10 Super Nintendo Games With Stunning Graphics (2025)

Nintendo is well-regarded for its innovations in video gaming technology. Whether it's the advanced 2D entertainment of the Nintendo Entertainment System or the great 3D spectacles of the Nintendo 64, Nintendo's video game consoles showcase the endless potential of video game hardware.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is another example of Nintendo's ability to innovate. While theoretically slower than its chief competitor, the Sega Genesis, in practice, the SNES was more powerful and capable. This power is especially evident in its library of visually stunning games.

10 Doom on the SNES Is Just a Miracle

Release Date - Circa Sept. 1995

• SNES Enhancement Chip: Super FX

Doom is a seminal first-person shooter that has been ported to a myriad of home computers and consoles over the years, including a 1995 release on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game follows the main protagonist, known simply as the Doom Guy, as he fights his way through a compound in hell. It is a gory and satisfying journey for both him and the player.

Doom seriously pushed the SNES to its limits. It's a miracle that Doom ever made it to the system. Doom on the SNES uses the Super FX enhancement chip to render its graphics, which are still heavily compressed. Despite that, the game is still playable, and unlike the graphically superior ports, it still has all the levels.

Doom (1993)

First-Person Shooter

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating: 86/100 Critics Recommend: 92%

Franchise

DOOM

Platform(s)

PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, Stadia, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox (Original), PS1, Sega Saturn, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Android, iOS

Released

December 10, 1993

Developer(s)

id Software

Publisher(s)

id Software

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Engine

Doom engine

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

How Long To Beat

5 Hours

X|S Optimized

No

File Size Xbox Series

527 MB (November 2023)

PS Plus Availability

Premium

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

9 Stunt Race FX Is a Good Demonstration of the Super FX Chip

Release Date - May 27, 1994

• SNES Enhancement Chip: Super FX

Stunt Race FX is a 3D racing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was developed and published by Nintendo in cooperation with Argonaut Software, who developed the Super FX chip used in this and other innovative SNES games of the era. Stunt Race FX lets players choose from a selection of cute, anthropomorphic racing cars that can be destroyed if not cared for.

Whether viewed as a 3D racing game or a tech demo, Stunt Race FX excels in both roles. The fact that it was released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System is an achievement in itself, even if the frame rate may not appeal to most modern players. The nicest thing that can be said about Stunt Race FX is that its graphics are almost arcade-quality.

8 Pilotwings Showed What Graphics the SNES Was Capable Of

Release Date - Dec. 21, 1990

• SNES Enhancement Chip: DSP-1

Pilotwings was a launch title for the SNES and a good way to demonstrate the system's graphical capabilities. This flying simulation game lets players pilot a variety of aircraft. Players can fly light planes, hang gliders, or even jetpacks, as well as go skydiving. It offers a sense of freedom, allowing players to virtually perform any perilous activities they choose.

Pilotwings made use of the DSP-1 enhancement chip, which was later used in other SNES games, including Super Mario Kart. The DSP-1 chip enabled the SNES to render graphics that created the illusion of 3D, which was especially effective in a flying sim like Pilotwings. This chip helped Pilotwings give players the sensation of actually flying and landing aircraft.

7 Street Fighter Alpha 2 on the SNES Looks Like an Arcade Fighter

Release Date - Oct. 28, 1996

• SNES Enhancement Chip: S-DD1

Street Fighter Alpha 2 is the second game in the Street Fighter Alpha series in the Street Fighter fighting video game franchise. It is also the only game in that series to be released on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, coming out not long after the Nintendo 64's release in North America. Street Fighter Alpha 2 has the player's chosen fighter battle against various rivals, including a secretive rival at the end.

As one of the later titles in the Super Nintendo's library, Street Fighter Alpha 2 is a strong fighting game to close out on, especially with the introduction of Sakura Kasugano. Notably, Street Fighter Alpha 2 was one of only two games that used the S-DD1 enhancement chip, which allows for uncompressed imagery and sprites. These visual enhancements are more than apparent, with highly detailed fighters and backgrounds.

