5 SNES Games That Defined the 1990s

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The Super Nintendo, released in the early 1990s, rapidly became a global phenomenon, following the popularity of the NES. While Sega and the Genesis provided strong competition, the Super Nintendo ultimately sold more units thanks to its incredible library of games. Certain titles especially defined that gaming era. These aren’t necessarily the best SNES games – though they’re all fantastic – but they stand out as particularly memorable. There are many other excellent games worth mentioning, but I especially want to highlight Mega Man X, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, and Donkey Kong Country as games that almost made the final cut.

Here are the five SNES games that defined the ’90s.

5) NBA Jam

This isn’t a list of the greatest Super Nintendo games; it’s about representing the entire decade. The 1990s saw basketball explode in popularity thanks to Michael Jordan and the legendary 1992 Dream Team, reaching a huge global audience. As the sport’s popularity soared, Midway released what many consider one of the best basketball video games ever made.

Both NBA Jam and NFL Blitz were incredibly popular in arcades and continued to sell well on home consoles. In 1994, the Sega Genesis version of NBA Jam actually sold better than the Super Nintendo version, but together they sold over four million copies in just one year. Although Sega had the edge in sales, most critics felt the Super Nintendo version offered a better gameplay experience.

4) Street Fighter 2

Okay, so NBA Jam was awesome in the arcades, but Street Fighter 2? That game ruled when it came out. Seriously, it made arcade owners a ton of money – like, around $5 billion across all its different releases! It was a total quarter muncher. Because it was so popular, a version for home consoles was a no-brainer, and the SNES version was a huge hit, basically selling consoles all by itself.

Simply put, Street Fighter 2 revolutionized the fighting game world, making the genre incredibly popular and sparking a wave of imitators. The Super Nintendo version was almost identical to the arcade game, letting players continue their practice at home after spending all their coins at the arcade.

3) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Many consider A Link to the Past to be one of Nintendo’s greatest games – and that’s high praise given the company’s long and successful history. The Zelda series consistently delivers excellent titles with each new console, but A Link to the Past is particularly memorable for many players as their introduction to the world of Zelda.

Considered one of the greatest games on the Super Nintendo, A Link to the Past heavily influenced the action-adventure genre for years to come. While many Nintendo games are industry benchmarks, this title is consistently praised by both developers and players. It remains popular today, with a dedicated community keeping it fresh through speed-running and innovative randomizer modifications.

While it doesn’t affect its ranking, the game’s continued popularity throughout the ’90s and after proves how impactful A Link to the Past was. It’s a remarkable accomplishment by Nintendo, only surpassed by later installments in the Zelda series.

2) Final Fantasy 3

Here’s where things get a little tricky with Final Fantasy titles. The game most Americans know as Final Fantasy 3 is actually Final Fantasy 6. Square didn’t release Final Fantasy 2 and 3 in the US until much later. So, when Final Fantasy 4 came to the SNES, it was released as Final Fantasy 2. It’s confusing, but we don’t need to worry about that for this discussion, so let’s continue.

Final Fantasy III was the last main Final Fantasy game to use traditional 2D graphics. It also marked a change in leadership, as Hironobu Sakaguchi, the series creator, didn’t direct it. Instead, Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Ito co-directed this game, which served as a farewell to the classic art style.

Okay, so when I think about great villains in the Final Fantasy series, Kefka Palazzo from FF3 immediately comes to mind. Seriously, that guy is just brilliantly evil and makes the game such a fantastic challenge. FF3 wasn’t just a good RPG, it really showed how strong Nintendo was at the time with these kinds of games. It’s a shame that changed when the Nintendo 64 came out – developers started wanting more space on CDs and moved away from cartridges. But honestly, the SNES was a golden age for RPGs, and you absolutely have to include a classic like FF3 when talking about the best of that era.

1) Super Mario World

There’s no question about it: Super Mario World is a classic. As the fourth main Mario game, it was released with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, meaning many people experienced it as their very first SNES game. And thankfully, it lived up to the hype, delivering another fantastic platforming adventure.

It’s not that Super Mario World wouldn’t have been a hit on its own – it’s a truly fantastic game. But launching with the Super Nintendo really helped it stay top-of-mind for fans from the very beginning.

This game truly defined gaming culture and became a major competitor to Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog, creating one of the most famous rivalries in the industry. It was impossible to grow up playing video games in the 1990s without knowing about it. It was a massive global hit, and deservedly so, as it’s considered by many to be Nintendo’s greatest platforming game.

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2025-12-15 02:11