RFGen's Top 20 Super NES games

[singlebanana]

Time to share those picks if you feel so inclined

1.    Super Metroid - Metroid was the first NES game I ever owned as a kid and this follow-up took the experience to another level. Much less frustrating than the original, incredible items and abilities, and some epic boss fights put this game at the top for me!

2.    Legend of Zelda: LTTP - It was hard to not put this title at #1 and I used to consider this my favorite Zelda game until I played Link's Awakening a few years ago. Ranking it #2 is still very high praise as this is a classic, must-own title.

3.    Chrono Trigger - I played this game when it came out and still feel like it is the best RPG on the system.  The characters are memorable and the spell cast animations were the best I had ever seen at the time.  Top notch story and top notch game all around.
 
4.    Secret of Evermore - I first played this title during our playthrough a few years ago. I really love the action adventure elements as opposed to standard turn-based RPGs. Only having one character to control is great, and a canine companion who can be as aggressive as you want him to be in battle is a nice touch. Better than Secret of Mana in my opinion, but I know I am in the minority here.

5.    F-Zero - Probably still my favorite racing game of all time. Though it doesn't playout in the game, the story via the character descriptions and comic cells located in the manual help stir your imagination as you race against the other characters. Great Mode 7 back drops, and this game has one of the best soundtracks of all time.

6.    Wild Guns - Such a fun 2-player shooter on the SNES. Learning how to dodge enemy fire and attacks is critical to your success. Super challenging, but not overly difficult when you learn the boss battles. Though this is one of the pricier titles on the SNES, in my opinion it holds its value. If cost is an issue, pick up Wild Guns Reloaded on the PS4.

7.    Secret of Mana - One of the most beautiful, colorful, and lush RPGs on the system.  I enjoyed this game from beginning to end and though it's not my favorite RPG on the system, it still ranks in my Top 10 overall games on th SNES.

8.    Super Punchout! - Though I'm a bigger fan of Puchout!! on the NES, I have to say that did an incredible job with this follow-up. The quirky, silly characters with their differing abilities are once again features of this game and learning to defend all of their attacks is quite a challenge. While sports titles may not be your thing, this series was and is endearing to even the most finicky non-sportsball gamer. Quite easier than the original, but in my opinion, the last of the great Punchout!! games. Bickman2K sucks at this game!

9.    Super Mario World - I'm sure this is higher on most people's list, but alas, there are several games that I enjoy playing more. This is hands down the best Mario game ever made and that says a lot. This is probably the first game that I remember that had hidden areas and a completion percentage and I aboslutely had to 100% it...Star Road be damned.

10.  Final Fight 3 - I own all three Final Fight games on the SNES and I can say that without a doubt, Final Fight 3 is the best on the system. I love the original, but the lack of a 2-player option really kills it for me; beat 'em ups are simply made for multiplayer or GTFO! Final Fight 2 is also a great game, but because they are pricey, if you have to choose, go for 3.
 
11.  Darius Twin - I can hear the moans and chants of "Super R-Type, Super R-Type" in my head even as I type this. However, I've always preferred the quirky, oceanic space environment and enemies to R-Types more sci-fi look. Plus, this game plays well and spherical shields are for weenies....ha ha!

12.  Super Mario RPG - The Super Mario frachise broke new ground with this game and in my opinion, helped expand their longevity by entering the RPG genre.  With the usual cast of characters and enemies that we have grown to love over the years, it was a perfect transition to a genre that the SNES dominated during its time.

13.  SimCity - Probably not the most exciting pick, but man, I spent so many hours playing and perfecting this sim. From natural disasters, to those not so natural, the game really kept me on my toes. Nothing pisses me off more than gridlock!

14.  The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang - I first played this title and added it to my collection a few years ago. Probably one of the lesser known action RPGs on the system, but those who are familiar with it know how good it is. And besides, who doesn't want to be a top hat weilding vampire?

15.  Pocky & Rocky - I fun little 2 player cute 'em up whose action changes between vertical and horizontal. Choose between the card throwing, maiden Pocky or the leaf blasting tanuki Rocky in this epic, very Japanese adventure. The game commands a heafty price tag and the sequel and even larger one. The latter may be better, but I can't comment on that, since I don't own it.

16.  Tecmo Super Bowl - The SNES took a great game on the NES and made it even better. Great graphics and apt character abilities based on stats. Who doesn't want to pass for 600+ yards per game?

17.  Run Saber - An action platformer in the same vein as the arcade version of Strider that has lush graphics and fun gameplay. My only knock on it might be its length, which runs a bit over 30 minutes. What other game can you battle an enemy on a plane doing loop de loops?

