Top 10 Super Famicom games
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To celebrate the end of my Super Famicom collection, here is my Super Famicom top 10. The pictures are from my personal collection.
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- Treasure Hunter G
This is a very personal top 10. I didn't select the 10 best games, but my 10 favorite ones. Treasure Hunter G made quite an impression on me when I got it in 1996. The pre-rendered 3D graphics were awesome and I still listen to the soundtrack from time to time. I also enjoyed the grid based battle system.
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- ActRaiser
Actraiser was the fourth Super Famicom and one of the most impressive ones. Once the Super Famicom is turned on, the title screen demonstrates the capabilities of the mode 7 and an awesome tune gets played. You are god, and you must descend on the earth to save your people. I love the fantastic soundtrack and the concept of mixing action phases and simulation phases. The game was really surprising and outstanding for a 1990 game.
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- Fire Emblem Seisen no Keifu
Seisen no Keifu is probably the best Tactical-RPG on any 8/16-bit system. The weapon triangle (Sword > Axes > Spears > Sword) got introduced in that episode, along with the awesome couples/children system. The maps are huge, but the game is not as punitive as Monshô no Nazo. Moving your troops, refining your tactics, and managing your characters (and their descendants) provide great pleasure. I think it is a lot better than any Shining Force or Ogre Battle episode, or even any 8/16/32 bit tactical-RPG.
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- Ganbare Goemon 2
I didn't get that one right away, because I was waiting for the US version that never got released. After a few years of research, I finally found a used Japanese copy in a store in Paris in 1996. The visuals are even more appealing than in the first Super Famicom episode, and controls have been improved too (jumping is a lot easier). Ganbare Goemon 2 also introduced Goemon Impact and a world map. My brother and I got so hooked up so we completed the game within 3 days.
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- Ganbare Goemon / The Legend of the Mystical Ninja
Mystical Ninja was my first imported US game. The reviews I read before getting it did not really cover the game in a satisfying way, but it was actually a good thing: I was able to discover the game by myself. I was surprised by many ideas:
-Mystical Ninja mixes "3D" sections, in which you can do some shopping, with platform sections.
-There are many awesome mini-games such as "Paint", "Mole Patrol", or even the legendary Gradius! Playing so many mini-games within a game was not frequent at all in the early 90s.
-You can ride on your partner's back in the 2 players mode
I think Ganbare Goemon 2 is actually a little better, but I still prefer Mystical Ninja.-
- Mother 2 / Earthbound
I instantly fell in love with Earthbound when I first saw picture of it in magazines. It had a very unique humorous NES style that I was attracted to. Then the romance carried on when I got it in summer 1995. The dialogues were funny, and the game was full of very interesting ideas: there is a delivery service for items (Escargo express), a photographer takes pictures of Ness on a regular basis, your father suggests you on the phone to stop playing if you have played for too long, you can have pizzas delivered, Ness feels nostalgic when he is away from home for too long, etc.
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- Chrono Trigger
- Chrono Trigger
Right after Earthbound, I got Chrono Trigger in September 1995. It was amazing for its time. I was hooked up from the get-go, and I would watch the intro every time I played it.
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- Final Fantasy VI
- Final Fantasy VI
I think I was a reasonable player before getting a US copy of Final Fantasy III. I got it on a Saturday morning in Winter 1994 and I played it for 10 hours straight on that day. it was incredibly beautiful and addictive. I loved the story and the characters, and I had never experienced such an atmosphere before. The opera, the ending, the artworks, the soundtrack... Everything was amazing, almost magical. I can't begin to tell you how much I was disappointed by Final Fantasy VII and how much I hated it.
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- The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
- The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
Zelda A Link to the Past was perhaps the game I anticipated the most in my whole life. The screenshots in the magazine all seemed amazing to me. When I got the game, I became so obsessed by it that I used to wake up at 6.00 am to play it before going to school.
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- Super Mario World
- Super Mario World
In April 1992, I had trouble finding a Super Nintendo console. I didn't make a reservation and it was already out of stock in most stores. That was very frustrating. But after calling all the local stores, I finally found one and then I experienced pure bliss. Super Mario World is a timesless masterpiece filled with so many great ideas. Riding on Yohi's back and breathing fireballs seem like nothing now, but it thought it was incredible at the time. I completed the 96 levels within a few weeks without using any walkthrough, and I think games are much more enjoyable that way.
