street fighter - Softonic English

10 best SNES games

How do you narrow down one of the greatest console libraries down to 10 games? Well, we’re gonna try!

Back in the days before the Xbox-PlayStation-Nintendo console wars, there was just the Nintendo-Sega console war.

Sega had a phenomenal advertising campaign that used the made-up term “blast processing” to sell the Sega Genesis.

Kids on the playground and buses would quote the commercials saying things like, “Genesis does what Ninen-don’t.” However, when it came to what games were better, they shut their mouths when they saw the Super Nintendo library.

FREE

Roblox

From: Roblox

Holy mother of God, this console has some classics.

Sure, the Genesis had a few classics, but nothing even compared to the treasure trove of games the SNES had to offer. The Genesis simply could not compete.

Remember that commercial above that had the nerve to infer that Super Mario Kart was boring? Even if you think the game isn’t as high paced as a racing game on the Genesis, take a look at the SNES exclusive F-Zero:

Is that 16-bit action intense enough for you?

We could make a list of the top 50 SNES games, and even that would leave off some classic titles. Narrowing it down to 10 seems like a fool’s errand, but we’re willing to give it a try. Let us know in the comments below what games you think should have made it!

Top 10 SNES games

10. Street Fighter II Turbo

We were torn between putting this one and Mortal Kombat III on this list. As much as we love ripping the heads off our enemies, we love Hadoukens more.

Street Fighter II Turbo was the most fast-paced tournament fighting game of its time. At the arcade, we wasted quarter after quarter on this game. When we found out we could play this bad boy at home, we were thrilled.

Street Fighter II Turbo was fast but efficient. After a few goes, you could commit combos to memory, and watch your enemies cower in fear. It was a fighting game unlike any we had seen before, and, arguably, haven’t seen since.

9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time

The Ninja Turtles are no stranger to Nintendo Games. The turtle-trilogy on the NES was decent but had room for improvement. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time gave the franchise the shot of adrenaline the franchise needed.

This time, the turtles must travel through time in order to stop Shredder and the Foot Clan. This brings them to different eras in history including the Jurassic Period where the turtles fight a “prehistoric turtlesaurus.”

Come on, do we really need to say more?

8. Yoshi’s Island

For many of us, Super Mario World was the game that introduced us to Yoshi.

In that game, Yoshi can fly, shoot fire, and cause the Earth to shake under him. That’s cool and all, but here’s the thing: Mario can do those things too. However, Yoshi’s Island gave Yoshi a whole new repertoire of moves. Now, Yoshi can turn eaten enemies into eggs, throw eggs at enemies, hover jump, turn into a whole assortment of vehicles, and even ground-pound.

Levels feel much different from what you see in a Mario game. Rather than being a typical sidescrolling platformer, levels feel more like small dungeons. You need to hunt for the exits, secrets, and fun power-ups to enhance your experience.

7. Mega Man X

Mega Man had quite a long stay on the NES. Six games, in fact. When the series came to the SNES, it certainly didn’t tip-toe into the 16-bit world.

Mega Man X was and is an absolute smash hit.

You go through the same spiel of fighting a slew of robot bosses while stealing their powers. However, even after six games on the NES, this title still feels fresh.

One of the bosses is named “Boomer Kuwanger.” You can’t go wrong with Boomer Kuwanger.

6. Super Mario Kart

There are three certainties in life: death, the inevitable extinction of us all, and that the red shells will always hit you.

Nowadays, the Mario Kart franchise is pretty crazy. We got power-ups that will turn you into a Bullet Bill, courses taking place on an erupting volcano, and now even Link from Zelda is a playable character!

Back in the day, we didn’t have any of that, but we didn’t need it. We need two things: the Grand Prix and balloon battles.

Dust off this cartridge, and you can play for hours without noticing.

5. Donkey Kong Country

Let’s start this off right:

He’s bigger, faster, and stronger, too. He’s the first member of the DK crew.

