The Best Undiscovered Super Nintendo (SNES) Games
Usually, when you get a new-to-you console, you can usually find or remember the major games to check out. But what happens when you need something different to play? This is where the “Hidden Gems” come in.
Read More About My Criteria For Hidden Gems
See All The Hidden Gems Articles
This will be a bit of a work-in-progress. I may add to these as I go along and find new games.
If you have some recommendations to add, please do so in the comments section below.
Platformers
Obvious Choices:
Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario All-Stars, Kirby Super Star, Kirby’s Dream Land 3,
Featured Game: DoReMi Fantasy
“DoReMi Fantasy is a highly polished side-scrolling platformer. There are 7 worlds each with their own theme. In each world there’s a minimum of 6 levels followed by a boss. An overhead map allows you to backtrack. The levels aren’t particularly long, but they possess plenty of detail, quirky enemies, excellent backdrops, ace set pieces and satisfying gameplay moments. Milon is a great character, full of charm and animated brilliantly. The graphics are OUTSTANDING. The game has a real sense of LIFE to it… you really have to see it in motion to fully appreciate it. ”
RVG Fanatic’s Review of DoReMi Fantasy
Find DoReMi Fantasy on eBay
More Great Games:
Plok (eBay)
Magical Pop’n — (eBay)
Ganbare Daiku No Gensan — (eBay)
Go Go Ackman — (eBay)
Blackthorne (eBay)
Demon’s Crest — (eBay)
Joe & Mac (Caveman Ninja) — (eBay)
Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose — (eBay)
Umihara Kawase — (eBay)
Power Load Runner — (eBay)
Lode Runner Twin — (eBay)
Super Soukoban — (eBay)
Power Soukoban — (eBay)
Claymates (eBay)
Boogerman (eBay)
The Lion King — (eBay)
Bugs Bunny Rabbit Rampage — (eBay)
Cool Spot — (eBay)
Mickey Mania — (eBay)
Disney’s Magical Quest — (eBay)
Mickey and Donald — (eBay)
Mickey Tokyo Disneyland — (eBay)
Miracle Girls — (eBay)
Action/Adventure
Obvious Choices:
Prince of Persia, Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, Star Fox, Super Star Wars Series, Super Metroid, Mega Man
Featured Game: The Firemen / Ignition Factor
“It’s 6 PM on Christmas and a small fire in the Metrotech kitchen left unattended has spread throughout the complex. With the building quickly burning to a crisp and injured people trapped inside, it’s your job to get in and neutralize the situation. There are six floors in all. Thanks to the whole theme and atmosphere, it reminds me of Die Hard the movie, except replace the terrorists with deadly flames, and the guns with a water hose
Your partner carries an axe and helps you in eradicating fires and other enemies, including bosses. He’ll carry out the victims as well. Finding and rescuing victims are not necessary, per se, but finding more means a better score and each time you save someone your health will be restored by roughly 60% (if necessary)”
RVG Fanatic’s Review of The Firemen/Ignition Factor
Find Ignition Factor on eBay
More Great Games:
Metal Warriors — (eBay)
Phantom 2040 — (eBay)
Flashback: The Quest for Identity — (eBay)
MechWarrior 3050 — (eBay)
Majyuuou (King of Demons) — (eBay)
Cool World — (eBay)
Disney’s Aladdin — (eBay)
Rendering Ranger R2 — (eBay)
EVO - The Search for Eden — (eBay)
Nosferatu — (eBay)
Mazinger Z
Out of This World — (eBay)
Actraiser — (eBay)
Lost Vikings — (eBay)
Skyblazer
Legend of the Mystical Ninja — (eBay)
Equinox — (eBay)
Ghost Sweeper Mikami — (eBay)
Batman Returns — (eBay)
The Adventures of Batman & Robin — (eBay)
Spider-Man: Lethal Foes — (eBay)
Death and Return of Superman — (eBay)
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse — (eBay)
Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems — (eBay)
Run-N-Gun Shooters
Obvious Choice:
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Feautred Game: Cybernator
” Cybernator is playing in the same league as Konami´s other action games like Super Castlevania and Contra 3, but at the same time it’s very different because the emphasis of the game is laid more on strategic thinking and accurate shooting than on quick reflexes and fine tuned jumping skills. You are a pilot of a 100 ton battle mech equipped with a trusty shield and an upgradeable vulcan cannon, that later on can be upgraded to an flamethrower, a lasercannon or a missile launcher. The shield is an essential piece of equipment because it will protect you from almost any enemy attack, even from behind. This mean that you don’t have to avoid enemy gunfire, you can just pick up the shield, and that´s lucky for you because your battlemech is all other than fast, slim and movable….
