Best SNES game?

[Atomic Playboy]

I was always partial to Super Mario World and Mario Kart. Tetris Attack was pretty good as well. But if I could only have one game forever, I'd probably choose an RPG just for length; Chrono Trigger or Mario RPG or A Link To The Past or Final Fantasy 3.

 

[zerocool84]

It's crazy how I can't write an extensive list for ANY system but when you go to a SNES? All of a sudden it's a goldmine.

Gaming really did get worse as graphics got better lol.

Edit: In fact this is why my PSP was my most used handheld ever. Access to the SNES emulator meant I spent hours playing through these games again. Only reason I'd ever pick up a new playstation handheld is if there was custom firmware and SNES emulator (no clue if this is even available on Vita never checked).

Gaming did NOT get worse as graphics got better. There's tons of great games out there being released.

 

[mmntech]

Gaming did NOT get worse as graphics got better. There's tons of great games out there being released.

A lot of people look at the era with rose coloured glasses. Truth is for every great game that came out, there were probably ten crappy ones. Except back then, there were no online reviews or demos. You either went by word of mouth or got lucky enough to snag a Nintendo Power. Otherwise buying games was a bit of a gamble. Everybody forgets that ET for Atari actually did sell quite well.

LTTP and Chrono Trigger are probably my favourite SNES games. Encountered them much later on though. I was a Genesis kid.

 

[shortylickens]

Mario Kart 8 is not only the best looking but also the most fun.


On the other end of the scale, FF 13 looks awesome but is considerably less entertaining than most of its predecessors.

It depends on the franchise. Dragon Quest 8 is the best of both worlds, whereas Castlevania seems to be a lot better in 2D versus 3D.

 

[cmdrdredd]

A lot of people look at the era with rose coloured glasses. Truth is for every great game that came out, there were probably ten crappy ones. Except back then, there were no online reviews or demos. You either went by word of mouth or got lucky enough to snag a Nintendo Power. Otherwise buying games was a bit of a gamble. Everybody forgets that ET for Atari actually did sell quite well.

LTTP and Chrono Trigger are probably my favourite SNES games. Encountered them much later on though. I was a Genesis kid.

Exactly. There was a time when there were new games released nearly every day with no information about them. How do you sort the good from the bad without playing them or knowing someone who did? They only had marketing videos and information at the stores and kiosks. The amount of shovelware was huge compared to today. Thanks in no small part to being able to access endless information on the internet about the newest games. Complete with videos, reviews, user reviews, previews, demos you can sometimes download on PSN/XBL/Steam or elsewhere, and lots and lots of forum posts talking about the games. None of this existed before so all you needed to do was put some cool looking artwork on the cover and use fancy words like "super power!" "biggest adventure yet!" "Better than ever!" "Never before seen!" etc

 

[Aikouka]

You either went by word of mouth or got lucky enough to snag a Nintendo Power.

Lucky enough? You didn't have a subscription? I knew about when that magazine came every month, and if I was home around then, I would practically rush out when the mailman came!

 

[cmdrdredd]

I never subscribed to Nintendo Power because I thought they were bias as a kid. I didn't understand that they were a Nintendo only publication and wondered why they never had Sega games there too. This was back when everything was called Nintendo so I assumed Nintendo Power was just another video game magazine. So I subscribed to Electronic Gaming Monthly since I had both a Genesis and SNES.

 

[mmntech]

Lucky enough? You didn't have a subscription? I knew about when that magazine came every month, and if I was home around then, I would practically rush out when the mailman came!

My dad hated video games when I was a kid. Still does. Thinks they're a colossal waste of time and rot your brain. This the same man who thinks watching the Golf Channel all day (literally) is a perfectly valid way to spend his retirement.

I still don't know why they got the Genesis for me. I didn't get enough of an allowance to actually buy games, let alone subscribe to a magazine. I used to go into the book store, browse the gaming mags, and scribble down cheat codes on a piece of paper when the clerk wasn't looking.

If I wanted a new game, I had to rent them. So yeah, it was pretty much grab whatever box looked cool or whatever the video store clerk recommended. Thankfully I was only burning $2 if the game was a stinker, instead of $70 on a brand new cart.

 

[Aikouka]

My dad hated video games when I was a kid. Still does. Thinks they're a colossal waste of time and rot your brain.

That sounds like my dad. He called them "vidiot games", but I think as long as my brother and I would try out things that he preferred (e.g. shooting guns, etc.), he was usually willing to let it go as long as it didn't affect other things (school, etc.). Although, my dad did get into games like Duck Hunt....

