U.N. Squadron (SNES)

The SNES might not be famous for its prowess when it comes to shmups, but this early example from Capcom nonetheless hits the target.

Sure, there's some slowdown here and there – an unfortunate consequence of the SNES' slow CPU – but the ability to upgrade your plane and select different missions gives the game a more open and interesting feel than your typical linear shooters. While the western version is called U.N. Squadron, the Japanese original is named after the anime and manga series which inspired it, Area 88.

Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

You could argue that Rare's update of the famous Donkey Kong series is better remembered for the impact of its CGI visuals than its Mario-style gameplay, but that cruelly overlooks the fact that this is a painfully polished platformer that stands head and shoulders above the vast majority of its 16-bit rivals.

The graphics might not be quite as impactful today as they were at the time of release, but Donkey Kong Country (and its sequels) are still fantastically playable and well worth a look.

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts (SNES)

While the Mega Drive / Genesis got an excellent port of the arcade original, SNES owners were blessed with an entirely new adventure in the form of Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Everything is improved here; the visuals and sound are arguably better than those seen in the coin-op predecessor, while the level designs are more inventive and interesting.

The only downside is that, like many early SNES games, Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts suffers from some pretty dramatic slowdown when there's a lot going on, but this is easy to overlook. A port was later released for the GBA.

Pilotwings (SNES)

Alongside F-Zero, this is the game that really sold the world on the SNES' Mode 7 trickery and convinced everyone that it wasn't just a party trick and could actually deliver more immersive games. In Pilotwings, you're basically joining a flight school and must pass a series of tests to earn progressively tougher licences.

Everything from biplanes to jetpacks is featured, and at one point you even get to fly an attack helicopter. Pilotwings was like nothing else when it was first released and has therefore remained at the forefront of people's memories, even after all these years.

Arcana (SNES)

Very close in style and tone to Sega's Mega Drive / Genesis RPG Shining in the Darkness, HAL's Arcana (known as The Card Master in Japan) is a first-person dungeon-crawler with random, turn-based visuals. It might not leap out as a particularly exciting setup, but the visuals and audio are many, many steps ahead of Sega's aforementioned effort and the challenge is pitched perfectly; while the random battles do occasionally get annoying, there's enough depth to the battle system to keep you invested and interested.

Arcana is something of a hidden gem in the SNES' RPG arsenal and well worth your time.

Demon's Crest (SNES)

Part of the same Ghosts 'n Goblins spin-off franchise that includes Gargoyle's Quest 1 & 2, Demon's Crest fuses the platforming action Capcom is famous for with some light RPG elements to create a title that rewards repeat play; as Firebrand, the main character, progresses through the game he acquires additional skills which allow him to access portions of stages which were previously inaccessible.

Demon's Crest was a commercial bomb in North America, and as a result, it has become very expensive on the secondary market. We'd argue that it's worth seeking out, however; it's one of the most unique platformers of the 16-bit era. If you own a Switch, it's available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, which will save you a fair few pennies.

Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES)

Published by Konami but developed in the west by LucasArts, this humorous top-down run-and-gun title gained plenty of attention back in the day for its horror theme – something which caused the title to be censored in Europe, as well as renamed to simply "Zombies".

Inventive weapons, great enemy design and a wonderful two-player mode make this a stand-out entry in the SNES' action library; the sequel, Ghoul Patrol, isn't quite as good but is worth a look regardless.

Terranigma (SNES)

Considered by many to be the final entry in a trilogy that includes Illusion of Gaia and Soul Blazer, Terranigma is one of the most accomplished action RPGs on the SNES, but it's one that didn't reach as wide an audience as it should have done because it came so late in the console's lifespan that it never got a North American release, and was only made available in English in European territories.

Despite this setback – and the game's high cost on the collector's market – Terranigma is absolutely worth seeking out today.

Tetris Attack (SNES)

Despite having the Tetris name attached to it, this is actually a localisation of the Japanese puzzler Panel de Pon, and involves matching coloured blocks into horizontal or vertical rows; match three of them and they will vanish from the playfield, causing the blocks above to shift and potentially trigger a chain-reaction of matches.

There are plenty of single-player modes to keep you busy, but Tetris Attack is at its best when played with a friend. Later entries in the series were released in the west under the "Puzzle League" branding, and all of them are worth your time.

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (SNES)

Part of the Ganbare Goemon series, The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (known as Ganbare Goemon: Yukihime Kyūshutsu Emaki in Japan) was the first entry in the franchise to get a release in the west. This is an utterly charming mish-mash of genres and styles, mixed top-down fighting action with more traditional 2D platform elements, RPG mechanics and even mini-games, some of which are based on other Konami titles.

Three direct sequels would be released for the SNES, but none of them made it out of Japan, with western fans having to wait until 1998's N64 release Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon.