The SNES Thread

[Jazzy G]

The Fido Dido game was bad, and those Burger King XBox games are dreadful, though. 

I loved Robocod. I remember finishing it in a demonstration Amiga in a shop, but still bought n'y own copy. Somewhere around the time of the CD32/PS1 release/port it got ruined. They redesigned all the levels etc. Awful. I made the mistake of buying it on Switch. 

[RedRooster]

9 minutes ago, jazzygeofferz said:

I loved Robocod. I remember finishing it in a demonstration Amiga in a shop, but still bought n'y own copy. Somewhere around the time of the CD32/PS1 release/port it got ruined. They redesigned all the levels etc. Awful. I made the mistake of buying it on Switch. 

Yeah, the PS1 port was particularly disappointing. I've not bought another version of it since, as it's - quite literally - not the game I remember so fondly. 

[FLips]

1 hour ago, RedRooster said:

If I remember rightly, the whole plot was based around Colin losing his Quavers! I was weirdly drawn to games with real-life product tie-ins when I was younger, it gave them a weird credibility to me; I'd think the game MUST be good, otherwise these companies wouldn't be involved. And to be fair, the track record for tie-in games was pretty strong - McDonald Land was a good game, Robocod was excellent, and Cool Spot and Zool were both very playable. 

When I think of product tie-ins, Robocod, Cool Spot and Zool are the ones I go to. I never had McDonald Land and in fact never played it until a year or two ago. What I did have though was...

BoNuS ReViEw

Mick and Mack as the Global Gladiators

What is it?

Well first of all it's a Sega game so it doesn't belong here, but more importantly it's a run and gun shooter with a strong environmental message from McDonalds.

How is it?

I rented this game as a kid from my local haunt, Movie Zone. It's standard fare for the Mega Drive in terms of pretty much everything.
The graphics aren't great but they're not bad. The first world is Slime Zone which is mostly gunk-covered hills and pits of goo with the enemies all being gross slime blobs. Later worlds include such variety as Toxic Town and Forest. Graphically they do all stand out as unique but they're all a little dull and washed out. A game about shooting slime should be colourful, just look at Splatoon.

The soundtrack is bang average. The music isn't awful but you immediately forget it as soon as the game goes off. It's generic guitar riffs you would imagine if someone asked you to imagine an average Mega Drive game. The sound effects are dog rough though and all remind me of tinny old PC games like The Incredible Machine or Klik N Play.

Gameplay wise it's actually not bad. It seems to have it's heart in the right place in terms of level design, enemy placement and the amount of little coins and collectables you can find. Each level has James Pond 3 style mining machines in that if you destroy them all takes you to a bonus level where you recycle properly. The bonus level also has the best music in the game. At the end of each stage Ronald McDonald himself waves you down with a flag and the amount of little Ms you found in the level bounce around to recollect like the yarn balls at the end of Bubsy levels.
Where it falters are some of the mechanics they've put in. Your momentum starts at a crawl and then speeds up after you run a while, but everything in this game affects momentum. If you get hit by an enemy's projectile it will bring your run to a stop, and bizarrely if you shoot your gun it propels you backwards which not only kills your speed but also if you're stood still it will knock you back into pits without you noticing until it's too late.
Speaking of your gun, the trajectory of it is mad. It shoots slime forwards but it loses momentum after a foot and drops down. Pressing up or down on the D-Pad moves the camera up and down but also changes if you shoot up or down at an angle. All things considered, the realistic gravity of your slime and the aiming system isn't actually too bad but it takes a lot of getting used to in terms of where you want to stand to actually hit stuff.

It's like it wants to be Ruff N Tumble on the Amiga but then the developers did everything they could to not be that game. Kill the speed, make your gun fire dodgy, give it an average soundtrack and bland worlds. Speaking of the Amiga, this got ported to it and despite immediately rectifying the rough title music by replacing it with the Sega version's bonus music, the rest of the game looks much worse than this version. It never got a SNES port sadly!
It never reaches the depths of being a bad game and at the time was definitely worth a rent, but you know you're in trouble when you can't even say you're the best McDonalds game on a console, nevermind best licensed game.

