SNES Quick Reviews

Dozens of Games at a Glance

A - B - C - D - E - F
G - H - I - J - K - L - M
N - O - P - Q - R - S - T
U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Accelebrid (Super Famicom): Game Type: 3D Chase-View Shooter; Rating: 20/100; It appears that even a cartridge-based system is not immune to infection by FMV shooters. That's right, Accelebrid is a 3D shooter a la Space Harrier projected over looping prerendered backgrounds. Space limitations make this video decidedly pixellated, but even if the graphics looked good it wouldn't make up for the hideous gameplay.
ActRaiser: Game Type: 2D Platform/Simulation; Rating: 90/100; Probably the strangest mix of genres ever seen in a game, but it's still an excellent title. You clear an area of monsters in a highly playable platformer, then build a city there while fending off further monster attacks. The graphics and classical music are great. A must.
ActRaiser 2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; How the mighty have fallen... If Actraiser 1 was a must, the sequel is a must not. Gone are the city-building sequences, which might be bearable if the gameplay weren't ruined in the platformer areas. Beautiful graphics and nice classical music by Yuzo Koshiro, but it's not enough.
Aero the Acro-Bat: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Sunsoft is trying to create their own Sonic the Hedgehog, but Aero doesn't quite cut it. The gameplay is nowhere near as well thought out, the attacks are strange, and the scenery is boring. OK but not great.
Aero Fighters: Game Type: Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; A less-than-perfect port of the arcade shooter. The graphics are bland and the animation stinks but the gameplay is excellent. Worth consideration for die hard shooter fans.
Aladdin: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Excellent! Aside from the pathetic attempts at cinemas this game is perfect. Although the character graphics aren't as well done as on the Genesis version the animation is just as good, and the gameplay is arguably better. A bit too easy but still a must see.
Albert Odyssey (Super Famicom): Game Type: Strategy/RPG; Rating: 80/100; The graphics and audio are quite reminiscient of Zelda 3. (In other words, they're good.) The game is one endless battle; to journey to the next town your characters must fight their way across a hex grid riddled with monsters. The map endlessly scales and rotates during these battles, which can get annoying. Overall - good, but there's no guarantee you'll like it.
Alcahest (Super Famicom): Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 80/100; The character animation is a bit awkward but the graphics are nice and the gameplay is decent. Only worth importing if you can get it cheap, though.
Animaniacs: Game Type: Adventure; Rating: 80/100; Colorful graphics, awesome music, and of course the coolest characters ever to grace a TV screen. Hilarious throughout, very much in the spirit of the show. Not exactly addictive but well worth a try.
Arcade's Greatest Hits: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 80/100; This one isn't an emulation like its Playstation counterpart, so the games aren't arcade perfect. It also doesn't include Bubbles, so the PS version is definitely the one to go for if you can. If not, this will suffice, since these five classic games are (nearly) as addictive as ever.
Aretha II (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 70/100; Beautiful animesque artwork, lush scenery, and a semi-original approach to first-person battles where enemies can attack from the sides and the rear. But the gameplay is still hardly exciting and the enemy designs are lame. In the age of Wild Arms and FF7 this just isn't worth the trouble to import.
Arkanoid - Doh it Again: Game Type: Ball and Paddle; Rating: 80/100; Could have been a classic. Beautiful graphics, awesome new powerups, and 99 stages. But it's just too damn easy. The ball moves so slowly there's almost no chance you'll miss it, even on the highest difficulty setting. Rent first even if you're a fan of the series.
Astroboy (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 20/100; Awful graphics and frustrating gameplay. Stay far away from this one.
Bahamut Lagoon (Super Famicom): Game Type: Strategy/RPG; Rating: 90/100; A brilliant RPG by Square. Movement on the battlefield is handled a-la Shining Force, but any hand-to-hand combat takes place in a Final-Fantasy style battle sequence. The art is reminiscient of FF3, and the special effects are phenomenal. Not as deep as Tactics Ogre but every bit as enjoyable. Worthy of import.
Battleclash: Game Type: Light Gun Shooting; Rating: 70/100; Requires the Super Scope to play. Fairly playable but graphically weak, especially compared to Metal Combat. Try the sequel instead.
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; Very impressive graphically but just as frustratingly difficult as its predecessor. If you liked the first Battletoads you'll by no means be disappointed but it's too tough for me.
Battletoads / Double Dragon: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 30/100; The graphics were incredible on the NES, but there should have been at least some improvement when porting it to the SNES. At least the difficulty is better balanced than in Battlemaniacs.
Blackthorne: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Like Out of this World or Flashback, you must plan each move before you act. If you're willing to put up with the sluggish and sometimes frustrating play it's a decent game. Polished graphics, good sound, and a grim atmosphere.
Blazeon: Game Type: Side-View Shooter; Rating: 50/100; The idea of melding with enemy ships and using their weapons is cool, sure. Too bad every other aspect of the game sucks. The graphics are awful, the music is lame, and the gameplay is boring.
B.O.B.: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Fairly playable, and the main character is cool, but the occasional cheap hit brings this game's score down.
Breath of Fire: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; It's no FF3 but the graphics are pretty well done, and there's a good selection of characters. Zillions of sub-quests guarantee it'll keep you busy for a long time (although the game begins to drag on a bit towards the end).
Breath of Fire II: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; Unfortunately Capcom handled the translation themselves instead of licensing it to Square like the first. As a result the text quality is horrible. At least it offers some graphic improvements over the original.
Bubsy: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Mix Mario's poor defensive abilities with Sonic's speed and you have... a disaster. The graphics are nice, the main character is funny, and the pace is speedy, but the need to land precisely on enemies' heads gets tedious after a few stages.
Bubsy II: Game Type: 2D platform; Rating: 70/100; More of the same. If you liked the first you'll like this.
Bust-a-Move: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 90/100; A bizarre mix of billiards and Columns that actually works. Shoot sticky bubbles into groups of the same color to clear them. Two player versus mode is best but the one player version is good too.
Cacoma Knight in Bizyland: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 80/100; If you can stand the cutesy atmosphere it's a pretty good clone of Qix. Nice, colorful graphics but too kawaii for me.
Castlevania IV: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Probably the best Castlevania on any platform to date. Decent graphics, awesome gameplay, cool (and very unique) music, and some nice special effects.