Donkey Kong Country was the first in a DK trilogy on the SNES. It is also the best one by a mile. Donkey Kong and his BFF Diddy Kong are out to thwart the evil King K. Rool who has stolen their entire banana horde.

If that sounds weird, it’s only because it is.

Donkey Kong Country celebrates its 25 year anniversary this year, and might we say this game has aged like fine wine. This sidescrolling platformer is still fun to pick up to this day. Donkey Kong and Diddy can bounce on tires, throw barrels at baddies, and ride an assortment of animals.

The soundtrack?

Perfection.

If you can track down a copy, get ready for one of the best adventures the franchise has to offer.

5 most frustrating levels in gaming history

Read Now ►

4. Super Castlevania IV

Everything before this game on this list is a great game. However, we have now entered the realm of legends.

Super Castlevania IV is one of the best looking games ever created. You play as a whip-wielding hero on a quest through a gothic, horror landscape to find and kill Dracula.

Along the way, you fight Frankenstein’s monster, Medusa, and even Death itself. The game uses a password system, so if you want to jump to the best parts we’ve got you covered:

This game feels like it was created by the same people who made the classic Universal monster movies. There are so many creative enemies and stages that feel like they were ripped from the pages of a classic horror novel.

It’s a game for people who love horror, monsters, and just great side-scrolling action in general.

3. Super Mario World

Oh yeah, you know this list is serious business when Super Mario World only takes the number 3 spot.

There’s really nothing we can say about this game that hasn’t been said before. It’s side-scrolling Mario at his best. He has a slew of power-ups both new and old. You can break out the new Feather to become a cape-wearing Mario who can soar through the sky. You can also down the Fire Flower which will allow you to mow down enemies with fireballs.

The game encourages you to plot your own course. If you want, you can avoid all hidden levels and bonuses, and get through the game in a day or two. You can be a full completionist and beat the game in a week or so. Or, you could go crazy and take advantage of every warp zone and beat the game in less than 10 minutes like this guy:

Look, most of you reading this list have probably played this game. If you have, then you know firsthand just how awesome this game is. If you haven’t, then finish reading, and go track down a copy!

2. Super Metroid

The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace…

Super Metroid turns 25 this year. If you think Donkey Kong Country aged well, wait until you see this beast.

The first two Metroid games dealt with the hero Samus Aran destroying the parasitic Metroids from spreading across the galaxy. The games build these creatures up to be mindless, killing machines. At the end of Metroid II: Return of Samus, Samus almost uncharacteristically spares the life of the last Metroid.

In the events of Super Metroid, the last Metroid is kidnapped by space pirates who plan to use it to take over the galaxy. After making her way through their base, Samus is confronted by their leader, Mother Brain.

Mother Brain kicks. your. ass.

All hope seems lost. You just spent hours navigating this labyrinth while collecting power-ups and honing your skills. You thought you were a pro at this game who could handle whatever was throw at you, but you just lost and it wasn’t even close.

Suddenly…

In one fell swoop, the game throws a complete curveball at the player. It takes a huge risk by changing up the villains of the last two games in one of the biggest twists in video game history.

Super Metroid is one of the greatest non-linear platformers ever made. It transcends the realm of being a video game and turns into an experience.

1. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

When it comes to video game top 10 lists, it’s almost unfair if there is an eligible Zelda title. Zelda titles are some of the best if not THE best titles in every Nintendo console’s library.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is no exception.

This game introduced us to some of the best weapons in all of Zelda including the Hookshot, Pegasus Boots, and the Mirror Shield. It gave us an incredible story with some of the coolest boss fights in the entire franchise.

Link to the Past is one of the greatest Zelda games ever created, which makes it one of the greatest video games ever created.

Link to the Past captures all the things that make Zelda one of the greatest video game franchises of all time. It is also undoubtedly the greatest SNES game ever made.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time turns 20. Here’s how it changed gaming forever

Read Now ►

Watch: 4 most iconic moments in the history of eSports

Insane comebacks, crazy luck, and unmatched skill: watch the greatest moments in eSports history.