18.  Super Castlevania IV - A fun installment in the Castlevania series. Great boss battles and possibly the first to add a grapling feature to the whip.  The ability to transition from the foreground to the background of certain areas is a nice touch. Did I mention the bosses were cool?  #limpwhipFTW

19.  The King of Dragons - It was between this title and Knights of the Round for making this list. To be honest, the games are somewhat similar, but I give the edge to KoD due to its more diverse characters. Such a fun beat 'em up and can be had for about the price of a new modern game.

20. Super Turrican - I love this platforming shooter and though Metal Warriors commands a much higher price, I think this game is much better. Fierce action, great weapons, and an appropriately sized sprite give you lots of room to maneuver. However, don't go away thinking that this game is a cakewalk. Still pretty well-priced unless you want its fairly comparable sequel.

[Disposed Hero]

My List:
1.   Chrono Trigger
2.   Final Fantasy VI
3.   Final Fantasy IV
4.   The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
5.   Super Metroid
6.   Super Mario World
7.   Super Double Dragon
8.   Street Fighter II
9.   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles In Time
10.   Secret of Mana
11.   Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
12.   Illusion of Gaia
13.   Super Castlevania IV
14.   Soul Blazer
15.   Kirby Super Star
16.   Final Fight 3
17.   Skyblazer
18.   Donkey Kong Country
19.   Secret of Evermore
20.   Wild Guns

Honorable Mentions:
21.   Demon's Crest
22.   ActRaiser
23.   Mega Man X
24.   Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
25.   Final Fight 2
26.   Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
27.   Contra III: The Alien Wars
28.   Ys III: Wanderers From Ys
29.   Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest
30.   Super Mario Kart

[Crabmaster2000]

1.Mega Man X - Might still be the pinnacle of 2D action games. Great progression, inspired level design, one of the greatest soundtracks in gaming, and great rewards for exploring each stage.

2. Chrono Trigger - Much like FFIII there isn't much new to say about Chrono Trigger. Amazing story told over countless lifetimes in an engaging way. New Game + pioneer with multiple endings/reasons to replay. Also has some of the best pacing in RPGs.

3. Super Mario World - Nintendo taking that tried and true Mario formula and just polishing it further. I appreciate them pulling back on the vast amount of power ups from 3 and keeping a smaller, but refined group to assist you. Yoshi is a true boon to the Mario universe. Secrets seem like a silly thing to be excited about in a game, but Super Mario World does secrets just so dang good though!

4. Final Fantasy III - I'm sure this will be high on the list and others with explain its appeal far better than I can. The story, the villain and the main cast are what stand out most to me and to this day are still among the strongest in gaming. That battle theme too!

5. Super Mario RPG - This was a gateway RPG for me. Not in that it simplified RPGs, because it's just as deep, but because it showed me that you could tell an engaging story with a video game even with source material as thin as Super Mario. It got me to appreciate a genre I had previously shunned and a far deeper appreciation of already well loved characters.

6. Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past - For me this is where they perfected the Zelda formula. Amazing puzzles, dungeons, items, music, exploration and story make the world of Hyrule feel just perfect.

7. Rock n' Roll Racing - Black Sabbath, Space Aliens, High Speed Hovercrafts, Missiles and crazy tracks covered with cash, weapons and traps make this maybe the best isometric racer of all time.

8. Kirby's Dream Course - Mini golf, but with super powers, dynamic stages the cuteness of Kirby really endear this game to me. It's also got a fantastic competitive multiplayer mode.

9. Street Fighter II Turbo - Decades later it's still a top tier fighting game. This is my favorite version on the SNES and one of the best couch multiplayer games ever made.

10. UN Squadron - This is the generation where shmups really hit their stride for me. Having branching paths, a dynamic map, great music and rpg elements makes this UN Squadron a personal favorite of mine for the SNES.

11. Donkey Kong Country - It's really hard to top Mario in the pure platforming department, but this game comes the closest for me. Every stage layout is just great, minecarts are the best, tagging off with a buddy, cool animal friends, and one of the most enduring soundtracks in gaming

12. Earthworm Jim - What a great blend of comedy, action and style! It can be pretty hard at times, but it's fair in its design and with the jamming soundtrack and stunning look I've always found it impossible to get frustrated with this gem.

13. Mega Man X2 - If you wanted more of the same you as MMX you wont be disappointed. The music doesn't get me as pumped as MMX so down the list it goes

14. Donkey Kong Country 2 - New animal buddies, more hidden secrets and collectibles, Diddy gets team leader role and a cool new sidekick. If you love one of the DK Country games you'll probably love them all. That original tag team of DK and Diddy is just to sweet though so I prefer it by a slight margin.

