The 10th Hour 04.25.08: Top 10 SNES Games

Posted by Derek Robbins on 04.25.2008

The 16-bit era is one of the most fondly remembered in gaming. This week, 411's Derek Robbins looks back on the Super Nintendo and lists his top 10 favorite games for that console.

Hello and welcome to the 10th hour! As always, I have a couple of things I'd like to hit on before I get the list started.

-The Cubs have been playing insanely hot baseball and appear to have one of the best offenses in the national league. They are doing something this year that they haven't done in years past: Walk! Amazing what a four-letter word can do for a team. Kosuke Fukudome has had such an amazing impact on this team's patience. It has gotten to the point that I actually worry about Alfonso Soriano coming back and messing with what we have going with his "swing at everything" attitude.

-As much as I love Regal, I really don't see him hanging onto the title of king for very long. Mr. Kennedy is returning next week and I have a feeling he'll beat the Raw General Manager and claim the king title for himself. I think he's about due for his annual mega push that goes awry because something totally wacky happens.

Alright, enough of that. Let's get on to some reader feedback.

Reader Feedback

Last week was a pretty interesting week. It's hard to make a memorable games list since everyone remembers different things. There were a few I remembered after I turned the list in, so even *I* had issues with a couple of things. Still though, it was a good week for feedback:

The first bit of feedback comes from Johnny Polo:

One of my favorite moments was in Windwaker, when you go underwater into Hyrule
Castle, and there's the Master sword and pictures of the 7 sages from Ocarina
of Time, tying this storyline to the last. It just adds to the awesomeness of
your Honorable Mention: the ending of Windwaker.

Well…I got to thinking and I realized that when Hyrule was revealed in Windwaker probably should have been in Windwaker. It's one of the most shocking moments in the game and when Tetra is revealed as Princess Zelda…it guaranteed that it's a moment I won't soon forget.

Jed wants to make sure Phantasy Star II gets its respect.


I liked "Aeris is gone" better the first time I saw it ... when it was
in PHANTASY STAR II.

He's referring to the death of Nei I believe. While it was a memorable moment, in my opinion…FF VII was the more important game so I gave it the nod. You may disagree, but I believe that Final Fantasy VII popularized the RPG in North America. PS II may have been a pioneer, but FF VII was the benefactor.

Sean Altly brings up a…really good point.


You know, if we're going with pure "memorable" moments, I think that
"I'm sorry Mario, but our princess is in another castle" should
definitely be on here. Greatest moment? No. Most emotional? No. But memorable?
Who DOESN'T remember that.


You know what? When I read this I couldn't believe I forgot to include it! That scene is one of the most memorable in games and even my grandparents are somewhat familiar with it. That also introduced me to my lifetime hatred of Toad.

Lex leaves it short but sweet.

Seriously, you have the worst taste in games known to man.

This list isn't about my favorites. It's about memorable moments. The top-game on this list wouldn't even rank in my top-100 favorites of all time. On top of that, assuming you were going by this list, every game here is pretty critically acclaimed. Critic acclamation isn't the only criteria for a good game but if most every single one agrees it's great…then odds are it's pretty great.

KanyonKreist knows why the MGS 3 ending hits home.


The reason Metal Gear Solid 3's ending is THE GREATEST VIDEO GAME MOMENT EVER is
because, intercutting with the cinematic scene, the game further casts YOU as
Snake and forces YOU to pull the trigger and finish off the Boss. That really
struck a cord with me, personally, and I'm pretty damn sure I'm not the only
one.


That actually got to me as well. At the time, the player didn't know what was up so it probably wasn't as big of a deal to kill The Boss. Sure, it was Snake's teacher, but she had been the antagonist through the entire game. Once everything is revealed though and you remember that it was YOU – not a CG scene with Snake – that pulled the trigger…it can get pretty emotional.

Before I go any further, I'd like to mention that I had a lot of Final Fantasy VII complaints this week. It's really interesting, because when I give FF VII praise…the FF VII detractors come out, but when I decree it to be the second most over-rated game of all time all the fans come out (through the email since comments weren't the in-thing back then) to defend their game. Final Fantasy VII is a controversial subject. Let me set my views straight on the game, and for your benefit I will put it in bold. It is a good game. Not the best RPG ever. Far from it, actually. It is over-rated but that does not mean it is garbage.

