The first true battle of the consoles began in 1991 with the US release of the Super Nintendo. Boasting 16-bit graphics and a superior soundcard than its competition (the audio system was entirely standalone), Nintendo pushed its art style and name branding against SEGA's "SEGA does what Nintendon't" campaign, but in the end it was what Nintendo did – or had, rather – that put the SNES higher on our chart. Despite "hardcore-minded" competition, Nintendo pushed a pedigree of original content, starting with the debut Super Mario World and carried on through titles like Super Metroid, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, F-Zero, Mario Kart, and the dawn of the FX chip which brought the debut of Star Fox. Developer Rare continued to push the console in its later years with the help of Nintendo, introducing larger cart sizes with Donkey Kong Country, and a flood of third party support pushed the Super Nintendo to legendary status with games like Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Gradius III, Contra III, Mega Man X, Secret of Mana, and many, many more. When it comes to a pure concentration of AAA titles, few consoles – if any – can stand up to the Super NES.
The sales showed it as well, with the first true console war ending in an important Nintendo victory on both the hardware and software front. The Super NES's library was the start, or continuation in some cases, of franchises that are still alive and well today both on a first party and third party front – proof of its legacy. The Super NES controller laid groundwork for the now-mainstream four-button face of both the PlayStation and Xbox controllers, and the experimental first steps into 3D gaming (both real and faked via the FX chip and Mode 7 technology respectively) laid the groundwork for the industry’s future.
"I lived in Japan when the SNES (Super Famicom) came out. Whenever I got together to play multiplayer games with my buddy, D.J., we'd completely overdo it. Remember how looking at your opponent's screen was a crucial tactic in playing Mario Kart? After what must've been a 20-hour Battle Mode marathon, I noticed that D.J.'s Yoshi kept on driving straight into a track barrier. The bastard had fallen asleep in the middle of the game, with his finger on the accelerator! Armed with a red shell, I positioned myself at the far end of the stage, lined up the shot, woke up D.J. and pointed his head at the screen to make him witness the glorious takedown. Yep, it's all about the little things in life."
– Peer Schneider, Senior Vice President, IGN.com
"The Super NES was probably my first system purchase bought on Day One on the system launch, and the first system where I knew I bet on the right horse. I spent more hours playing Pilotwings than Super Mario World, which might tell you where my tastes of gaming have been evolving. And then, Super Mario Kart landed on the system, and that could easily be called my favorite game of all time the way it always managed to end up in my rotation."
– Craig Harris, Executive Editor, IGN Nintendo Team
Super Metroid
Nintendo's exploration-based 2D adventure was propelled to new heights on Super NES, setting the groundwork for such greats as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Widely considered one of – if not the - best games of all time.
Donkey Kong Country
A perfect example of Nintendo's "2nd party" developers in action, Rare pushed the Super NES with games like DK Country. This 2D masterpiece was a true stunner.
Final Fantasy III
One of the best RPGs of all time was a Super Nintendo exclusive. Square's Final Fantasy III brought new gameplay mechanics, superior storytelling, and more to the platform.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger turned heads in 1995, and still amazes today. No Super NES conversation is complete without mention of this RPG classic.
