SNES Gaming on the Cheap

The Super Nintendo has a huge catalog that includes over 700 titles. Most of them beginning with the word 'super'. To commemorate the anniversary of the system’s release, here is a list of SNES games that can be played on the cheap.

Choplifter III

With its humble start on the Apple II, Choplifter is a game that can be found in nearly every era of gaming history. Gameplay is simple. Help hostages get to your chopper and safely transport them back to HQ.

[youtube

Wolfchild

I like to think Wolfchild was inspired by the overly dramatic music videos of the late '80s. Dejected looking men with great hair and makeup running through a bleak dystopian landscape set to a soundtrack full of keytars and one note guitar solos. Combine that with good controls and varied platform shooting and you have Wolfchild.

[youtube

Doom Troopers

Doom Troopers has more backstory than Lord of the Rings but once you get past the epic Meh-ness of the plot, good sound, animation, and fast paced action make this one of the best run-and-gun shooters the SNES has to offer.

[youtube

Super Chase HQ

Super Chase HQ is another game that has a lineage dating back to the early PC days. The SNES release featured a total change in gameplay from third person behind the car, to first person behind the wheel. The change makes Super Chase HQ an excellent example of a game that takes full advantage of the Super Nintendo’s Mode 7 capabilities. (Fingers crossed for it to make the list of games available on the ZX Spectrum Vega+)

[youtube

Earthworm Jim 2

I hate to use the word wacky but I can’t think of another term to describe Earthworm Jim 2. The game has all the best parts of a Saturday morning cartoon: outlandish characters, Seuss inspired level design, pratfall animations, and loads of gratuitous comic violence. There is no other game on the SNES quite like it.

[youtube