100 Best Snes Games

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Kicking off our countdown is a Capcom classic, a game that came to the SNES by way of the late '80s arcade scene — Final Fight. It was an evolutionary brawler in its original coin-op form, taking the beat-'em-up structure of earlier titles like Double Dragon to the next level. Then, on the SNES, it helped define what 16-bit home console brawlers would be — and inspired two SNES-exclusive sequels. Well, kind of three. 'Final Fight Guy' came out a few years later to bring ninja fighter Guy back as a playable option — he'd been cut from this first version, leaving only Cody and Mayor Mike Haggar to beat the Mad Gear gang out of Metro City.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System might be the greatest game console ever made. Check out our picks for the best SNES games, including classic first-party games like The Legend of Zelda: A. 100 in 1 Game Cartridge 16 Bit SNES Game Card The 100 Best Video Games Cartridge Battery Save for snes game console. ESRB Rating: Everyone by HH software company.

You might not believe it, but it’s absolutely true: the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or the SNES, for short, is now old enough to have serious regrets about its life, and if you’re old enough to have had one of these wee grey boxes in your living room, then you’re probably even older.

Inspiring stuff right? In all seriousness, though, the SNES is certainly one of the all-time greats in the console department and now that Nintendo is starting to add SNES games to the online Switch library, what better way to celebrate than to list our top 50 SNES games.

We gathered together some of our best and brightest to help us celebrate, and we hope you’ll join us too!

Best SNES Games #50. Super Mario All-Stars

While there’s little argument that the red plumber’s SNES debut, Super Mario World, is certainly his finest moment on the console, this little retro package certainly gives that dinosaur filled classic a run for its money. Comprising not only the original classic Super Mario Bros, but also its oddball sequel Super Mario Bros 2, and the untouchable cornerstone of any quality childhood, Super Mario Bros 3. As if these games weren’t enough to justify the price tag, this package also includes the infamous Lost Levels from the original game as well, previously only playable in Japan.

Comprising not only the original classic Super Mario Bros, but also its oddball sequel Super Mario Bros 2, and the untouchable cornerstone of any quality childhood, Super Mario Bros 3. As if these games weren’t enough to justify the price tag, this package also includes the infamous Lost Levels from the original game as well, previously only playable in Japan.

It’s a rather robust quartet and one of the best purchases a parent could make for their wee ones back in the 90s. Literally, dozens of hours of entertainment can be found in these four games, and if you were too young to have experienced them on the NES, then the deal was all the sweeter. (Mike Worby)

Best SNES Games #49. Harvest Moon

Harvest Moon is the original farming sim, with a legacy that goes back all the way to 1996 on the SNES. On paper, the game doesn’t sound very exciting and yet, surprisingly, Natsume’s smash hit managed to make farm simulation fresh and interesting. Working through the seasons planting goods, meeting new characters, attending festivals, finding hidden treasures and getting married all paid off at the very end. It spawned an entire franchise, and some would argue a sub-genre, and it remains a shining example of the RPG genre done right. With all the secrets available in this game, there is more than enough reason to revisit this gem in the present day. If you’re a fan of simulation and RPG elements, this is definitely worth a try! (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #48. Super Star Wars

Following the tradition of the original Nintendo Entertainment System, the SNES was home to huge amounts of licensed video games. Unlike its NES predecessor, however, the SNES delivered a fantastic series of Star Wars games that deserves to be counted among the consoles best run and gun platformers. Super Star Wars began the adaptations of the popular films for SNES owners, who were treated to labors of love that brought the world of Star Wars to life (or as well as they could be for a 16-bit system).

The platforming elements themselves were addicting and interspersed with other levels in which the player could control a land speeder or X-wing. But it was the different levels of difficulty that kept people coming back. The hardest levels of Super Star Wars approach Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts territory in terms of frustration, but SNES users were probably already used to masochistic tendencies when picking up a Nintendo controller. Later generations of gamers who grew up on things like Knights of the Old Republic might balk at the Super Star Wars franchise were they to play it now, but all the successful Star Wars games of different genres that came after Super Star Wars owe a debt to its huge popularity. (Sean Colletti)

Best SNES Games #47. Mega Man X3

The Mega Man X series was just the breath of fresh air that the franchise needed after so many similar titles having been released on the NES in such rapid-fire succession, and Mega Man X3 might be the best game the spin-off series ever produced.

In addition to refining the mechanics from the first two Mega Man X titles, X3 also let players step into the boots of X’s badass, plasma-sword wielding partner, Zero. Easily the coolest character in the X series, it was particularly thrilling to play as Zero this time around, even if it was only for a short time.

With a great selection of bosses, carefully hidden upgrades, and fantastic music, Mega Man X3 is one of the best Mega Man games ever released and is still worth replaying even today. (Mike Worby)

Best SNES Games #46. The Death and Return of Superman

Easily one of the biggest cultural moments of the 90s was the death of perhaps the most iconic character in American history, Superman. Though he would eventually be resurrected, this was before the cavalcade of me-too superhero death stories that followed, so at the time it was believable that the Man of Steel could truly be gone for good.

The story of his death and eventual return is retold in the aptly titled brawler, The Death and Return of Superman. The game tells the tale as well as can be expected for any game from the time period, giving ample screen time to all of the Man of Tomorrow’s would-be successors, before making way for the eventual reveal that Superman is alive after all.

It’s a classic tale retold wonderfully well in its new medium, and a whole lot of fun to play. There was nothing quite like being put in control of some of the coolest comic book characters of the 90s during one of the best stories ever told about Superman. The Death and Return of Superman still stand as one of the best brawlers on the SNES, and it isn’t hard to see why. (Mike Worby)

Best SNES Games #45. SimCity

Before The Sims gave us death by swimming pool, SimCity threw $10,000 our way and told us to get building. Released as a launch title for the SNES, SimCity feels different even to this day. Its mood is contemplative. The soundtrack is oddly soothing. Nurturing a city takes time, but the gameplay can be picked up in minutes.

