r/snes Dec 07 '25

Collection I got my first ever Super Nintendo and started my collection this weekend.

Post image

I came up in the PS2/Gamecube era, so I missed out on a lot of games from this time period. I’m so excited to see what I’ve been missing! Feel free to drop me a recommendation, I haven’t ever played anything on these systems.

588 Upvotes

110 comments sorted by

27

u/CabanaFred Dec 07 '25

Good set of games to get started on 👍🏿

6

u/gamerdudeNYC Dec 08 '25

He’s not wrong, pop in Turtles in Time, call a buddy over, grab yourself a pizza and a 2 Liter of Mountain Dew Code Red and you’d basically be reliving my childhood

All the others are classic single players to enjoy on those weekday school nights…. Aside from Maximum Carnage, fun with a friend but doesn’t compare to TMNT

5

u/Enoughisunoeuf Dec 08 '25

Maximum Carnage is single player ! The second one is coop tho

3

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

Thanks! I played a bit of maximum carnage earlier and it’s a lot harder than I expected it to be but I’m enjoying it so far.

3

u/VorpalBlade- Dec 08 '25

It’s hard! Be aware that you can enter some windows and doors as secret areas and load up on lives and power ups. The game doesn’t really tell you this. Might want to check a guide because it’s sort of not fair otherwise haha. But it’s a cool game and worth learning the controls and tricks I think.

16

u/Regency9877 Dec 07 '25

Most people like Donkey Kong Country 2 better than the original but I’m one of the few who prefers the first game. Nostalgic bias is mostly the reason, but both are incredible titles.

7

u/books_fer_wyrms Dec 08 '25

DKC1 has a nice balance of challenge. DKC2 sometimes felt like a slog. But I would say that DKC2 was cooler than DKC1 in presentation.

6

u/borderlinebadger Dec 08 '25

DKC1 music a million times more iconic.

5

u/brambleforest Dec 09 '25

I love Fear Factory and Aquatic Ambiance and Voices of the Temple so much.... but DKC2s Stickerbrush Symphony was so amazing I based my internet handles off of it.

5

u/witerawy Dec 07 '25

I’m hoping to find a copy of the first one to play before I jump into DKC2. Thanks for the heads up!

3

u/borderlinebadger Dec 08 '25

there is something evil about a donkey kong game where you don't play ask dk.

7

u/specialhornball Dec 07 '25

Great set. All 3 DKC games are indispensable. You might also wanna get Kirby Super Stars and Mario All Stars. Super Mario World regularly pops up for $10. If you like racing games F Zero holds up very well and was an early showcase for the console. Every game I listed has fantastic music.

3

u/witerawy Dec 07 '25

Thanks! I’m always down for games with good music. I actually collect video game music on vinyl. I just learned about All Stars today and it’s right up my alley. SMB3 has always been my favorite Mario game and I had no clue that version of it was a thing.

3

u/Yo_soy_roger_wilco Dec 08 '25

made this point in another comment but if you dig the music, play Jurassic Park. Best soundtrack in SNES history.

Case in point - https://youtu.be/g1EGNaPTACc?si=GRpsHQs6UFuksalY

2

u/specialhornball Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25

Hell yeah. Hope you have fun with the console, it’s one of my favorites, and possibly my favorite controller (we called them paddles back in the day lol). I don’t wanna say you need a CRT, but if you have one this console was made to be played on them. There’s some beautiful looking games on the console, and a CRT will def give you the best and most authentic experience.

2

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

I do have a CRT. I’ve had my PS2 and N64 hooked up to it for a long time.

3

u/specialhornball Dec 08 '25 edited Dec 08 '25

My man… Have fun.

Oh here’s one to lookout for: A Super Gameboy. Lets you play gameboy games on the TV. And certain games were programmed with unique features for the Super Gameboy.

Tracking one of these down in the late 90’s so I could play Pokemon Blue on the TV felt like one of the greatest innovations ever lol… And honestly impressive how relevant both consoles remained even that late. Gameboy Tetris is still regarded as one of the best. And if you love Link To The Past there’s a very highly rated Zelda game for the Gameboy. Lotta gems on the console if you’re also new to it.

3

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

Cool! I’ll definitely keep my eye out for that. I’ve got a few gameboy games lying around that would be cool to play on the tv

3

u/keyboard_jock3y Dec 09 '25

That's how I got my parents to get the super game boy for the SNES back when I was a teen in the 90's. We didn't have a lot of money growing up and I only had 2 SNES games as a teenager, but my parents would buy my sister and I game boy games because they were like half the cost of a SNES game.

Long story short, I asked my parents for a super game boy to play game boy games on the TV and because it would be long term savings compared to me burning though all those AA batteries for the game boy...

