The Best SNES Games Ever Made

Nintendo consoles have always had all-star libraries, and it's hard to think of a single Nintendo console that isn't blessed with a multitude of bangers. While the Switch is certainly packed with them, many point to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as the Super NES or SNES, as having the best library of any console, Nintendo or otherwise.

But with almost 2000 games released on the SNES across all regions in its lifetime, it's almost impossible to play them all. That's why we've come up with this list of 10 of the best SNES games ever made, so you can jump into the games that you absolutely can't miss.

Chrono Trigger

What do you get when you bring together the creator of Final Fantasy, the creator of Dragon Quest, and the legendary Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama? One of the best RPGs ever made. Chrono Trigger is a turn-based RPG with a battle system, story, and writing beloved by just about everyone who plays it. It's still considered to be largely unmatched to this day, so it's well worth checking out if you haven't already.

Final Fantasy VI

Final Fantasy 6 – also known as Final Fantasy 3 in North America – was a real turning point for the series, with a much bigger focus on character-based storytelling, a more modern setting, and a huge, gorgeous world. It paved the way for subsequent games, but it's also noteworthy because it was the last 2D main series Final Fantasy game. It's absolutely brilliant.

Super Metroid

Super Metroid playing on the Nintendo Switch Online service. Super Metroid is one of the games that inspired the Metroidvania series. Nintendo

Two games spawned the metroidvania genre that we know and love today: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and Super Metroid. The former is well worth talking about in its own right, but it's not on the SNES, so let's talk about Super Metroid. There are few games that truly capture the wondrous feeling of being lost, but Super Metroid does it almost effortlessly. It's packed with gorgeous pixel art, impressive environment design, and top-notch game design. It's almost a perfect game, so go play it.

Super Mario World

It's probably safe to say that Nintendo has never made a bad Mario platformer, they're all fantastic in their own right. Some are a little bit tired, but they're all at the baseline level pretty good. Super Mario World, though, is where the series started being incredible, and it holds up spectacularly well to this day. It's bright and colorful, with a fantastic soundtrack and some very tight and satisfying controls. 10/10 really, no notes.

Donkey Kong Country 3

Okay, hear me out. Yes, Donkey Kong Country 2 has a better soundtrack, and the vibes in general are much more exciting, but actually playing DKC 3 is so much more enjoyable. The level design is leagues better, the difficulty curve is much more even, the character interactions are a lot of fun, and both characters are actually worth playing. It's lacking in a few areas, but it's the most mechanically enjoyable DKC game on the SNES, and it wouldn't be matched until Tropical Freeze 18 years later.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

I don't need to tell you that The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is good, but it is and you should play it. The Zelda series really found its groove with ALTTP, and it would serve as a foundation for every single 2D Zelda game that followed. Despite the games since building upon it, ALTTP still holds up very well, and it leads nicely to the best 2D Zelda game, A Link Between Worlds.

Super Adventure Island II

You might have heard of the other games on this list, but you may not have heard of Super Adventure Island 2. Prepare to have your mind blown. This game is basically the answer to the question "What if Nintendo remade Zelda 2 and made it significantly better?" It's a side-scrolling platform action game with a hint of metroidvania elements, a strange story, and plenty of exploration. It might be the best hidden gem on the SNES, and it's a real shame that it's not currently available on Nintendo Switch Online, because it's a straight banger.

Street Fighter II Turbo

The Street Fighter 2 subseries is deeply confusing, but all you need to know is that Street Fighter 2 Turbo is one of the best fighting games on the SNES, and one of the best fighting games of the era. Fans of modern Street Fighter should check it out, fans of fighting games in general should check it out, and anyone even vaguely interested in video game history should check it out. Just check it out.

Yoshi's Island

Yoshi's Island is technically a sequel – or a prequel? – to Super Mario World. It has players taking control of Yoshi and babysitting a baby version of Mario, who is deeply annoying and loud when you get hit. Still, the gameplay is absolutely incredible, so much so that it spawned an entire new series of Yoshi games. It's also got a very fun art style and some super neat effects not seen in other SNES games.

The Lost Vikings

Back before World of Warcraft and Diablo, Blizzard made a bunch of fun little quirky games. One of those was The Lost Vikings, a fantastic little puzzle platformer where you take control of three lost vikings, each with their own ability. One can bash through walls with his helmet, one can fire off arrows and slash through enemies with a sword, and the last can block enemies with his shield, which also doubles as a hang glider and a platform for the other vikings. It's very charming and a lot of fun, and it's available on just about every platform now, too, so there's no excuse not to play it.