Other games that I love but that I could not include in my top 10 (too many great games):
-Kiki Kaikai Nazo no Kuro Manto
-Fire Emblem Monshô no Nazo
-Seiken Densetsu 3
-Secret of Mana
-Lufia II
-Pop'n Twin Bee
-Magical Quest
-Sparkster
-Super Adventure Island
-Super Castlevania IV
-Super Tennis
-Super Soccer
-Turtles in Time
-Illusion of Gaia
-Terranigma
-Yoshi's Island
-Axelay
-Contra Spirits
-Super Aleste
-International Superstar Soccer Deluxe
-Mario Paint
-Super Bomberman 2
-Super Punch'Out
-Bahamut Lagoon
-Super Metroid
-Romancing Saga 3
-Ys V
-Far East of Eden Zero
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Hello,
Here is my SFC personnal top ten.10 Actraiser
It was a tough choice between Actraiser, Tmnt in Time, F-Zero, Super Mario Kart and Akumajou Dracula, but Actraiser won from an inch.
Yuzo Koshiro music in one of the reason with
epic orchestral theme and one of the best title screen ever made.
The game feels probably outdated by today standard, but at the time the impact was tremendous with SFC different effect in use.Alternate simulation part and action part give the game a variety that I like and playing as a god and create life is still something enjoyable for me. Too bad that the sequel took out the simulation part.
9 Super Metroid
Using to play to the original Metroid at the late eighties without finishing it, and after finishing the second game on the game boy, I was quite expecting from this game on summer 1994 and I was not disappointed!
First thing, the game start off right after the second game using the end of the second game as an intro. A nice touch for those like me who finished the second game.Secondly, the scary atmosphere combined with the good music, graphic,level design and staging event justify for me the game reputation.
The main flaw is the playability of the game far from being perfect, especially with the wall jump.
Still the best Metroid in my opinion8 Dragon Quest V
In my top ten of the best rpg and the best Dragon Quest that I have ever played.
The graphics might look bad but once you get used to it you will enjoy an excellent rpg.
I appreciated the three generation system where you play the hero as a kid, growup and get to marry one of the girls, and play your kids.
Music is the best composition of Koichi Sugiyama in my opinion.
Game is well paced and has original mature theme such as slavery that I found quiet original. Gameplay offer the possibility to tame monster, which make battle more interesting.7 Fire Emblem Seisen no Keifu
This is for me the best tactical video game ever made with very long and interesting battle, event if the possibility to save whenever you want make the battle easier than monshô no Nazo where I tend to prefer the punitive aspect.
The strongest point of the game are the long and interesting battle, the two generation system where you can boost the stats of your children depending the way you associate your partners and optimize the inheritance item.
With these very interesting points, come the incredible political plot, very good music and unique atmosphere making this game the best tactical ever.
6 Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyuushutsu
The second game is probably better, but my best memories are on this game.
I prefer the mystical atmosphere and soundtrack of this one. I like also the overhead action not present in the second game, it brings more variety I think. For the rest, it is a great game in every aspect and my favorite Goemon ever.5 contra spirits
Best run and gun for the machine and one of the best ever created in my opinion. Great atmosphere and soundtrack, good gameplay and excellent staging. The only flaw is the uninteresting overhead stage. In that aspect, Hard Corps is better in my opinion.
4 Super Mario World
Played in 1991, a bit after Mario 3 if memory serves me well.
Another shock it was, this game made the great Mario 3 feel dated in comparison with:- great graphics, music
- Apparition of the cap, yoshi and babies yoshi which add deepness to the gameplay
- Many stage represented into different maps all connected together into one big map and a lot of secret and warp zone.
- Apparition of the ghost house and very good level design
All this reasons made this game the best Mario and platform ever created for me.
3 Zelda Kamigami no Triforce
Probably my favorite Zelda game of all time.
