One thing of note is that F-Zero is single player only, and the gameplay is full screen. Super Mario Kart has 2 player modes, which is great, but it's always split screen even when you're playing single player. I never put any thought into it back in the day, but looking at it now, it's kind of weird. It makes F-Zero a little nicer to play being that it's full screen, but there's no multiplayer option.
That said, yeah, Super Mario Kart just seems a little tame these days when compared to newer entries. I feel like every other Mario Kart console entry is still highly playable today, but sadly Super Mario Kart is a little too dated.
Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
Ziggy587 wrote:One thing of note is that F-Zero is single player only, and the gameplay is full screen. Super Mario Kart has 2 player modes, which is great, but it's always split screen even when you're playing single player. I never put any thought into it back in the day, but looking at it now, it's kind of weird. It makes F-Zero a little nicer to play being that it's full screen, but there's no multiplayer option.
That said, yeah, Super Mario Kart just seems a little tame these days when compared to newer entries. I feel like every other Mario Kart console entry is still highly playable today, but sadly Super Mario Kart is a little too dated.
Oh yeah, I didn't even make the split-screen connection when I was ranting. That would make a lot of sense as to why it just doesn't feel as right.
Support Racketboy on Patreon
Follow Racketboy on Social: Instagram / Twitter / Facebook
Subscribe to Email Newsletter (Blog / Guide Updates Every Week or Two)
Follow Racketboy on Social: Instagram / Twitter / Facebook
Subscribe to Email Newsletter (Blog / Guide Updates Every Week or Two)
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
I never even put any thought into the split screen as a kid, it just was what it was. It is pretty neat getting the overview of the track though, and it's also your rear view. But I remember reading that Nintendo made it split screen like that to increase performance.
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
The SNES is, bar none, my favorite console of all time. I'll admit that some of that is probably the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, because like many of you, I first got my hands on the SNES as a tween/early-teen. Around that same time I was also really getting into pulp fantasy novels, and an older friend blew my mind when he introduced me to console RPGs, which basically felt like interactive pulp fantasy novels. So it was really a perfect storm of being introduced to the console that ended up housing some of the all-time greatest jRPGs right at a time in my life when I had been primed to be super into jRPGs. I still count the likes of Final Fantasy III(VI), Chrono Trigger, and Ogre Battle among my favorite games of all time.
Ogre Battle in particular is one that I feel like I have a real history with. I'd eaten up all the previews and guides featured in Nintendo Power, and I ended up playing it a few times as a rental, but because of the poor availability of certain SNES games back in the day, I could never seem to find a copy to actually purchase. For my birthday one year, my aunt and uncle took me to a local Funcoland to pick out a present, and miraculously they had a copy of Ogre Battle with all of the inserts, maps, and manuals. Even at the time it was selling used for a princely $100, but they bought it for me as a treat. It was definitely a beloved piece in my collection for years to come, although I did end up eventually selling it once I purchased a copy of the PlayStation version. And while I do feel that even with the long load times and the occasionally janky visual effects, the mid-battle save option makes the PlayStation port the definitive version, I do sometimes miss having that cartridge around as a physical representation of a happy memory.
Years later when I was in college I started to really make a conscious effort to start collecting for the SNES. It wasn't like I had a lot of money at that time, so it definitely made some lean years even leaner, but the advantage was it allowed me to pick up a lot of great titles before the collector boom really drove prices into the stratosphere. I'd never be able to drop the cash for Pocky & Rocky 2, Demon's Crest, E.V.O.: The Search for Eden, and the like nowadays, but back twenty years ago, they were a lot more reasonable. College and my first few post-college years was definitely the time I built the bulk of my SNES collection. The Super Famicom was also one of the first import consoles I started collecting for. While my domestic releases far outnumber my import collection, my Super Famicom collection is probably only second to my import Saturn collection in size. As great as the domestic library was for the SNES, there were still tons of fantastic games that never left Japan, and I'm always excited to discover a new treat that I've missed.
Speaking of which, there's been a lot of chatter lately on the boards about there not being any more hidden gems to mine out of systems like the SNES, but I have to respectfully disagree. I've been playing the Super Nintendo for the majority of my life at this point, and it still manages to pleasantly surprise me with its library on a regular basis. Whether it be an obscure domestic release I've never heard of, a forgotten Super Famicom game that recently received a fan translation, or simply a well-known "gem" I haven't had a chance to play until recently, I feel like I'm always having new SNES experiences.
I'm sure I'll have tons more to add to this conversation over the next few weeks, but for my initial recommendation I'd suggest Skyblazer. It's a tight, fun action-platformer with great graphics, an excellent soundtrack, and fantastic level/enemy design. It also has a quasi-East Asian visual style that's fairly unique in games of the era (and even today, honestly). I'd say it easily holds its own with the likes of Mega Man X, Super Castlevania IV, Actraiser, and other top-tier action games on the console. And the good news is, if you really like it, the SNES Hook game (based off of the Steven Spielberg movie) is kind of an unofficial test run for Skyblazer that plays very, very similarly. It's not quite as good, but it's still a solid action-platformer in its own right.
Ogre Battle in particular is one that I feel like I have a real history with. I'd eaten up all the previews and guides featured in Nintendo Power, and I ended up playing it a few times as a rental, but because of the poor availability of certain SNES games back in the day, I could never seem to find a copy to actually purchase. For my birthday one year, my aunt and uncle took me to a local Funcoland to pick out a present, and miraculously they had a copy of Ogre Battle with all of the inserts, maps, and manuals. Even at the time it was selling used for a princely $100, but they bought it for me as a treat. It was definitely a beloved piece in my collection for years to come, although I did end up eventually selling it once I purchased a copy of the PlayStation version. And while I do feel that even with the long load times and the occasionally janky visual effects, the mid-battle save option makes the PlayStation port the definitive version, I do sometimes miss having that cartridge around as a physical representation of a happy memory.
