24. Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)

Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts isn't for the fainthearted, and you'll be thankful to have access to that rewind button if you're playing the Nintendo Switch Online version. However, that feature should open up this excellent game to an entirely new audience and accessibility is something we encourage across the board. Overflowing with luscious 16-bit visuals, fantastic audio and inventive design, we highly encourage you to check out this Capcom classic.

23. Breath of Fire II (SNES)

Capcom's Breath of Fire II is very much 'more and bigger'. Veterans will likely look on it much more kindly than players who never played it back in the day. As with its predecessor, it's a serviceable example of the genre on a system with several genre-defining games. We'd play those first before investigating this, but there is fun to be had if you simply can't get enough 16-bit RPGs in your life.

22. Wild Guns (SNES)

Natsume's Wild West / sci-fi shooting gallery game is available as a standalone remaster on Switch in the form of the excellent Wild Guns Reloaded, but if you don't want to spend more money to experience the game (plus some new content), the 1994 original is also available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription and still holds up very well - especially if you've got a second player who wants to join in the co-op mode.

21. Demon's Crest (SNES)

A spin-off of the Ghosts 'n Goblins franchise, Demon's Crest is a delightfully difficult side-scroller. Its non-linear gameplay and host of abilities give it an RPG flavour that feels more modern than many of its contemporaries, so we recommend revisiting this one if you've got even the slightest interest in demons, crests, or good video games.

20. Super R-Type (SNES)

Super R-Type is one of the earliest SNES games and took inspiration from the arcade version of R-Type 2. Sadly, this isn't the best showing for the fantastic shooter series. When it plays well, it plays really well, but the punishing difficulty and slowdown make this more frustrating than fun. But if you can get past that, there are some creative level designs, new power-ups, and rewarding challenges. You'll just need to get used to losing over and over again.

19. Kirby's Dream Land 3 (SNES)

Kirby’s Dream Land 3 is a 16-bit sequel to the two previous Game Boy Dream Land entries, and a game which uses the SNES' extra horsepower to up the ante in every way. The improvement in visuals is a given, but the presentation here gives the sublime Yoshi's Island a run for its money, and there's also multiplayer support. The gameplay might not be the deepest, but Kirby's always got charm to spare and you won't regret giving this one a try.

18. Mario's Super Picross (SNES)

Mario's Super Picross offers plenty of puzzles in two distinct modes. It's simple fare and it shows its age against some modern equivalents, but it serves its purpose well for fans of the genre. It's pretty hard to get Picross wrong, and Mario's Super Picross certainly doesn't.

17. Star Fox (SNES)

Star Fox is obviously a classic, and its use of the Super FX chip resulted in an experience that felt awe-inspiring to anybody who witnessed it on their Super NES back in 1993. It's a little more jarring for players these days, especially anyone who got into the Star Fox series later on. Players who are violently ill when viewing anything less than a silky 60fps will want to sit this one out, but the underlying game design still shines even if you can't muster enthusiasm for the game's achievements with some 16-bit historical context.

Those who were there at the beginning and are pining for the return of Fox, Peppy, Falco, and maybe 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, too.

16. Killer Instinct (SNES)

A great looking game from genre-hopping studio Rare, the SNES port of arcade fighter Killer Instinct is yet another feather in the Twycross studio’s considerable cap. Bringing the arcade experience into the home on 16-bit hardware was most impressive back in the day, and the series would go on to be one of the few fighting games to appear on Nintendo’s next console.

15. Super Mario Kart (SNES)

The game that birthed an entire genre (albeit a genre it dominates to the point where you wonder why any other company decides to make their own kart racer), Super Mario Kart got so much just right from the starting line that it still 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 (which is present even when racing solo) encourages a second player to pick up the pad, and it's certainly a game that is best enjoyed with a friend (or foe). The Battle mode has also stood 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 barebones by comparison, controls, track design, and item balance are still nigh-on perfect in this first outing, and getting behind the wheel still feels good. Super Mario Kart is fun distilled, and its narrow focus can actually end up being a benefit – especially if you're looking for the ideal pick-up-and-play multiplayer challenge.

14. F-Zero (SNES)

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 addresses). 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.

13. Harvest Moon (SNES)

Harvest Moon's brand of wholesome fun is uniquely appealing, and for the most part, it's a well-constructed, addictive simulation with huge spadefuls of charm. The SNES edition is a superb starting point for Natsume's series, and it's still one of the stronger entries in the franchise even today. Go ahead and grab it on NSO to find out for yourself where this wholesome series started off.

12. Super Punch-Out!! (SNES)

It's Punch-Out!! with more colour, more character, 16-bit visuals and the same timing-based gameplay that's made every entry in this series a pleasure to revisit. The arcade original is also 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.