Chris checking in now.


The only reason why Aeris death is memorable is because it got that lousy
character (out of large line-up of lousy characters) out of the game.

FF7 was so much garbage.


I actually used to be right with you on Aeris. I *HATED* her. For whatever reason, Crisis Core got me to like her a bit and now I can simply tolerate her. Maybe I'm going soft?

Ryan has an Earthbound related comment!

Earthbound, what a creepy, eye opening boss battle at the end, I jus beaten it
using an emulator & a save state,. No boss has ever freaked me out as much
as Gigyas, its just so strange, and it draws so much emotion out of me when I
was playing it, I was literally praying that Paula & Ness would hang on,
what an experience, everyone should play it at least once...

Ness, ness, ness, Ness, ness, ness, Ness, ness, ness, Ness, ness, ness, Ness,
ness, ness,


It is something that people need to experience. While people may not agree with my decision to place it on the list, it's hard to deny it's a pretty intense boss battle. The feelings that are put into it make it the finest boss battle of all time – and I don't care what anyone says. I…f…e…el…go..o..d.

JP also would like to mention this battle.

I remember doing that Giygas battle as a kid and it just freaked me the hell
out. The game was ALREADY soooooo weird, so for it to throw not just another
weird curveball but the WEIRDEST was so intense. And it was a final boss
battle that wasn't just "Throw everything you have at him" it
actually incorporated things like spirituality and sympathy for this horrible
thing. It was so strange for me as a kid and I definately wasn't able to fully
appreciate it until I was older and played it again.


It was something that honestly scared me when I was a kid. I beat it, sure…but I wasn't in a rush to fight him again. It was just so creepy. I actually was mortified when my prayer reached the darkness because I thought I was fucked. When it showed that *I* was praying, man…it was surreal. Earthbound was such a different game that I imagine the fact it had a different final boss just makes sense.

gamez has…well…an interesting comment


Please could you mention games that non-"T3H INT3RN3TS" people
actually know. Apart from SSB and MGS3....seriously, what the fuck?? Even then,
in MGS i had no idea what was going on, because the plot seemed so japanese,
with the "heart" and "love" and "destiny" crap
they love. Few people actually like RPG's they're so boring, you can't even
control the fighting, yet on the internet people ove them. Can't say I agree
with this list at all. What about in god of war when you get the "HOLY
FUCK THAT'S HUGE" sword? That was badass.


I listed four role playing games. Everything else I listed is actually pretty main stream. FF VII is also pretty main stream on that count. I appreciate your opinion, but I am not a fan of the God of War series. At all. I don't consider that particularly memorable, but maybe we just have different tastes in games? That's why I like these lists, everyone has a different take on what is memorable.

Ultra Gepetto wants to be heard:

Gotta state a few things:

MGS3 Ending = greatest moment in gaming history hands down

Earthbound is completely underrated

Whoever mentioned Lufia II deserves props b/c that game is awesome

FFVII doesn't deserve #1- Aeris was a shit character
and comparing that crap to MGS3 is a joke

I'm glad that FFVI made this list- most "FF fans" don't even realize
that there were games before VII..


I agree with most of your points, obviously. Earthbound is my favorite game ever and it pains me it doesn't get any credit. Also…I haven't played Lufia 2. It kind of makes me sad because I have heard really good things about it. I'm thinking about starting it up over the summer.

As for FF VII…if I had to rank it, it's probably my seventh favorite final fantasy behind (in no particular order) IV, VI, VIII, IX, X, and XII.

Ed brings up a good point:


Very entertaining column and I've got to agree on Knights of the Old Republic.
Replaying it, it seems so obvious but I didn't see it coming until that
conversation started, although it doesn't belong in the top 10.

I probably would have included the part in Chrono Trigger where
"Frog" finally mans up, the dramatic music starts playing and he
breaks open the cliffs (with magic lightning from his sword!) on the list, but
I don't know what'd replace.

Great column...Bravo.

I think that part, and especially the PS1 cut-scene where it happens, is really spectacular. Frog has an incredible theme and it just adds to the emotion of the scene. Chrono Trigger is one of my favorite games of all time, and the great music certainly doesn't hurt its ranking with me. Also, thanks for the compliment.

