Down and Dirty Reviews: Snes -- T - Z

Nintendo says that this system is still alive, but we haven't seen a new game since Frogger in 1998.  Oh well, there's still a huge collection of SNES games here and a lot of goods ones too. Choose wisely now. All reviews are by the StarSoldier unless noted.

T to Z


The scores are out of 100.

The graphics, sounds, and game play are out of 10
.

Score / Name

62 TAZMANIA (Sunsoft, 1993)

Here is a very weird 3D game where you control that crazy Tazmanian Devil on a mission to eat as much cute little birds as he can. Taz also as to worry about a timer and several annoying cars on the road so don't expect an easy game. It's strange and confusing to play at first especially with the 3D perspective but the fast action and unique game play really help make this something different at least.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 6
Find this game on eBay here!

62 TECMO SECRET of the STARS (Tecmo, 1995)

Although this game here in definitely one crude and basic looking Role Playing Game here, at least it comes with a very unique party battle system so you can fight monsters in teams. Other then that the game really offers nothing new and that is a stupid name for a game, eh? "This is not a National Inquirer special feature, Tecmo!"
*Battery back up game
*Uncommon SNES game
For 1 player only
graphics: 2
sound: 5
gameplay: 7
Find this game on eBay here!


88
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 4: Turtles in Time (Konami, 1992)
The second Turtle's arcade game now comes to the Snes minus the four player action of course. This Turtles in Time title is a lot like the two previous NES games (The Arcade Game and The Manhattan Project) but now the turtles get trapped in different time periods both the past and the future, other that the corny plot remains the same. This game is great action for two player action because you can always turn on your friend to keep things interesting, eh? The game is a bit on the easy side but it controls amazingly well and the action is always constant.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 7

Find this game on eBay here!


74 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: TOURNAMENT FIGHTERS (Konami, 1992)

If you can't beat them, join them! Konami answers Capcom's Street Fighter II with their own beat em up and they even used one of their biggest licenses of the time: the ninja turtles of course. Tournament Fighters is an one on one fighter with the four ninja turtles and 8 others including the playable Cyber Shredder and some half naked girl named Aska. It's plays very well and the unique super moves were a nice touch too but the game is still too unoriginal for my liking.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 7

Find this game on eBay here!


86
TERRANIGMA (Enix/Quintet, 1996)
*Pal import
I have good news and bad news. First the good: this game is awesome! Not only is this the spiritual successor to the acclaimed Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia but the game is packed for excellect visuals and great music. Hell, even the lone young man world fixing the world from ruin story line is pretty decent too. Now for the bad news: this game wasn't officially released here in North America so finding this one either means you have to import the European only edition, emulate it, or get a Repro cart like I did. Either way if you are looking for a great action/RPG then Terranigma is well worth the hassle.
*Battery Back Up game
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 8
gameplay: 8
Find this game on eBay here!


58 TETRIS 2 (Nintendo, 1994)

In this sequel Tetris returns on a Nintendo machine but there are quite a few changes to the popular Russian puzzler you should be aware of. This game relies more on matching colours over creating lines and there is none of the classic music here either so there is little in common with the real Tetris. A wish the original Tetris was included but this colour matching type game is still a good game with some nice new modes added like Puzzle, and Death match....... the 2 player game I mean. The game is still a lot of fun though.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 7
Find this game on eBay here!


68 TETRIS ATTACK (Nintendo, 1996)

To warn you ahead of time, like Tetris 2 this plays nothing like the original Tetris at all but it's still a great game in its own right. In the title you get to match different coloured tiles to make them disappear from the screen but you better be quick before the game speeds up. The Yoshi style graphics and overly cute music did start to get on my nerves though.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 2
sound: 2
gameplay: 7
Find this game on eBay here!

66 TETRIS and DR. MARIO (Nintendo, 1994)
Here is a cool 2 in 1 cart here. If you are new to these games: Tetris is a famous Russian brain teaser where you guide falling pieces to make lines disappear while Dr. Mario is pretty much the same but you try to match up colours to kill viruses instead. Now if you played this games to death on the NES or Gameboy than there isn't too much reason to pick this up these two puzzle games on the Super Nintendo. This double pack is still an awesome two player game despite there being little new here.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 8
gameplay: 8
Find this game on eBay here!