I had played before to the nes version and playing this one at the time was quiet a shock:- great graphics
- excellent soundtrack
- long with two different world
- excellent puzzle and dungeon design
- a good balance between outside exploration and dungeon exploration
All these points make with the epic atmosphere the best Zelda without any doubt for me.
2 Chrono Trigger
Considered to be the best rpg ever created by many, this game offers the collaboration of the two biggest rpg company of the time: Squaresoft and Enix (Sakaguchi and Horie).
You can feel the influence of both company and I personally love this mixture. It is in my opinion the rpg that offers the best paced with absolutely no boring moment. The fact that you can see and avoid the fight contribute to this.Great storyline, music and graphic, very interesting subquest and multi-ending make this game on my top rpg list even if it is too short.
1 Final Fantasy VI
My second favorite J-RPG after Tengai Makyô 2 Manjimaru. The originality of the game is that there is not one hero, but many with their own background for most of them .
It brought new sensation at the time with the opera scene and very sad and deep moment that touched me more than most of the other game. Nobuo Uematsu helped a lot with his epic and melancolic composition.
Also, I really like the contrast of the linear "World of Balance" with the freedom of the "World of Ruin" even thought I enjoy the first world much more.
The story was much better than most of the rpg at the time and is still good by today standart ,with
-spoiler alert do not read the following if you didn't finish the game-
The betrayal of Kefka and the destruction of the world. A "bad guy" with a silly reputation win in a j-rpg, very uncommon at the time.
-end spoiler
The game is also quiet long.
Best game of the machine for me without any doubt.
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Hello msx,
You have got great taste
(We will have to work on the smileys of the forum by the way)
We have got seven games in common in our top 10.I didn't include Super Metroid: I really prefer the Famicom episode, which was more amazing in 1986 than Super Metroid was in 1994.
I only played the DS version of Dragon Quest V, so it was not the same. I also liked Contra Spirits very much but my favorite type of games are RPGs.
I agree with everything you said about Goemon, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Super Mario World, Zelda, and ActRaiser. Great top 10!
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Nice tops
I'll have to post mine but the first two games will be the same than msx's.
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Ok, we are waiting for your top 10 Umaro
I am curious about the 2 other games from your top 4.I noticed that I have the same top 4 as msx (not in the same order) and that no one mentioned Street Fighter II so far.
One of the best title screen ever:
A nice remix:
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You really seem to have a soft spot for RPGs Gustav! I understand, as they used to be my cup of tea too : )
But it's such a unic style that I find it hard - nearly inapropriate - to compare with other types of games...Anyways, here is my top 10 list:
10 - Akumajô Dracula
My first SNES game (alongside with Super Mario World), this is still my favorite Castlevania game. I used to prefer the PC Engine version, but this one remains unmatched when it comes to atmosphere.9 - Magical Quest
Beautiful game, and a lot of fun too!8 - Chômakaimura
Awesome and challenging, a true classic.7 - Contra Spirits
My favorite Contra game. The only letdown: the top-view stages, which pale in comparison with others. Everything else is top notch though.6 - Macross Scrambled Valkyrie
Fantastic (albeit quite unknown) shooter.5 - DoReMi Fantasy
A lovely plateformer, in which everything screams quality and mastery.4 - Turtles In Time
The best SFC brawler in my opinion. Colorful, lively…and fun as hell!3 - A Link To The Past
Still my favorite Zelda game to this day. It takes the basic formula and transcends it. A masterpiece.2 - Axelay
This one is very special to me. Atmospheric and spectacular, it belongs to the few games that really blew my mind when I first played them, and I still have a blast playing it today. Last but not least, the music is pure bliss!1 - Super Mario World
When I think about this game, one word always comes to mind: perfection. I never played another plateformer that came anywhere close to this piece of art.Other SFC/SNES games that I really like:
Chrono Trigger
Majyuuou
Nightmare Busters
Sunset Riders
Super Adventure Island
Magical Pop’n
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy VI
Magical Adventure 3
Final Fight Guy
Ghost Chaser Densei
Undercover Cops
AladdinAbout Super Metroid: I was never found of this game, and I too liked the NES version much better.