Castlevania - Dracula X: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The anime-style approach to Castlevania is decidedly welcome, but DracX is a downgrade from Castlevania IV in both graphics and gameplay. Still worth checking out because, hey, it's Castlevania.
Chaos in the Windy City: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; It's a decent platformer so I'm willing to forgive the Michael Jordan license. Nice graphics and character animation. The gameplay has potential but doesn't quite flow perfectly.
Chrono Trigger: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; Aside from the poor character animation this game is practically perfect. The backgrounds are beautiful, the music is fantastic, and the special effects are eye-popping. Lots of different endings, too.
Clay Fighter: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 70/100; The characters are all digitized claymation figures, and as a result the graphics are awesome, but of course the animation is hideous. Still a decent Street Fighter clone, definitely worth a rental.
Clay Fighter 2: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 70/100; Features more characters than the first but there are no animation or gameplay improvements to speak of. Don't bother unless you liked the first.
Contra III - The Alien Wars: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Nice graphics, great playability, but man, is it tough! As if standard mode wasn't bad enough you have to beat it on the highest difficulty to get the good ending.
Cotton 100% (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; A cutesy shooter featuring a witch on a broomstick as the main character. Lots of powerups, options which can fly in different formations, and overall decent gameplay. The graphic style doesn't totally appeal to me but it sure is colorful. Don't rush to import it but it's worth a play, especially for Gradius fans.
Crayon Shin-Chan (Super Famicom): Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 50/100; Based on the only anime series I know of with an exhibitionist hero. Several of your special attacks consist of mooning the enemy to death. (No I don't think the elephant impression is in this game, thankfully.) Your only main attack is to jump on enemies' heads, which is difficult in a pseudo-3D game. Colorful and cartoony but not worthwhile gameplaywise.
Crazy Chase: Game Type: Isometric-View Platform; Rating: 80/100; Speedy, humorous, visually appealing, and way too short. I would heartily recommend this game if it had more than 5 stages. Still, it does have a fair amount of replay value and may be worth a look.
Cross Dimension 0079 (Super Famicom): Game Type: Isometric-View RPG; Rating: 40/100; A mech strategy game, vaguely similar to Shining Force. Virtually all of the battle menus are in English but of course all dialogue is Japanese. Strangely enough special moves can be accessed while attacking with Street Fighter-like controller commands. The gameplay is passable but not good enough to make up for the weak graphics.
Cyber Police (Super Famicom): Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 40/100; Why import this game when we've got dozens of domestic brawlers that are equally lame? Poor animation, annoying music, and frustrating and repetitive gameplay.
Daffy Duck - The Marvin Missions: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; Excellent graphics and sound but the game could flow a bit better. Another platformer content to be merely average thanks to its license.
Death & Return of Superman: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 40/100; Just another pretty face. The graphics are nice but with very few moves the game gets boring quick. And since when can a generic thug punch out the Man of Steel?
Demon's Crest: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Your character can cling to walls and has a limited ability to glide, making this one of the more original platformers on the SNES. Nice graphics, too. Too bad it's so quickly beaten.
Donkey Kong Country: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Pretty rendered graphics and decent gameplay to boot. Everyone and their dog's played it, of course, so why do you need my review?
Donkey Kong Country 2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; DK gets ditched in favor of a strange new chick with moves that don't work into the gameplay as well. I personally like the first better. The music is awesome, though, and the graphics are almost 32-bit quality.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; OK, the series is getting old, already. And what's the big idea getting rid of Diddy Kong for this new brat? Sure, it's a good game, but definitely not worth it if you own either of the first two.
Doraemon 4 (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Shallow even for a platform game, but still fairly enjoyable. Older players will find it way too easy, though; this game is squarely aimed at young kids. Cute and colorful.
Double Dragon V: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 40/100; Aaack! What a way for a series to die. It's not even a real Double Dragon game, for Christ's sake! Lame graphics, lame animation, lame gameplay... almost makes Shaq Fu look good.
Dragon Quest III (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; A remake of the Famicom game with vastly improved graphics and sound. If you liked Dragon Warrior III for the NES but are sickened by the graphics now you should definitely investigate this, especially since you'll be able to navigate without knowing Japanese.
Dragon Quest VI (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; Nice graphics, and of course any gamer knows what to expect of the Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest series as far as gameplay. Worth importing.
Dragon Ball Z 3 (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 50/100; Dragon Ball fanatics will no doubt love it. I didn't. Small characters, poor graphics, and a split-screen fighting game just doesn't work. Maybe if you liked X-Men: COTA...
Dragon's Lair: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Well, the graphics are very impressive. Can't say the same for the gameplay but at least it's not a noninteractive cartoon like the arcade.
Earth Defense Force: Game Type: 2D Shooter; Rating: 50/100; Fairly playable but to compete against Space Megaforce it needs better graphics, better sound, and a much better powerup system. Merely average.
Earthbound: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; Don't be scared off by the kiddie character graphics; this is a surprisingly mature and decidedly funny RPG. The visuals work well once you're used to them (dig those battle scenes) and the game itself is very enjoyable. Too bad the ending is so hopelessly lame, but I'll be watching the N64 sequel very closely...
Earthworm Jim: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; The graphics and animation are unbelievably good and the game's sick sense of humor is great. Too bad the gameplay is only average. Still, this game is an absolute must for rental.
Earthworm Jim 2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Although they're not hideous the redone character animations don't work as well as the original's. You're also put through too many strange subgames (including an isometric shooter) too early in the game. At least the graphics are still further improved.
Eek the Cat: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; You must try to keep various blind or sleepwalking people from waltzing into traps. The game starts out easy enough but quickly gets frustrating. The graphics are nice enough, at least.
Equinox: Game Type: Isometric-View Platform; Rating: 70/100; The sequel to the NES's Solstice faces many of the same problems as the original. The control is awkward, you can't always get a clear look at the action, and the game is way too tough. The graphics are awesome, though, and if you're masochistic enough to like the first you'll like this.
E.V.O.: Game Type: Side-View Adventure; Rating: 80/100; A novel concept. You start as a fish and must earn experience to evolve your jaws, fins, and eventually your whole body. Eventually you metamorphose into a land-based mammal and finally a human, if you're skilled. Graphically unremarkable but the gameplay is good.
F-Zero: Game Type: 3D Racing; Rating: 90/100; Back when the SNES first came out this was the graphical creme de la creme. It no longer claims that title but the colorful look is still great and the gameplay is outstanding.
