Video games have changed radically over the past few decades and even though games have come a far way from earlier generations, it’s hard not to get a bit nostalgic and go back and play some of the classics. Even though video games got their start way before Nintendo started releasing games like Mario or Zelda, there is no denying the impact that the company had on the industry starting with the NES. While the NES had an impressive lineup for Nintendo’s console debut, it wasn’t until the SNES came around that video game developers really got a feel for making truly great games. The SNES might just be one of the most important video game systems in gaming history as it pretty much laid the groundwork for future games.
The SNES undeniably has plenty of classics, some better than others. While the system managed to age pretty well and is still fun to go back to from time to time, there are quite a few titles in the system’s catalog that just aren’t as great as we might remember. Even though particular games are remembered as being the greatest thing ever due to nostalgia goggles, many just didn’t age that well, despite being innovative and fun at the time. On the other hand, there are also quite a few hidden gems on the system that deserved a little more attention than they received at the time and are often overshadowed by bigger titles. With that said, here are a few games that are worth taking a second look and some that might be a bit overrated.
30 Overrated: Earthbound
Earthbound is the example of a game that went from underrated at the time of release to overrated in recent years.
In a sea of generic JRPGs, Earthbound did something different.
It ditched the cliche fantasy tropes surrounding the genre and made it a quirky, modern day adventure. Unfortunately, the game by today’s standards is a tedious grindfest with unclear objectives and pretty dull battles. That’s probably why the game initially came packaged with a strategy guide. Earthbound is by no means a bad game, but there are probably much better games deserving of your time today.
29 Second Look: The Adventures Of Batman And Robin
The SNES surprisingly had plenty of licensed games that weren’t utter garbage compared to later generations and The Adventures of Batman and Robin proves this. The game was the perfect representation of the show, not only featuring levels based off episodes of the hit animated series but also carrying over the shows grittier vibe as well. It’s arguably the best Batman game before the Arkham series hit it big and we can’t help but feel that even without the Batman label, this game would still be a blast to play.
28 Overrated: Star Fox
Star Fox is a game that generally receives plenty of praise by fans, but most people are more fondly remembering the Nintendo 64 iteration. Even though Star Fox was quite impressive for its time due to its FX Chip technology capable of rendering 3D graphics on the SNES, the gameplay itself has aged poorly.
Star Fox just doesn’t hold that well and feels almost unplayable.
The controls are clunky without an analog stick and the frame rate dips combined with blocky graphics make it hard to tell what’s happening on screen. Still, it was an important first step for the franchise.
27 Second Look: Super Scope 6
Super Scope 6 wasn’t just an under-appreciated peripheral device, but the packed in game that came with it was often forgotten as well. On the surface, it may seem like a pretty basic pack in title, but by 90s standards, it had a pretty decent amount of content along with some pretty clever games including a shooting Tetris style puzzle game utilizing the bazooka style control in substitution for regular controls. Sure, the device was pricey and went through batteries faster than your parents could buy new ones, but you can’t deny it was still a blast.
26 Overrated: Super Mario All-Stars
Super Mario All-Stars was the first of its kind. A remake and collection of some of the best platform games ever made, which would become all to common in the 21st century. Sure, it gave the original NES Mario games a fresh coat of paint and brought over The Lost Levels (which was pretty forgettable) to the states, but the collection didn’t release that long after the NES was still hooked up to most television sets and felt more like a cash grab for games that were still pretty fresh in our minds.
25 Second Look: Sparkster
Sparkster is not necessarily a well known SNES game, though if you remember the game Rocket Knight Adventures for the Sega Genesis, you’ll start to notice the similarities as Sparkster was a follow up for the SNES. And what a follow up it is! The game went pretty unnoticed during the time as it featured a less known mascot compared to other big titles, but the beautiful graphics, high velocity gameplay, and the impressively big bosses make this a game that is worth checking out even today.
24 Overrated: The Lion King
Disney made some pretty stellar platform of games in the 90s and the games based off the Disney Renaissance classics are no exception. The Lion King was a pretty faithful adaptation of the film and brought back some of the movie’s best moments to your hands.
The second stage was a fantastic representation of one of Disney’s most classic songs and will have you singing its tune throughout.
Despite being an overall fun game, most people forget the game kind of becomes a slog halfway through, or when Simba becomes an adult. The controls went from fluid to stiff and the second half just wasn’t that entertaining.
23 Second Look: TMNT: Tournament Fighters
There is a pretty good chance you missed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters on the SNES if you weren’t actually a fan of the cartoon series. While plenty of other big fighting games on the SNES tried to steal all the attention, Tournament Fighters was a pretty fun fighting game with stellar visuals and fun combat brought to the SNES by Konami. It may not be Turtles In Time, but it was definitely a great substitute if you ever tired of throwing Hadoukens.
