The high level of difficulty at times might turn you off, but if you've got the mettle to stick it out, you'll find that the quest is one well worth experiencing. And if you enjoyed Mana, you'll find a lot to like here, as it's very similar in style and presentation.
Fast-paced and addictive with catchy music and visuals that are still easy on the eyes today, NBA Jam has aged very well and stands as the definitive basketball game of its generation.
This 1995 SNES port delivered an admirable home-console version of Midway's arcade original from '93. And although there were many sequels that tweaked the formula, updating the roster and adding extra bells and whistles, none bettered the original in core gameplay quality. Jam swished it first time.
Combining an overhead 'god' mode with some side-on, sword-swinging, platforming goodness, ActRaiser wraps put two distinct styles of gameplay with an incredible score by Yuzo Koshiro (you may have noticed that we're quite partial to his tunes around these parts).
In isolation, the component gameplay parts perhaps don't hold up as well as they might, but taken as a whole with its brilliant soundtrack, Quintet's game is unmissable.
Zombies Ate My Neighbors feels like what you get if you somehow turned Contra into a second-rate horror movie. If shooting everything in sight and blowing stuff up is your thing (and given your penchant for video games, we'll go out on a limb and say it probably is), you're going to love this unusual Super Nintendo action title.
Developed by LucasArts and put out by Konami, it might be a little on the strange side, but any time you're given the opportunity to shoot a zombie in the face with a bazooka, you know you're in for a real treat.
Another Konami classic, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja is a fun, colourful, challenging action-adventure of the kind we wish we saw more of; playing as "Kid Ninja" — or Goemon, for fans of his Nintendo 64 adventures — reminds us that a little personality goes a long way in making games memorable.
Its challenging, deceptively simple gameplay is paired with a wacky, irreverent story, and surprising minigames keep things fresh. Spawning a series that would continue after the SNES was gone, if you're looking for something light-hearted, addictive, and rewarding, it's hard to go wrong with the Mystical Ninja.
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.
Lufia II is easily one of the top-tier Super Nintendo RPGs; challenging, humorous, and a joy to play. Combine its unique visual stylings, the efficient turn-based combat system, and the beautifully orchestrated soundtrack, and you get one absolutely unforgettable RPG experience on a system with its fair share of those.
Before we all got spoiled with the full-motion video and millions of polygons per second of today's epic role-playing games, we had things like this that had much more to them than flashy visual effects and voice-overs.
Capcom essentially created a genre with this game. While one-on-one fighters existed prior to its release (the original Street Fighter being just one example), this game pioneered many concepts which are now commonplace.
The first Street Fighter II on the SNES remains a solid fighter, but pure nostalgia might not be enough for some. When you consider the two direct SNES sequels added so much, it can be hard to go back.
If you're one of the few who preferred the 'purity' of the game before Capcom started tweaking, adding new fighters and filling the titles with daft adjectives and punctuation, this still packs a punch, though.
Although not as close to perfection as its two siblings — Soul Blazer and the later Terranigma — it's not hard to see why Nintendo themselves published Illusion of Gaia outside Japan.
Known as Illusion of Time in Europe, it is incredibly linear compared to the other two, with not a single side quest other than collecting Red Jewels and many areas becoming forever inaccessible as the game progresses, severely limiting your sense of freedom. Monsters don't respawn, either, making repeat visits to dungeons pointless.
However, aided by a larger narrative, a great soundtrack, and improved visuals, it still manages to be one of the most entertaining action RPGs on the SNES, and a fitting second game in the trilogy.
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.
Like so many games in Capcom's blue-hued back catalogue, Mega Man X2 doesn't really do much in the way of innovation. You could argue that it feels more like a level pack for the previous game if you were feeling uncharitable, but given the sheer quality of its predecessor, it's hard to get upset.
While it's obviously a bit less original, X2 is very solid and delivers 'more of the same' with style.
Few role-playing experiences are quite as enjoyable or engrossing as Terranigma , 16-bit or otherwise. Not only is the quest absolutely epic in size, but the way the storyline continues to evolve and unfold gives it a cinematic feel.
Terranigma did for action RPGs what games like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger did for the more traditional RPG market; it's one of those games that once you play, you'll never forget it.
Final Fantasy IV (or II as US gamers knew it in '91) might show its age, but the SNES version remains a brilliant way to experience this seminal series entry.
