10 Now-Classic Video Game Series That Originally Started On the SNES
Polygon has published a retrospective feature celebrating the Super Nintendo Entertainment System’s 35th birthday (August 23, 1991) by examining ten classic video game franchises that originated on the 16-bit console. The article highlights how many beloved gaming series that remain popular today trace their roots back to the SNES era.
In compiling the list, the publication applied specific criteria to determine which franchises qualified as genuine SNES originals. The article deliberately excludes Donkey Kong Country, noting that while the series launched on SNES, it represented an expansion of the pre-existing Donkey Kong franchise rather than an entirely new series. Similarly, Seiken Densetsu (known internationally as Secret of Mana) was excluded because its first installment actually appeared on the Game Boy before the SNES sequel, with the Game Boy version released in North America as Final Fantasy Adventure. The feature also references Super Mario RPG, though details remain incomplete in the available excerpt.
The retrospective serves as a nostalgic look at how the SNES, as crucial hardware in video game history, provided the platform for launching franchises that would define gaming for decades to come. By focusing on series that genuinely originated on the console rather than expanded existing properties, Polygon aims to acknowledge the SNES’s particular role in video game innovation and the lasting legacy of games developed for the system.