RavenTazECW is next:

Solid list. Thanks for mentioning the Star Fox 64 ending on the hard levels,
since I had only rented it out once for the N64 and would only beat the easy
level and maybe a couple tougher ones. I wasn't aware there is more to the
ending, so now I have more of a reason to pick it up for the Virtual Console in
the future (when I get a Wii that is, they're only finally coming in more often
to my local GameStop). I've played nearly all of the FF games except for VII
and VIII (and XI, but that game doesn't matter), so I haven't been able to
witness what all the fuss has been about for that game. I do fondly recall the
destruction of Lindlum and the death of Brahne in FFIX, my personal favorite FF
game. I also found that my original encounter with Ozma was memorable since I
ran into Ozma on accident in that Chocobo cloud area, my eyes widened at this
battle that was about to take place, and seeing my characters absolutely wiped
out by it in seconds.

I was spoiled with the Darth Revan part though, heh. I haven't gotten around
to finishing KotOR yet or starting the second game, so I hope I can get that
spoiler out of my mind.

I mostly remember my games as an entirety of a game experience rather than just
moments, such as the whole gaming experience of Ocarina of Time and Donkey Kong
Country 2 (an incredible soundtrack with fun gameplay and memorable enemies).
One exception was in the decent but horribly short God of War game when I was
running through the streets of Athens for the first time, and off to the side
in the valley was an absolutely humongous Ares wiping out the very tiny Greeks
fighting on the ground. That has got to be one of the coolest and most
memorable gaming backgrounds ever, though I wish we could have gone down to the
valley with the Greek army and taken on Ares Shadow of the Colossus style.


I totally forgot FF IX and that really bothers me. FF IX had one of the best endings of all time and is one of two games to successfully make me cry like a little girl. The encounter with Ozma is QUITE memorable because…a lot of the time you just aren't expecting it. On top of that, he looks like a giant piece of candy. Well…a piece of candy has never kicked my ass like that before.

Sorry about spoiling KOTOR!

I find a lot of people think like that as well – the overall game experience as opposed to particular moments – and I can't blame them. Sometimes games ARE better like that. Donkey Kong Country 2 is one of my favorite games ever just for that reason. As you mentioned, it has a wonderful soundtrack and fun gameplay…it's just a game that you can get lost in. A timeless classic. Taken as a whole, it's one of the better game moments out there.

Finally Sean McCabe gets the last word this week:

The only reason Aeris' death was no 1. is because the fanboys won't STFU about
it. It's hardly memorable at all. Also Persona 3's intro... well obviously this
is your personal list :P

Still, undeniably the ending to MGS3 and Metroid deserve in there. And Starfox
64. And OoT's intro to it's adult portion. I'd put it's ending there for good
measure. Other moments I'd consider include God Hand's end credit sequence,
Alma's introduction in Ninja Gaiden (seriously, most well rendered hind region
evar!) and the "dog" scene from Resident Evil, and the
"bath" scene from Clock Tower.

Oh and... Lucky Star. You win this round, Robbins.


I actually agree with you on the end of God Hand. I swear, it's got the craziest credit song ever. It's so cheesy, yet so…so awesome. I have it on my itunes, hah. I agree with you totally on Resident Evil and the dog. I totally dropped the ball on that one. It was a moment where a lot of people playing legitimately shat bricks.

Top-10 SNES games

This week I've decided to look at a console that many of us remember fondly! The SNES! Since I'm listing the best SNES games this week, I figure I should be fair to the other 16-bit camp and do the Genesis next week. So I guess you could say this is part-one of a "Best of the 16-bit era" series. Anyhow…the main rule is that the game had to have been released in America to qualify for this list. On top of that, I have to have played it. So sorry fans of Lufia II, I just never got to play that one.

I should also note that compilation packs are ineligible. This affects Super Mario All-stars and Super Mario All-stars + World.

And games such as Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat are banned from this list because they also appear prominently on the Genesis.

With that out of the way, let's get started.