 

Edited January 24, 2023 by FelatioLips

[FLips]

We're near the end now (promise).

Starwing (Starfox)

What is it?

Starwing is a polygonal on-rails space shooter powered by Nintendo's answer to Blast Processing; The Super FX Chip. A collaborative effort between Nintendo and the UK's Argonaut Software, Starfox follows Fox McCloud and his rag-tag team as they blast through the Lylat System in search of the evil scientist Andross.

How is it?

Along with Mario All Stars, Starwing was one of only two SNES games I owned as a kid (not borrowed) that were actually good. For that, I'll always have a little soft spot for it.
There's a lot good to say about Starwing even today as despite the big selling point being the polygonal graphics, the game comes as a complete Nintendo package of gameplay, sound, characters and graphics. It's commendable how even though these graphics should have aged by now, and to an extent they have, they form a part of something bigger which taken at face value is still incredibly impressive and enjoyable.

Starting with one of the SNES' most exciting opening levels as you blast out of the hanger in Corneria to that music, the game does quick work of teaching you what each of your buttons and manouvres do and also gets you stuck in with Fox's teammates of Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare and Slippy Toad who assist and be assisted throughout each level. Keep them alive to the end of the level for a bonus!
From there it's non-stop arcade style action as you dip and dodge through giant robot legs, boost past falling pillars and yes, do a barrel roll. As Fox you can move in all directions, boost and brake, fire and use smart bombs. There's not much in the way of gimmicks; it's one weapon with a twin powerup, there's no shop or upgrades like Fantasy Zone so the core game is based on just getting by with what you have. Taking too much damage to the wings however will smash them off and affect how you control your ship.
Once the first stage is done and the boss (with flashing weakpoints!) is destroyed you're on the galaxy map and you can choose between three main paths, essentially an Easy/Normal/Hard path. The selling point is they all contain unique stages rather than just ramping the difficulty, so it encourages getting better at the game to experience the full thing.
There's a good variety to the stages too with some being squad based 3rd person dashes and others being 1st person asteroid blasters. A highlight is one of the stages that has you manouvre through a narrow tunnel full of sharp turns and dodges like the Death Star run in Star Wars.

The music is memorable and very fitting of the game. It's uptempo and galactic and really makes the giant bosses or tough shootouts feel big time. The odd voice sample from your team always keeps the atmosphere of this being a squad front and center.

There's a few negatives but nothing major. There's quite a lot of slowdown if a lot is happening on screen and the enemies being able to come from behind leads to a few cheap shots. Similarly when trying to help your teammates in a chase, friendly fire is a common mishap. It can be a tad difficult in areas but in the land of shoot em ups, this is one of the easier ones.

Overall Starwing still holds up as a solid SNES entry. Some might find the graphics dated, and the gameplay isn't as polished as the sequels on N64 and 3DS, but it's definitely worth a go. The memorable characters rightfully made it into Super Smash Bros so even though the Starwing brand isn't as strong now as it was then, Nintendo still kept it alive across their platforms as one of the anchors of days gone.

 

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

What is it?

1995's sequel but not really a sequel to Super Mario World has you play as the Yoshi species as they baton-pass the baby Mario to each other as they travel to rescue baby Luigi from Kamek and Bowser, who is also a baby.

How is it?

Often considered as one of the greatest games of all time and one of the best on the console, Yoshi's Island does have a lot to love. Sadly I just can't get into it despite how many times I try.