The thing that makes Cybernator so special is the shield that makes this game less hectic than other action games. Instead you must study each enemy and learn their patterns so you know when to take down the shield and attack and when not to. This handy shield doesn’t make the game to easy if you think so, even if I would rather recommend games like Contra 3 if you want a real challenge. Both Contra 3 and Super Castlevania is better choices than Cybernator but when they are finished then maybe you should start thinking about getting yourself a copy of Cybernator ”
Nintendoland’s Review of Cybernator
Find Cybernator on eBay
More Great Games:
Kiki Kaikai (Pocky and Rocky) — (eBay)
Zombies Ate My Neighbors — (eBay)
Shmups
Obvious Choices: Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius, Gokujou Parodius, Gradius III, R-Type III, Super Smash TV , Super R-Type, Darius Twin
Featured Game: Space Megaforce (aka Super Aleste)
“Back in time when gamers weren’t convinced of the Super Famicom’s processing speed - justified because of serious slowdown cases in almost every shooter on the machine - along came Super Aleste, also known as Space Megaforce in the US…
Perhaps Super Aleste’s best feature is it’s weapon system. Besides the obligatory smart bombs you can pick up, there are eight different upgradeable gadgets at your disposal. Also very welcome is the possibility to change their attack mode at will; for example you can switch between regular or less powerful homing missiles, or lock the position of the Gradius-style multiples. The bottomline is that not many other shoot ‘em ups provide a comparable amount of destructive firepower, especially on a ‘mere’ 16-bit machine. It could do with some better balancing, though - Super Aleste is a bit too easy on the standard difficulty setting, because the enemy just can’t keep up with the damage you’re capable of doing. Do what every serious shoot ‘em up fan is supposed to do, and set the difficulty on Hard, at least. This way you’ll prevent yourself watching the end sequence the first time you play it… ”
SHMUPS! Review of Space Magaforce
Find Space Megaforce on eBay
More Great Games:
Strike Gunner STG — (eBay)
Pop ‘n’ Twinbee: Rainbow Bell Adventures — (eBay)
Pop ‘n’ Twinbee — (eBay)
Tekkaman Blade — (eBay)
Aerofighters/Sonic Wings — (eBay)
Blazeon — (eBay)
Cosmo Gang: The Video — (eBay)
Firepower 2000 — (eBay)
Super Earth Defense Force — (eBay)
Super Nova (Darius Force) — (eBay)
Thunder Spirits — (eBay)
U.N. Squadron — (eBay)
Wild Guns — (eBay)
Acrobat Mission — (eBay)
Bio Metal — (eBay)
Cotton — (eBay)
Spriggan Powered — (eBay)
Axelay — (eBay)
Fighting
Obvious Choices:
Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Primal Rage, Samurai Shodown
Featured Game: TMNT: Tournament Fighters
“TMNT Tournament Fighters was inspired by the ’sparring match’? feature from the TMNT: Turtles in Time brawler. Basically, you could practice your moves in a 2-player sparring match with limited fighting options. That proved to be a very popular feature and so it spawned the Tournament Fighter series. The SNES version has 3 modes you can play the game in; Story Mode, Tournament Mode or 2-Player.
The Story Mode is fun, though it only allows you to play as one of the 4 Ninja Turtles. Still, adding a story gives the game a bit more depth and I almost wish more fighters would do it the way Tournament Fighters did. In Tournament Mode you can play as any of the characters, including the villains, to win lots of cash.”
Forever Geek’s Review of TMNT Tournament Fighters
Find TMNT Tournement Fighters on eBay
More Great Games:
Kidou Senshi Gundam W: Endless Duel — (eBay)
Dragon Ball Z Super Butouden 2 — (eBay)
Tae Kwon Do — (eBay)
SD Hiryu no Ken (Galactic Defender) — (eBay)
Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension — (eBay)
King of Monsters — (eBay)
Beatemups/Hack-N-Slash
Obvious Choices:
Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania Dracula X, Final Fight, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
Featured Game: Knights of the Round
“This little-known game is a sentimental favorite of mine. It plays like a classy Golden Axe with no monsters and better visuals. The beautiful graphics feature majestic castles and picturesque medieval landscapes. A lavishly orchestrated musical score fits the theme perfectly. You can choose from one of three legendary characters, including King Author. You’ll gradually increase your experience level as you battle knights, barbarians, jesters, and magicians. And of course each stage ends with the obligatory boss.
You’ll collect money and food that fall from enemies you slay. Actually it looks pretty funny when you kill a knight and a big salad falls out of him. Knights of the Round is a fine looking game, but it suffers from repetitive gameplay. You only have two attacks - a standard hack and a “mega crush” attack (which you’ll want to save for tight situations). There’s a guard move, but it’s practically useless. Hacking up endless bad guys can get monotonous, and there’s not much diversity between the three characters you can control.