I still don't know why they got the Genesis for me. I didn't get enough of an allowance to actually buy games, let alone subscribe to a magazine. I used to go into the book store, browse the gaming mags, and scribble down cheat codes on a piece of paper when the clerk wasn't looking.

Whenever we'd go to the local supermarket, one of my favorite things to do was to go to the magazine aisle. I think we only ever subscribed to Nintendo Power and GamePro (more so the former than the latter). So, if I wanted to see stuff in EGM or anything else, I had to read them there. I also got to check out the latest Sonic comic book! :awe:

If I wanted a new game, I had to rent them. So yeah, it was pretty much grab whatever box looked cool or whatever the video store clerk recommended. Thankfully I was only burning $2 if the game was a stinker, instead of $70 on a brand new cart.

I think that was one area where I never realized how lucky I was as a kid. My parents certainly weren't rich, but my uncle owned a hobby store. Now, you wouldn't normally attribute that to gaming, but my mom's side of the family was pretty big into technology (my grandfather worked for IBM... actually, both of them did). Anyway, he not only had hobbyist things (model trains, etc.), but also movies and video games for rent. The best part is... we got to rent them for free! It was like a kid's wet dream! Although, I think it was mostly NES games, but even then, that's how I got to play so many of the games.

I never subscribed to Nintendo Power because I thought they were bias as a kid. I didn't understand that they were a Nintendo only publication and wondered why they never had Sega games there too. This was back when everything was called Nintendo so I assumed Nintendo Power was just another video game magazine. So I subscribed to Electronic Gaming Monthly since I had both a Genesis and SNES.

Ah, I knew that they were Nintendo-only, and that didn't bother me, because I mostly played Nintendo games. We did own a Genesis, but it was mostly for playing Sonic. That's why I could never really take part in that thread on Genesis games, because I didn't really play anything else on it! :$

 

[shortylickens]

I never subscribed to Nintendo Power because I thought they were bias as a kid. I didn't understand that they were a Nintendo only publication and wondered why they never had Sega games there too. This was back when everything was called Nintendo so I assumed Nintendo Power was just another video game magazine. So I subscribed to Electronic Gaming Monthly since I had both a Genesis and SNES.

Nintendo Power (at least in the first 4 or 5 years) was not a magazine. It was an information book for current games.
Strategies.
Tips, tricks, cheats.
FAQ's.

They didnt really do reviews or even op-eds or opinion pieces or anything like that.
They did give a heads up on stuff they knew about. But of course a lot of small companies released their games with no real hype or info.

I'd love to scan a couple and show you but after I joined the Navy my mother threw out ALL my issues. Which was from 1 thru about 55 or so.
I also had the first four special strategy guides in red. And the SNES special guides too.

 

[mmntech]

That sounds like my dad. He called them "vidiot games", but I think as long as my brother and I would try out things that he preferred (e.g. shooting guns, etc.), he was usually willing to let it go as long as it didn't affect other things (school, etc.). Although, my dad did get into games like Duck Hunt....



Whenever we'd go to the local supermarket, one of my favorite things to do was to go to the magazine aisle. I think we only ever subscribed to Nintendo Power and GamePro (more so the former than the latter). So, if I wanted to see stuff in EGM or anything else, I had to read them there. I also got to check out the latest Sonic comic book! :awe:

I had a subscription to the Archie Sonic comics at one point. I've still got #50 in mint condition. That's the one where Sonic finally defeats Robotnik for good.

My dad would have rather me have become an avid golfer like him, though he was a poor teacher. I can't stand it actually. I've never had much aptitude for sports. Want to get back into olympic archery but there's no good ranges near by.

 

[shortylickens]

Golf is better from the comfort of your living room. With a lay-z-boy and cheetos.

 

[bearxor]

I see a lot of good suggestions in the thread but a couple of my favorites haven't been mentioned yet.

Actraiser
Jurassic Park
Starfox

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

zombies ate my neighbors
super techmo bowl
super r type
contra 3
lion king
uniracers
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
mega man x
nba jam
pocky & rocky
rampart
bomberman 3

 

[slag]

I've started playing crono trigger. Honestly, I don't think you can make it through this game without looking up hints.

 

[Aikouka]

super r type

I'm pretty sure Super R Type was my first shmup! That was a fun game... I really liked the different power-ups like the normal weapon style and even the bits that would surround you. Although, R Type never seemed as hard as some of the bullet hell games that I've seen these days.