I'll start by talking about what I do like; it looks and sounds gorgeous and is easily the best looking game on the SNES. The hand-drawn style graphics dance and move around on screen and have not aged a single day, you could release this on the Switch and people would praise how nice it looks.
The animation on the characters and enemies are second to none with so many expressions and movements, everything has so much personality it's hard not to love it. If you didn't think much of Yoshi after Super Mario World then you will after this, he's adorable and this game is example number one of why he's their most beloved character.
He's not alone either, the best way to describe the style in the game is that everything looks 10x cuter than it's regular counterpart. Shy Guys, Lakitu, Pirahna Plants, they all have an inherent cuteness and charm to them as they hang around the levels being a nuisance. The bosses, which are all giant versions of basic enemies, are a high point of the game too; offering a unique experience following on from the Koopa Kids in SMW which all just took 3 stomps to the head before being able to hit their spots. The first boss, Burt The Bashful is a giant egg with loose fitting trousers. Throw enough eggs at him and his trousers fall off, causing him to die of embarrassment.
Egg throwing is the main attack in Yoshi's Island as you collect and store a line of eggs behind you that you can throw directionally to beat enemies, open secrets and collect items (including Baby Mario). A lot of the strategy in the game comes from figuring out whether you can either eat something or throw an egg at it. There are three main collectables: Flowers, Stars and Red Coins. Red Coins are for collecting, Flowers are hidden usually in plain sight and getting them gains you access to the bonus at the end of the level to gain extra lives, and the stars I'll get to later.
Yoshi gets a few special transformations in this including Helicopter Yoshi which lets you fly for a limited time, and Mole Yoshi which lets you dig through tight spots and tunnels. Baby Mario himself gets one of his own as he gains invincibility and his trademark yellow cape to run around full speed in his undies without the need for Yoshi. They're all well utilised and the Mario one especially is a blast to use.
The soundtrack is also a high point with the two main athletic themes and the underground theme being ones you'll be whistling for days after playing. Though with this being a Koji Kondo work what did you expect?
My wife who only heard me playing it in the background changed her morning alarm to the Flower Garden athletic theme after humming it hours after I came off.

Unfortunately it's the core essence of the game I don't like which is the gameplay itself. A good comparison is actually the newer Yoshi games like Woolly World or Crafted World in which the levels are meant to be slowly traversed at a casual pace as you look for hidden secrets and collectables, and give you plenty of time to breathe in the love they've put into each stage. In this, Yoshi blasts around on wobbly spaghetti legs at a speed that has you constantly missing things, running into enemies, and slipping into pits and spikes.
All of this, while especially frustrating even midway through the game, would be forgiveable if it wasn't for a couple of things.
One is that the Star collectables are based on you not taking hits, so if you like to go for 100% in games like this you're in trouble because the game requires you to take the loose controls and do a no-hit run on every level. You can top your health back up at checkpoints and hidden blocks but they're not always so close to the end of the stage it can help. They also have little feet and run and bounce away from you so sometimes you'll find them and they'll just dive into pits leaving you stranded.
The other issue and the main one for me is the health meter itself. You have 20 seconds of health which sounds like a strange way to measure health, but that's because as you carry Baby Mario around with you and take damage, he flies screaming like a banshee off your back into a floating bubble. Chase the bubble around and pop it before the timer reaches 0 or the enemies come and kidnap Mario.
It's dreadful and the one thing in the game I would say Nintendo tried to make charming and cocked it up completely. It's completely at odds with the rest of the game as it presents itself as a beautiful and relaxing artwork and then has a baby scream over it. The game gets so difficult early on that the screaming is almost constant and to tie your recovery into one of the collectables is a nightmare.

A smaller nag is that the game only savings at castles (2 each 8 level world) doesn't lend itself well to this game as well as it did in SMW because this is meant to be taken slowly and explored. If you look for everything in the levels you might find yourself go a very long time between saves and getting game over when you just spent 15 minutes exploring a stage for secrets is a bummer.
It goes without saying this is all my personal opinion and better, more patient players, would just learn the controls and not be bothered by the screaming baby, but it's enough for me to just not get on with it. Especially with more recent Yoshi games getting the movement so right while also keeping the charm.

Despite my opinions on the gameplay, it's still a very easy game to recommend due to everything else about it. I'm hoping this is like Link to The Past and in a year's time I can come back on and buzz about how much I love it.
You'll not find a SNES game that looks and sounds more unique or charming and better players than me can get used to the way Yoshi controls. Get past that roadblock and it's not hard to see why this is considered one of the greatest games of all time. The fact it was made in 1995 is astounding as lack of HD aside, there isn't many 2D games even now look better than it.