It doesn’t really matter that SimCity starts in 1900 and yet there are nuclear power plants and planes crashing all over the place. The little inconsistencies hardly detract from a game that rejects an in-your-face storytelling experience and instead sits back and gives the player room to ruin or create as they see fit. Plus all those pollution warnings probably did more for environmental awareness in the 90s than the Clinton administration.

The player-as-God scenario isn’t what makes SimCity great. It’s that we actually get time to care. Our tiny palette of icons may be the functional mechanic that allows us to paint our city however we imagine it, but time is our main currency outside of, you know, actual money. Seasons change from winter to spring, and we can take a breather to sit back and admire our city before letting Bowser reduce it to ashes. Moving a cursor around with the D-pad never felt so satisfying.

That doesn’t mean the controls aren’t clunky as hell. And the game’s looping soundtrack, despite being tied into city level and changing as you advance, does sometimes make you want to self-harm.

SimCity is simply too addictive for it to matter. When the intro screen loads and the music plays over a scene of skyscrapers at night, we have to push start.

No other SimCity has come close. (Luke Geraghty)

Best SNES Games #44. Kirby Super Star

Kirby Superstar is one of the best values on the system. Instead of one linear traditional adventure, gamers get to choose from eight different experiences on one cartridge. This is also one of the few instances in which players get the best of both worlds, quantity, and quality. Each game can easily stand on its own and provide plenty of fun and replay value, however, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few standouts among the group. Gamers looking for a more traditional Kirby experience will likely have a blast with Spring Breeze or Milky Way Wishes, whereas those looking for a challenge can have a go at The Arena. Gourmet Race is probably the most unique title on the cartridge, as Kirby must race King De-de-de to the end of the stage while collecting as much food as possible. It offers a nice distraction between playing the other games and can become quite addictive when doing the time trial modes.

When Kirby Superstar was released back in 1996, there was nothing else like it at the time. The amount of content in the game put it head and shoulders above the competition, leaving very few players bored. While a superior sequel was released for the DS years later called Kirby Superstar Ultra, the original must still be appreciated for its innovation within the platforming genre that was excelling on the SNES at the time. It’s one of Kirby’s finest and most diverse outings. (Zack Rezak)

Best SNES Games #43. Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

The last of the three installments released in the Super Nintendo’s groundbreaking Super Star Wars series, Super Return of the Jedi promised more of the same great experience offered as its two forerunners, and boy did LucasArts deliver.

Like the previous two outings, Super Return of the Jedi is a 2D platformer in which you take on the Star Wars universe, only this time around the roster of playable characters grew to five (Luke, Chewie, Han, Wicket and Princess Leia, who wears her bounty hunter disguise and Endor forest survival gear at the various points in the game). With its toned-down difficulty, depth and polished presentation, Super Return of the Jedi is considered by many to be the best of the three games in the series. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #42. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals

Lufia II, a prequel to the original Lufia, has the incredible distinction of being one of the best RPGs on a console with quite possibly the best library of RPGs ever. While Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy III (VI) are appropriately in another tier of gaming altogether, Lufia II is one of the few games that has a legitimate claim to being the best of the rest.

A huge part of its strength comes from being a classic, traditional RPG on the surface but exhibiting non-traditional RPG (at least for the Japanese-developed RPGs that populated the console library) elements in its gameplay. Lufia II has a much greater emphasis on puzzle solving than, say, a Final Fantasy game. It borrows elements from The Legend of Zelda series, incorporating vast dungeons that require as much thinking as they do grinding. There are also several side quests that pad the already sizable main narrative, making Lufia II one of the longer RPG experiences on the console for completionists.

And even though the main story and conflict surrounding Lufia II’s characters aren’t as classic or memorable as many of the other well-written RPGs for the SNES, its ultimately Lufia II’s commitment to gameplay that makes it such a powerhouse. Little tweaks, such as the IP gauge that gives you different abilities to perform based on equipment or Capsule Monsters (a Pokemon-lite kind of monster collecting and leveling system that allows you to bring a buddy into battles), give Lufia II a unique personality that separates itself from so many of its peers.

A much-loved, little-played series in general, Lufia games are hard to come by, making Lufia II an expensive cartridge to pick up (and it is not available on the Virtual Console). DS owners, though, may be able to find a remake, Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals, which is completely revamped into an action-RPG instead of the turn-based system the SNES original uses. In any way it can be experienced, Lufia II is a genuinely must-play RPG. (Sean Colletti)

Best SNES Games #41. R-Type III: The Third Lightning

Nintendo certainly has a storied history of classic shmups. Among the strongest games on the original NES were Life Force, Gradius and The Guardian Legend, each a perfect example of how simultaneously addicting and frustrating the sub-genre of shooters can be at its best. In the case of R-Type III, more of the same goes a long way with the added sound and graphical capabilities of the system.

Like any shmup worth its salt, R-Type III is teeth-grindingly difficult. It is a speedrunner’s kind of game in the sense that memorization is absolutely essential to success. Each of its six stages is huge and has an array of details to new settings and enemies, including memorable and thrilling boss battles. But in the process of beating each level, players will undoubtedly become familiar by way of death after death after death.

This, though, is the kind of challenge that gives R-Type III and other shmups longevity and replayability (there is also a two-player mode, which makes for even more sensory chaos), because there is nothing unfair or cheap about the difficulty level. Unfortunately, the game and series are nowhere to be seen on the Virtual Console, but a watered-down GBA port is available if you can’t find a copy of the SNES cartridge. (Sean Colletti)

Best SNES Games #40. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble

This third installment was one of the Super Nintendo’s last hurrahs. Released in 1996, it immediately seemed archaic against the new three-dimensional Mario title, released two months before on Nintendo’s next-generation 64-bit machine. It was also the weakest entry in the Donkey Kong Country franchise, marred by the inexcusable introduction of the sluggish, babyish Kiddy Kong, and by needless updates that sacrifice usability for visual splendor, like the lovingly-designed vehicles that awkwardly transport players between worlds.