15. Earthworm Jim 2 - Its got most of the charm and action of the original, but stacked up head to head just has a few stages that aren't quite as much fun as EJ1.

16. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - Some of the best non-linear platforming still to this day! The amazing visuals of this game still look amazing and the charm just emanated off the screen. Nothing feels worse that listening to that screaming baby Mario though so try your best not to get hit.

17. Super Punch-Out!! - Boxing perfection! What a great silly cast of characters, being able to tackle each circuit separably makes the game feel a lot more manageable than the first, but the later matches still have the hard as nails challenge to them.

18. Killer Instinct - After Street Fighter II this is my go to fighter from this era. It's got a cool style, very unique characters, a great atmosphere and the best combos and finishers around!

19. X-Men Mutant Apocalypse - There are lots of great Beat-Em Ups on the SNES, but Mutant Apocalypse stands out to me. Having multiple playable characters each with unique abilities and levels designed around them is a great deal of fun and a different kind of challenge than mastering one type of character to fight your way through this style of game. Great looking sprites and cool music as well.

20. Harvest Moon - Walks that fine line of simulation yet still having a clear and fun objective. Lots of the derivative games that have come since have leaned far too hard into the simulation aspect for my tastes so I still appreciate the original quite a lot.

[Mr_Stubbes]

1. Chrono Trigger - The SNES is an RPG machine and is home to some of my all time favorite RPGs with Chrono Trigger topping that list. The story is compeling, the artwork and design still holds up today, and the music scores are absolutely perfect.
2. Secret of Evermore
3. Legend of Zelda: A link to the Past
4. Mega Man X
5. Super Mario RPG
6. Donkey Kong Country
7. Super Mario World
8. Earthbound
9. Illusion of Gaia
10. Aladdin - The first SNES game I ever beat. I really enjoy this game, the stages are beautiful and well thought out, the music/sounds are top notch, and the controls are fluid.
11. Earthworm Jim
12. Secret of Mana
13. Super Castlevania IV
14. Super Ghouls 'N Ghost
15. Breath of Fire
16. Super Punch Out
17. RoboTrek - Its like Pokemon but with Robots. Combine that with RPG elements and you have an awesome game!
18. Bonkers
19. Joe and Mac
20. Plok

[bickman2k]

1. Earthbound - An RPG where the battle system is reminiscent of the classics like Dragon Warrior/Quest, the environment is contemporary, and the characters are fairly normal (at first). The dialog that spans the entire game across so many NPCs that have nothing to do with the game ranges from helpful to hilarious. There are many instances where the game not only breaks the fourth wall, but flat out destroys it. The soundtrack is one I can and do listen to outside of the game. It’s easily my favorite game of all time on my favorite system ever.

2. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - A masterpiece. Took the world of the first game and greatly expounded on it. The world was relatively open to explore, even as you have an objective lined out in the story. Even as you would explore, you might come across an area where you say to yourself “I can’t do that now, but I’ll have to come back.” You WANT to explore and backtrack to be able to see every inch of the world in case you miss something. A large variety of bosses, puzzles that require not just a single room, and the environment that can and does change as you progress.

3. Super Metroid - A huge world to explore. Solidified what would become the Metroidvania genre. The original was good, but there were so many great improvements made here that it is simply amazing.

4. Super Mario World - Huge levels, a single map that covers every level, secrets galore! Beat the game with as many or as few levels beaten as you want! New power ups, lots of new enemies and level types, and Yoshi!

5. Super Punch-Out!! - Little Mac is back with a straight out of the 90’s haircut. Plenty of characters from both arcade games, the NES title, and a few newcomers take out a bit of the rhythm from the first console version and make you have to adapt a bit more.

6. Super Mario RPG - Mario in his first RPG adventure teams Nintendo with Square for a fun romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. Plenty of classic characters, lots of cameos, and a new twist where “Save the Princess” is only getting you started.

7. Mega Man X - The new Blue Bomber is ready! Stage design where it can matter when you play a level. The ability to search out upgrades in many places to the point of having to just save up lives so you can get the final one is Down Right Fierce...

8. Chrono Trigger - Square really brings it to this title. Outstanding soundtrack. Time travel that somewhat has cause/effect without too much in the paradox way. Lots of unique characters in the game and plenty of side quests.

9. ActRaiser - An amazing combination of action platforming and city building that have you playing the role of a god that not only saves the town from evil, you then direct the people on how they should rebuild.

10. NBA Jam - BOOM SHAKALAKA! Brings the fun of the arcade home with up to 4 players.

11. Final Fantasy III/VI - A HUGE RPG world awaits in this classic Square title. So much to explore. Tons of characters to join your party. Amazing soundtrack!

