On the 30th anniversary of the Super Nintendo's North American launch, what better time to revisit this list of the best SNES games ever? Originally published this to coincide with the Japanese version of this milestone, below you'll find a sparkling lineup of 16-bit classics — as ranked by you, dear readers.
Remember, this list is dynamic and based on the User Ratings for each game submitted in the Nintendo Life games database. It is, therefore, subject to fluctuation, even now! If you haven't rated any of the games below, simply tap the star on the corresponding entry and rate the game out of 10 to exert your personal influence on the ranking, or use the search tool just below to find your favourite SNES game that doesn't appear (yet). Enjoy!
A lot can happen in thirty years. To be fair, a lot can happen in one year (2020 was a stark reminder of that), but thirty?!? We've seen five-ish console generations in that time, and some incredible advances in the tech and design ideas behind video games, but there was something special about the 16-bit generation.
Maybe it's just rose-tinted specs for our long lost childhood. Maybe the console wars and the playground debates gave every game release an extra little frisson. Or perhaps developers and hungry platform holders really were at the very top of their game—the peak of their powers—before polygons arrived and sent teams back to the drawing board to re-examine and experiment with the expanded possibilities of household gaming.
Whatever the reason, the 16-bit Super Nintendo and SEGA's Genesis / Mega Drive represent a pinnacle of gaming for many of us. 2020 was the 30th anniversary year of the Super Nintendo's launch in Japan (known there as the Super Famicom, of course). We asked Nintendo Life readers to submit user ratings for their favourite SNES games and we present to you below the top 50 Super NES games ever, as rated by you.
Much like our previous Top 50 lists covering other Nintendo consoles, the ranked list below is dictated by User Ratings for each game in the Nintendo Life game database. As such, the order below is fluid and can fluctuate even after publication. Haven't rated your favourite SNES games? Simply click on the User Rating star next to each title below and give it a score out of 10. The score will immediately be counted towards the total and be reflected in the ordering.
If there's a game bubbling under the top 50 that you'd like to rate, feel free to find it using the search tool below and give it a score out of 10. Already rated your SNES collection? Thank you! In that case, simply sit back and prepare to scroll through the 50 best SNES games ever…
Note. In order for games to become eligible, they need a minimum of 50 User Ratings in total.
50. Mega Man X3 (SNES)
Publisher: Capcom / Developer: CapcomRelease Date: 1996 (USA) / 1996 (UK/EU)
By no means a bad game, Mega Man X3 is disappointing. From a design standpoint, there's simply too much that feels lazy and incomplete compared to X or X2. Unremarkable weapons, illogical solutions to environmental puzzles, and repetitive boss fights take some of the shine off the X series, although franchise fans will find enough here to warrant a play-through. Those looking to dip a toe, however, would be much better served by either of its predecessors.
49. Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES)
Publisher: Capcom / Developer: CapcomRelease Date: Nov 1996 (USA) / 19th Dec 1996 (UK/EU)
Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting is arguably the best entry in Capcom's premier fighting franchise on the SNES, but there are more than enough flavours of Street Fighter II floating around to satisfy all tastes. While not the best Street Fighter on the system, squeezing Street Fighter Alpha 2 onto the Super Nintendo was a hugely impressive feat that deserves your admiration. You can play the arcade port of the game already on Switch as part of the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, but the SNES version is still a sparkling example of what could be accomplished on the console.
48. Killer Instinct (SNES)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: RareRelease Date: 30th Aug 1995 (USA)
A great looking game from genre-hopping studio Rare, the SNES port of arcade fighter Killer Instinct is yet another feather in the Twycross studio’s considerable cap. Bringing the arcade experience into the home on 16-bit hardware was most impressive back in the day, and the series would go on to be one of the few fighting games to appear on Nintendo’s next console.