[RedRooster]

On 1/27/2023 at 10:47 AM, FelatioLips said:

Often considered as one of the greatest games of all time and one of the best on the console, Yoshi's Island does have a lot to love. Sadly I just can't get into it despite how many times I try.

I’ve always felt like this about almost every Yoshi game. It’s a very rare example of a Nintendo franchise from which I’ve found no enjoyment whatsoever. I’m a big fan of platformers, and against my better judgment I always give new Yoshi games a try; but they just never connect with me.

[FLips]

10 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

I’ve always felt like this about almost every Yoshi game. It’s a very rare example of a Nintendo franchise from which I’ve found no enjoyment whatsoever. I’m a big fan of platformers, and against my better judgment I always give new Yoshi games a try; but they just never connect with me.

I really liked Wooly World but never got away with Crafted. My Mam got it for her Birthday though after playing the demo and my Brother says she hasn’t put it down all month!

[RedRooster]

1 minute ago, FelatioLips said:

I really liked Wooly World but never got away with Crafted. My Mam got it for her Birthday though after playing the demo and my Brother says she hasn’t put it down all month!

I expected to like Wooly World, based on how much I enjoyed the Kirby‘s Epic Yarn, but once again I just couldn’t get on board with it. Kirby is a bit like the anti-Yoshi to me, though, in that I always find his games a load of fun to play, especially multiplayer. 

[FLips]

5 minutes ago, RedRooster said:

I expected to like Wooly World, based on how much I enjoyed the Kirby‘s Epic Yarn, but once again I just couldn’t get on board with it. Kirby is a bit like the anti-Yoshi to me, though, in that I always find his games a load of fun to play, especially multiplayer. 

I would rank them fairly equal. I enjoyed Kirby Superstar, Epic Yarn and the demo of the new one but overall the games are too slow paced for me.

[FLips]

I've been an idiot and bought more SNES games and at this rate i'll never finish this, so here's a bumper entry of my remaining games, and then after that it will be Pushover, The Firemen and any other requests I get between now and then!

The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse

What is it?

The first of a trilogy of Mickey Mouse games developed by Capcom on the SNES and I believe I read it was the first Disney/Capcom game too predating Aladdin, Bonkers and Goof Troop. MQ features a unique mechanic that allows you to change costumes and use different powers, almost like Mega Man.

How is it?

Honestly I'm not a huge fan. I'd heard good things and a lot of videos regarded it as a solid entry so I took a risk on it on the cheap and got it. For me it's not as good as the Castle and World of Illusion games or Mickey Mania which I would highly rate all three.

Graphically it's not too bad. The levels and enemies and everything look nice enough but Mickey himself looks strange. His sprite isn't quite right and it's very offputting at times. Unlike the other Mickey games I couldn't whistle a single tune from this one.
Gameplay is bog standard. Not very polished and while the costume swapping is interesting it's clunky to use as Mickey stops to change clothes every time rather than just change on the fly like Mega Man. Having to sit and watch him put on an entire magician's ensemble just to shoot a block and then watch him change back because you want to use a different power on the next section probably doesn't take that long but it sure feels it in the context of play.
If you use standard Mickey with no powers (as you're forced to do on Stage 1) your attack is jumping on enemies and then grabbing them like in Ristar, being able to then spin them at things. You can also grab blocks and berries that helicopter you upwards. In a "look at this cool mechanic" moment that falls flat on it's arse, in Stage 1 they have you grab a door knob and open a door. Thrilling.

People having said this is an easy game but I disagree. Enemy placement is poor at times and there are mechanics that aren't explained like Mickey can swim underwater but there's no visible air meter so at one point I just started taking damage without warning. It also has no password system so you have to do it in one go and honestly I can't even get past the second world. Maybe with practice but it's certainly not easy.

Overall it's OK. Not the worst Disney platformer but far from the best from this period. Some good ideas roughly executed but I'm going to go on a limb and say it's probably my least favourite SNES game I own currently, and that's a list that includes Bubsy. I might be going too hard on it because my expectations were so high, as World of Illusion is probably in my top 5 Mega Drive games. I'll give it more time at some point to see if it changes my mind.