22 Overrated: F-Zero
F-Zero is probably one of Nintendo’s franchises that is most deserving of a modern day sequel, but unfortunately, it seems like the company has completely forgotten about the series. While the original title was pretty impressive for the time, it pales in comparison to other racing games that later appeared on the system. It’s hard to call the series overrated, but the Mode 7 graphics mode just has not aged well. Plus, the lack of a two player option for a racing game is extremely disappointing.
21 Second Look: Goof Troop
Disney made some pretty impressive video games back in the 90s and Goof Troop is no exception. Based off the television show of the same name, Goofy and Max have to escape from Pirate Island solving various puzzles along the way and different ways to defeat enemies. The game being two players made the it only more entertaining, despite not having much in common with its mediocre television show. It’s not a huge surprise the game was well praised, however, considering Resident Evil’s Shinji Mikami was at the helm.
20 Overrated: Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart was THE multiplayer game to have on the SNES, taking the cast of Nintendo’s iconic characters and pitting them in go kart races against each other.
Without the original, we wouldn’t have the awesome follow ups that we play today.
Unfortunately, Super Mario Kart has aged the most poorly in the franchise and is pretty difficult to go back to and play today considering how much the series has improved since. Despite the game having not aged well, we still have plenty of fond memories!
19 Second Look: Yoshi’s Safari
I’ve already discussed one game utilizing Nintendo’s Super Scope accessory, but it is worth revisiting one more forgotten gem for this strange device. Yoshi’s Safari didn’t get a lot of attention due to needing an expensive accessory to play it, but it’s a surprisingly fun shooter starring the iconic plumber and dinosaur. The game is a bit short and the levels are pretty linear, but the beautiful visuals along with the interesting boss battles make this a game that should have gotten way more attention during its time.
18 Overrated: Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat got a lot of attention back in the day, largely in part to how violent it was. Even though the SNES version was censored, it still played just like the original and didn’t stop kids begging reluctant parents to by them a copy. The original Mortal Kombat however was a pretty stiff fighter with a lackluster roster and it really isn’t all that fun to play today, despite how awesome it seemed back then. It may still be a great series today, but the original is pretty hard to go back to.
17 Second Look: Joe And Mac
The SNES was no stranger to side scrolling “beat ’em up” games and Joe and Mac was no exception, but it still made a pretty big impression on my childhood. While most games of the genre felt pretty repetitive, Joe and Mac felt fresh due to the various prehistoric themed power ups and of course the ability to actually fight dinosaurs. Plus, some of those gigantic bosses were a blast to fight, especially with two people as the person who did the most damage would win the stage’s captured cavewoman at the end making the boss fights surprisingly competitive.
16 Overrated: Pilotwings
This is one Nintendo franchise that I would love to see the company give some love to today as the game was a blast to play and is much deserving of a fresh coat of paint. Most fans of the series probably remember the Nintendo 64 followup of Pilotwings with more clarity and even though the SNES version was popular, it hasn’t aged well. For a game where precision is a must, the lack of an analog stick and the pseudo 3D graphics just don’t know what the game was trying to accomplish justice.
15 Second Look: Tactics Ogre
While many people probably got there start in tactical RPGs with PlayStation’s Final Fantasy Tactics, most probably didn’t realize the imprint that Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together had on the genre.
Of course, it didn’t help that the game wasn’t released on the SNES in the west.
Still, for an SNES game, Tactics Ogre has a crazy amount of content and is one of the biggest tactics game even to this day. Even though you probably didn’t get a chance to play it when it released, the game is still worth checking out if you’re a fan of the genre.
14 Overrated: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
It really didn’t matter if this game was a dud or not. If you were a Power Rangers fan with an SNES in the 90s, you were getting this game. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers did a lot right to capture the show’s spirit, including offering up battles against some of the show’s most iconic villains. Of course it was a fun romp, but the fact that this beat em’ up didn’t even allow you to play with a fellow Power Ranger by your side was pretty disappointing and there were still plenty of better beat ’em ups for the console.
13 Second Look: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
Now we’re getting somewhere! Even though the first MMPR game was entertaining enough, the sequel was definitely the better of the two. Not only allowing a second player to join the fight, your characters could switch different planes on the level adding to a bit more depth to the gameplay. Combine that with more interesting levels and a huge movie tie-in, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is still a game I like to go back every now and then to play again.
12 Overrated: Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts was the third follow up to the original Ghosts n’ Goblins for the SNES and was another one of Capcom’s big hits. Even though the game was highly praised for the time, I can’t help but dislike this series.
The extreme difficulty makes this series a frustrating mess.
No, I’m not against a challenge here and there, but Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts isn’t just difficult because of the gameplay, but stiff controls and cheap ends make the game more frustrating than actually fun.
11 Second Look: Earthworm Jim 2
Earthworm Jim 2 was a kind of strange sequel when comparing it to its predecessor. It ditched the regular platforming run and gun formula that made the first game a hit and kind of went off the rails making each level kind of a different beast, hence it is often looked at as the worst of the two. Still, the strange mix of levels and variety of different gameplay styles still kept the game interesting and the title’s wacky sense of humor still managed to keep the game interesting.