Years later when I was in college I started to really make a conscious effort to start collecting for the SNES. It wasn't like I had a lot of money at that time, so it definitely made some lean years even leaner, but the advantage was it allowed me to pick up a lot of great titles before the collector boom really drove prices into the stratosphere. I'd never be able to drop the cash for Pocky & Rocky 2, Demon's Crest, E.V.O.: The Search for Eden, and the like nowadays, but back twenty years ago, they were a lot more reasonable. College and my first few post-college years was definitely the time I built the bulk of my SNES collection. The Super Famicom was also one of the first import consoles I started collecting for. While my domestic releases far outnumber my import collection, my Super Famicom collection is probably only second to my import Saturn collection in size. As great as the domestic library was for the SNES, there were still tons of fantastic games that never left Japan, and I'm always excited to discover a new treat that I've missed.
Speaking of which, there's been a lot of chatter lately on the boards about there not being any more hidden gems to mine out of systems like the SNES, but I have to respectfully disagree. I've been playing the Super Nintendo for the majority of my life at this point, and it still manages to pleasantly surprise me with its library on a regular basis. Whether it be an obscure domestic release I've never heard of, a forgotten Super Famicom game that recently received a fan translation, or simply a well-known "gem" I haven't had a chance to play until recently, I feel like I'm always having new SNES experiences.
I'm sure I'll have tons more to add to this conversation over the next few weeks, but for my initial recommendation I'd suggest Skyblazer. It's a tight, fun action-platformer with great graphics, an excellent soundtrack, and fantastic level/enemy design. It also has a quasi-East Asian visual style that's fairly unique in games of the era (and even today, honestly). I'd say it easily holds its own with the likes of Mega Man X, Super Castlevania IV, Actraiser, and other top-tier action games on the console. And the good news is, if you really like it, the SNES Hook game (based off of the Steven Spielberg movie) is kind of an unofficial test run for Skyblazer that plays very, very similarly. It's not quite as good, but it's still a solid action-platformer in its own right.
-
Markies
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 1410
- Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 4:29 pm
- Location: St. Louis, Missouri
- Contact:
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
I have so many fond memories when it comes to the Super Nintendo.
I was very late to the Super Nintendo party as I bought the console from my college friend way back in 2003 or so. I grew up with the Sega Genesis, but I always wanted a Super Nintendo. Also, at that time, I was getting into RPG's, so the Super Nintendo worked perfectly.
I have fond memories of going to an English Class for College, going home and then play Final Fantasy II on my Super Nintendo. Again, this was around 2004. So, for the next few years, I binged as many Super Nintendo RPG's as possible. I played Chrono Trigger, Lufia, Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy and everything in between. It was utterly fantastic. I was still playing Super Nintendo games when the new consoles of the PS3/360/Wii was released.
So, after my Super Nintendo JRPG extravaganza, I felt like I was at a cross roads. I could either stick with the trends and buy a new console and do my best to keep up my modern gaming. Or, I could do what I did with the Super Nintendo, play classics that I had never played before and go full force into Retro Gaming.
I went full Retro and I haven't looked back since. Thank You Super Nintendo!
I was very late to the Super Nintendo party as I bought the console from my college friend way back in 2003 or so. I grew up with the Sega Genesis, but I always wanted a Super Nintendo. Also, at that time, I was getting into RPG's, so the Super Nintendo worked perfectly.
I have fond memories of going to an English Class for College, going home and then play Final Fantasy II on my Super Nintendo. Again, this was around 2004. So, for the next few years, I binged as many Super Nintendo RPG's as possible. I played Chrono Trigger, Lufia, Breath of Fire, Final Fantasy and everything in between. It was utterly fantastic. I was still playing Super Nintendo games when the new consoles of the PS3/360/Wii was released.
So, after my Super Nintendo JRPG extravaganza, I felt like I was at a cross roads. I could either stick with the trends and buy a new console and do my best to keep up my modern gaming. Or, I could do what I did with the Super Nintendo, play classics that I had never played before and go full force into Retro Gaming.
I went full Retro and I haven't looked back since. Thank You Super Nintendo!
-
RobertAugustdeMeijer
- 24-bit
- Posts: 130
- Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2022 10:15 am
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
Summer 1992 with the Super Nintendo was the best. Street Fighter II at home. Still figuring out Zelda 3 and Final Fantasy 4. Still trying to beat Contra 3 together. Turtles 4 had that funky versus mode. Another round of Super Mario World and Castlevania 4. Top Gear turned out to be a great rental. And after your friends left, wasting hours on SimCity trying to get to 500,000 residents.
I don't know about you folks, but the Genesis seemed like old hat for awhile (until we all got into NHLPA '93 and Streets of Rage 2 later that year!)
I don't know about you folks, but the Genesis seemed like old hat for awhile (until we all got into NHLPA '93 and Streets of Rage 2 later that year!)
-
alienjesus
- Next-Gen
- Posts: 8775
- Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:10 pm
- Location: London, UK.
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
The Super Nintendo was one of my earliest systems (I stated with Master System, then got a Mega Drive followed by a Super Nintendo), but at the time it always played second fiddle for me. I got most of my games second hand from a market stall and the Super Nintendo games always cost more so I usually went for Sega stuff.
