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The Super Nintendo was considered to be one of the best systems of all time, and 1992 is a good year to prove it. It should be mentioned that some of these games did launch a year prior in Japan, but they still deserve to be celebrated in 2022 for Western fans though. It’s time to pop out those cartridges for some true throwback Nintendo nostalgia.

8 Contra 3: The Alien Wars

Contra 3: The Alien Wars is another fine entry in the Contra series. It doesn’t reinvent anything or push the genre forward, but it’s still fun thanks to the chaotic action. It still might be the best entry in the series, at least in these early days.

The orignal game was a bit more challenging, but this entry favors on the easier side. This is esepcially true if players can get themselves a co-op partner. It was released on March 26, 1992 for the Super Nintendo.

7 Dragon Quest 5

Dragon Quest 5 is one of the games that can be thanked for creating the monster-catching RPG genre. It was still the same turn-based combat that fans knew and loved, but instead of a party full of characters with unique classes, the hero could befriend monsters. It was still a novel idea at the time, and had an engaging story as well.

Dragon Quest 5 starts with the hero as a child, and slowly follows his journey into adulthood. A big step for the series, the game released on September 27, 1992 for the Super Nintendo in Japan. The West unfortunately wouldn’t get it until a DS remake came out in 2009. Since that gap is so big, it’s best to celebrate it now.

6 Final Fantasy 5

Another big tent pole RPG was also released in 1992: Final Fantasy 5. This was the second game to include the Job system. The party was reduced to four characters in the story overall, compared to the giant cast of its predecessor. Each character could learn a myriad of jobs, playing different roles in the combat. It was different from Final Fantasy 3, because the four characters in that weren’t as personalized.

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The game was released on December 6, 1992 for the Super Nintendo in Japan. The West wouldn’t get it until a PS1 remake came out in 1999. That’s a long wait, but it’s better than Dragon Quest 5’s Western date.

5 The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is often considered to be the best top-down entry in the Zelda series, if not the best overall. What’s more, it still plays amazingly well three decades later. The puzzles are complex, yet not obscure enough where players might need a guide. The music is catchy and the graphics are bright and colorful.

There’s just nothing like jumping back into A Link to the Past. It was released on April 13, 1992 for the Super Nintendo, a year after its release in Japan.

4 The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse

The Magical Quest Starring Mickey Mouse is a mouthful of a name, but a relatively simple concept. Licensed games tended to be bad at this point in time, but this collaboration was a match made in Heaven.

This was made back when Disney and Capcom were tight. It’s a fun action platformer wherein Mickey gets to wear multiple costumes that grant him special powers. It was released in December 1992 for the Super Nintendo.

3 Romancing SaGa

Romancing SaGa is one of the stranger RPGs on the system. It looks like a traditional turn-based RPG; however, characters level up through repetition rather than experience points. For example, take enough damage and Defense or HP may increase.

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Released on January 28, 1992 for the Super Nintendo in Japan, the series never quite caught on in the West. The West never got the original, but there has been a fan translation for it. Additionally, there was a PS2 remake in 2005, which is as close as the West has gotten so far to an official release.

2 Shin Megami Tensei

Shin Megami Tensei was not the first game in the still-popular series, despite the lack of a number. However, it was the first to establish the name for the series as most know it today. It reimagined the combat system that was a bit clunkier on the NES entries. While the series continued to evolve over the years, playing this game and the latest, Shin Megami Tensei V, should feel relatively close.

Shin Megami Tensei was released on October 30, 1992 for the Super Nintendo in Japan. The West wouldn’t get it until 2014 with an iOS port.

1 Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart created an entire genre of video games. Everyone and their grandma has chased this dream, but none have measured up quite as fine. As for this entry itself, the Mario Kart franchise has left Super Mario Kart in the dust. It was unique at the time and still fun to go back to now for a laugh. However, the aspect ratio can feel weird now.

Still, this game must be honored for helping create a titan of a spinoff series, even if the first entry doesn’t hold up perfectly. It was released on September 1, 1992 for the Super Nintendo.

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