!King_Amazon!'s Top 10 SNES Games of All Time!

1. Chrono Trigger

Click Here

One of the best games I've ever played, hands down. I don't really think there's anything bad I can say about this game. It even has great replay value.

2. Secret of Evermore

Click Here

Probably one of THE most under-rated games of all time, it gets very mixed reviews. I personally loved it. It has subtle humor and a great atmosphere. Every place you go is unique and the artwork and characters match these places very well. Prehistoria (the first place you go) is the only part of the game that isn't absolutely amazing, which is somewhat unfortunate since most people never go any farther. Antiqua, the next place after Prehistoria, is when the game really takes off. There are just little things throughout this game that make it very enjoyable, such as the "crazy" guy in Antiqua going on about how everyone is being controlled by a button-mashing overlord.

All-in-all, this game feels very smooth, it feels like an upgraded version of Secret of Mana (though the engine was built from the ground up, contrary to popular belief), with a much better atmosphere, character development, story, gameplay, everything. The Alchemy system was very enjoyable for me, as were the weapons system and the currency system. The only things I can really say bad about this game is that Prehistoria doesn't appeal to everyone and there are a few bugs throughout the game, some of which can be pretty nasty.

3. Final Fantasy 3/6

Click Here

A very popular game and for good reason. This game has a GREAT story and GREAT character development. Also, Kefka is probably one of the best villains of all time. This game feels like a pretty huge upgrade from FF2/4, with much prettier and smoother graphics and better gameplay/battle system. One thing that makes this game pretty unique from other RPGs, specifically the Final Fantasy games, is the fact that the main character is a female. Overall, this game is a winner, and I honestly can't remember anything bad about it.

4. Super Metroid

Click Here

Oh man, this game is just magnificent. Not an RPG, really, but it's right up there with my favorites. I've played this game for hours and hours at a time. I don't really know what it is about this game that makes it oh-so-great, but it is. The graphics are top notch for the SNES. The atmosphere is amazing, partially due to the graphics and partially due to the music. There's little-to-no character development, not a whole lot of story, but it does tie in to the previous game which is a bonus. Either way, you don't play this game for the character development and story. I would say this is arguably a near-flawless game.

5. Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Click Here

A very fun and cute RPG. As far as the RPG elements go, it's pretty unique, and not really lacking in any way, but I don't think that is where this game shines. The story and character development/interaction is just phenomenal. There are so many memorable moments throughout the game. The graphics are pretty sweet and in general the game looks great. Not much bad to say about this game, really.

6. Breath of Fire

Click Here

This is, I think, a pretty underrated game. I don't hear many people talk about it, so I don't really think that people dislike it, but I think it slipped under the radar or something and many people just haven't even played it. It's a pretty old game and not really amazing as far as graphics or gameplay goes but the characters and story are great. In my opinion, a must-play, but not necessarily a must-play-again. I still revisit it, from time to time, but after the first play through it really doesn't beckon you back.

7. Illusion of Gaia

Click Here

More of a Zelda type game than a typical RPG, this game is pretty enjoyable. It's a pretty nice looking game, and the character development/story is great. It's a very mystical and majestic feeling game, having a lot to do with history and such. It can be a pretty difficult game at some points, but overall I can't say much bad about it.

8. Legend of Zelda, A Link to the Past

Click Here

Not much I need to say here, great game and gameplay, don't think I've heard many people say they don't like it. All-in-all, this game is a winner.

9. Final Fantasy 2/4

Click Here

I found this game to be pretty damn difficult at times, but the characters and story are pretty great. I still enjoy this game from time to time and there are some really memorable moments throughout the game. A real challenge, in my opinion, but really not as good as Final Fantasy 3/6.

10. Secret of Mana

Click Here

Probably one of THE most over-rated games of all time, it gets very mixed reviews. (See what I did there?) In my opinion, this game has many flaws, but I'm not going to point them all out. Instead, I'm going to point out the few good things about the game that make it worthy to be in my top 10. First of all, it's a cute game. Some of the music is great, while some of it makes me want to kill myself. The story has a lot of potential but really doesn't live up to it. However, the game itself is pretty fun to play. It has some memorable moments, even if the characters and story is lacking. The magic system is pretty nifty and I love how you can have more than one player. Really, I wish they had done that in Secret of Evermore. It makes for a lot more fun when playing with friends. Mainly, this game has "classic" value but other than that it's really lacking. I think this #10 spot could easily be filled by any of the Honorable Mentions, but I chose this one for reasons unknown. Even with its flaws, this game is loveable.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Super Street Fighter 2
Sim City
Earthbound
All of the Kirby games
Super Punch-Out
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
EVO: Search for Eden
Terranigma
Super Mario World
Super Mario All-stars
The Mortal Kombat Games, though they lack in comparison to Street Fighter
Harvest Moon
Maybe Drakkhen

I put my description/reviews in collapse tags so it doesn't seem like a wall of text.

That's neat. I just started up Zelda: A Link to the Past, but I've still to complete Mario 1 2 and 3, which is this afternoon's goal.