B.O.B

What is it?

B.O.B is a run and gun shooter developed by Gray Matter and published by Electronic Arts. You play as BOB, an ant-like robot with a gun for an arm that has borrowed his Dad's car for a date and crashed it. In a race to get his Dad's car back and get to your date on time you must fight through alien worlds using an array of weapons and gadgets at your disposal.

How is it?

BOB for me is a bit of a sleeper hit on the SNES. Don't get me wrong it's not reaching the highs of Super Metroid, Contra or Turrican in the 16 bit shooter ranks, but by all accounts this game should be a colossal disaster. It's built on the same engine as the notoriously bad Wayne's World and the developers have made what could be considered a banquet of bad to average games beginning with Techno Cop in 1988 and ending with The Crow on PS1 in 1997.

What BOB has going for it is a lot of character and the right amount of polish and restrictions where needed. Graphically it's a tale of two halves. The levels themselves don't look bad but the game keeps you in each world for too long so after doing 10-15 levels swapping between slime caverns and factory you get numbed to the design, but there are some nice features there like pulsing lights and dripping goo. Eventually you get off that world and the next lot is an ancient temple looking setting which is also pretty well done.
Where the graphics shine is in the character models. BOB is very Toejam and Earl in his sort of funky looking 90s alien and between quipping some incredibly outdated 90s slogans at the start of each stage he's so fun to control and watch. When he climbs across poles his uses his fingers to tiptoe, he folds into himself when he ducks and if you fall from a height his gangly body crumples. It's some of the best character animation I've seen on the SNES. The enemies are also nicely done with some decent variety and some gnarly looking bosses.

The tunes aren't all time greats and maybe it's through repetition but I remember the music from the first world so it gains points there. The sound effects are strong and match the goofy animations.

The gameplay is strong too. The running and gunning feels responsive and fair, and the different weapons you pick up will hurt each enemy more or less depending on what they are; for example the flame shot melts bugs but does no harm to these armoured crab things. Spread shot is good for flying and hard to reach enemies, and the rockets were strong against the boss. You can swap between them all on the fly as long as you've picked up ammo and if you do run out you have a default Battletoads-style big fist punch.
The levels keep you in corridors for the most parts with some bigger open rooms, so this puts a good emphasis on strong enemy placement and environmental hazards as they're all in easy to see places and you rarely get caught off guard by things coming from off-screen. BOB handles quite well for the platforming bits too and health pickups are pretty generous.
The gadgets you use, called remotes, include things like trampolines, helicopter heads and smart bombs and can get you to hard to reach areas, out of pits or to secrets and extra lives.
Each level has a time limit to coincide with the story of getting to your date on time, so some levels you might go in with 4 minutes, some you might get 2. It gives a bit of urgency to the game and makes some of the levels a tense race.
Some stages have you hop in a little space ship thing and race to the finish. They're quite weak and not as exciting as they sound.

Overall it's a surprise hit for me. It's dirt cheap, often under £10 for the cartridge and it has all rights to be junk but for that price you're getting a very fun run and gun with a memorable protagonist and unique animations. It won't blow you away like Turrican 2 or Super Metroid but you might be surprised at how enjoyable and moreish it is.

Super Mario Kart

What is it?

The first entry in the Mario Kart series and apparently the fourth best selling SNES game of all time, I never knew a single person who had it and didn't even know the Mario Kart series existed until Super Circuit on the GBA. I'm sure a lot of you adore this game but as someone who never played it until decades after release I hold no nostalgia for it.

How is it?

It's still pretty decent but sadly I have very little to say on the game. For me it's the same as the original Mario in that I appreciate the innovation and for essentially creating a whole genre but to go back now is almost like walking through a museum.
"Look there's Rainbow Road!" or "Oh cool it's the Red Shell weapon!".
They're all archaic versions of better games in the series, as I would consider Mario Kart a rare series that gets better with every entry. That's not to say this doesn't hold up in it's own way, a good game is still a good game but without having it as a kid and having those multiplayer memories like I do with Double Dash, I don't get hooked on it.
I can't get my head around how to drift or the jump mechanic at all and the AI is the cheapest it's ever been with rubber banding being disgusting. That being said there is still a lot to be said for the large variety of tracks and there's a good reason some of them are being remade into newer games because the layout and design of them still holds up. The music is top notch as you would expect and two player is still a blast.