Faceball 2000: Game Type: First-Person Shooting; Rating: 80/100; Graphically primitive but an excellent two player game. Besides, you have to like the concept of shooting up smiley faces. If you can't link up two Playstations to play Doom this is your solution.
Fatal Fury 2: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 80/100; The idea of jumping between different planes in a fighting game doesn't really work unless the characters are made of polygons. Still, taken strictly as a 2D fighter it's nearly as good as SF2.
Fatal Fury Special: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 85/100; It renders Fatal Fury 2 obsolete but Street Fighter players are probably used to that. With the largest character roster of any NES fighter, it may well be the next best game after Super SF2.
Fighter's History: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 40/100; A pitiful SF2 clone with lame characters and poor graphics. Not worth a rental when the SNES has so many other great fighters.
Fighter's History 2 (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 40/100; Only released for Super Famicom. More of the same from the first, though the characters seem somewhat improved. Has a much stronger Japanese flavor than the original.
Final Fantasy II: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; Although FF3 blows this aging game away graphically I don't think I'll ever remember its characters or quest as fondly as I do FF2's. FF2 also doesn't have that depressing second world...
Final Fantasy III: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; Beautiful graphics that border on art, awesome special effects rivaled only by Chrono Trigger, lots of optional subquests, and some exceedingly cool characters. People are gonna forget all about this one when FF7 comes out but it's still a cool game.
Final Fantasy V (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; Although I have reason to hope that we will never again miss out on a Final Fantasy game (American audiences wouldn't stand for it) it is regrettable that this is one of the games Square chose not to port. Although it doesn't offer many graphic improvements over FF2 its battle system is considerably deeper than any other FF game, including FF7. If you're a true fan of the series it's worth importing and wading through the Japanese text.
Final Fight: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; Fast-paced and fairly playable but not only is there no two player option, one of the characters from the arcade game is missing. Perhaps worst of all the chicks with the handcuffs are gone! Despite the small moves list this game is still somehow appealing.
Final Fight Guy: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; Exactly the same as Final Fight but Cody has been taken out and replaced with the arguably cooler character Guy, who was removed from the arcade.
Final Fight 2: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; Three characters to choose from and the two player option has returned, thankfully. The sequel seems to have lost some of the original's graphic appeal, however.
Final Fight 3: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; Your choice of four characters, each of which has Street Fighter-style special moves. It's still no Streets of Rage, though.
Firepower 2000: Game Type: Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Awesome graphics, great music, cool sound effects, and nice weapon systems, plus your choice of two unique vehicles. Add in a two player option and you have a shooter to (almost) rival Space Megaforce.
Fist of the North Star 6 (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 40/100; For a time I managed to convince myself the Game Boy version was pretty cool thanks to the nice graphics. Now I know nice graphics don't make up for lame gameplay, especially if the animation is lousy.
Fox Trot: Game Type: Comic Strip; Rating: 90/100; With Bloom County, Calvin and Hobbes, and the Far Side all gone to that big funnies page in the sky this is the only reason I have left to read the comics. Endearing characters, fast-paced humor, and a great art style. If your local paper doesn't carry it start writing letters!
Gokukyou Parodius (Super Famicom): Game Type: Side-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; A whopping 11 "ships" to choose from, each with its own set of weapons. Hilarious stages and bosses. And all the slowdown of Gradius III. If you can put up with that last part and you like Gradius you'll love this game.
Gradius III: Game Type: Side-View Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Lots of weapons to choose from and nice graphics. Too bad there's so much slowdown and flicker.
Great Battle III (Super Famicom): Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and others in a colorful and cute but ultimately boring beat-em-up. Definitely not worth importing.
Great Battle IV (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; I like this a lot better than its predecessor. The four characters each have their own set of special abilities. You can switch between them at will, and you'll need to in order to clear the stages. A mix of Contra and Lost Vikings with cute graphics and passable gameplay.
Great Battle V (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform/Crosshair Shooting; Rating: 70/100; Very much like GB4, except that half the stages are crosshair shooting a la Cabal or Nam 1975. It's easy to get stuck in some places for several minutes until you figure out the obscure solution to a puzzle or the weakness of a boss. Not bad but not worth importing.
Hebreke's Poppoitto (Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; How can a game like Dr. Mario be made more challenging? How about adding "viruses" that move around while you play? Cute characters, nice control, and good gameplay. My only complaint is with the bland colors.
Hyperzone: Game Type: 3D Chase-View Shooter; Rating: 40/100; The producers concerned themselves only with showing off the then newly released SNES's graphic abilities and couldn't be bothered with gameplay. Yawn.
Illusion of Gaia: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 70/100; For months I was excited about the impending release of a sequel to SoulBlazer. I was disappointed with what I got. While this is arguably a more polished product, the graphics aren't as appealing, the quest is too short, the sharp gameplay has lost its edge, and the syrupy sweet storyline makes me want to gag.
Judge Dredd: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; An rather tedious platformer with nothing to keep you playing. It's not horrible, there's just nothing special about it. Try it if you like those games that make you explore every nook and cranny of a stage.
Jungle Book: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Beautiful character animation and backgrounds, but the game can get a bit frustrating at times. Well worth a rental but even if you purchase it don't count on beating it.
Kendo Rage: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 30/100; Serious otaku only. Frankly the lame gameplay isn't worth putting up with the bizarre stages and weird jokes that only someone heavily into Japanese culture would understand.
Killer Instinct: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 60/100; If you liked the arcade then you'll like this. I acknowledge that it's a decent product and the rendered graphics look great but I find the infinite combos and air juggles to be a ridiculous and unfair element in a game for two players.
King of Dragons: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 40/100; When the graphics are lame and the gameplay is boring, adding the gimmick of building levels RPG-style can't save the game.
Kirby's Avalanche: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; A.K.A. Puyo-Puyo, A.K.A. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. Little blobs fall in pairs and you line them up in groups (not necessarily rows or columns) of the same color to clear them. It's Puzzle Fighter without the detonators. The basic concept doesn't quite work in my opinion but I have friends that disagree, and you might like it too.
Kirby's Dream Course: Game Type: Miniature Golf; Rating: 80/100; A cute miniature golf game with a surprising amount of depth. Has an appealing look and great gameplay.
Krusty's Super Fun House: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 30/100; Run and jump around various areas, placing blocks to "help" rats get to a trap. It would have much the same appeal as Lemmings if it weren't so infernally frustrating.
Lawnmower Man: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Mainly a platformer but it features lots of 3D subgames. Too bad it's insanely difficult because it has some of the most awesome special effects ever seen on the SNES.
Lennus II (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; The original Lennus was released here as Paladin's Quest, and this features the same cool, unique art style and the same unusual crosspad-only interface. But Paladin's Quest wasn't for everybody and neither is this.
Lethal Enforcers: Game Type: Light Gun Shooting; Rating: 60/100; The graphics consist of ugly, ugly digitized sprites but the game is fairly enjoyable as long as you have a light gun. (It works with crosshairs but Konami's Justifier is vastly better.)
Light Fantasy II (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; A pleasant mix of Final Fantasy and Shining Force with cute and colorful graphics but not much in the way of special effects. A good game but you'll have to decide if it's worth figuring out an unfamailiar menu system in Japanese.
Lion King: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Beautiful scenery and awesome character animation. It's really tough, though. The ending is unbelievably lame considering how much you have to go through to see it.
Live-A-Live (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; The battle system is a bit difficult to figure out with all the text in Japanese, but it's passable. Not much in the way of graphics, either. The game really shines when it comes to the the story, though. You choose one of several characters, each with a completely different storyline. (The caveman's scenario is both hilarious and romantic at once and has no text whatsoever.) Not my first choice for import but it's not bad, either.
Lufia: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; Graphically lame but the game is solid and the story is extremely good. If you're not into RPGs this isn't the place to start but if you are you'll definitely enjoy it.
Luna Strike (Super Famicom): Game Type: War Sim; Rating: 70/100; Similar to Military Madness for the TG-16, which is a great game, but unless you read Japanese (kanji, not kana) you'll be completely lost in all the menus. You may want to settle for Panzer General on the PS.
Macross (Super Famicom): Game Type: Side-View Shooter; Rating: 90/100; You don't need to be a Macross fan to appreciate a shooter this good. Tons of weapons, the ability to capture and use enemy ships, and just plain solid gameplay. Well worth the import for shooter fans.
Madara 2 (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 50/100; Bland graphics and not much in the way of special effects. Once you give the order to attack characters act on their own until you bring up the menu again, so most battles can be beaten at the touch of a button (which will hardly keep you on your toes). Don't bother.
Magic Sword: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 40/100; Weak graphics and cheap hits galore. This game is all around horribly primitive.
Magic Knight Rayearth (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; Simplistic but pretty anime-style graphics and an all-female cast. What more could an otaku ask for? Well, maybe more special effects, but the game shines in every other category and is easy to figure out despite all the Japanese text. Consider it for import!
Magical Drop (Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; The graphics and audio are a major disappointment if you've played MD2 or 3 for the Neo. The colors are hideous and the ghostly voice samples will drive you mad after you hear them repeated umpteen times in one minute. But the gameplay is 100% intact, and very addictive. This is an excellent two player puzzler, but get the Neo or Saturn versions if you can.
Majin Tensei II (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; A sim/RPG vaguely like Shining Force. The graphics are outstanding. It's by Atlus so there are small similarities to Revelations - Persona on Playstation but this game is far more coherent. The menus are of course in Japanese but aren't hard to figure out. Import a used copy if you can.
Mazinger-Z (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 30/100; A platformer somewhat along the lines of X-Men - Mutant Apocalypse but with hideous character animation and weak moves. Even a domestic release wouldn't be worth buying.
Mech Warrior: Game Type: First-Person Shooting; Rating: 70/100; Very simplistic; the towns are nothing more than a series of menus and the game is little more than a showcase for Mode 7. Still, it is well written and the game has a certain allure. If you're into mech simulators it's worth a look.
Mech Warrior 3050: Game Type: Isometric-View Shooter; Rating: 40/100; A hideously bad attempt to duplicate EA's Strike series. Evading enemy fire is nigh impossible, the graphics are lame, and the animation is poor.
Mega Man 7: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Unfortunately Mega Man and Mega Man X are two totally separate entities in Capcom's eyes, so you can't cling to walls as you can in the X games. You'll soon forget about that, though, when you see the awesome character animation and cool weapons. There's even a hidden two player versus mode.
Mega Man X: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; This game has playability not seen in the Mega Man series since MM2. Beating the game won't take too long but finding all the hidden items may not be so easy.
Mega Man X2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; More of the same from the first. The backgrounds are beautiful and there are even more hidden powerups to be found.
Mega Man X3: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Finally, you get to play as Zero! Unfortunately you're only allowed to do so for part of each round, and waiting for him to warp in and out is so annoying you won't want to do it very often. Aside from that it's the same old excellent Mega Man game.
Metal Combat: Game Type: Light Gun Shooting; Rating: 80/100; Requires the Super Scope light gun. More playable, longer, and graphically better than its predecessor, Battleclash.
Mickey Mania: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Beautiful graphics, great character animation, and incredible special effects. Graphically one of the best games made for the SNES, and the gameplay ain't bad either.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; This might actually be a good game if it weren't so unbelievably easy; I beat it on my first try. Nice graphics and lots of moves.
Mr. Do: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 80/100; Part Pac-Man, part Dig Dug, all fun. The control is way too sensitive, though, and that can be frustrating at first. But once you get used to it the game is pretty addictive.
Mortal Kombat: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 70/100; Most people already have their own opinions on Mortal Kombat, but I offer mine: the digitized graphics look awful, the animation is poor, and the gameplay is hampered by bad control.
Mortal Kombat 2: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 80/100; At least this is somewhat of an improvement. The graphics are more colorful, although the animation still stinks. As far as gameplay this is probably the best MK game on the SNES.
Mortal Kombat 3: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 70/100; The graphics have taken a downturn and the new characters are lame. At least it has a larger fighter roster than MK2 but if that's all you're looking for get Ultimate MK3 instead.
Natsuke Crisis Battle (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 20/100; A God-awful SF2 clone. Tiny characters, poor animation, weak gameplay. I neither know nor care what the anime is about but even fans of the series (if there are any) should stay away.
NBA Jam: Game Type: Basketball; Rating: 80/100; Two-on-two bball without having to worry about rules like fouls and the law of gravity. Seriously, even if you don't like basketball sims this pure action approach may appeal to you, and of course it allows four players.