Nevertheless, Donkey Kong Country 3 features on this list because the franchises core values remain intact: fast-paced gameplay, sublime graphics, bountiful secrets, varied level design, and spectacular music. Level in and level out, composers David Wise and Eveline Fischer (who would go on to provide Joanna Dark’s voice) produce melancholy, funky, and industrial sounds to accompany the player’s quest. More than other platforming series, Donkey Kong Country always placed an accent on atmosphere, which has allowed the series to remain fresh and relevant in this age of arty, side-scrolling, indie platformers. (Guido Pellegrini)

Best SNES Games #39. Illusion of Gaia

Genre(s) Action RPG Illusion of Gaia was something of a spiritual sequel to Soul Blazer, with very loosely linked gameplay and story elements. Named Illusion of Time in Europe, the game put you in command of Will, a young adventurer with latent psychic abilities and the power to morph himself into the fully-grown adult body of a knight and also the alien-like lifeform named Shadow. Saving the world required using each version of the hero at the appropriate time. As an action-RPG, Illusion of Gaia fails in the RPG section but shines well in its action. Although not as close to perfection as its predecessor, it still manages to be one of the most entertaining action RPGs available on the SNES, and a fitting second game in a trilogy. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #38. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts

Unlike the 8-bit generation, there were only a few games released on the SNES that became infamous for their vicious and unrelenting difficulty – Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts might be the hardest of the bunch. This SNES sequel to the NES rage-inducing Ghosts ‘N Goblins was just as likely to have players throwing their controllers across the room. On the surface, the game looks like any other side-scrolling platformer, but tackling the game’s challenging and unrelenting levels is no easy feat. Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts is a hard game to beat and I do mean hard, but that is also why Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts is such a great game. It’s challenging design philosophy, atmosphere and story helped pave the way for contemporary classics such as Dark Souls and Bloodborne, and mastering Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts gave an unparalleled sense of accomplishment. For those of you have finished the game, you most likely agree this should be higher up on our list. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #37. Zombies Ate My Neighbors

This run and gun game developed by LucasArts and originally published by Konami for the Super NES wasn’t exactly a commercial success, but it was well received and praised for its graphical style, warped humor, and deep gameplay. Back when local couch multiplayer was the lifeblood that kept games forever replayable, Zombies Ate My Neighbors offered kids countless hours of ridiculous non-stop fun while navigating through the game’s 48 main levels and 7 bonus levels in order to rescue the titular neighbors from monsters often seen in horror movies.

Aiding the protagonists Zeke and Julie are a variety of weapons such as tomatoes, weed whackers, bazookas, holy crucifixes and more, along with various power-ups that can be used to battle the numerous enemies scattered throughout. Meanwhile, assorted elements and aspects of popular horror movies are referenced in the game with some of its more violent content being censored in various territories such as Europe and Australia, where it is known only as Zombies. This love letter to B-grade horror films is a rare gem and a cult classic that absolutely deserves all of its praise. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #36. Breath of Fire II

Unlike the original Breath of Fire, the SNES sequel in Capcom’s overlooked RPG series is an in-house production (Square Soft, a god amongst third parties at the time, helped localize the first game). The result is a love letter of a project that is a little rough around the edges. Though similar to its predecessor, it is ultimately a better game than Breath of Fire and a fine addition to the SNES library of RPGs that would set the series on a course for true greatness.

Different versions of the characters Ryu and Nina return in Breath of Fire II and would become series staples. The rest of the cast is full of lively personalities and poignant archetypes that add to a wider scope and much-improved storyline of redemption. In the same way that the PlayStation’s Suikoden II is essentially the same game as Suikoden—just a lot better—Breath of Fire II builds on every layer of the foundation built by Breath of Fire (the only exception possibly being that the music lacks some of the charm).

Capcom’s most successful traditional RPG series, Breath of Fire would make the jump to the Sony consoles and produce three more main series games. And while the third and fourth installments are the most rich experiences overall, the first two make up an of-the-era pair that is deeply nostalgic and indicative of how simplicity of design and vision isn’t necessarily a drawback if tone and atmosphere are done right. Both games are available in Game Boy Advance ports and on the Wii U Virtual Console. (Sean Colletti)

Best SNES Games #35. Final Fight

Final Fight — which was originally titled Street Fighter ’89 but had its name changed just before release — was a massive arcade hit across the globe and given Capcom’s close relationship with Nintendo, it became a launch exclusive for Nintendo’s 16-bit console. However, what fans got wasn’t all that it was hyped up to be. Final Fight is one of the earliest titles for the system, and due to the hardware limitations of the Super Nintendo, Capcom was forced to make some changes from the port of the original 1989 arcade game. The removal of co-op, for example, eliminated one of the most appealing features present in most beat ’em ups and Nintendo’s censorship policies ultimately replaced several characters including the iconic boss, Rolento.

Despite all of this, many of the core factors that make Final Fight so appealing are still intact, and the SNES version helped define what 16-bit home console brawlers would be. Capcom’s classic does not stand the test of time but it was evolutionary, taking the beat-’em-up structure of games like Double Dragon to the next level. And for that, it deserves a spot on our list! (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #34. Earthworm Jim 2

The SNES certainly had its fair share of weird titles, however, few can come close to EarthWorm Jim 2 when it comes to strangeness. Jim’s second outing is vastly different from his first. What was once a consistent side-scrolling shooter is now a varied assortment of odd genres? Each level shakes up the gameplay in some pretty interesting ways, so much so that it would be hard to tell they were all part of the same game. In fact, some of these stage descriptions sound more like a drug trip than an actual video game level. One stage has Jim disguise himself as a blind cave salamander in order to swim through a series of intestines. At the end of the stage, the player is thrown into a game show that could result in the loss of the mealworms they collected throughout the stage. Another has Jim dodging falling grandmas while riding a stair-lift. Normal stuff.

