One of the first third-party games for Nintendo's 16-bit technology was also one of the platform's most distinctive genre mixes, which has never been recreated since—even in its own sequel. ActRaiser cast you in the role of a loving deity on a mission to save mankind from a demonic scourge and enable it to prosper. The distinctive hook divided it into two distinct sorts of gameplay: an action game in which you defeated hordes of demonic monsters in combat, and a simulation game in which you oversaw and guided the growth of your young civilisation.

Early on, a boy goes missing in the simulation phase, leading you to a demon nest to clear in the action portion. While the narrative was brief, it used the perspective of a god to depict humanity's blunders with a touch of religious complexity. The intertwining of these two aspects created a memorable experience.

Release date: 1990

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

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Nintendo leaned heavily on the new system's sharp, colorful sprite artwork throughout the Super NES period, but the firm also experimented with different graphical styles and approaches. The first was an early effort at polygon-based 3D (more on that later), while the second was a novel technology used by Rare for Donkey Kong Country.

DKC, an upgraded version of one of Nintendo's first characters, made Donkey Kong the hero, defending his cherished banana stockpile from the nefarious King K. Rool. It was one of the first games to employ pre-rendered models that were converted into high-fidelity sprites, giving it a claymation style. It was also known for being a very difficult game, testing platforming aficionados more than the normal Mario game at the time.

Release date: 1994

Platforms: Game Boy Advance

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The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past expertly transitioned one of Nintendo's most beloved series into the 16-bit era. Link to the Past, now recognized as one of the finest Zelda games, abandoned the experimental side-scrolling Zelda 2 layout in favor of the more familiar top-down adventure of the first game.

It offered a large open world to explore—actually, two of them—with a bit more structure and assistance than the previous game. The plot centred around the Dark World, a second world hiding below the main Hyrule's curtain. When Link traveled there, he was faced with warped mirror images of individuals and settings, and the interplay between the two produced some of the era's most memorable moments.

Release date: 1991

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Wii, Wii U

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When Capcom's mascot character was updated for the next console generation, he received a hard-rock boost as well as a slew of new abilities. Mega Man X was a new version of the character, with a sidekick named Zero and a plot greatly influenced by the sci-fi classic Blade Runner. X and Zero were Maverick Hunters, an elite force of sentient robots created to eliminate Mavericks—fellow robots that violated robotics norms by injuring humans.

Mega Man has always been known for its tough-as-nails action platforming, and Mega Man X improved on that by making it quicker and tighter, with the ability to sprint and charge your shots. It was a significant update that contributed to one of the finest action games of the era, much like X himself.

Release date: 1993

Platforms: PC game, Super Nintendo Entertainment System

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Secret of Mana was another in Squaresoft's outstanding series of memorable RPGs, with a more dynamic fighting system and co-op for up to three players. Players would select a Boy, Girl, or Sprite and battle in real-time, with the possibility to halt the action briefly by calling up spells, items, or other special instructions via a ring menu. Secret of Mana was many Western fans' first introduction to the Seiken Densetsu series, which features a clearly anime-inspired graphical style. Secret of Mana's sprite artwork was sharp, bright, and expressive, with several larger-than-life monsters and boss figures highlighting the style.

The game garnered a lot of praise for its brilliantly colored visuals, large narrative, Ring Command menu interface, and novel real-time warfare system. The music by Hiroki Kikuta and the adjustable artificial intelligence (AI) settings for computer-controlled teammates were highly appreciated by critics.

Release date: 1993

Platforms: PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4

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The Nintendo 64 is often regarded as the beginning of the firm's 3D era, however, the company had begun to experiment with polygons on the Super NES with a few notable games. The most successful of them was Star Fox, a 3D shooter set in a sci-fi setting of anthropomorphic animal starfighter pilots. You grabbed the controls as Fox McCloud, accompanied by his three squadmates as you attempted to destroy the villainous monkey scientist Andross. It was a simple but effective initial glimpse at the promise of 3D gaming.

While it occasionally chugs and strains the hardware, it's a throwback to a period when 3D gaming was cutting-edge. Star Fox 2 offered free-roaming landscapes, which were eventually used in the excellent Star Fox 64. It was canceled in part owing to the N64's impending release. Star Fox 2 was eventually included on the Super NES Classic Edition mini-console.

Release date: 1993

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Switch

Link to buy: amzn.to/3Gc0axT

If you weren't alive in the mid-1990s, you might not appreciate how much of a cultural phenomenon Street Fighter 2 was. The fighting game was the focal point of nearly every arcade and pizza shop, inspiring scores of copies. At the time, console versions of arcade classics would frequently make sacrifices or even change the core of the game altogether, making Street Fighter 2's survival on the Super NES all the more remarkable. At home, it was practically identical to the arcade experience.

Capcom released many arcade upgrades and ports, with Super Street Fighter 2 being the final version transferred to the Super NES. By this stage, the game has added eight fighters (four previously unplayable Shadaloo monsters plus four new playable characters), the option to select your game pace, additional points for components like reversals, and other features. It is one of the greatest renditions of one of the most well-known and influential combat games of all time.

Release date: 1993

Platforms: PC game, PlayStation, Arcade game

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Super Mario RPG was one of Squaresoft's most odd RPG releases, putting the renowned Nintendo character in a totally new genre for the first time. Super Mario RPG placed Mario, Bowser, and Princess Toadstool (aka Peach) in an isometric viewpoint and included a unique timing-based RPG fighting system.

It also riffed on Mario's universe with imaginative new characters like Mallo the cloud and Geno the living doll, as well as introducing more world-building than is customary in a Mario game with new characters like Boshi the fierce Yoshi. While this was a one-time occurrence, features such as the timing-based combat were carried over into Nintendo's own adaptations of Mario RPGs such as the Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario series.

Release date: 1996

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Wii, Wii U

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One of the finest Mario games of all time is even more impressive when you consider it was included free with every Super NES at launch. The launch title for Nintendo's new system also occurred to be a hugely popular sequel to Super Mario Bros. 3. Yoshi, a dinosaur mount with his own set of abilities like as fire-breathing and a powerful ground stomp, was introduced to fans in Super Mario World.

When he wasn't riding the green dino, Mario could fly utilizing the new cape power-up, discover a wealth of secret passages, and battle a slew of foes. So much of Mario World has become synonymous with the Mario franchise that it's easy to forget it's where players got so many classic elements—not just Yoshi, but also characters like Chargin' Chuck (who just took up golf) and Magikoopa.

Release date: 1990

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Link to buy: amzn.to/3PCJB2q

Super Metroid was a new high point for the series, which had always been about exploration and discovery. The science-fiction game centered on space traveler Samus Aran provided a rich setting teeming with surprises around every corner and an unpleasant sensation of growing solitude.

With the goal to complete it in under three hours for a unique ending, it helped inspire speedrunning. It also contributed to the development of a complex type of wordless narrative that explored Samus' bond with a baby Metroid she discovered at the conclusion of Metroid 2 on Game Boy. This game, maybe more than any other, pioneered the Metroidvania format, which can still be found in titles like Hollow Knight and Axiom Verge today.

Release date: 1994

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Wii, Wii U

Link to buy: amzn.to/38azrFo