So many games have competitive scenes nowadays. Websites like YouTube and Twitch have thousands of compilations showing streamers making flashy plays. With all of this, it can be hard to tell the difference between a skilled gamer and a professional one. However, the moments on this list will clearly show you what it means to be a pro. These iconic moments changed competitive gaming and helped eSports evolve into the monster that it is today.

Top 4 moments in the history of eSports

4. Wombo Combo – Super Smash Bros. Melee

The Wombo Combo is far from the most impressive combo in competitive Smash Bros. It’s not a display of amazing technical skill coming together in symphonious harmony. It may not be either of those things, but it is the single rawest, hypest moment in Smash Bros history. You can know absolutely nothing about Smash and still get hyped like crazy while watching the clip. Commentator HomemadeWaffles is a legend on the mic, and within 30 seconds of improv spawned numerous iconic catchphrases like “WHERE YOU AT!?” “THAT AIN’T FALCO!” and “HAPPY FEET, WOMBO COMBO!”

Beyond just being a highly entertaining and quotable clip, the Wombo Combo was a major force in revitalizing interest in the competitive Smash scene. The clip was posted online in 2008, which is when Melee’s sequel Super Smash Bros. Brawl was released. At this time, the Melee competitive scene was struggling to stay afloat. Though the release of Brawl took attention away from Melee, Brawl’s gameplay was largely seen as inferior to Melee’s in a competitive setting. Brawl was floatier, had less combo potential, lacked Melee’s advanced techniques, and was a generally slower paced, less exciting competitive game. The Wombo Combo going viral turned heads and brought new players to the Melee scene, evolving it from the grassroots movement it was to the competitive powerhouse it is today over 11 years later.

How Super Smash Bros. Ultimate can repair Nintendo’s rocky history with eSports

read now ►

3. S1mple’s Double Falling Headshots – Counter-Strike Global Offensive

Counter-Strike is a hard game to get into competitively. It requires a steady hand, good tactical senses, and the ability to remain cool under pressure. Mistakes are punished brutally, and smart, slow advances are often rewarded over flashier, riskier pushes. However, even in this game of positioning and mind games, sometimes the most straightforward plays are the most effective.

At ESL One Cologne in 2016, Team Liquid faced off against Fnatic. In the most memorable play of the night, Fnatic players dennis and KRiMZ were up against Liquid’s S1mple as the only players alive. Stalking his prey, S1mple jumped into the warehouse and killed both enemies in seconds with two expertly placed headshots. The craziest part is that S1mple got both of his headshots without scoping his AWP sniper rifle, shocking Fnatic with a remarkable feat of accuracy. S1mple lived up to his namesake with that no-nonsense play.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Download free ►

2. The $6 Million Slam – Dota 2

Dota 2 is one of the most popular and lucrative competitive games out today. Its enormous player base and constant updates constantly create a fresh competitive metagame with multi-million dollar payouts. One of the most impressive and harrowing moments in Dota 2’s storied competitive history came to be known as the Six Million Dollar Slam.

How to start playing Dota 2

Read Now ►

Top American team Evil Geniuses faced off against Chinese team CDEC in the grand finals of Dota 2 International 5, the largest annual Dota 2 tournament. After killing one member of EG, CDEC moved to kill Roshan, a powerful neutral dragon character who grants huge amounts of exp and gold when defeated. Roshan’s area is tightly packed, which cramped CDEC as they moved in for the kill. Sensing opportunity, EG laid out a complex series of moves that culminated in the prolific Slam.

EG used the Ice Blast ability to slow all of CDEC’s heroes, which also increased the magical damage they would take. Suddenly, an EG Earthshaker comes in with his ultimate: Echo Slam, a devastating attack that does more damage as more opponents are caught in its radius. This combination quickly sends CDEC into a panic, and as they try to escape a further combination of moves from EG kills four of their players. EG then swoops in and finishes off the damaged Roshan, powering them up and allowing them to secure the $6 million grand prize money.

