Commented list of the 10 best-selling Super Nintendo games

By André Eduardo Ruschel on Mar 19, 2019, updated Aug 23, 2026 at 2:50 PM —

With approximately 50 million units sold worldwide, the Super Nintendo achieved great success and carried forward the NES's legacy of outstanding games. Nintendo could not match its predecessor's sales because the console market had become more competitive, especially with the presence of the Mega Drive (Genesis) in the West. Its catalog of good games is enormous, and it is not difficult to find critics who call this the greatest console of all time. Below is a commented list of the system's best-selling games. Which ones have you played? Which is your favorite?

10th) Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble (3.51 million)

Released in 1996, this platform game was developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo.

The third installment in the Country trilogy has quality worthy of the franchise. Even though it was released after Nintendo 64 reached the market, it achieved both critical and sales success. It introduced Kiddy, a character who is not as popular as the family's other members, and also brought back our beloved Dixie. The game placed considerable emphasis on the many secret passages that allow us to reach the popular 105% completion mark. One highlight was the inclusion of certain RPG elements during the adventure, such as the upgrades we apply to our vehicles.

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9th) Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (4.10 million)

Released in 1993, this fighting game was developed and published by Capcom.

Capcom answered the franchise fans' requests and created a version of its classic fighting title that made the four bosses—Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and M. Bison—playable, increased the game's speed, and balanced the characters' strength. One of the great classics of 1990s video-game rental stores, it was an incredible conversion of one of the best arcade games of all time.

8th) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (4.12 million)

Released in 1995, it was called Super Mario: Yoshi Island in Japan. This platform game was developed and published by Nintendo.

Yoshi had become so popular after Super Mario World that it did not take a genius to imagine he would receive his own franchise. Yoshi's Island brought great quality and originality to the adventure, and many still regard it as the best title in its series. Highlights include beautiful crayon-style graphics and the ability to transform the protagonist into several vehicles. A wonderful game that deserves to be played today just as much as it did on release day.

7th) The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (4.61 million)

Released in 1991, it was even launched in Brazil under the title A Lenda de Zelda: Um Elo com o Passado. This action RPG was developed and published by Nintendo.

After some complaints involving the innovative mechanics of the NES's Zelda II, Nintendo chose to create an adventure with features closer to the first game. Deepening the franchise's narrative and introducing the Dark World and Light World mechanic, A Link to the Past regularly appears—and ranks highly—on lists of the best games of all time. It is an incredibly entertaining adventure that can hold our attention for hours without becoming tiring. An essential title for everyone.

6th) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (5.15 million)

Released in 1995, this platform game was developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo.

Rareware managed to take something great and make it even better. The game is fantastic from beginning to end, with incredible graphics, an impeccable soundtrack, and just the right level of difficulty. Replacing Donkey with Dixie made the game much faster and more entertaining. With more secrets and stages than its predecessor, it also lets us transform into other creatures. In my opinion, it is certainly the best platform game on Super Nintendo.

5th) Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (6.30 million)

Released in 1992, this fighting game was developed and published by Capcom.

The greatest arcade fighting game of all time came to Super Nintendo first in the 16-bit generation's "console war," and many regard that as a decisive factor in boosting sales of the system, which was struggling against the Mega Drive's immense success in the United States. Street Fighter II was the first SNES title with a 16-Mbit capacity and, despite the cuts, managed to deliver an experience very close to the original.

4th) Super Mario Kart (8.76 million)

Released in 1992, this racing game was developed and published by Nintendo.

Super Mario Kart was practically the precursor to a new genre within the gaming industry. The available characters come from Mario's famous group, and there are significant differences in how they play. The greatest highlight throughout the series is the use of power-ups during races. Besides the classic mode, there was also an arena mode in which we had to pop our opponents' balloons. Epic Play has already published a carefully written review of this game, and we recommend reading it.

3rd) Donkey Kong Country (9.30 million)

Released in 1994, this platform game was developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo.

This was the game that made everyone's jaw drop the first time they saw it. Nobody believed that those graphics, that soundtrack, and that gameplay speed were possible on Super Nintendo—not even Nintendo itself. The game is incredible and deserves all the recognition it has received. Stages with different styles of play, such as the mine-cart and underwater levels, are particular highlights. We at Epic Play have also published a complete review of this game, with several curiosities and interesting behind-the-scenes stories, and strongly recommend reading it.

2nd) Super Mario All-Stars (10.55 million)

Released in 1993, this collection of remakes of NES titles was developed and published by Nintendo.

Nintendo put remakes of the three NES Super Mario games on a single cartridge, along with the Japanese version of the second title, called Lost Levels. The collection brought considerable improvements to the graphics and sound. Later, in 1994, a version containing Super Mario World was also added to the title. Being able to play their adventures with a new look was certainly a great gift for Mario fans, especially Lost Levels, which had been released exclusively in the Japanese market.

1st) Super Mario World (20.61 million)

Released in 1990, this is a platform game. In Japan it was released as Super Mario World: Super Mario Bros. 4, and was developed and published by Nintendo.

Once again, the principal game starring Nintendo's mascot holds the position of the console's best-selling title. With a campaign full of secret passages, excellent music, and the debut of the charismatic Yoshi, Super Mario World remains highly popular among players around the world. Its enormous replay value comes from its 96 exits, which are very difficult to find, and its sales account for almost 5% of all cartridges sold for Super Nintendo. An absolute classic both for the console and for video-game history.