SUPER NINTENDO!!!
I own 53 SNES cartridges at this point, 52 are pictured, and I have a lot of experience with other games, through renting, borrowing, and other means...
I would like to share my top 30 games that I own, with a couple of comments. The order may surprise some of you, and by some of you, I mean Zack.
Elway sits in awe of the greatest game of all time...
#1 on my list, Super Metroid, my favorite game of all time. Beautiful graphics, score, amazing level design and enemies. Metroid for the NES was great, but Super Metroid was perfect. This is everything I love about gaming. I also like to think that this game inspired the creation of my second favorite game, Symphony of the Night.
These are my top three SNES games, 1. Super Metroid, 2. Final Fantasy III, and 3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. As has been repeated several times, FFIII/VI is my all-time favorite Final Fantasy game. I even have the soundtrack, and that is the only video game soundtrack that I own. A Link to the Past is an extraordinary adventure, and really provides a template for so many great games to follow.
Unfortunately, I have been having problems for the last hour trying to get the rest of the pictures to post, so the rest of the list is going to be all text.
Top 30 SNES Games that I Own
- Super Metroid - Best game of all time. (Zero Mission is almost as good, but it has a few imperfections.)
- Final Fantasy III - Best Final Fantasy.
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - My sentimental favorite Zelda.
- Super Mario Kart - My all time favorite racing game.
- Street Fighter II - I wore out my left thumb after playing this for a week straight. I had blisters and almost no fingerprint.
- Actraiser - One of the best concepts of all time. I play this game every few months. It is really short, and a bit uneven, but it is so much fun and is still visually stunning. This would be the franchise that I would vote first for the need for a new sequel, an actual sequel, and not just the action. The music is some of the most incredible in any game I have ever played.
- Super Mario World - My favorite Mario platformer; what hasn't been said about this game? The music, design, graphics, fun; it has everything you could want.
- Star Fox - Ironically, I still feel that this is the best in the series, despite numerous attempts to revive it. I have given up all hope of ever having a great sequel.
- Clayfighter - Certainly the most original fighting game I have ever played. It has a sense of humor, and good fighting mechanics.
- Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball - MY game. I have a lifetime record with only 4 losses; once to Zack, once to my brother, and twice to the computer when I got cocky.
- Pilotwings - A beautiful and fun game. I don't think I ever got to the final flight school. Mode 7 graphics out the ass!
- Rock n' Roll Racing - RC Pro Am with weapons and a kickass soundtrack.
- F-Zero - This, Pilotwings, and Super Mario World were the games I got when I got the system, which should tell you that I was extremely happy for a long time. Samurai Goroh and I had some fun times together.
- Jurassic Park - Blends first person shooter sequences and top down Zelda style action. Much better than people think, and it is still fun today.
- Super Bomberman 2 - While I have not played every Bomberman game, this is my favorite of the ones that I have played. Great weapons and a good system. I am sure that Zack remembers some of the frenzied battles.
- Final Fight 3 - Possibly my favorite brawler of all time. (If you count Double Dragon games, then Double Dragon 2 would win.)
- Lemmings - I don't like any version of this game nearly as much as the SNES version.
- Battletoads/Double Dragon - Some people hated this teamup, but I think it is a great game.
- Justice League Task Force - A slightly unbalanced fighting game, but a ton of fun. Some people criticize it because Superman should be able to crush everyone, but that really goes against the point of fighting games. (He shouldn't have been so shitty, though.)
- King Arthur's World - Lemmings with battle units. This would actually finish higher, but several of the levels feature magical creatures that can teleport anywhere, and I think that ruins the fun. The entire overworld is incredibly fun, and it is great to be King Arthur seiging a castle.
- Super Mario All Stars - This was my first opportunity that I can recall ever playing Mario Bros, so that alone was good.
- Killer Instinct - A really great fighter, just not a favorite of mine. It should be said that I would rate this fighter very high in my all time fighter list, just not as high among SNES fighters.
- Super Star Wars - This series is still really strong, and holds up surprisingly well.
- Super Empire Strikes Back - Probably objectively better than the first, but not sentimentally.
- Super Return of the Jedi - Not as much fun as Empire Strikes Back, but still a good game.
