Nintendo Switch Online: SNES Titles You Might Have Overlooked

I got some good feedback on my list of games not to overlook on the Nintendo Switch Online NES offerings, so I thought I'd follow up with the inevitable sequel and highlight some of the SNES games on the service I think are worth checking out. Obviously, if you haven't played legendary classics like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Super Metroid, or Kirby Super Star, I'd recommend starting with those. But if you're looking for something new and different and don't want to waste your time, try some of the following:

Breath of Fire and Breath of Fire II

While many are clamoring for the great classic Super Nintendo RPGs like Super Mario RPG, Final Fantasy VI, and Chrono Trigger to come to the service, Breath of Fire remains the only JRPG available here. It may not be as great as those others, but make no mistake, Breath of Fire deserves a place alongside (if slightly below) those other RPG greats. The visual and sound design is up to par with what you would expect from Capcom in 1993, and each character has unique overworld actions such as being able to hunt or fish, or breathe underwater. The story is actually quite good, even if it doesn't stand out the way those other classics do. Capcom was not used to localizing such a text-heavy game at the time, and so they tapped square for help in the first game's localization, which was done relatively well for the standards of the time. The second game... not so much. Its english translation is famous for the wrong reasons, but it certainly steps into "so bad it's funny" territory. Luckily, the core gameplay and exploration is just as good as the first game.

The Ignition Factor

Unlike any other SNES game (except The Firemen, which never released in North America), this game has you play as a firefighter tasked with rescuing citizens from a burning building. The gameplay is fairly slow-paced and strategic, with planning and inventory management acting as the keys to success. Pay attention during the briefing, as it will clue you in on what items you need, and carrying too many items will keep you from being able to run or kick down doors. This one has some flaws, but felt very fresh to me after all the 2D platformers.

Demon’s Crest

A spin-off of the Ghosts 'n Goblins series, this game is not as punishingly difficult. Instead of that wimpy knight Arthur, you play as a red arremer named Firebrand (sure is a lot of fire in this list). Ahead of its time in many ways, this game blends action platforming with overworld exploration and stat progression of an RPG. even the platforming has a unique slant, though the controls may take some getting used to. In his base form, Firebrand can hover by pressing the a button in mid-air and also cling to walls, giving him a lot of mobility to work with. Defeating bosses collects new elemental crests, unlocking new abilities and with them new areas open up in the style of a metroid game.

Panel de Pon

While this may not be recognizable until you get into an actual game (don't be alarmed by the japanese hiragana on the menu) this is what we in the west know as tetris attack. While it's a little strange the "tetris attack" version of the game is absent, it's really cool to experience the original version of the game. Instead of the super mario world re-skin the international version got, we have the original cast of fairies such as Lip. If you ever wondered what the Lip's stick item in smash bros. is from, this is it. While there are many match 3 color puzzle games out there these days, this is actually still one of the best. It's great that these games can be played casually but can also become very intense on high speed/difficulty.

Spanky’s Quest

Spanky’s Quest is a game I picked up an original cartridge for just before it came to the service. It’s a very simple game, using only two buttons and the d pad for controls, with very short levels where the objective is to find a key and reach the door. The B button is the expected jump, while the A button produces a bubble, which can be bounced on Spanky’s head to change it’s color and grow larger. Pressing the A button again pops the bubble, causing a different sports ball to fall down with different effects depending on how many times it was bounced. This is the main means of attacking enemies. Because of the bouncing, the game has a much slower pace than most platformers. The short levels and simple controls give it the feel of an NES game, not that that’s a bad thing.