You should try this game called Seiken Densetsu 3. It is Secret of Mana 2, but I don't think it came out in the US. I played it on an emulator and it is awesome. The graphics look really good for SNES and it's same battle system as Secret of Mana but way more improved.

I tried it a long while ago, it confused the hell out of me. Looked a lot more promising than Secret of Mana, though.

I've played just about every game of worth on the SNES as far as I know. I once downloaded a torrent of every SNES game ever and played them all.

I can't see how Super Mario World didn't make the top 10.

All of the games in the top 10 are better, that's how.

Let me clarify. There are a LOT of great games for the SNES and unfortunately a top 10 list really doesn't do it much justice. That's what is so great about the SNES, the game quality is superb. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll really see anything similar for a long while. From what I'm seeing, a lot of modern systems have a few really great games but nothing like how the SNES was. My best guess as to why is that back then, graphics were pretty much at their peak. Yeah, some SNES games have better graphics than others, but it was pretty limited. Therefore, people had to make GOOD QUALITY games to have any success, rather than making a game that just has good graphics and that's about it.

Eh, I'd rank things differently, but you've got a pretty decent list there though.

Added Harvest Moon and Drakkhen to the Honorable Mentions. I'm not sure if Drakkhen deserves one, as it's pretty much a really shitty game, but it does deserve a play-through at least once.

I guess I don't know how to explain myself. It's a really shitty game that I love.

Harvest Moon, on the other hand, is a really great game. It's a very relaxing and fun game. A game about running a farm sounds like it would be absolutely horrible but it's a really cute game that is relatively easy to play and is really entertaining.

Antiqua, the next place after Prehistoria, is when the game really takes off.

Best part of the game. The whole market trading sequence is great. Best version of the dog, too.

Prehistoria doesn't appeal to everyone

I don't know anybody who really likes the first chapter of Evermore.

One thing that makes this game pretty unique from other RPGs, specifically the Final Fantasy games, is the fact that the main character is a female.

That's debatable. Locke and Celes share equal portions of the spotlight with Terra. Hell, Celes is the main character for the first major portion of the Ruin chapter.

Illusions of Gaia

Illusion. Singular, not plural.

It can be a pretty difficult game at some points

Certain sections are a nightmare. The Island of Mu was beyond horrible.

FF4 - I found this game to be pretty damn difficult at times

You should try the PS1 or GBA versions. The original NA release is the "Easy" version.

Harvest Moon, on the other hand, is a really great game. It's a very relaxing and fun game. A game about running a farm sounds like it would be absolutely horrible but it's a really cute game that is relatively easy to play and is really entertaining.

I love the HM games. Friends of Mineral Town is the best of the bunch.

Raziel, post your top 10. I'm interested.

Certain sections are a nightmare. The Island of Mu was beyond horrible.

Yeah, I got a little ways past that and dropped the game as it just wasn't all that much fun anymore.

I think I got to Babel Tower...

Babel Tower was the end.

It's a good game, even if pretty challenging sometimes.

I really think Earthbound is like, #3.

I love that game.

Earthbound is overrated. It's a good game, but it's overrated.

Let me clarify. It's unique, it's creative, it's different, but it wasn't GREAT like everyone makes it out to be.

Babel Tower was the end. It's a good game, even if pretty challenging sometimes.

I dunno, I guess it felt too one-dimensional to me, and the storyline wasn't engaging enough for me to continue for the story's sake.

Here you go, King.

1. EarthBound

Click Here

The single greatest game ever created, in my opinion. I consider it to be a perfect lightning bolt of brilliant design. The art, story, characters, music, worlds and creatures are unlike anything I've ever experienced before or since in a game. I could analyze the shit out of the game, from an entirely objective point of view, and come up with a much less glowing appraisal of the game. However, as far as the irrational, inexplicable part of my mind goes, no other game compares.

2. Chrono Trigger

Click Here

From a totally objective point of view, this is probably the best console RPG ever made. The story was above and beyond the zeitgeist, the art direction, music and writing were unreal, the graphics and sound technology pushed every boundary there was to push. Chrono Trigger introduced elements to the genre like dual and triple-character team attacks and real-time combat environments. On top of that, you could recruit Magus, and Magus owns just about every videogame villain from the last two decades.

3. Super Metroid

Click Here

The definitive Metroid game, Super Metroid did for the series what A Link to the Past did for Zelda. It introduced 90% of the details and core gameplay elements that have defined the series ever since. The map system (mimicked by every single side-scrolling adventure game since), the Charge Beam, wall-jump, Space-Jump, Screw Attack, X-Ray Visor, Speed Boost, Super Missiles, Power Bombs, Grapple Beam and a ton of other abilities, items and scenarios that have been duplicated, enhanced and re-imagined in six different games since then. This game defined Metroid, and in turn, defined the 2D adventure genre as a whole.

4. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Click Here

Just an all-around great game. Legend of the Seven Stars sowed the seeds of an entirely different breed of RPG, even if its peculiar design elements never really spread beyond the borders of Mario's RPG series. Timed attacks, communal item and magic resources and a truckload of fun minigames gave way to the score of fun and creative design elements that have defined the Mario RPG series since.

5. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Click Here

Like Super Metroid, the definitive 2D Zelda game. A Link to the Past introduced elements to the series like the Master Sword, Hookshot, Spin Attack, lifting and throwing objects, multiple planes of action, and a much deeper story than previous entries. Anyone who doesn't really know what "Zelda" means needs to start right here.

6. Kirby Super Star

Click Here

The only "traditional" Kirby game I've ever really gotten behind. Kirby Super Star is, essentially, nine games in one package, each distinct in its own right. The real standouts being The Great Cave Offensive and Milky Way Wishes. Beyond the whole "more bang for your buck" angle, though, is my personal favorite element of the game. Kirby has the ability to devour the abilities of his enemies, and has ever since Kirby's Adventure on the NES. However, Kirby Super Star was the game to introduce many of the now staple abilities Kirby has wielded throughout the series, as well as greatly expanding upon their functionality. Each of Kirby's forms comes packaged with anywhere from three to ten different special attacks activated through various button sequences. My personal favorites among the bunch being Sword Kirby, Yo-Yo Kirby, Ninja Kirby, Fighter Kirby and Mirror Kirby.

7. Donkey Kong Country

Click Here

In my opinion, the definitive SNES game. Not the best, but certainly the game that I find to have been the real milestone for the console. DKC broke technological barriers. It introduced a level of graphical and sound detail unheard of in console games at the time. It reinvented a franchise that had been long seen as defunct and useless. On top of all that, it was just a damn-fine platformer with a ton of replay value and bonus material to hunt down.

8. Actraiser/SoulBlazer

Click Here

I can't really pick between the two. I love them both immensely for their combination of action/adventuring and world-building sim gameplay. I initially picked Actraiser to begin with because the sim elements are a bit more hands-on than those in SoulBlazer. However, I personally find the adventuring elements to be of a higher quality in SoulBlazer. Both feature great plot and characters, incredible music and intense action. Both are on my favorites list of all time, and as such, I can't and won't decide between the two.

9. Super Ghouls n' Ghosts

Click Here

This, along with Gradius III, is one of the most recent additions to my top ten SNES list. The game is just fan-fucking-tastic. If you can actually get past the fact that the game is insanely hard, and takes an immense amount of patience and dedication to conquer, you'll find one of the most intense and addictive action/platformer designs from the 16-bit era. One of the most humbling games I've ever played.

10. Gradius III

Click Here

Like Super Ghouls n' Ghosts above, Gradius III has been recently added to this list entirely as a result of downloading it to my Wii a few months back. This game is one of the most tightly-designed shooters I've ever played. The upgrade system is great, forcing you to strategize and make tough decisions in a split second. Will you spend your upgrades on a Double-Shot now, or hold out a little longer for the vastly superior Lasers? Can you survive long enough to fill out your formation of Options, or are you gonna have to break down and grab yourself missiles first? The pace gets frantic, the screen fills with hazards and one wrong move will punt your worthless ass all the way back to the start of the level with no upgrades. Unforgiving, nerve-wracking and frustrating as hell, but tough to put down.

The definitive Metroid game, Super Metroid did for the series what A Link to the Past did for Zelda. It introduced 90% of the details and core gameplay elements that have defined the series ever since. The map system (mimicked by every single side-scrolling adventure game since), the Charge Beam, wall-jump, Space-Jump, Screw Attack, X-Ray Visor, Speed Boost, Super Missiles, Power Bombs, Grapple Beam and a ton of other abilities, items and scenarios that have been duplicated, enhanced and re-imagined in six different games since then. This game defined Metroid, and in turn, defined the 2D adventure genre as a whole.

Space jump and screw attack were in Metroid II. Speed boost is just a lame new way to block access to areas, as are super missiles and power bombs. Charge beam is useless unless you run out of missles (and how do you run out of missles in Super Metroid?). Super Metoid added X-Ray visor, grapple beam, and an overly rigid map structure. Hardly series defining.

I agree with a lot of those, with a few disagreements of course, but you also pointed out a couple that I had forgotten. Kirby Super Star, for one, is probably one of my most favorite games. I kinda lumped it into "Kirby Games," but it's superb.

Gradius III, as well, is awesome..

Wanna tell me more about Actraiser/Soulblazer? Why might I want to play those games?

I'm suprised to see a lot of games missing from your list, Raziel. I guess one thing we can both probably agree on is the SNES has way too many great games to fit more than just a sampling of them into a top 10 list.

Space jump and screw attack were in Metroid II. Speed boost is just a lame new way to block access to areas, as are super missiles and power bombs. Charge beam is useless unless you run out of missles (and how do you run out of missles in Super Metroid?). Super Metoid added X-Ray visor, grapple beam, and an overly rigid map structure. Hardly series defining.

What are you smoking?