12. Mortal Kombat II - The essential port of the best Mortal Kombat game. Brings a version of the game that is pretty close to the arcade home along with the blood this time!

13. Kirby’s Dream Course - Golf + Kirby = FUN!

14. SimCity - An excellent port of the PC classic with the extra Nintendo polish and charm. Watch out for Bowser!

15. Donkey Kong Country - A fun platformer with lots of secrets to explore. The graphics still look good, especially for a cart with no extra hardware like the Super FX chip.

16. Street Fighter II Turbo - The best way to play Street Fighter on the SNES.

17. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest - A fun entry-level RPG that has pretty good humor to go with it. The overworld is limited as far as travel and the story is super linear, but new players can grind to level up and possibly gain some new items with Battlefield levels. Experienced players can skip them to sort of make their own difficulty level.

18. Contra III - Brings the tough as nails action of Contra to the SNES with new types of levels that showed off Mode 7 early in the console’s life.

19. TMNT IV: Turtles in Time - An excellent port of the arcade game. The lack of 4 player is traded off with the Mode 7 effects such as throwing enemies at the screen, new bosses, and other unique features to this version.

20. Uniracers - A quirky racer that combines speed, memorization, and the fun of being able to perform stunts as a similar but legally distinct version of the Pixar logo (at least that’s what should have happened!)

[shaggy]

1. Final Fantasy III
2. Super Metroid
3. Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past
4. Actraiser - This game is a great blend of Action and Simulation that has never been done before and has never been done again.  A total hidden gem for the Super Nintendo.
5. Super Mario World
6. Secret of Mana
7. TMNT IV
8. Illusion of Gaia
9. Super Bomberman
10. Chrono Trigger
11. Donkey Kong Country
12. FF: Mystic Quest
13. NBA Hang Time - Great arcade basketball that kills it with multiple players. Up to 4 players can play this blast of a game.
14. Earthbound
15. Street Fighter II Turbo
16. Lost Vikings 2
17. Mortal Kombat II
18. Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts
19. Jurassic Park
20. Goof Troop

Had to get Actraiser in there.  It was tough not putting it number 1.  A total hidden gem of the SNES.

[MaterialHandlerMike]

1) Legend of Zelda- Link to the Past. The best game on the console, IMO and my favourite Zelda game to date, with BotW in a close second. This was also the first game that had me pull an all-nighter

2)Super Mario World. Best Mario game in the franchise IMO, followed by Odyssey

3)Super Metroid. Favorite in the franchise. Nothing else with the "Metroid" name, comes close to this, for me.

4) Final Fantasy II. I got this one for Christmas, around the time of its release. It was amazing as a NA gamer, loving the first FF, then having this as the next offering

5)Final Fantasy III. An even bigger and better jump, from FFII

6) Chrono Trigger. This game cost me an arm and a leg when it was released, but it was worth the cost. Time-hopping RPG, with a doomsday villian that made it worth the effort to try and stop. I got a lot of replay out of this as a kid, and can still jump in every few years, for a playthrough.

7) Actraiser. This one is a little higher on my list, and it might be due to rose-tinted nostalgia. Nostalgia aside, Actraiser still holds up as an innovative hybrid Action/RPG/Sim game. The music is also an example of the SNES best.

Lost Vikings. I consider this one a bit of a hidden gem for the system. I enjoyed playing this one co-op with friends when it was released. Very fun action-puzzler, that again, has an amazing soundtrack (If you like 90's hip-hop/techno)

9) Shadowrun. I have much love of the Shadowrun IP. Never played the pen and paper game, but read many novels as a kid, and spent much time with both the SNES and Genesis iterations of Shadowrun. A very cool IP that has a fictional, futuristic Earth, combining Magic and Technology. I love the soundtrack to this one so much, I just bought it on vinyl

10) Super mario RPG Its Mario and it's Square. 'Nuff Said.

11) Addams Family Might be a guilty pleasure. I love the Addams Family IP, and loved the movie that came out that this game, was roughly based on. At its heart, its flawed, but its a decent action platformer.

12) SimCity. This was the launch game I picked out when I got my SNES. The strangeness, of its concept, and creativity of its gameplay, drew me in right away.  I still have never beat all six scenarios.