10-) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time - It seems that back in the 90's, Konami really know what they were doing with the Ninja Turtles license. Let's look at it like this – with the exception of the first Turtles game for the NES, was there a truly bad turtle game release before the 32/64 bit era? I'd actually move that there wasn't. With that said, it's best to pay tribute to one of the best beat ‘em ups of all time with the fourth console turtle game and arguably the greatest turtle game of all time – Turtles in time. This was a port of the arcade version of a game with the same title, but unlike the last time a turtles arcade game was ported…this one was actually BETTER. I mean, sure the, arcade version had some advantages – most notably speaking superior graphics – but if you're not terribly shallow the arcade's advantages are pretty negligible. Turtles in Time adds levels that weren't in the arcade game, specifically: TECHNODROME: LET'S KICK SHELL! An arcade port that actually added onto the arcade version was pretty unheard of at the time, so this was a pretty big deal. As if that wasn't enough, the game also throws in four new bosses including Bebop and Rocksteady, Slash, and the Rat King. The home version did lose a boss, Cement Man, but with the addition of the mother fucking rat king, I think that is pretty forgivable. Even though earlier I mentioned that the game was graphically toned from the arcade version, it's hard to deny that the game still looks darn good. Prior to this point, on a home console the turtles had never looked that good. Ahhh, but you know what can really add onto the graphics? The music! The music in this game was really nice, even to the extent that I hunted down the track: "Big Apple: 3 AM". I just find it amazing. What is sad is that when the game was included with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare, they changed some of the music. Changed it! I was so mad. If you were a fan of the turtles and owned a Super Nintendo, you would have been remiss not to own this fantastic game. Turtles games have been around for a long time, but never since this moment has there been a better one. Good through a view with or without nostalgia goggles, Turtles in Time is the apex of the side-scrolling beat ‘em up genre.

- Not to be confused with this movie.

9-) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island - Super Mario World was one of the finest games available on the Super Nintendo and helped usher in the 16-bit era amongst Nintendo fans, so it was only natural that the fans demanded a sequel. To that point the fans had yet to experience a bad Mario game, so they had no reason NOT to expect great things. Plus, Super Mario World introduced Yoshi who was an instant hit amongst kiddies, so it was reasonable to expect that he would be involved in the next Mario game…well, not only was he involved, he was the title character! This game plays differently enough from your typical Mario title – fixating more on action and adventure whereas Mario seems to focus more on platforming – that I almost wouldn't even consider it a Mario title. That's fine, because on its own merits, this game is just wonderful. Your general goal is to make it to the end of each world with baby Mario in tow. If something happens where you lose Baby Mario he cries and whines until you get him back. That cry was one of the most annoying things in gaming to that point and it always gave me motivation to trace the little bugger back down. I wanted him to shut the hell up. Yoshi's Island was also insanely beautiful for a Super Nintendo game with art work that was bright and cheerful. Can you imagine a game like Yoshi's Island working on a next gen console where they seem to focus more on the color brown and dark? Ahhh, this is game is just so bright it's kind of refreshing to go back to it! While the game isn't terribly long, it is a satisfying, different experience than any previous Mario title. It really helped further establish Yoshi as a mascot. It's a bit of a shame that since this game was released most of Yoshi's games have been a bit of a letdown. If you wish to go back in time and remember a time when the name Yoshi commanded respect, play this game sometime. You will not regret it.

- Yoshi sure has gone down in popularity.

8-) Final Fantasy III (VI) - The fact that this game, one of my favorite games of all time, places this low really should attest to how strong the Super Nintendo library is. On most other consoles, this game would be in the top two-or-three, but here it rests at number eight. Anyhow, as a whole this ranks as my second or third favorite Final Fantasy ever (depending on when you ask) behind FF IX and XII. It really was a fantastic game though. The story is one of the most interesting out there, and does something most RPGs don't dare to. They DON'T establish a main character. Oh sure, you can guess who the lead is…but the strength of the cast is that each and every character could be a lead in most every RPG out there. They would make a damn fine lead at that. How many RPG casts can you say that about? I would venture to say the number is staggeringly low. Thanks to the characters, the story just seems to leap out…and thanks to perhaps the finest villain to appear in gaming – Kefka – the story is enhanced even further. Of course, the story isn't the only gauge of a game. What enhances the emotions of the action going on around you is the fantastic music. They say that Final Fantasy III has one of the finest soundtracks in gaming history, and honestly…I find it hard to disagree with. The stuff is just dynamite, especially when you consider the source. Your SNES will seldom produce sound of this caliber. The combat is pretty standard fare even though the magic-learning system was unique at the time. To be honest, the combat is never the strong point of a Final Fantasy title (or RPGs in general), but at least it's not a bore to battle through every fight. So let's just say that the fighting is average. Which is better than most RPGs. The story and character absolutely make this title one for the ages and if you claim to be a Final Fantasy fan, this should be on your "To-play" list. In my eyes, it's better than the more popular FF VII.



