I have already shared my top five NES games so felt that the time was right to talk about the best that the Super Nintendo has to offer. I got my Super Nintendo for my birthday in November 1992, along with the console and Super Mario World, I also got Super WrestleMania and Joe & Mac Caveman Ninja. With my birthday money, I purchased The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past so my early days with the Super Nintendo were awesome.
While there were a ton of great games for the system making this top 5 list was actually very easy for me as there was no debate in my mind about what my favorite games for the system are. Please leave your own top five Super Nintendo games in the comments section as I would love to know what they are.
Number 5
Street Fighter II Turbo
I never had the original Street Fighter II for the Super Nintendo, but a friend of mine did and we played the hell out of it. I became really competitive, even playing it while on lunch at school as a local video store had the arcade. For Christmas of 1993, I finally had my own version of Street Fighter II and it was the Turbo edition that came in a tin and had a pin badge. I loved this game and even though I actually have a Street Fighter II arcade machine, I still play this Super Nintendo version from time to time. The extra speed, new moves, and new colors really did make this stand out from the previous version.
Number 4
Super Castlevania IV
It is between Super CastleVania IV and Turtles in Time for me when it comes to the best soundtrack on the Super Nintendo! This game rocks in every sense of the word! It has a dark and creepy gothic atmosphere and Simon Belmont controls so much better here than he did in any of the other games! The levels have a ton of personality and the monster designs were something that I loved as a kid, so much so I would spend ages drawing them! The gameplay is awesome, this is a very challenging game, but being able to whip in any direction gives you a fighting chance. I will admit that I thought Dracula X was a massive and I mean massive downgrade compared to what was offered here!
Number 3
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
I never played the first two Zelda games on the NES, A Link to the Past was my first taste of Zelda action and it truly did spoil me! This game is a masterpiece and even now there is no better top down style Zelda game. It felt like I was on this massive adventure and that I actually was Link! The whole part where you think you have beaten the game and then realize that is just half of it was mind blowing to me as a kid. I think this game offers a damn solid challenge and really does make you explore, but at the same time it never feels too cryptic. I hope that one day Nintendo gives this the same kind of remake treatment that they did Link’s Awakening!
Number 2
Super Mario World
Super Mario World was the game that many people got with their Super Nintendo and as much as I loved Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario World is still my all time favorite 2D Mario game. The new cape power up was awesome and required some real skill to get to grips with it. Yoshi was awesome and not only was he fun, but he also could give you an edge and was even essential for getting some of the secret exits, sometimes forcing you to sacrifice him! I loved the new setting, it looks great, plays great and the game is just great in general! I would say that even an average skilled gamer could get to the end and beat Bowser, but finding all those secrets requires some real dedication!
Number 1
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
If I were to do a top five video games of all time list, Turtles in Time would be on it. This is the greatest beat-em-up ever made and a rare occurrence where the home port is superior to its arcade counterpart. The control in Turtles in Time is just perfect, You can purposely slam enemies into the floor or throw them through the screen, each one of these gives you more points. There is a level of skill to this game that people do not give it credit for and above all else, it is just an absolute ton of fun to play. It captures the 80s and early 90s animated series perfectly and it has some of the most rocking tunes that the Super Nintendo has to offer.
I love the Super Nintendo, right up there with the greatest gaming system of all time for me! Be sure to leave your memories of the console and your own top 5 Super Nintendo games in the comments section.