What makes this title special is how the unique gameplay structure complements the game’s personality. Every level is so odd and different from the last; it’s impossible to tell what’s coming next. A funky synth-filled soundtrack and beautiful environments bring the whole package together to form one of the strangest yet most fun titles on the SNES. As Jim would say, it’s GROOVY! (Zack Rezak)

Best SNES Games #33. Pilot Wings

One of only three different launch titles available to own alongside your newly-purchased SNES back in 1991, Pilotwings was a basically a tech demo for the Super NES’ Mode 7 that created the illusion of depth by taking flat surfaces and presenting them from any angle. But as much as it was a graphical showcase, it was surprisingly enjoyable as well.

Pilotwings was an odd title and while it may not be fondly remembered by most, those who chose to delve deep into its depths swear by how great it is. Regardless of how you feel about the game, it spawned a new Nintendo franchise and gave gamers a glimpse of what would later come with the N64. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #32. Earthworm Jim

Earthworm Jim is a run and gun 2D platformer that stars Jim, an earthworm who obtains an ultra-high-tech-indestructible robotic suite to defeat his foes. It’s up to Jim to save the princess from the likes of Psy-Crow, Professor Monkey-for-a-Head, Queen Pulsating, Bloated, Festering, Sweaty, Pus-filled, Malformed and the final boss, Slug-for-a-Butt.

At the time of its release, Earthworm Jim was praised for its unique cartoon style animation, refined gameplay, mind-bending soundtrack, and strange characters. They honestly, rarely make games like this anymore, and though subsequent generations have tried to revive the series, it has never been met with success. Earthworm Jim is part of the grand tradition of balls-to-the-wall games in the vein of Psychonauts and Monkey Island and comes highly recommended for those who prefer a unique brand of oddball charm. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #31. Mega Man X

Following up the critical and commercial success of Mega Man X was no small task, but Mega Man X2 did an admirable job. The plot follows the android protagonist, X, who has saved humanity only six months prior. Now a trio of Mavericks calling themselves the X-Hunters have arisen, intent on destroying X by luring him with body parts of his colleague Zero, who sacrificed himself during the conflict with Sigma in the first X game.

This second installment gives the android protagonist X, five new cyborg sub-bosses to battle, and seventeen bosses, both new and old, including Bubble Crab, Crystal Snail, Wheel Gator, and Overdrive Ostrich. Just like the games before it, Mega Man X2 doesn’t really do much in the way of innovation. It features much of the same action-platforming elements dating back to the original Mega Man series. While it isn’t groundbreaking in any way, X2 comes highly recommended to anybody that enjoys the previous title. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #30. Mario Paint

In 1993, according to the US Census Bureau, only 31.9 percent of children between the ages of 3 and 17 had access to a computer at home, while 60.6 used one at school. Now that we’re all surrounded by monitors and devices, it can be difficult to imagine a time when most youngsters were not born into a menagerie of desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and e-readers. As William Gibson once said: “It’s harder to imagine the past that went away than it is to imagine the future.”

Mario Paint, released in 1992, was a bizarre concoction and, for many children, this writer included, an introduction to personal computer literacy. A spruced up Microsoft Paint, it came with a mouse and a pad, which made the title as expensive as it was irresistibly novel. Along with basic music generation and animation tools, to produce short and crude videos, it also offered a ridiculous fly-swatting mini-game, a throwback to simple arcade gameplay before retro gaming turned into a millennial cliché.

This kind of compartmentalized experience was not common on the Super Nintendo. There was usually the one game included in the cartridge, and that was it. Games within games would be more prevalent in later years. But Mario Paint incorporated the windowed logic of an operating system and allowed users to engage in different kinds of activities, save their work, and combine it.

This merging of the personal computer and console interfaces anticipated the gaming future, when consoles would behave like low-end, web-ready desktops with home screens, as comfortable with YouTube videos as with The Last of Us. And it also reflected the immediate past, when a personal computer like the Commodore 64 could compete with consoles (and is now often, albeit erroneously, equated with them); and the Nintendo Entertainment System, even as it popularized the concept of simplified, kid-friendly, plug-in-and-play gaming, was compatible with specialized modems, disk systems, and the Family BASIC, a cartridge-and-keyboard bundle for game programming. Mario Paint, then, taught many children an obvious but easily forgotten fact: consoles are computers, too. (Guido Pellegrini)

Best SNES Games #29. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Though not as influential as its predecessor, this sequel is nevertheless a summation of everything that is enjoyable and exciting about the franchise. Like its prequel, it eschews the impossible and abstract architecture of other platformers, like Mario and Sonic, and instead settles for, not precisely real-world locations, but at least recognizable environments–twisted versions of jungles and factories, frozen mountains and carnival fun-houses, distorted visions of places we might conceivably visit in real life (save for some notable, honeycombed exceptions).

Diddy’s Kong Quest places the lumbering Donkey Kong in an uncharacteristic Princess Peach role: as the captured person (well, primate) of interest, who must be rescued from the villain. In his absence, Diddy Kong becomes the protagonist, while his girlfriend – the lithe, ponytail-twirling, hovering Dixie Kong – tags along as his partner. Both are quick and nimble, and together, they make this into the most frantic, agile installment of Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo. (Guido Pellegrini)

Best SNES Games #28. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island has a bit of a strange twin in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask. Both followed widely acclaimed and genre-defining games, and somehow both chose to do somewhat similar yet insanely different things with their respective sequels.

In the case of Yoshi’s Island, it was casting Yoshi as the hero, rather than Mario, and relegating the latter to a screeching infantile annoyance instead of the protagonist. Baby Mario’s recurring cry is probably the number one reason not to enjoy this game but luckily there’s a host of new ideas that more than make up for it. For one thing Yoshi plays dramatically differently from Mario, and the fact that he is constantly hampered by having to keep everyone’s favorite plumber safe gives the game a puzzle-lite element that no one saw coming.

