On August 23, 1991, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was released in North America. The sequel to the Nintendo's phenomenally sucessful first console, the SNES (often referred to as simply Super Nintendo) was the company's first foray into the 16-bit era. Today, we celebrate two full decades of this great system by taking a look at the top Super Nintendo co-op games.
The 16-bit era was a very interesting portion of video game history. Previously, the home console market was overwhelmingly dominated by a single system: the Atari 2600 in the late 70s and early 80s, and the original NES from the mid 80s to the early 90s. But when Sega's Genesis launched in 1989, the writing was on the wall for Nintendo's first console. The Super Nintendo was released two years later, and then the first console wars began in earnest.
This two year delay meant the SNES had some advantages over Sega's hit console. It could display more colors, and had impressive pseudo-3D effects via Mode 7. It also rode the popularity of its predecessor, with revamped, graphically superior sequels to Super Mario Brothers, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda. But while pretty pixels and great single-player titles are nice, we are most interested in the co-op. The early 90s was a high-water mark for the co-op brawler, and the SNES library showed it. Here, then, in alphabetical order, are the eight of the top co-op classics available on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.
Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team
For fans of co-op brawlers in the early 90s, Battletoads for NES and the Double Dragon series in arcades and home consoles were the pinnacle of perfection. This game, then, pairing the heroes from both series in "The Ultimate Team" was the video game equivalent of Luke Skywalker meeting Captain Kirk. Two players could choose from Billy and Jimmy Lee or any of the three Battletoads to fight through a horde of tough enemies en route to a final confrontation with the evil mega-babe Dark Queen. Hubba Hubba.
One of the conventions of the Super Nintendo was the release of many NES games with "Super" in the title: Super Metroid, Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts, etc. So you might expect Super Contra, too, right? Wrong! Turns, out, that sequel was released on the original NES as Super C. Contra III: The Alien Wars was the first Contra game on the SNES, and it was fantastic. It even had split screen co-op sections, as you can see in the screenshot above. As if Contra needed improvements!
Donkey Kong Country series
I have mixed feelings about including this one on the list of top co-op SNES titles. It's easily one of the best games available on the system, and in fact the entire series was groundbreaking and innovative in a variety of ways. The graphics and gameplay are peerless on 16-bit systems. However, the co-op is lacking. Control is shared tag-team style between DK and Diddy, so you never really have both players acting at the same time. It's still fun, it's just not ideal. Still, Donkey Kong Country and its two sequels are among the highlights for the Super Nintendo.
Perhaps no other series is as embedded into the brain of the 90s gamer than NBA Jam. The arcade-style take on NBA basketball was ingenious, and the over the top action brought a smile to your face, even if it was the CPU dunking right over you. The announcer's catch phrases, like "He's on FIRE" and "From DOWNTOWN" are likely still heard on neighborhood courts to this day. The SNES version of NBA Jam allowed two players to team up against the AI, though due to legal reasons Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal were left off the rosters. It didn't matter though, since you could play as Bill Clinton and Al Gore!
Secret confession: I consider myself a fan of JRPGs, but I've never played Secret of Mana. I feel better now that I've got that off my chest. Well known for it's excellent story, real-time battle sequences, and an influential menu system, the game is fondly remembered by many. Very unusual for the genre, Secret of Mana includes co-op, and it does so in a particularly innovative way. Extra players can simply plug in a controller and take over a character. Yup, this is true drop in/drop out co-op. This is something many modern games don't get right, and Secret of Mana did it perfectly in 1993!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
I've gushed about Turtles in Time before, but it still deserves mentioning in any list of SNES co-op classics. The turtles go on a rollicking adventure throughout history, from the age of dinosaurs to pirate ships and even into the far future. The Super Nintendo version only allowed for two players, but it was arguably better than the arcade counterpart, with bonus levels and a revised final battle against Super Shredder. Throwing Foot clan ninjas out at the screen was a nice way to show of the SNES' awesome Mode 7 graphics and never got old.
One of the first titles released by the studio that would later become Blizzard (and they sure know their co-op), the SNES version of this game hit store shelves in 1992. Two players could swap between the three Vikings at will, using each one's unqiue attributes to solve puzzles and progress through the levels. The interaction between the Vikings was tremendously varied, and this added much to the game, making it stand head and shoulders above the rank and file platformers of the time. A brilliant design from beginning to end, The Lost Vikings was critically acclaimed at the time and still is today.
Zombies are all the rage now, but back in the 16-bit era, they were unusual. This game is virtually oozing with personality, with a tongue-in-cheek 50s horror movie vibe and a hefty dose of humor. The subject matter caused Nintendo to ask for some alterations to the game, as was often the case with SNES versions of "violent" games, most notably Mortal Kombat. Still, the game was fun whether the blood was gory red or tamer purple goo. A huge variety of items and interesting enemies make Zombies Ate My Neighbors a highlight of the Super Nintendo era.
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System was a fantastic console, and included many great co-op games as well as continuing superstar single player series like Mario, Zelda, and Metroid. Though the Genesis was only closely behind, the SNES allowed Nintendo to remain on top of the 16-bit generation. The two followup consoles, the Nintendo 64 and Gamecube, were overshadowed by their contemporaries, and it wasn't until the Wii became a household name that Nintendo would find similar success. The Super Nintendo remains popular to this day, and for good reason. It's a sweet gaming system and it had some truly excellent games, not the least of which are these Co-op Classics.