DOTA 2 Download DOTA 2 ►

1. Evo Moment 37 – Street Fighter III: Third Strike

Evo is the world’s largest fighting game tournament, and its 2004 incarnation hosted what many consider to be the greatest moment in competitive video gaming history.

During the semifinals of the Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike tournament, Japanese player Daigo Umehara faced off against American player Justin Wong. Daigo, nicknamed “The Beast,” was known for his aggressive, high-risk playstyle, making him a fan favorite. On the other hand, Justin Wong tore through the American scene with his defensive “turtling” style of play, frustrating his opponents with his stonewall defense. Daigo and Justin had never played each other prior to this set, so anticipation was high when they finally got to duke it out.

In match 1, Daigo (Ken) had a hard time breaking through Justin’s (Chun-Li) defenses. Justin was playing conservatively, methodically bringing Daigo’s health bar to one pixel. The normally cool and collected Daigo became frustrated, as noted by the commentators. At one pixel of health, literally any special move would’ve ended Daigo, as special moves do chip damage even if blocked.

Daigo’s only remaining method of defense would be to parry, which is an extremely difficult technique in which you move towards your opponent at a precise moment they’re attacking, negating all damage of the move. Parrying is extremely risky compared to blocking, but Daigo’s minuscule health bar left him no choice. Eager to end the match, Justin switched gears and threw out Chun-Li’s super move, a combination of fast and powerful kicks. Predicting this, Daigo amazingly parried every hit of the super and retailed with his own, winning the match.

This mindblowing feat of mind games and technical skill electrified the crowd. The clip, which came to be known as Evo Moment 37, has been compared to legendary non-gaming sports moments like the Miracle on Ice and Michael Jordan’s 1991 Tomahawk dunk. This stunning comeback single-handedly revived interest in the competitive fighting game scene, giving way to the healthy scene the genre enjoys today. Daigo’s determination and high-risk clutch play symbolized everything we love about video games, comebacks, and the spirit of competition.

Any big moments we missed? Let us know!

How disabled gamers overcome the odds

Discover how gamers are overcoming disabilities to compete at a world-class leve.

If you watched the Super Bowl, then you probably saw Microsoft’s “We All Win” commercial.

The ad depicts a bunch of kids with various mobility limitations who all share a love for gaming. Many of them can’t use both of their hands, which makes using traditional controllers difficult for them. Fortunately, these kids were able to game to their full potential with the Xbox Adaptive Controller.

Created in partnership with The AbleGamers Foundation, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, SpecialEffect, Warfighter Engaged, and more, the Xbox Adaptive Controller is a highly customizable controller designed by and for the disabled gaming community. Because no two instances of disability are the same, the controller comes equipped with ports for every input on an Xbox controller, allowing the user to connect whatever accessories would help them most.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller is highly customizable — Each port matches a button, letting the user create the perfect controller for their needs

Various extensions like pedals, joysticks, switches, and buttons allow the controller to fit the player’s specific needs. With their perfect setup, disabled gamers are no longer held back by their controllers, and they can get back to the hobby that they love.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller is far from the first device aimed at helping disabled gamers. Custom controller manufacturer Evil Controllers makes customized Xbox and PlayStation controllers that make it easier for disabled gamers to play. Their one-handed controllers allow gamers to use the full capabilities of a typical controller with only one hand. For those with muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, or other conditions that limit motor mobility, Evil Controllers has created controllers that can be used by moving your head and mouth.

With or without special controllers, disabled gamers have made a splash in eSports. For most disabled gamers, fighting games are a natural fit due to their highly customizable control schemes, mind games, and dedicated competitive scenes.