I only had a small library for the system, most of which came with the system when my mum bought if from someone at her work, and most of which weren't my thing.
I had Prince of Persia and Flashback which I could never figure out at that age. I also had Pit Fighter which was I think the first game I knew was bad. Other games I assumed I was playing them wrong, but Pit Fighter was clearly awful even a kid under 10. I also had Street Fighter 2, which I quite liked, Starfox (or rather, Starwing) which I loved, and Donkey Kong Country 3 which I loved even more.
I played a few other games at my cousins. They had Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi's Island and Mario Kart so thats where I tried all those. I briefly experienced Zelda, Metroid, Pilotwings and Mario All-Stars at various times at other peoples houses too, but it was only really when Pokémon became a thing that I became a Nintendo kid, so most of the SNES classics I experienced in retrospect.
I really like the SNES, I think it's library is excellent and although I preferred Sega as a kid, I now think the SNES has the superior library of that generation.
I only had a small library for the system, most of which came with the system when my mum bought if from someone at her work, and most of which weren't my thing.
I had Prince of Persia and Flashback which I could never figure out at that age. I also had Pit Fighter which was I think the first game I knew was bad. Other games I assumed I was playing them wrong, but Pit Fighter was clearly awful even a kid under 10. I also had Street Fighter 2, which I quite liked, Starfox (or rather, Starwing) which I loved, and Donkey Kong Country 3 which I loved even more.
I played a few other games at my cousins. They had Mario World, Donkey Kong Country, Yoshi's Island and Mario Kart so thats where I tried all those. I briefly experienced Zelda, Metroid, Pilotwings and Mario All-Stars at various times at other peoples houses too, but it was only really when Pokémon became a thing that I became a Nintendo kid, so most of the SNES classics I experienced in retrospect.
I really like the SNES, I think it's library is excellent and although I preferred Sega as a kid, I now think the SNES has the superior library of that generation.
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
...when it comes to classic gaming, I'm primarily a Sega guy so I always view the SNES through that lens. That being said, SNES is a console that has always had my attention. I remember seeing the SMW on the cover of EGM and the SNES buying guide they did as well, my mind was blown. I was beyond happy w/my Genesis but SMW simply couldn't be ignored. Then in '91 the Nintendo Campus Challenge had a stop at my sister's university and after school that day (the longest day I ever remember in 8th grade 
) she picked me up and we went over to the campus. I got to try out SMW, F-Zero, Final Fight, Pilot Wings, and Super R-Type...all of the games were great to check out, I especially enjoyed SMW and F-Zero. Regrettably, I never did get a SNES of my own and lived vicariously through cousins and classmates. Later in college I always intended to pick up a SNES of my own as my friends were enjoying games like Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger. To me the SNES really seems like the console that got away but it's also the one system I'm actively avoiding trying to fall down that rabbit hole.
...when I think of the SNES the first thing that comes to mind are those awesome Mode 7 effects, scaling and rotation was something I only saw in arcade games and being able to have that at home was game changing. Plus it was able to put an amount of color on screen that my Genesis generally couldn't match. Additionally, the control was a real breakthrough with 4-face buttons and shoulder buttons and the sound was a step forward in most regards. Then of course there were the games, I'm sure everyone here knows that...but some of my favorites were SMW, Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Joe & Mac, Super Punch-Out, Mystical Ninja Goemon, Street Fighter II, Pocky & Rocky, F-Zero, Final Fight, Demon's Crest, the shmups (Axelay, Gradius III, Space Megaforce, and etc), definitely the numerous RPGs (Square, Enix, and even Capcom have a lot of gems here), and I just recently discovered how awesome the DKC series is. I currently get my SNES fix via the Virtual Console, GBA releases, and the SNES Mini but I have a real feeling that I'm going to go w/real hardware at some point and start an actual SNES collection.
) she picked me up and we went over to the campus. I got to try out SMW, F-Zero, Final Fight, Pilot Wings, and Super R-Type...all of the games were great to check out, I especially enjoyed SMW and F-Zero. Regrettably, I never did get a SNES of my own and lived vicariously through cousins and classmates. Later in college I always intended to pick up a SNES of my own as my friends were enjoying games like Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger. To me the SNES really seems like the console that got away but it's also the one system I'm actively avoiding trying to fall down that rabbit hole....when I think of the SNES the first thing that comes to mind are those awesome Mode 7 effects, scaling and rotation was something I only saw in arcade games and being able to have that at home was game changing. Plus it was able to put an amount of color on screen that my Genesis generally couldn't match. Additionally, the control was a real breakthrough with 4-face buttons and shoulder buttons and the sound was a step forward in most regards. Then of course there were the games, I'm sure everyone here knows that...but some of my favorites were SMW, Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Joe & Mac, Super Punch-Out, Mystical Ninja Goemon, Street Fighter II, Pocky & Rocky, F-Zero, Final Fight, Demon's Crest, the shmups (Axelay, Gradius III, Space Megaforce, and etc), definitely the numerous RPGs (Square, Enix, and even Capcom have a lot of gems here), and I just recently discovered how awesome the DKC series is. I currently get my SNES fix via the Virtual Console, GBA releases, and the SNES Mini but I have a real feeling that I'm going to go w/real hardware at some point and start an actual SNES collection.
Last edited by Syndicate on Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
I miss it when everyone was posting pics of their collections in these threads.
POST PICS OF YOUR STUFF IF YOU CAN !