- Super Scope 6 - No Nintendo accessory looked as cool as the Super Scope. The 6 games in Super Scope 6 ranged from great to boring. A bit of unfulfilled potential.
- Fatal Fury - This should be the posterboy for uneven fighting balance. I think that it features some of the best fighters in any game to this day, but the balance was terrible. Also, in two player versus, the first player couldn't play as any of the boss characters, so they were stuck with the three main fighters.
- Populous - This game was fun and memorable, but I hated playing the advanced levels.
- The Legend of Mystical Ninja - Fun and quirky action game.
- Star Trek: The Next Generation - Great graphics, great missions, tons going for it, but the controls felt off. This is extremely common in Star Trek games.
Probably the two games that people would be most surprised that I left off would be Secret of Mana and Samurai Showdown. I just wasn't really into either game, but they were both okay.
Let me know your thoughts. Remember, this is just my favorites that I own. Aerobiz would definitely be high on my list otherwise, as would Super Buster Bros, and Bust a Move, among others.
posted by Xryz - kingofallcosmos at
9:23 PM
6 Comments:
Damnit! I used the numbering mechanism, and it doesn't look like it is numbered. The games are in descending order.
By
Xryz - kingofallcosmos, at 11:42 PM
I think the problem is your Blogger template, actually. The HTML is correct (you're using "ol," ordered list, rather than "ul," unordered). You did all you could.
Real comment to follow.
By
Zack, at 11:56 PM
I'd like to counter with my own list, but the family jewels are 400 miles away and I don't remember what's there, exactly.
Here's 10. If it turns out I don't own Ogre Battle, bump everything below up a spot and round out the list with Lemmings.
Final Fantasy II/IV
Ogre Battle
Street Fighter II World Warrior
Actraiser
Super Mario World
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy III/VI
Super Castlevania IV
Super Mario Kart
Mega Man X
No way I could produce a longer ranking off memory.
Here's a top ten not limited by what I think I own, additions in bold:
Final Fantasy II/IV
Ogre Battle
U.N. Squadron
Earthbound
Turtles in Time
Street Fighter II World Warrior
Actraiser
Battle Clash or Metal Combat (I would feel stupid listing both -- and man, who you gotta go pick Super Scope 6 when the giant robot games are so good?)
F-Zero
Super Mario World
So I snubbed your top three entirely on the second list, and I think I've explained why in one venue or another. To recap, briefly: Zelda 3 seems boring to me after Link's Awakening. It's very good, I'll admit, but it bores me. Final Fantasy III/VI I don't even think I should get into again. To me, VI has more in common with the games that followed it than the games that preceded it, and I don't really get the bad blood between folks who like VI and folks who like VII. Anyhow, Final Fantasy VI doesn't entirely gel into one coherent thing, same as with all the other post-Sakaguchi FFs. And Super Metroid I really have never tried, but now that I've come to terms with my dislike of bomb jumps, I expect I never will.
Assorted other comments:
Super Mario World: Of all the NES stalwarts gone SNES, I think this one holds up the best. Although it's not one of my favorite Marios, it's a game I still enjoy a lot.
Star Fox: Star Fox tumbled down the same "furries having serious adventures" hole as Sonic the Hedgehog, and we both know neither is going to crawl back out again.
Clayfighter: I assume you've never played Bushido Blade or Smash Bros, then.
F-Zero: F-Zero has got the coolest vibe of just about any SNES game.
Final Fight 3: I would certainly count Double Dragon as a brawler, along with River City Ransom and God Hand. I mean, otherwise you might as well say, "Final Fight is my favorte game that is either Final Fight or Streets of Rage."
Justice League Task Force: Okay, but the point of fighting games is relatively even 1 on 1 matchups, so who would you even put Superman in a game like this to begin with? Superman should either be in a fighting game where he goes up against similarly powerful opponents, or should not be in a fighting game at all.
Killer Instinct: I seriously cannot tell if this game is awful or not.
Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown: SNK made great games, but they didn't make them for the Super Nintendo. If you want some idea of what these games are like, you'll need to play them on some other platform. The Neo Geo Pocket Color versions are much better.