By far the best feature is your ability to knock a knight off of his horse and mount the horse yourself. It’s a cool but underused trick - there are only 2 or 3 opportunities to do it in the whole game. The two player simultaneous action is fun enough, but slowdown is rampant at times. And while the music is excellent, the sound effects are horribly muffled. Knights of the Round is no classic, but fighting fans should take a look.”
The Video Game Critic’s Review of Knights of the Round
Find Knights of the Round on eBay
More Great Games:
Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage — (eBay)
The King of Dragons — (eBay)
Gegege No Kitarou — (eBay)
Shin Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun - Kunio Tachi No Banka — (eBay)
Shodai - Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun — (eBay)
Super Double Dragon — (eBay)
Legend — (eBay)
Battletoads & Double Dragon — (eBay)
Iron Commando — (eBay)
RPG
Obvious Choices:
Chrono Trigger, EarthBound, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Secret of Mana, Dragon Quest Series
Featured Game: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
“Lufia 2 is actually a prequel to the first Lufia game; the story of Lufia 2 takes place 100 years before the first game… Like its predecessor, Lufia 2 uses a turn based battle system with rounds…
Puzzles are a very big part of Lufia 2. Each dungeon contains several puzzles. Some puzzles must be solved in order to complete the dungeon and open new rooms leading to the goal, but there are also a few puzzles which are optional and yield special items and armaments to those who solve them. Some of the puzzles are simple in design, such as hitting switches and levers, luring enemies to step on switches, and killing certain monsters, but there are also several very original and clever puzzles in Lufia 2. The puzzles are all very simple early in the game, but in later dungeons, some of the puzzles are very difficult….
All in all, Lufia 2 is an enjoyable game, and a nice classic 2-D RPG. Fans of Lufia 1 would be the people who would enjoy Lufia 2 the most. Although Lufia 2 is technically a prequel, the story is best experienced by playing Lufia 1 first and Lufia 2 second. Lufia 1 left several mysteries unsolved; Lufia 2 reveals the answers.”
RPGFan’s Review of Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
Find Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals on eBay
More Great Games:
Lufia & The Fortress Of Doom — (eBay)
Live A Live — (eBay)
Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2 — (eBay)
Secret of Evermore — (eBay)
Wonder Project J — (eBay)
7th Saga — (eBay)
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon: Another Story — (eBay)
Shadowrun (eBay)
Breath of Fire — (eBay)
Breath of Fire II — (eBay)
Inindo: Way of the Ninja — (eBay)
Romancing Sa-Ga 3 — (eBay)
Shin Megami Tensei — (eBay)
Arcana — (eBay)
Star Ocean — (eBay)
Tales of Phantasia — (eBay)
Dragon Ball Z Super Gokuden: Totsugeki-Hen — (eBay)
Wizardry V — (eBay)
Paladin’s Quest — (eBay)
Action RPG
Obvious Choices:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario RPG
Featured Game: Illusion of Gaia
“Gaia looks like Zelda on the surface, but its gameplay is a bit more action-oriented. Its relatively linear style of play seems to encourage fighting over exploration and puzzle-solving, although the game somehow manages to keep a good balance. The amount of enemies in each area is always about right and they don’t respawn, so fighting never becomes repetitive. Will’s powers of transformation really liven things up! When you begin a dungeon, you’ll usually play for awhile as Will, but eventually you’ll discover a Dark Space, in which you can transform into the Dark Knight, Freedan, who is stronger than Will. Freedan makes plowing through enemies even faster and easier.
Gaia has a unique level-up system in which you gain a level by defeating all enemies in a given area. This is simple to do because you can follow your monster radar to find enemies you’ve missed. There is no monotonous level-building or searching for “heart containers” or anything in that mold. ”
Flying Omelette’s Review of Illusion of Gaia
Find Illusion of Gaia on eBay
More Great Games:
Dragon View — (eBay)
Soul Blazer — (eBay)
Terranigma (eBay)
Twisted Tales of Spike McFang — (eBay)
Strategy RPG
Obvious Choices:
Fire Emblem Series, Super Famicom Wars (both Japan only)
Featured Game: Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen
” The story is not full RPG quality, but there’s enough in it to make you want to care. In it, you build an army from a various mix of humans, imps, and other assorted creatures, all with their own strengths and weaknesses. You then put 10 units (of up to 5 characters each) on the map and use them to liberate towns, and take out the Empire’s forces on that particular map…
The complex structure of this game is what makes this a true SNES classic. If at all possible, get the SNES version as it runs much faster than the PS re-release. The infinite possibilites of what your army can be made up of is half the fun. You have the troops you’re given, basic at first, but cheap and eventually powerful. You also have friends along the way who may command higher salaries but give results sooner (like the two generals), or you can recruit lesser troops later on to fill in your weaknesses. Taking them to battle in the game means they all use up their turns, and whoever deals more damage that battle “wins” the battle and pushes the army back some. Of course, one can eradicate the opponent which is a certain win. You can’t allow the base to be taken, or your main character to die. Much has been written about what kind of manaGameent this game involves and what I’ve said barely scratches the surface.”
