[Classic] Under-Appreciated SNES Games

A lot of people have always considered the SNES one of the greatest gaming consoles of all time. Honestly when you look at a lot of the games that has been produced you can probably understand why some people feel this way.

Some of these games are so great they even stand the test of time for the fact that to a lot of people they find these games just as enjoyable now as what they were when they were first released. We all know what these great games are.

They are games such as Earthbound, Final Fantasy III (VI), Chrono Trigger, Actraiser, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, Super Metroid, Secret Of Mana, Super Mario World, Super Castlevania IV, Star Fox, Mega Man X and countless others.

Sometimes these great games can often overshadow other games in the snes game library that are just as enjoyable to the player that's playing them.

To the GFF community what do you feel are some of the underappreciated -underrated snes games that exist and by all means explain why.

I have three snes games I feel are very underappreciated because in my eyes they were fairly enjoyable and a lot of people should play them.

The Legend Of The Mystical Ninja
This game is simply enjoyable and so incredibly easy to play. I came across it accidently when I use to trade games with other kids for the weekend just to play something new. This game has a lot of humour and a tremendous amount of fun factor. Especially playing the carnival level in level three. There are so many mini games to play and it use to suck a lot of time out of weekends when I was a teen. The levels were very well designed: some of the bosses were a little frustrating (I'm looking at you forest boss of the 6th level). It also had a great two player function as well.

X-Kaliber 2097
The game itself is a simple side-scroller but in my eyes it was a very enjoyable side scroller. I really enjoyed at the game for its amazing soundtrack since I'm kind of sucker for 90's dance music. I don't remember a lot about it but some of the tracks in the game sounded a lot like 2 unlimited stuff. It was the type of game you can probably beat in one day or on a weekend rental. I especially loved a lot of the boss fights because they involved strategy because they played much like a fighting game. Besides using a slash attack, pierce attack and long projectile attack you also had the ability to guard. In my eyes you had to plan your attacks very carefully and guard often. I even think there was a 2 player function in which you could play as the hero and all the villians except the final boss in a fighting style game.

The Addams Family
This game is another side scroller and it involved you playing as gomez addams as he tried to save every member of his family in a different part of the house. This game had a lot of playability and there was plenty of secrets in the various sections of the house. It was definetely a fun game and I vividly remember a lot of the levels being a lot more frustrating than some of the boss fights. I didn't even think the last boss was very hard. You got to visit practically every room an addams family house could have. From the kitchen to the graveyard, to the den, to a playroom that looked more a torture room. I remember one secret in the game in which there is a hidden doorway at the very beginning of the game where you pick which part of the house you want to go in. It made the game easier because there were rooms in that secret area that had a lot of 1up's and other powerups.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Do-Re-Mi Fantasy. A pretty hard and unforgiving platformer. It looks kiddy, but don't trust that.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Skuljagger Revolt of the Westicans. A VERY unknown Super Nintendo title. Its really just a basic platformer with a few *Minor* surprises here and there. But the one thing YOU WILL remember from that game, is the soundtrack. It has some of the most catchiest songs known to man kind for a Super Nintendo game.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

^ Requesting soundtrack, then.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Angel Of Light

The Legend Of The Mystical Ninja
This game is simply enjoyable and so incredibly easy to play. I came across it accidently when I use to trade games with other kids for the weekend just to play something new. This game has a lot of humour and a tremendous amount of fun factor. Especially playing the carnival level in level three. There are so many mini games to play and it use to suck a lot of time out of weekends when I was a teen. The levels were very well designed: some of the bosses were a little frustrating (I'm looking at you forest boss of the 6th level). It also had a great two player function as well.

(...)

The Addams Family
This game is another side scroller and it involved you playing as gomez addams as he tried to save every member of his family in a different part of the house. This game had a lot of playability and there was plenty of secrets in the various sections of the house. It was definetely a fun game and I vividly remember a lot of the levels being a lot more frustrating than some of the boss fights. I didn't even think the last boss was very hard. You got to visit practically every room an addams family house could have. From the kitchen to the graveyard, to the den, to a playroom that looked more a torture room. I remember one secret in the game in which there is a hidden doorway at the very beginning of the game where you pick which part of the house you want to go in. It made the game easier because there were rooms in that secret area that had a lot of 1up's and other powerups.

Mystical Ninja was great. I loved the music. I still play it to this day. The Addams Family was a surprisingly great game from Ocean, which usually produced nothing but crap games based on movie licences. The controls were excellent, the graphics were charming, and it proved a decent challenge.

While on the topic of under appreciated SNES games, let me throw in Secret of Evermore, Paladin's Quest, Lufia I and II, Lagoon, and Stunt Race FX.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Plok. Who wouldn't love a witty protagonist capable of firing off his limbs to punch/kick his enemies' lights out? The game had an awesome sense of humor, sweet level design, and addictive gameplay. The Follin brothers composed an absolutely bitchin' soundtrack for it, to boot. You haven't heard electric guitars in a Super Nintendo game until you've played Plok.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Spanky's Quest - A little monkey just trying to go on a picnic, but is ambushed by a witch, who turns his fruit into monsters attacking him. Now you have to defeat each stage using these balloons you bounce your head and when they're popped, they turn into sports balls with different attributes. The game is cute and challenging. I never managed to beat it because of those god damn ballerina apples.