Mike “BrolyLegs” Begum is a competitive Street Fighter and Smash Bros. player with arthrogryposis and scoliosis, preventing him from using his arms or legs. To play, BrolyLegs uses his cheek, tongue, and mouth to work a standard Xbox controller. While many players are surprised by BrolyLegs’ control scheme, he has proven his skill time and time again in Street Fighter tournaments, besting players with his Chun-Li (Chun-Li is considered one of the hardest and most technical characters in the game, and BrolyLegs is considered one of the best).

For BrolyLegs, traveling the world and competing in tournaments has changed his life. He has said that tournaments help him make friends and fuel his self-confidence. Playing his trademark rushdown, aggressive style with Chun-Li allows BrolyLegs to express himself to people in ways he otherwise wouldn’t be able to. While some players pity or even outright dismiss BrolyLegs in tournament, he is always quick to show them up with his immaculate spacing and mental play. Above all, BrolyLegs says he wants to be seen as a gamer and a competitor just like everyone else. Through his Street Fighter success, he hopes to inspire other disabled gamers to compete and accomplish their dreams.

Gaming is an amazing hobby and it should be as accessible as possible to anyone that wants to play. If you’d like to help the disabled gaming community, check out AbleGamers.

Scientists create gloves that let you touch virtual objects

Read Now ►

Top 5 most overpowered fighting game characters in history

Some characters just aren’t fair. And some are absurd. Here are the most unbalanced fighting game characters in history.

Cheap characters have been a thing as long as fighting games have existed. Your friends will scream and whine at you for picking these characters, accusing you of being unfair, spammy, or a cheater. While sometimes your friend is just acting like a sore loser, there have been many fighting game characters that have been so overpowered that they completely break the game. Oftentimes, the only way you can beat these characters is by pausing the game and beating up your opponent IRL. Here are some of the most hilariously cheap characters in fighting game history.

Top 5 most overpowered fighting game characters in history

5. Akuma – Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo

Goldeneye has Oddball, Pokémon has Mewtwo, and Street Fighter has Akuma. The OG cheap fighting game character, Akuma debuted in Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo as an unlockable boss and hidden playable character. He makes his startling debut by killing the already overpowered final boss character M. Bison. Provided you are the Devil himself and you want to put your friends through hell, you can play as Akuma using a cheat code on the character select screen.

Akuma’s moves are basically Ryu’s on steroids, plus an air fireball and a teleport. His Shoryuken can take off a third of your health. His air fireball is the only aerial projectile in the game, and its diagonal trajectory makes it extremely difficult to dodge. His only real weakness is his sub-par mobility, but he can easily mitigate that with a super-fast teleport. For the cherry on top, Akuma has the strongest Super Combo in the game, plus it’s unblockable!

In most competitive tournaments, Akuma is flat-out banned, and if he isn’t, most players choose not to pick him as an honor rule. He’s consistently been a high tier in every game he appears in, including games outside his own series like Marvel vs Capcom or Tekken. Thankfully, Capcom at least toned him down by reducing his health and turning him into a glass cannon.

How to capture video game footage

Read now ►

4. Meta Knight – Super Smash Bros Brawl

While Brawl is a fantastic game with loads of content, it’s something of a black sheep among the competitive Smash community. It’s very slow and floaty to play, lacking the blistering speed and combos of Melee and the quality of life improvements and balanced roster of Smash 4. And while each Smash game has their overpowered characters, Brawl’s Meta Knight makes Melee Fox look like a Nintendog.

Even in a game with plenty of overpowered characters like the Ice Climbers, Snake, and Diddy Kong, Meta Knight still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the cast as the best character. His moves are extremely quick on startup, and he’s the only character in the game who has standard moves (A moves) with transcendent priority. This means that these moves cannot clash with other moves, going right through them and beating them out.