Ninja Marantarou Puzzle (Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 50/100; Don't let the ninja name fool you; this is a cute puzzle game like any other. It has half the ingredients needed to make it a good game - nice graphics and sound and great presentation. Too bad the controls are slippery and matches are way too easy to make. An unpleasant mix of Dr. Mario and Puyo Puyo.
Ninja Warriors: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; If you miss Kung Fu this beat-em-up may fill the void, although the gameplay isn't quite the same. Decent graphics and sound, though.
Ogre Battle: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; A war sim mixed with RPG elements. You control several platoons of fantasy creatures and send them from town to town to liberate the countryside. If a platoon encounters enemy troops a traditional RPG battle begins. Beautiful, colorful graphics and nice special effects. I swear, if I hear one more dumbass refer to this as "Orgy Battle"...
On the Ball: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 80/100; Steer a marble through a maze... no it's not Marble Madness 2, you rotate the entire maze to do it. Nice sound, appealing graphics, and a unique concept. Might not be the game for you but try it if you see it because the carts are getting rare.
Out of this World: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; The polygon graphics allow for amazing animation and impressive cinemas. The game itself is rather tough, though, and at times frustrating.
Pac-Man 2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Definitely a unique approach to the genre. Pac-Man has a series of quests to complete, and instead of guiding him directly you ask him to move left or right. Depending on his mood he may or may not listen. You also use a slingshot on different objects to call his attention to them or knock them away if they're a threat. Nice graphics and great humor.
Paladin's Quest: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; Beautiful (and highly unusual) artwork and an intriguing interface where you go through menus without using any buttons by pressing directions on the crosspad. Not much in the way of a story, sadly, but otherwise great.
Phantom 2040: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; If Super Metroid wasn't enough for you this may be the next game to get. Decent action, nice graphics, and an excellent dark atmosphere.
Pitfall - The Mayan Adventure: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Nice graphics and great character animation but the game is laden with cheap hits and impossible bosses. The original 2600 version hidden within the game is probably its best feature.
Pipe Dream (Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 90/100; Like many SFami releases by BulletProof Software, this one could've almost been released as-is in the U.S., but for some reason never was. Enhancements over the NES version include a variety of backgrounds, different pre-set obstacle layouts for each stage, and a fun two player simultaneous mode. An improvement on a game that was already a blast.
Pocky and Rocky: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 90/100; This game oozes Japanese culture so if you have no tolerance for bizarre humor you may want to avoid it. But you'll be missing out on some of the best graphics, sound, and gameplay ever seen on the SNES. You can knock incoming bullets back or dive out of the way. Allows two players simultaneously, too. Look out, Commando.
Pocky and Rocky 2: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 90/100; Although the sequel offers even better graphics, more characters, and more secrets to find, the two player mode is ruined because half the time player two is out of the game. Rent before you buy.
Popful Mail (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; An action RPG somewhat similar to Zelda II. I couldn't be more pleased with the animesque graphics but as for the gameplay... the enemies will get in a few cheap hits on you, and vice versa. If you've gotta have it, Working Designs has translated the Sega CD version, so hunt that down instead.
Pop'n Twinbee (Super Famicom): Game Type: Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 90/100; The only Twinbee game ever released in the U.S. was Stinger for the NES. It's too bad because Pop'n Twinbee is one of the best shooters of all time. Not a huge powerup system but you can pick up options, drop screen bombs, chuck grenades at enemies on the ground, and punch to block incoming bullets. Awesome control and great gameplay. Import it!
Pretty Fighter (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 50/100; A Street Fighter clone with an all-girl cast. PF's artwork is nice (for the most part) but that's about the only redeeming quality. Poor animation, an unforgivably short character list, and weak gameplay may make even the most die hard otaku think twice.
Prince of Persia: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Great animation and the swordfighting sequences are cool but the need to plan each step before you act gets tedious after a while. If you don't mind the sluggish pace and occasional frustration it's great.
Q*Bert 3: Game Type: Isometric-View Action; Rating: 70/100; Hopefully you're familiar with Q*Bert, but if not, mentioning the vague similarity to Pac-Man should suffice. This vastly upgraded version features scrolling playfields, psychedelic graphics, and insane difficulty. The control is a little frustrating until you get used to it. Well worth a try if you can find it.
Ranma 1/2: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 60/100; The graphics are great but the character animation is poor and the moves are ridiculous. Ranma fans will love it, others won't.
Ranma 1/2 Part 3 (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 70/100; This game was never released in the States. Despite improvements in animation and character design it's still no competition for SF2, so it may be just as well.
Ranma 1/2 RPG (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 50/100; With merely average graphics and no way to understand the storyline or menu system unless you read Japanese, this game isn't worth importing even for Ranma fans.
Rise of the Robots: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 40/100; Well, the rendered graphics are nice... too bad the moves are awkward, the characters strange, and the gameplay in general just not up to snuff.
Road Runner's Death Valley Rally: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; Well, they were on the right track. The graphics are great, very colorful, and Road Runner is every bit as speedy as Sonic. Unfortunately he's too fast for his own good; it's way too hard to see obstacles in time to avoid them.
Robotrek: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; Build robots and send them into (almost) traditional RPG battles. Colorful graphics and nice audio. It's no Final Fantasy but it should be an enjoyable romp for RPG fans.
Rocko's Modern Life: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 40/100; A frustrating puzzler where you must keep your idiotic dog from walking into various traps. Nice graphics but the gameplay lacks.
Romancing Sa-Ga (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 70/100; A Square RPG with graphics highly reminiscient of FF2's (but even more primitive). The battle system takes the front row/back row aspect of FF2 even further but as a result you waste a lot of time shifting characters around during battles. It's probably more worth your time to import the sequels.
Romancing Sa-Ga 2 (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; The graphics are a nice middle ground between the styles of FF2 and Secret of Mana; just visually rewarding enough to hold the interest of players who can't read Japanese. The battle system has been reworked slightly to move along faster. Worthwhile if you can get it cheap.
Romancing Sa-Ga 3 (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; Magnificent, colorful graphics and a play style much like the Final Fantasy series but with more depth to the battles. Tons of characters but not much of a storyline for any of them. (But if you can't read Japanese, who cares?) Definitely one to import!
