Still the greatest system ever and top 25 SNES games
Written: Aug 20 '00
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Large library of games in every genre, comfortable controller
Cons: Out of production and RPG's are VERY expensive used (up to eighty bucks), slowdown
|
|
|
| rader6795's Full Review: Nintendo Super NES |
Ah, the 16-Bit console war... while Sega's Genesis boasted "blast processing, the Super Nintendo gamers were told to "play it loud." Sure, both companies were just using marketing instead of hard facts to sell their systems, but the commercials made a hell of a lot more sense than Crash Bandicoot commercials.
But, I'm not writing about what the Nintendo generation will later dub as their "Great War." No, I'm writing about whom I feel was the winner of the 16-bit console war, the Super Nintendo.
Never before (and I doubt ever again) has a system been so diverse with games from every genre that existed then. This is what I consider to be the greatest gaming console of all time. There was but one weakness for the system and that was its processor. Running at an incredibly low 2.58Mhz, the Super Nintendo often suffered from a video game term known as "slowdown." Slowdown, for the uninformed, is just as it says... a game slows down because the system it is running on cannot handle all the information it needs to process and slows down until it catches up. The previously mentioned Genesis "blast processing" ad campaign during the 16-bit console war that was created directly from the fact that the Genesis had a 9+ Mhz processor creating smoother, faster gameplay with less slowdown… and their campaign, for the most part, worked as Sega sales didn't waiver even after the SNES was released.
But, Nintendo had what Sega didn't... huge third party support that outshines even Sony's current third party support. And the most instrumental player in Sony's third-party supporters, Square, was a huge supporter of the Super Nintendo in a time where the roleplaying genre was mainstream only in Japan. And the SNES came standard with a six (action) button controller, a must for fighting games and fluid control, that was very comfortable. This system was one of the best designed consoles of all time and would later be known as the "little system that could." (Nintendo's Gameboy is also referred to as this.) So, without further ado, I'd like to go over the top 25 games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
25.)Bubsy the Bobcat in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind- This was the answer to Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. But, it was on both Genesis and SNES, so it wasn't anything more than a clone, but it was nicely done. You're a cocky bobcat who uses bad puns, fights strange creatures, has limited flight/floating ability and collects yarn (better than a hedgehog collecting rings but not as good a plumber collecting coins). Insane speed and great animation were games pluses but unforgiving gameplay prevents it from being at the very top.
24.)Battletoads in Battlemaniacs- Before Rare was a second-party developer for Nintendo, they were a little known European developer with unique and difficult games that were widely acclaimed but didn't really catch on with people. One game, after being the center of an issue of Nintendo Power did catch with the gaming public and that was Battletoads. The sequel was everything the original was and more... still great, cartoony graphics with insane side-scrolling fighting and still very unforgiving gameplay, this was what I consider the greatest side-scrolling fighter for the system.
23.)Actraiser- Enix, the developer of the Dragon Warrior RPG series, created this little platform/simulation game that has not been matched since shortly after the launch of the Super Nintendo. Whether you were hacking and slashing mythical monsters or watching over one of your six continents, Actraiser would keep you hooked. Sadly, the game was rather short and kept you wanting more after completing it. A sequel was later made, but didn’t include the simulation sequences that made the game so unique.
22.)Mr. Do!- Alright, this was nothing more than an arcade port of a very old game… but said very old game is still my favorite arcade game of all time and I still play it to this day. Not even Pac-Man could do that. Basically, you’re a clown who shoots strange monsters with a ball while digging around collecting cherries and eating whatever the monsters leave unattended in their search for you. Doesn’t make sense and I still don’t really know if there’s any true plot to the game, but this is not to be missed.
21.)Killer Instinct- Nintendo and Rare, while creating the Nintendo 64, created the ultimate fighting game for combo-crazy fighting game fans around the world. Originally an arcade game that was believed to be ported to the N64 as soon as the system was released, delays to the N64 caused Nintendo to port the game to SNES… a feat many (including myself) thought they couldn’t do faithfully. While the game suffered graphically, it was still the same as the arcade but, surprisingly, better balanced. Graphics aside, the game was an improvement over the original.
20.)Donkey Kong Country 2:Diddy’s Kong Quest- At a time when most people thought the SNES was dead, Rare proved them wrong by releasing the sequel to the highly acclaimed Donkey Kong Country. Combining CGI graphics with fun, innovative gameplay that only Rare can provide, DKC2 was the best in the trilogy and still outshines its N64 counterpart in Donkey Kong 64.
