It’s with particular fondness that I recall the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Indisputably one of the best game consoles
ever released, the SNES hosted a fantastic library of RPGs, platformers,
shooters, and more. The console is still popular today, as shown by Nintendo’s
Virtual Console service and by the high prices for used SNES classics.
What makes the SNES so great? I think it’s that the
system represents the epitome of 2D gaming. The NES was as impressive in the
80s as the SNES was in the 90s, but the NES was still primitive even by 2D
standards. The SNES, on the other hand, perfected 2D gaming to the point that technologically,
not much more could be done. The next generation of consoles moved to immersive
3D games, not 2D games with better graphics. That’s because graphics can be
improved, but graphics do not a great game make. The SNES combines amazing 2D
technology with one of the best libraries in gaming history.
Undoubtedly, someone will ask why the Genesis is not
also the epitome of 2D gaming. Well…because it isn’t. There are certainly many
Genesis games that, if compared to poor SNES titles, would make the Genesis
appear superior. But the totality of the SNES experience beats the Genesis on
almost all counts: sound, graphics, quality of games, variety of games, etc.
And let’s not forget that even while epitomizing 2D gaming,
the SNES gave us a flavor of things to come with its impressive Mode 7
abilities and add-on chips like the Super FX. From F-Zero to Doom, the SNES
hosts surprisingly decent 3D games, which were almost entirely absent on the
Genesis.
Sorry Sega fans, but the SNES is the standard-bearer
of the 16 bit era, and even of the entire 2D gaming era. And on that note, let’s
get to some games.
Final Rating: 10/10
Final Comment: As a retro game enthusiast, the SNES
is simply the best system for these kinds of games. I love you, SNES. I want no
other.
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