10. The Lost Vikings

What a fun concept for a game. You get three vikings and have to use their unique abilities to escape a series of rooms across time and space. Only one viking can fight, one can shield, and one can jump. There is more nuance there, but the basics are sufficient for this discussion. You need to use the three together to solve the puzzles the game presents. You might need Erik to jump to reach a key to open a door, but behind that door is an enemy so you need to quickly move Olaf in place so his shield can protect you. Finally, Baleog may be used to kill the enemy with his arrows so you can advance to the next spot. If any viking dies, you can’t win the level, but you may continue to play and explore the level to better prepare you next time through. The game spans nearly 40 levels and will take longer than most non-RPG SNES games to complete. No, I’ve never finished all of the levels, but that doesn’t stop me from loving this game.

9. Super Punch Out

Equal parts infuriating and fascinating, Super Punch-Out is a brutally tough try-and-die rhythm game disguised as a boxing game. You need to learn the movements of each opponent to know when to dodge, block, or punch. Getting to a new opponent, getting instantly trounced, trying a few more times, then eventually beating them is an incredibly satisfying gameplay loop. The amazing cartoon visuals jump out immediately. Each opponent is bursting with character, you will be amazing as they pummel you into dust. This is another game I haven’t ever actually beaten. It makes this list because if I have 10 minutes and want to play a SNES game, it is always near the top of my choices. I will never tire of beating Gabby Jay, Bear Hugger, and Piston Hurricane.

8. Final Fantasy VI (III)

This might just be my all-time favorite traditional JRPG. By “traditional” I mean a fantasy setting with straightforward turn-based combat mechanics. Your definition may vary, but that’s what works for me. The game does a lot within those parameters, including a mostly linear first half paired with a wide open second half. The roster of playable characters is vast and each has their own personality and stories to match their playstyles. A lot of common tropes show up, but there are also some really wild abilities you can use if you find all of the characters.

The headline, though, is the all-timer of an antagonist in Kefka Palazzo. At the risk of spoiling a 30+ year old game; Kefka gets further with his plot for world domination than most other videogame villains. Throw all of this together and you have a shining example of the genre that still holds up today.

7. Super Metroid

I somehow missed this one as a kid; maybe it was always one of the first games rented so it was always gone by the time we got there? Regardless, this is a foundation of the Metroidvania genre and absolutely holds up today. Explore, blast, platform, and fight your way through the giant map. Unlocking new abilities to let you reach new places and repeat. The game shines through its great mix of everything with some really fun, memorable boss fights thrown on top. It’s rare that an early pioneer in a genre actually holds up among the best three decades later, but Super Metroid pulls that off.

6. Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars

This is what happens when you let one of the best JRPG developers in the world (Squaresoft) run wild with the Mario franchise. The game features mostly typical JRPG mechanics, but finds fun ways to incorporate Mario’s timing-based platforming games to great effect. You need to press a button at certain points in your attacks to boost your attack power or chain together multiple attacks. Defense has a similar mechanic to reduce incoming damage. The surrounding mechanics, such as items, spells, and equipment management are all streamlined in such a way that makes Super Mario RPG a wonderful first JRPG experience for newcomers.

The simple, but fun and innovative, gameplay mechanics are rounded out with a fun Mario story featuring some brand new characters (who were never to be heard from again…) and unlikely partnerships. It’s not easy to appeal to JRPG fanatics and newcomers alike, but Square found the balance here.

5. Mega Man X3

I was late to get around to playing the Mega Man series, but I started with X on SNES. Following that up with X2 and X3, I landed on 3 being my favorite on the console. A lot of this is probably just having my expectations properly set going in after the first two, but X3 still landed the best for me. Run, jump, cling to walls, and shoot only directly in front or behind you, the Mega Man way! X3 is simply a refinement of the first two with a little less annoyance than X2 for me. The levels are great, the bosses are fun, and the final stretch leading to Sigma was brutally difficult but fun the entire time. It’s a wonderful action-platforming game with a very unique setup and level structure that makes it stand out among a sea of competitors in the genre on the console.

4. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball

Quite possibly my most played SNES game ever and definitely one of the best arcade sports games ever. I spent a good portion of a summer as a kid playing an entire 162 game season of this game. I carried a no hitter 26 outs into a game against the CPU before giving up a bloop single. 

This is a wonderful arcade baseball game that allows ridiculous, gravity-defying pitches, massive homers, players knocking themselves out by running into walls, and batters turning towards the camera and yelling at you after they strike out. The game takes a bit of an adjustment time as controlling defenders, especially outfielders, isn’t the easiest task. Once you get them down, however, this is the most replayable baseball game in existence for me.

3. Earthbound

I was late to Earthbound, but absolutely smitten with it from the first time I played the game. The visuals stand out immediately. The colors of this game are etched into my brain; I would recognize Earthbound grass green anywhere! Beyond that, you have the setting of a fairly mundane western town of the era. An arcade, library, hospital, houses, etc… It is so strange to see this setting represented in a genre defined by fantasy games. The main character mostly carries around a bat and wears a baseball cap. Call them cheap tricks to pull on the “hey! That could be me!” strings, but it definitely worked on me.

The gameplay is fairly standard for a JRPG. Turn based combat, item storage limitations, equipment upgrades, etc… The major trick the game pulls is a HP ticking counter which may allow you to escape death if you end a battle before your HP counter hits zero after a fatal blow. 

All of this adds up to a game that is memorable for its story, absolutely wild enemies, familiar setting, and a rock solid combat system. It’s hard to pinpoint the reason this game is so revered today, but sometimes wrapping a super competent game in memorable theming is enough.

2. Donkey Kong Country

This game blew my mind as a kid. What were these wild looking backgrounds? Donkey Kong looks weird! Who’s this Diddy Kong kid? There was a lot going on here, but the instant shock factor of the graphical style is my lasting memory of this game.

Luckily, there is a lot of amazing gameplay behind the nice graphics. A pure platformer, DKC gets just about everything right with tough bosses, a mix of fun and difficult levels, and many worlds to explore. DKC2 is many’s favorite, but the original holds a special spot for me and is my choice here.

1. Super Mario World

There was never a doubt for the top spot on my list. SMW changed everything for me. Starting with the revolutionary graphics, the game instantly jumps out with bright colors and tiny details you couldn’t dream of on the NES. Did you see Mario’s cape waving in the wind?!?!?!

The gameplay makes smart iterations on the formula from the Super Mario Bros. games, specifically with the introduction of Yoshi and the flying power up, among others. The world and level designs are fantastic and there is more depth here than it might seem like at first glance. For example, I recently completed the “*96” playthrough for the first time and had a blast the entire way. 

Like the others on this list, Super Mario World can still be enjoyed today. Unlike some others here, it can be enjoyed by absolutely anybody who tries it. It is the ultimate zero barrier to entry game which also happens to be one of the best 2D platformers of all time. That’s a winning combination for me.