7-) Kirby: Superstar - I absolutely loved Kirby when I was growing up. Inhaling the enemies and taking their identities was something that was totally…cool! Around then, it seemed so cool just to steal what the enemies did and use it against them right away unlike in Megaman where you needed to beat bosses before you got to use the new powers. Prior to Kirby Superstar though, Kirby wasn't exactly a landmark franchise. Sure, it had fans and it was hard to deny that it was a good game, but it was not by any means a GREAT franchise. Yet. Kirby Superstar changed all that when it was released. It featured several side-scrolling games and various other goodies to keep the fans entertained. While the ‘games' were all pretty short, they were simply a blast to play through, especially the Revenge of Metaknight story. What made Kirby Superstar stand out to me was the fact that it looked absolutely wonderful! Everything about the game was so cute and alive…it looked just great in motion. Then again, the SNES had a LOT of games that featured wonderful 2D animation, so I probably shouldn't be surprised that this was no exception to the rule. Adding to the graphics and the traditional Kirby gameplay was the music. Without a doubt, Kirby Superstar features some of the finest music of the Kirby franchise. My favorite of what they included would definitely have to be Gourmet Race. I find myself randomly whistling that tune all the time. Kirby Superstar, even to this day, is highly re-playable and there is a reason that all of the Kirby trophies in Smash Brothers Brawl are under the title "Kirby Superstar"…it's because this game, quite literally, made Kirby a star.



6-) Super Punchout - This was the sequel to the very awesome NES game Mike Tyson's Punchout. Speaking of sequels, isn't it about time that we got one to this game? I mean if Madden gets a new game every year, what would it hurt to have a new Punchout for the wii? (Thanks Exploding Barrel for the idea!) I mean, throw in some balance board support and you got yourself a wii must-own title. With that said, Super Punch out is just a straight-up fun game. There is no story to it. Well, unless you count the struggle of young Little Mac to become a true champion. That doesn't really matter at all though, because the game is just fun. You dodge and weave, as though you were in a real boxing match, and you must find weaknesses in each boxer you fight in order to beat them. That's right! Unlike most other boxing titles you couldn't simply just flail on the punch button and hope that you win the match, you actually had to think about what you were doing! On top of that, the boxers are all memorable. Now, don't get me wrong, they aren't quite as crazy as their NES counterparts but they are all pretty interesting. It's strangely enjoyable beating up Gabby Jay – who was trained by the ONE AND ONLY GLASS JOE! – and when you get into the harder fights – such as when you go mano a mano with Super Macho Man – it gets the feeling of a truly epic boxing match. What I remember the most fondly about this is racing against your friends to see who could beat which boxers in the quickest amount of time. My brother was able to beat Piston Hurricane at an insanely fast time (something like 13 seconds) and I kept trying and trying to top him. It was just really cool. Punchout is a title that really does need another installment, and it's not like there's anything that revolutionary on the way for the wii. Bring back Little Mac!

- Fight for THOSE friends, Ike.

5-) Chrono Trigger - Many argue that this is the finest RPG ever, and when I can hide my bias towards Earthbound well enough, I can see why they would say that. The plot is so interesting and the concept is so unique that I really can't see how anyone could not like the game. Really, the only thing negative that I can say about it is that the protagonist, Crono, is a silent one. A lot of people seem to think that he is the greatest silent protagonist out there, but I'm thinking that's just because he was designed by Akira Toriyama. Whatever the case, Chrono Trigger does so many things right that it's hard to bash it for that one tiny error. The story is rather unique in that it spans many different generations and you can tell the differences between each time period. The Dark Ages is notably different than the deep future, and so are the NPCs that inhabit each area. Now it wasn't the first game to include a timeline, but I feel that it executed it very well. Without looking at what time you were in, you could very easily tell what was up. I think that's pretty impressive. Once again, I don't feel that the combat in this game was particularly legendary – though the dual techs were really cool – but that doesn't matter since the RPG genre isn't meant to attract you with their gameplay. It is relatively short, but it offers you enough things to do that it can take you a little while longer if you decide to pursue everything you can. As has been mentioned, the story is great…but much like FF VI the sound is also rather good and really enhances the mood. While it's not legendary by any means, it certainly is better than what you would find in 99% of games out there. From a story and sound standpoint, Chrono Trigger is a game that you need to experience at least once. There is a reason that it is one of the most sought after SNES games of all time.

