Although the Sega Genesis had a two-year lead in the United States, the SNES caught up in sales by releasing a steady stream of high-quality games almost every year throughout the console's lifespan starting in 1991. The SNES launched well right away, combining any console with Super Mario World, one of the most iconic titles in Nintendo's vast library. Nintendo has produced some of its best work during the SNES's lifespan, but what makes the SNES one of Nintendo's strongest consoles is its strong alliance with third-party developers like Capcom, Square, and Konami.
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The SNES featured a steady stream of amazing titles in genres ranging from platformers to role-playing games to action-adventure. Every type of gamer had a wealth of options with the SNES, and it wasn't until late in the console's lifespan, when the world had moved on to the N64 and PlayStation, that the SNES failed to offer its fans a variety of games.
1991 – Super Mario World
- developer
-
Nintendo EAD
- How long to beat
-
5 hours
The SNES's first year saw a slew of competitive games during its launch window, ranging from iconic sequels like Super Castlevania IV to niche classics like F-Zero and Super R-Type. However, Nintendo's mascot was the star of the best game for the SNES that year: Super Mario World. Along with its Mario counterpart Super Mario 64, Super Mario World is one of the best launch titles of all time.
Super Mario World introduced iconic power-ups like the superhero cape and riding Yoshi, both of which provided increased mobility, durability and new attacks. Compared to its predecessor, Super Mario Bros. 3, the world of Super Mario World was more expansive and the focus was more on exploring and finding secrets.
1992 – The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- developer
-
Nintendo EAD
- How long to beat
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15 hours
The SNES maintained its momentum in its second year with popular third-party titles such as Contra III: The Alien Wars and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time. Nintendo released Super Mario Kart, which changed the way many racing games were made. However, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was the Zelda game that fans had been longing for since 1986.
The first sequel in the Zelda series, Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link, was a 2D platformer that felt different from the original from a bird's eye view. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past seemed to be the first true sequel to the original hit for Nintendo. It improved on The Legend of Zelda with omnidirectional controls, a concrete storyline, and less vague instructions. A wide variety of swords, puzzles, and cinematic boss fights elevated The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and helped make the Zelda series a Nintendo staple.
1993 – Shadowrun
- developer
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Beam software
- How long to beat
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15 hours
Nintendo and its third-party allies like Konami, Capcom, and Square didn't have many major successes in 1993. Nintendo released Star Fox, which amazed people graphically at the time because it was 3D, but it felt like a prototype because it doesn't have the smoothest gameplay. Niche RPG titles like Shadowrun, Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen and Secret of Mana were among this year's higher value titles.
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There have been many different games with the same name on the Genesis and SNES, and Shadowrun is a prime example. Shadowrun for the SNES was a less accurate adaptation than the Genesis RPG, as the SNES relied more on action than the text-heavy approach. Shadowrun will captivate you with its cyberpunk story and puzzle-solving narrative. Compared to other western RPGs of its time, the gameplay is more twitch-focused, requiring quick reactions to deal with ambushes from enemies.
1994 – Super Metroid
Great Metroid
Action adventure
Metroidvania
This was the SNES' peak year in terms of top-notch video games. Donkey Kong Country, Super Punch-Out and Mega Man However, much like the Zelda series, Super Metroid seemed to be the true successor to the original Metroid that older NES fans had been waiting for.
No game from this era could capture the eerie atmosphere of exploring an isolated alien base like Super Metroid. The world of Super Metroid felt huge and featured some of the largest rooms in the series. In addition to perfecting the Metroidvania formula that began on the NES, Super Metroid introduced iconic power-ups like the Charge Beam, Super Missiles, and the Grappling Hook to ensure precise controls.
1995 – Chrono Trigger
- How long to beat
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23 hours
Many of the best SNES games came out around 1995. The Donkey Kong Country and Yoshi's Island series launched this year and amazed fans with their use of techniques like pre-rendered graphics and Mode 7 3D graphics, but the best game of all year was the best RPG on the console:
While Chrono Trigger isn't as graphically impressive as the aforementioned titles, the art direction lies with Akira Toriyama, who gave Chrono Trigger the same whimsical aesthetic as his hit manga Dragonball. Chrono Trigger's strength lies in its story, particularly in how its characters continually evolve based on their actions throughout the game. It's amazing how many different endings and ways there are to face the final boss in an RPG that came out decades ago.
1996 – Tetris Attack
In 1996, Nintendo released the N64 alongside the influential Super Mario 64. This was the last year that the SNES was equipped with a number of quality titles such as Mega Man X3 and Super Mario RPG. Tetris Attack, not a Tetris game but a remastered version of Panel de Pon, ended up being the best puzzle game on the SNES.
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Compared to Tetris, Tetris Attack is faster. Blocks of different colors fall down, and you have to swap them horizontally to create combinations of three or more of the same color. The single player mode progresses at a perfect pace, culminating in a battle against Bowser where your reflexes and decision-making skills must be at their best to defeat him on the hardest difficulty setting.
1997 – Kirby's Dreamland 3
Kirby's Dreamland 3
- developer
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HAL laboratory
- How long to beat
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4 hours
By 1997, most major publishers had moved to the PlayStation or N64, but Hal Laboratories decided to release one of their better games on the SNES. A major studio releasing a game on a platform they have years of experience with is a recipe for a good looking game, and that's exactly what Kirby's Dream Land 3 delivers.
Kirby's Dream Land 3 has a powdery, colorful aesthetic that makes you feel like you're walking through a coloring book. The game features co-op gameplay as you team up with Kirby's animal friends like Rick and Gooey. The latter can also absorb powers and use them differently than Kirby.
1998 – NBA Live 98
One of gaming's greatest years wasn't so great for the SNES. In 1998, only a few games were released for the SNES, with NBA Live 98 outperforming its competition, a port of Frogger, due to Frogger's poor hit detection and substandard music.
There isn't much difference between NBA Live 98, NBA Live 97 and NBA Live 96, which can be both a good and a bad thing. The downside is that sports games should ideally add new features over the years. The advantage is that the NBA Live series was already a good basketball game that needed no improvement since it introduced an isometric camera perspective. This camera angle allowed for better depth perception and has been a staple in most basketball games since the 16-bit era.
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