There's still something quite charming and engaging about this classic, a testament to its staying power, and any RPG fan who missed out will quickly recognise what all the fuss was about.
Of course, you might want to check it out in Pixel Remaster form now — it's certainly the easiest way if you own a Switch — but whatever way you play it, just know you're picking up an all-timer.
Following on from Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II added four new fighters and some excellent gameplay modes, yet arguably doesn't manage to overshadow its predecessor.
Turbo was, for many, the game where SF2 reached its peak; by the time Super came around, the SNES was about to give way to 32-bit systems and the popularity of one-on-one fighters was starting to diminish. But this is still an exceptionally enjoyable fighter with plenty of depth, appealing visuals, and excellent two-player potential.
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.
Secret of Mana manages to take the action-adventure stylings of The Legend of Zelda and add that trademark Square RPG feel to it.
Easily available these days as part of the Collection of Mana , the combat may take some gamers a little time to get used to if you prefer more traditional role-playing games or you're coming from Squaresoft stablemate Final Fantasy, but you absolutely don't want to miss this beloved SNES classic if you're an action-RPG fan.
Contra III: The Alien Wars (or Super Probotector: Alien Rebels in Europe) is rightly cited as a shining star in the Super Nintendo catalogue, and the game has lost little of that lustre all these years later. You get fluid run-and-gunning, naturally, plus gorgeous presentation, tight controls, and a sheer intensity and attitude — an inimitable mood and tone — that set it apart from the pack.
Available on Switch as part of Konami's Contra Anniversary Collection , its refreshingly short completion time and ingenious stage structure come together beautifully to offset the one or two design drawbacks in the top-down levels. Those aside, Contra III still manages to strike the same chords it did in 1992.
Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting was a big deal when it launched on the SNES back in 1993. The Street Fighter craze was in full force and it was genuinely exciting to see the original game refined and improved in such a manner; you could finally play as the four boss fighters and the additional speed injection made things much faster and enjoyable.
Turbo is an improvement over its predecessor and offers more depth and entertainment as a result. Coming just a year after its predecessor, this was an essential Super NES purchase regardless.
In Europe, Super Castlevania IV actually released before Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse , which gives you some indication of why so many fans directly compare them, despite the power difference between the NES and SNES.
On many levels, Super Castlevania IV (which is essentially a retelling of the original game) scales things back. There are no branching pathways and Simon Belmont is the only character you get to control. However, in practically every other respect, Super Castlevania IV is arguably the better of the two.
The visuals and music are taken to an entirely new level thanks to the power of the 16-bit console, with the soundtrack, in particular, being one of the best you'll hear on any cartridge-based system. The gameplay, which makes good use of the SNES' Mode 7 capabilities, is as tight and engaging as you like, even if it's a little less challenging than the NES entries. A true classic.
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 ).
What's a 16-bit console without a classic arcade-style side-scrolling beat 'em up? Turtles in Time matched the popularity of the licence and tapped into the zeitgeist in the early '90s, coming from Konami at a time when it seemed the company had trouble producing a bad video game.
This is an expensive cart to track down these days and for many years, despite tricky licensing issues, we hoped we'd see it again on a Nintendo console. Fortunately, our wishes came true with the Cowabunga Collection !
Mega Man X is a fantastic game. It retains the charm and pacing of the classic 8-bit series and adds a much-appreciated spin of its own. With plenty of hidden items and upgrades (don't forget the super-secret one in Armored Armadillo's stage) and a host of fun new weapons to use, Mega Man X is a game worth playing again and again. And again.
Later entries in this sub-series might be a bit of a mixed bag, but there's no denying that this first one was — and is — a masterpiece.
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.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is not only a brilliant game in its own right, it's a history lesson in how the Mario role-playing series began.
Anyone who has played the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series should play Square's original title that started it all - either in original 16-bit form or via the excellent Switch remake.
Super Mario RPG paved the way and inspired both, and we should be eternally thankful to Squaresoft for injecting character and humour into the plumber's repertoire.
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!
Yoshi's Island is the absolute summit of not just Yoshi games, but platformer games in general, with a wonderful vision of pastel colours, majestic backdrops, and character-oozing sprites.