13) E.V.O. I remember the curiosity I felt about this title, the first time i read about it. I wouldn't say it lived up to the hype, but E.V.O. is still a fun, side scrolling, action-RPG, that lets the gamer "Evolve" their creature, through prehistory

14)Super Star Wars. I love Star Wars. Up til the point, that this game was released, there was no SW game as good

15) Super Mario Kart. It was the beginning of something good, that would become much better

16) TMNT IV- Turtles in Time. It's a TMNT and co-op beat-em-up lovers, dream come true

17)Sunset Riders Co-op run and gun, cowboy platformer. Great soundtrack that sounds amazing on my Sunset Riders arcade cabinet

18) Super Punch-Out!!. Taking the concept of the first game, and improving on it

19) Star Fox. Introduced us all to the beloved animal Arwing pilots, we all know and love. Who knew at the time that we needed this quirky, isometric, on rails, shooter?

20) Contra III- The Alien Wars. This one is at the bottom of my list, because I am not overly fond of hard games. I do have fond memories of this one though, and playing many co-op hours, to the point of actually getting good and beatting it, with good buddies

[Wempster]

***New Video Alert!!!***

The countdown video for the Super NES is here.  Take a look at it here.

[singlebanana]

This is incredible!  Thanks for doing this.

[CKsGallery]

As someone posted earlier, you actually had to have played the games to be put on the list, so that is why some of the top contenders are missing... I have just recently purchased some of them and hope to play through them during this quarantine.

1. Final Fight - This game may not even appear on most peoples snes list, but it is without a doubt a top 3 video game for me (across any console)... It just brings back so many great memories, both at home and at the arcades. I have beaten this game more times (well over 100) than any other game, no other games even comes close. I would play this game alll the time at the arcades, or whenever my family would go to pizza hut on the weekends and I was never able to beat it... Finally being able to play it at home and master it on the SNES was pure joy! Best Game Ever!!!

2. Zelda Link to the Past - I consider this game to be perfect, and another top 3 video game of all time for me.

3. Chrono Trigger - I got this game a bit later, probably in my mid teens when a friend spoke so highly of it. This is the game that started my RPG obsession, and I believe the first RPG I ever played. After I beat this game I would search lists of other RPGs I could get for the SNES and try to play as many as possible. Before this game I was always into games, but played a bit more casual, never playing for more than an hour here or there. This game was my first all nighter video game session. This game is the reason so many other rpgs appear on this list, if it wasnt for Chrono Trigger I am not sure I would have fell in love with the genre the way I did.

4. Final Fantasy III

5. Super Mario RPG

6. Street Fighter II - When I got to play this game at a friends house, it blew my mind that you could now play Street Fighter II at home!!!Many great memories associated with this game, so many tournaments after school at friends houses.

7. Super Mario World

8. Super Metroid

9. Breath of Fire II

10. NBA Jam

11. Turtles in Time

12. Final Fight 2 - Thoughts when this game first came out... Another Final Fight! Dreams do come true!

13. Secret of Mana- This game would have probably moved up 4 or 5 spots had I not recently just replayed it on the Switch. It is Frustratingly hard. I dont remember it being this difficult, I must have died close to 100 times and I am only at the 4th boss. Have I become that bad at games, or....

14. Castlevania IV

15. Super Smash TV - Another game I played to death when younger and still come back to it a few times a year if Im just looking for mindless fun.

16. Mega Man X - A NEW Megaman on a new console! Yes... please!

17. Spider Man Maximum Carnage

18. Final Fantasy II

19. King of the Monsters II

20. Saturday Night Slam Masters

[Crabmaster2000]

That's a great list! Awesome to see that Final Fight love!

[shaggy]

That's a great list! Awesome to see that Final Fight love!

I wanted to put Final Fight on my list but I couldn't because it didn't have two player and it didn't have all three playable characters.

[EZ Racer]

So with everyone else sharing their lists, I figured I should share mine. Super NES has a ton of titles I love, so it was very hard to par down my list. I started with almost 50, and chipped away until I had 20. Some of the last cuts were some of the hardest-

1. Super Metroid
2. F-Zero
3. Final Fantasy III
4. Uniracers
5. Zelda: Link to the Past
6. Super Bomberman 2
7. Super Mario Kart
8. TMNT IV: Turtles in Time
9. Star Fox
10. Rock n Roll Racing
11. Civilization
12. Mega Man X
13. Kirby's Dream Course
14. Super Ghouls n Ghosts
15. Sim City
16. Super Smash TV
17. Gradius III
18. F1 ROC II
19. Tecmo Super Bowl
20. NBA Jam T.E.

Really, there were several others that I felt guilty leaving off, but in the end I based my list on how immersive the games were for me personally.

[Crabmaster2000]

Some cool pick on there. Civilization is a great game, just not one that I connect with the SNES. Expected to see some racers on your list of course, but F1 ROC II is one I'm not familiar with. Going to have to check that one out.