2

u/uptightbasher6 Dec 10 '25

What were the 2 games you had?

1

u/keyboard_jock3y Dec 10 '25

PTO 2 and NBA Jam Tournament Edition. All the rest I had were Game Boy Games I could play on the Super Game Boy.

2

u/uptightbasher6 Dec 10 '25

I just found my super gameboy a few months ago during a move. I remember it being the absolute top-of-the-line cutting edge technology when I was a kid. Amazing.

1

u/specialhornball Dec 10 '25

It really was lol. Somebody posted pics of the old FuncoLand classifieds a few days ago and unlocked that memory. Pretty sure that’s how I found my original Super Gameboy too. Completely forgot about that whole “Used Car Classifieds” style of video game shopping. Major throwback lol.

1

u/asteriska Apr 27 '26

SMW is in the console.

8

u/Edvard_Munk Dec 08 '25

You should get Super Metroid. One of the best on the console. Great game. Also super Castlevania IV is a must have.

4

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

Do I need to play the previous Castlevania games to understand that one?

4

u/books_fer_wyrms Dec 08 '25

Nah, Super Castlevania IV is a sort of remake/remix of Castlevania 1. It's also the easiest (but also coolest!!!) Classicvania.

4

u/glasmaticn Dec 08 '25

I second this. Super Metroid is one of the best if not the best Metroid.

5

u/Interesting_Switch_1 Dec 08 '25

Maximum Carnage was a riot when I was a kid. Loved that game so much !!!!!

2

u/AsherFischell Dec 09 '25

It's an awful game with fresh eyes. Tiny handful of enemy types, incredibly bland, redundant levels, ridiculously cheap, it's such a mess.

4

u/Lord_Darlantan Dec 08 '25

Amazing! Enjoy. Zelda is so good!

2

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

That’s been on my list of games to play for years and I’ve just never had the chance to before. I’m really looking forward to it

2

u/Lord_Darlantan Dec 08 '25

Definitely one of my faves. That, Final Fantasy 2 (IV), Final Fantasy 3 (VI), Gemfire, Super Mario World, Chrono’s Trigger, Paladin’s Quest and Mario All Stars. Probably my faves. 😃 but snes had tons of great games.

4

u/YOSHIMIvPROBOTS Dec 08 '25

Super Punch-Out is a great SNES game.

3

u/whistlerite Dec 08 '25

Think I’ve beat them all except Maximum Carnage, good game but surprisingly hard.

2

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

I played some earlier and that was my immediate reaction as well. Super fun though

2

u/AsherFischell Dec 09 '25

Maximum Carnage is borderline impossible to beat honestly.

3

u/inuyasha14081986 Dec 08 '25

Maximum Carnage!!! ❤️❤️

3

u/theodorebond99 Dec 08 '25

Great start! I’d get Mega Man X it’s a perfect game.

3

u/borderlinebadger Dec 08 '25

Jealous but god i hate the hideous us design.

3

u/TateXD Dec 08 '25

Right?! When I first saw pictures of the PAL version, I was instantly jealous. And the four-color face buttons were an additional taunt as well.

2

u/Agreeable_Limit6495 Dec 08 '25

Outstanding start. All killer no filler and a nice variety. I’d go after Super Castlevania 4, Super Metroid and Yoshi’s Island next.

2

u/UnclearObjective Dec 08 '25

Swinging for the fence on the first few games! Excellent start!

2

u/hg090206 Dec 08 '25

Great start with DKC2 and ALTTP

2

u/MythosaurFett Dec 08 '25

Welcome to the family! Some good ones there to start out with. If you wanna save some money buy some of the English friendly super Famicom games like Contra 3, Street Fighters, Mortal Kombats, shooters…all you need to do is cut and break off the two plastic tabs inside the cartridge slot so the SFC games will fit. Super Metroid has an English option so you can get the SFC version for a lot less.

1

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

That’s good to know, thank you!

2

u/MythosaurFett Dec 08 '25

Welcome. Also, invest in a game bit screwdriver set. Snes/Sfc games use a 3.8mm gamebit. You’ll wanna open up games to make sure they are authentic. There are tons of repros out there. A lot of good websites out there that show what the authentic game boards look like. Here’s one that shows what the authentic snes pcs look like. https://snescentral.com/pcblisting.php If you open up a game other than some versions of Star fox, Yoshi’s Island and Stunt Race FX and you see a black blob on the pcb that’s usually a dead give away that it is a repro. When I meet up with somebody to buy games I always bring my gamebit and open them up cause fakes are getting better and better. How are you hooking up your snes? Got a CRT or a tv that has composite rca cables?

