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.

[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!!

[Ozzy_98]

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.
People give FFMQ a hard time, and mostly cause they don't remember what RPGs were out then. FFII (US) was almost a year old, so we'd beaten the crap out of it. FFIII (US) wasn't announced yet, it came out 2 years later. FFV (JP) didn't exist. Earthbound? 3 years later. Well what about Lufia? Still a year away, and Breath of Fire was two years off. Heck, we didn't even have RoboTrek.

Besides FFII, what SNES RPGs did we have? Drakkhen, Arcana, Lagoon, and a few others that weren't close in style to what people consider RPGs. Then this turn-based RPG gets announced, and was like $20 cheaper than your average snes game, hell yes! Sure, it was simpler than FFII, but I knew it was before I bought it; it wasn't a secret to everybody. And I still play it from time to time. Nice simple RPG.

[Nophix]

And I still play it from time to time. Nice simple RPG.


I actually think that's what drew me in. I was 11 when it came out, and prior to that, my only RPG experience was FFII and Shadowgate. Actraiser, too, if you can count that. MQ Gave me a look into the new JRPG world without beating me to death.

I still play it through once every few years.

[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.

[Tanooki]

FFMQ gets hated on now, but it was fine when it came to market for the reasons already listed. I feel kind of the same way about Silent Service on NES which was also a PC game. It gets so badly ripped in the last few years by Nintendo snobs for being a really bad game, but the reality is I find often when I call someone out on their complaining one big theme pops up, no valid reason because they never played it right. The game without the manual doesn't give you the knowledge that you need two controllers to play. Player 2 blows ballast when sinking, lets you look around without steering, and also all your rear torpedoes work with it only too.

[ncman071]

I'd have to say my fav snes games growing up were mk2, madden 94, NBA jam, NCAA basketball, NHL Stanley cup, and star fox. It wasn't until I started collecting in my early 20's when I started to appreciate RPGs such as ff 3 . My brother and I played the crap out of sports games. I still love those old 16 bit sports titles. NHL Stanley cup Is amazing graghically with wonderful mode 7 effects.

As far as NES goes... Kind of the same deal...double dribble, hoops, nfl football, tecmo bowl, contra

Now I still play all of thee above but I enjoy all genres.

[Nesmaster]

Spent so much time with Kirby's Dream Course and King of the Monsters 2 as a kid. Endlessly replayable for me and my buddy. :)

[jammajup]

Super Mario Kart and F-Zero provided fun for me with Street Fighter 2 also getting lots of play time although that game could be very annoying in a joypad throwing way especially when you are leading a round and the computer opponent decides to just come back and kick your ass. Link To The Past and Turtles In time multiplayer would be an honourable mention.
What I find interesting is that in my opinion the games which were new and unique to Snes like Mario Kart,Pilot wings,F-Zero and Star Fox/wing just did not play as well on N64 ,it was like a backwards step and they seemed no longer fun at all.

[Tanooki]

I feel youre pretty right with the snes to n64 sequels feeling like downgrades for the most part though I think Fzero and Starfox held their own well enough.

[Zthun]

I feel youre pretty right with the snes to n64 sequels feeling like downgrades for the most part though I think Fzero and Starfox held their own well enough.

I thought those sequels were actually pretty amazing, but I wish I had more options for controllers than the garbage official ones that Nintendo put out.

[Tanooki]

Mario Kart 64 was solid I just preferred the SNES one since it was even more racing skill based with the items. The Pilotwings game just felt weak, if you got beyond the visuals of the time amazing you it was pretty flat compared to the stages and changes the SNES had down to the whole hidden attack chopper game and the penguin thing too to name a couple. F-Zero X was pretty nice with the basic attacks, but the problem there was there were so many cars it kind of became overkill, just less intimate in trying to best times and stay ahead of the non-generics almost like a space rally car game in that respect. Starfox was really just a boost since the nearly 2 year delay on the thing killed Starfox 2, so it went from basic rail shooter to one with all range mode, tank, walking thing, and the submarine. I guess sometimes when you just add more complication to the mix is draws away the quick and immersive fun of something a little more simple on the surface but complex to finish in the long run.

