5 Super Nintendo Games you need to play

26/7/2021

Guest Blog post by Adam Foster @AngelicWiganer / @snoopfozziefozz

The SNES has a humungous library that’s for sure and often we can miss titles that we didn’t play, or didn’t get a chance to play. I wouldn’t say the five titles I picked are hidden gems or particularly on the rare side. However, I do think each one of these has its own merits to be welcomed into any retro games collections. Let’s take a look at five Super Nintendo Games you need to play.

Super Tennis
In my opinion no other tennis game has come close to replicating the fun and simplicity of Super Tennis. It’s still the best tennis game out there. I LOVE the main theme tune for the game, and I often listen to it time to time just on YouTube. In fact I just LOVE everything about Super Tennis.

It’s easy to play, not complicated and provides a ton of fun in either single player, co-op doubles or battling a friend. The best thing about this now, is that we have access to it on the Switch online service. I recently completed the World Tour and was overjoyed with it. However if you are a collector and would like the physical version of it, it won’t hammer your wallet too much. Anywhere between £5-£12 depending on box and condition. Go and play it NOW!

Batman Returns
We all love a game with the Caped Crusader, well I do anyway. If you haven’t checked out any of the Arkham games then you really should they are a treat. However back in the early 90’s our mates at Konami (remember them) made this fantastic side scrolling brawler. Imagine Batman bashing up baddies in Gotham in a similar vein to Final Fight.

I think it often gets overlooked as do most movie licensed games. They can’t all be tarred with the same brush. Its got good lovely graphics and that classic Konami music which adds to the experience. This one is more on the expensive side. I’ve seen prices for as low as £20 loose, going up to nearly three figures for a boxed copy. Keep your eyes peeled on the boot sales and see if you can get this on the cheap.

Super Tennis (SNES)

Batman Returns (SNES)

Super Aleste
The SNES had a fantastic array of shmups. If you was asked to name some no doubt you’d get the usual answers (Gradius, RType, Axelay etc.) I remember picking this game up in a random market stall in Skelmersdale back in 1993 and I was just attracted to the box art. You didn’t see many SNES games with the yellow boxes back then.

Anyhow. Super Aleste or Space Megaforce as its known in the Far East is a vertically scrolling shooter. It was a critically acclaimed title, praised for its use of Mode 7 and I felt like the power ups in the game were like nothing I had ever seen before. As with most shooters it is quite difficult, but the gameplay is bang on and keeps you coming back for more. Price wise you’re looking at £20-30 loose and a boxed copy anywhere between £70-£120 depending on condition. Might be cheaper to get the Super Famicom version rather than the PAL game.

Super Smash TV
Smash TV was an arcade hit from Williams/Midway in April 1990, it is a dual stick shooter, before the times of analogue sticks. So the port was made to various home consoles and it came to the SNES in 1992. It’s plot and theme is similar I guess to something like the film The Running Man. It’s a gameshow where you make your way through various zones shooting enemies to finally get to the end boss and you pick your prizes like toasters and fridges along the way.

The shooting directions are controlled with the XYBA buttons whilst you can control with the D-Pad. The action is fast and furious. In my opinion it certainly paved the way for a lot of twin stick shooters today. I feel Super Smash TV is an ideal game for a quick fifteen minute burst of gaming. No complicated plot line, no real thought involved. Just blow your enemies to smithereens. Super Smash TV is not a bank balance breaker either, a boxed copy will probably set you back anywhere between £12-£20 again depending on the condition.

Rock and Roll Racing
This little gem published by Interplay features you racing around various planets across the universe. The tracks are really cool and they are in an isometric format so the camera follows you around. As the title of the game suggests, the soundtrack features classic rock tracks as you progress each stage. My personal favourites are Born to be Wild and Paranoid.

This is no normal racer, you get the chance to improve the attacking capabilities of the vehicle and purchase a load of weapons such as guns, rocket launchers and landmines just to name three. The SNES has so many quality titles, but for me this should be in your collection without a shadow of a doubt. £20-£25 for a boxed copy should see you on the right way to adding this to your collection.

So there you go. That’s five SuperNintendo titles that you should give a try. I had so many to choose from, but I felt that these were all easily accessible and easy to pick up and play without getting drawn into a long heavy story. What’s your five titles that need more appreciation? Hit us up in the comments below.
In the meantime you can reach me on the socials below and as always Keep Gaming!!

Guest Blog post by Adam Foster @AngelicWiganer / @snoopfozziefozz