Top 5 Most Fun Games On The SNES In 2012
Mark Adams / Jul 28th, 2012 4 Comments
SNES Console
Nintendo always releases consoles that are something a bit special. In 1991 (1992 Europe and 1990 Japan) they released a system that was so advanced it had to be called the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or as its more commonly known, the SNES. It was a direct follow up to the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and was the companies foray into the world of 16-bit consoles. It had direct competition with Sega’s Genesis (Megadrive) machines, however it offered graphics modes that had not been seen before. The infamous Mode 7 graphics could be used to great effect in 3D games such as pilot-wings. Nothing on any other system looked like them, and that made them very special with game players.
Collecting for the SNES is a rewarding, games can be picked up at good rates and the consoles themselves are also very cheap. These days of course it’s also easy to pick up SNES consoles from other regions, so you can try out games from other regions with little problem. For those who want to delve into the world of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the SNES can be emulated easily on any modern PC, and emulation is for the most part a perfect reproduction of the original game.
Following the series, I have tested dozens of games from my personal collection to find the games that really have stood the test of time. These games still look and feel pretty cool, but most of all they are still fun in 2012. So here we have the five games which you should really check out.
1: Super Pang
Pang has always been a fun game to play, and on the SNES it plays better than on any other system. Its a single screen game with multiple levels, the idea of which has you controlling a little man on the bottom of the screen who can run left or right and shoot various weapons to destroy falling bubbles. The game is a simple idea, yet is executed so well that it never becomes dull or boring. To spice things up there are various obstacles effecting the way the bubbles drop, when they drop they bounce, when they are shot they split into smaller bubbles until they are so small they disappear.
This is still a tremendously fun game to play, and my five minute play turned into a three hour marathon. Its got that one-more-go factor, and you will find it really hard to put down the controller. Cartridges of the game can be picked up for various amounts of money depending on if you have the box with the game or not. However much you pay, Super Pang is awesome.
Pilot Wings
2: Pilot Wings
A follow up to the NES original, Pilot Wings on the SNES is breathtaking in its graphical beauty. For a game that is so old, it really does stand out from the crowd with it’s pseudo-3D landscapes and challenging and fun game play. The premise is simple, you are given a task such as guiding a parachutist through hoops and then landing on the landing pad, to flying a plane through hoops and trying to land. Even today you’ll be throwing down your pad in discuss as you crash-land what should have been a perfect flight.
Pilot Wings is something a bit different, and a version released on the Nintendo 3DS shows that there is still life in the old-dog yet. This is one of the cheaper SNES cartridges and can be found quite easily on various auction sites and flee-markets.
3: Super Mario Kart
Taking the Mode 7 graphics ones step further is the mind-blowingly fin Super Mario Kart. The whole series has been fun, with a great single player campaign and hilarious fun multiplayer, this game has aged well and once picked up and played you will find the hours disappear once again. This is another game that really shows the power of the SNES, and at the time no other arcade racing game came close to its look or feel. Indeed, even today many games strive to match the fun and game play of the SNES version of Super Mario Kart.
This can be a tricky game to find out in the wild, but once again goes for various prices depending on the condition, the region and what seems like the time of year. However you decide to play this game, on original cartridge or emulation, I think you’ll find that even in 2012 its a real winner.
4: Super Mario World
Mario Brothers is a game so classic that I feel guilty putting it into any list. A game that has spawned a thousand imitators yet nothing comes close to the experience that Super Mario World offers the player. For anyone who has never seen a Mario game, its not just the simple scrolling platform game that it appears on the surface, but a complex world of platforming that has been crafted with so much love and care that it oozes perfection.
Thankfully, Super Mario World can be picked up at quite a reasonable rate and should be an essential part of anyone’s SNES collection.
Super Ghouls & Ghosts
5: Super Ghouls & Ghosts
Once in a while there comes a game that while extraordinary hard, is also a lot of fun to play. Super Ghouls and Ghosts is one such game. It’s a stunning looking SNES title, a sideways scrolling hack and slash affair which has you trying to reach the end of the level while staying alive. As I mentioned, this game is hard, in-fact, it can be solid, but that doesn’t distract from the fun that can be had watching your game partner play and dying more times that you could believe possible.
This game once again can be found at various prices depending on the condition of the cartridge. As with all retro games, the prices fluctuate all the time, so just keep an eye out for the best price.
That concludes another part of the series. Next time we look at another console from a by-gone era, in the mean time I have to do my home-work and play dozens of games on it. What a hard life some of us have.
Mark Adams
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