StageSelect’s Review of Ogre Battle
Find Ogre Battle on eBay
More Great Games:
Bahamut Lagoon — (eBay)
Gamefire — (eBay)
King Arthur’s World — (eBay)
Metal Marines — (eBay)
Der Langrisser — (eBay)
Simulation Strategy
Obvious Choices:
SimCity, Populous
Featured Game: Aerobiz Supersonic
“The goal [in Aerobiz is] to win the game is pretty simple on the surface of things: become the #1 airline in 5 continents. Each turn in the game equals to a financial quarter and the player gets to make decisions such as where to negotiate to open hubs for new flight destinations, how to tweak existing flight routes to strike a balance between profit and consumer loyalty, and order the most cost-effective planes possible.
Wow, what a boring description. How the hell is this a good game? I have no idea, but somehow Koei makes it work… If you have ever enjoyed a game from Maxis’ popular Sims series, or are a statistics maniac, or a turn based strategy game fan in general, try and track down Aerobiz Supersonic for a spin. It’s well worth your time and a bit more innovative than a lot of current games that are out..”
Find Aerobiz Supersonic on eBayMore Great Games:
Harvest Moon — (eBay)
SimEarth — (eBay)
Puzzle
Obvious Choices:
Tetris & Dr. Mario, Kirby’s Avalanche
Featured Game: Tetris Attack (aka Panel de Pon, Pokemon Puzzle Challenge)
This game’s title is very misleading. It has not one single thing in common with Tetris at all (Yoshi’s Panels or something would’ve been a better name). Oh, all right, one thing: both games feature a lot of blocks. And that’s where the similarities end. In Tetris Attack, a stack of colorful blocks slowly scrolls up your screen. If it reaches the top, you die, and oblivion will descend upon earth. Probably.
You can remove blocks by making lines of four or more of the same color. To achieve this, you can “swap” two blocks around. I’ll try to explain. You control a small cursor with which you can highlight any two blocks that touch sideways. Press a button, and the two blocks your cursor is on will change position (I know, it sounds mighty warped on paper, but you’ll get the hang of it in a matter of seconds). And of course, by making large combos and chain reactions, you will be able to launch devastating attacks on your enemyies.”
Nintendoland’s Review of Tetris Attack
Find Tetris Attack on eBay
More Great Games:
Wario’s Woods — (eBay)
Mario and Wario — (eBay)
Wrecking Crew ‘98 — (eBay)
Araiguma Rascal: Racoon Rascal — (eBay)
Bakuto! Dochers — (eBay)
Keeper — (eBay)
Panic Bomber — (eBay)
Action Puzzler
Obvious Choices:
Super Bomberman
Featured Game: Otoboke Ninja Colossum
“Nothing is quite as sweet as lurking about the screen, waiting for others to do the dirty work. And when you find a dazed opponent, sending the chain ball twisting and curving some twenty feet away… makes for great enemies and Ooooh-I’ll-get-you-next-round! battles!
Otoboke lacks the finishing touches and isn’t nearly as customizable as the Bombermen games. There’s no option for CPU AI — the default is quite laughably horrible. There’s no tag team option. Thankfully the rest is status quo — pick between 2-4 players (from a character choice of four females), 1-5 wins and one of the any eight colosseums…
I like Spark World quite a bit, but it was a blatantly shameless clone. At least Otoboke tried to be a little different, and as such, is a more commendable effort.”
RVG Fanatic’s Review of Otoboke Ninja Colosseum
Find Otoboke Ninja Colossum on eBay
More Great Games:
Spark World — (eBay)
Bomberman B-Danman — (eBay)
Sanrio World Smash Ball — (eBay)
Pop N Smash — (eBay)
Ranma 1/2: Ougi Jaanken — (eBay)
Super Tekkyu Fight! — (eBay)
Sutte Hakkun — (eBay)
Sports/Racing/Flying
Obvious Choices:
Super Mario Kart, F-Zero, Pilotwings, Stunt Race FX, Madden, NBA Jam, Tecmo Super Bowl, etc
Featured Game: Rock ‘N Roll Racing
“Set across six planets each with a whole host of tracks, Rock N Roll Racing is good over-the-top racing fun. After selecting your racer of choice players must battle against three other opponents, with the aim of collecting enough points at the end of the season to qualify for the next planet. Far from being a simple case of racing around the circuit, tracks are often reminiscent of a battleground with both cars and terrain capable of blowing an opponent into a different universe.
