10 Hardest SNES Games of All Time, Ranked By Difficulty

by

Some of the most challenging games ever made came out on the Super Nintendo. Even today’s difficult games don’t compare to how hard games were back in the ’90s. These older games were intentionally made to be incredibly challenging, and finishing them really proved a player’s skill.

Even now, games such as Super Mario Kart and ActRaiser 2 can be incredibly challenging, even for experienced players. Though these Super Nintendo games are tough, succeeding in them feels just as rewarding today as it did in the 1990s.

The original Super Mario Kart launched a hugely successful series for Nintendo and remains one of the best-selling games on the Super Nintendo. While it’s a classic, many players find the first Mario Kart surprisingly challenging today.

The first parts of the game, like the Mushroom and Flower Cups, are pretty simple to win. However, the Star and Special Cups get much harder. The computer opponents drive almost flawlessly, so you’ll need to play nearly perfectly to succeed.

I’ve played the Animaniacs game on a few different systems, and honestly, the Genesis and Game Boy versions are pretty decent! But the SNES version made by Konami? Wow, it’s seriously tough. It’s based on a cartoon for kids, but it seems like they intentionally made it super challenging – it’s brutal!

As a huge Animaniacs fan, let me tell you, this game is tough! There’s no health, no extra lives – one hit and you’re out! If all three Warners get caught, that’s game over. Seriously, it’s filled with instant-death traps, and getting the real ending? That’s only for those of us who are determined to find everything. It’s a challenge, but a fun one!

Kirby’s Dream Course is a unique game in the Kirby series, taking the familiar character and putting him in a mini-golf setting. Players control Kirby, aiming and launching him through challenging levels to reach the finish. Despite its adorable appearance, the game offers surprisingly difficult gameplay.

Because each map in Dream Course gives players a limited number of moves and lives, it requires precise gameplay. Players need to launch Kirby with the perfect angle, power, and trajectory, and also cleverly use enemies and obstacles to their advantage.

Released alongside the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Gradius III was a conversion of a challenging 1989 arcade game. Interestingly, the SNES version suffers from some slowdown, making it even more difficult than the original arcade release.

The Gradius games are known for punishing mistakes – dying means losing all your power-ups, which can be devastating. Gradius III is particularly challenging, with relentless waves of enemies, and remains a prime example of the difficulty found in classic shoot-’em-up games.

The R-Type series is known for its difficulty, and Super R-Type continues that tradition. Players will need to learn all the weapons and memorize each challenging level to succeed. It’s a very tough game for the SNES, but it’s incredibly rewarding.

In Super R-Type, when you lose a life, you have to start the whole level over. Players accustomed to games with checkpoints might find the difficulty of R-Type quite challenging.

The original ActRaiser on SNES was challenging, but fair. ActRaiser 2, however, is significantly harder and will likely only be completed by very experienced players.

ActRaiser 2 is full of tricky traps and tougher enemies, so players need to plan their approach to each boss. Luckily, the game controls are excellent, but you’ll still need quick reactions to finish it.

Originally released with the Super Nintendo, F-Zero revolutionized racing games. The game is known for its incredibly fast speeds, which create exciting races but demand quick thinking and precise reactions from players around every corner.

Deadly winds and explosive drones add extra challenge to the races. This helped establish F-Zero as a notoriously difficult series, and F-Zero GX continued that tradition.

Inspired by the comic Uncanny X-Men #123, the game Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge lets players control five heroes: Spider-Man, Cyclops, Wolverine, Gambit, and Storm. While it’s enjoyable to choose from so many characters, the game uses a shared lives system, meaning once all lives are lost, the game is over – there are no continues.

Plus, Spider-Man and the X-Men in Arcade’s Revenge is packed with levels featuring deadly traps and frustrating obstacles, such as ceilings that suddenly fall. It even includes situations where you’re trapped with no way out.

The 7th Saga has a unique concept: you play as one of several heroes destined for greatness and compete against the others. While the game has a lot of great qualities, it’s notoriously difficult, making it a challenge that most players won’t finish.

Okay, so when The 7th Saga finally came to North America, they actually made it harder than the original Japanese version. Seriously! The bosses have way more health, and leveling up is a total crawl. You basically have to grind constantly just to stand a chance. It’s pretty rough, honestly.

The Super Star Wars trilogy – including Super Star Wars, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Super Star Wars: The Return of the Jedi – are classic games. However, players accustomed to newer Star Wars titles might find its difficulty surprisingly challenging.

The three Super Star Wars games are notoriously difficult. Players face relentless waves of enemies appearing suddenly, and even simple obstacles can cause damage. This trilogy is famous for offering some of the most challenging gameplay on the Super Nintendo.

Read More

2026-01-27 01:46