- No matter what 15-year-old gameFAQs users may tell you, Crono really isn't that cool.

4-) Super Metroid - Super Metroid is easily one of the most memorable experiences on the Super Nintendo. The intensity picks up moments after you start the game. Samus arrives on a space station only to find Ridley with a stolen metroid in his possession. Only seconds later, a timer appears on screen and you are forced to quickly escape the space station before it explodes. Now the mission is taken to Planet Zebes, where Samus must track down the stolen larva. To do this, you must take on four incredible bosses, incredible bosses being a trend in all of the Metroid games. The game-play is almost identical to any other game in the series. You run around a collection of areas, gaining powerups and fighting bosses. The environments in Super Metroid are great, which is a good thing considering how many times you will see some of those backgrounds. As you probably know, Metroid is notorious for backtracking, and this game is no exception to that. But, as usual, it's all worth it. The boss fight against Ridley alone is worth any backtracking you have to do. Super Metroid also features a great soundtrack, with tunes that you will be humming days or even weeks after you've completed the game. Truly, Super Metroid is a gaming experience that anyone who has played will likely never forget.

- For a series that prides itself on backtracking, I sure do praise it a lot.

3-) Earthbound - I know that I talk this game up a lot, but there is a good reason for that. If I wasn't trying to maintain SOME (read: some. No way is this list totally objective) objectivity, this game would be number one, without a doubt. That said, when I look at this game from the point of view of an average person, I really don't see why more RPG fans didn't catch onto it. While the combat is sluggish and can remind you of Dragon Quest, the overall experience is fresh and something that more than likely you've never experienced before. Is Earthbound a flawed game? Absolutely! If you embrace it for what makes it different and refreshing you'll find an experience that is new. A new experience that needs to be experienced by more people. I figure you're tired of me pushing this down your throat, but I gotta tell you – It's a game you need to hunt down and play on emulator at the very least. It's a shame the sequel will never be released here because I would really like to play an official version of Mother 3 instead of a fan-translation. Now, pretty much all I've touched on would have to be combat – which admittedly has aged – but the overall atmosphere is fantastic. It's a role playing game that doesn't take itself too seriously. Instead of swords, you have baseball bats. Instead of axes, you get frying pans…it's a modern day game. It has lots of nuances that you don't pick up on unless you play it multiple times. So it is very, very deep needless to say. The music is good, the graphics make you think nostalgically…it's just a good experience. I know that I mention this game all the freaking time, but it's really because I think more people need to play it. It's a game that deserves the attention and my favorite game of all time. SEE! I admit to being biased.



2-) Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - This is a game that a lot of people have ranked as their number one game of all time. The fact that I have it ranked at number two on the Super Nintendo shows the depth of the gaming library. The closest thing we've had to the Super Nintendo would have to be the PS2, and that doesn't even have the nostalgia factor the SNES has. Anyhow, here's what you need to know about this game: It's Zelda. If you've ever played a Zelda game in your life, you know what you're getting into. Brilliant puzzle play mixed with an epic adventure. This Zelda was much deeper than the NES games in that it had an involved story. Don't get me wrong, there WAS a story to the first two Zelda games, but it wasn't nearly as involved as what you got here. What I also liked was the fact that just when you think the game is ending you get introduced to the Dark World. From then on you have to rescue the seven sages to take on the evil Ganon. I actually thought for sure that the game was over when this was revealed…so it kind of holds a fond spot in my memory. On top of that, the music in the game is super memorable and – it seems to be a trend among these Super Nintendo games looking at the list – when a game combines memorable music with exquisite gameplay you get an experience that really is like no other. As a fan of Zelda, it doesn't get much better than this game. No matter how old the game gets when you go back to it…it's still fun. When a game ages that well, you know that you've done an incredible job.

