettling creatures out to get you. Samus is also given a more sophisticated moveset here, allowing more fluid control. One of the best in the series, and would rank higher if only my patience for Metroidvania exploration was a bit greater.

Availability: It's on the SNES Classic Mini and through Nintendo Classics/Switch Online.

15) Sparkster (1994)

While Konami's answer to Sonic the Hedgehog, Sparkster the rocket-packed possum, is better associated with Sega, he received one game for Nintendo. Following the Mega Drive title Rocket Knight Adventures, Sparkster moved away from the pseudo-mediaeval setting of the original and went full sci-fi, battling an evil army of dogs and wolves on the planet Eginasem, with Mega Man-esque robot bosses. It builds nicely on the original game and has some varied levels, including a top-down shooter stage and a standout early level which involves travelling on the back of a high-speed robot ostrich. Beautiful graphics and pacy, challenging gameplay, with genuinely varied difficulty options. Greatly underrated.

Availability: Sparkster is available in the compilation package Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked, along with the two Mega Drive games in the series. The set is available for download on the Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC via Steam. It's a fairly barebones collection though.

14) Mega Man X (1993)

Mega Man X was the big relaunch for the Mega Man series for the SNES; the first 16-bit game and the beginning of the eponymous spin-off series, introducing the new heroic robots X and Zero. Intended as the next generation of Mega Man games, Mega Man X arguably lost that battle when the original line came onto the SNES and then the Playstation, with the two series running alongside each other for a while. I prefer Mega Man X, though, particularly this first game. It’s a little more accessible, with more varied moves and slightly more forgiving gameplay, while sticking with the classic Mega Man set-up: eight courses with incredibly tough bosses that you can, in theory, tackle in any order. The graphics are gorgeous too.

Availability: It’s on the SNES Classic Mini, and as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection (with its first three sequels) on the Switch, PS4, Xbox One and via Steam. There’s also a mobile version for both iOS and Android, which used to be free, but now you’ve got to pay. The iOS version is reportedly not so good, making you pay extra to improve gameplay.

13) Earthworm Jim (1994)

While we’re on ridiculously hard run-and-gun platformers, it’s the original EWJ. Shiny Entertainment burst onto the scene with this one in 1994, initially on the SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis, and while the Mega Drive version is generally agreed to be the better of the two, it was the SNES one I owned. The absurdist humour is very 90s but has dated reasonably well, and it’s a lot of fun to play. While it’s mainly a platformer, there are numerous other styles of play including aggressive bungee jumping (on snot strings) and the “Andy Asteroids” Mode 7 race between levels. It does become unforgivably tough as it goes on though, and I’ve never completed it without using the array of cheat codes built in. The last level is just absurdly difficult. The sequel makes for a better experience.

Availability: The SNES version itself is unavailable, but the Mega Drive version can be played on the Switch via the Nintendo Classic/Switch Online service, and via Steam, either purchased alone or as part of the Earthworm Jim Collection. It's also included on the Mega Drive Mini/Genesis Mini, and Interplay Collection 1 for Evercade.

12) Arkanoid: Doh it Again (1997)

A very late SNES entry, which explains why it was largely ignored on release. Taito’s Arkanoid is perhaps the best block breaker series, and Doh it Again is the best Arkanoid. Block breaker games are straightforward but often bloody tricky, and this, the third in the Arkanoid series, hits a perfect balance between challenging and infuriating. Your little spaceship can pick up all manner of power-ups to keep things fun, and there are plenty of continues if they don’t get you through first time. The boss stages are the toughest, where you have to bounce your ball into gigantic floating heads and the like with little idea how long they’ll last. I’m wonderfully baffled when block breakers have a plot, but it adds a little something to know that you’re helping an ark of stellar survivors find a new home planet by whacking your balls at the baddies.

Availability: The original cart isn't hard to find but varies wildly in price. Nothing on official emulators or services.

11) Chrono Trigger (1995)

An exemplary RPG from Square. A deep science-fantasy spanning multiple time periods from prehistory to the end of time, Chrono Trigger is a gorgeous story with a likeable cast of characters, fascinating ideas and a lot of humour. The time travel gimmick really makes it for me, zipping up and down the history of this fantasy world, and beyond that this is simply a very playable RPG. The combat system is complex but easy to grasp, the story points you in the right direction but also lets your choices make real differences to the game (famously having a dozen different endings). Nice, detailed graphics and a beautiful score elevate it further. I never really fell in love with the Final Fantasy games on the SNES, but Chrono Trigger just hits the spot.

