You’ve played all the hits, but have you ever tried these underrated SNES classics?
Much of the consoles success has to do with its roster of games, of course.
And thats not even counting games made by outside studios, such asCapcomandKonami.
These are the 35 most underrated games on the SNES.
- No, Im not talking aboutPokemonbut a game that was released several years before it.
Search for Edenwas a platformer RPG where players only had one goal: Survive.
The sequel,The Lost Vikings 2, was more of the same but with additional abilities and characters.
Either title is worth your time if you might find it.
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True Liesis an overhead shooter that initially resembles something likeSmash TVbut is actually a little deeper than that.
Its honestly closer to a SNES version ofHotline Miamiin some ways.
Matthew Byrd
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By the timeResident Evilcame along the next year,Clock Toweralready felt like a historical footnote.
WhileClock Towercertainly shows its age these days, it remains a remarkably intriguing horror gaming experience.
This game didnt have all the answers, but it was certainly asking all the right questions.
This RPG impressed audiences with its large world, memorable characters, and iconic dragon transformation system.
But theres always room for improvement.
Its a shame Capcom has all but abandoned turn-based RPGs because we sure could do with aBreath of Fireresurrection.
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30.
Magic Sword
1990 | Capcom
On the surface,Magic Swordshould be significantly more popular than it actually is.
A SNES action game made by Capcom with innovative mechanics, 50+ levels, and alternate endings?
Why dont we all know about this?
On the surface, its a pretty rough experience.
The gameplay is sublime, though.
Its not an all-time classic, but its a fantastic time.
These games had many enemies, but none challenged and annoyed players quite like the demonic Firebrand.
So Capcoms developers thought to themselves, Why not make him the star of his own game?
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28.
Brain Lord
1994 | Produce!
The SNES collection of APRGs is generally underrated.
Brain Lordfocuses a bit more on the action side of the ARPG formula.
Actually, its closer to a dungeon crawler orZeldatitle in many respects.
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However, that isnt always true.
Every so often, a box provides the wrong message.
Squadron, for instance, makes it look like a boring flight sim.
In reality, its anything but boring.
What gamers in the U.S. knew asU.N.
Squadronwas a side-scrolling shoot em up originally calledArea 88.
Like many in its genre,U.N.
But most importantly,U.N.
Instead, it gave each plane a health bar, and players kept their weapons after death.
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WithSuper Adventure Island 2, though, developer Make Software, Inc. decided to try something really different.
In the process, they created a kind of SNES masterpiece that has rarely been replicated.
Super Adventure Island 2incorporates RPG and exploration elements not seen in the otherAdventure Islandgames.
Its very likely your favorite SNES game youve never played.
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Theres also a qualityPlayStationport thats slightly cheaper, but still one of the higher priced games on that system.
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23.
Tetris Attack
1996 | Intelligent Systems
Nintendo seems content to re-release a barely updated version ofDr.
Marioevery few years but has completely ignored its best puzzle game of the 90s.
Its a real shame that Nintendo hasnt yet released an HD version of this game with online multiplayer.
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This led to some…unusual creations, most of whom have thankfully been forgotten.
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Weaponlord
1995 | Visual Concepts
Weaponlordis the definitive example of a game ahead of its time.
And which characters you killed during the story mode actually had an impact on the ending.
Despite these innovations, reviews were largely negative at the time of release.
Still, the games reputation has improved quite a bit in recent years.
Publisher Namco even used many ofWeaponlords ideas in itsSoul EdgeandSoulcaliburgames.
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19.
Phalanx
1992 | Kemco
Phalanxmight take the prize for worst box art on the SNES.
Theres a space ship too, but most of the focus is on the old guy.
Maybe there was a mix-up in the art department, and they didnt have time to fix it.
Its not really clear what happened.
Anyway, those who got past the box actually found a surprisingly fun shooter.
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18.
Sadly, there have only been a handful ofIndiana Jonesgames released over the years.
This one is easily one of the best.
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There are no open worlds, mob bosses, or murders.
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The graphics and sound are outstanding for their time.
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Sadly, Konami seems to have completely lost interest in the series in recent years.
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Somehow, this is actually a canon game that takes place afterMega Man 4.
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But this is actually a much more thoughtful adaptation of the film than you would first expect.
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you’ve got the option to communicate via radio with other characters from the film.
Some of the characters will even give a shot to impede your progress with bad advice.
And when you head indoors, the game shifts to a first-person view as you collect ID cards.
This is so much better than the typical movie cash-in that flooded the SNES library in the mid-90s.
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The game even featured the ability to exit your mech to get through certain areas.
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Well, the 1999 setting seemed futuristic at the time.
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Blackthorne
1994 | Blizzard Entertainment
BeforeBlizzardbuilt mega huge franchises likeStarCraft,Warcraft, andDiablo, there was simplyBlackthorne.
But even back in 1994, Blizzard seemed poised for greatness.
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And it had real personality, too.
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Harvest Moon
1997 | Amccus
On paper,Harvest Moonsounds like the worst game ever.
You inherit a farm.
You grow crops and take care of livestock.
If youre particularly successful, you get married, too.