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RPGs remain my favorite type of game! I didn't even realize half of my top were RPGs (+ Zelda + ActRaiser). By they way, I read on your blog that you don't have time for RPGs anymore, but I think RPGs can work very well for young adults too (you can play for half an hour or one hour a day, and then save). In some cases, they can even fit better in a busy schedule than some long and difficult arcade games.
I like your top 10! Like msx's top, it includes real classics (Akumajô Dracula, Magical Quest, Chohmakaimura, Contra Spirits, Turtles in Times, Zelda, Axelay, Super Mario World) and yet you also included choices that are very personal (Macross, DoReMi).
I still have trouble determining which episode I prefer: Dracula X Chi no Rondo or Akumajô Dracula on Super Famicom. Both are such great games!
I was never able to really enjoy Chohmakaimura, which has always been getting on my nerve. I will try again some day. Same thing for Macross: I played it several times, but never went far (but obviously, it is not as aggravating as Chohmakaimura LOL).
I prefer DoReMi Fantasy to Magical Pop'n. I played again to the latter yesterday, and it feels kind of cheap (cheap title screen, cheap music...) compared to DoReMi Fantasy, which could have made it into my top ten if it were released earlier (1992 or 1993 for example).
Even though Super Metroid is a great game overall, I think the visuals are nothing special for a 1994 game, the controls are not as good as the controls of the Famicom version, the dark atmosphere and the music get repetitive over time, and there are many annoying segments. It's still a great game though LOL
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Mine :
Final Fantasy VI - Best RPG
Akumajô Dracula - Best platformer/action
Super Mario Kart - Best racing game
Fire Emblem Seisen no Keifu - Best Tactical
Tenshi Sozo - Best Action RPG
Tengai Makyô Zero - Great feeling
Super Aleste - Best shooter
Donkey Kong Country 2 - Great feeling, less legitimate than Super Mario World I or II but it was my favorite in the 90's
Earthbound - Great feeling
Demon's CrestI have never played/finished these games on original SNES/SFC :
Dragon Quest V (DS), Tactics Ogre LucT (PS One), Tales of Phantasia (PS One/GBA)
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It is quite difficult to do a top 10 on my favourite system.
However today I think it would be :
10 - Terranigma
It was the second to last RPG I finished on the SFC, approximatively 10 years ago (the last being Emerald Dragon this month).
Perhaps the best action-rpg on the system, with a very special atmosphere and some wonderful music.
I finished it in french, with a quite poor translation, as usual, and I'd like to (re)finish it in english.9 - Super Metroid
My game of summer'94, along with SSF2.
I hesitated between this one and Megaman X (which I bought 1 year later), I chose S. Metroid and I never regretted it.
The best Metroid in my opinion, which has aged very well.8 - Super Castlevania 4/Akumajô Dracula
Perhaps my favourite episode in the serie (I do not like the "Metroidvanias" very much except of course for Symphony of the Night), even if the PC-Engine one is very close.7 - Super Street Fighter 2
The best VS fighting game in the world, now and forever. Immortal :D
Street Fighter 2 is surely the most memorable as a historical point of view, and it's also the game I got with the system, but I played the Super more.6 - Breath of Fire 2
One of my favourite RPG and the best in the serie (even if the 3 is excellent too).
It was not as long nor beautiful as top RPG on the system but I loved the unique and quite dark atmosphere, the music as well as some nice features (fusions, building his own city, etc) at the time.5 - Tengai Makyô Zero
The first RPG I finished in complete japanese, without knowing a word of japanese, even kanas...
This was before finishing the second episode, which is obviously better, but I still keep a soft spot for the Zero.
I'd love to see a fan translation of this game.4 - Contra Spirits/Super Probotector
For me, one of the best Konami game of all time and arguably the best "run'n gun" game.
It was a shock to see such a game on a little Super Nintendo.
Everything is perfect in this game.3 - F-Zero
I put it "only" in third but I think it is the game I played the most on SFC.
In general I love racing game but F-Zero is truly special (along with F-Zero X but I have more memories of the SFC one).
I remember very well when I saw it on a real TV, I could not believe it (I had an Amstrad CPC at the time).
I know every inch of each circuit and I still play it regularly.