How ya doing, buddy?

Take a look at the hidden gems collection on racketboy. It's not a definitive list but it is a pretty good one.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

It's amazing (and sad) that even today there is no fan-translation for Gambare Goemon 2. The first game was fun but frustratingly hard, the second game is just amazing. If only I could understand what was going on

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Hey Blind Monkey, here: SkulJagger

There's nowhere I can't reach.

WeaponLord. Fucking hell that game was WAY ahead of its time compared to the games that were being made back then. Things that are now common place in fighting titles today like story modes for each character, parrying, weapon clashes and weapon breaking (which, come to think of it, I don't think any other game since then has actually done) were first done in WeaponLord. Its art design and character paintings were fucking spectacular and I was always in awe of its meticulously painted backgrounds.

You wanna know the sad part? Nobody played this game. It was criminally ignored and I despise you all for doing so. Now it's hard as shit to find on eBay or anywhere and I wish it was more widely available to everyone so they could play this game because it's very likely that you will never see a fighting game as good as WeaponLord was for a LONG TIME.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Mystical ninja was the best co-op team game i played with my bro. Something similar in terms of co-op to that was GunStriker which also had team up techniques and was hella fun.
Prehitorik Man was fun too, a platformer for kids but fun either way.
And saturday night slam masters which was an arcade wrestling game, the mayor from final fight also was a fighter in that =p

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Pocky & Rocky - I confess, I never got to play this too much. I rented it one weekend because the reviews were positive but I was only a few hours into the game when a blizzard threatened the area. My dad wouldn't let me use the television because he needed to see the Weather Channel. The following day, freezing rains snapped several power lines and my SNES was unplayable. At the time, game rental contracts were for three days - not five or more - and I had to return the cartridge on Sunday evening. However, the parts I did experience were really fun and it felt like a well-done, whimsical action game. The reviews since have remained high and I've heard many word-of-mouth praises in the past, but Pocky & Rocky somehow remains off the radar. It was successful enough to have spawned a sequel though.

Uniracers - I spent a week in the hospital playing this. It was on a donated SNES system in which the games were tethered to the unit with thick metal wire to prevent theft (until some inner-city asswipe tells his older brother to bring a pair of wire cutters when he visits.) That game got me through the week's boredom due to the sheer quirkiness. It was a precursor to Tony Hawk in many ways. The levels were inventive and the challenges varied, growing to be very very difficult by the end. It had tons of replay value, allowing you to zip through courses for time, and/or style points. It didn't get much press but I loved it.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Encephalon

WeaponLord. Fucking hell that game was WAY ahead of its time compared to the games that were being made back then. Things that are now common place in fighting titles today like story modes for each character, parrying, weapon clashes and weapon breaking (which, come to think of it, I don't think any other game since then has actually done) were first done in WeaponLord. Its art design and character paintings were fucking spectacular and I was always in awe of its meticulously painted backgrounds.

You wanna know the sad part? Nobody played this game. It was criminally ignored and I despise you all for doing so. Now it's hard as shit to find on eBay or anywhere and I wish it was more widely available to everyone so they could play this game because it's very likely that you will never see a fighting game as good as WeaponLord was for a LONG TIME.

Are you fucking serious, Paco? You never in your life played SamSho?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Tintin in Tibet
Released really late in the SNES' life, with piss-poor distribution for the PAL version and no American/Japanese release (due to the whole being based on the Tintin license and everything). Great little platformer/adventure/vidya game. You can travel back and forth in the screen during the exploration sections! It's like THREE DEE in TWO DEE. How you like them apples, they're granny smiths.



Goof Troop
Another Disney/Capcom combo meal of awesome, this one didn't really get a whole lot of attention though. Probably because it had Goofy's kid in it. Nobody likes that guy. Overhead adventure-ish puzzle-ish goofy-ish sort of thing, it really shines in two player co-op.



SOS
The luxury fun times ship thing you're on is sinking, tsk tsk. What a twist. Platform something game, the controls feel a lot like Prince of Persia, and sometimes you'll have to do the same kind of super risky instant death awaits below type jumps. You have a limited amount of time to do things (BECAUSE THE SHIP IS SINKING ). Can you save people? Can you do things? Can you?! This game seemed way ahead of its time, probably why it sold so badly.

There are a number of different people to play as, each offer their own skills and stuff. It's a very difficult game, you can completely stuff yourself up enough to force resets. But it's pretty amazing. Makes incredible use of the SNES' WOOOOOAAAAAAAH Mode-7 abilities. The whole screen tilts around the place and the main character will slide and fall everywhere for lol.



FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Rotorblade

Are you fucking serious, Paco? You never in your life played SamSho?