I had a subscription to the Archie Sonic comics at one point. I've still got #50 in mint condition. That's the one where Sonic finally defeats Robotnik for good.

I sold mine off years ago, and I kind of wish I didn't. I had #0-50+ and some of the extra mini-series.

I've started playing crono trigger. Honestly, I don't think you can make it through this game without looking up hints.

I think you can easily beat the game without looking anything up. However, you may never find all of the endings without a guide telling you at what point you need to kill Lavos, or what choices you need to make up to killing Lavos. For example,

Spoiler

if you choose to fight Magus as Frog, you get the ending where you see him as his human form, Glenn. I think you also see the ghost of Cyrus, but I may just be remembering part of the game! I haven't played Chrono Trigger in well over a decade, so I can't be too sure.

 

[KentState]

Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Super Metroid

/thread

My two favorite games for the SNES.

 

[mmntech]

I sold mine off years ago, and I kind of wish I didn't. I had #0-50+ and some of the extra mini-series.

I didn't have the compete set. About half of them, plus some mini series. Still have them in the basement somewhere. Most of them are well worn. Apparently they're still making new monthly issues.

They based the comics on the Sonic SatAM show IIRC. Netflix had it at one point, probably still does. It was surprisingly good. It's amazing how far Sonic has fallen since his peak popularity, and Mario is still going. I think SOJ is mostly to blame for that. They don't know how to market to western audiences.

 

[Aikouka]

They based the comics on the Sonic SatAM show IIRC. Netflix had it at one point, probably still does. It was surprisingly good. It's amazing how far Sonic has fallen since his peak popularity, and Mario is still going. I think SOJ is mostly to blame for that. They don't know how to market to western audiences.

I believe I looked it up once, and the Archie comics came before the cartoon. Although, I think it was just by a couple of months. So, it might be possible that they influenced each other, because they definitely shared the same universe or at least a very similar one with a lot of the same extra characters like Princess Sally, Antoine and Bunny Rab-bot. Speaking of the cartoons, you should watch Nostalgia Critic's review on them.

Yeah, and what's worse is that I heard Sonic Blast isn't very good. You would think that Sonic Generations being the best reviewed Sonic game since Sonic Adventure 2 would at least give them an idea of what the fans want. However, I think that's asking too much!! Also, if the Console Wars book was any indication, SoJ couldn't even market their own games or consoles to Japan let alone the West. Sonic sold far better in the United States, and I can just imagine how bad it would've sold if SoJ got their way in Sonic's initial design; he had fangs, a punk rocker look (leather jacket and guitar) with a big-bosomed girl named Madonna draped over him.

 

[mmntech]

SOJ's biggest problem is they're too Japanese, and they can't adapt that to a global audience. That's whey even good recent games like Bayonetta have limited appeal here. Of course a big part of that is overly sensitive westerners thinking that game was sexist. Duh, it's supposed to be. People here don't understand tongue-in-cheek humour.

Sonic Generations wasn't perfect but it did get most of the formula from the Genesis days. They also perfected the 3D modern Sonic gameplay. Sonic 4 came close but they botched the physics. The thing is the formula isn't that complicated. I think another big problem there is clashing egos. Sega never had their own Myamoto, a single vision to tie everything together. So as soon as SOA sank, that punk rock hedgehog with fangs came right back. They just renamed him Shadow.

 

[poofyhairguy]

My favorite is Final Fantasy 3 (6) and Super Mario Kart (tie).

But Link to the Past, Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid and Tetris vs Dr Mario are all right there.

 

[VashHT]

One game I played when I was much older and found to be really great was Der Langrisser. I actually burned a copy and played it on my dreamcast with the full english patch.

Most of the other games I played are already listed here a bunch of times, I've seen secret of mana mentioned a bunch of times but I enjoyed secret of evermore quite a bit as well.

I also had shaq fu as a kid, game was terrible but we still played the crap out of it because we didn't have many games at the time.

 

[bearxor]

The SNES version of Mortal Kombat II is also worth checking out, IMO.

 

[Sword-of-Kings]

My favorite Super Nintendo game changes all the time. I guess it depends on what I'm playing. Right now, it's Super Metroid.

 

[mmntech]

The SNES version of Mortal Kombat II is also worth checking out, IMO.

SNES had the better graphics but Genesis had the blood. So hard to pick!

So many great games from that era. I really need to set up my HTPC for emulation.