Cars come in four different types, starting with a sand buggy-type contraption and working up to a full-on battle hovercraft. Each vehicle can have numerous things added to it in order to help you through - these include mines, missiles, nitros, better tires, and thicker armour. But the real skill comes in being able to take on opponents with as little as possible, as when you reach a new planet one of the opponents will have a new car meaning you need to upgrade - and rest assured these contraptions do not come cheap.”
GameStyle.net’s Review of Rock N Roll Racing
Find Rock N Roll Racing on eBay
More Great Games:
Battle Cross — (eBay)
Battle Racers — (eBay)
Super Mad Champ — (eBay)
Super Baseball 2020 — (eBay)
Astro Go! Go! — (eBay)
Super Dodgeball — (eBay)
Super Soccer — (eBay)
Super Tennis — (eBay)
Dream Basketball: Dunk and Hoop — (eBay)
Top Gear — (eBay)
SD F-1 Grand Prix — (eBay)
If you have any other hidden SNES gems to pass along, please feel free to share them in the comments section below.
72 Comments:
If you like Cybernator be sure to check out it’s massively better sequel Metal Warriors.
Man, back in the day, my mom was a force to be reckoned with when it came to Tetris Attack. Then again, she was amazing at pretty much every Tetris game that she ever played.
Agreed on everything, R’N'R racing was incredible! my brother and I would play that for days…
Thanks for this. While I had a mate who owned a SNES, he only really picked up the popular stuff, and I never owned one myself. This is one system’s library I have never really looked into that deeply for some reason. If only a perfect dreamcast SNES emulator came about (AKA one that doesn’t take six hours of noisy buffering to load all the titles). I say this, because I don’t enjoy PC emulation too much.
This is a great list. The only addition I’d make are the fantastic Battle Clash (that Super Scope 6 never really caught on), and Front Mission - Gun Hazard, which was Japan only, but has had a translation done for it. It’s like a Cybernator RPG, one my fave SNES titles.
Love the inclusion of games like Umihara Kawase and Ogre Battle, Terranigma, Spike McFang and TMNT: TF.
You also may want to include “King of Dragons” for Beat’em Up (I think it’s a step up above Capcom’s own Knights of the Round, but not as funny). I’m not sure if I want to include the “Rushing Beat” series (Brawl Bros, etc.); while fun, aren’t quite as polished.
What about Wanderers from Ys III? It was like the Zelda 2 of the Ys series, and a pretty good first-wave title.
“Faceball 3000″ and “Spectre”, while old ported titles, are always fun.
B.O.B. needs more credit in the run-n-gun category. At least put up Super Valis IV. (a faster-paced, watered down version of the Valis series — it should have been more Castelvania 3-esque)
Skyblazer needs its own page!
Macross: SDF Scramble Valkyrie could be put up here. It has a GBA translation to English.
-=PakoPako=-
Nice list. You should think about adding Sunset Riders
Awesome list! i luv Rnr racing and river city ransom =)
Another favorite Puzzle Action game for snes, and possibly a hidden gem, is Q*bert 3.
The Ignition factor and the firemen are not the same game. the former was released in the US while the latter wasn’t. They’re both firefighting games though.
I was told they were, but Ignition Factor had some things taken out of it…
Ehhhm, you fogot to put DKC in the obvious choices for platformer.
And you should add Hagane it’s A great game.
I’m disappointed to see two of my favorites missing from this list.
The Ninja Warriors (Occasionally named “Ninja Warriors Again”) is a sadly oft-overlooked side-scrolling beat-em-up, featuring three characters who play radically differently. Although it’s a beat-em-up at its’ core, one interesting aspect is that it confines you to a plane like a platformer.
The wiki page is here, but it’s not very informative: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninja_Warriors
Run Saber is also worth mentioning. It plays very similarly to the Strider games, and is a lot of fun as an action/platformer. It was actually put under the Strider banner on HG101: http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/strider/strider3.htm
Overall, though, this is an intruguing list- I’m glad to see Shadowrun and Lufia 2- a pair of my own favorite obscure SNES games- included on this list. Super Aleste is another excellent game that I only jsut recently discovered.
I should really try King Arthur’s World one of these days…
- HC
You only need to line up 3 in Tetris Attack, not 4. Doesn’t change the fact that it is perhaps the best puzzle game of all time, or at least pretty high up there.
Hey man, I just saw this list… wow, I had no idea how much my work has been highlighted here by you! I was directed to it today and I just want to tell you THANKS. I’ll have to remember to add you to my LINKS section next time I update my site. Thanks for the pub, it’s very much appreciated. DoReMi Fantasy is indeed SICK
-Steve
Well, you definitely deserved the links!
