It's a little more jarring for players these days, especially if you got into the Star Fox series in the 64-bit era. If anything less than a silky 60fps makes you violently ill, you'll want to sit this one out, but the underlying game design still shines through.
Those who were there at the beginning and are pining for the return of Fox, Peppy, and Falco — and even the ever-rubbish Slippy — will thoroughly enjoy jumping back in the cockpit of an Arwing and saving Corneria again, though. The fact that it's now available on Switch makes accepting that mission all the easier.
The game that birthed an entire genre (albeit a genre it dominates to the point where you wonder how other companies gather energy to bother making a kart racer), Super Mario Kart got so much ju st right from the off that it remains surprisingly playable and accessible decades later.
There's no worrying about picking karts or wheels here; you select your character and hit the track. The split-screen layout (present even when racing solo) encourages a second player to pick up the pad, and it's certainly a game best enjoyed with a friend, or foe. The Battle mode also stands the test of time superbly, and that iconic power-slide move still feels natural and intuitive.
The mainline games that followed may have refined the formula to the Nth degree, but despite feeling bare-bones by comparison, controls, track design, and item balance remain nigh-on perfect in this first outing. Super Mario Kart is fun distilled, and the original's narrow focus can end up being a benefit – especially if you're looking for pick-up-and-play multiplayer.
It's Punch-Out!! with more colour, more character, 16-bit visuals, and the same timing-based gameplay that makes every entry in this series a pleasure to revisit.
The arcade original is available on Switch as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives line, and Super Punch-Out!! comes as part of the Nintendo Switch Online collection, so it's easy to get your hands on these days.
Which is nice, because it's up there with the finest games on the system.
The Tetris branding was a misnomer here, a pure marketing strategy to give this wonderful puzzler a leg up in the West. Panel de Pon is a cracking puzzle game that doesn't resemble Tetris in the slightest — the blocks rise rather than fall, for a start — and if you've never played it before, you're in for a real treat.
If you've somehow misplaced your original cart (how very careless), you can check it out most easily on Switch, although you won't find Tetris Attack anywhere on the menu screen of your NSO Super NES app. It's listed under its Japanese title, almost certainly due to Nintendo not wanting to pay The Tetris Company to use the name again.
It's so incredibly addictive that Capcom's Shinji Mikami had to ban the game while his team was developing the original Resident Evil . As recommendations go, that's not a bad one! Tetris it ain't, but it's bloody good nonetheless.
F-Zero was an incredible template on which its sublime successors were modelled, and for that we shall forever be thankful.
That's not to say the original isn't a gem in its own right — it's a racing classic that feels fast and tight to this day — but its lack of multiplayer tends to put it behind its sequels, at least in our minds (a criticism that F-Zero 99 addressed).
Still, this remains a thrilling 16-bit ride and we're more than happy to fire it up again (via Nintendo Switch Online if we don't happen to have our SNES hooked up) whenever the notion takes us.
Rounding out the DKC trilogy, Dixie and Kiddy's adventure to find DK and Diddy is still a pleasure today.
It arguably can't quite reach the highs of the second chapter in Rare's trio of DK delights, but Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! looked better than ever and gave you some choice with a non-linear map to explore and options should you hit a roadblock.
So, while we'd start with the earlier games if you're playing via NSO, this capped off the Countries on SNES nicely.
This is less a game and more a smorgasbord of ideas thrown at the SNES which, somewhat improbably, congeals into a satisfying blend of games, sub-games, and minigames.
There are nine in total but the titular character is a versatile hero that manages to suck up these experimental bits and pieces and meld them into a whole greater than the sum of its parts. 'Cohesive' might be generous, but Kirby Super Star is thoroughly entertaining and well worth a look.
Rare's first foray into the world of DK and his cronies. Despite the visuals not wowing like they did back in 1994, the template put down in Donkey Kong Country would influence every DK title to come.
The redesigned DK looked brilliant, Dave Wise's music sounded incredible, and every aspect of the game demonstrated a stunning attention to detail that really showcased the hardware's impressive audio-visual capabilities, even as the dawn of the polygonal era approached.
While not quite as polished as you remember, DKC is still a classic that should be tracked down and enjoyed (which is much easier now that it's included in the Nintendo Switch Online SNES library ).
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (not Diddy Kong's Quest) is a beautiful, secret-filled game with a gorgeous soundtrack that helps create an atmosphere that sticks in the memory long after you've put down the pad. You end up returning to this simply to enjoy your surroundings and have 'that feeling' again.
In fact, we've found that to be a feature of many Rare games, and the second DKC on SNES is a prime example. Debate will rage as to which entry is the greatest, but regardless, this is up there with the very, very best on the console.
An extremely impressive package featuring the NES Super Mario Bros. games with a 16-bit lick of paint, Super Mario All-Stars was a convenient way to revisit the classics.
With the exception of Super Mario Bros. 2 (we'd say that All-Stars actually contains the 'best' version of that game), the originals ultimately still offer the prime, 'canon' experience, we'd argue. If you're playing this via Nintendo Switch Online, they're all accessible, so you can easily see for yourselves.
However, for anybody who first experienced the NES games in this package, we understand if All-Stars offers the ultimate nostalgia trip and represents peak 2D Mario for you. Everyone's a winner, however you play 'em.
EarthBound succeeds at not only being one of the most unique and refreshing RPG experiences ever created, but also one of the most epic and entertaining as well. Combining classic RPG gameplay elements with a heart-warming modern spin, the game somehow feels familiar yet strange all at the same time.
With a peerless visual style, soundtrack and storyline, playing EarthBound is like revisiting a vivid childhood memory of fun and adventure. You can't repeat the past, but you can certainly revisit it. Mother!
New games added to the service will appear here, too - you can check back in the future and rank them as well.
How do I change the ranking in this article?
This ranking of NSO SNES games is compiled using the reader ratings (out of 10) given to each game in our database. This list is not set in stone and automatically reflects the real-time ratings and new additions to the NSO library.
Seen a game you think deserves to be higher up? Click on the 'Profile' button or search for it below and score it yourself — your personal rating could boost its placement in the overall ranking.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Buy Nintendo Switch Online Memberships
3 Months 12 Months + EXPANSION PACK (12 Months) And if you're after a full list of every Nintendo Switch Online retro game currently available, we're happy to oblige.