Finally, haven't really tried: Jurassic Park, the 3 Star Wars games, Populous, or the one Star Trek game.
By
Zack, at 9:55 AM
You have a respectable top 10 of games that you think you own. You know how I feel about the ones that you own that I also own, so I won't go into that, but here are my thoughts on the other ones that you own:
1. FFII/IV - Unlike you with FFIII/VI, I have no grudge against this earlier version. While I consider it inferior, it is not a bad thing inherently to be inferior to a top 5 all time game. I love this game, and would rank it high on my list if I owned it.
2. Ogre Battle - This might be the best game you ever introduced me to. I would never buy the cart, since the prices are inflated, but I love this game and the character selections. I would look forward to a true next-gen Ogre Battle more than any other next-gen game.
3. Chrono Trigger - Good game, but way overrated. Nowhere near as good as the Final Fantasy games, but on its own it is a good game.
4. Super Castlevania IV - Good game, but the controls are frustrating if you have played newer Castlevanias. It feels more like the walking through mud Castlevanias.
5. Mega Man X - This is okay... Not really a Mega Man guy.
Regarding your top ten of all SNES:
1. U.N. Squadron - Ashamed to say I never played it.
2. Earthbound - Didn't finish it, but this is a great game. I would buy an Earthbound DS collection in a heartbeat.
3. Turtles in Time - Good game. Pretty sure it is the best TMNT game.
4. Battle Clash - I own this. Not as good as Super Scope 6 in total, but better than any individual Super Scope 6 game.
5. Metal Combat - Never played; it was hard enough to find Battle Clash.
As to your snubs:
1. Super Metroid - Of course I know your feelings about my top two games of all time, this and SOTN. I don't expect any different.
2. FFIII/VI - I also know your reasons for this, but really, comparing it to FFVII is a low blow. Maybe some of the features in the evolution of the series are more in synch with VII, but really... I am shouting obscenities internally at this.
3. Zelda - Surprised by this. I think that LTTP is inferior overall to Minnish Cap, but I give it leeway for being older. But Links Awakening? Good game, but very middle of the road for a Zelda game. Links Awakening is no better or worse than the Oracle games, which are both great, but they are not as good as LTTP or Minnish Cap. Odd.
Other assorted comments regarding your assorted other comments:
1. Super Mario World - Not one of your favorite Marios? How many do you have ranked ahead of it? Super Mario Land? Sunshine? Lost Levels? Here is my ranking of the Marios that matter:
SMW
SMB2
SM64
NSMB
SMB
SMB3
Sunshine
SML
SMB:LL
(I never played SML2, and I don't count Wario games as Mario games.)
2. Star Fox - I always hated Sonic, but the parallels with the Sonic evolution and Star Fox are definitely frightening. Star Fox 64 was the last good Star Fox game, and I will have to accept that.
3. Clayfighter - Yes I have played Bushido Blade, and fail to see how it is more original. Smash Bros is original, but it is really not that different from the Marvel vs Capcom games; a mash up of various licensed characters. Clayfighters was all new characters.
4. F-Zero - Definitely agree with the cool vibe thing.
5. Final Fight 3 - If we count Double Dragon, then Double Dragon 2 wins hands down. Now that I think about it, I am not even sure if I would rank Final Fight 3 higher than TMNT:TIT or Simpsons Arcade game... Don't own those though, so no issue on this list.
6. Justice League Task Force - You can't judge the entire game based on the fact that there would be no contest in an actual fight. Otherwise you would just end up with Batman vs Green Arrow... Fun. I loved the Marvel Universe trading cards because I loved looking at the stats on the back and comparing them, but when it comes down to it, you need artificial balance. Would you like a game where Prof X just mind wipes everyone instantly for the win? Superheroes are good for fighting games, but you have to level out their powers, but still keep it fun. Of course Wolverine would destroy Jubilee, but so what... And Superman would at least be evenly matched with Darkseid.
7. Killer Instinct - I think that Killer Instinct is a great fighter, but just not AS good as some of the other amazing fighters of its generation. Tao Feng was a good fighter, but it is no Tekken or Soul Calibur.
8. Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown - I have played these games on other platforms and they are definitely better, but I would still rank them lower than Street Fighter.
