5 Hit SNES Games That Didn't Age Well

The Super Nintendo continued Nintendo's dominance of the worldwide video game industry well into the 1990s. Backed by classics like "Super Mario World" to "Super Metroid," the SNES library was packed with unequivocally stellar titles. However, there are also plenty of Nintendo games from the '90s that aged considerably worse than anyone could've anticipated since their launch. Many of these titles still have their ardent and dedicated fans, but they definitely haven't stood the test of time compared to several of their contemporaries.

Games can age poorly due to outdated content and cultural sensibilities, or issues with technical presentation and content restrictions at the time of release. Given how rapidly cultural mores change and technology advances, a lot of games just don't connect with players the same way they used to 30 years ago. Even successful Super Nintendo games weren't immune to these issues, including some of the biggest franchises and publishers at the time. These are five hit SNES games that didn't age well, with some feeling dated within years of their initial release.

Among the earliest RPGs for the Super Nintendo was "Drakkhen," which was originally developed for the Amiga and Atari ST before getting a SNES port in 1991. The game follows a group of adventurers whose ship is attacked by people evolved from ancient dragons, the titular Drakkhen. The four survivors from this opening attack band together to recover mystical gems to resurrect a dragon god to purge the land of these beastly descendants. The gameplay mixes point-and-click mechanics with real-time tactical combat as the party moves around a small battlefield.

"Drakkhen" was successful enough to receive a Super Nintendo sequel, "Dragon View," but more well-received RPGs overshadowed its release. And, for as ambitious as the game was at the time, it was also incredibly unforgiving with its difficulties. This included possible enemy encounters early on that could decimate an unprepared party in seconds. As subsequent RPG gameplay improved significantly, "Drakkhen" was left behind as a footnote in history.

The original "Mortal Kombat" is one of the most controversial retro video games of all time, dialing up the graphic violence in its fighting game experience. Apart from the gratuitous bloodletting during melee combat, players are given the option to execute their defeated opponents in gory ways. This is made all the more gruesome by the game's then-revolutionary use of digitized sprites of live-action actors. When "Mortal Kombat" was ported to the Super Nintendo in 1993, it had its R-rated content cut from the game in the wake of the backlash.

The SNES version of "Mortal Kombat" replaced blood with a gray sweat while fatalities were removed from the game entirely. Though the port sold over two million copies, the censorship was widely criticized and the uncensored Sega Genesis port outsold the SNES version significantly. In response, the SNES port of "Mortal Kombat II" the following year was uncensored for its North American release. The Super Nintendo port of the original "Mortal Kombat" became infamous for the amount of censorship compared to its counterparts, something Nintendo was quick to rectify moving forward.

It's been a long time since fans have seen a new "Star Fox" game but the Nintendo franchise remains a sci-fi favorite. The original 1993 title for the Super Nintendo, however, is visibly the most dated entry in the series. The game has Fox McCloud lead his squadron against the villainous Andross as he launches an attack on the peaceful planet of Corneria. Selecting three paths based on difficulty, Fox and his team drive back Andross' forces across the star system towards the mad scientist's base on the planet Venom.

While the 1993 "Star Fox" spawned an entire franchise, including one of the best Nintendo 64 games, the SNES title just doesn't hold up 30 years later. The game's technical presentation features rudimentary polygonal shapes while the SNES visibly struggles to maintain the frame rate. For gamers who weren't around to experience the Super Nintendo era for themselves, the game doesn't retain its charm for younger players. The SNES' sprite-based games just have a more timeless quality than Nintendo's early 3D art style in "Star Fox."

With so many '90s games trying to copy "Street Fighter," the 1993 title "ClayFighter" took an innovative approach to visualizing its fighting game experience. For its eclectic cast of characters, the developers stop-motion animated clay figures which were then digitized for the game. The game's bizarre backstory has a strange meteor land near a circus, transforming its attractions into garish caricatures of themselves. The fighters include a living snowman, an Elvis impersonator, and a sentient piece of taffy duking it out for pugilistic supremacy.

Like many of the games on this list, the key gimmick was how revolutionary the visuals of these titles compared to their direct competition. This is certainly true of "ClayFighter," with its striking art style compensating for its awkward and unresponsive control scheme. The game was successful enough to receive sequels on the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 but, as 3D gaming grew more sophisticated, the novelty of its presentation wore away. Decades later, we're still playing the '90s iterations of "Street Fighter" and "Mortal Kombat," but "ClayFighter" is a relic from the past.

Another game that used the Super Nintendo's Super FX chip that fitted into select game cartridges to boost their processing power is the 1994 title "Stunt Race FX." Players can initially choose between three different vehicles, a Formula One car, a coupe, and a monster truck, each with their own qualities and abilities. Using these cars, players can choose between standard races, obstacle courses, or time trials to participate in. Similar to "Star Fox," which also used the Super FX chip, the courses and vehicles are rendered in an early polygonal style.

Graphically, "Stunt Race FX" is one of the best looking games on the Super Nintendo. At least, it was at the time. The game went on to sell over one million copies and received largely positive reviews upon its release. But looking back, the limited selection of vehicles and relatively slow speed to accommodate the visuals are glaring issues. A SNES racing game that doesn't compare to "Super Mario Kart" or "F-Zero" in terms of sheer fun factor, "Stunt Race FX" proves graphics aren't everything.