72 THUNDER SPIRITS (Seika/Techno Soft, 1992)

It's Thunder Force III for the SNES but before you get too excited there are a few changes that Sega Genesis fans may not like here. There is some nasty slowdown when the screen gets filled up and the level select option is no longer available as well. Also what's the deal with the Thunder Force II levels here? Thunder Spirits is good for quick arcade frills and the graphics and sounds are decent but Thunder Force III was still more fun to play.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 6

Find this game on eBay here!

35 The TICK (Fox Interactive, 1995)
If you don't know this guy: The Tick is one strange super hero and a cult favourite to many thanks to his popular comics and TV shows. He even stars in his own game here but they just slapped this one together with typical fighting action you seen a thousand times before. No MORE, there are too many of these! I really hate these Final Fight clones and this game really gets boring after awhile.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 5

Find this game on eBay here!


74 TINY TOONS: Buster Busts Loose (Konami, 1992)

The popular 90's cartoon comes to Super Nintendo and it's not too bad either. In the game you help Buster Bunny through 6 levels of wacky platforming action where you have to do weird stuff like save your school's cafeiteria from Dizzy or even compete in a football game. There are even 5 bonus games to try out too to help ya score bonus points and extra lives. Tiny Toons is a good action title for both kids and experts a like.
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 6

Find this game on eBay here!

63 TOP GEAR (Kemco, 1992)
Ah, the Top Gear series, love em or hate em! Here is one extremely ugly looking racing game with flat colours and very dull backgrounds that can turn a lot of people away. If you look pass the crappy visuals the game is still very fast and intense so the game is actually pretty fun to play. There are lots of tracks and options here too. Just like the ad said: Shift happens!
For 1 player only
graphics: 3
sound: 4
gameplay: 7

Find this game on eBay here!

65 TOP GEAR 2 (Kemco, 1993)
Part 2 is even better than the original Top Gear because there are more options to pick as you race for money from around the world. There is nothing really wrong with the game play but again the graphics and sounds leave a lot to be desired. If you are looking a intense racing game with a lot of depth then check this out.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 5
gameplay: 8

Find this game on eBay here!


71 TOP GEAR 3000 (Kemco, 1995)
Just like the name implies this game now takes place in the future (unless you are reading this pass the year 3000 of course) and now you race in more advance race cars around race tracks from all over the universe. Yeah, the whole 3000 idea here is kind of similar to Nintendo's F Zero but this game here is packed with more play options and less flasher looks of course.
*Rare SNES game
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 5
gameplay: 8

Find this game on eBay here!

63 TOTAL CARNAGE (Black Pearl, 1993)

Total Carnage is a very Smash TV-like shooter where you control two muscle heads that can shoot 8 directions but the big difference here is it takes place in a war thorn country where mutants are all over the place. The game is not as good as the earlier Smash TV because of the dull graphics and lame locations but if you love a challenging fast paced action then be sure to look into Total Carnage.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 5
gameplay: 6

Find this game on eBay here!

58 TOY STORY (Disney Interactive, 1995)
Here is one of the best looking games on the Snes as this title tries hard to look like the popular computer generated movie of the same name and holds it own. The problem is the game play here is way too linear and void of any true action. Toy Story is a good game for the kids but a questionable title for the gaming vets.
For 1 player only
graphics: 9
sound: 7
gameplay: 5

Find this game on eBay here!



72 TUFF E NUFF (Jaleco, 1992)

This is a good e nuff fighting game despite having horrible spelling in the title. Tuff E Nuff (yuck!) is your average Street Fighter II clone but with only 4 selectable characters and several boss characters instead which is kind of weird but at least Jaleco is trying something different. I also liked the unique visuals and awesome rock soundtrack. I would have rated this even higher if there was more variety in the characters and if the endings did not totally suck.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 7
Find this game on eBay here!


52 The TWISTED TALES of SPIKE MCFANG (Bulletproof Software/Taxan, 1994)

Here is a game I thought would be awesome. In this action role playing adventure you play as a young vampire prince that has to fight some invading wacky monsters like garlic and catgirls that took over your kingdom. Problem is your so called hero is a complete dork! Make no mistake this isn't Alucard from those Castlevania games, McFang looks like a young magician and he attacks with a lame short range staff and an long range annoying hat where you have to charge it for a few seconds while standing still just to throw it. Because of this the game play feels sloppy and the bland graphics and music don't help matters either. The game picks up a little later in the game when you get more cards, upgrades, and partners but you have to deal with a ton of crap at first.
*Battery back up game
*Rare Snes game
For 1 player only
graphics: 5
sound: 5
gameplay: 6
Find this game on eBay here!

