15 SNES Games That Still Hold Up Today

What the report says

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) came out at just the right time to take advantage of the burgeoning acceptance of home consoles and video games as a whole. As a result, video game developers took chances, expanded the types of video games they released, and provided the SNES with an incredible library of games. Although the SNES boasted some of the most memorable video games of the era, not all the games hold up well enough that you would consider playing them today. However, some games are just as good to play on your console or emulator in the present.

Take a look at 15 SNES games that hold up today and feel the temptation to play some retro games once again. Just to be clear: these games aren’t being ranked.1. Super MetroidSuper Metroid was a smashing success when it was released. The action-adventure game picked up on the story from Metroid II: Return of Samus and sent the player to the planet Zebes. Super Metroid amped up the features from the previous installments, improving on the action elements of combat and exploration while also providing high-quality music and graphics. Sure, this game might not be as pretty as Metroid Prime, but there is no denying the sheer playability.Super Metroid was a genre-defining game, and it holds up today because its controls are sleek, the game looks good for its time, and the gameplay is highly engaging.

Get Super Metroid on eBay.2. Final Fantasy III (Final Fantasy VI)You can call it Final Fantasy III or Final Fantasy VI. It doesn’t matter because the game is incredible no matter what. This sprawling SNES RPG is consistently ranked among the best games in the genre and on the console as a whole. The story is simply incredible, the magic system and class customization were engaging, and the music was some of the best to grace the console. You could easily pick up this game today and get an amazing RPG experience. I will say that it’s easier for turn-based RPGs to make this list than other genres.

Key details

Still, Final Fantasy VI certainly belongs here among the SNES games that hold up today.Get Final Fantasy III on eBay.3. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong QuestKing K. Rool kidnaps Donkey Kong, and it’s up to you to rescue him as Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong. Donkey Kong Country 2 was the 2nd-highest selling game of 1995 and the 5th overall on the SNES. The game improved on the little things that irked players in the first game, like some of the platforming aspects and hit boxes. Still, the title retained and improved upon a lot of the elements that made DKC great.

The special levels, music, controls, level design, and incredible graphics made it a pleasure to play this game back in the day as well as now. The only sad part is that they haven’t released a new DK game in a while, unless you count his appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series. Get Diddy’s Kong Quest on eBay.4. Super Mario WorldSuper Mario World is an iconic entry in the series, and it is consistently ranked among the best games on the system. The replayability of the game is unmatched because of its numerous stages and tremendous level design which is improved by the addition of more secrets than you’ll know what to do with.

Yoshi makes his first appearance as a rideable partner, and each of his variations allows for you to approach the game a little differently each time. The controls are responsive and the levels are engaging, so you’ll want to come back for more. If you find yourself with nothing to do and a yearning for a good platform game, then you could break out Super Mario World and never miss a beat. Just don’t sacrifice Yoshi for a good level finish— you go straight to hell for doing that. Get Super Mario World on eBay.5.

More from the announcement

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the PastYou can say a lot about The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Some people have called it overrated and others say it’s among the best entries in the series. Personally, I’m not a big Zelda fan, but I can recognize what the game did right and why it’s earned a place here on the list.The combat is fun and multifaceted, offering Link many ways to take down his enemies from magic to simple arrows. Sure, you might not have to kill any BotW-style Guardians, but there are plenty of challenging fights that require some thought and timing.