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The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES, holds a legendary status in the world of video gaming. Its extensive collection of iconic games clearly illustrates why it remains so revered. While classics like Super Mario World and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past are etched in gaming history, the console also boasts a treasure trove of fantastic titles that have faded from popular memory.
For the true SNES aficionados, gems like Metal Warriors and Lufia II highlight the console’s golden era in the early ’90s. Even though many gamers from that time might have missed out on these titles, those who experienced them know they offer near-perfect gameplay.
Among the lesser-known marvels is Demon’s Crest, a game that takes its place as the enjoyable sibling of the renowned Ghosts n’ Goblins. Featuring Firebrand, now familiar to many as a character in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Demon’s Crest may not be as obscure as some other hidden SNES gems, yet it still doesn’t receive the recognition it truly deserves.
Demon’s Crest is the lesser-known, but significantly more fun, little brother of Ghosts n’ Goblins. Starring Firebrand, who today is best known as a playable fighter in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Demon’s Crest is quite as obscure as other SNES hidden gems, but it still doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves.
Demon’s Crest is a tough but fair 2D platformer with some of the most elite sprite work and overall presentation of its era. The gameplay is fun and addicting, players are given the freedom to challenge levels and bosses in the order they choose, and there’s a wonderful sense of atmosphere present throughout the entire game.
Drakkhen Doesn’t Deserve Any of the Hate it Gets Online
Image via Infogrames
Drakkhen was ahead of its time in a way that most gamers back in the day never could have understood. A 3D, open-world RPG, Drakkhen was bold in its ambition, and with the risks it took, and while clear flaws emerged from its experimentation, it nonetheless deserves applause.
Difficult, confusing, and definitely not intuitive, this fantastical adventure unfortunately isn’t an easy one to get immersed in, but it’s a blast to go on for those who can figure out what they need to do. While combat is largely automated, puzzles are present all throughout to keep players’ heads in the game, the monsters that you face in these battles are often delightfully creative, and there are a shocking number of horror elements that make you feel like you’re living out a creepypasta.
Hagane: The Final Conflict is as Fun as it is Hard
Image via Hudson Soft
Hagane: The Final Conflict is generally only remembered by a specific breed of Super Nintendo fans; the fans that love to torture themselves with the hardest games they can get their hands on. In truth, though, it has so much more going for it than just its difficulty, and every fan of 2D action platformers needs to give it a try.
Hagane is awesome on every level, with fast-paced gameplay that will beat you down, but make you want to keep coming back, some of the best graphics on the SNES, and a rocking soundtrack. For those who don’t mind a challenge, the only flaw with Hagane is the ridiculous cost of obtaining an original copy today.
Image via Konami
In any discussion of underrated SNES games, perhaps no name is likely to come up more than LucasArts’ Metal Warriors. One might think this would make it no longer underrated, but when only the relatively small, core playerbase of a decades-old console cares about a masterpiece like this, it still deserves its flowers.
Metal Warriors is an action platformer with an emphasis on shooting everything in sight, with its unique hooks being the influence it takes from mecha anime, and the superior depth it possesses compared to most games of its kind. The story is shockingly engaging for a SNES title, the gameplay is rich and varied, and the cutscenes and backgrounds are equally gorgeous.
Star Ocean is as Engaging as the Super Nintendo’s Final Fantasy Titles
Image via Enix
Everyone remembers the games made by SquareSoft prior to their merger with Enix, but far fewer JRPG fans are familiar with the titles released by the latter company. Star Ocean displays what Enix brought to the table, and while the series itself continues to this day, it’s still obscure compared to most JRPG franchises, with the game that started it all actually having been played by hardly anyone.
Star Ocean was to science fantasy JRPGs in the ’90s as the Final Fantasy SNES trilogy was to traditional fantasy JRPGs. Its story was groundbreaking within its genre and medium, the battle system is far deeper than those of most RPGs of the era, and significantly more involved, and the presentation makes the entire experience feel like a true epic.
Shadowrun Brings a Classic Tabletop RPGs to Life
Image via Data East
Shadowrun is an experience unlike any other on the Super Nintendo. An adaptation of the tabletop RPG of the same name, Shadowrun translates the ’80s classic remarkably well, incorporating cyberpunk and film noir elements masterfully and offering a more authentic role-playing experience than any other JRPG on the SNES.
Shadowrun won’t blow any minds with its gameplay, as combat and exploration are largely just as functional as they need to be. But, with a magnificent story by the standards of the Super Nintendo, and presentation that puts most other games on the console to shame, there’s more than enough reason to play it all the way through.
Wing Commander Works Surprisingly Well on Super Nintendo
Image via Origin Systems
The Wing Commander series of PC games from Origin Systems is one of the greatest and most legendary of the 1990s. It was strong right from the start with the original Wing Commander and, in one of the most impressive porting feats of its generation, the game was actually brought to the SNES in largely successful fashion.
A revolutionary space simulator, Wing Commander drops players into the role of a pilot in the far off future, and tasks them with completing various tasks, largely based around combat. The gameplay and graphics were both groundbreaking in 1990, the existence of multiple story paths added replay value, and it wasted no time establishing the major fundamentals of the Wing Commander universe, like the war between the Terran Confederation and the Kilrathi. The only thing that could have made Wing Commander better would have been if Origin had been able to utilize FMVs at the time, and brought in Tim Curry and Mark Hamill like they did for Wing Commander 3.
Lufia II is a Masterpiece Completely Unknown to Younger Gamers
With Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana dominating the space, it was hard for any other JRPGs on the SNES to make names for themselves, regardless of how high their quality was. There are so many more RPGs on the console than most gamers even realize, and while it isn’t the most overlooked of the lot by a long shot, as its quality is recognized by those who’ve played it, Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals may just be the best of the bunch.
Lufia II gets everything right, with small, but impactful twists on the typical JRPG gameplay formula, a nice balance of combat and puzzle-solving, and a powerful story driven by one of the better romances to come out of ’90s gaming, one that’s able to evoke genuine emotion from players. Enhancing the heart-breaking narrative is the game’s unforgettable soundtrack, one that can easily go toe-to-toe with anything SquareSoft was doing musically at the same time.