August 23 is the 25th anniversary of one of Nintendo's most beloved consoles, the SNES. In honor of this important gaming machine, we compiled a list of the best games to ever hit Nintendo's old gray box. It might be time to dust off your machine and see how well many of these classics hold up.
25. Secret of Mana
This
action/RPG featured fantastic gameplay and stellar visuals, combat, and
music to boot. Not only was Secret of Mana a stellar action/RPG, but it
featured three-player co-op, which is still unheard for for a game of
this type. We’re still impressed with how well it holds up today. (Watch us replay the game here.)
24. Donkey Kong Country
Most
of Nintendo's early platformers were renowned for their stellar
gameplay, but Donkey Kong Country was known more for its 3D-like
graphics than anything else. While it was no slouch in the gameplay
department, we were more entranced by the then-impressive character
models for DK and his enemies. (Watch us replay the game here.)
23. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Despite
being released when most of the gaming world’s eye was on the newer
32-bit systems, this Yoshi-centric sequel lived up to its pedigree. Many
gamers hear Baby Mario’s shrill cries in their nightmares to this day. (Watch us replay the game here.)
22. NBA Jam
In
the height of the arcade era, Midway’s over-the-top basketball game was
so good that even those who were sports averse got into drilling three
pointers from half court and shattering backboards. NBA Jam’s iconic
catchphrases like, “He’s on fire,” and “Boomshakalaka,” are still
drilled into our heads.
21. ActRaiser
A
god-like being known as "The Master" wages an epic war against the evil
forces of Tanzra in Quintet’s 16-bit experiment that combines “god
game” town management with 2D side-scrolling action. For the time it was
graphically amazing, and the combat and world building was mind-blowing
back in 1991. Plus, we’ll never forget those incredible boss battles. (Watch us replay the game here.)