Best Video Games of 1993

The brilliant reinvention of Mega Man for the 16-bit era. Mega Man X introduced wall-sliding, dashing, upgradeable armor, and a darker story while delivering one of the SNES's finest action-platformer experiences.

A deeply personal and surprisingly melancholic Zelda adventure that sees Link stranded on the mysterious Koholint Island. Link's Awakening transcends its Game Boy limitations with clever design, a memorable cast, and one of the most emotionally resonant endings in Nintendo history.

The Japan-exclusive TurboGrafx-16 Castlevania that remains the peak of the classic linear formula. Rondo of Blood's dual-protagonist system (Richter Belmont and Maria Renard with entirely different move sets), branching paths leading to alternate endings, and exceptional sprite animation made it the defining classic Castlevania entry. Symphony of the Night is its direct sequel.

The crown jewel of the Phantasy Star series. Phantasy Star IV's manga-style story presentation, Macro combo combat system, and satisfying conclusion to the Algo Star System saga make it the Genesis's finest RPG.

The SNES action RPG masterpiece. Secret of Mana's real-time combat, gorgeous visuals, three-player simultaneous multiplayer, and Hiroki Kikuta's transcendent score created one of the genre's defining classics.

Treasure's debut game and one of the finest action games ever made on the Genesis. Gunstar Heroes combined four weapon elements into sixteen possible combinations, three difficulty levels with distinct enemy sets, and boss fights of legendary creativity — including a board game level that remains one of gaming's most inventive stage concepts.

Kirby's NES masterpiece introduced the Copy Ability system and delivered the most technically stunning game on the hardware. Released in 1993 as the NES was being retired, it was a spectacular farewell to the platform.

The Sega CD's defining game — Sonic CD introduced Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, with a time travel mechanic allowing players to visit past and future versions of each zone, plus two distinct soundtracks for Japan/Europe and North America.

The Genesis tactical RPG that defined the genre for a generation — Shining Force II's 30-character roster, evolving class promotions, and strategic grid combat rivaled Fire Emblem for the 16-bit TRPG crown.

The finest Shinobi game and one of the Genesis's greatest action titles. Joe Musashi's final adventure combines fluid wall-running combat, ninjutsu magic, and spectacular boss encounters in a near-perfect action package.

The Genesis Aladdin — animated by the actual Disney animators who worked on the film, featuring fluid hand-drawn sprites, a throwing mechanic, and the Disney quality that made it the definitive console version over the SNES edition.

The original Ogre Battle and one of the deepest strategy RPGs made for 16-bit hardware. Players command liberation armies in real-time battles with alignment-based morality that changes unit stats and available endings. Yasumi Matsuno's design philosophy at its most ambitious — multiple playthroughs reveal entirely different games.

The definitive home version of the game that defined competitive fighting games. Street Fighter II Turbo brought arcade-quality fighting to the SNES with all four boss characters playable.

Nintendo's SNES anthology of remade NES Mario classics — Super Mario All-Stars updates Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, and The Lost Levels with 16-bit graphics and saves.

The middle entry in Quintet's Soul Blazer trilogy — a globe-trotting action RPG following Will's journey through historical wonders (Incan ruins, Great Wall, Nazca Lines) with transformations into two powerful alternate forms.

The SNES cyberpunk RPG set in the Shadowrun universe — a completely different game from the Genesis version. Players control Jake Armitage, resurrected street samurai with no memories, in a dystopian Seattle where magic and technology coexist. One of the most narratively unique RPG experiences of the 16-bit era.

The game that brought polygonal 3D into living rooms. Star Fox used the Super FX chip to render unprecedented 3D graphics on SNES hardware, launching one of gaming's most beloved space shooter franchises.

LucasArts' wildly creative top-down action game packed with horror movie homages across 55 stages. Zombies Ate My Neighbors tasked two players with rescuing neighbors from classic monsters — zombies, chainsaw maniacs, vampires, alien pods — with an arsenal ranging from water guns and silverware to bazookas. Two-player co-op elevated it to SNES cult classic status.

The definitive version of SNK's original fighting franchise, combining the best characters from Fatal Fury 1 and 2 with three secret bosses and refined mechanics. Fatal Fury Special's line system — allowing players to dodge into a background plane — and its distinctive South Town setting built the competitive infrastructure that the King of Fighters series would inherit.

The definitive classic Bomberman experience — four to five players laying bomb traps and chasing each other through increasingly complex maze stages, collecting power-ups that expand blast radius and bomb count, in multiplayer sessions that remain among gaming's great party experiences decades after release. Bomberman '94's single-player mode is competent and well-staged, but the game's enduring legacy rests entirely on its multiplayer, which distilled competitive chaos into a format so intuitive that grandparents and tournament players could enjoy it simultaneously.

The Genesis Madden that established EA's football franchise as the definitive football simulation. Madden NFL 94 introduced the real NFLPA license for player names, significantly improved AI, and a season mode that made it the must-have football game for Genesis owners and the foundation for thirty years of franchise dominance.

The grand finale of the original NES series, Mega Man 6 introduces the Jet and Power Adapters that fuse Rush with Mega Man himself, enabling flight and super-strength in a game that ranks among the most mechanically refined entries on the platform. Capcom wrings every last drop of performance from the aging NES hardware, delivering tight controls, memorable robot masters, and a satisfying conclusion to one of the console's defining franchises.

Capcom's maiden voyage into console RPG territory introduced the Dragon Clan's Ryu and his companion Nina in a traditional turn-based adventure that holds its own against the era's JRPG giants. Breath of Fire distinguishes itself through its field abilities — each party member has a unique overworld skill — and an appealing visual style that demonstrated Capcom's capacity for long-form storytelling beyond their action-game origins.

Capcom's sequel to DuckTales — Scrooge McDuck's second pogo adventure introduces five new treasure-hunting stages including Niagara Falls, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Aegean Sea.

The landmark SNES multiplayer game that popularized the Bomberman formula for a new generation of console owners — Super Bomberman's multitap support for four-player simultaneous play made it a staple of SNES gaming sessions where the living room became a battlefield of blasts, blocks, and betrayal. Hudson's design translates the arcade Bomberman formula to home hardware without compromise, delivering tight controls and precisely tuned arena sizes that keep matches tense from first bomb to last.

The ActRaiser sequel that removed the city-building simulation to focus on pure action. The wing mechanics, divine magic system, and technically polished platforming make it an excellent action game in isolation — though the loss of the original's unique hybrid design disappointed players expecting ActRaiser's complete formula.

A landmark crossover event for early 90s beat-em-up fans, Battletoads & Double Dragon unites Rare's bruising amphibian warriors with Technos' iconic martial arts duo against the shared threat of the Dark Queen and the Shadow Warriors. The game wisely tempers Battletoads' notorious difficulty with Double Dragon's more accessible combat pacing, resulting in a co-op brawler that rewards skilled play without punishing newcomers at every turn.

The SNES port of Midway's blood-soaked arcade sensation sparked a cultural firestorm and directly triggered the creation of the ESRB ratings system — Nintendo's decision to replace blood with sweat and alter fatalities made this version the censored alternative to the Genesis port, but the underlying fighting game is a tense, strategic one-on-one brawler with a roster of digitized fighters that remains iconic. The controversy only amplified public fascination, and the game became one of the best-selling SNES titles of its era.

Sonic inside a pinball machine — Sega Technical Institute's concept game sends Sonic through four pinball-themed zones collecting Chaos Emeralds and bouncing off bumpers in one of the most creative Sonic spinoffs.