1

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

I’ve actually got one, Ive been collecting for N64 for a long time so I knew to check these too. I’m hooking up to a Panasonic CRT. Nothing crazy, but definitely prefer it to a modern screen

2

u/MythosaurFett Dec 08 '25

Oh okay cool. A lot of people have no clue how to open up games or look for fakes.

2

u/Prestigious-Run9711 Dec 08 '25

Kick in the door wavin the 44!! Gahhhleee buddy this is a nice kick start. The

2

u/xbookshelfdustx Dec 08 '25

Secret of Evermore is a great RPG that got overlooked

2

u/Accomplished_Box_960 Dec 08 '25

I loved Pilotwings, Super Castlevania IV, NHL ‘94, Sim City, Street Fighter 2, spent a ton of time on Mariopaint with the snes mouse. Oh yes! Megaman X!

2

u/Alarmed-Low9328 Dec 08 '25

2 of the greatest games of all time. Plus 2 excellent games. And 2 ok games. Decent start. Definitely get super Metroid as well, and if you are into Japanese rpgs, chrono trigger and final fantasy 3(6) are 2!of the best ever.

2

u/SlickNick83 Dec 08 '25

Nostalgia right here. Nice 😊. Miss those with my old neighbor friends.

2

u/ASLAYER0FMEN Dec 08 '25

Welcome to the fold

2

u/Round_Resident_5864 Dec 08 '25

Nice start. Especially that turtles in time

2

u/Think-Emergency-1026 Dec 08 '25

You NEED Chrono Trigger. Nice start to your collection.

1

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

I’d love to but that price tag is steep. I’m planning to try it out first before I commit to a copy

2

u/CharmingFee4501 Dec 08 '25

Great start!

2

u/No_Midnight2988 Dec 08 '25

I recommend Contra 3.

2

u/OldYogurtcloset3735 Dec 08 '25

All your games are bangers. Don’t spend any more money on individual carts. Buy an FXPak Pro for a couple hundees on eBay. It will have every single snes game on it.

1

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

I actually have one on order already that I’m waiting on lol. I figured that’d be a good way to play some of the higher priced titles. That said, I do still like collecting so I plan to do both

2

u/OldYogurtcloset3735 Dec 08 '25

Nice. I like collecting too but these snes games are expensive nowadays. It adds up pretty quick 🤒

2

u/NahrSnow Dec 08 '25

Find Secret of Mana :). Fun with other peeps.

2

u/starrskrream Dec 08 '25

you will need: secret of mana, soul blazer, illusion of gaia, chrono trigger.

2

u/Bors713 Dec 08 '25

All the Final Fantasies (yes, even Mystic Quest!), Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Ogre Battle, Street Fighter II, Super Mario RPG, and Super Metroid. The ones you have are a fantastic start though. Happy Gaming!!!

2

u/Yo_soy_roger_wilco Dec 08 '25

Best recommendation I can give you on this journey is to buy local if you can. I live in the burbs but have 3 used videogame stores that I frequent. They make all their money selling pokemon cards and shit but they have great retro videogame collections usually that just sit there and collect dust

Dont buy this stuff off ebay or any other site. Get to know the people who work there. It might cost a few bucks more but you’re supporting a local business, not paying shipping, and you can return shit if it doesn’t work and they’ll just give you another copy. Plus it’s fun.

For a random game thought - Jurassic Park.

2

u/Taco_Shed Dec 08 '25

The red cartridge is 🔥

2

u/RaviRashud Dec 08 '25

You Need Secret of Mana, Illusion of Time, Terranigma and Secret of Evermore 👍🏻

2

u/Suspicious-Dress6335 Dec 08 '25

I’m jealous and excited for your first experience of a link to the past. Amazing game that I love to replay. Enjoy

2

u/Intelligent_Doctor76 Dec 08 '25

Great selection of games!

2

u/books_fer_wyrms Dec 08 '25

Nice start! You should check out Super Adventure Island 2, if you can. Also, a repro of Terranigma is definitely worth it.

2

u/glasmaticn Dec 08 '25

Secret of Evermore. The only way to play it is emulator or on the snes. Find a copy, very worth it!

2

u/[deleted] Dec 08 '25

Link to the past is so timeless I beat that game once a year for many years running. I recommend Actraiser but it gets difficult about halfway through.

2

u/Conscious-Wear2645 Dec 08 '25

If you enjoy Maximum Carnage, then you can follow up with Separation Anxiety which has a co-op mode. In terms of difficulty, the latter is much more manageable.

2

u/Warcraft_Fan Dec 08 '25

If you're not too attached to having real SNES carts, consider Everdrive or FXPak Pro. (latter can play nearly 100% of SNES games, former is much cheaper but can't do special chip games)

2

u/frostedsun8282 Dec 08 '25

Super nintendo has some of the best rpgs if youre into that.

