MacWha’s Top 5 Super Nintendo Games of All Time

Hello again all! I welcome all of you in the Non-Fiction Gaming Nation and beyond to continue reading my overly opinionated, devastatingly charming and possibly nail-biting list of my top games separated by console. Now I remind you this list is for me, personally you shouldn’t even be reading it. But alas you are and here we stand. The rules to my lists are as follows…

1. It’ll have as many games on the list as I feel inclined, why you ask? It’s my list suck it.
2. It’s a list of games that have meaning to me, not the best games in the history of time.
3. In many cases I’ll state a franchise and then go into the which was the beast of the bunch.
4. Sometimes I’ll list a game I disliked, felt was overblown, or heck something I just have irrational hatred for.

Yup that’s it, no more to worry about. Today I talk to you about one of the all time greatest video game consoles out there, the SNES. Released in late 1991 the Super Nintendo Entertainment System or SNES was a whirlwind hit with gamers and critics alike. Sparking what is argued as the beginning of the “Console Wars” with Sega and their new Genesis, the Super Nintendo was a beacon of new content, new ideas and new technology. (Super Scope anyone?)

5. TMNT: Turtles in Time

Man I love me some Turtles, just putting that out there right now, I mean I really LOVE me some Turtles. Whether it is Michelangelo with his pizza fetish, Donatello being a nerd, Raphael acting like a hot head jerk or Leonardo just being awesome, I love my Turtles.

Now is it really a surprise to anyone that I would love my Turtles traveling through time? Turtles in Time is a great platformer, like I said with my NES love for Turtles; wonderful A and B fighting gameplay, amusing story and overall good time. Not much really else needed except another out loud and proud “Cowabunga!”

4. Super Mario Kart

Ahh the first Mario Kart, who doesn’t remember spending quiet day in my basement racing around, shooting turtle shells at my brothers. Well if you do, you are either my brother or a creeper and either way you can suck monkey butt.

Mario Kart I think was my first real foray into racing games and well has definitely coloured me towards that style of racing game going forward. I only love Kart style racing games and I blame this awesome one as culprit. Real simple game, you pick whatever favorite Mario character you want to be (I am Luigi, always… I will refuse to play if I am not Luigi… Really, you truly do not understand the perfect storm of hissyfit, tantrum and just being a baby I will be if I am not Luigi… It’s just easier for everyone involved.)

So yeah, you just pick your player and race. Throughout the race tracks you will find various dubious weapons you can inflict upon your other racers, whatever you all know the game; personally I say stop reading this article midway through, and go play the game right now if you’re able. Don’t worry I won’t be offended, just don’t tell my overlords at the webmasters office and we’re cool.

3. Super Mario RPG

I know, I know another Mario game… Well heads up, I love Mario and at the very least you will be seeing his Italian ass on pretty much all of my Nintendo lists. Mario RPG was the first of its kind, stemming from the popularity of other RPG’s such as Final Fantasy and Children of Mana.

Mario has found himself in a very story and stat heavy world, and what is that? He’s hanging with Bowser and various others in the Koopa Krew. The game features all manner of Mario universe characters like fan-favorites Yoshi and Princess Toadstool (Back in her pre-Peach days), you get to explore the Mushroom Kingdoms and many other Mario inspired worlds.

Overall it’s a fun twist on some old characters, while not being the best most balanced RPG on the market; it has all sorts of nostalgia and fan-fare attached to it. Popularity from this game has spawned many other Mario RPG’s like the Paper Mario series, and helped expand into a deeper back story of many different characters.

2. Zelda: A Link to the Past

So I suppose you’re all beginning to see a trend here… Well lets face it we all know Nintendo’s best titles have always been their own. A Link to the Past is no exception. This adventure finds Link, blah blah… something about a princess I think, blah blah, oh shit that was Ganon, what’s that? I need a Master Sword, the Triforce and to go into several themed dungeons?

Yeah it’s essentially the same Zelda game as every other, the real specialness to this title in the series was that it was really the first to bring it all together really well. Where the original NES games were a little clunky and the overall plot lacking, A Link to the Past gave us a familiar story with familiar gameplay elements but really polished its presentation and set the template for all future Zelda titles.

1. Super Mario World

Shock and awe guys, that’s what I go with when I make these lists. SHOCK and AWE… All joking aside, big surprise we see ourselves with another Mario title. Super Mario World was and is arguably the best Mario title PERIOD.

Where Mario 3 set the stage with things like a world map, massive expansions to power ups and minibosses Super Mario World took the torch and knocked em all out of the park. We return to the world of Mario, standard timeless story in hand. Bowser is a jerk, he stole the princess, lets get her back… First and foremost our biggest series changer comes from our first level when we are introduced to Mario Universe fan favorite Yoshi, and lets face it; it just keeps getting better from there.

Be it the massively expansive maps with many many secrets to route out, the cool new power ups (CAPE!), the fun and inventive castles and bosses, the inclusion of checkpoints and hidden coins, hell even the goal posts at the end of each level. Do I really need to say more, honestly I’m kinda being lazy and speeding through the rest of this article so I can go turn my SNES on and play it. You know what screw it.

ARTICLE OVER… GO HOME AND PLAY MARIO! THEN HUG A LOVED ONE, BECAUSE MARIO IS AWESOME!

To see more from The MacWha check out his list of top Gameboy games. Which games rate the highest on your SNES top 5?