9. Jurassic Park is still good, but probably not as good for someone who never played it. The 3 Star Wars games are still worthwhile. Populous is good still, but to be honest, you would be better off never touching an SNES Star Trek game. I own three, and Next Generation is the only one that is worthwhile in any sense.
By
Xryz - kingofallcosmos, at 1:56 PM
Chrono Trigger
It's just got such a good vibe, man. Still, I can't really explain why I listed above FF3 or Super Castlevania. Oops?
Castlevania 4
To me, the new Castlevanias control like crap -- too smooth, too weightless, and the environments you run around in are too boring to care. The old ones are awkward, but I think that works better.
U.N. Squadron
I think I wrote a weird, gushing post fellating U.N. Squadron on bigstupidjerkface. It's a totally atypical shooter. You have a lifebar, your pilot has a face, and you can buy upgrades for your plane. Also, it's super-hard, and the dogfight level (you're attacked from both front and back) is one of the best thrills I've seen in a game. God bless Capcom.
Final Fantasy 3/6
FF6 and FF7 are as similar as any two games in the series except FF1/FF3. Sorry!
FF7 and FF6 use their battles the same way -- to fill space between story segments. Both have battles that are fun in their own right, but not really the point of the game. Nobody defends FF6's place in the pantheon by saying "Shadow's skeans are awesome." Everybody says "opera scene." Which is what, exactly? It's a minigame. The imperial banquet? Minigame. Feeding fish to Cid? Minigame. Narshe strategy combat vs. imperial troops? Minigame. What is Final Fantasy 7 famous for? Minigames. FF6's minigames are not robust enough to justify themselves, but they work -- they're meaningful and satisfying -- because they are used to tell the story. FF4 uses its fights, which are the bulk of the game, to tell its story. FF6 and the games after it use fights for pacing and the lizardbrain joy of pressing buttons between story scenes and its playable minigames. FF7, 8, 9, and 10 are in the same boat. FF4 is not.
This is not a claim that FF7 is superior. That is easy to argue either way, and I could change my own mind so often that I won't even mention which one I think is better at the moment. No, this is a claim that they are structured similarly. By contrast, FF4 has more in common with Dragon Quest or Earthbound with regard to minigames, although that's a backwards way to put it. And FF4 is still way too fast paced to be grouped with DQ/EB.
Anyow, when FF6 is doing its crazy minigame things, it's brilliant. Too bad most of the game is not like that. The difficulty's not as well balanced as FF4, so even though there's more you can do in battles, it doesn't much matter if you use Dispatch with Cyan or Aura Bolt with Sabin or Drill with Edgar or fight with a Genji Gloved Locke or Catscratch with Gau or throw a Shuriken with Shadow. It's all about the same. Whoop de doo. When the game is good, it is great, but too much of the game, moment to moment, is spent making useless, boring decisions.
Mario World
I would rank the 3 NES games ahead of SMW, and it's a photo finish for 4th place with NSMB. Super Mario Land's pretty sweet, though, isn't it? ... Wait, it looks like you don't think so. Huh.
Clayfighter
Dude, Clayfighter is SF2 with janky controls and a coat of goofball paint. Bushido Blade has one hit kills, stances, and an emphasis on parrying. Clayfighter even steals SF2's controller motions and Mortal Kombat's fatalities. At least Killer Instinct added Kkkkkkkiller cccccombos, for better or worse.
Justice League
You do realize this same line of thought could be used to justify a DC-licensed Mario clone where Superman can't jump because that wouldn't be fun if you could fly. Or a DC-licensed Bomberman clone where Superman plants heatvision "bombs" that shoot in all four directions after some delay, for some reason. Look, when Superman punches something, that thing should explode, especially if it's a sack of flesh like Batman. Whatever kind of game you want to drop him into, respect that rule.
By
Zack, at 12:14 AM
About the Superman thing, how about you just pretend that it is one of those times where he can't interact with the sun, like if Lex filtering the sunlight.
And as far as SML goes, just because it is low on my Mario list does not mean that it isn't good, it just means that it is not as good. If it were on a list with Sonic games, it would probably be near the top.
By
Xryz - kingofallcosmos, at 2:29 PM
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