10 Best SNES Games on Nintendo Switch Online (July 2025)

Few of us were blessed with the opportunity to play the best cult classics when they first came out. Back in the ‘90s, when the SNES home video gaming console was released, plenty of unforgettable titles found their home on it, continuing through to the launch of the Nintendo 64. 

While it has been difficult to access retro SNES games in playable forms over the years, Nintendo Switch Online is changing the narrative. Now, you can play some of the best retro games at an affordable monthly or annual fee. Since there are lots of options the membership plan offers, we’ve narrowed them down to the best SNES games on Nintendo Switch Online below.

What is an SNES Game?

An SNES game is any title that launched on the SNES (or Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES) home video game console. It was released by Nintendo in 1990 and hosts over 1,700 games.

Best SNES Games on Nintendo Switch Online

Among the sea of retro games Nintendo now makes available in the modern day, we’ve compiled the best SNES games on Nintendo Switch Online worth checking out below.

10. F-Zero

One of the most popular racing games during the SNES era was F-Zero. Rather than compete in ordinary cars, you unlock futuristic turbo-charged hovercraft instead. They move pretty fast around the F–Zero Championship circuit, ranking the best pilots on purely speed.

At the time, F-Zero provided gamers with the best graphics, unbothered by the high-speed races. And the gameplay translated smoothly and was full of unending thrills.

9. Earthbound

Role-playing games have come a long way, and one of the games to mark a peak point for the genre was Earthbound. It kicked off with a fascinating premise of a meteorite landing on Earth, next to the protagonist Ness’ house. 

And as is expected of kids and their curious minds, he embarks on an epic adventure with his friends to investigate the meteorite’s source and impact. And this leads to the unraveling of a full-blown quest, entailing navigating alien worlds and ultimately saving the world.

8. Super Mario World

When the SNES launched, the Super Mario franchise was ready with its newest launch of Super Mario World. It followed Mario and Luigi across the brand-new Dinosaur Island, where they hooked up with Yoshi, the friendly dinosaur. 

This was, by far, a bigger and better entry, both in terms of content and gameplay. You grapple with creative and brilliantly designed levels, taking you through dozens of secrets and puzzles to discover. 

And with the new Cape Feather ability, you could even explore the skies, soaring up above to fight aerial enemies.  

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

Two antagonists stand before you in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. You have an evil wizard to contend with, but also the very real threat of King Ganon unleashing on the kingdom of Hyrule. It’s up to Link to once again save the day, rescuing Princess Zelda, and taking down all of the adversaries standing in his way.

6. Super Metroid

What could be better than fighting Space Pirates? Super Metroid returns you to the adventures of bounty space hunter, Samus Aran. As a high-ranking entry among the best SNES games on Nintendo Switch Online, you can rest assured of an energetic and splendid time. 

The abilities at your disposal are definitely exhilarating, from the grapple beam to the X-ray scope. All dealing explosive damage in battling the formidable enemies and bosses of planet Zebes.

5. Super Punch Out

Also, a part of the best SNES games on Nintendo Switch Online is Super Punch-Out!! With 16 rivals to go up against, you'd better brace yourself to hop into the ring and punch them all out. 

The controls are super easy for even kids to master. And the boxing is quite fun, especially with the sometimes wonky physics and behind-the-back perspective that can be pretty funny.

4. Super Mario Kart

Kart racing remains one of the most thrilling ways to race opponents. And the OG, you might argue, is Super Mario Kart. It was so good that the sub-series now has multiple entries, including the widely praised Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. 

You have eight Mushroom Kingdom characters to choose from, each with unique on-track abilities. And from there, it’s up to you to dip into your most vicious racing and drifting skills

3. Super Ghouls'n Ghosts

Don’t let the name put you off. It’s hardly spooky, and any gamer should have a blast in Super Ghouls’n Ghosts. As long as you like your everyday quest to rescue a kidnapped princess, you should have a great time. 

You’ll be delving deeper into demon-infested lands, wiping out every deadly adversary you meet. But the stages themselves have obstacles of their own. A nifty little exciting feature is that any damage taken by Sir Arthur, the protagonist, will result in losing your armor, leaving you with just your boxer shorts.

2. Kirby's Dreamland 3

The Kirby series has been one of the most praised Nintendo platformers, and thus is worthy of the best SNES games on Nintendo Switch Online. The mechanics remain largely the same in Kirby’s Dreamland 3. 

You have your pink puffball protagonist, capable of swallowing her enemies and absorbing their abilities as a result. This means you can switch your fighting styles a lot of times, injecting fresh and engaging gameplay every so often.

1. Donkey Kong Country

And finally, arguably the best platforming series ever is Donkey Kong Country. Upon launch, it quite impressed the gaming folk with its cartoon high-quality animation, atmospheric music, and pre-rendered 3D graphics, all impressive on the 16-bit Super NES. 

But the gameplay itself is one for the books as well, with varying playstyles for Donkey, Diddy, and Cranky Kong. The Kremlings are the best villains, overwhelming you at times with their numbers. But you must retrieve your stolen banana hoard at all costs, the 30+ challenging levels only being the hoops you have to jump through.