I sold off a pretty good chunk of my collection in 2020, but here's a snap of my SNES shelf before then...
At least, that was most of my SNES carts. There were some stragglers not in there. Also, a big box of sports games in crummy condition that I don't keep with my collection. And boxes and manuals are stored elsewhere.
Here's most of my SNES boxes...
I also have quite a bit of manuals for SNES games. It's annoying that I have to store them all separately. Which is why I always wanted to do Universal Game Cases or similar. But with so many games, it's not too cheap. And then at that point, I'd want to do other consoles as well. Maybe one day.
Here's most of my SNES games that I still have today. There's still a few not pictured, but this is most of them.
Top Row: Akumajou Dracula, Aliens VS Predator, Arkanoid Doh It Again
Second Row: Batman Forever, Batman Returns, Tiny Toons Adventure Buster Busts Loose
Third Row: Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania Dracula X, Contra III
Last Row: Chrono Trigger, Aladdin
Top Row: E.V.O. Search for Eden, Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3
Second Row: Final Fantasy V, Final Fight 2, F-Zero, The Ignition Factor
Third Row: Hook, Home Alone 2, The Legend of Gaia, Jurassic Park
Last Row: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Little Magic (English repro)
Top Row: Mario Paint, Mega Man 7, Mega Max X, Mortal Kombat
Second Row: Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, NBA Jam, The Ninja Warriors
Third Row: Pirfall, Paperboy 2, Plok, Secret of Mana
Last Row: SimCity (two variants)
Top Row: The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare, Skyblazer, Star Fox, Street Fighter II Turbo
Second Row: Bomberman, Bomberman 2, Bomberman 4, Bomberman Panic Bomber W
Third Row: Super Empire Strikes Back, Super Mario All Stars, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG
Last Row: Super Mario World
Top Row: Super Metroid, Super Off Road: The Baja, Super R-Type, Super Return of the Jedi
Second Row: Super Star Wars, Super Street Fighter II, Taz-mania, Tecmo Super Bowl
Third Row: TMNT IV: Turtles in Time, Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, WWF something, X-Men Mutant Apocalypse
Last Row: Yoshi's Island, Zombies Ate my Neighbors, Bust-A-Move, The Lost Vikings
Pro Action Reply 2, Game Genie, Super Gameboy, SFC Super Mario World and DKC trilogy
I don't have many non-standard peripherals, but here's a a random third party controller that I like...
A few years ago, it dawned on me that I don't have any turbo controllers for the SNES, so I decided to pick this one up. And, I don't know, having random third party controllers was a sort of staple of 90's gaming. Wasn't it?
I'm not going to dig them out just for a pic, so I'll just grab one from Google...
I had these back in the day, and they were awesome! You need a direct line of sight for the IR signal. I don't use them these days, but they were freaking awesome back in the 90s.
Here's a random picture of my PAL SNES that I already had uploaded...
I widened the cart slot so that it could natively accept NTSC-U carts. Also, I hardwired it to be NTSC 60 Hz. So it's effectively a North American SNES. It's a later revision model, so it doesn't have any controller region lockout. Also, it's a 1chip model. I wanted to add a SFC to my collection, but I never wanted to pay the going price for one in nice enough condition. But I came across this PAL SNES on eBay. It was located in Canada. Not many people in North America are looking for a PAL version of a console. But I knew I could mod it to be NTSC, and I was able to get it for a steal. It came with a controller and AV cables, but no power adapter. Which was fine because a 240v power supply would have been useless to me. It also came with the box, which was very nice to get. My main SNES though is a typical North American model, an older non 1chip model, that I use on my PVM with RGB cables. Sometimes, collecting hardware is just as fun for me as collecting games.
POST PICS OF YOUR STUFF IF YOU CAN !
I sold off a pretty good chunk of my collection in 2020, but here's a snap of my SNES shelf before then...
At least, that was most of my SNES carts. There were some stragglers not in there. Also, a big box of sports games in crummy condition that I don't keep with my collection. And boxes and manuals are stored elsewhere.
Here's most of my SNES boxes...
I also have quite a bit of manuals for SNES games. It's annoying that I have to store them all separately. Which is why I always wanted to do Universal Game Cases or similar. But with so many games, it's not too cheap. And then at that point, I'd want to do other consoles as well. Maybe one day.
Here's most of my SNES games that I still have today. There's still a few not pictured, but this is most of them.
Top Row: Akumajou Dracula, Aliens VS Predator, Arkanoid Doh It Again
Second Row: Batman Forever, Batman Returns, Tiny Toons Adventure Buster Busts Loose
Third Row: Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania Dracula X, Contra III
Last Row: Chrono Trigger, Aladdin
Top Row: E.V.O. Search for Eden, Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, and 3
Second Row: Final Fantasy V, Final Fight 2, F-Zero, The Ignition Factor
Third Row: Hook, Home Alone 2, The Legend of Gaia, Jurassic Park
Last Row: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Little Magic (English repro)
Top Row: Mario Paint, Mega Man 7, Mega Max X, Mortal Kombat
Second Row: Mortal Kombat II, Mortal Kombat 3, NBA Jam, The Ninja Warriors
Third Row: Pirfall, Paperboy 2, Plok, Secret of Mana
Last Row: SimCity (two variants)
Top Row: The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare, Skyblazer, Star Fox, Street Fighter II Turbo
Second Row: Bomberman, Bomberman 2, Bomberman 4, Bomberman Panic Bomber W
Third Row: Super Empire Strikes Back, Super Mario All Stars, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario RPG
Last Row: Super Mario World
Top Row: Super Metroid, Super Off Road: The Baja, Super R-Type, Super Return of the Jedi
Second Row: Super Star Wars, Super Street Fighter II, Taz-mania, Tecmo Super Bowl
Third Row: TMNT IV: Turtles in Time, Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, WWF something, X-Men Mutant Apocalypse
Last Row: Yoshi's Island, Zombies Ate my Neighbors, Bust-A-Move, The Lost Vikings
Pro Action Reply 2, Game Genie, Super Gameboy, SFC Super Mario World and DKC trilogy
I don't have many non-standard peripherals, but here's a a random third party controller that I like...