Rudora No Hihou (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; A traditional RPG by Square. Needless to say, it's worth importing. The graphics are wonderful, the animation in battles is without compare, and the special effects are great. The menu system is quite different from the Final Fantasy series but isn't too difficult to decipher. This is as good as a 16-bit RPG gets.
Run Saber: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Your characters have zillions of moves but the gameplay is hampered by the unbelievably floaty jumps. The graphics and sound are nothing special.
Rushing Beat (Super Famicom): Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 40/100; Another wonderful brawler from Jaleco. (Snicker.) You'd think they could have gotten at least one of their character designs right. Lame audio, lame graphics, and extremely lame gameplay. It has a four player versus mode but with all these weak moves it's just not much fun.
Sailor Moon - Another Story (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 40/100; There are no fancy special effects, but the game's nice enough to look at, with a colorful pallette and lots of character art. But this was intended as an introduction to RPGs for play by school-age girls, and as such it is incredibly boring. At least that means there's no kanji, so those with little or no experience reading Japanese should be able to muddle through it. But why bother? You'll have to wander around forever before you encounter a single enemy.
Sailor Moon R (Super Famicom): Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 30/100; Any of five cute Japanese schoolgirls wanders picturesque downtown streets beating the crap out of hideously ugly thugs. This game is just so wrong... With a pathetically small set of moves for each character it won't hold anyone's interest for long. At least the game looks pretty.
Sailor Moon Super S (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 50/100; Colorful graphics but the character designs and animation are rather awkward and the game gets boring fast. Even fans of the series may be disappointed.
Samurai Shodown: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 70/100; The Neo-Geo fighter is excellent but graphically this translation is one of the worst fighters on the market. At least the excellent gameplay is intact, which is more than can be said for the Genesis version.
SD Ultra Battle (Super Famicom): Game Type: Depth Movement Fighting; Rating: 50/100; Basically it's King of the Monsters but with super deformed characters and without the fun of trashing a city. Very repetitive and can grow old quick.
Sea Quest DSV: Game Type: Isometric-View Shooter; Rating: 40/100; Another decidedly poor clone of the Strike games. The gameplay is sluggish and frustrating.
Secret of Evermore: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 60/100; Square could've translated the sequel to Secret of Mana instead of creating this garbage from scratch but nooo... Hideous character graphics and animation, zero depth to the gameplay, and a boring storyline.
Secret of Mana: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 90/100; Not as polished as Zelda and the character animation could be better but the graphics and music are beautiful and the three player option is a big bonus.
Seiken Densetsu 3 (Super Famicom): Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 90/100; If Square'd had the good sense to translate this it would have been the sequel to our Secret of Mana. It's more of the same so if you didn't like Mana you won't like this. There have been a few upgrades, though. You get your choice of six characters (you pick three), each character can be any of several classes, and there are tons of spells available. Nice graphics and beautiful music. May be worth importing.
7th Saga: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; The graphics are a bit dull but the special effects are really nice. It's no Final Fantasy; only two people are allowed in your party at once. But there are several different storylines to follow. Any RPG fan will undoubtedly love it.
Shadowrun: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 70/100; Vastly different from the Genesis version, and worse graphically, but the interaction with items and NPCs is much more complex. Check it out, you'll either love it or hate it.
Shaq Fu: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 40/100; Some of the best animation I've ever seen in a fighting game. Too bad that's its only good feature. Tiny characters and lame gameplay. Avoid.
Shien's Revenge: Game Type: Crosshair Shooting; Rating: 70/100; This is actually kinda cool for a point-and-shoot game. Take out enemies with shurikens and block incoming shots with the cursor. Too short, though, and way too difficult at the end. Supports the mouse.
Shinsen Gokuden (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG/Strategy; Rating: 50/100; A Shining Force-style RPG starring the Gundam characters. Pretty to look at but way too sluggishly paced. The cinematic attack sequences take forever. If you don't read Japanese the vast menus will be difficult to figure out. An okay game but it didn't catch my interest.
Slayers (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 50/100; Apparently Banpresto thought fans would want the same level of quality in this game that they got in the anime series. In other words, poor. The Phantasy Star-like battle scenes are merely okay, and the overhead maps are as ugly and lame as Secret of the Stars'. I'm sure the dialogue is every bit as funny as the anime's but unless you read Japanese this is not worth your time.
Skyblazer: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Too bad nobody's heard of this title, it's an awesome game. Colorful graphics and great gameplay. Ninja Gaiden freaks will love it.
Sonic Blast Man: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 50/100; Few moves and lame graphics. No reason to avoid it but no reason to play it, either.
Smurfs 2 (European): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; Like Jungle Book or the Lion King, and every bit as well animated and good looking, but even more sparsely populated with enemies and even less fun to play.
Soul Blazer: Game Type: Overhead View Adventure; Rating: 90/100; Beautiful graphics and enjoyable gameplay. It's more simplistic than Zelda but from a playability standpoint that's a good thing.
Space Megaforce: Game Type: Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 90/100; The deepest weapon system in any shooter ever, eye-popping special effects, colorful graphics, and edge-of-your-seat gameplay. Don't presume to call yourself a shooter fan if you don't own a copy.
Star Trek: Next Generation: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 50/100; Maneuver the members of an away team around various landing sites, using their individual skills to solve various puzzles. There are some flight simulator scenes aboard the Enterprise as well. Trek geeks will love it but you'll need a hint book to get anywhere.
StarFox: Game Type: 3D Chase-View Shooter; Rating: 90/100; Even the 32-bit systems have yet to produce a better 3D shooter. With decent polygon graphics, tons of stages, and fantastic gameplay, this one's a must-have for any SNES owner.
Street Fighter II: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 80/100; God, I hope you're familiar with this one. A great game but it shows its age now. Besides, Super SF2 renders this obsolete.
Street Fighter II Turbo: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 80/100; The bosses are now playable and the gameplay can be sped up. Whoopee. Releasing a version with so few upgrades was a mistake.
Street Fighter Alpha 2: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 80/100; I suppose this is the best translation possible but I gagged on it after having played the 32-bit versions so much. If you don't have a Playstation... forget this. Go buy a Playstation.
Strike Gunner STG: Game Type: Overhead-View Shooter; Rating: 60/100; The graphics are almost unforgivably primitive for the SNES. STG partially redeems itself with a whopping fifteen side weapons and a two player simultaeous mode, though.
