Most fun NES/SNES games - relive the console wars :)

[Tanooki]

In hopes to seeing more active topics I figured I'd throw some discussions down and see what people think.

Back in the 8 and 16bit eras we got a lot of new franchises, many that live still on to this very day. Are there any games that stood out to you on the NES or SNES that really hit home with you and were the most fun and do you have a reason why?

For example it's easy to throw out Mario or Zelda, but three games that really grabbed me were earlier SNES titles and first party -- F-Zero Pilotwings and Starfox. The two launch games were just unique to me in the presentation with the fast racing and combative play of it, while the other was just stunning with all the uniquely new console detail with the scaling and rotating doing flying/falling maneuvers and being rated on it. Then of course we really hadn't seen something on the level of Starfox when that dropped on a console with the 3D polgyons, plenty with a little bit of detail creating a very fun and focused rail shooter that felt more free despite it not being so.

[WCP]

Well, I agree with you on F-Zero. I liked Pilotwings as well, but F-Zero is in a whole other league.


What bothers me a bit is that I don't think the SNES version of F-Zero gets as much respect as it deserves. The game is absolutely fantastic. Great playability, great graphcis, great sound.... what more could you ask for ? Especially from a freaking launch game. I actually got F-Zero that first day, and I can tell you from somebody that was there back in 1991 playing it, I kinda took it for granted at first. I was thinking to myself.... "This is just the first SNES mode 7 racing game, but I'm sure there will be tons more that blow this game out the water"...

That's what I was thinking in my head at the time. That everybody and their Momma would release a SNES Mode 7 racing game, and that F-Zero was just scratching the surface. Well, guess what... Everybody and their Momma DID release a Mode 7 racing game, but it's funny that the very first one ever released remains the best one.

Also, let's not forget the amazing music of F-Zero. That music is just so damn good. The sound effects in the game are also pretty good. Remember the first time your racer blew up ? That scared the BeJezus out of me when I first heard that. I was kinda into stereos and stuff at the time I got my SNES, and immediately had the audio routed to my Kenwood receiver. I had those SNES games cranked, and let me tell you, F-Zero scared the hell out of me that first time my car/ship thing blew up.

Graphically, the Mode 7 was just some future shit at that point. The way the camera zoomed down (along with the accompanying sound effect), at the very beginning of a race... That was some seriously next-level stuff back in the late Summer of 1991. Still, I think the game holds up great after all these years. I still play the game. I think F-Zero actually belongs on EVERYBODIES top 10 SNES list, but you'd be surprised how many people would leave it off their top 10 list. People take this game for granted. I know I have Super Mario World and Link to the Past ranked No.1 and No.2 respectively on my top 10 SNES list, and I'm not exactly sure where I would put F-Zero on there, but I know it would end up in my top 7 or 8 SNES games, and I don't think it gets anywhere near the level of respect (specifically the SNES version) it should get.

[Tanooki]

I agree with you. I hate to say it but F-Zero was nothing but a downhill slide after that one and the N64 title, Climax being the exception to the rule and we were denied that one on GBA. I know I'm ignoring the GC game which was solid, but Sega made it. I too had my system jacked into the stereo and that crack followed by the deep bass boom was a trip along with the sizzling sound after the fact that just repeats as the smoke billows up until you reset. I didn't get it at launch, I just had enough for Mario, shortly after it was ActRaiser and Gradius III which I don't regret. F-Zero I ended up with after having a friend over like a year or two later and really digging it so I picked up a used copy at a local store that was complete and being a launch game it was super cheap. Pilotwings was much the same in that I got it late in the SNES life when the N64 was on the horizon, but you do what you can with a limited allowance budget.

You know what really got me on the SNES was not just the Mode7 but the other tricks the thing could do. I bought back in the day when it released Indiana Jones and it blew me away with not just really the sampled sounds for the Raiders March and the rest, but the odd SNES mode that allows a still full screen 512 color image on screen and they just snatched a bunch of bitching movie screen captures which stunned me having Raiders open up with the mountain. Another one that got me in the later used buy years was Secret of Mana, the high res mode used on the menus and the popup boxes which I never expected from a console game.