A few years ago, it dawned on me that I don't have any turbo controllers for the SNES, so I decided to pick this one up. And, I don't know, having random third party controllers was a sort of staple of 90's gaming. Wasn't it?
I'm not going to dig them out just for a pic, so I'll just grab one from Google...
I had these back in the day, and they were awesome! You need a direct line of sight for the IR signal. I don't use them these days, but they were freaking awesome back in the 90s.
Here's a random picture of my PAL SNES that I already had uploaded...
I widened the cart slot so that it could natively accept NTSC-U carts. Also, I hardwired it to be NTSC 60 Hz. So it's effectively a North American SNES. It's a later revision model, so it doesn't have any controller region lockout. Also, it's a 1chip model. I wanted to add a SFC to my collection, but I never wanted to pay the going price for one in nice enough condition. But I came across this PAL SNES on eBay. It was located in Canada. Not many people in North America are looking for a PAL version of a console. But I knew I could mod it to be NTSC, and I was able to get it for a steal. It came with a controller and AV cables, but no power adapter. Which was fine because a 240v power supply would have been useless to me. It also came with the box, which was very nice to get. My main SNES though is a typical North American model, an older non 1chip model, that I use on my PVM with RGB cables. Sometimes, collecting hardware is just as fun for me as collecting games.
Re: Console of the Month (September 2022) - Super Nintendo
I've been meaning to talk about games from my collection!
Alien Vs Predator - There were quite a few AVP games in the 90's, but I had a SNES so this was the one that I played. I know this game isn't very highly regarded, but there was just always something I liked about it. I like the visuals of the game, and the music is so very SNES sounding. I remember it getting pretty tough a few levels in though, which I why I never beat it. This was one of those games that I would rent from time to time, but didn't like it enough to buy it (games were expensive) so I got later on.
Arkanoid - Doh it Again! - I had a blast with Arkanoid on the NES. Then randomly I found Doh It Again in a Funco Land. I miss the days when I could browse used SNES games in a store. Finding something like this was like, "WHOA, DIDN'T KNOW THIS EXISTED!" Now you can just Google for stuff, but where's the fun in that? There was something magical about finding games on your own in the wild. And perhaps even talking to the clerk behind the counter about them. Anyway, this game is SO much easier than the original on the NES, which actually makes it a lot more fun to play.
Batman Forever - I got this game complete from a forum member here years ago. He was letting it go for so cheap, I just didn't mind picking up another CIB game to add to my collection. Too bad it isn't that great of a game!
Batman Returns - This was a game I took a gamble on in the early days of eBay. I never really heard of it, but I saw it was from Konami. And it turns out that it's a pretty fun beat em up.
Tiny Toons Adventures - Buster Busts Loose - This was a game that I would rent from time to time back in the 90s. I like it, but not enough to buy it (buying games back then was far and few between). So I picked it up years later on the cheap from eBay. It's still a fun game, but I don't know how rose tinted it is because of my memories of it. One thing that surprised me is how easy and short it was. I remember on a rental spending a lot of time to get a few levels in. Then after I bought a copy as an adult, I blew through the entire game (only 4 or 5 levels) in a short time.
Captain Commando - Some years back, a forum member here was selling a SFC version of this game complete in box. I saw that it was a Capcom beat em up and decided to buy it. I played it a few times, but never a whole lot. Then just recently, I tried it out and was getting massive glitching. Cleaning the pins didn't help, so I opened it up and found out it's a stinking bootleg lol. Well, I was actually able to design my own replacement PCB for it and basically made my very own high quality bootleg of the game to replace the shitty one that I had. No real point to explaining this other than, sometimes I like a good story attached to a game.
Super Castlevania IV - Back in my early days of owning a SNES, some one recommended to try some game called Castlevania. I remember hearing "Castlevania" for the first time and thinking how weird that was. Well, it quickly turned into one of my favorite SNES games, and remained that ever since! Pictured is my original cart that I purchased in the 90's. I had to rent it a few times, but then I finally saved enough to get my own copy. I think it was like $65 or $70 IIRC. I think I got my money's worth out of it though.
Castlevania Dracula X - This was a game I never heard of back in the day. I can't remember when I first learned about it, but I got my copy during the early days of eBay. It was an expensive SNES back then, but cheap compared to today's prices! Being that Castlevania IV was one of my favorite SNES games, and the Castlevania series as a whole turned into a favorite of mine, I had to pick this one up. I was a bit disappointed IIRC. The level design seems a bit bland, and there's some annoyances like invulnerability not lasting long enough after taking a hit. But it eventually grew on me. It's not one of my favorite in the series, but I still like it a lot. If you took the name out of it, it's still an awesome hack n slash platformer on the SNES.
Contra III - I never played this game back in the day. I picked up a copy sometime later. I have no nostalgia for it, so I find myself constantly forgetting how awesome it is. If you like run n gun platformers, then this is an absolute must play. I never beat it, but one day I'll dedicate the time to getting good at this game.
