10 Best SNES Games of All Time of 2026

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is our answer to the best SNES game of all time. Nintendo's own page sets the stakes: Princess Zelda is a prisoner and a wizard is trying to release Ganon, the king of darkness, on Hyrule. Nintendo calls it the critically acclaimed Super NES chapter of the series and credits it with introducing the Hookshot, Pegasus Boots and Master Sword, items the series still uses. The dungeons are the core of the game, and each one is built around a new tool. For collectors it is also fair value next to the other big names: a used cartridge lists at $72.99 at DKOldies before sales, less than half the $156.99 asked for Super Metroid. Players without an SNES can play it in the Super NES library of Nintendo Switch Online, which costs $19.99 per year for one account. The trade-offs are small: it is single player only, and boxed copies cost far more than a loose cart.

Super Mario World is the best entry point for an SNES collection. Nintendo describes it as Mario and Luigi's first Super NES adventure and an all-time best-seller, set in Dinosaur Land, where the brothers meet Yoshi and fight Bowser across dozens of levels packed with secrets. Riding Yoshi to swallow enemies and flying with the Cape Feather are the two ideas that set it apart from earlier Mario games. Two players can share it, but they take turns, per Nintendo's Classic Mini listing. It is the cheapest cartridge here at $34.99 used at DKOldies before sales, and it is rated PEGI 3, so it suits children. It is also in the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library. The limits are that two players never play at the same time and it has less depth than the RPGs below. For a household that wants one game everyone can pick up, this is it.

Chrono Trigger is the strongest RPG of the SNES era that you can still buy new. Square Enix's Steam page credits the 'Dream Team' of Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama and the creators of Final Fantasy, and the story moves between five eras, from prehistory to the far future. The Steam version updates the controls, graphics and sound, and adds two dungeons, the Dimensional Vortex and the Lost Sanctum. It costs $14.99 on the US Steam store, which makes it the cheapest legal way to play a top SNES game on this list. Collectors face a harder choice: DKOldies lists a loose cartridge at $429.99, and it was out of stock when we checked on November 12, 2026. It is not part of the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library. Purists should know the Steam release is not a pixel-for-pixel copy of the SNES game.

Final Fantasy VI shipped on the SNES in North America as Final Fantasy III, which matters when you shop for the cart. Square Enix's Steam page describes a world where magic vanished after the War of the Magi and humanity relies on machines until a young woman with mysterious powers appears. The magicite system lets you decide which abilities, spells and summons each party member learns, and every playable character has their own story. Nintendo lists it among the SNES RPGs that can take dozens of hours to finish. A used Final Fantasy III cart lists at $159.99 at DKOldies before sales. The Steam Pixel Remaster costs $17.99 and adds auto-battle and a modern UI, with a switch back to the original soundtrack. It is not on Switch Online, and the remaster's new graphics mean it is not the SNES original.

Super Metroid is the pick for players who want to explore. Nintendo's page describes Samus Aran chasing Space Pirates who stole the last Metroid, using the Grapple Beam and X-Ray Scope to work through the labyrinths of Planet Zebes with beams, missiles and bombs. Nintendo calls it one of the greatest 2D action games ever made and says its mix of exploration, action and secrets paved the way for the Metroid Prime series. On features alone it scores higher than anything here except A Link to the Past. What holds it at fourth is price: a used cartridge lists at $156.99 at DKOldies before sales, more than double the Zelda cart. If you only want to play it, it sits in the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library. It is single player and its labyrinths mean plenty of backtracking.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is the best value among the SNES platformers after Super Mario World. Nintendo's page sets it up: Kaptain K. Rool kidnaps Donkey Kong and demands the banana hoard as ransom, so Diddy and Dixie Kong head through eight worlds of Crocodile Isle. Along the way you find secrets, learn abilities and ride animal buddies such as Squitter the Spider and Rattly the Rattlesnake. A used cartridge lists at $49.99 at DKOldies before sales, and the game sits in the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library alongside the first and third Donkey Kong Country games. It is rated PEGI 3, though later worlds can be tough for children. It was not one of the Classic Mini games, so it is one more reason to own the cart or a Switch Online membership.

Super Mario Kart is the SNES game to buy for two people on one couch. Nintendo describes it as the original that started the series, with eight Mushroom Kingdom characters, including Donkey Kong Jr. in his only karting appearance. Courses include Mario Circuit, Bowser Castle, Koopa Beach and Rainbow Road, and the two-player Battle Mode started here. Nintendo's Classic Mini listing confirms 1 to 2 players at the same time. A used cart lists at $59.99 at DKOldies before sales. On Switch Online, Nintendo adds online play with friends, which the cartridge cannot do. It ranks eighth because it has less to do alone than the adventures and RPGs above, and because later Mario Kart games offer more courses.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is the second Mario platformer to own on the SNES. Nintendo's Game Boy Advance version page describes the setup that both releases share: Kamek tries to kidnap the baby Mario brothers, and Yoshi carries Baby Mario through a crayon-coloured world, stomping enemies and throwing eggs. Nintendo's Classic Mini page lists the SNES original as an October 1995 platformer, and it is part of the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library, where you can rewind mistakes. A used cart lists at $69.99 at DKOldies before sales, twice the Super Mario World price but well under Super Metroid. It is single player, and Nintendo publishes fewer details for the SNES release than for its GBA port.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is the SNES RPG for players who know Mario better than Final Fantasy. Nintendo's page explains its origin: before Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, Nintendo made Mario's first RPG with Squaresoft, now Square Enix. The story starts when a giant sword falls on the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario gathers allies such as Mallow and Geno to fight the Smithy Gang. Nintendo rates it PEGI 3 on its UK page, so it suits younger players. The cart is the cost: $129.99 used at DKOldies before sales, and the SNES version is not in the Switch Online library. Nintendo sold a Switch remake from November 17, 2023, which is the easier way to play it today.

EarthBound is the collector's grail of this list, and the price shows it. Nintendo's page tells the story: a meteorite lands near Ness's house, and he sets out with three friends to stop Giygas, the Universal Cosmic Destroyer. Nintendo highlights its humour, cultural references and music, and lists it among the SNES RPGs that can take dozens of hours. As a game it belongs near the top. As a purchase it ranks last: a used cartridge lists at $799.99 at DKOldies before sales, more than all of our top three picks combined. For almost everyone, the better route is the Nintendo Switch Online Super NES library, which includes EarthBound for a $19.99 per year individual membership. It is rated PEGI 12 on Nintendo UK, the highest age rating on this list.