I even bought a cartmod of BS F-Zero 2 some time ago.2 - Chrono Trigger
One of the best RPG of all time, which I waited very much in 1995 after seing photos and reviews of the japanese version in magazines. Finally I bought it in US version as soon as it came out, and it was fabulous from the beggining to the end.
It's from this game that I began collecting and keeping the games I liked the most.1 - Final Fantasy VI
I don't even know what to say about my favourite game of all time.
I played it like 10 hours a day when I got it by the end of 1994. The music, characters, fighting system, scenario, world of Balance then world of Ruin, and so on, it was completely incredible, I even dreamt it about it
I did not know much about the game before buying it, except for the small review in french "Joypad" magazine.
I have finished perhaps 50 times since 1994, in every version, even the poor Playstation port.
It's simply "my" game, I love everything in FFVI, which is more than just a game to me.Of course, there are much more games that could be in my top : Bahamut Lagoon, Final Fantasy IV & V, Axelay, Turles in Time, Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, DBZ 2, Pocky&Rocky, Rockman 7, and so on...
And some games that I still need to finish like Seiken Densetsu 3 and Dragon Quest III, among others.bolded text
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Nice tops guys! I love all those games except Donkey Kong Country 2 (I have never played it, I had enough with the first one LOL).
@Sebee: I competely forgot about Super Aleste! I just added it to my list.
@UmaroPJ: I also would like to finish Terranigma in English some day. I really hated the French translation. Wow, I didn't think Terranigma was the last RPG you completed on the SNES before Emerald Dragon! I am surprised you prefer Breath of Fire II to Zelda and Super Mario World.
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I love Zelda III (but who would not?) but I did not finish it when I was teenager (the game was lended to me and I did not have the time to complete it before I give it back to his owner), and I finished it only years later. That's why I have fondest memories of other games.
Super Mario World is the second game I got on the system (after Street Fighter 2) and I loved it. However, there have been so much Mario platform games since, that the game feels less "precious" that some other titles, even if is still the best Mario game to me. But it would be in my top 15 for sure
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@UmaroPj said in Top 10 Super Famicom games:
5 - Tengai Makyô Zero
The first RPG I finished in complete japanese, without knowing a word of japanese, even kanas...
This was before finishing the second episode, which is obviously better, but I still keep a soft spot for the Zero.
I'd love to see a fan translation of this game.
bolded textI've read the game is a nightmare to hack , i'm afraid we'll never see any translation at all. But i hope i'm wrong...
Ididn't know there was a sequel to this game , what's its name and on what system ?
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The translation seems to be almost complete:
https://twitter.com/DariaPlays/status/836569459359907840
Umaro was refering to Tengai Makyô II on PC Engine.
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Is that true
!!! 
I think Far East Of Eden 2 Maru is not a sequel to Zero but a sequel to FEOE Ziria , and Zero i guess is a prequel to Ziria although it came later.
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I don't know whether it's true or not. I looked for a confirmation, but I couldn't find anything, except that video from 2015:
Umaro never said Tengai Makyô II was a sequel to Tengai Zero. He only said he completed Zero before completing the second episode of the series (Tengai Makyô II).
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My mistake...
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As always
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Obviously better ? Really ? Can you explain ? I never played both of them but i only saw the rolling demo of Zero and it looked beautiful , i know the other one is on disc then of course sound is surely better and full of cinemas , so what else makes it better ?
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In my opinion, Tengai II is:
-A lot deeper than Zero (more magic spells, more possibilities ; 4 characters instead of three)
-A lot longer (three times as long). It's a huge game with a lot of regions.
-Harder, and thus more interesting. You have got to figure a strategy to beat bosses.
-More sophisticated storywiseZero feels like a simplified, shorter episode, with better visuals.
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Umaro never said Tengai Makyô II was a sequel to Tengai Zero. He only said he completed Zero before completing the second episode of the series (Tengai Makyô II).
Exactly.
Obviously Tengai II is the best for all the reasons Gustav said, however I keep a soft spot for Zero's musics and more "melancholic" atmosphere. And it was the first in the series I finished, a few time after it came out in Japan.
But in the end Tengai II is probably the best RPG of its time, and one of the longest of all time.
