Gaming News
The 10 Best SNES Games – Part One

Published
2 months agoon

What happens when you go from 8-bit to 16-bit? In Nintendo’s case, you go super to fight SEGA’s mega. The Super Nintendo is regarded as one of the greatest consoles ever to grace a living room. It’s also the last time Nintendo were the dominant market leader in the video games industry. We’re going to take a look at the 10 best SNES games that were available for the console.
The rules
In this list, a game’s average launch reviews and a dash of opinion will be considered. If your favourite doesn’t make the list there’s a good chance it was considered. The SNES library has another 10 to 15 stand out titles that missed out. Release dates may appear as a range of years due to different release dates across regions.
Here’s part one of our list of the Top 10 SNES games of all time.
10. ActRaiser
Released 1990/93
Developer – Quintet
Publisher – Enix
Copies Sold – 620,000
Average Review Score – 83.5%
Combining two different gameplay genres into one can be tricky to say the least. An action platformer crossed with a city building/management sim, sounds crazy right? In most cases, yes, yet this time, you get the unique Super Nintendo experience in ActRaiser.
You play as “The Master” a benevolent god, who decides evil must be stopped. In the platforming levels, you inhabit the statue of a warrior to slay monsters.
In the city sim portion, you guide people to build towns. You also take control of an angel to attack monsters that get too close to the villages.
The people will attack monster lairs, stopping them from spawning. The bigger your population, the stronger your character becomes in the platforming levels.
If that wasn’t enough Yuzo Koshiro of Streets of Rage fame composed the soundtrack!
Reviewing the game in June 1991’s CVG Magazine Richard Leadbetter said “the arcade sections in this game easily make it worth the money alone. Add in a Sim City/Populous of a similar quality (and some spine-tinglingly awesome medieval tunes to match the settlement building) and you’ve got a totally unbeatable combination”.
ActRaiser is an early SNES games classic. Its sequel ActRaiser 2 did away with the city sim elements and sticks to action-platforming.
ActRaiser is one of the lowest selling games on this list with around 620,000 copies sold worldwide. It’s a fantastic game that seems to have got lost in the shuffle of time.
9. TMNT IV Turtles In Time
Released – 1992
Developer – Konami
Publisher – Konami
Copies Sold – Not Listed/Disclosed
Average Review Score – 84.6%
Konami used to be amazing in the 80s and 90s, being one of the strongest third-party developers.
Turtles in Time was a beat em up hit in the arcade, the cabinet allowing up to 4 players. So Konami ported the game to Super Nintendo, the main drawback is the game only supports two players. (Multi taps exist Konami!)
That’s the bad point out of the way and the rest makes for the best beat em up on the Super Nintendo. Choose from one of the four Turtles to fight through the Foot Clan on your way to battle the evil Shredder.
The fighting is ‘pick up and play’ with the moves being easy and so satisfying to pull off. Throw your enemies into the floor, back and forth, and even launch them towards the screen. The move is used to throw enemies at Shredder at one point.
Super NES Buyers Guide gave Turtles in Time a 9 out of 10 saying “This is undoubtedly one of the best arcade to home translations this guy has ever seen. The graphics are great and are complemented by excellent play control — with no break-up or slowdown. All the animation is here also. Great job Konami!”
You of course get sent through a time portal and battle Shredder’s goons across history. Bebop and Rocksteady as pirates is a win-win, well, a lose-lose in their case.
The gameplay, music, and battles against Shredder make this one of the must-play games on the SNES.
8 – Mega Man X
Released – 1993/94
Developer – Capcom
Publisher – Capcom/Nintendo (PAL)
Copies Sold – 1.16M
Average Review Score 84.1%
Set roughly 100 years into the future from the classic Mega Man series. Robots called Reploids are commonplace. Reploids who go rogue are Mavericks. A team of elite Reploids who stop them are the Maverick Hunters.
Sigma The Lead Maverick Hunter goes rogue taking more Reploids with him on his quest to conquer the world. You play as the underdog Maverick Hunter called X (Mega Man X) to take Sigma down.