- Certainly belongs in the "best of" series.

1-) Super Mario World - The Nintendo Entertainment System really established Mario as a legitimate mascot. Odds are if you knew what the hell a Nintendo was, you knew who Mario was. This has lasted a long time, as even those who know nothing about the videogame industry know who Mario is. So…with the NES era over, would Mario be able to hold his super star status? Was it even possible to top the absolutely amazing Mario Brothers 3? Arguably, Nintendo topped their previous effort with this one. This game offered an un-heard of amount of levels and, typical to Mario, a way to easily skip all that and get to the end. There were 72 levels in total but there was a way where you only needed to beat twelve levels to finish the game. So it was long or it was short, depending on how you went about it. That in itself isn't enough to make it a good game…what really makes it is the great level design and the advent of Yoshi and the cape. I feel that Nintendo really stepped up the level design in this game as I feel it features the most fun levels in the series. This may have been implemented to make use of the two big new features in the game – Yoshi and the cape. Once again, and I feel this is the tenth time I've said this but the SNES had some games with glorious soundtracks, the music is good and memorable. I can recall in my head several themes that are heard throughout the game. The last time I've touched this title? About five years ago. If I can recall a piece of music I haven't heard in five years…you've done a good job. What I really liked is that, just like in Mario Brothers 3, Bowser isn't the only boss. His children take that roll and most of them fight differently. I prefer that a lot over the original Mario's Bowser at the end of each level. Every single "core" Mario title – that is to say a title where Mario needs to rescue the princess – has been fantastic and this one is no exception to the rule. It may very well be the best Mario game ever released and it helped bolster the Super Nintendo's incredible library of games.

Honorable Mentions: Donkey Kong Country Franchise, Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy IV, Killer Instinct, Kirby's Dream Land 3, and many others.

- The memories.

Well that's it for this week. As always, if you want to praise, scold, give a list, talk about baseball with, etc send an e-mail to [e-mail] or simply post a comment below.

Before I go, check out these links from around the games section here at 411 mania~

Mark Salmela AKA The One Man Watercooler writes B3yond the Report. He does a good job of writing it! This week he talks about a number of things including the top-10 worst PSN games. I won't die Mark!

Theo Fraser is writes the Nintedophiles. This week, what appealed to me, was Sakurai hitting at possible future updates to the Smash Brother site. Hey, any DLC would be great for me, an admitted Smash Brothers addict.

Owain J. Brimfield writes the Wonder Years. This week he talks about a game I actually haven't played yet – Another World. It seems like a game I should check out. Good job, Owain!

Jordan Williams writes the Working Title. He addresses the unsolved mysteries of the videogame world and is actually pretty funny in doing so. By the way, we all know Barrett would lose to Birdo because Barrett would be too busy configuring his material while Birdo just shoots its eggs at him

Chris Evans writes the PC-centric extravaganza. Apparently the Sims has sold 100 million copies. Holy shit.

Joe Roche writes the Full Circle. He does a great job at writing it as well. This week he mentions the SC 4 release date which appeals to me because I am a Soul Calibur junky. July 29th! Time to reserve that sucker

Chris Scott does the Red Snifit and this week he talks about Karate Commando. He does a good job and you guys should really check him out!

John Curry – Curryman – talks about the five things in gaming that really pisses him off. He raises some good points but the one I agree with the most would have to be the lack of innovation in gaming today. It's kind of sad. Then again I love JRPGs so maybe my opinion on innovation isn't so valid?

Rod Oracheski writes Achievement Unlocked. His column goes up at the same time as mine does so this is last week's. Regardless, this is really interesting. He answers questions from readers this weeks and interviews Doug Zartman of Wideload games.

Vincent Chiucchi writes the select and start news report. He does a really good job on it, I should mention He covers a variety of topics but…what caught me by surprise was that GTA 4 is expected to top Halo 3's first week sales. That's…really impressive. Well I know I'll be contributing to it.

AJ and Mike Minoti do the Exploding Barrel Podcast. This week Mark Salmela joins them in what is a pretty humorous podcast. All three did a great job. So you should listen! They had it right at the end though…I totally should do the show with them sometime.

Well, that's all for this week. As I said, next week is the top-10 Genesis games list.

Til' the crossroads