It's a good game but it's outdated by the games that followed it. I imagine if you had it as a kid you'd still easily fall in love with it but as someone who only played it for the first time in their twenties it's an interesting look back at the start of a series that just makes me want to play the newer entries. Top marks for being able to play as Donkey Kong JR though.

Super Mario World

What is it?

Super Mario World is the fourth main entry into Super Mario series and the first on the SNES. It's the highest selling SNES game of all time with over 20 million units and is what most people (including myself) would consider to still be the pinnacle of 2D Mario. I imagine some would consider this the best Mario game 2D or 3D and they may not be wrong!

How is it?

It's just brilliant isn't it?

Starting from the World Map you're immediately give a choice of which way to go and it's this choice that begins you on a masterclass of game design. Go one way and you just start the game and will eventually see missing blocks. Go back the other way and you eventually hit a switch palace to fill those blocks. All the levels between will give you practice on all the mechanics you'll need including powerups, Yoshi, how to fly with the cape, run up walls, and different stage hazards.
By the time you do the first Castle you're fully prepared for the rest of the game that takes all these ideas the first area taught you and gradually adds to them and changes them in unique ways.

The World Map itself is a joy, with multiple paths and a clear Red/Yellow marking for levels with and without a secret exit to open new paths and levels. Each area has unique settings filled with unique hazards and enemies. Ghost Houses trick you into taking dud exits, and underground levels are swarmed with bats and floors and ceilings that will crush you. The Forest of Illusion area improves on the Ghost House concept and suddenly every level has secret exits and tricks. The entire game has you learning and thinking on your feet from start to finish.
Find the secret exits to Star Road and the Special World and all in all you have 96 exits in the game, which is the number shown next to your save so you know if you've done the lot!

The music is another timeless Koji Kondo classic and I imagine most people who've played it remember the tracks fondly. Little touches of magic are added in, like how when riding Yoshi it adds a little drum track to the music. There isn't a bad bit of music in this and it may just be one of Mario's best.

Mario handles perfectly throughout so even when the game gets hard, you know with practice you can do it. Jumps are precise, enemies can be beaten or dodged and getting those cape mechanics down can get you right over levels you might really struggle with.

There's truly nothing bad to say about this game. Everything about it is as close to perfect as you can get, even now. It looks wonderful and is jam packed with a variety of stages and enemies including one of the best Bowser fights of all time, the soundtrack is flawless and it controls like a dream. What more could you ask for?

Aladdin

What is it?

The game that started me off on this journey back on Christmas Eve last year when I just really fancied playing it and bust the SNES out of storage. Aladdin is the Capcom developed alternative to the Virgin Games Mega Drive version. A completely different game with a platforming heavy approach to the hacking and slashing of the Mega Drive.

How is it?

It's highly debateable which of the two Aladdin entries are the better one as despite them being different games it still boils down to Sega vs Nintendo and a more PG version of the Mortal Kombat debate. Sega has the sword as a weapon and is a bit more focused on attacking first and asking questions later, whereas the SNES version has no sword but instead has you jumping on heads and bouncing between platforms. This may be recency bias as I did like the Mega Drive version more as a kid, but I would say in my wise old age the SNES entry is a more enjoyable experience.

Aladdin looks colourful and I imagine a lot of the same team that made Super Ghouls and Ghosts made this as though he handles much better, there are some parts of the music and level design that could be interchanged between games, to the point where when I think of the Aladdin level on the water raft, I hear the water raft music from G&G. Level variety is solid having you jump through the slums of Agrabah, dodge falling rocks and lava on your magic carpet (yes this version has that level too but without the cheap boulders) and make daring leaps and swings on giant genie heads in the Genie's Lamp stage, unqiue I believe to this version. This version also has a better Jafar fight and a handy cape item to glide to harder platforms.
Graphically it's a very nice game and a lot of effort has went into making it stand out, especially the Genie's Lamp level and enemy animations when you pelt them with apples or bounce off them. The soundtrack is OK with some memorable tracks, but the main event here is the smooth gameplay.