Disney's Aladdin - This was another game that I rented a few times back in the day, and I liked it enough to buy a copy. I don't remember it being too expensive of a game, which made it easier to get. People always cite that the sprites in the Genesis version of Aladdin were helped by Disney and are superior to the SNES version. Well, they definitely are. But the SNES version beats the pants off the Genesis game in every other way. If you like hop and bop platformers, then this is a must play.
E.V.O. Search for Eden - This was a hidden gem to many, but not to me. I can remember borrowing this game from a cousin back in the 90's, and there was just something about it that I absolutely loved, so I purchased my own copy. The music is absolutely fantastic, there's something about a few tracks that is just so captivating. And I love that the game takes you through the eons. There's something just so mystical about it. I love it.
Donkey Kong Country Trilogy - I can't say anything about these games that hasn't already been said (especially by me, on this forum lol) but I couldn't leave them off my list. They're great games, period.
Final Fantasy II (4) - I really enjoyed playing through this game, enough that I persevered through lost save files and other problems. I first got the SNES cart and was really enjoying the game, but then I lost my freaking save about halfway through! I was enjoying it enough that I decided to start over right away. But being that I JUST played through the first half it was fresh in my memory, and I wanted to naturally race to the point that I was at before I lost my save. The problem with that is, by the time I got to the underground I was massively under leveled. At that point I was annoyed enough to give up. It wasn't until a few years later that I finally restarted a game, but this time the PS1 version. Which, in my opinion, is superior to the SNES version.
Hook - This was another game that I rented quite a few times in the 90s because I couldn't afford a copy. Then one year, I saved up all my birthday money and bought my own copy of the game. It's a beautiful looking platformer, with excellent music. Nowadays, I wouldn't like that there's no password or save feature. But since I've played this game a zillion times, I have no problem rolling the credits every time I play it (it's not a very long game). It's definitely one of my favorite SNES games.
The Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past - Another game that I can't really say anything about that hasn't already been said. I didn't play this game until a generation later. For some reason, Zelda didn't interest me even though I had never played one. But I stayed in a hotel that had a TV you could rent SNES games from. For whatever reason, I decided to rent LttP. I was blown away by how awesome the opening was. I immediately set out to pick up a used copy, which at that time wasn't too hard between rental shops liquidating last generation game and places like Funco Land usually having stock of popular stuff like this. So I got my own copy and was hooked all the way through the game. These games, I can just plow through the entire game and get evey heart piece from memory. But I kind of wish I could play through it again for the first time. There was something just so awesome about exploring Hyrule and the Dark World for the first time, finding secrets and whatnot.
Little Magic - This is a fun push/pull puzzle game, kind of like Adventure of Lolo. I find it to be a very chill and relaxing puzzle game. It's a SFC exclusive, but there's been a fan translation (I made myself a cart of it).
Mario Paint - This is a game that might have only been appealing at the time. There's nothing you can do in this game that you couldn't do on a PC or tablet. But in the 90's, you couldn't, which made this game a ton of fun. It's also packed with Nintendo's charm. The instruction book and strategy guide clue you in how to take it a step further. Hook your SNES up to a VCR and you can make movies! Which is exactly what my brother and I did back in the day.
Mega Man 7 - I never got to play this one back in the day, it always eluded me somehow. So I picked it up during the early days of eBay. I know a lot of people like to shit on this game, but I always liked it. I also have fond memories of playing it for the first time, I can remember there being a blizzard and just sitting inside playing the snow level of this game.
Mega Max X (and 2, and 3) - I remember a fried bringing Mega Man X over back in the 90's, but I never really played these games until post 2000. And more recently, they really grew on me. The first X is simply an amazing game, an absolute must play for the SNES. X2 and 3 I also really like, and have grown on me since I first played them. A lot of people say X3 is the weakest of the 3, but I actually like it more than 2.
Might Morphing Power Rangers - This version is a beat em up. I remember renting it back in the day and loving it. I picked it up years later and... It's kind of boring. I don't know, maybe I liked it in the 90s because it was freaking POWER RANGERS!
Mortal Kombat 1, 2 and 3 - I got into MK after 2 was released. I can remember my brother asking for MK2 for Christmas and getting Street Fighter II Turbo instead, because MK was too violent lol. Well, when Mom says no just have Dad take you to the mall instead. My brother and I picked up MK2, and IIRC my mom was upset with my dad that he let us buy it LOL. But it was one of my favorite SNES games, and remains one of my all time favorite games. Because I liked 2 so much, I had an interest in the first game. I had a SNES, so that was the version I would play. I was unaware that it was censored, and I didn't care. Mortal Kombat was more than just violence and gore, it had style. And MK 1 had it's own very distinct style, and that's what I liked about it. My brother and I played a TON of MK2, so when MK3 was coming out we were super hyped. I remember my brother saving money to get MK3 when it came out, which he did, from Caldor's. We got it home, and he was so pissed how lame it was compared to MK2. And it really did take a dive in quality compared to MK2. But I still had fun playing it back then.
Ninja Warriors - This was a total hidden gem to me. I discovered it post-2000, and was blown away how awesome it is. It's a really fun beat em up. I tend to forget about it, but every time I put it on I'm surprised how fun it is to play.