[WCP]

I'd have to say my fav snes games growing up were mk2, madden 94, NBA jam, NCAA basketball, NHL Stanley cup, and star fox. It wasn't until I started collecting in my early 20's when I started to appreciate RPGs such as ff 3 . My brother and I played the crap out of sports games. I still love those old 16 bit sports titles. NHL Stanley cup Is amazing graghically with wonderful mode 7 effects.

As far as NES goes... Kind of the same deal...double dribble, hoops, nfl football, tecmo bowl, contra

Now I still play all of thee above but I enjoy all genres.

Not to hijack the thread at all, but it's rare I see another sports gamer..

I was a pretty heavy sports gamer back in the days. I actually started off as what I would call a "Joe Sixpack Gamer". You know, the Madden / Call of Duty type. Except for me, it was Tecmo Bowl and Contra. (here's the part where I reveal that I'm old...) I was actually in high school when the NES came out. Me and my high school buddies would play the shit out of Double Dribble, Based Loaded, Tecmo Bowl and for some reason... Track N Field II. A few years later I got a TG-16 and World Class Baseball was the game that I loved...

side note, anybody that doesn't already know, the Power League baseball games on PC Engine are well worth playing. It's arcade style baseball, but with great playability, and amazing background music. I especially like Power League III and Power League IV. World Class Baseball was a port of Power League I, and I think it's still a very good game, and way under appreciated by the masses. I then moved onto Genesis, and it was all about Madden. Madden and NHL 94. I prefer Madden '93 on the Genesis to all other versions of Madden.

When I got the SNES, I bought Super Bases Loaded, but ultimately, it's not a very good game. NCAA Basketball was freaking amazing. Talk about getting a glimpse of the future. NCAA Basketball was way before it's time with the total 3D Viewpoint. NCAA basketball was one of those games that you would pop into the SNES to show off the power of the system. My favorite basketball on SNES though is definitely NBA Live '95. I played the shit out of NBA Live '95. I never really found a football or hockey game on SNES that really put it together for me. I thought all the Maddens on SNES just didn't feel right. The control seemed very off compared to Genesis. I didn't try that many hockey games on SNES, but I know I tried a few, and none really jumped out at me. I want to try a bunch more SNES baseball games and see if I can find a decent baseball game (don't say Ken Griffey, because that's just not my bag for whatever reason. I know a lot of people love it)

I still like sports games to this day, but don't play them anywhere near as much. I really liked NBA 2K14 on the PS4.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Kirby's Adventure really is one of my fav NES games. It's easy in comparison to most sidescrollers of the time, but its graphics are just amazing, the controls are spot on and the whole game is just super fun. Boss battles are fun, also. This is one of the best games, for sure. If this had come out in 1988 it woulda trumped the look of any Mega Man or Mario game. Nothing against those tho.

I was pretty young for this era, I remember being about 5 in 1991 playing my uncle's NES, and soon after he had a Genesis, and I never played any SNES as a kid, cuz my parents didn't allow us to own games till the 5th gen. I remember playing SMB to death, and he never told me about the run button, so I just didn't know about it till I became an adult. Then he got the Genesis and I was hung up on Sonic, obviously. Beyond those, he had Ninja Gaiden, Tazmania on Genesis, and a stack of sports games I played. That was ok at the time cuz I had nothing, and I was into sports as a little kid, anyway. So RBI Baseball and NHL '93 caught my interest. Everyone says NHLPA '94 was the best one, but I played '93 and I thought it was great, so whatever.

