While 16-bit consoles from Hudson and Sega hit the market long before the big Ns, the Super Nintendo’s combination of quality titles and impressive hardware proved to be well worth the wait. To this day, gamers are still divided on who won the 16-bit era, with many compelling arguments in favor of Nintendo. However, it was not long before the advent of polygons changed consumer expectations.
In the mid-’90s, more attention was devoted to the next generation of game consoles, resulting in many classics being overlooked. While 32-bit platforms like the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn took over store shelves, these titles proved that Nintendo’s old console still had some life left in it.
10 Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3
While polygon gaming became all the rage in the mid-’90s, Rare’s swan songs for Nintendo’s 16-bit machine pushed its graphical capabilities to the limit with detailed bosses and stunning visual effects. Donkey Kong Country 2 it featured a higher level of challenge than its predecessor, additional hidden content, and more diverse locations.
Other than that, it was pretty much the same quality platformer as the previous entries. In a post-Super Mario 64 world, Donkey Kong Country 3 It may not have turned heads like its predecessors, but its tried-and-tested formula and quality-of-life improvements warranted a look for any platforming fanatic.
9 Ken Griffey Jr.’s winning streak
Nintendo’s second foray into gardens with the boy was helmed by Rare, who gave the game the same amount of visual flair as its donkey kong and Murderous instinct Eveline Fischer of Joanna Dark fame provided the game with its catchy, sample-packed soundtrack, while its detailed pre-rendered visuals helped it stand head-to-head with its 32-bit counterparts.
While the lack of affiliation with the Major League Baseball Players Association prohibited any real-life player other than Ken Griffey Jr. winning race he was no less authentic or polished than his contemporaries.
8 kirby superstar
Marketed as “8 games in one“Hal Laboratories’ second 16-bit effort with the pink mascot provided players with seven small platforming sections and two minigames. Much of these microtitles consisted of the familiar platforming and the ability to copy the game for which the Kirby The franchise was known.
Some new additions to the formula included giving the cloying hero a helper that another player could control. Those who wanted a break from platforming could try the arena mode, which pitted the superstar against the feared King Dedede.
7 mega man and bass
Ironically, Blue Bomber’s final effort on the Super Famicom came shortly after its 32-bit debut. Series producer Keji Inafune aimed to give younger gamers who lacked the most advanced systems the chance to run and gun their favorite fighting robot once again.
Despite sharing many bosses and animations of 8, Inafune didn’t want players to feel like they were getting a watered-down port, and cast Mega Man’s temperamental foe Bass as a playable character. Unfortunately, it would be years before Western gamers finally got their hands on an official copy via a GBA port.
6 harvest moon
The predecessor of titles like Farm and stardew valleyAmcus’ farm story was inspired by producer Yasuhiro Wada’s childhood memories in the rural countryside. Renowned harvest moon by Natsume, the game was lucky enough to be one of the few Japanese-developed SNES titles to hit the West in 1997.
Despite some mild westernizations and the removal of any alcohol references, the game kept the same calm, farming-based gameplay that made it so beloved. Its success would spawn two divergent franchises that expanded on the farming simulation formula.
5 Terranigma
Terranigma was a top-down action RPG that put players in the shoes of a young daredevil named Ark. Similar to Square. manna titles, the game incorporated real-time combat and an epic story. The game marked the third entry in Quintet’s unofficial RPG trilogy, which includes soul jacket and Gaia illusion.
Fans of those games will be delighted with the visuals and sound, which have the same level of quality and atmosphere. While the game would sadly not be released in North America, it did receive an official English translation through its European release.
4 Mana Trials
He manna series has had a strange history in the West, with its third entry, essays, as another example. Originally titled seiken densetsu 3this tracking of secret of mana it did not reach English-speaking territories during its initial 1995 release. It’s a Too bad considering the increase in size and visual fidelity that the game represented with respect to its predecessor.
While it has been widely speculated that American development always secret was intended as a replacement for essays in the West, this was debunked by programmer Brian Fehdrau. Fortunately, its new version of PS4 would arrive on western shores in 2019.
3 Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Yoshi’s Island was the first main line Mario title to focus on the mentioned clan of dinosaurs. With this change came new mechanics, such as the ability to hover or hatch eggs that could be thrown at enemies. Despite the insistence of higher-ups on adopting a pre-rendered look similar to donkey kong countryproducer Shigeru Miyamoto doubled down with a whimsical, hand-drawn storybook art direction.
Argonaut’s super FX2 chip also allowed for even more impressive visual effects, such as rotation, scaling, and some early 3D. The result was a dazzlingly charming platformer and a wonderful send-off to the Nintendo system.
2 Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Before final fantasy 7, JRPGs were considered by many publishers not to be commercially viable in the West. Undaunted, Nintendo and Square tried to woo English-speaking gamers with their collaboration. Super Mario RPG it provided the best of both worlds with the plumber’s signature platforming and Square’s mix of turn-based combat and epic narrative.
He subverted the usual formula by making playable characters like Bowser and Princess Peach while making his own big additions to the series’ cast. He paved the way for other RPG classics starring the hulking plumber, such as the paper mario and Mario and Luigi series.
1 chrono trigger
With an epic sci-fi narrative, a diverse cast of well-rounded characters, and an abundance of replay value, chrono trigger it is among the best RPG titles Square has to offer. The game eschewed many common genre tropes, such as random battles, and refined Square’s active battle system with unique team-based abilities known as “Technologies”.
It also made the most of its time travel premise with interesting variations on familiar locations and creative puzzles. The story boasted several different conclusions depending on when players chose to fight the final boss and which characters survived. All of this culminates in a classic that definitely stands the test of time.