Out of This World - I was very surprised when I rented this game back in the 90's. I never heard of a cinematic platformer, so I was totally shocked by how it played. I was expecting Mario, and got something completely different. But as a cinematic game should, the style drew me in. I picked up my own copy years later, but I frustratingly couldn't get very far. Then I got the game on DOS and realized the SNES version has horrible slowdown which impacts the gameplay in a very bad way. Still, I love the music that the SNES version added, if only for nostalgia. As for the DOS/PC version, I absolutely love it. Perhaps one of my favorite games.
SimCity - Take an already awesome game and have Nintendo sprinkle their charm on it and you get: SimCity for the SNES! I loved this game so much in the 90's, and eventually got my own copy. I sunk so many hours into this game. These days, I can't really play it as a city simulator. But for so many years I tried to get a Megalopolis status. Then after that, I learned that you get a message at 600k, so I tried very hard to get there as well. Kind of recently I finally got to 600k. After reaching this status, and having cleared all the scenarios, I haven't played this game since. I'm not sure how I'll feel about it the next time I play it, since there's nothing left for me to do and it's not very appealing as a simulator anymore (since current city sims ruined that for me). Still, it is a beloved SNES game for me.
I'll stop here for now, but I'll post my thoughts about more games later.
Alien Vs Predator - There were quite a few AVP games in the 90's, but I had a SNES so this was the one that I played. I know this game isn't very highly regarded, but there was just always something I liked about it. I like the visuals of the game, and the music is so very SNES sounding. I remember it getting pretty tough a few levels in though, which I why I never beat it. This was one of those games that I would rent from time to time, but didn't like it enough to buy it (games were expensive) so I got later on.
Arkanoid - Doh it Again! - I had a blast with Arkanoid on the NES. Then randomly I found Doh It Again in a Funco Land. I miss the days when I could browse used SNES games in a store. Finding something like this was like, "WHOA, DIDN'T KNOW THIS EXISTED!" Now you can just Google for stuff, but where's the fun in that? There was something magical about finding games on your own in the wild. And perhaps even talking to the clerk behind the counter about them. Anyway, this game is SO much easier than the original on the NES, which actually makes it a lot more fun to play.
Batman Forever - I got this game complete from a forum member here years ago. He was letting it go for so cheap, I just didn't mind picking up another CIB game to add to my collection. Too bad it isn't that great of a game!
Batman Returns - This was a game I took a gamble on in the early days of eBay. I never really heard of it, but I saw it was from Konami. And it turns out that it's a pretty fun beat em up.
Tiny Toons Adventures - Buster Busts Loose - This was a game that I would rent from time to time back in the 90s. I like it, but not enough to buy it (buying games back then was far and few between). So I picked it up years later on the cheap from eBay. It's still a fun game, but I don't know how rose tinted it is because of my memories of it. One thing that surprised me is how easy and short it was. I remember on a rental spending a lot of time to get a few levels in. Then after I bought a copy as an adult, I blew through the entire game (only 4 or 5 levels) in a short time.
Captain Commando - Some years back, a forum member here was selling a SFC version of this game complete in box. I saw that it was a Capcom beat em up and decided to buy it. I played it a few times, but never a whole lot. Then just recently, I tried it out and was getting massive glitching. Cleaning the pins didn't help, so I opened it up and found out it's a stinking bootleg lol. Well, I was actually able to design my own replacement PCB for it and basically made my very own high quality bootleg of the game to replace the shitty one that I had. No real point to explaining this other than, sometimes I like a good story attached to a game.
Super Castlevania IV - Back in my early days of owning a SNES, some one recommended to try some game called Castlevania. I remember hearing "Castlevania" for the first time and thinking how weird that was. Well, it quickly turned into one of my favorite SNES games, and remained that ever since! Pictured is my original cart that I purchased in the 90's. I had to rent it a few times, but then I finally saved enough to get my own copy. I think it was like $65 or $70 IIRC. I think I got my money's worth out of it though.
Castlevania Dracula X - This was a game I never heard of back in the day. I can't remember when I first learned about it, but I got my copy during the early days of eBay. It was an expensive SNES back then, but cheap compared to today's prices! Being that Castlevania IV was one of my favorite SNES games, and the Castlevania series as a whole turned into a favorite of mine, I had to pick this one up. I was a bit disappointed IIRC. The level design seems a bit bland, and there's some annoyances like invulnerability not lasting long enough after taking a hit. But it eventually grew on me. It's not one of my favorite in the series, but I still like it a lot. If you took the name out of it, it's still an awesome hack n slash platformer on the SNES.
Contra III - I never played this game back in the day. I picked up a copy sometime later. I have no nostalgia for it, so I find myself constantly forgetting how awesome it is. If you like run n gun platformers, then this is an absolute must play. I never beat it, but one day I'll dedicate the time to getting good at this game.
Disney's Aladdin - This was another game that I rented a few times back in the day, and I liked it enough to buy a copy. I don't remember it being too expensive of a game, which made it easier to get. People always cite that the sprites in the Genesis version of Aladdin were helped by Disney and are superior to the SNES version. Well, they definitely are. But the SNES version beats the pants off the Genesis game in every other way. If you like hop and bop platformers, then this is a must play.
E.V.O. Search for Eden - This was a hidden gem to many, but not to me. I can remember borrowing this game from a cousin back in the 90's, and there was just something about it that I absolutely loved, so I purchased my own copy. The music is absolutely fantastic, there's something about a few tracks that is just so captivating. And I love that the game takes you through the eons. There's something just so mystical about it. I love it.
Donkey Kong Country Trilogy - I can't say anything about these games that hasn't already been said (especially by me, on this forum lol) but I couldn't leave them off my list. They're great games, period.