I was very impressed with your work — it’s hard to find such detailed writing on Super Famicom imports
another game missing from this list is Saturday Night Slammasters. One of the coolest wrestling games ever made.
An apparently *really* obscure one is MechWarrior. I had a lot of fun with it. Perhaps it’s rare, all I know is I loved it.
I would’ve really liked to have seen Robotrek somewhere on the RPG list, it was fantastic! Robotrek paved the way for the custom robot battle games we have today, like Chibi Robo.
Put “King’s Arhthur World” in strategy, it’s a horizontal-scrolling strategy game, I played it a lot when I was 10, it was one of my favourite game =)
i didn’t see zombies ate my neighbors anywhere on this page! dang…what has the world come to. what about earthworm jim? might and magic III? c’mon, guy. get with it!
furthermore, i have a huge collection of snes hidden gems that i’m thinking of selling off. do you know where i could do that?
great post, although this article a sequel, since you still missed on a lot of gems. as far as classics go
PS1 had the most
SNES had the second most amount
NES had the third most (especially notable because it was home to the birth of many franchises)
King Arthur’s world is missing! amazing title. (Puzzle/Strategy)
Realm is also a phenomenal side stroller action, reminded me of gunstar heroes.
Lawmmower Man was unexpectedly good run & gun game, and featured SuperFX mini levels in the VR missions.
sorry i noticed you put in king arthur’s world, my mistake, good to see the game getting some shine after the snes era was over. and i meant lawnmower not whatever i put there.
Let’s not forget shadowrun.
So how do you fit a game like Uni-Racers into all of this?
I’d put it into Sports/Racing/Flying, but most SNES fans actually know about Uniracers
Lufia 2 is the greatest game I have ever played in my life! Tops chrono trigger imo.
I think Jurassic Park was an excellent game that deserved to be somewhere on this list. It was extremely well made by the OCEAN greats with great graphics, superb music, and action/adventure/first-person packed into one! The first-person parts are decent for a snes game. The story of this JP game was based on the book which explains
the unusual structure of the game as most would assume it to follow the flow of the film. By far my favorite aspect of this gem is the lack of a save or password option, as it forced me to draw up detailed maps of the interior portions of the game in order to come back to it and beat it in one quick(3 hours or so)sitting. Definitely worth a look for any snes fan!
You are missing one of the BEST undiscovered gems! for any system E.V.O. Search For Eden!
It’s one of the best and deepest SNES games, original and addictive!!
http://www.gamespot.com/snes/action/46okutoshimonogatari/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs&tag=tabs;reviews
you forgot to mention that R’N’R racing had 5 or 6 of the greatest rock’n'roll songs ever!!!…they include black sabbath´s paranoid and deep purple´s highway star…played amazingly!!!!…and the fun/action factor was incredibly great!!!
Super nintendo is my best console by far!!!!
thanks to nintendo for giving us great hours of big, genuine, unique amusement…
I was trying to guess what the hidden gem RPG would be… I would have guessed Robotrek. When I saw it was Lufia II, I thought “I forgot Lufia isn’t so popular.”
Lufia II is THE best RPG on the system (and yes, that IS saying alot).
Ah TMNT Tournament Fighters! Man you’re brining it back. I remember when Blockbuster had a tournament for that game. I didn’t get far into the tournament but it was definitely fun!
Kirbys Dream Course.
Awesomest game evar.
Forgot “Biker Mice from Mars” Try it. Sure to replace Rock ‘n’ Roll Racing tenfold!
mega man soccer was another ‘undiscovered’ gem in the sports aisle.
final fantasy V was another classic rpg that i think was missed
looney tunes basketball was an ok 2 player game
i didnt see mario RPG on there but i didnt really look to hard though
For a simulation strategy game I’m going to require you add Sim Ant up here, it’s an amazing game, and almost always overlooked.
I forgot to mention above, perhaps you don’t mind not adding this but I think it should be up here for the sports category. Super Punch-out. It may seem like it doesn’t belong, but I think it should still have a place on the obvious choice categories.
Not trying to be a jerk, but I was looking to find all these games for my own collection and found it hard to locate some because of the names you used, these names were much easier to find.
Action Adventure Category:
Spider-man: Lethal Foes, the real name of the game is “The Amazing Spider-man Lethal Foes”.
Platformers Category:
Power Load Runner is actually “Power Lode Runner”.
Mickey Tokyo Disneyland, is better known as “Mickey no Tokyo Disneyland Daibouken”.
Mickey and Donald is better known as “Mickey to Donald: Magical Adventure”.