The gorgeous animation and trademark level design only further raise SMW2’s status as an instant cult classic, and another great example of how going a different direction for a sequel, rather than retreading the original, can work wonders in the long run. (Mike Worby)

Best SNES Games #27. NBA JAM

NBA Jam was an absolute blast and perhaps the game I played the most as a young teen. It tore up the arcades from the day Midway released it, and drained every quarter from my wallet.

So when it was finally announced for release on Nintendo’s home console, I started saving my quarters instead, in order to ensure I had enough money to pick it up the day it came out. Whereas nowadays, sports games insist on realism, Midway delivered a frantic and oftentimes gravity-defying sports experience that gave us countless hours of fast-paced basketball action.

Reduced to two-on-two match-ups and featuring a super-powered roster (not to mention tons of unlockable characters), NBA Jam was the number one jam in my household. (Ricky D)

Best SNES Games #26. Demon’s Crest

Of the many incredible platformers for the SNES, Demon’s Crest remains one of the most underrated an overlooked (even if more and more retrospectives have been kind to it, it deserves to be considered alongside the Mega Man X, Donkey Kong Country and Super Mario World franchises). The third installment in the Gargoyle’s Quest series that began on the Game Boy, Demon’s Crest is also—unfortunately—the final game in the Ghosts ’n Goblins spin-off trilogy that follows Firebrand, that frustratingly hard-to-hit enemy from the main series.

While game mechanics and a balance between challenge and reward typically bolster a platformer like this into ranks of the elite, Demon’s Crest is so memorable for its tone and atmosphere. Like Super Castlevania IV and Super Metroid, Demon’s Crest is a moody piece with a dark color palette that is as immersive as many of the great RPGs for the console without the benefit of a carefully-constructed story. And although it is less an RPG-hybrid that the original Gargoyle’s Quest, its free-roam overworld and Crest scheme, which allows you to gain and use different abilities to complete the platforming challenges, separate the game from more streamlined platformers, such as the aforementioned Donkey Kong Country games.

A relatively short game to complete, Demon’s Crest remains immensely replayable because of its ability to give the gamer such an engrossing experience, helped by yet another incredible OST (this is very much a common thread of the SNES greats). At a time when it seemed like Capcom could do no wrong, Demon’s Crest is an example of true creativity, crafting a whole world around a throwaway enemy from a completely different series and delivering the third part of one of the most underrated series of all time. (Sean Colletti)

Humans by birth. Gamers by choice.Goomba Stomp is a Canadian web publication that has been independently owned and operated since its inception in 2016.

Barter System

Who knew that a bunch of bananas and a stick have an equal value? Transactions that involve the trade of your goods or services in exchange for someone else’s goods or services are time-honored and make a lot of sense. Unless, of course, they involve taking absurd amounts of time gallivanting back and forth across the countryside to track down random items for random people with random whims just so that a mermaid will finally give up a measly scale in order to unlock a dungeon that holds a magnifying glass. That might be a little inefficient by most business standards.

Still, through the Link’s Awakening trade sequence, one can see how this system really serves the community. Instead of trading items for shiny rocks given arbitrary value by some foreign king (or princess), the process of swapping item for item results in everyone getting what they actually want, and a much happier population for it. Just the sight of the smile on that anthropomorphic crocodile’s face as he wolf’s down that dog food is enough to make all that frustrating backtracking worth it.

Gift Economy

This is kind of an odd one, and involves just giving stuff to people in the surrounding community with the trust and hope that when you need something, they will give in return. That’s right — a system of acquiring goods and services that relies heavily on TRUST. Good luck implementing that anywhere else (unless it’s like the mafia doing “favors”), but on Koholint this sort of economy is actually demonstrated in good faith by Syrup the Witch; bring her a Sleepy Toadstool, and she’ll make you up a batch of Magic Powder, free of charge. Maybe she keeps a little stash on the side for herself, but if so, it’s never mentioned.

So what does Syrup want in return? Does she want an item retrieved, a relative saved, a monster slain? Nope. Syrup never asks for a thing, and that’s what makes her ultimately so suspicious. Nothing’s free in Koholint, lady; what’s your endgame? Well, maybe — just maybe — Syrup is just a nice person who is paying it forward, hoping that if she needs assistance with something in the future.

Heh, heh. I guess she doesn’t know how this one’s going to end.

Monetary System

Okay, we all understand this one. There’s this thing that some people more important than us have deemed valuable (probably because they have a lot of it) even though it has no practical purpose; we can exchange this otherwise useless item for actual useful stuff, which in turn its new owners can then do, and so on, and so forth. Thus, instead having to trying to find the person who assigns the most value to your surplus chicken so that you can get somehow scrape together enough other stuff to trade for that new wagon wheel you need, society can just use a currency with a universally agreed upon value. Like rupees. So go get some by…selling that chicken.

Now, I’m not sure what commodity rupees representing, but it seems to work in Hyrule, so why not here? Of course, since the shopkeeper is essentially running a monopoly (outside Crazy Tracy), he can rig the market a bit, but Koholint is ripe with an abundance of ways for an enterprising young man to rake in some green (and blue and purple). With a nearly endless supply of grass to cut and monsters to kill, as well as an alarming number of treasure chests hidden about (is this some kind of pirate island?), the inevitable inflation as more and more rupees enter the economy is bound to cause Koholint’s stock market to crash, but hey — the Wind Fish will definitely probably be awake by then.

Conclusion

Nice but slow, profitable but suspicious, or quick but shallow — the residents of Koholint Island don’t have long to decide on an economic system to bring them into whatever century these game take place in. If they’d like to keep their isolated status, just keep trading beehives for pineapples; but if these lazy islanders want to wake up and take their place beside the powers on the world’s stage, it’s time to invest heavily in rupees, my friend. Just forget about whatever Syrup is cooking up; I get the feeling that one of these days she’s going to cash in with an offer that Link can’t refuse.