Marvel Munchkin is the card game every superhero fan needs

read on, true believer ►

If that wasn’t bad enough, Meta Knight has not only one, but two of the unquestionably best special moves in the game in Mach Tornado and Shuttle Loop. The Mach Tornado is a dreaded hurricane of death that protects Meta Knight, helps him recover, allows him to get vertical KO’s, and is a safe approach option. Shuttle Loop is Meta Knight’s recovery move that functions as a glide and a kill move, being relatively brain-dead to spam off stage to edgeguard your opponents and make it back to stage safely.

The debate on whether or not to ban Meta Knight caused a civil war within the already small Brawl competitive scene. Some tournaments banned him, but most didn’t. However, in the places where he was banned, an arguably even more horrifying character dethroned him: the Ice Climbers. These Eskimos from Hell could chaingrab you back and forth and the only counterplay was divine intervention.

3. Marvel vs Capcom 2 – Sentinel

Marvel vs Capcom 2 is arguably the most imbalanced fighting game that Capcom has ever made, but despite this, the game still has a special place in gamers’ hearts as a fast, chaotic, and technical fighter. Part of the game’s charm is that the top 5 or so characters are so overpowered that learning how to play them becomes a game in and of itself. Even among those characters, Sentinel stands out as the most broken character in the series.

The mutant-hunting machine of death has one of the highest health counts in the game, making killing him a war of attrition. Though his hitbox is huge, all of his attacks are surprisingly fast and have enormous range, allowing him to shut down opponents and trap them in the corner.

Top 10 Spider-Man games

Read Now ►

Additionally, he’s the only character in the game whose normal attacks cause chip damage, which means they damage opponents even if blocked. He can even fly, chasing down pesky top-tier mutants like Magneto or Storm and pummeling them back into the ground with his aerial combos. Even on the bench, Sentinel has some of the best assist attacks in the game, filling the screen with missiles and shutting out the opponent. Every MVC2 player has had nightmares at some point about a killer robot screaming “ROCKET PUNCH ROCKET PUNCH HYPER SENTINEL FORCE”.

Eddy – Tekken 3

Eddy Gordo is a Brazillian Tekken character who fights using capoeira, an Afro-Brazillian martial art that combines fighting with rhythm and dance. He is one of the most polarizing characters in fighting game history due to his extremely simple fighting style. And by “simplistic,” we mean “press both kick buttons over and over to win.” Eddy’s stylish kicks send him flipping and spinning across the screen, changing stances and keeping the opponent locked down. Tekken is already known for being a button masher among casual players, and Eddy’s acrobatic antics only cements this further. While pro players have a significantly easier time dealing with Eddy, picking Eddy while playing against your friend casually is an easy way to get a PlayStation controller thrown into your face.

Watch: Fastest Super Mario Bros. speedrun in history

Go, go, mario! ►

1. Ivan Ooze – Power Rangers: Fighting Edition

While Power Rangers may not come to mind when it comes to iconic fighting games, Power Rangers: Fighting Edition on the SNES is infamous for featuring by far the most overpowered character in fighting game history: Ivan Ooze. Ooze is the final boss of the game, and can be unlocked by winning the story mode on the hardest difficulty.

In most fighting games (especially SNK ones) if a boss character is playable, their moveset is significantly toned down in order to bring them in line with the rest of the cast. The developers, assumedly in a fit of temporary insanity, forgot this basic tenet of game design and left Ooze untouched as a playable character. What resulted is the most hilariously broken and frustrating character to ever grace a TV screen.

Seriously, we don’t even need to say much here, just watch the video. Ooze can fly, rendering him completely invulnerable to low and throw attacks. Nearly all of his moves feature no startup and allow him to fill the screen with fireballs, pillars, and other nonsense. He even has a move that gives him a force field and fires a bunch of homing projectiles which he can activate at any time, even while being hit. Ironically, Ooze is the only character in the game who can’t block, but even that doesn’t hold him back from being the most unfair character in fighting game history. As they say, the best defense is a good offense.

Did we miss a character? Let us know in the comments below!