Underappreciated SNES Games: the Top Hidden Gems
Yes the SNES has been out for a while now. First introduced to North America late Summer of 1991, I was in High School at the time and bought one as soon as my finances allowed. I played the heck out of it. The SNES was very popular and kept releasing games until late 1998.
What about titles that were great but not as well known? Diamonds in the rough, that I would’ve loved if I would have played them? I set out to make the definitive list of underappreciated games: those that are well-made, creative, or important, but never got the recognition, sales, or attention they deserved—even today. It’s easier than you might think to play SNES games also. Getting the console isn’t that expensive on eBay, and many times they come with dozens or hundreds of games included.
So what are the most underappreciated games for the console, using my definition?
Update, New Game: Hagane: The Final Conflict
Hagane: The Final Conflict is a late-era SNES action-platformer about a mortally wounded ninja reborn as a cyborg warrior to reclaim the Holy Grail and avenge his slaughtered clan. Its punishing stages blend wall-jumps and combat using four switchable weapons, and some devastating screen-clearing magic attacks. It only had a limited release in the US, unfortunately.
Hagane stands out for arcade-sharp pacing and deep movesets reminiscent of Shinobi III, marrying feudal ninja themes with cyberpunk aesthetics. There’s a great a Mode 7 hovercraft escape and relentless boss gauntlets earned critical praise. It now enjoys cult status among dedicated retro collectors–it’s a crazy-expensive game.
Uniracers
Haven’t heard of this one, have you? There’s a reason why. In PAL regions it’s called Unirally, but in the US Pixar sued Nintendo claiming the unicycle design infringed on their short film Red’s Dream. Nintendo lost, was forced to halt production, and no more cartridges were made. It’s a racing game where you perform stunts, which not only gives you points but also directly increases your speed, making tricks a core part of racing strategy. The whole trick system is simple to learn but hard to master, making the game both accessible and deep.
The physics engine and super-fluid animation delivered fast-paced action. It also gave a 2D side-scrolling perspective, very rare in racing games. There are 45 tracks to choose from and a final boss (the Anti-Uni!), and it features up to 8-player coop in League Mode. The tracks themselves were psychedelic and colorful and had metal-inspired soundtrack, so play it loud! It wasn’t just good, it was a technical achievement that showed the SNES could handle real speed and compete with Sega’s Sonic games. It’s a fun and skillful game that has never been re-released anywhere.
Robotrek
Robotrek was one of the first RPGs to let players build, customize, and program their own robots for battle. You could create up to three robots, assign their stats, equip them with different weapons, and even program special attack combos. You could also combine items to create new gear, a rarity for the entire decade. Instead of the typical ‘random encounter’, you only fought enemies you chose to encounter on the battlefield–and how you engaged them determined who went first. When you did fight other mechs it featured grid movement, and you could change your mech mid-battle!
Instead of being super-serious, the story was comedic and offbeat, which adds to its charm. It only sold ~20,000 copies in the US due to lack of advertising and a crowded field, and unfortunately it was also dismissed by critics who flat-out misunderstood the game. This kind of quality, innovation and lack of appreciation is the very definition of a hidden gem.
Brandish
Brandish is a creative and ambitious RPG that most people missed when it first came out, and it’s still not well known today. The game is set in a dark underground world, with a story about escape and survival rather than traditional heroics. It introduced a rotating camera system for dungeon navigation: when you turned the dungeon rotated in 90 degree jumps, giving the player a pseudo-3D experience. It also had a great automap feature which is good, as there were 40+ dungeon floors.
Brandish had character stats that increased through use (like physical and magical attacks), so you customized how he progressed. It introduced weapon durability, had intricate puzzles. secrets, hidden items, and environmental clues like plaques. You could save anywhere, anytime, which is rare for SNES-era games–there’s even an “emergency escape” feature! Unfortunately when it was released it competed with Chrono Trigger and Donkey Kong Country, and Nintendo Power ignored it altogether. Later its own sequel did better. Even now only a small group of fans really appreciate it, so it deserves to be recognized as an underappreciated gem.
Metal Warriors
Another innovative game that wasn’t appreciated in its own time, Metal Warriors warrants inclusion in this list. You had six different mechs, ranging from flying to wall-crawling to heavy artillery; each could acquire various power-ups and upgrade their main weapon too. Unlike other mech games, you could get out of your mech at any time and run around and commandeer new mechs mid-mission. In another departure there was no GUI, presenting a really clean interface. Your job was more than to move and shoot, there were base defense missions, base infiltration, sabotage, tower defense, and multi-stage goals–including multi-player.
Each of the levels are large, with destructible environments, hidden items, and multiple ways to reach objectives. MW also had a two-player, split-screen deathmatch which was awesome. The story was anime-inspired and had cutscenes for every mission. Unusually for this list it was praised by critics when it was launched, but it was published by Konami in a limited run so there aren’t that many copies. If it had been published by Nintendo or given a major release it would be a classic today.
E.V.O.: Search for Eden
It’s a one-of-a-kind action-RPG where you evolve life on Earth, with fun gameplay and even some educational value. E.V.O. lets players evolve their creature’s body parts using “evolution points” earned by defeating enemies. There are literally thousands of combinations. Gameplay blends side-scrolling platforming with RPG-style experience and character progression.