47. Final Fantasy V (SNES)
Publisher: Square / Developer: SquareRelease Date: TBA
Final Fantasy V expanded the series' job system and came to the West in TOSE's 2006 GBA port Final Fantasy V Advance. The port touched up the game's visuals and added a sprinkling of new content and features to make it arguably the best version to play – it remains the only way to play the game in the West on Nintendo systems, although it's on Japanese Virtual Consoles and is widely available on other platforms (PC, PlayStation, mobile).
46. Star Fox (SNES)
Publisher: Nintendo / Developer: Nintendo EADRelease Date: 1st Mar 1993 (USA) / 3rd Jun 1993 (UK/EU)
Star Fox is obviously a classic, and its use of the Super FX chip resulted in an experience that felt awe-inspiring to anybody who witnessed it on their SNES back in 1993. It's a little more jarring for players these days, especially ones who got into the Star Fox series later. Players who vomit at anything less than 60fps will want to sit this one out, but the underlying design still shines and those pining for a return for Fox, Peppy, Falco, and maybe even the ever-rubbish Slippy will enjoy jumping back in the cockpit of an Arwing and saving Corneria once more. The fact that it's now available on Switch is very nice.
45. U.N. Squadron (SNES)
Publisher: CapcomRelease Date: 3rd Sep 1991 (USA) / 10th Dec 1992 (UK/EU)
The opening level of U.N. Squadron may be a little too tough but the difficulty curve is otherwise well-judged in what is a challenging game. The occasional instances of slowdown are unfortunate but there's not much else to fault with this excellent shooter. With some great music, varied levels, exciting action and interesting bosses, U.N. Squadron is a game that's enjoyable to play through again and again.
44. Rock n' Roll Racing (SNES)
Publisher: Interplay / Developer: Silicon & SynapseRelease Date: 14th Oct 1993 (USA) / 31st Mar 1994 (UK/EU)
It goes without saying that if you're a fan of the NES classic R.C. Pro-Am, you're going to absolutely love the racing action in Rock & Roll Racing. Not only is the core gameplay idea still intact, but the unique hard rock soundtrack and impressive race announcing breathe new life into the game and make it truly stand out from the other racing titles available for the Super Nintendo system. If you're a fan of the isometric racing genre, you owe it to yourself to see why so many racing game fans hold this game in such high regard. It's not only one of the more enjoyable racing titles to come out of the 16-bit era, it's also one of the more unique as well.
43. Shadowrun (SNES)
Publisher: Data East / Developer: Beam SoftwareRelease Date: 1st Nov 1993 (USA) / 28th Jul 1994 (UK/EU)
There are some things about the controls that irritate and visually Shadowrun lacks polish but for the most part the game is challenging fun, with atmospheric music, interesting characters and a gripping narrative that makes each play through an absolute joy. Perhaps the only disappointing thing is that the ending mentions ‘Shadowrun II’ and whilst games based on the license appeared on the Mega Drive, Mega CD and Xbox 360, sadly none were the much-deserved sequel to this.
42. Soul Blazer (SNES)
Publisher: Enix / Developer: QuintetRelease Date: 27th Oct 1992 (USA) / 27th Jan 1994 (UK/EU)
There's certainly no denying the quirky charm Soul Blazer emanates as you take part in the quest, but what makes this game such a joy to play is the incredible play control system and unique gameplay elements inherent throughout. Who would have ever thought that some of the better ideas from Actraiser could ever make for such an engrossing RPG experience when placed in the right developer's hands? If you want to see what the action-RPG genre is really all about, look no further than this 16-bit classic.
41. Secret of Evermore (SNES)
Publisher: Squaresoft / Developer: SquaresoftRelease Date: 15th Oct 1995 (USA) / 22nd Feb 1996 (UK/EU)
Secret of Evermore is quite a refreshing take on the Secret of Mana gameplay formula and serves up one of the more unique and interesting Squaresoft RPG story lines of the 16-bit generation. The high level of difficulty at times might turn you off, but if you've got the mettle to stick it out, you'll find that the quest is one well worth experiencing. If you enjoyed Secret of Mana, you'll likely find a lot to like here as it's very similar in style and presentation.
