What lies below is a listing of my Super NES collection along with some history behind the system's purchase. One thing to keep in mind is that these are all the games I currently own. I've actually had other games throughout the years. But I got rid of some of them for whatever reason. Please also note that all of the games listed below are actual cartridges. I am neither into getting emulators for the classics nor am I into pirating the latest games.
In order to purchase my Super Nintendo, I did a very dumb thing: I sold off nearly all my 8-bit Nintendo games. But I really needed the money to get a Super Nintendo. Like the NES and N64, the Super NES is special in its own way. I was always a very staunch Super NES supporter; I absolutely hated Sega and its Genesis. (Notice how I still don't even own a Genesis.) I even convinced two of my friends to sell their Genesis systems to get a Super Nintendo. Games like Super Mario World, F-Zero, and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past were able to do it.
I remember that my mother and I had trouble finding a Super Nintendo for weeks and weeks. It was released at the end of August in 1991, and we went shopping several times a week to different stores and malls around the area to find one. Eventually, on September 5, 1991, she came home from shopping and imagine my surprise when I saw what she brought home! She found one at the now-defunct Children's Palace for a price of $199.99. And the first game I purchased for the system was F-Zero, which I got about two weeks later. Interestingly enough, I had to re-purchase a Super NES because my first one eventually went bad. Why? I think I cleaned it too much. I have never cleaned another system or game since then. I got my second Super NES for $89.99 at Babbage's on April 2, 1993. I also own the Super Scope 6, Mouse, and Super Game Boy accessories. Although I feel that my collection is almost complete, there are still a few games I would like to add.
[Click here for a brief history of the SNES]
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Super Mario Kart is unequivocally my favorite game of all-time. Why? That's simple: I never played any other game even remotely close as much. For years and years, I had a friend down the street who would come up and play this for hours a day, several days a week. We thought we were the best Mario Kart players in the world. Guess we'll never know… |
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2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past After Zelda II went a completely different route, everyone was ecstatic when this third Zelda game appeared on the Super NES in the same style as the original. Graphics, sound, quest, story, gameplay, control—everything—made an incredible leap. My guess is that The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past will be considered one of the best 2D games ever. |
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This is the Bomberman game that put the series on the map. Unfortunately, one could make the case that not one of the subsequent Bomberman games on any system lived up to this. Super Bomberman also introduced multi-player gaming to the video game world. When you purchased the Super Bomberman, you got a "Super Multitap," too. Four-player excellence! |
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4. Top Gear Ever wonder why there are so many Top Gear games? That's because this game was originally released on the Super NES and was a breakout, runaway seller. Even though I own hundreds of games, no other game was so universally liked and played by my friends and family. Why's it so good? Two-player simultaneous racing, pit-stops, computer competition, and many levels. |
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Although it was a long quest with some interesting secrets, the game didn't quite live up to Super Mario Bros. 3. Don't let that detract from Super Mario World, though. It was a great game on its own. Remember the nifty Mode 7 effects? Remember trying to find and complete all 96 levels? Remember meeting Yoshi for the first time? I know my friends and I do. |
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6. Secret of Mana In my book, this is the best game Square ever released. Rather than participating in turn-based battles, Secret of Mana lets you fight the battles on your own. Now factor in the ability to have a quest with one, two, or three players simultaneously! Oh yeah, it has a great story, too. Why hasn't there been another multi-player RPG like this? |
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Like most people, I was fond of R.C. Pro-Am for the NES. While Rare made a sequel for Game Boy, it didn't make an update on a more powerful Nintendo system. Instead, Rock 'n Roll Racing filled the void. Imagine similar gameplay to that classic. When you add licensed classic rock music (MIDI still sounds good!) and a two-player mode, you have an awesome game. |
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8. Tetris Attack Some call this the best puzzle game ever. It's easy to see why, although it has absolutely nothing to do with Tetris. You have to match shapes in rows, columns, or diagonals of three, four, or five. If you setup combos, then you send "garbage" to your opponent. That's how it gets fun. Only four-player games of The New Tetris on GCN are better than two-player Tetris Attack. |
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Among the four NHL games that appeared on the Super NES from EA Sports, NHL 94 emerges as the best. NHL 94 was the first game in the series to have the NHL and NHLPA licenses. It featured great organ music and sound effects along with the best control and gameplay of the SNES games. My brother and I played hundreds of head-to-head games. We loved it. |
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10. Final Fantasy II Admittedly, I haven't played some of the newer Final Fantasy games, but I think Final Fantasy II is the best one in the series. The drama-filled storyline is filled with enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of you seat, and the fighting doesn't get too stale, either. Fantastic music helps elevate the game to a level never seen before the Super NES era. |
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As much as people like Metroid, I think everyone would agree that Super Metroid is just that much better. Great graphics, bigger levels, new items, creepy music, and a better story made it an instant classic. The key to the success of the Metroid series is the items and abilities Samus can use. They add a refreshing spark of originality to the games. |
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12. F-Zero F-Zero was one of the first three games released for the Super NES, and it's considered one of the system's best. On many levels, F-Zero still not has been equaled. Although other games have become faster or have used weapons, few games have been able to match the level design or play control of this classic. My friends and I loved racing Time Trials, too. |
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Although the game disappoints with slowdown, it is an incredible adventure. Surprisingly, it's the only Castlevania game where you have complete control over your whip. Super Castlevania IV also used some nifty effects for amazing graphics and included some spectacular sound. Is it the best Castlevania game in the series? I personally think so. |
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14. Super Mario All-Stars This was a tremendous surprise and gift to Nintendo players everywhere. Nintendo's idea to update Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3 with better graphics and sound was wonderful. It's just not higher on my list, because I didn't play it as much as other Super NES games. But I made sure to recognize the original versions. |
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Contra III was another sequel to an NES game that didn't disappoint and took it to the next level. It also was nice not to see the "flicker" that plagued 8-bit days or the slowdown that plagued some of the first 16-bit games. Two-player simultaneous play was as fine as it ever was here. Some very cool Mode 7 effects were included, too. |
Honorable Mention: Final Fantasy III, Star Fox, Actraiser, Donkey Kong Country, Uniracers
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Note: Please see the Wii section to see the SNES games I downloaded through Nintendo’s Virtual Console service. The games listed on this page are physical copies.
The following bulleted points are some random notes and thoughts about the Super NES. In the list, you will find information about the system and games that I could not place anywhere else.
Currently, I own 57 games for the Super Nintendo.
I want to make these games part of my permanent collection: Bubsy, Chrono Trigger, NHL 94, Soul Blazer, and Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
There is a single SNES game that I never took the time to play: Super Mario RPG. I purchased this game at the end of the system's life cycle when N64 came into the picture. Therefore, I never experienced the true joy of the game.
Overall, no system has provided me with a more balanced roster of games or such a wide variety of fun. I played great one-player quests by myself. I played great multi-player games with others. And I played great games in every genre—action, RPG, sports, racing, adventure, puzzle, etc. Is the Super NES the pinnacle for Nintendo?
1. Super Mario Kart
3. Super Bomberman
5. Super Mario World
7. Rock 'n Roll Racing
9. NHL 94
11. Super Metroid
13. Super Castlevania IV
15. Contra III: The Alien Wars