36 ULTIMATE FIGHTER (Culture Brain, 1992)

The Ultimate Fighter SNES game has nothing to do with the cool Ultimate Fighter Championship reality TV series of the same name, this title here is another weak Final Fight clone and a really bad one at that. Ultimate Fighter has only a few re-spawning enemies, the sound is nothing ground breaking and the animation is poor at best. What is so ultimate about this?
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 4
sound: 4
gameplay: 4
Find this game on eBay here!


55 ULTIMATE MORTAL KOMBAT 3 (Midway, 1996)

This is Ultimate Mortal Kombat? Yeah right! Prepare yourself for another weak upgrade to this once popular one on one fighter with little new. There are some new backgrounds and few new playable characters like Jade and Scorpion but that's pretty much it for extras here over the original Mortal Kombat 3 and everything plays the same. This game now has four armed Seena missing from the line up now too because they ran out of memory on the Snes cart. It's still a very fast paced arcade fighting game but been there, done that.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 5

Find this game on eBay here!

11
ULTRAMAN (Bandai, 1991)
Before fighting games were good on the Super Nintendo there was Ultraman and man, does it suck! The game looks OK at first because you are a giant super hero fighting evil mutants into submission. The problem is actually controlling this sucker because your silver and red moron is very slow to react to commands so good luck. Another thing that slows down everything is you have to wait to fully charge your power gauge to use your finishing move and it's highly frustating. Ultraman is a pussy here!
For 1 player only
graphics: 4
sound: 3
gameplay: 1

Find this game on eBay here!


79 U.N. SQUADRON (Capcom, 1991)

This game is a unique arcade style shooter that comes with the ability to survive an attack if you don't take another shot too soon. The amount of time depends on what character you pick as and each fighter pilot as the ability to upgrade their weapons with the cash they earn. UN Squadron is a interesting game with some detailed graphics but it can be a little tedious thanks to the slow money building system.
For 1 player only
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 8
Find this game on eBay here!

43 VIRTUAL BART (Acclaim, 1994)
Bart Simpson from the hit Fox cartoon show comes to the game scene again but the flat cartoonish graphics and weak sounds are hardly what I would call virtual here. Although the sound effects and voices are OK, you are just playing 6 different mini games so it never feels like one whole complete game. The game overall reeks of rental or pocket change purchase.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 7
gameplay: 4

Find this game on eBay here!


46 VORTEX FX (Argonaut Software, 1995)
In this action game here you play as a transforming unit that has the power to change into a mech, a tank, and even a sonic jet. It sounds cool but then you start playing it and everything goes to hell. Vortex is nothing but a very dull 3D game that not only looks fairly basic and it's filled with a lot of dead spots. Good luck getting through this one because there is a huge learning curve here. I guess the Snes can't handle these grand ideas here all too well?
*Super FX chip game
For 1 player only
graphics: 4
sound: 7
gameplay: 5

Find this game on eBay here!



BEST SUPER NINTENDO GAME!
GAME OF THE MONTH COLLECTION!

100 WARIO'S WOODS
 (Nintendo, 1994)
Everybody knows this game, eh? It's one of the most addictive puzzle game ever in my opinion! In this game you must save the peaceful forests of the Mushroom Kingdom and you get to play over 250 levels full of enemies and bombs before the evil Wario tries to crush poor Toad in trees. The main modes are great and I love the 12 different time trial games and the VS. Modes here as well. This is one of my all time favorites for any system and this game comes highly recommend by me!
*Battery back up game
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 9
Find this game on eBay here!

21 WARP SPEED (Accolade, 1993)
YUCK! Warp Speed here is a stupid 3D first person space shooter with horrible ..... well, everything! The graphics are blurry and messy, the game play is slow and repetitive, and even the music sucks. Maybe Wing Commander fans will like this but everyone else will want to avoid this at warp speed.
For 1 player only
graphics: 3
sound: 2
gameplay: 5

Find this game on eBay here!


47 WAYNE'S WORLD (Thq, 1992)
I really liked the Wayne's World movies and Saturday Night Live skits but the game is by Thq so it has to suck. Although the digital graphics are fairly impressive, Wayne himself is way too big so he's a huge target plus the levels are so boring and just way too long here with typical platforming action. Wayne's World makes for another black eye for THQ here but if there was any up side the movie intermissions were entertaining.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 3
Find this game on eBay here!