Aladdin controls very well and the heavy focus on platforming means there are plenty of poles to climb, gaps to jump and ropes to swing on and getting the motions down to bounce between enemies and hazards to reach secret areas for items adds a lot of fun and replayability. Red Gems are hidden through each level and at first glance don't do anything, but depending on how many you get by the end of the game it changes the endings. Knowing this makes you boot it back up and try and improve your skills to get the better ending.

Overall it's another strong entry on the SNES from Capcom and there's good reason this and The Lion King were the two games that got a modern re-release (even if copyright issues held the addition of this version back a while). Definitely worth digging the SNES out for.

---

I'll be looking to get The Firemen and Pushover both played and done for Sunday so if there are any other games people would like, message me before then!

For now though, that's all of my physically owned SNES games done. Since we just did awards season I'll dish a few little ones out of my own.

Best Game
The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past
Runners up: Super Metroid, Super Mario World

Most Surprising
SimCity
Runners up: Blackhawk, B.O.B

Best Multiplayer
Tetris Attack
Runners up: Super Mario Kart, Chaos Engine

Good Egg
Yoshi (SMW2)
Runners up: Yoshi (SMW), Yoshi (Tetris Attack)

Hardest Game
Super Ghouls n Ghosts
Runners up: SMW2, Chaos Engine

Best Soundtrack
Super Metroid
Runners up: Super Mario World, TLoZ: A Link to The Past

Best Graphics
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Runners up: Super Metroid, StarWing (for the time)

Worst Game
Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse
Runners up: Bubsy, Super Mario Bros 1 (All Stars)

Failed Comedian
Bubsy
Runners up: Bubsy, Bubsy.

[Merzbow]

That was a rare time where even the Master System/Game Gear Mickey Mouse games were far superior from a purely gameplay perspective, not sure how Capcom dropped the ball there.

[BomberPat]

It's obviously no Castle of Illusion, but it can't be overstated just how bloody gorgeous those SNES Disney games were. The depth of detail in those backgrounds and sprites, compared to the Mario screenshots lower down the thread, is stunning. 

[RedRooster]

I'd always heard good things about that Mickey game, so I'm a little surprised by that one. That said, I'd heard good things about Plok, and I think it's aged quite badly - I'd be interested in reading your take on that game, should you get hold of it. 

I totally agree with you on Mario Kart. To me, that was impossible to enjoy as far back as when Mario Kart 64 came out; and it's only become more dated feeling as the years have passed. I still adore Mario World, but I think the best version of it is the version published on the GBA. The quality of life upgrades there really improved on an already excellent game. 

[FLips]

9 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

It's obviously no Castle of Illusion, but it can't be overstated just how bloody gorgeous those SNES Disney games were. The depth of detail in those backgrounds and sprites, compared to the Mario screenshots lower down the thread, is stunning. 

Not to detract too much from them because the Disney games do look lovely, but Super Mario World was a launch game. There's a full two years between that and Magical Quest. Two years after MQ was Donkey Kong Country and Super Metroid, and a little after that was Yoshi's Island. The SNES graphics got better and better as it went on.

[BomberPat]

oh for sure, it's not a criticism of Super Mario World at all, just a little moment of wonder at how lovely SNES graphics could be, and appreciation of how much good stuff developers were able to get out of the console.

Back then it never even occurred to me that video games could or should strive for photo-realism, and I always found it slightly disappointing that so many games tried to go in that direction once 3D became the norm - not least because early 3D graphics age so much worse than late 16 bit graphics. I always imagined that the video games of the future would just look more and more like a playable cartoon, and stuff like those Mickey Mouse games felt like moving in that direction. 

[DavidB6937]

I actually completely forgot Magical Quest and how much I fucking loved it at the time.

I'm not sure I ever owned it though. I have a vague recollection of renting SNES games from a local shop but I'm not entirely sure.