Of course I did... I did, after all, have a Neo Geo at one point as well and that was one of the three games I had. This thread, however, pertains to Super NES games.

Plus, didn't Samurai Shodown and WeaponLord both come out in 1995?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Encephalon

weapon breaking (which, come to think of it, I don't think any other game since then has actually done)

Soul Blade had that. The mark of a true champion was blocking attacks constantly until your weapon broke then beating your opponent with your bare hands. I think I played that game a wee bit too much.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Angel Of Light

The Legend Of The Mystical Ninja
This game is simply enjoyable and so incredibly easy to play. I came across it accidently when I use to trade games with other kids for the weekend just to play something new. This game has a lot of humour and a tremendous amount of fun factor. Especially playing the carnival level in level three. There are so many mini games to play and it use to suck a lot of time out of weekends when I was a teen. The levels were very well designed: some of the bosses were a little frustrating (I'm looking at you forest boss of the 6th level). It also had a great two player function as well.

Part of the reason that game is underappreciated might be because it was bloody impossible to find. I remember seeing it in Nintendo Power when it came out but I never once saw it in a store or rental place.

Arcana
It was your standard kind of RPG for the time, but had a pretty decent story at a time that not many games had anything that resembled a story. It also had an interesting sense of style with all the characters and monsters appearing on cards. When a character died the card they were on would appear torn. This had little effect on gameplay aside from the fact that the main character actually had cards that allowed him to switch which elemental was in the party, but it made the game look unique. The only thing that really frustrated me was that it was one of those games where anytime the main character died, it was instant game over.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

My top recommended "under-appreciated" SNES game would have to be PLOK. This is a fantastic, colorful platformer that starts off pretty easy so you can get used to it, but turns into a pretty good challenge later on. The gameplay is solid, but I also appreciated other aspects, such as the quirky humor and the music (same people who did the music for Solstice did this game, I believe). If you never got this game, you better ROM it up.

Demon's Crest is another great platformer, and this one is perfect if you're looking for more of a challenge. This game has a lot of secrets (including a secret final boss), and you'll probably have to play through it more than once to experience it all. Perhaps the most interesting part of the game is the ability to transform yourself into other demonic forms as you progress in the game and collect more crests.

Some other recommendable games? Wanderers from Ys, Lagoon, Virtual Bart, and if it is under-appreciated, Illusion of Gaia.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Shadowrun -- RPG -- I don't know if this really qualifies as an underdog, but I haven't really ever heard anybody praise it and I love it to death (granted I've never really looked for people praising it either). It came at a time I was really into cyberpunk, and the whole game is so unusual and freaky. From the bizarre but strangely compelling music to the fantastic portrait art and story, this game is completely off the beaten track. The combat and controls are somewhat weird, but once you get used to it, it's great too. Highly recommended.

Yuu Yuu Hakusho 2 -- Fighter -- As a kid teen, I had no idea this game was related to an anime show, I just loved the unusual combat system and the over the top art. The game doesn't give you the usual 2D fighter side-view, but instead gives you two frontal views. As you perform moves by pushing sideways and then pressing one of 4 action buttons, the view changes to shots of the fighter performing those moves, mimicking fighting scenes from anime. The combat is basically an advanced form of Rock Paper Scissors, but somehow it really works. Takes a bit of getting used to thanks to the Japanese-ness, but nothing a cursory glance at a FAQ or two won't cure.

Wild Guns -- Shooter -- A crosshair-style shooter similar to Cabal, this game derives its charm mostly from being set in a sort of western/sci-fi setting. The gameplay is extremely well-balanced and it's... just pure fun.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Encephalon

Of course I did... I did, after all, have a Neo Geo at one point as well and that was one of the three games I had. This thread, however, pertains to Super NES games.

Plus, didn't Samurai Shodown and WeaponLord both come out in 1995?

Samurai Showdown 1 came out in 1993. The only thing it didn't have was parrying (which usually turns out gay anyway). There was a port of SamSho to the SNES anyway, and Weapon Lord is terrible. The things you give it accolades for don't prevent it from being so, and other fighters at the time regardless of platform were doing the things you give it props for.

Just sayin'.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Encephalon

WeaponLord. Fucking hell that game was WAY ahead of its time compared to the games that were being made back then.

You wanna know the sad part? Nobody played this game.

Excuse me?

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What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

The Firefighters

You go around and fight semi-sentient fire. It's AWESOME.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by redasher

Skuljagger Revolt of the Westicans. A VERY unknown Super Nintendo title. Its really just a basic platformer with a few *Minor* surprises here and there. But the one thing YOU WILL remember from that game, is the soundtrack. It has some of the most catchiest songs known to man kind for a Super Nintendo game.

Ha! I remember that game. As far as I remember, the box art was pretty wild, which made me rent it in the first place.
Those powerups were lame though. Didn't one turn you into a floating lime or bubble or whatever?

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I don't know if this was under appreciated but I do remember no one ever talking about it



Gun duck and ninja duck. Win, win.

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