When worlds collide the result is usually jarring, but seeing Paper Mario team up with the regular Bros. in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jamnot only feels right but makes for one of the more relaxing and charmingly pleasant entries in the comedic RPG series to date. While it doesn’t necessarily reach the memorable heights of hilarity found in some of its predecessors, the rock-solid mechanics, variety of challenges, and breezy pacing are still perfect for RPG newcomers and franchise fans alike.

Paper Jam‘s tale begins with the kind of simple and innocent plot device that sets most Mario adventures in motion, and naturally, it is Luigi who is responsible for everything that follows. When he accidentally discovers a book that contains the entire Paper Mario universe, his endearing bungling causes an apparent dimensional rift that unleashes one-ply havoc across the land. There’s not really much to the story, but it’s a decent enough way to get things rolling and get the cast of regulars to interact with their other-selves. While developer Alpha Dream and the NOA localization staff don’t delve too deeply into the philosophic and self-analytical possibilities posed by having characters compare their parallel existences, it is great fun seeing the two Bowsers jockey for dominance, showing insecurity over being perceived as second-fiddle, as well as Peach commiserating with Paper Peach over constantly being kidnapped and being sick of having to cry out “save me, Mario!” yet again. From Kamek to Bowser Jr. and all the little Toads in between, these exchanges never lose their fun, leading to several laugh-out-loud moments, and make up for the lack of any meaty narrative.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam succeeds in nearly every facet at being the charming, pleasant RPG that it aims to be.

The real star of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is the combat, however, and those with experience playing the franchise will have no trouble feeling right at home with the timing-based attacks and dodges. Encountering new baddies and figuring out their patterns is a blast, and thanks to the opportunity for counterattacks, often entire battles can be fought without a single hit point lost. Though getting cocky can lead to some indignation upon actually being hit by a familiar foe, new enemies are introduced in each area that nicely prevents players from getting too complacent.

The Bros. can perform their Bros. Attacks as usual, which might involve kicking a koopa shell-like like a soccer ball or using a drill to grind an opponent’s skull, but the addition of a new member to their team adds another dynamic, and with Paper Mario all three can execute various Trio attacks that deal even more damage. These moves, which could require smacking enemies with a racquetball or a button-mashing kite-flying assault, start out easy, but get more complex and difficult to perform as more powerful ones are acquired. The game allows you to practice these any time, however, even during battle, so mastering that fireball fling is as straightforward as getting to Carnegie Hall.

Because of Paper Jam‘s relatively easy difficulty level, however, even at normal I found myself sticking to the earlier, basic attacks and forgoing learning many of the new ones, as the risk/reward of potentially messing the timing up and dealing little pain wasn’t worth it or even necessary. Ditto for the new Battle Card system, which allows players to play special cards found along the way that can boost stats or inflict damage without losing a turn. It’s a nice feature that may come in handy for those having problems with certain bosses, but during my playthrough, I found them to be more of a curiosity than anything else, and quickly forgot about them, no matter how many Toads tried to remind me. There is also an easy mode available, but simply tackling every goomba or Hammer Bro that comes Mario’s way is more than enough to level up quickly and have the power to take on the baddest of the bad.

This perfect pacing makes the repetition of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam feel less like the grind that so many RPGs can become, and supporting that notion even further are the variety of gameplay challenges along the way that break up the stomping action. Of these, the Papercraft Battles, which have your party riding atop a giant cardboard likeness supported by Toads while fighting papercraft versions of your enemies, are a highlight. Also, a great deal of fun are the Paper Toad challenges, which require everything from flushing out the little guys from their hiding spots, to corralling them like the Mushroom Kingdom sheep they are. I always looked forward to these moments, and with a couple of exceptions, the side quests add to the overall flavor. Only the occasional stealth mission got on my nerves, but thankfully they are brief and few in number.

It’s bright and colorful, and though the paper aesthetic is more pleasing to the eye than the rest of the standard Mushroom Kingdom settings, the attention to detail in the animations and the Italian-like gibberish that Mario and Luigi emit will never be tiring. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam succeeds in nearly every facet at being the charming, pleasant RPG that it aims to be. While not necessarily an amazing adventure, it’s a very Nintendo one, and for anyone who loves the idea of Mario worlds colliding, that means it’s almost guaranteed to elicit a smile.

Play more than one campaign from Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and you may start to notice resemblances between the Black Eagles, Blue Lions, and Golden Deer that go beyond those recycled school missions from the first half of the game. While the characters for the most part have very distinct personalities and backgrounds, they also conform to archetypes of sorts, bearing traits in common with counterparts from rival classrooms. Whether they’re the nobility-loving stiff, the meek little mouse, or the ‘fighting solves everything’ obsessed trainer, the personalities of these people are like ingredients, and the multiples have been distributed according to a rough (and effective) formula in order to create three similarly functioning houses full of rich flavor.

Their presence also lets Three Houses properly explore its themes of class, war, and growth no matter which ragtag group players wind up choosing.

The Ambitious Leaders

Though that formula does have variations, it starts off each time with a strong base. Though Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude at first seem to share few likes and dislikes (other than their professor, of course), they are bound by an overarching ambition that greatly influences the course of events. While the first half of Three Houses is mostly on rails (outside various paralogues), the missions in the second half stem from these ambitions — and/or failures to achieve them. Most of the other characters react to events as if simply along for the ride, but the three house leaders all are strong forces with their own agendas, bent on actively shaping the world they live in — for better or worse.

Whether approving of these three imposing their will upon others (to varying degrees) or not, Three Houses does an admirable job in reserving judgment for the player alone to make.

The Nobility

The classrooms of Garreg Mach are a mix of nobles and commoners, and no matter which house players choose, this intermingling will become a topic of conversation. The two stuffed shirts that most verily stand out are the awesome Ferdinand and the less-awesome Lorenz, but in many ways the pious Mercedes can be included, though her approach is from a different point of view. Those first two guys espouse a philosophy of innate superiority and inferiority, with the former obliged to care for the latter in return for deference. By taking this stand (which is strangely not as off-putting as it sounds, as they they really do seem to want to help people), Three Houses can challenge their ideas via the various commoners they share a class with, such as Dorothea or Leonie. Meanwhile, Mercedes provides contrast as a noble who wishes she wasn’t. Though perhaps written a little too perfect, Mercedes serves as an example of someone who plays the part with utmost generosity and impeccable manners, but longs to be free of the nobility trap.