Final Fantasy II (4) - I really enjoyed playing through this game, enough that I persevered through lost save files and other problems. I first got the SNES cart and was really enjoying the game, but then I lost my freaking save about halfway through! I was enjoying it enough that I decided to start over right away. But being that I JUST played through the first half it was fresh in my memory, and I wanted to naturally race to the point that I was at before I lost my save. The problem with that is, by the time I got to the underground I was massively under leveled. At that point I was annoyed enough to give up. It wasn't until a few years later that I finally restarted a game, but this time the PS1 version. Which, in my opinion, is superior to the SNES version.
Hook - This was another game that I rented quite a few times in the 90s because I couldn't afford a copy. Then one year, I saved up all my birthday money and bought my own copy of the game. It's a beautiful looking platformer, with excellent music. Nowadays, I wouldn't like that there's no password or save feature. But since I've played this game a zillion times, I have no problem rolling the credits every time I play it (it's not a very long game). It's definitely one of my favorite SNES games.
The Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past - Another game that I can't really say anything about that hasn't already been said. I didn't play this game until a generation later. For some reason, Zelda didn't interest me even though I had never played one. But I stayed in a hotel that had a TV you could rent SNES games from. For whatever reason, I decided to rent LttP. I was blown away by how awesome the opening was. I immediately set out to pick up a used copy, which at that time wasn't too hard between rental shops liquidating last generation game and places like Funco Land usually having stock of popular stuff like this. So I got my own copy and was hooked all the way through the game. These games, I can just plow through the entire game and get evey heart piece from memory. But I kind of wish I could play through it again for the first time. There was something just so awesome about exploring Hyrule and the Dark World for the first time, finding secrets and whatnot.
Little Magic - This is a fun push/pull puzzle game, kind of like Adventure of Lolo. I find it to be a very chill and relaxing puzzle game. It's a SFC exclusive, but there's been a fan translation (I made myself a cart of it).
Mario Paint - This is a game that might have only been appealing at the time. There's nothing you can do in this game that you couldn't do on a PC or tablet. But in the 90's, you couldn't, which made this game a ton of fun. It's also packed with Nintendo's charm. The instruction book and strategy guide clue you in how to take it a step further. Hook your SNES up to a VCR and you can make movies! Which is exactly what my brother and I did back in the day.
Mega Man 7 - I never got to play this one back in the day, it always eluded me somehow. So I picked it up during the early days of eBay. I know a lot of people like to shit on this game, but I always liked it. I also have fond memories of playing it for the first time, I can remember there being a blizzard and just sitting inside playing the snow level of this game.
Mega Max X (and 2, and 3) - I remember a fried bringing Mega Man X over back in the 90's, but I never really played these games until post 2000. And more recently, they really grew on me. The first X is simply an amazing game, an absolute must play for the SNES. X2 and 3 I also really like, and have grown on me since I first played them. A lot of people say X3 is the weakest of the 3, but I actually like it more than 2.
Might Morphing Power Rangers - This version is a beat em up. I remember renting it back in the day and loving it. I picked it up years later and... It's kind of boring. I don't know, maybe I liked it in the 90s because it was freaking POWER RANGERS!
Mortal Kombat 1, 2 and 3 - I got into MK after 2 was released. I can remember my brother asking for MK2 for Christmas and getting Street Fighter II Turbo instead, because MK was too violent lol. Well, when Mom says no just have Dad take you to the mall instead. My brother and I picked up MK2, and IIRC my mom was upset with my dad that he let us buy it LOL. But it was one of my favorite SNES games, and remains one of my all time favorite games. Because I liked 2 so much, I had an interest in the first game. I had a SNES, so that was the version I would play. I was unaware that it was censored, and I didn't care. Mortal Kombat was more than just violence and gore, it had style. And MK 1 had it's own very distinct style, and that's what I liked about it. My brother and I played a TON of MK2, so when MK3 was coming out we were super hyped. I remember my brother saving money to get MK3 when it came out, which he did, from Caldor's. We got it home, and he was so pissed how lame it was compared to MK2. And it really did take a dive in quality compared to MK2. But I still had fun playing it back then.
Ninja Warriors - This was a total hidden gem to me. I discovered it post-2000, and was blown away how awesome it is. It's a really fun beat em up. I tend to forget about it, but every time I put it on I'm surprised how fun it is to play.
Out of This World - I was very surprised when I rented this game back in the 90's. I never heard of a cinematic platformer, so I was totally shocked by how it played. I was expecting Mario, and got something completely different. But as a cinematic game should, the style drew me in. I picked up my own copy years later, but I frustratingly couldn't get very far. Then I got the game on DOS and realized the SNES version has horrible slowdown which impacts the gameplay in a very bad way. Still, I love the music that the SNES version added, if only for nostalgia. As for the DOS/PC version, I absolutely love it. Perhaps one of my favorite games.
SimCity - Take an already awesome game and have Nintendo sprinkle their charm on it and you get: SimCity for the SNES! I loved this game so much in the 90's, and eventually got my own copy. I sunk so many hours into this game. These days, I can't really play it as a city simulator. But for so many years I tried to get a Megalopolis status. Then after that, I learned that you get a message at 600k, so I tried very hard to get there as well. Kind of recently I finally got to 600k. After reaching this status, and having cleared all the scenarios, I haven't played this game since. I'm not sure how I'll feel about it the next time I play it, since there's nothing left for me to do and it's not very appealing as a simulator anymore (since current city sims ruined that for me). Still, it is a beloved SNES game for me.
I'll stop here for now, but I'll post my thoughts about more games later.