6 Kirby's Dream Land 3 Looks Newer Than It Is

Release Date - Nov. 27, 1997

• SNES Enhancement Chip: SA1

Kirby's Dream Land 3 is the third game in the Kirby's Dream Land series. It's also the first and only game in that series released for a home console. In Kirby's Dream Land 3, Kirby, with the help of his animal friends, sets out to save his home planet from destruction by a mysterious cloud.

Kirby's Dream Land 3 was released incredibly late in the Super Nintendo's life, arriving well over a year after the Nintendo 64's launch. Despite this, Kirby's Dream Land 3 looks surprisingly fresh, thanks to the SA1 enhancement chip common in later SNES titles. The graphics are unmistakably stylized, resembling illustrations from a quality sketchbook.

Kirby's Dream Land 3

Platformer

Franchise

Kirby

Platform(s)

SNES, Wii, Wii U, Switch

Released

November 27, 1997

Developer(s)

HAL Laboratory

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Engine

game engine

ESRB

e

How Long To Beat

4 Hours

5 Yoshi’s Island Is Just a Children’s Book

Release Date - Aug. 5, 1995

• SNES Enhancement Chip: Super FX

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, officially and retroactively shortened to Yoshi's Island, is a pseudo-sequel to Super Mario World and the first game in the Yoshi's Island prequel series. In the game, a stork loses two of his newest deliveries: Mario and Luigi. Mario lands on the titular island, but Luigi is captured by the infant Bowser. It's up to the Yoshis to rescue him.

At first glance, it may seem like a 2D platformer with a charming children's book aesthetic, which is an appealing effect. However, Yoshi's Island contains the Super FX chip, which is demonstrated in certain parts of the game. For example, Yoshi must avoid 3D booby traps that can fall on him. This effect is strong and works very well with the game's stylized visuals.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

Platformer

Platform(s)

SNES, Game Boy Advance

Released

October 4, 1995

Developer(s)

Nintendo EAD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Engine

unreal engine 4

ESRB

E For Everyone

How Long To Beat

8 Hours

4 Star Fox Is the Great 3D SNES Shooting Game

Release Date - Feb. 21, 1993

• SNES Enhancement Chip: Super FX

Star Fox is a rail shooter developed by Nintendo in cooperation with Argonaut Software, beginning a working relationship between the two that lasted until the Nintendo 64 era. Star Fox is set in a galaxy populated by anthropomorphic animal characters. The game follows a squad consisting of Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, and Slippy Toad as they battle the diabolical Andross.

Star Fox was the first Super Nintendo game to use the Super FX enhancement chip, which enabled the SNES to render fully 3D environments and basic 3D polygons. Despite its age, Star Fox has held up remarkably well, arguably benefiting from its arcade-like 3D graphics. It's a fun 3D shooting game featuring solid weaponry and engaging combat.

Star Fox (1993)

Shoot 'em Up

Franchise

Star Fox

Platform(s)

Nintendo 3DS, GameCube, Nintendo 64

Released

February 21, 1993

Developer(s)

Nintendo

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

nintendo

ESRB

r

How Long To Beat

1 hour

3 Super Mario RPG Is a Great Stopgap for Nintendo Graphics

Release Date - March 9, 1996

• SNES Enhancement Chip: SA1

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is the title that kick-started a lineage of great Mario role-playing video games. The game features an unusual teaming of Mario, Princess Peach, and the usually evil King Bowser. However, it turns out that Bowser is desperate to take back his castle from villains even worse than him.