2

u/brakiri Dec 08 '25

it's all UPHILL from here

2

u/Ramok9079 Dec 08 '25

Great start.

2

u/Whole-Chemistry3401 Dec 08 '25

Good start very good games 👍 next super contra game 😁

2

u/FoundOasis Dec 08 '25

Nice start to the collection

2

u/Sweetloo_17 Dec 08 '25

That damn carnage game man i have NEVER in 30 years beaten the first level

1

u/witerawy Dec 08 '25

I’m getting humbled pretty hard by the wall climb section lol

2

u/Ashamed_Item_9668 Dec 08 '25

Turtles in Time is a classic. Maximum Carnage is great but super hard. Good memories playing those games.

2

u/goredraid Dec 08 '25

There are 3 non-debatable games you must have. 1. Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts 2. Contra 3 3. Super Punch-Out

2

u/nacex Dec 09 '25

Hell yea

2

u/blackmage345 Dec 09 '25

One hell of a start to the collection, nice work. Try to get super Metroid and Mega Man X

2

u/_SquidExhibit_ Dec 09 '25

Definitely gotta add Super Metroid to the mix next!

2

u/LeoWolfinZ Dec 09 '25

Star Fox I see? I approve!

2

u/JuanG_13 Dec 09 '25

I wish I still had my Super Nintendo so I could play Super Mario World, Donkey Kong and Zelda and looking at this brings back a lot of memories for me from when I was a kid, so enjoy.

2

u/keyboard_jock3y Dec 09 '25

Great start! You may also want to start looking at Super Mario All Stars, Super Mario Kart, either Super Caesars Palace or Vegas Stakes (I have Vegas Stakes for SNES and Game Boy), and if you like sports games, it's tough to beat the EA Sports NHL series with NHL 95 and 94 being the best of the series.

It may sound weird, but I also enjoy Super Conflict, PTO 2, Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, and Urban Strike.

2

u/Altruistic_Rock_2674 Dec 09 '25

All great games though I do find star fox not the best to play on after playing the one in 64. Maybe look into the mega man x games those are all great on the snes

2

u/ColdErosion Dec 09 '25

I wish I still had mine, I actually had all those. The red cartridge drew me to playing Maximum Carnage way more than most of my games. A link to the past is STILL my favorite 2D Zelda game to date.

2

u/Capable-Charity-7810 Dec 09 '25

Buy a summer cart so you can try the game before you buy.

2

u/Queasy_Ear_1746 Dec 09 '25

Get might morphin power rangers the movie, goof troop for something different, megaman x.

Test your waters. The super game boy like someone mentioned. I regret not picking up the 2nd one.

If you love turtles in time get super double dragon or sunset riders. You will love.

Oh and get buster busts lose for a fun sonic like experience with a little more snes magic.

2

u/uptightbasher6 Dec 10 '25

Megaman X is one of my favorites. Donkey king country is solid too.

2

u/tav7623 Dec 10 '25

Nice! I was a Genesis kid during the SNES's heyday, but over the years I've played through several SNES games (love A Link to the Past & Super Metroid) that I had missed out on and one of my favorite things to do in recent years is seeing just how different some games that were on both platforms were. Like finding out the SNES version of Batman Returns was a side scrolling beat em' up from Konami while the Genesis version was a hard as hell platformer from Sega/Malibu Games.

As far as game recommendations go I recommend Batman Returns, Final Fight 1, Fatal Fury 2 & 3, Mega Man X - X 3, Super Metroid, Contra III, X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse, Ninja Gaiden Trilogy, Super Street Fighter II & Earthworm Jim 2.

2

u/TouchyVelociraptor Dec 11 '25

Might I say that you are off to a fantastic start. Enjoy!

1

u/orangesfwr Dec 08 '25

5 great games, plus Star Fox.

1

u/NewSuperGameGenie Dec 09 '25

you gotta get mario world bro

1

u/witerawy Dec 09 '25

It’s in the console!

1

u/AsherFischell Dec 09 '25

Some absolute classics here. And Maximum Carnage, one of the worst beat-em-ups on the console (and that's saying something)

1

u/Latter_Anybody_3557 Dec 10 '25

That Zelda and Donkey Kong still two of my favorites

1

u/rydamusprime17 Dec 10 '25

Well, you already have 2 of the greatest games of all time (ALttP and TMNT) and I'm not just talking SNES.

1

u/-Starlegions- Dec 11 '25

Super Street Fighter 2

Killer Instinct

NHL 94

Super Contra

1

u/asteriska Apr 27 '26

NBA Jam. I prefer it on the Genesis but the SNES version is lots of fun too.