I think something of note I found crazy, the late era NES game from Nintendo - Kirby's Adventure. The game is a beast in size compared to other licensed games as a 3/4MB game and what they did using all that room really showed. When I picked that up after the NES died in the mid-90s I was floored how much it looked on the quality of an early TG16 and Genesis games. Lush full flowing visuals, high detail, lots of good use of color and audio, and it even had a few tricks up its sleeve like the last boss fight which was this 3D(but not) looking checkerboard patterned orb as I'd never seen a trick or detail level like that on the NES before. The audio was nice as I rarely heard something so soft and well composed as it felt over the usual NES quality stuff even from them like with Mario 3.

[Ozzy_98]

I like F-Zero much more than Mario cart, a game that I'll admit to not liking all that well.

While I'm not a "OMG Zelda! I love Zelda" fanboy mostly cause it's overplayed, I'll admit the first Zelda is my fave nes game. I still play it from time to time, first quest generally takes 45 mins to an hour, about an hour or two if I go swordless; once you get the wand it's pretty much the same as playing with the white sword the entire game, except the shots wont hurt a few monsters. And unlike most people, I LIKED the one room at a time setup. Not a fan of the scrolling, it just slows down the action.

[Rickstilwell1]

I don't know, Top Gear 2 is still my favorite SNES racing game besides Super Mario Kart. It is so much better than the Genesis version too. I wouldn't say F-Zero blows it out of the water but it is a fairly close race. Pun intended.

[Casati]

For SNES, I really like the Rampart option with the islands and pseudo-3D screens. I also prefer the SNES version of Super Bases Loaded since it has better graphics and gameplay, although the NES version offers multiple soundtracks and stadiums. I think I like the NES Baseball Simulator more than its SNES sequel as it also offers multiple stadiums. For the NES, I like Super Tecmo Bowl which to me is way better than the original Tecmo Bowl and also better than the SNES Super Tecmo Bowl.

[WCP]

I don't know, Top Gear 2 is still my favorite SNES racing game besides Super Mario Kart. It is so much better than the Genesis version too. I wouldn't say F-Zero blows it out of the water but it is a fairly close race. Pun intended.

Yeah, Top Gear 2 is a really cool game. Amazing music. I like F-Zero more as a single player racing game. They are a bit different in that F-Zero is more pure racing, and Top Gear 2 is more like endurance racing. F-Zero is obviously the game that kinda started the futuristic racing motif (Wipeout surely got inspiration), while Top Gear is more traditional. Both are amazing racing games on the SNES.

[wizardofwor1975]

While I'm not a "OMG Zelda! I love Zelda" fanboy mostly cause it's overplayed, I'll admit the first Zelda is my fave nes game. I still play it from time to time, first quest generally takes 45 mins to an hour, about an hour or two if I go swordless; once you get the wand it's pretty much the same as playing with the white sword the entire game, except the shots wont hurt a few monsters. And unlike most people, I LIKED the one room at a time setup. Not a fan of the scrolling, it just slows down the action.

I have a hard time deciding between Zelda & Contra for my favorite NES game. I guess for single player Zelda is my favorite & for 2 player Contra is very hard to beat for the NES. I still play both of them on my RES/Retro Entertainment System. I'd like to throw Archon for the NES into the ring for one of the most fun games. The NES version nearly replicates all of the magic that Archon had on the C64. I would have loved to have seen a 16 bit SNES/Genesis version of Archon kinda of like Archon Ultra for DOS.

[Nophix]

I fell hard in love with Actraiser on the SNES. Not only my favorite game on that console, but one of my top 5 favorite games ever.

I get a lot of flack for this one, too, but I also really enjoyed Mystic Quest. I'm always told its not a true FF title, but I never cared. It gave me hours of fond memories.


NES, the Mega Man games are hands down my top, with Metroid coming in easy second. But, aside from those, GI Joe and Tiger Heli are next. They are definitely not what most would consider great games, but the fun we had sitting around the TV playing them with friends was amazing.

Edit: almost forgot my favorite NES game ever. Star Tropics!!