Disney’s Magical Quest, is better known as “The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse”.
Shumps Category:
Cotton is better known as “Marchen Adventure Cotton 100%”.
Tekkaman Blade is better known as “Uchuu no Kishi - Tekkaman Blade”.
Sports Category:
Astro Go! Go! is better known as “Uchuu Race - Astro Go! Go!”
I also can’t find “Ghost Sweeper Mikami” anywhere, any ideas on a different name I could search with?
The Firemen & Ignition Factor are NOT the same game with some stuff taken out. Ignition Factor is the US version of Fire Fighting…states as much on the page you linked (”And keep in mind it’s not to be confused with Fire Fighting which is known in the US as Ignition Factor by Jaleco –
similar yet not as good, but solid and playable in its own
right”). Love these articles, but more research next time so as not to look foolish…
Goof Troop deserves a spot. its super fun, especially multiplayer. same with Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
The Animaniac’s game was a Konami classic.
Does anybody know what SNES game im trying to remember? Please let me know if u know..
it was a 1-2 player war game, kinda similar to the old worms 3d game as in you play with 4-5 soldiers on a battlefield against the opponent, moving one guy at a time and using various weapons to kill the opponents before they kill all of your guys. What is this game??
@Stephen
isn’t that King Arthur’s World?
I completely agree about ‘ShadowRun’.. it’s a great game that I’ve never heard of until recently, but it’s great.
I’m glad Earthbound is on the RPG list, it really deserves some recognition. But why is Imperium not on the Shump list? Sure, it’s so hard you can hardly get past the first mini-boss, but it really is a great game.
Paperboy 2,Super Castlevania 4,Super Star War Series all deservingly should’ve been placed on your list of great SNES games.
These are the best UNDISCOVERED SNES games — all of those are pretty well-known
Very nice article, I have found quite a lot of great games to play thanks to this. Hope for new materials on other consoles.
I would put “Arkanoid - Doh it Again!” on there for puzzle games. I was so happy and shocked when I found this game in a Funco Land, not only because I love Arkanoid on NES, but I didn’t know that it existed.
Also, not too sure how unknown they are, but Hook and Taz-mania are two great games.
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU, someone finally mentions Lufia, it was my first, and to this day, favourite RPG of all time, I was actually considering making a SNES un-sung heroes site because I was getting shitty that no-one had heard of Lufia, but you sir, you just made my day, in my opinion, the greatest RPG ever, and of course, barely known. Once again, thankyou good sir.
Wow, just when I thought I’d be looking through a list going “played that, played that…” it turns out I played none of them, and I had at least 20-25 games for that console. Very nice. And the previous poster may be happy to know I’m definitely going to give Lufia a try. Also, just to add a few of my favorites: Zombies ate my Neighbors, Clay Fighter, Castlevania Dracula X (aka Vampire’s Kiss), Batman and Robin, and Jurassic Park all seem worth mentioning.
Excellent list, i would ad The Violinist of Hameln into the platformers list though!
Thanks for mentioning Space MegaForce, it’s a great game.
Jason
I agree I think most of the games listed were pretty well known games. What about Lagoon or Paladin’s Quest or Brainlord? Those were two games that none of my friends had & I thought were great gems!
I meant three games…I am still learning my numbers
Cybernator! Nice pick!
Best SHMUP picks? No love for Area 88 (U.N. Squadron)? What about that flippin’ gangster two-player shmup, Firepower 2000!?
The RPG pick is plain bad. Everyone knew about Lufia! Why not pick an undiscovered one? Paladin’s Quest, Madara 2, Tecmo’s Secret of the Stars, or Dragon View! Dragon View is an Action RPG.
Strategy/Historical Simulation…ROTK series amidst the myriad KOEI strategies??
The Strategy RPG is called Gemfire, not Gamefire.
One word. “Earthbound”. One of the best games ever, period.
I nearly jumped and shouted “Yes!” when I saw Ogre Battle. It’s hard to get into, takes a lot of research and reading up on - or, for those with a lot of time on their hands, trial-and-error discovery of - all the different game mechanics, but when you finally do… wow.
I simply find this list and many of your other lists of “best undiscovered” to be only games that the ‘popular’ communities of each respective genre know. These lists lack any true research and aficionadoic love. You have Japanese games on here as though you are trying to say to people “Hey, we have know all about SNES/SFC, because look, we have Japanese games on our lists!” Prime examples of games left off:
Energy Breaker
Kamaitachi Night
Daikaijuu Monogatari 2
Super Dante
Elnard
Fushigi No Dungeon 2
Aretha
Far East of Eden Zero
Burai: Hachigyoku no Yuushi Densetsu
Shin Seikoku: La Wares
Mystic Ark
The Last Battle
Spiral Nemesis 2
Maten Densetsu: Senritsu no Opatsu
Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu
Mahōjin Guru Guru
Bishin Densetsu Zoku
Etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.