These discussions are among Three Houses‘ best, and give a peek into how the land of Fódlan has been operating up until now. Many of these characters also have familial pressures that weigh heavily on them — obligations that give no time for personal dreams. Will the wisdom these characters accrue during their debates change how they perceive the world, and possibly alter their plans for the future?

The Introverts

Is there a more entertaining character in Three Houses than Bernadetta? To each their own, but the never-ending string of whimpers, shrieks, squeals, and freak-outs injects so much goofy humor into an otherwise dramatic plot that it seems impossible not to want to see how every single one of her support conversations plays out. However, the timid archer is not the only one who ducks the company of others whenever she gets the chance. Marianne thinks she’ll curse everyone she meets, and Dedue believes that even standing near a Fódlanite could wreck their social standing by virtue of his nationality, and so both choose to avoid all human contact as best they can.

These character types provide two important things: first, they allows each house to develop some truly cruel back stories with which to slowly unveil and surprise classmates whose pesky problems look much tinier in comparison (thus giving them and the player a wider perspective on the world). Second, they give those same classmates an opportunity to draw these shrinking violets out and into the world, to tout the virtues of not only interacting with those around you, but also to see the wonders of nature. Whether it’s a conversation about flowers or witnessing a gorgeous sunset, Bernie, Dedue, and Marianne have some of the most satisfying arcs in the game.

The Fighters

Hey, sometimes the only way to solve a problem is to beat it up, right? The enthusiastic Caspar, gregarious Raphael, and laser-focused Felix all initially fall on the side that might makes right. Their individual reasons and approaches might vary — one hopes to make a name for himself as a knight, one just wants to be in food money for himself and his sister, and one hates the idea of knights, period — but they all endlessly focus on training their bodies to become peerless warriors.

Naturally, this philosophy is exploited to explore the reverse, and this trio is steadily introduced to a string of arguments in favor of both headier and more emotional approaches to things. Caspar is taught to see the consequences of diving into situations headfirst without understanding them, Raphael learns that tactics can also be important in battle, and Felix is forced to admit that he can enjoy both cake and human company. These guys might initially come off as stubborn to some, but they have some of these warmest and fuzziest support conclusions.

The Users

This category is a little tougher to define, and my first thought was to call it “The Lazies,” but characters like Hilda, Sylvain, and Linhardt do have moments where they apply themselves, whether by charming classmates or analyzing them. Regardless, they all tend to look upon their fellow human beings as specimens to be manipulated or experimented on for personal gain. There are varying degrees of coldness involved — Linhardt is the only one that really comes off as scientific — but each User rarely at first considers the feelings and overall being that they interact with. Hilda finds a weakness to flatter, Sylvain puts on a romantic facade, and Linhardt…well, he doesn’t even hide his robotic nature.

Okay, maybe some of them have some deep-down reasons for this behavior, but it’s still not acceptable. The good news with these potential psychopaths is that over the course of Three Houses they will learn to see how their behavior affects others, and possibly acquire some empathy along the way for these hu-mans. Well, maybe not Linhardt as much as the others, but Spock still managed to be an emotionless good guy, so there’s hope.

***

There are doubtless many other similarities between the ingredients of each Fire Emblem: Three Houses class, but the above examples represent some of the ones I appreciated the most. The writers have crafted truly unique and engaging characters across the board, and it’s interesting to see how they formed balanced classrooms that can explore similar themes while still feeling distinct. There’s no doubt this factor contributes greatly to making Fire Emblem: Three Houses an incredibly addicting and memorable experience.

Way back in 1989, smooth animation wasn’t on the mind of too many gamers. The usual series of bleeps and bloops was enough, and besides — we had enough to worry about dodging Bowser’s fire blasts or ducking one of Mike Tyson’s knockout jabs; whether the pixels looked pretty while doing it wasn’t exactly a top concern. Of course, gamers rarely know what they want until they see it for the first time, and much like with the mind-blowing cutscenes that Ninja Gaiden introduced so many to, it’s hard to forget the first time seeing the silky-smooth animation on display in Broderbund’s Prince of Persia.

Granted, by now many players had moved on from the Apple II, as dying of dysentery on the Oregon Trail and traveling around the world yet again to chase down Carmen Sandiego no longer held the same appeal as whipping Dracula to death or gunning down ducks in front of a snickering dog. Still, there were always those friends who just hadn’t managed to convince their parents of just how necessary something like Metroid was to their playground social life, and so, they were stuck with a keyboard and those weird floppy disks. But every once in a while they would have the upper hand (something PC gamers apparently have always had); for a while, Prince of Persia was one such example.

Play some NES games long enough and you’ll understand exactly what the big deal was. Here was a video game character that didn’t go from standing to jumping in one frame, whose run action didn’t come off as robotic and endlessly recycled. The Prince seemed to move like a real person (or at least a beautifully drawn cartoon), with all the fluidity and momentum that living beings have. That may seem like nothing now, but the level of animation in Prince of Persia was something rare for video games, and giving players access to controlling such a character introduced them to new ways of thinking about how to play. Suddenly the avatar wasn’t as immediately responsive as a Mario or Mega Man, and the character seemed to be more precious, more relatable. A different approach was required for fighting and platforming that required more careful planning and foresight than those other reflex-heavy experiences.

This increased movement also established a connection with the Prince that was different from the gun-toting Contra guys or plodding Simon Belmont. His plain look and lanky motions came off as sleek-awkward, which made so many of those sweet stunts that much more plausible — something anyone could imagine themselves doing. And when he was stabbed to death by Jaffar or impaled on the spikes at the bottom of a pit? Man, we felt it. This guy was one of us, and it was kind of amazing to see that up on the screen, much less be allowed to dictate it. Why couldn’t every game have animation like this?