The same formula for selecting the first eight stages in any order returns. The order in which the stages are completed affects the other stages. Some stages freeze over or even have a massive airship crash into them.
Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine (EGM) ranked Mega Man X in their top 10 games of 1994. One reviewer summing up their thoughts in just three words “This is AWESOME!”. EGM had been critical of Mega Man 4, 5, and 6 and X made them think again when it came to the series.
The Mavericks are all named after animals with a cool word thrown in front. Some examples being Spark Mandrill, Storm Eagle, and Launch Octopus. Defeating a Maverick gives X their weapon as an ability. Each Maverick has a weakness to one of these abilities. Tackling the stages in a certain order to gain the right ability for the next boss makes the game a lot easier. The gameplay was also improved by adding elements such as a wall jump.
A certain Dr has set up pods throughout the levels giving X the chance to gain powerful new abilities. Turning the underdog to higher-powered in no time!
Mega Man X doesn’t reinvent the action platformer but everything in this Capcom classic is near perfection.
7 – Super Castlevania IV
Released – 1991/92
Developer – Konami
Publisher – Konami
Copies Sold – 630,000
Average Review Score – 87.2%
Super Castlevania IV is the first 16-bit edition in the series. Konami games went all out on making this early SNES release a memorable one for all the right reasons. The controls are some of the smoothest and most responsive for a game at that point.
You play once again as Simon Belmont in his quest to take down the evil Count Dracula in this reimagining of the first Castlevania. This time Simon can use the whip to attack in eight different directions, making enemies easier to hit. Also, the whip can allow Simon to swing across large gaps.
Video Games & Computer Entertainment magazine gave Super Castlevania IV 9 out of 10 praising the visuals and sound “Really nice backgrounds, sound effects, and music, plus challenging and interesting gameplay make Super Castlevania IV live up to its heritage.
Simon’s theme would feature throughout the series going forwards. Entire orchestras have played it on many occasions. That’s how you know the music is that good.
The Super Nintendo’s graphical scaling and rotation chip (Mode 7) pulled off some impressive visuals for the time. One effect sees a whole room rotate around Simon. Super Castlevania IV is regarded as one of the best of the classic Castlevania games. Castlevania’s future formula changed thanks in part to another game that might feature soon.
6 – Final Fantasy VI (III in the USA)
Released – 1994 (PAL Unreleased)
Developer – Square
Publisher – Square
Copies Sold – 3.42M
Average Review Score – 90.1%
Final Fantasy VI or III in the United States as it was the third Final Fantasy game to make it to North America. Square didn’t always release every Final Fantasy game outside of Japan which explains the messy numbering.
Square in the 1990s perfected the JRPG genre with immersive stories and compelling characters. EGM stated, “Few RPGs can hope to have the emotional draw this one has.”
There’s a whole host of party members in the game, starting as an uprising against an evil empire and the sadistic Kefka. There’s also the question of Terra and who she is due to her amnesia like state.
The Active Time Battle System from Final Fantasy VI returns, making the battles and gameplay faster when compared to traditional turn time battles. The battles range from small to epic. One of your characters can even suplex a whole train, eat your heart out, Brock Lesnar.
The music is an amazing 16-bit soundtrack. One of the standouts being the main theme, its soothing yet haunting tone fits the story perfectly.
It’s sad that Europe had to wait until 2001 before Final Fantasy VI was finally released in the region on the PS1. Clearly, we were deprived of this 16-bit masterpiece for way too long.
And that’s part one of our list of the 10 best SNES games, did we miss any? Do you agree with the order? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below and keep an eye out for part 2.
Read about the worst console launches of all time HERE.