Super Adventure Island 2: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Cute, colorful graphics and decent gameplay, though it's by no means addictive. Rent first.
Super Battletank: Game Type: 3D Simulation; Rating: 20/100; Wander aimlessly among the dunes, spot a tank, blast it, move on. God, this is boring, and the graphics are hideous. Avoid.
Super Bomberman: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 90/100; In keeping with the Bomberman tradition the one player version is awful, but get four people together and the ensuing onscreen chaos will keep everyone up all night. This is the most simplistic of the SNES versions, and indeed that may be for the best.
Super Bomberman 2: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 90/100; Pretty much the same game with a couple new powerups and new options. The new multiplayer arenas are a bit too complex for me. Still an awesome, awesome game.
Super Bomberman 3 (Super Famicom): Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 80/100; What went wrong? The graphics have actually been downgraded. And then there's the bunnies. Don't get me wrong, they're really cute, but when a player's riding one he can only perform one type of action, and the two hits it takes to kill him is one hit too many. At least five people can play now, and the music is incredibly good. SB2 is better, though.
Super Bomberman 5 (Super Famicom): Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 80/100; The animation is improved but little else has changed since Super Bomberman 3. Those damn bunnies are still here. The music is original but nowhere near as good. It's a good game but you're better off with SB3 or better yet SB2.
Super Bombliss(Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; Yet another variation on Tetris. The pieces contain bombs which are detonated by completing a line containing them. They only affect a certain area around them, though, so you need to be careful to position them where they won't leave gaping holes in the stack. More cerebral than most puzzle games but far less addictive.
Super Buster Bros.: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 90/100; Ultra-simplistic arcade action with a few graphic frills. Move back and forth across the bottom of the screen, firing harpoons and dodging the bouncing bubbles. Highly addictive. This game is just too awesome.
Super Dodgeball (Super Famicom): Game Type: Depth Movement Action; Rating: 70/100; Fans of the NES version will probably have just as much fun with this one, but don't expect exactly the same game. The art style is quite different (not necessarily better) and there are a lot more characters to choose from. Nice anime cinemas. Not perfect, but not bad.
Super Empire Strikes Back: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; I'll no doubt piss off a lot of Star Wars fans, but I have to say that I don't like this series. (The games, not the movies.) The character animation is poor, the gameplay is frustrating, and there are way too many cheap hits. Still, the series has devoted fans. Maybe they see something I don't.
Super Mario RPG: Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; The rendered graphics look a little rough around the edges, but they're not too bad overall. A decent game but the spell list could be a lot larger.
Super Mario World: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Colorful graphics, decent gameplay, and dozens of unique stages to explore. You ought to play this but you probably already have.
Super Metroid: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; Wandering around the labyrinthine halls aimlessly can get a little tedious after a while, but the game is spiced up by marvelous graphics, fantastic music, and a great storyline. One question - what on earth inspired Nintendo to add that ridiculous voice sample to the intro?
Super Nazo Puyo 2 (Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; Yet another incarnation of Puyo-Puyo. Sure, it's spiced up by cute cinemas, a puzzle mode with an editor, and a pseudo-adventure game, but it's still just Puyo-Puyo. There are virtually no differences between this and Kirby's Avalanche.
Super Punch-Out!: Game Type: 3D Action; Rating: 90/100; Goes well beyond the original in terms of graphics. The roster of opponents is much larger, too. The gameplay hasn't been changed much but then it doesn't need to be.
Super Return of the Jedi: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; Nice graphics and your choice of several characters to play as, but the gameplay is still fundamentally flawed with lots of cheap hits.
Super Star Wars: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 60/100; Has all the same problems as the sequels, but some of the stages are even more frustrating, and the 3D subgames are really lame.
Super Trump Collection 2 (Super Famicom): Game Type: Card Games; Rating: 70/100; A collection of 10 card games, each accompanied by cool music and backgrounds. All the text is in Japanese, though, and while it is possible to figure out what's going on, it might be easier to just pull out a pack of cards.
Super V.G. (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 60/100; If you're still willing to waste your time on a 16-bit Street Fighter clone and want one with an all-girl cast, choose this over Sailor Moon Super S or Pretty Fighter. VG's character designs and gameplay are marginally better than its competition's. That still doesn't mean you won't get bored with it rapidly. Damn, that intro's cool, though.
Syonen Ashibe (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; You play as a disgustingly cute baby sea lion that must hunt down all the items hidden in various levels and then get to the exit. Extremely easy; this game was obviously intended for young kids. Pretty artwork and passable gameplay. The music can get annoying, though.
Taz-Mania: Game Type: 3D Racing; Rating: 80/100; This is either a unique approach to Tazmania, or a unique approach to racing games, or both. It's a great game regardless. Chase kiwis down the highway and jump over or dodge around oncoming traffic. Beautiful graphics and awesome gameplay.
TMNT IV - Turtles in Time: Game Type: Depth Movement Brawler; Rating: 70/100; It doesn't exactly have a huge moves list but the speedy pace and two player simultaneous mode help make up for that. Nice graphics, too. There's even a one-on-one versus game for when you'd rather beat up on a friend.
TMNT Tournament Fighters: Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 80/100; This may well be the best fighter on the system after SF2. Flashy special moves, great control, and cool graphics.
Tetris & Dr. Mario: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 90/100; No-frills versions of Tetris and Dr. Mario with colorful graphics and great control. Not exactly action-packed like later puzzle games but Tetris is still a pleasant diversion.
Tetris Attack: Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 95/100; Bliss! This game is quickly rising up my all-time greatest games list. It's definitely not Tetris; you swap pieces around anywhere in the rising stacks with a cursor to make rows or columns of the same color. It's very fast paced and in two player mode it's quite possibly the most addictive game I've ever played. Buy this game now!
Tetris Battle Gaiden (Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; This game was a major influence on TetriNet. The game plays like regular Tetris but some pieces contain crystals. If you clear a line containing a crystal you gain magic points, which allow you to do attacks on your opponent. Cute graphics and lots of characters to play as.
Tekkaman Blade (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Side-View Shooter/2D Fighting; Rating: 50/100; You're at the helm of a traditional Japanese giant mech. The shooter portions are pretty enjoyable despite the poor powerup system, but the 2D fighting sequences with the bosses are awful (no better than Heavy Nova). The graphics could be better, too.