You guys need to do some real research of your own and come back so you can put together a better list to do justice to the wealth of amazing games for the SNES/SFC and other lists gathered thus far…Not this, for the better lack of words, pseudo-wannabe aficionados list.
While I appreciate feedback, I can’t help but be put off by your tone. And while I’m assuming that the games you listed are indeed good, how can is your comment be met with any more authority when all you do is list titles without any explanation.
It’s one thing if you make a quick comment recommending a few games, but when you come in all high-and-mighty, you should at least come with an explanation.
Besides, I’m not sure how you expect one person to gather enough knowledge to go though some of the largest libraries of Japanese games. I’m terribly sorry if I don’t meet your high standards.
Hey Real Gamer, you and your self-important attitude missed the point of this article. Go away please.
Hey Racketboy, thanks for this, I snagged a few of these for the emulators I have and I’m having fun. Not a bad list for so-called “pseudo-wannabe aficionados” *rolls eyes*
Thanks man — I appreciate the support
Hi Racketboy, I have a Super Nintendo game called WEAPONLORD put out by NAMCO, made in Mexico. I think it was made in the 90’s. It is rated Teen. Can you give me some information about it’s value, as I cannot seem to find it anywhere. It was given to my grandson, but he is to young for it. Thanks
Hi there — from the looks of these completed eBay auctions, its not worth much…
http://completed.shop.ebay.com/items/Games__weaponlord_W0QQPlatform7397cc93ZNintendoSuperfbba8172QQLHQ5fCompleteZ1QQ_catrefZ1QQ_dmptZVideoQ5fGamesQ5fGamesQQ_flnZ1QQ_sacatZ139973QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em283?MA2ShowItems&guest=1
You made some mistakes with the classification of a few games.
Secret of Mana and Secret of Evermore are both Action RPGs in the same vein as Zelda, rather than a classic RPGs. Both have you fighting as you go, much like Zelda.
Also, you classify Super Mario RPG as an Action RPG, rather than a classic RPG. I’m not entirely sure how you came up with that, since most consider it a classic RPG.
Awesome list - book marked for later reference!
would you take a look at a game called “the troddlers” as non of my gamer mates remember it (i actually think it was quite popular) so it may be a hidden gem worth checking out!
do you mind requests for rom site download links? if not then ne good links will be appreciated.
I’ve never heard of that one, but it looks interesting. I’m always up for puzzle games
I’d rather not discuss ROM links though
http://www.rom-world.com/index.php Has alot of these Roms… I’ve gotten 4 outa 4 that I’ve tried. (Those that search for Rom’s are aware of the random PHP and link files that are junk)
Though for legal reasons, I will say that you must own the game before you buy it…
Woops, typo. >.>.<<
You must own the game before you download a Rom. Rom’s are for commercial use/free advertisement and not intended to replace the actual game…
Also, Zsnes(emulator) makes it really easy to set up a USB Game Controler to the PC and play Snes games with the controler instead of the keyboard… Just thought that’d be helpful. ^.^
I don’t if this has been mentioned somewhere, but, flea markets are great places to pick up some of these titles.
After ordering a VGA box from Racketboy, I started browsing through here and got on a bit of a kick for retro gaming…
I picked up Soul Blazer at the local flea market for $3. When I got home and checked ebay, I saw this:
http://catalog.ebay.com/Soul-Blazer_719631000050_W0QQ_fifptsZ1QQ_pcatidZ2QQ_pidZ4860QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em271?_trksid=p3286.c0.m271
The three listings are 30+$.
Great deals to be had!
I’d like to suggest an additional platformer that I’ve never played, but it seems to be a cult classic of sorts in several gaming circles. The game I’m referring to is Ardy Lightfoot. The game’s graphics are reminiscent of Super Mario World (the sprites are bigger), and the gameplay mechanics are a fusion of Sonic’s superspeed and Super Mario Bros. 2’s grab-and-throw attack.
Also, Sparkster (the SNES sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures) is a solid candidate for the platformer section. It has beautiful graphics, a blast-processing gimmick, and the main character has a really cool array of attacks.
Another lesser-known title that my friend claims to be his favorite SNES game is Uncharted Waters: New Horizons. It’s essentially a sailing sim/adventure where you can take on the role of a merchant, pirate, explorer, etc. Each one of these classes has a unique set of objectives depending on his occupation. For example, an explorer would go around discovering ancient ruins or legendary creatures. You also get to micromanage various aspects of your voyage like buying supplies for ship and hiring crewmates. Worth a look if you like those kinds of games.
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