The release of the PS5 has created a lot of hype and excitement for PlayStation 5 players, 2021 comes with the promise of new and exciting games releases!
Below we’ve listed seven up and coming PlayStation 5 games to look forward to.
1: Horizon Forbidden West
Release date: 2021
Genre: Action, Adventure and RPG
Developer: Guerrilla
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Horizon Forbidden West is the exciting sequel to the hit game – Horizon: Zero Dawn. The original ps5 game attracted many players, and even has its own board game allowing gamers to explore the universe in a new way.
Horizon Forbidden West takes us on a whole new adventure to a far-future America. Where you, the gamer, can encounter new enemies, cultures and characters. It has new mechanical enemies to face, strategic gameplay and enormous human mounted machines. Gamers can take these on using weapons, gear and traps crafted from salvage.
Players can look forward to getting stuck in with the story, strategy, challenge and mystery on offer with this up and coming release. With stunning visuals, Aloy’s new journey proves promising with new secrets and history to unlock.
2: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Release date: 2021
Genre: Action, Platform and Shooter
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
A brand new, colourful adventure awaits with this new Ratchet & Clank game.
Ratchet & Clank is a series of third-person shooter and action platformer games. This franchise has many games in the series going as far back as the original PlayStation, with even an animated feature available.
For series fans, this new science fiction adventure promises to make full use of the PS5’s quick load times. Gamers can look forward to travelling through dimensions at high speeds in this new adventure, combined with more outrageous gadgets!
Once again, Ratchet & Clank take on evil forces threatening to take over the world. This time, there’s a twist! A robotic emperor from another reality is working around the clock to destroy all organic life, with Ratchet & Clanks dimension next in line!
With new faces, new gadgets and interdimensional hopping gameplay. Players can enjoy the thrill of gameplay that makes full use of the PS5’s stunning visuals and DualSense™ controller.
3: Gran Turismo™ 7
Release Date: 2021
Genre: Racing
Developer: Polyphony Digital Inc.
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Gran Turismo is an old name in the racing genre, and it is hitting the PlayStation 5 games chart with this exciting new release! Gran Turismo 7 promises cultivation of the 22-year history of the franchise, to bring you an experience beyond pure racing. This game takes advantage of the DualSense™ Controller and promises reduced loading times thanks to the increased processing power of the PS5.
With the GT Simulation Mode’s reintroduction, players can embark on a single-player campaign within the game, alongside other features that take it beyond just racing. Gran Turismo 7 includes evolved tuning and customisation of hundreds of cars in the garage. Players can also improve skills and strategies using the games Driving School. Combine this with other classic features such as special events and championships, this game is a promising release.
4: Resident Evil Village
Release Date: 2021
Genre: Survival Horror
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
This chilling next chapter to another long-running series will be hitting the PS5 in 2021. Resident Evil Village makes full use of the power of the PS5 to enable gamers to experience horror in a brand new way. This series is set a few years after the events of Resident Evil 7- Biohazard, with character Ethan Winters and his wife building a new life together in peace, just before tragedy hits once more.
With first-person gameplay, players take on the role of Ethan. Gamers uncover the mysteries of this chilling village as they attempt to escape, bumping into new enemies and familiar faces.
5: Hogwarts Legacy
Release Date: 2021
Genre: Action role-playing
Developer: Avalanche Software
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Fans of the world of Harry Potter are awaiting this big-budget RPG with bated breath. With 105k people following its progress just on Twitter, this ps5 game proves to be an exciting addition to the Harry Potter universe. I am excited to see exactly what kind of structure this game will take.
Set in the late 1800s, players will choose their Hogwarts House and live a Hogwarts student’s life as they attend classes. Hogwarts Legacy promises to be a more immersive and open world for players. With adventure and opportunities to explore renowned locations on offer, players can tame magical beasts, brew potions and master other magical combat abilities.
6: Final Fantasy XVI
Release Date: TBC
Genre: Action role-playing
Developer: Square Enix Creative Business Unit lll
Publisher: Square Enix
Final Fantasy XVI is the next up and coming game in the Final Fantasy franchise. This game, for some time, will be a PS5 exclusive.
Set in the fantasy world of Valisthea controlled by six factions on the verge of conflict. The game looks visually fantastic, with a deep storyline from what we can see from the first trailer and pre-release gameplay.
The gameplay and combat system looks more responsive. We can see from the pre-release that a combination of melee-based attacks and magical abilities will be incorporated into the gameplay. Players and fans can hopefully gain more information as it nears its release on ps5.
7: Deathloop
Release Date: 21st May 2021
Genre: Action-adventure
Developer: Arkane Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Deathloop offers stunning visuals, fast loading times and adaptive triggers to fully immerse players in this game. Fighting to survive in a hunter vs hunted game, players engage in first-person action that combines weaponry with powers.
This game offers both multi-player gameplay and single-player mode. Players can experience the main storyline, or to take control of assassin character Julianna to sneak into other players campaigns. The aim of the game? Break the time-loop by successfully taking out eight targets before the end of the night.
Can’t Wait?
Finding you can’t wait for these new releases? Check out the PlayStation Plus collection! Full list of games and details available HERE including games from the Ratchet & Clank and Resident Evil series for anyone needing to catch up.
And that’s our list of seven PlayStation 5 games to be excited about this year. Which one are you looking forward to most of all? Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments section below.
Read all about the things we’ve learn’t about the PS5 HERE.


A Cheat Sheet For The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers

WandaVision Episode Seven – Review

Homelander: The Greatest Villain In TV History
Recent
- A Cheat Sheet For The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers February 21, 2021
- WandaVision Episode Seven – Review February 20, 2021
- Homelander: The Greatest Villain In TV History February 17, 2021
- Why Netflix Bridgerton Flips And Un-flips Racial Injustice February 16, 2021
- WandaVision Episode Six – Review February 15, 2021
Trending
- Movie News6 months ago
The Incredible Hulk Is The Best MCU Movie
- Movie News5 months ago
The 9 Most Powerful Power Rangers Villains
- Gaming News7 months ago
7 Online Multiplayer PS4 Games You Must Play Before The Release Of The PS5
- Comics & Literature4 months ago
Harry Potter: The Tragic Life Of Remus Lupin
- Music News5 months ago
What’s The Story 25 Years Later. Still Morning Glory For Oasis?
- Movie News5 months ago
9 Actors Who Could Be The Next James Bond And Why
- Comics & Literature7 months ago
9 Reasons Why The Lord Of The Rings Is The Best Movie Trilogy Ever Made
- Comics & Literature5 months ago
The Game Of Thrones Ending We All Deserved