60 WCW SUPERBRAWL (FCI/Beam Software, 1994)
The 400 pound Vadar looks so small?! This game came out before Hollywood Hulk Hogan made his impact in 1995 but you still get popular guys like Nature Boy Ric Flair, Ricky the Dragon Steamboat, Ron Simmons and many more here. This is still a decent wrestling game with good controls and solid graphics.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 5
Find this game on eBay here!

74 WEAPONLORD (Namco, 1995)
Before Namco gave us Soul Calibur, they would give us this more serious medieval fighter here. Weaponlord is a very unique and very bloody 16 meg weapon based fighter with 6 fierce warriors and one boss character. Each character has over 50 moves and the amount of depth here in the blocking and technique is incredible. This one may surprise you but be aware that it's not one for the kids because of all the blood and violence but that's why I like it.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 8
sound: 7
gameplay: 8

Find this game on eBay here!


83
WILD GUNS (Natsume, 1994)
Not only is this game a highly unique thrid person arcade-like shoot em up but it also takes place in a futurist wild west and how many Super Nintendo games can say that? In this game two heroic gunslingers try to take down a huge group of bandits across 6 action packed stages. This is a pretty tough game at first since these enemies usually come in huge packs and just love to litter the screen with bullets but thankfully you can counterattack with rapid fire shots, bombs, and even lassos that freeze baddies for a few seconds so there's plenty of variety here. Even though Wild Guns is short; the action is always intense, the graphics are very detailed with tons of destroyable environments, and the music fits the style perfectly. Now this is gun control I like!
*Rare Snes game
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 9
sound: 8
gameplay: 8

Find this game on eBay here!

70 WORLD HEROES (Sunsoft/SNK, 1993)
This is one of the first ever games of the long list of Street Fighter II clones during the early 1990's. In it you select from one of 8 figures throughout time and then you have to go one on one with the rest of the crew. Certainly not one of the most original games on the planet but a second rate SF II game is still pretty good and you can even fight in special arenas with interactive traps. The game feels a bit slower then the arcade original but at least it's on a system that's easier to find.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 6
Find this game on eBay here!


82
WORLD HEROES 2 (Takana/SNK, 1994)

In this sequel to the semi-popular fighting game you join 6 new comers as well as the original 8 World Heroes on a quest to become the best despite what time period they originally come from. Although the beat em up action is unoriginal, I still had more fun playing this 20 meg SNK fighter than Capcom's new Super Street Fighter 2 back in 1994 believe it or not. I love the special tug of war death matches and the great list of moves per character here. There is even this young girl called Ryoko that has a cool victory pose were her breast bounce a little after a win. Sure it can't compare to the super near naked girls of the game Dead or Alive but Ryoko has a cute kind of sexy and it was really fun to see back in it's day, eh? World Heroes 2 on the SNES is a very underrated fighting game.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 7
gameplay: 9
Find this game on eBay here!

57 WWF RAW (LJN)
Wrestling and video games go hand and hand but how is this WWF title here? Sadly, even though this is a good looking old school WWF game featuring guys like Bret the Hitman Hart, The UnderTaker, and Curt Henning so you have a good list of names here but it doesn't look or too different from the earlier Super Wrestlemania title. The only thing it lacks is more wrestling moves and signature attacks to be considered a real classic.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 6
Find this game on eBay here!

59 WWF SUPER WRESTLEMANIA (LJN, 1992)
I remember the big deal when this wrestling game came to the Snes here because this was the first time the popular WWF games were going 16-bit. OK, the WWF games on the original Nintendo weren't so hot but they sold well and maybe this means we'll see something much better on the more advance console, no? This game lets you pick from characters like Hulk Hogan, Earthquake, and many more but other then speed and power there's no unique moves per character so you can forget about doing Hogan's leg drop as a finisher for example. The animation and graphics are decent enough and the controls are OK but the repetitive game play gets old quick.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 6
Find this game on eBay here!

59 XARDION (Asmik, 1992)
This game looked so cool back in the early days of the Super Nintendo but actually playing it is a different story. Xardion is a very slow paced action RPG featuring 3 selectable robots and some ugly graphics. The game is nothing new to the trend and it only comes recommend if you're staved for a Snes action game.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 7

Find this game on eBay here!


76 X MEN: MUTANT APOCALYPSE (Capcom, 1994)
Here is yet another action platformer by the dudes and dudettes over at Capcom but this one stars Wolverine, Cyclops, Psylocke, Beast, and Gambit from the X-men. Each character has their own missions and then they comes together to try and save the world from the evil Apocalypse. The game mixes some good action and street fighter-like moves in one but the only problem here is the game's overall short length.
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 6
gameplay: 7
Find this game on eBay here!