Availability: A PC-port in 2018 was poorly received, but after multiple patches responding to feedback and fixing faults, is now in fine condition and can be bought through Steam. There's also a remastered mobile phone port for both iOS and Android, which has also been updated to improve its quality. Both versions include most of the extra material that was added to the (perhaps definitive) Nintendo DS version. The DS version is easier to find (and, for most people, to play) than the SNES original, but also tends to be very expensive.

10) Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble (1996)

DKC3 is my least favourite of Rare’s Donkey Kong Country games, but that’s like saying Flamin’ Hot is my least favourite flavour Monster Munch. I still love it and enjoy it both for the taste and the nostalgia. DKC3 has a lot of things in its favour, including absolutely beautiful, remarkably detailed graphics and some varied level design. It’s a more puzzly game than its predecessors, and has some ingenious and very tough levels (the reverse controls one being particularly maddening). Dixie Kong is as fun to play as ever, but her enormous baby cousin (Kiddy Kong or Dinky Kong depending on where you are in the world) never quite works as well as the original heavyweight, Donkey Kong. The more open overworld (the “Northern Kremisphere!”) and the bartering sideplot with the Brothers Bear never quite land either.

Availability: It’s on the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service.

9) Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move (1994)

Another classic from Taito, Puzzle Bobble or Bust-a-Move is one of the most cloned game types and nothing really lives up to that first game. Spinning off from Bubble Bobble and therefore cute as hell, it’s an incredibly addictive match-‘em-up. Rather than wait for objects to drop from the ceiling like in most of them, in this game you shoot coloured bubbles at a wall of them gradually encroaching from above. Learning how to bounce off the side walls just right so you can reach critical, load-bearing bubbles is the key. While there’s a two-player mode, the single player type is better. Individual levels aren’t usually too tough, but it just insists that you keep going, gradually increasing the challenge. Before you know it, you’re on level 57 and your tea’s gone cold. An arcade game first, but much better suited to home play.

Availability: Ported to just about everything back in the day, your options nowadays include the enhanced Switch remake Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! Meanwhile, Blaze have released the original arcade version on both the Taito Arcade 3 Evercade cartridge and the Super Pocket Taito Edition.

8) Super Mario All-Stars (1993)

By rights, this should probably be higher. This was the first way I played the original Super Mario Bros. games as we didn’t have a NES; it was the only way to play the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 in the West for a long time; and the remakes of all four games are objectively better than the originals in pretty much all respects. Even at the time, though, I’d pick Super Mario World over this nine times out of ten. (Of course, Nintendo were canny enough to rerelease All-Stars and World together on a single cart, which was probably the best value Mario release ever.) I like that each game has its own style even after the graphical updates, although at the time it kind of bugged me. Regardless, this has Super Mario Bros, The Lost Levels, SMB2 and SMB3, so it’s a damned fine cart. I just like the originals better.

Availability: It's on the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service. If you still have a Nintendo Wii, the Limited Edition released for Super Mario's 25th anniversary came with a bunch of extras, and was rereleased as a cheaper, just-the-games version under the Nintendo Selects banner; both versions are fairly easy to find today.

7) Earthworm Jim 2 (1995)

Earthworm Jim is great. Earthworm Jim 2 is better. It has the same absurd sense of humour as the first game and even more variety in the gameplay. There are still platforming levels but with new gimmicks throughout (one has a time limit, one is a race, one turns Jim into an olm swimming through a small intestine…), plus an isometric shooter and the recurring “Puppy Love” level, which is basically a souped-up version of the old Game & Watch game Fire. The difficulty level is so much more balanced in this game, which makes it a lot more fun to play. The lack of Andy Asteroids is a sore spot, but at least there are more cows. Like the first game, EWJ2 was initially released on the Mega Drive and SNES before porting to other systems, but this time it’s the SNES game that’s, slightly, the better version.

Availability: The SNES version is on the Switch via the Nintendo Classic/Switch Online service. The Mega Drive/Genesis version is on Steam, either purchased alone or as part of the Earthworm Jim Collection; included on the Mega Drive Mini 2; and in Interplay Collection 2 for Evercade.

6) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (1991)

The third Zelda game and the first to truly capture what makes the series so enthralling, A Link to the Past (Triforce of the Gods in Japan) set the template for the Zelda saga's particular brand of top-down action-adventure. Returning to the overhead perspective of The Legend of Zelda after Zelda II's foray into side-scrolling platform-RPG territory, A Link to the Past balances challenge with accessibility, guidance with open exploration, and cute graphics with monstrous foes. Set millennia before the first game, beginning what would become a twisting and convoluted timeline, A Link to the Past introduces the concept of parallel worlds into Zelda's mythology with the Light and Dark Worlds. The result is a deep and captivating game that isn't intimidating and is simply a pleasure to play.

Availability: You can find it on the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service and the SNES Classic Mini.

5) Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996)

The last Mario game on the SNES (although not the Super Famicom) and the first Mario RPG, this wasn’t even released on PAL systems and it was years before I finally got to play it, when it was released on the Wii Virtual Console. With Square Enix taking on development duties and working alongside Miyamoto, SMRPG sits about halfway between Final Fantasy and Super Mario, with an unfolding story, a building party of adventurers and turn-based battles, but a Mario world setting and some platforming elements. It’s not the most complex of RPGs, but it is one of the most fun, with a sweet sense of humour and continuously entertaining play. It’s fun to team up Mario, Peach and Bowser against interdimensional invaders, but everyone’s favourite characters are Geno, a cosmic entity in a puppet’s body, and Mallow, the frog boy who’s actually a lost cloud prince. Poetry.

Availability: The original is included on the SNES Classic Mini. A remake for the Switch was released in 2023; it’s almost as brilliant, but I prefer the original.

4) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest (1995)

I ummed and ahhed about which way round the first two DKC games were going to go. In the end, I put the original ahead, but to be honest, it really could depend on what mood I’m in. DKC2 builds on the first game beautifully, with even better graphics, some of the best music on the SNES, and some inventive (and often truly frustrating) levels. It seems a touch odd in retrospect that the second big Donkey Kong game on the system doesn’t actually feature DK himself, instead spotlighting Diddy Kong. New addition Dixie Kong is the most fun to play though, with her lethal, rota-blading ponytail. Making the Kremlings a pirate crew fits perfectly.

Availability: Nintendo Classics/Switch Online.

3) Donkey Kong Country (1994)

And yet, I still just about love the first game more. Donkey Kong Country (or Super Donkey Kong in Japan) was Rare’s triumph, an astonishing use of the SNES’ 16-bit system. The pre-rendered graphics were groundbreaking, even if they haven't aged all that well. The original vision for the game may have been somewhat different to what we got; Diddy Kong was meant to be DK Junior and the Kremlings were taken from a different, abandoned game. The final game affectionately ribs the original Donkey Kong by turning that (villainous) character into the elderly Cranky Kong, with the new DK being either his son or grandson (so either DK Jr or his son, I guess). The animal friends are a wonderful inclusion – yes, even Winky the frog – but the best levels are, of course, the mine cart races.

Availability: It's on Nintendo Classics/Switch Online and the SNES Classic Mini.

2) Super Mario World (1990)

The launch title for the SNES, and a real triumph right out of the gate. We got Super Mario World along with our SNES and it was a revelation. The straightforward but beautiful graphics were like running your own cartoon, the gameplay is incredibly fun with an array of power-ups, and you even got to ride your own dinosaur! Super Mario World expanded the Mario platforming experience by adding a greater element of exploration, with secret exits and hidden worlds to create a huge and wonderful game. A true great.

Availability: It's on the SNES Classic Mini and the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service. The latter also includes an SP release, which simply starts the game in its autumn graphical scheme without having to clear the Special Zone first.

1) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)

Anyone following me will have expected this in the top spot. Yoshi's Island is my favourite game of all time. As far as I'm concerned, this is the pinnacle of 2D platforming. Following Super Mario World was no easy task, yet Nintendo managed it by completely reinventing the Mario platformer. Yoshi carries Baby Mario through vast, maze-like levels stuffed with collectables, swallowing enemies and lobbing eggs to get to the finish line. The beautiful, hand-drawn style graphics are among the very best on the system; the bosses are huge and inventive; and the game is as challenging as it is entertaining. I play this game over and over again, and getting 100% is still a killer.

Availability: It's on the SNES Classic Mini and the Nintendo Classics/Switch Online service, and you should play it right now.