One need only go back to a typical NES platformer to understand why this animation style never quite caught on. Prince of Persia might have blown minds with its visuals, but it also smashed keyboards; this was — and is — a frustrating game. When cancelling animations isn’t a thing, and each move must be completed before the next one can begin, one wrong or late button press can cause catastrophe. Getting the timing right is part of the challenge, just as it is with most platformers, but the windows to success are a little narrower when flexibility is removed from the equation. Solving each room in Prince of Persia is more like solving a timing-based puzzle; a little trial and error (and a lot of patience) does the trick.

This type of gameplay inspired some debate on the playground. Arcade-style running and gunning or sword-slashing had become the order of the day by late ’89, and though us whippersnappers could step outside the box for the occasional RPG, the appeal of gaming had much to do with the kind of reflex tests with which to assert superiority over siblings or friends. Still, many were hypnotized by the lifelike gait and delicate strokes on display in Prince of Persia. The intricate animation seemed to hail a new era for video game production values, bringing them that much closer to the cinematic experience. But while I was also greatly impressed by these pixelated visuals, a pathway closed in my brain.

Prince of Persia‘s revolutionary rotoscoping was certainly a landmark step toward the future, but it also cemented in my mind that the way a game feels is more important to me than the way a game looks. It’s a philosophy that has only become more entrenched over the many years since those carefree days back in 1989, and one I’ve repeatedly expressed on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast. That said, it’s not hard to imagine that many gamers were inspired to the opposite, and have celebrated each step closer that the medium has come in regards to depicting visual reality. So many want to better identify, become more absorbed in their digital experiences, and for that to happen, it’s not only photo-realism that matters.

That first step was smoothly (and seemingly interminably) taken so long ago, but Prince of Persia will likely always be remembered by those who first saw it. It elegantly changed the importance of animation, and gracefully poked players’ imaginations.

Games

‘Trails of Cold Steel’ has the most vibrant and alive fantasy school setting in a video game to date and it deserves more attention.

When it comes to fantasy school settings in video games, there aren’t that many examples of games that have utilized it well. After relatively high profile attempts from titles like Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Final Fantasy Type-0 failed to light much of a spark, Nintendo’s Fire Emblem: Three Housesentered the scene to demonstrate the enormous potential the setting has when properly utilized. What many people don’t realize, however, is that there is another series that has gone criminally underappreciated yet uses the fantasy school setting just as well as, if not better than, Three Houses. That series is called The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel.

Welcome to Thors Military Academy

Trails of Cold Steel steps into the shoes of Rean Schwarzer as he enrolls in the most prestigious school in the Erebonian Empire, Thors Military Academy. He soon finds out that he is assigned to the newly established Class VII, a social experiment that mixes noble and commoner students in the same class. For a country that not only has a deep history of using the class caste structure but is also on the cusp of reforming such a system, this experimental class is both unprecedented and a pivotal turning point for the country as a whole.

Much like Three Houses, Trails of Cold Steel portrays this dichotomy between nobles and commoners in shades of grey rather than stark black and white. Various degrees of resentment, haughtiness, and discomfort clash in Class VII as each student is pushed to the forefront of changing times and told to adapt to it. Watching those negative feelings grow into genuine camaraderie over the course of the game is one of the greatest joys of Trails of Cold Steel. What makes the Thors campus feel so alive and believable, however, isn’t just how Class VII develops, but how everyone else in the school also develops over the course of the games.

Every single NPC on the school grounds is named. What this means is that they aren’t used simply as a way to dump background or one-off exposition on the player like many JRPGs use their NPCs for. They are instead unique individuals, each with his or her own life that progresses throughout the course of the games. Adding to this sense of routine and progression is how their activities and location will change numerous times in the same in-game day; they always, always, have something new and unique to say when they do. Every. Single. Day.

What really lends credence to the believability of these characters’ lives, however, is how they are independent of that of Rean’s and the player’s input.

Trails That Are Not Your Own

In other relationship heavy RPG’s like Three Houses and Persona, development of other characters is more or less driven by the protagonist’s, and by extension the player’s, interactions with them. Support conversations in Three Houses are unlocked by having members fight with each other while confidants in Persona 5 only develop if the player initiates their storylines. Without the presence of the protagonist in those games, it would be difficult to argue how those characters would have developed. That narrows the scopes of the worlds to revolve around the protagonists, as a result. Such a hands-on approach doesn’t apply to Trails of Cold Steel, though.

Whether or not Rean interacts with them, the students will continue to develop on their own. There are any number of examples to demonstrate this. There’s the rambunctious, young merchant with a charming Scottish accent, Becky, and the rational Hugo who are locked in an eternal rivalry to always outperform each other in sales. You have the commoner and noble pair, Alan and Bridget, that awkwardly stumble through their budding feelings for one another and what that means for themselves and their families.

These stories even extend outside the school into the neighboring town of Trista, where a constantly feuding husband and wife struggle to come to terms with each other while trying to care for their increasingly disillusioned son.

Rean may eventually receive a request to lend a small helping hand but for the vast majority of these stories, he plays little to no part in them. These windows into peoples’ lives can only be followed by regularly checking up on these characters as the game progresses even when, more often than not, the player isn’t receiving any extrinsic reward for doing so. It’s not like you get experience points or money for every time you talk to these characters.

Instead, the player is intrinsically rewarded with a growing sense of pride from seeing these characters develop over the course of such long games. It’s these intrinsic rewards that lend the military academy of Trails of Cold Steel such an incredible sense of life and richness despite the game’s incredibly simple graphics.

The series doesn’t place Rean at the center around which every character in the game revolves. This creates the rare feeling of a world continuing on, even when the console is powered down at the end of the day. Even without the protagonist around, the people of this world are capable of growing on their own. That’s just what we call “life.”

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Top 50 Snes Games

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel I & II are available on PS3, PS4, Vita, and PC.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III will be launching exclusively for PS4 on October 22nd for NA and Europe.