19.)U.N. Squadron- Capcom proves once again that it’s one of the most diverse developers on the face of the planet. Sure, they had a history with shooters in their arcade games Side Arms and Son Son, but never had they released a game like this. This shooter was unique for the fact that you could take more than one hit and the pilots handled differently. This may not be the best shooter ever, but this was a first-generation game that showed off the sprite capability of the SNES. Of course, at the same time, it did suffer from slowdown, but it was forgivable.
18.)NHL ‘96- At the time, I didn’t like hockey… but that all changed shortly after playing this game. And, never before was a sports game so fun. The previous EA Sports hockey games didn’t have the momentum physics this had, while the later attempts added gameplay mechanics that made the game more complex than it needed to be. As far as sports games go on the SNES, this was the best.
17.)Star Fox- Polygons… on the SNES? Before this game was released, polygons were basically an unknown graphic technique. So, in essence, this is the game that started it all. Instead of the usual side view, this shooter was in first-person perspective and was like poetry in motion. Enemies had depth, as did your co-pilots who would communicate with you throughout your flight. And, with three different routes to fly to your final destination, you had a game with great replay value for its time. And, to top it all off, this was the start of the FX chips. Games with the FX chip in it increased the processor speed preventing slowdown or allowing 3-dimensional graphics like I had already mentioned. This was the only FX game of significance, but showed that Nintendo was an innovative company that will support its products and create new ways to play games.
16.)Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose- Alright, at the time I bought this game, I was a Tiny Toon Adventures fan… alright, I still am. I love cartoons… and playing this game was like watching a cartoon. Great graphics, fun and innovative gameplay and a cheesy storyline added up to one of the most memorable games on the SNES. Side games in between stages let you get extra lives and control other Tiny Toons, such as Furball’s racquetball, Plucky Duck’s bingo and Babs Bunny’s Ms. Pac Man inspired “Save your Friends.” It was somewhat easy even on its most difficult gaming option, but was fun nonetheless and something I suggest to any Tiny Toon Adventures fan.
15.)Tetris Attack- Yoshi stars in a Columns meets Tetris meets Yoshi’s Cookies puzzle game that was innovative, fun and extremely addictive. While I’m no good at the game, I still love it and play it whenever I want to get stressed out… remember to write down those passwords for later!
14.)Contra 3: Alien Wars- The last good Contra game, this game replaced the original Contra’s first person action with an overhead perspective, Mode 7 juiced game that was better in every way. Also, the graphics were a huge step up and the gameplay was as fun and frantic as ever. Good job Konami… now make another good one soon.
13.)Super Mario World- This game was made for the same reason every Mario game is made at a Nintendo system’s launch… it showcased Nintendo’s system and was a great game to boot. With the depth of multiple exits to most levels and beautiful, cartoony graphics this game had replay value. And, well, it’s a Mario platforming game… they’ve never went wrong with that formula to date.
12.)Super Street Fighter II- Street Fighter II… the most known fighting game of all time… Cammy and DeeJay… more moves, more speed… I don’t really have to say anything here. Honestly, it should probably be higher, but I never truly owned the game so it’s not as close to my heart. But my friends did… and they still couldn’t beat me. Oh God… I’m a geek.
11.)Earthworm Jim- This game was, as my fine earthworm friend could tell you, “Groovy!” You’re basically an Earthworm who finds a space suit that gives you super powers. Using your true worm body as a whip, you swing, snap and shoot your way through many levels including “Heck.” Yeah… strange, but true. Anyhow, corny jokes were everywhere and the game was really difficult, but it was worth every minute of it. The sequel was just as good, but this is the game that started it all. Avoid the N64 Earthworm Jim, though… he, much like Gex, never made a good transition from 2D to 3D.
10.)Mortal Kombat II- This game was the turnaround for Nintendo’s “non-violent” gaming ways. The first Mortal Kombat for Super Nintendo was outsold to the Sega version 3 to 1 because Sega’s version, after inputting a code, would allow blood and the true fatalities to occur. But, that wasn’t what was wrong with the SNES original… the problem was in the gameplay itself. Projectiles wouldn’t pass through each other like the arcade version did making the game weaker than it already was. Mortal Kombat II, though, had the gameplay… and the fatalities. This would forever change Nintendo from overly conservative to, well, just conservative. Oh, and screw you, Lieberman!
9.)Secret of Mana- Beautiful graphics, great sound and a good storyline are just the beginning of what made this a great game. But the battle system, a real-time interface, and 8 upgradable weapons to collect made this a fun game. And, for the first time ever, you and two of your friends could roleplay together if you owned a “multitap.” Never has this been done better.
8.)Super Empire Strikes Back- This, along with Super Star Wars, is one of the greatest movie licenses to game transitions to date. Following the storyline of “The Empire Strikes Back,” this game had better graphics and control than the original game and was a fine platforming game even! All “Star Wars” fans should pick this game up if they have an SNES.