Tenchi Muyo RPG (Super Famicom): Game Type: Isometric-View RPG; Rating: 85/100; Even with its limited number of enemy types this game is straining at the limits of its 16MBit cart, thanks to lots of voice samples (by the original voice actors) and character art. The animation could be better but the graphics are otherwise excellent. Perfectly balanced Shining Force-style gameplay. Easy to figure out even with no knowledge of Japanese. A little too short but fans of the series should strongly consider importing it anyway.
Tenchi Sozo (Super Famicom): Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 80/100; It's published by Enix, and it's obviously a kindred spirit to SoulBlazer and Illusion of Gaia. The gameplay has been improved substantially since Gaia; your character has quite a few special abilities. The artwork and special effects are great. Well worth a look for any adventure game afficionado. Released as Terranigma in Europe.
Terranigma (PAL SNES): Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 80/100; The English release of Tenchi Sozo only appeared in Europe. Some puzzles that rely heavily on clues are much more easily solved with the text in English, but you're not missing out on much of a story if you play the game in Japanese. Besides, the cart has strong NTSC protection, meaning you'll need a PAL SNES or a converted U.S. model to play it. It's a good game but it's not really worth that much trouble. (European readers, get it!)
Tetris Battle Gaiden (Super Famicom): Game Type: Puzzle; Rating: 80/100; Tetris, pure and simple - almost. The only real difference from straight Tetris is that some pieces contain crystals which you can use to attack your opponent. Not the most intense puzzle game out there but one of the most enjoyable.
Thunder Spirits: Game Type: Side-View Shooter; Rating: 70/100; A port of the Genesis' Thunder Force III. Nice graphics and a good powerup system, though I'm not crazy about the gameplay.
Tin-Star: Game Type: Light Gun Shooter; Rating: 80/100; Colorful, cartoony, mildly amusing. It offers decent action and lots of challenge, too. Supports the Super Scope, mouse, and control pad. Consider this long before you consider Lethal Enforcers.
Tiny Toons - Buster Busts Loose: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Colorful and speedy. Too bad the attacks are so strange or I might have rated it even higher.
Tiny Toons - Wacky Sports Challenge: Game Type: 2D Action; Rating: 70/100; A collection of subgames that have little to do with any real sport. Some of the events are more enjoyable than others. Still, if you like Track and Field you may go for this.
Total Carnage: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 30/100; Some of the worst graphics I have ever seen on the SNES or any other system. The gameplay is okay but it would have to be a lot better to save this crap.
Traverse (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 80/100; A decent RPG, but it may not be too enjoyable for those who can't read Japanese due to its heavy emphasis on relationships between the characters. (There are many menu choices to be made during conversations.) The special effects don't stand up to Chrono Trigger's too well but the graphics are nice.
Treasure Hunter G (Super Famicom): Game Type: RPG; Rating: 90/100; Developed by Sting (no, not that Sting) and published by Square. The battle system is vaguely similar to Shining Force's, but fights move along much, much faster. Beautiful backgrounds, awesome special effects, wonderful music. As good as or better than Chrono Trigger. Square should definitely translate this for the U.S. but there's no way they will with the SNES on its deathbed.
Twinbee 2 (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Not exactly what I expected since Twinbee games are usually shooters. Still, it's an excellent platformer, a cross between Rocket Knight and Sonic the Hedgehog (very speedy). Nice art, too, although it's a bit heavy on the pastels.
The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 80/100; If you only count graphics and gameplay this game could take on Zelda. There's even a secret two player mode. It's almost a tragedy this game is so unbelievably short.
Umihara Kawase (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; If you're really, really desperate for something similar to Bionic Commando, this might be worth importing. Be warned, though, that this is much slower-paced, the grappling hook is much harder to get the hang of (no pun intended), the graphics and sound are only average, and the heroine wears a pink backpack.
Ushio and Tora (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 30/100; Based directly on the OVA series. You can play as either Ushio or his demon pal Tora. Even if you're a fan (and you shouldn't be, the series is lame) you needn't bother. Poorly designed control, floaty jumps, cheap hits galore, and weak graphics.
Warlock: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 50/100; Nice graphics and awesome animation but defending yourself is practically impossible. Awful gameplay.
Wild Guns: Game Type: Crosshair Shooting; Rating: 80/100; A clone of Nam 1975 featuring, strangely enough, cowboys against mechs. The action is decent and it allows two players at once. Original enough to be worth a rental at least.
X-Kaliber 2097: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 70/100; The music is pretty cool; too bad it repeats every couple stages. Although there's a cheap hit or two the gameplay is pretty good overall, and the graphics are nice.
X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 80/100; Not the most addictive gameplay on earth but with five beautifully animated characters, each with their own Street Fighter-style special moves, this game is worth renting anyway. (Psylocke rocks!)
Xardion: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 30/100; Steer a mech through a sluggish platform game. Utterly boring, don't even bother renting.
Yadamon Wonderland Dreams (Super Famicom): Game Type: Mystery; Rating: 70/100; A graphic/text adventure with lots of mini-games designed for young kids. A good piece of software, but unless you're trying to teach your five-year-old Japanese, I don't see why anyone outside of Japan would want it.
Yoshi's Island: Game Type: 2D Platform; Rating: 90/100; My only gripe with this game is the silly timer, which basically renders you impervious to all but pits. Aside from that the gameplay is good. Colorful graphics and incredible special effects.
YuYu Hakusho 2 (Super Famicom): Game Type: 2D Fighting; Rating: 70/100; A passable Street Fighter clone. The moves and characters are fairly cool but I wish the character animation was a bit better.
YuYu Hakusho Final (Super Famicom): Game Type: Cinematic Fighting; Rating: 70/100; The only game in this category I have ever played (though perhaps that's not such a bad thing). You have no direct control over your character; moves are executed by charging up a meter, then shown in cool anime-style cinemas. Visually stunning and actually enjoyable for a while at least, but the game does wear thin eventually.
Zelda - A Link to the Past: Game Type: Overhead-View Adventure; Rating: 90/100; By no means as addictive as the first Zelda, but it's still a blast the first time through thanks to the beautiful graphics and intriguing puzzles. Why's the second world have to be so dreary, though?
Zombies Ate My Neighbors: Game Type: Overhead-View Action; Rating: 80/100; The graphics and animation are lame but the gameplay is decent, two can play simultaneously, and there are dozens of huge levels to work through. Once you get into the game it will keep you busy for quite a while.