Introduction Super Mario All-Stars was developed and published by Nintendo, released for the SNES in 1993 as a compilation remastering Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3 with redrawn 16-bit graphics and re-arranged audio. Beyond the visual overhaul, the collection added a save-file system…
Introduction Top Gear was developed by Gremlin Graphics and published by Kemco, released for the SNES in 1992 as one of the console’s early racing showcases. Players race customizable cars across a series of circuits spanning multiple continents, tuning tire grip, acceleration, and top speed before each event and taking on rival racers with a…
Introduction Contra III: The Alien Wars was developed and published by Konami, released for the SNES in 1992 as the series’ debut on Nintendo’s 16-bit console. The game continued the run-and-gun formula of its NES predecessors while taking full advantage of the SNES’s Mode 7 scaling and rotation effects, alternating traditional side-scrolling stages with top-down…
Introduction Kirby Super Star was developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo, released for the SNES in 1996 as a compilation of eight distinct sub-games built around Kirby’s signature Copy Ability. Rather than one continuous adventure, the game let players choose from varied experiences ranging from the sprawling platforming of Spring Breeze and Dyna…
Introduction Street Fighter II Turbo was developed and published by Capcom, released for the SNES in 1993 as an enhanced port of the arcade update Street Fighter II’: Hyper Fighting. Building on the original Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, Turbo introduced faster gameplay speeds, new special moves for the existing eight World Warriors, and…
Introduction Kirby’s Avalanche was published by Nintendo, released for the SNES in Europe in February 1995 and North America that April, as a Western localization built directly on top of 1993’s Super Puyo Puyo, with the original Puyo Puyo cast and most of its music replaced by characters and songs from the Kirby series. The…
Introduction Yoshi’s Cookie was developed by Bullet-Proof Software and published by Nintendo, released for the SNES in 1993 as an enhanced follow-up to the original 1992 NES and Game Boy versions of the same tile-matching puzzle game. The game’s concept began development as an unrelated arcade title called Hermetica by Home Data, which performed poorly…
Introduction Ms. Pac-Man was published by Williams under license from Nintendo, released for the SNES in 1996 as a home conversion of the classic 1982 arcade sequel to the original Pac-Man. Players once again guide Ms. Pac-Man through a maze, eating dots and fruit while avoiding four uniquely behaving ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue,…
Introduction Tetris Attack, released in Japan as Panel de Pon, was developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo, produced by Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi, released for the SNES in Japan in October 1995 and internationally the following year. The Japanese version featured an original cast of fairy characters in a mythical fantasy setting,…
Introduction Tetris & Dr. Mario was published by Nintendo, released for the SNES in 1994 as a two-in-one compilation cartridge bundling enhanced remakes of both Tetris and Dr. Mario onto a single cart. Each game received a genuine visual and mechanical refresh over their earlier NES and Game Boy incarnations, with the Tetris side offering…
Introduction The Humans was developed by Imagitec Design and published by GameTek for the Genesis in 1992, following its original release on the Amiga earlier that same year through Mirage Technologies. The game is a puzzle-platformer set in prehistoric times, tasking players with guiding a tribe of cavemen through environmental puzzles using cooperative teamwork mechanics,…
Introduction Shanghai II: Dragon’s Eye was developed and published by Activision, originally released for home computers in 1990 before reaching the Genesis in 1991 through a Japan-exclusive port by Home Data and a separate North American port by Activision itself in 1994, as the sequel to the original 1986 Shanghai. The game is built around…