7.)Final Fantasy II- Known in Japan as Final Fantasy IV Easy Type, this game has the best storyline of any RPG to date. Though fairly linear, exploration is still allowed and the game made fine use of the six buttons the SNES had to offer. I honestly prefer this FF game to any other except for Final Fantasy V but I’m also going with what the masses say and rating FFVI better for what it had that this didn’t. I’ll mention that when I get to it, though.
6.)Super Castlevania IV- The third best Castlevania behind Castlevania:Symphony of the Night and Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Featuring large character sprites, a great soundtrack and new play mechanics that would later be copied by Earthworm Jim in the whip grab (that was taken from an Indiana Jones game, anyhow), this game was great and another launch title.
5.)Shadowrun- An RPG that started out as a Pen-and-Paper RPG by FASA, this was a futuristic RPG with real-time battles and magic. Fairly linear, but unique… you could control how your character statistics advanced, be it hit points, magic points, shot accuracy and more. A dark, gothic RPG adventure… it’s worth a look for a good RPG without the words “Final” and “Fantasy” in the title. (See also: Lufia 2)
4.)Final Fantasy III- People say this is the best RPG ever… I can’t really fight that argument. It was great… I don’t need to say anything else. Innovative and deep… exploration expands gameplay… near perfection. Only problem… “Ultima.” At the same time, it saved me so many times so I can’t complain.
3.)The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past- I’d love to put this as the top game… but, there’s two games more deserving. So, here’s the best Zelda game of all time… perfection. Even better than the N64’s The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. That should not only say something about this game, but about the next two games on the list.
2.)Chrono Trigger- Recently, Chrono Cross, the sequel to this game was released for the Playstation. And, well, what can be said about this game? Alright, just under twenty different endings, nice fighting system with combinations, character designs by the creator of Dragon Ball Z and so many ways to beat the game that it’s amazing. Screw what EA Sports says, it’s in this game!
And the top game?
1.)Super Metroid- How sad is it that this is the last Metroid game made? Why must Nintendo curse us so? Well, basically, because it’s something to look forward to on the upcoming Dolphin system, I guess. Samus Aran was back with a few new tricks and she’s better than ever. I honestly don’t know what to say… if I was on a desert island with only one thing, it’d be Christina Aguilera nude on a silver platter (maybe that’d shut her up, too… no food for her if she starts singing). But, if I can have more than one thing and only one game, it’d be her and an entertainment system with a 27” TV (not too big, not too small), a Super NES and Super Metroid. Oh, and a large house… definitely a large house.
As a sidenote, there’s even more games for importers or people who use emulators that are worth picking up… they’re as follows.
Tales of Phantasia- This Namco RPG is the game preceding Tales of Destiny for Playstation. Nice battle engine in both of them and would be great for those of you who can understand verbal and read Japanese.
Final Fantasy V- The only Final Fantasy for SNES that didn’t make it to American shores. This is still my favorite FF game due to its balanced fighting engine and job system.
Bahumut Lagoon- I don’t know much about the game, but I do know it’s made by Square and it’s an RPG… back in the SNES days, you couldn’t go wrong with that formula.
Seiken Densetsu III- The sequel to Secret of Mana, this game had a battle system that was harder to get into, but was deeper, too. Square said the game would be too hard to translate and they were right… it took years for ROM hackers to translate a ROM for the game, but it finally happened in 1999. This was another game that used a variant of the FX chip, but it was never released here in the US.
Terranigma- An Enix Adventure/RPG that can be found in English, too, if you import it from England. This was the third in the line of Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia games, but this was actually a great game unlike the other games I mentioned.
Parodius- Konami’s parody to their own Gradius games. It’s funny and has little in lines of text… but it’s not really worth a buy. It’s just something to have.
Star Ocean- Never played but I’ve heard it’s great. If it’s anything like Star Ocean: The Second Story for Playstation, it’d be worth it alright.
Dragon Warrior V and VI- Never played them, but there has to be a reason these games sell better in Japan than Final Fantasy games.
That’s all I’ll say about the SNES. I’d like to keep this review under 3000 words, you know, and I’m sure most people already stopped reading by now. Anyhow, what I want you to do is save up, go to Funcoland or any vintage gaming retailer and purchase a Super Nintendo and my top five games. But, if you plan to do so, expect a large sum... Chrono Trigger will run you eighty dollars while Final Fantasy III will be fifty as will the system itself. But, even now, it’s worth it… and, as I often say, you can thank me later.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
rader6795
|
|
Member: Terry Rader
Location: noun - a point or extent in space
Reviews written: 107
Trusted by: 120 members
About Me:
If you can't beat them, join them. Look for game reviews on the horizon.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.