Super Mario RPG used the SA1 enhancement chip, which enabled features like overclocking and bitmap imagery. This technology helped it feel like a prototype for a Nintendo 64 game. Super Mario RPG's graphics stand out from typical Super Nintendo fare, with detailed characters, backgrounds, and items all meticulously rendered.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

One of the swan songs from the SNES/Sega Genesis era, Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars is something of an ugly duckling. Certainly not in terms of quality, but in terms of its place in time, Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars was nearly overshadowed by the then-imminent releases of Nintendo’s first 3D console with the Nintendo 64. Even so, Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars remains an exemplary RPG. Super Mario RPG places players squarely in the familiar boots of Mario and company. In the case of Super Mario RPG, which is turn-based, that company includes a playable Princess Peach, the puppet Geno, the “tadpole” Mallow, and Bowser. Like many turn-based RPGs, you control a party of three, allowing you take advantage of any combination of the aforementioned party members. In Super Mario RPG, the main villain is the robot Smithy, who leads the Smithy Gang. Not seen since Super Mario RPG, Smithy is a pretty funny villain, all things considered. And speaking of Smithy, perhaps the reason why we haven’t seen him since is that Super Mario RPG’s development was led by Square Enix, then just called “Square.” Specializing in turn-based RPGs, Nintendo wisely entrusted them with the duty of developing a great Mario RPG, which proved fruitful with Super Mario RPG. It is absolutely worth at least one playthrough and remains one of the best RPGs of all-time.

RPG

Franchise

Super Mario

Platform(s)

SNES

Released

May 13, 1996

Developer(s)

Square

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

Engine

Miyamoto's

ESRB

E For Everyone

How Long To Beat

18 Hours

2 Vortex Might as Well Be a Nintendo 64 Game

Release Date - Circa Sept. 1994

• SNES Enhancement Chip: Super FX

Vortex is an action game developed by Argonaut Software. In Vortex, the player controls a futuristic mech called the Morphing Battle System, tasked with defending its system from enemy mechs trying to seize control of a base containing a critical core.

This is a game that needs to be seen to be believed. From a glance, it could easily be mistaken for a Nintendo 64 game, thanks to its polygonal graphics and 3D environments. Vortex arguably represents the best use of the Super FX chip in any SNES game, showcasing just how powerful the chip can be when pushed to its limits.

1 Donkey Kong Country Doesn’t Even Use an Enhancement Chip

Release Date - Nov. 18, 1994

• SNES Enhancement Chip: N/A

Donkey Kong Country is a platformer that brought the big ape back from the brink of extinction. The game takes place on DK Isle, which is inhabited by Donkey Kong and his ape friends. One day, Donkey Kong's large banana stash is stolen by the Kremling army led by King K. Rool. Donkey Kong and his nephew, Diddy Kong, set out to recover the stolen hoard.

Donkey Kong Country is one of the most visually stunning games in the Super Nintendo's extensive library. Every detail, from the character models and items to the level designs and layered backgrounds, comes remarkably close to Nintendo 64 quality. The kicker is that Donkey Kong Country achieves these impressive graphics without the use of any enhancement chips.

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9

10

Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country offers another fun, side-scrolling game for SNES gamers. In this game, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are on a mission to recover their stolen bananas. As the player, you can switch between characters, and each has his own strengths and weaknesses. This game involves lots of running, jumping, and rolling. Generally, Donkey Kong is able to defeat his enemies more easily than Diddy. But Diddy is faster, which has its own advantages at any given time.
As you scroll to the side during this game, you can collect items like bananas. You might encounter a few bad guys who can be defeated by a number of different tactics (like rolling and throwing barrels). If one of the Kong’s are injured during your play time, the player can lose a life. So, you’re responsible for the wellbeing of both of the Kongs, which makes this game even more challenging.
Overall, we love Donkey Kong Country because it is exhilarating, unique and classic. Since the SNES gaming system is discontinued, most copies you'll find are refurbished. But it is renewed by the Amazon Renewed Store, which means that you’re backed by a 90 day replacement or refund if something doesn’t work properly. Donkey Kong Country is the perfect SNES game to add to your collection if you are someone who likes lighthearted yet challenging fun. With a single player or multiplayer option, you are guaranteed to fall in love with these challenges over and over. Pick one up if you’re hoping to fall into an SNES wormhole.

Platformer

Franchise

Donkey Kong Country

Platform(s)

SNES, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance

Released

November 24, 1994

Developer(s)

Rare

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Multiplayer

Local Multiplayer

ESRB

e

How Long To Beat

4 Hours

Metascore

78 (GBA)

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