The story spans five geological eras and billions of years, starting as a fish, with different areas requiring different adaptations to succeed. When it first came out most people didn’t understand or notice it–only later did it build a small fanbase. Today, finding the game is expensive because it’s rare—not because it’s popular. If you don’t own it or haven’t played it, there really hasn’t been a game like it since.
Secret of Evermore
Secret of Evermore was the only SNES RPG made by Square’s U.S. team. At the time people thought it was just a copy of Secret of Mana so it didn’t get much attention. While it did use SoM’s engine, instead of standard magic SoE used an alchemy system, requiring players to find and combine ingredients to cast spells. Weapons and spells only leveled up with use, so experimenting and getting good was really rewarded. You could switch control between the boy and his dog, who could sniff out hidden items and change form on different worlds.
The game worlds themselves are filled with secrets, puzzles, and optional content, rewarding players who explore thoroughly. It had witty writing, a memorable MC, NPCs, and a plot that keeps you engaged. The soundtrack is terrific too, with beautiful audio design for setting the mood. To this day it’s never seen a virtual console or digital re-release, which is a big shame. This game is really worth playing.
Soul Blazer
Soul Blazer is another game that was overshadowed, this time by its own sequel–Illusion of Gaia. This game revolves around freeing souls from monster lairs, which directly rebuilds towns and repopulates the world. It’s a unique, somber RPG with some heavy themes: life, death, reincarnation, and the value of a soul. It’s got a great story and great atmosphere, and the gameplay itself is really addictive.
It also has a really balanced difficulty, like most of the games on his list, and the controls are pretty intuitive. Each region is creative and unique, from animals to talking plants. The soundtrack by Kawasaki was one of the most praised of its era. It’s not as polished as its two sequels, but it influenced them as well as other games like the Dark Cloud series. It’s a great game.
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
I missed Lufia II myself because I played the first one and found it underwhelming. It’s too bad, because this prequel is vastly superior. It has some of the best Zelda-like puzzle dungeons ever designed, and lets you see the enemies so you can avoid random encounters. A highlight is the Ancient Cave, a 99-floor, randomly generated dungeon with unique mechanics and rewards, way ahead of its time.
Years before Pokémon, Lufia II introduced monster collecting and evolving mechanics. L2 is also packed with secrets, rare items, and optional bosses. It was released after the SNES’s heyday, and games like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy got all the attention, so most people never found out how good this one really was. Think of it as a classic that never got its due.
Phantom 2040
Phantom 2040 is a tragically underplayed game. It’s in the metroidvania style, with over 60 levels and 20 possible endings (only four of which are good). Phantom takes places in a dystopian, cyberpunk-type future which really mirrors the animated series it’s based on. Your character uses an inductance rope (grappling hook) for swinging and climbing, as well as wall-jumping and sliding which is really fun and really responsive.
Hidden items, destructible walls, and optional objectives are all over and really reward exploration and experimentation. It was one of the better action platformers of its era but it was based on a relatively obscure animated series rather than a well-known franchise, and it was complex.
Well there you have it! If you haven’t played these games I don’t blame you, but if you are interested I submit they are well worth your while. There are some honorable mentions at this point I’d like to, well, mention.
Honorable Mentions
Phalanx wasn’t listed but is a good example of an underappreciated game. It’s a creative and well-designed shooter with fun levels and strong mechanics, but it was overshadowed at launch by bigger titles. Most people only remember it for the box art with the banjo-playing old man, which distracted from how solid a game it was. It did get a later re-release and some mild collector interest, but it was dismissed at the time and has only recently earned quiet respect in retrospectives. It remains underappreciated for what it actually delivers.
Sparkster is another example of an overlooked game. It’s a well-made SNES platformer with colorful graphics, tight controls, and creative mechanics like rocket boosts and sword blasts. It mixes platforming, shooting, and adventure elements in fun, varied stages. Critics gave it solid reviews but it was overshadowed by more famous platformers and its Sega Genesis predecessor, Rocket Knight Adventures. It never reached iconic status, but it is definitely a hidden gem.
Skyblazer had positive critical feedback for it’s graphics, soundtrack, slick controls and creative level design. It was an considered a very good fantasy action-platformer by critics, but not one that broke new ground. People went and played Donkey Kong Country 2 and Super Metroid instead. It’s getting something of a resurgence nowadays though, with its reputation increasing among the community.
Weaponlord is a game that is often mentioned in these kinds of lists. It was a really ambitious and innovative fighting game for its time, introducing advanced mechanics like parrying, deflect moves, ground attacks, and a deep counter system that influenced later series such as Soul Calibur. But it released late in the SNES lifecycle, it suffered from choppy animation, a small roster, and mixed reviews. It’s depth and good qualities still place it here deservedly.
World Heroes 2 is a fun SNES fighting game that stood out with unique features like a large roster of 16 fighters, the creative Death Match mode with seesaw life bars, projectile reflection, and air fireballs. It did a great job of capturing the arcade version.It had bad timing, limited marketing, and a crowded fighting game market. Its mix of serious and quirky characters, strong mechanics, and cult fanbase make it an overlooked classic.