58 X ZONE (Kemco, 1992)
One of the better light gun games on the Super Nintendo thanks to all the on screen targets and decent visuals but in all honesty that's not really saying too much, eh? X Zone is a good shooter to have if you have that Superscope device because you're in a virtual war zone here but other then that the game should be completely avoided and forgotten because you need that bazooka thing to play it.
*SuperScope required
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 3
Find this game on eBay here!


55 Y'S III: Wanderers of Y's (Falcom, 1992)
Here is a somewhat routine action RPG that's now a side scroller and not a overhead adventure like the classic Y's Book I & II for the TurboGrafx-16 CD was. Y's III can be very addictive after a few plays though so you may want to give it a chance despite how challenging it can get. Sadly the challenge comes from the Snes version poor hit detection and slow leveling up system so I liked the other 16-bit versions better.
*Battery back up game
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 8
gameplay: 7
Find this game on eBay here!

68 YOSHI'S COOKIE (Nintendo/Bullet Proof Software, 1993)
In this odd little game you have to match up several cookies of the same type up in this fun puzzle adventure with tons of levels and a Super Mario World theme. Another cool thing about the game is the fun 2 player action as well. Yoshi's Cookie is worth a look if you want a good and intense puzzler but the basic game play won't be for everyone.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 5
sound: 6
gameplay: 8
Find this game on eBay here!


96
YOSHI'S ISLAND: Super Mario World 2 (Nintendo, November 1995)

Here is one awesome looking action platform game here that uses the special FX chip for some cool morphmation effects on some of the big bosses or enemies. In this game you help the Yoshi's reunite the baby brothers in this prequel to all Mario games. It sure controls a little funny at times and the baby crying is very annoying but it's still a great game with loads to do.
*Battery back up game
*Super FX chip game
For 1 player only
graphics: 9
sound: 6
gameplay: 8

Find this game on eBay here!


40 YOSHI'S SAFARI (Nintendo, 1993)
It's just a light gun game, it's not a true Mario sequel we were all hoping for. In the game Princess Peach asks Mario and Yoshi to shoot away bowser's minions that are invaded the mushroom kingdom. It sounds like fun but the action gets very repetitive blasting away little enemies and then bigger bosses like the Koppa kids. Remember back in the day Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was selling like crazy on the Genesis and on the Snes here all we get this stupid on the rails Mario-type on Super Nintendo as a counterattack? "What was Nintendo smoking?"
*Super Scope 6 required
For 1 player only
graphics: 7
sound: 5
gameplay: 5
Find this game on eBay here!


96 ZELDA: A link to the past (Nintendo, 1992)
Here is a tough, but a very cool and very addictive adventure game that returns the Zelda series to its roots, therefore it now plays a lot like the first Legend of Zelda with a return to overhead action. Link must now save Hyrule from a powerful spell before a strange wizard takes total control of the Triforce and the world. The graphics look very dated since this is a first generation SNES game but Zelda 3 does have killer music and the quest is huge with a lot of twist and turns. Although it is old and the menu system is a little annoying, you won't find too many adventure games as good as this one.
*Battery back up game
For 1 player only
graphics: 6
sound: 9
gameplay: 8
Find this game on eBay here!


76 ZOMBIES ATE MY NEIGHBOR (Konami, 1992)

Zombies is a fun overhead game in a local suburb. The story is two young kids must try to stop killer zombies and other vicious undead, mutants, and monsters that invested their home town. The more people you save though, the power ups they give you like rocket launchers or potions to help even out the odds. I liked the game but it really gets difficult in the later levels but if you want a good but tough action game then you got it right here.
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 7
sound: 8
gameplay: 8

Find this game on eBay here!


40 ZOOP (Time Warner, 1995)

It's a shooter, it's a puzzler, but it's also really basic video game with highly repetitive and overly confusion action so it may not be for everyone. In the game you play a little triangle that must blast away at different coloured pieces to score points and make sure they don't land on the center square. I guess the developers were trying to make the next Tetris but there is a lot more junk to worry here and the graphics stink too for a 16-bit game. Even though I admire the effort, I don't think there will a Zoop 2, eh?
For 1 player only
graphics: 2
sound: 7
gameplay: 4
Find this game on eBay here!



Here is a collection of my Super Nintendo video reviews on Youtube, baby!