Best SNES Licensed Games

Pick a big movie from the 80s or 90s, and there’s a good chance that it had a video game tie-in of some sort. The same goes for popular cartoons, too, and other licensed-based products. It was seemingly an easy market to get into on the NES, SNES, and beyond.

90s kids in particular had a lot of bad birthdays and Christmases over poorly made licensed games being handed over as presents. However, they weren’t all bad. In fact, some of these games are among the best on the SNES overall. For those curious, here are the best licensed games on the SNES.

8

True Lies

A Surprisingly Good Licensed Game That Features Solid Gunplay

• Developer: Beam Software
• Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
• Released: February 1, 1995
• Platform: Game Boy, Game Gear, Genesis, Super NES

True Lies is a classic James Cameron movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a secret spy trying to hide it from his wife, Jamie Lee Curtis. Chaos ensues when terrorists appear, and Arnold does what Arnold does best: blow stuff up.

It’s an incredibly mature movie, so it’s wild that a plethora of games were made for it. Chief among them was the SNES version, which is honestly way better than it has any right to be. The Arnold sprite is adorable, albeit a bit bulky, and the gunplay is solid. For a developer who shoveled out a lot of bad movie tie-ins, Beam Software did a bang-up job with True Lies.

7

Hook

A Fun SNES Game That Loosely Follows The Plot Of The Movie Its Based On

• Developer: Ukiyotei (SNES Version)
• Publisher: Sony Imagesoft
• Released: October 1, 1992 (SNES Version)
• Platforms: SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, Game Gear

Hook is an underappreciated movie with an accompanying game that not many checked out on the SNES. The movie was a reimagining of Peter Pan starring Robin Williams as a grown-up Peter and Dustin Hoffman as Captain Hook, and the game loosely follows the plot of the movie. The music is one of the best qualities of the game, and the sprite work is quite impressive, too.

Hook was produced via Sony Imagesoft, a brand that Sony set up before they decided to enter the gaming market with the PS1. This was probably their best game before the era of the PS1 began. It’s a neat but challenging adventure filled with plenty of swashbuckling, flying, and, of course, Lost Boys.

6

Marvel Super Heroes In War Of The Gems

Take Down 16-Bit Thanos

Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems

Systems

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Platform(s)

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

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Released

October 18, 1996

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Marvel Super Heroes in War of the Gems is one of the best Marvel-based game on the SNES. Other great ones include X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse and Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage. If players had to choose one, however, this Thanos-ridden adventure is a solid choice.

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5

Dragon Ball Z: Legend Of The Saiyans

Card-Based Brawling

• Developer: Tose
• Publisher: Bandai
• Released: January 25, 1992
• Platform: SNES

Of the many anime imports out there, Dragon Ball Z: Legend of the Saiyans is the one to check out. It’s fully translated thanks to the effort of fans who have painstakingly worked on several other Japan-only games based on Dragon Ball.

This game was actually a remake that combined two NES games into one coherent story. It followed the Saiyan and Frieza sagas, but instead of being a fighter or action game, this was a turn-based RPG that used cards. There were quite a few of these card games in Japan, too, which seems odd for Dragon Ball, but good things often come in weird packages.

4

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose

A Looney Platformer

Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster Busts Loose is one of the many games Konami made based on the cartoon. Tiny Toon Adventures is also great on the NES, but the SNES title offered a more enjoyable challenge when it came to difficulty.

Players will primarily go through levels as Buster Bunny, ranging from his high school to an Old West train scene. The pixel art is still a high point on the SNES, and the platforming works relatively well. Players may struggle when timing their jumping, especially in some of the later stages, but practice makes perfect.

3

The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse

A Cavalcade Of Disney Titles

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Released

November 20, 1992

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The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse is the first game in what would become a trilogy on the SNES. The final game did not leave Japan until the Game Boy Advance remake, though. All three play similarly, as Mickey can platform through levels, toss objects at foes, and at certain points, he can dress up in various costumes for power-ups.

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Any one of those three Mickey-starring games is worth picking up, but so are a plethora of other Disney games on the SNES. It’s hard not to recommend Aladdin and Goof Troop, too.

2

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

A Fun Brawler Based On The First Season Of The Show

• Developer: Natsume (SNES Version)
• Publisher: Bandai (SNES Version)
• Released: September 1, 1994
• Platforms: SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, Game Gear

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is a simple title for a killer game. It’s a classic brawler based on the first season of the 90s hit. In this title, players can choose any one of the five core Power Rangers, and most of the levels are played as their normal teen selves.

Once they power up, they will unlock new powers, like being able to use their weapons. There are even mech battles to get into, which work more like fighting game segments. The pixel art is decent, but what truly makes this a remarkable throwback is the original music.

1

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time

Still A Cowabunga Classic

There are tons of brawlers on the SNES, both licensed and original. Among them all, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time is easily the best one. Players can enjoy it now through its various versions via the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection on most platforms. It’s another example of Konami killing it with a license back in the 90s.

The game has an attitude that works well for the titular green-tinted heroes. It’s hard not to smile when jumping back into this game and remembering all the good times that Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael all had together over lots of pizza, soda, and sleepless nights.

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