At least Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Super Famicom (SFC) video games have been listed as some of the best on the console by multiple publications. A successor to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), which began the video gaming boom in the Western world, the SNES had hardware that was a significant improvement in graphics and sound. The SNES and its early-to-mid-1990s lifespan is sometimes called Nintendo's best console and period, as well as one of the, if not the number-one, all-time best video game consoles. Best-of SNES lists also label the console one of the most influential, as it spawned a new generation of gamers that included those that would later develop some of the biggest video games. Some lists declared the SNES beating the Sega Genesis in the 16-bit console war, in terms of quality and sales of the console and its best-selling products; 300,000 consoles were sold within hours of release.
The SNES had a prolific output of video games that were instantly considered classics. Video games perceived as the console's best came from both first-party and third-party developers, in what Complex declared the last time the quantity of high-quality third-party games were on par with first-party titles of the same on a Nintendo console. On the SNES, several franchises either began (Star Fox) or had one of their prime moments (Super Mario, Metroid, Donkey Kong). Some were in series already successful on the NES, such as The Legend of Zelda and Castlevania.
List
+YearGameGenreDeveloperPublisher 1990ActRaiserAction role-playing platformQuintetEnixFinal FightBeat 'em upCapcom F-ZeroRacingNintendo EADNintendoGradius IIIScrolling shooterKonamiPilotwingsFlight simulationNintendo EADNintendoSuper Mario WorldPlatformNintendo EADNintendo 1991Darius TwinScrolling shooterTaitoFinal Fantasy IVRole-playingSquareThe Legend of the Mystical Ninja Action-adventure KonamiThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Action-adventure Nintendo EAD Nintendo Lemmings PuzzleSunsoft SimCityCity-buildingNintendo EADNintendoSuper Castlevania IV PlatformKonamiSuper Ghouls 'n GhostsPlatformCapcomSuper TennisSportsToseNintendo U.N. Squadron Side-scrolling shooterCapcom 1992The Addams Family: Pugsley's Scavenger HuntPlatformOcean SoftwareOut of This WorldCinematic platformerInterplayAxelayScrolling shooterCapcomContra III: The Alien WarsRun and gunKonamiCybernatorMechaNCS CorpKonamiThe Magical Quest Starring Mickey MousePlatformCapcomDesert StrikeShoot 'em upElectronic ArtsMario PaintArt creationNintendo R&D1, Intelligent SystemsNintendoSoul BlazerAction role-playingQuintetEnixSuper AlesteScrolling shooterCompileTohoSuper Mario KartKart racingNintendo EADNintendoSuper Smash TVTwin-stick shooterBeam SoftwareAcclaim EntertainmentSuper Star WarsRun and gunSculptured SoftwareJVC Musical IndustriesStreet Fighter IIFightingCapcomTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in TimeBeat 'em upKonamiTiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose!PlatformKonami 1993 ActRaiser 2 Platform Quintet Enix Alien 3 Run and gun Probe Software LJN Batman ReturnsBeat 'em upKonami Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team Beat 'em up Rare Sony Imagesoft Breath of FireRole-playingCapcom The Chaos EngineRun and gunThe Bitmap BrothersRenegade SoftwareCool SpotPlatformVirgin GamesDisney's Aladdin PlatformCapcomFatal Fury 2FightingSNKTakaraFlashbackCinematic platformerTiertex Design StudiosU.S. GoldHebereke's PopoonPuzzleSunsoftIllusion of GaiaAction role-playingQuintetNintendoInternational Sensible Soccer - Limited Edition: World ChampionsSportsSensible SoftwareSony ImagesoftThe Lost VikingsPuzzle-platformSilicon & SynapseInterplay ProductionsMega Man XPlatformCapcomOgre Battle: The March of the Black Queen Real-time tactical role-playingQuest Corporation Plok!PlatformSoftware CreationsTradewestRock 'n Roll RacingVehicular combat racingSilicon & SynapseInterplay EntertainmentR-Type III: The Third LightningSide-scrolling shooterTamtexIremSaturday Night Slam MastersFightingCapcomSecret of ManaAction role-playingSquareShadowrunAction role-playingBeam SoftwareData EastSide PocketPocket billiards simulationIguana EntertainmentData