Honestly, it's difficult to remember any other game that matches or even comes close to the amount of detail that Yoshi's Island did, past or present. The presentation is second to none on the system. The level of charm is astronomical. There will be moments when you refrain from killing an enemy just to watch its animation.
With its deep exploration-based platforming and gorgeous art style, Yoshi's Island is still a joy to play all these years later. Yoshi's Island isn't just a great game: it's a reminder of why this silly hobby of ours is so wonderful.
For many, Final Fantasy VI (or III as we in the West used to call it) is the pinnacle of the genre. You can't help but appreciate how epic and enthralling a quest Square was able to cook up for this sixth release in the series, and it still feels as magnificent and relevant today as it did decades ago.
If you've somehow never played Final Fantasy VI in any of its various forms over the years, you truly owe it to yourself to experience one of the best in the series - or any series. This one featured on the SNES classic, but there are various ways to play, including the rather great GBA and Pixel Remaster re-releases.
And that's a wrap on the best Super NES games of all time!
Super Nintendo FAQ
Nicely done getting through all 50! We're going to wrap things up by answering some common questions people have about the Super NES and its games.
When was the SNES console released?
Depending on your region, the SNES release date varied from territory to territory.
As was typical at the time, Europeans had to wait nearly 16 months for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System to arrive on UK shores, with mainland Europe having to wait even longer!
Here's when the Super NES was released in the major gaming regions back in 1990 / 1991 / 1992:
Japan: November 21st, 1990
US: August 23rd, 1991
UK: April 11th, 1992
Europe: June 1992
How many SNES games are there?
According to Wikipedia’s list of Super NES games , a total of 1,738 Super Nintendo games were released during the console’s entire lifespan.
There’s some variation in the number of releases between Europe, Japan, and US territories, but you'll find all SNES games listed by region on that page.
What were the best two-player SNES games?
The Super NES was a great system to play with friends, not least because it brought arcade-quality games like Street Fighter II into the home for the first time.
Here's our pick of the best multiplayer SNES games from the article above. If you'd like more details, scroll up to find them - we’ve included the rankings to help you find them.
#38 - Super Mario Kart
#35 - Super Bomberman
#34 - NBA Jam
#32 - Zombies Ate My Neighbors
#27 - Tetris Attack
#24 - Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
#19 - Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
#18 - Kirby Super Star
#16 - Contra III: The Alien Wars
#15 - Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting
#12 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
It's worth noting that technically Super Mario World has a multiplayer component, but it's a matter of passing the controller and taking turns and we've not counted it in the picks above. If you were looking for a great multiplayer game and were handed Super Mario World, you'd be a little disappointed, right?
What are the best SNES-exclusive games?
Thankfully, most of the SNES games above have been re-released on other platforms over the years, but a small handful remain exclusive to the console. Here's our pick of the best SNES exclusives from the article above...
#49 - Soul Blazer
#37 - Secret of Evermore
#28 - Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
#26 - Illusion of Gaia
#25 - The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
#22 - Terranigma
Where can you buy SNES games?
If you've got your old Super NES out of the cupboard and are looking for some boxed games, online marketplaces like eBay or Facebook Marketplace should probably be your first port of call.
Alternatively, you may be able to find original boxed games at specialist second-hand retailers.
However, bear in mind that most of these games are over 30 years old and original boxed copies are rare these days, especially in good condition. Be prepared to pay large sums for the most popular SNES games.
How big are SNES games?
The size of individual Super NES games varied, but the largest games were Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean, which contained 48 Megabits (6 Megabytes) of data.
For comparison's sake, Super Mario World is 4 Megabits (.5 Megabytes).
How can I add a game to this article?
Much like our Top 50 lists covering other Nintendo consoles, this list is dictated by User Ratings for each game in the Nintendo Life game database . As such, the order is fluid and can fluctuate even after publication .
Haven't rated your favourite SNES games? Simply find your game of choice in the search bar below and give it a score out of 10. The score will immediately be counted towards the total and reflected in the ordering.
Note. In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 50 User Ratings in total.
In the meantime, check out our Hardware Classics feature on the Super Famicom/ Super NES for a look back at the history of the console, and feel free to let us know your favourite 16-bit treasures below. Also, get ready to debate whether the multi-coloured face buttons or the North American lilac/purple combo is best!
Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor. He can currently be found squashed beneath a Switch backlog the size of Normandy.