I also played Arch Rivals on NES a lot, which is not talked about, it's a basketball game where u play doubles, and u can punch ur opponents in the face to steal the ball. Def one of my fav 8bit sports games to this day. Hasn't aged as well as Tennis or Superspike V-ball, but it's still one I'd recommend checking out , if ur looking for a decent NES sports game.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I was a huge Playstation fanboy tho, but I had to admit the N64 was great, and played a TON of Mario Kart 64 and Super Smash Bros, just like everyone else. And Goldeneye and Perfect Dark. Pilotwings 64 is pretty fun also, wat I don't like is it just gets real hard real quick, and its such a simple little game it's a mystery why it's so hard to land the plane exact sometimes. I played a little Pilotwings on SNES and that ones decent, also, but I will agree F-Zero is one of the best 16bit racing games I've played. I'm not crazy about racing games from this era tho, with 3D perspectives, even tho I played the shit outta Road Rash II on Genesis, the backgrounds scrolling forward just sometimes can be disorienting, but they're still fun. Super Mario Kart has the same effect for me sometimes, also.

[WCP]

Everyone says NHLPA '94 was the best one, but I played '93 and I thought it was great, so whatever.


They used basically the same game engine. It's like John Madden too. Madden '93 is my favorite, but 92 and the original are pretty damn good as well. They are all running on a very similar engine.

[Casati]

I very seldom do any PC gaming due to difficulties with slowdown or loading the older games (don't really like DOS box). I like Civ for SNES and Pirates! for the NES, plus the other Koei games.

[Casati]

I want to try a bunch more SNES baseball games and see if I can find a decent baseball game (don't say Ken Griffey, because that's just not my bag for whatever reason. I know a lot of people love it)


Although Griffey's MLB is one of my favorite SNES games, maybe the best SNES baseball game is Super Bases Loaded 2, so maybe you'd like that. You play a full season and the computer memory tracks the stats. I think I use auto fielding.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

Mario Kart 64 was solid I just preferred the SNES one since it was even more racing skill based with the items. The Pilotwings game just felt weak, if you got beyond the visuals of the time amazing you it was pretty flat compared to the stages and changes the SNES had down to the whole hidden attack chopper game and the penguin thing too to name a couple. F-Zero X was pretty nice with the basic attacks, but the problem there was there were so many cars it kind of became overkill, just less intimate in trying to best times and stay ahead of the non-generics almost like a space rally car game in that respect. Starfox was really just a boost since the nearly 2 year delay on the thing killed Starfox 2, so it went from basic rail shooter to one with all range mode, tank, walking thing, and the submarine. I guess sometimes when you just add more complication to the mix is draws away the quick and immersive fun of something a little more simple on the surface but complex to finish in the long run.

I agree, Super Mario Kart is really the one that requires the most driving skills and less power up skills of any Mariokart. It's also the only one, I think, where u hafta brake to make turns perfectly. Some may notice that as an imperfection in level design, but I like it. U need to pay more attention to ur speed because of this. The powerups are almost totally unnecessary also. I don't think I've ever won a race by knocking someone with a turtle shell right before the finish line.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I was a total Genesis kid back then, I never played SNES till way later on, but since this is still on the topic of 16bit games, wat I spent a lot of time on was Road Rash II. Real fun classic.

[Arkanoid_Katamari]

I'll also throw out Arch Rivals on NES. It's a basketball game, I played a lot of sports games back then, but the cool thing is u can punch ur opponents in the face to steal the ball. Really hilarious and satisfying. The graphics and gameplay haven't aged that well for me, but its still fun. If u want a more unique NES sports title, I'd recommend this.

[Casati]

I'll also throw out Arch Rivals on NES. It's a basketball game, I played a lot of sports games back then, but the cool thing is u can punch ur opponents in the face to steal the ball. Really hilarious and satisfying. The graphics and gameplay haven't aged that well for me, but its still fun. If u want a more unique NES sports title, I'd recommend this.

NES Dusty Diamond Softball has a similar style for the game of baseball.