EastSmash TennisSportsNamcoStar FoxRail shooterNintendo EAD, Argonaut SoftwareNintendoStreet Fighter II Turbo: Hyper FightingFightingCapcomSuper BombermanAction mazeProduce!Hudson SoftSuper Mario All-StarsCompilationNintendo EADNintendoSuper Star Wars: The Empire Strikes BackActionSculptured Software, LucasArtsJVC Musical Industries Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters FightingKonami Zombies Ate My NeighborsRun and gunLucasArtsKonami 1994The Adventures of Batman & Robin PlatformKonamiBlackthorneCinematic platformerBlizzard EntertainmentInterplay ProductionsBreath of Fire IIRole-playingCapcomCannon FodderShoot 'em upSensible SoftwareVirgin Interactive SoftwareThe Death and Return of SupermanBeat 'em upBlizzard EntertainmentSunsoftDemon's CrestPlatformCapcom Donkey Kong Country Platform Rare Nintendo EarthBound Role-playing Ape Inc., HAL Laboratory Nintendo Earthworm Jim Run and gun Shiny Entertainment Playmates Interactive Entertainment Equinox Isometric puzzle Software Creations Sony Final Fantasy VI Role-playingSquare The Jungle Book Platformer Eurocom Virgin Interactive Entertainment Killer Instinct Fighting Rare Nintendo Kirby's Dream Course Sports HAL Laboratory, Nintendo EAD Nintendo Lemmings 2: The Tribes Puzzle DMA Design Psygnosis The Lion King Platform Westwood Studios Virgin Interactive Entertainment Mega Man X2PlatformCapcom Mickey Mania Platform Traveller's Tales Sony Imagesoft Micro Machines Racing Ment Studios Ocean Software Mortal Kombat II Fighting Sculptured Software Acclaim Entertainment NBA Jam Sports Iguana Entertainment Acclaim Entertainment NHL '94 Sports EA Canada EA Sports SparksterPlatformKonami Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage Beat 'em up Software Creations LJNStreet RacerRacingVivid ImageUbi Soft Stunt Race FX Racing Nintendo EAD, Argonaut Software Nintendo Super Bomberman 2 Action maze Produce! Hudson Soft Super MetroidAction-adventureNintendo R&D1, Intelligent SystemsNintendoSuper Punch-Out!!BoxingNintendo R&D3Nintendo Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Action LucasArts, Sculptured Software JVC Musical Industries Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers FightingCapcom UniracersRacingDMA DesignNintendoWario's WoodsPuzzleIntelligent SystemsNintendoX-Men: Mutant ApocalypseActionCapcom 1995Bust-a-MoveTile-matchingTaitoChrono TriggerRole-playingSquareDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong QuestPlatformRareNintendoDoomFirst-person shooterSculptured SoftwareWilliams EntertainmentDragon: The Bruce Lee StoryFightingVirgin Interactive EntertainmentEarthworm Jim 2Run and gunShiny InteractivePlaymates Interactive EntertainmentInternational Superstar Soccer DeluxeSportsKonamiJungle StrikeShoot 'em upGremlin InteractiveElectronic ArtsKirby's AvalanchePuzzleCompile, HAL LaboratoryNintendoLufia II: Rise of the SinistralsRole-playingNeverlandTaitoMega Man X3PlatformMinakuchi EngineeringCapcomSecret of EvermoreAction role-playingSquareSuper Bomberman 3Action mazeHudson SoftSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi’s IslandPlatformNintendo EADNintendoSuper Turrican 2Run and gunFactor 5Ocean SoftwareTerranigmaAction role-playingQuintetNintendoTetris AttackPuzzleIntelligent SystemsNintendoTheme ParkConstruction and management simulationBullfrog ProductionsOcean Software 1996Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!PlatformRareNintendoHarvest MoonFarm simulationAmccusPack-In-VideoKirby Super StarAnthologyHAL LaboratoryNintendoSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven StarsRole-playingSquareNintendo
Publications For instances of at least four citations, reference numbers in the notes section show which of the following publications list the game.
The A.V. Club – 2024 Complex – 2018 Den of Geek – 2023 Destructoid – 2024 Digital Spy – 2017 Digital Trends – 2024 Esquire – 2019 For the Win – 2022 Game Informer – 2016 GameSpot – 2025 HobbyConsolas – 2015 news.com.au – 2022 IGN – 2017 NGamer – 2012 NME – 2017 Online Tech Tips – 2020 The Oregonian – 2016 Racketboy – 2007, 2010 Retro Gamer – 2026 Super Play – 1996 Time Extension – 2024 Tom's Guide – 2019 Total! – 1995
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