Best Video Games of 1993

Konami's 1993 SNES western run-and-gun — Sunset Riders follows bounty hunters Steve, Billy, Bob, and Cormano across the American frontier hunting wanted outlaws, with run-and-gun shooting, two-player co-op, and a wild west aesthetic that no other SNES action game captured. Arcade-faithful port with some exclusive SNES content.

Capcom's 1993 arcade beat-em-up based on the Xenozoic Tales comic and CBS animated series — Cadillacs and Dinosaurs features four playable characters (Mustapha, Jack, Hannah, Mess) fighting through a post-apocalyptic future where humans and dinosaurs coexist, using the CPS-1 hardware that powered Final Fight with the addition of firearms to the melee combat.

Capcom's 1993 CPS-1 arcade beat-em-up and the first Dungeons & Dragons licensed game — Tower of Doom established the D&D beat-em-up template with four character classes (Fighter, Elf, Cleric, Dwarf), item management from treasure chests, branching stage routes, four-player simultaneous co-op, and iconic D&D monsters including Beholders and Displacer Beasts, preceding and establishing the structure that Shadow over Mystara perfected.

The definitive home version of Capcom's 1989 arcade classic on Sega CD — Final Fight CD restores the two-player simultaneous mode and Guy character that the SNES version omitted, adds CD audio for the soundtrack, and delivers the complete arcade experience to home hardware. The best home version of Final Fight until the game's later digital re-releases.

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.

Capcom's 1993 SNES top-down action-adventure based on the Disney animated series — Goof Troop follows Goofy and Max rescuing Pete's family from pirates across five island stages. Two-player co-op, hook-based combat and puzzle solving, and a Capcom polish level that exceeded the Disney license. An early Shinji Mikami production.

Game Arts' Sega CD shoot-em-up using pre-rendered 3D polygonal backgrounds streamed from CD-ROM for unprecedented visual depth — Silpheed featured configurable weapon loadouts, heavy CD-quality music and voice acting, and space combat presentation that made it the Sega CD's most visually impressive exclusive title.

Capcom's 1993 beat-em-up arcade game featuring Marvel's Punisher — The Punisher and Nick Fury fight through seven stages of organized crime in the most gun-focused beat-em-up Capcom produced, using the same CPS-1 engine as Final Fight with firearms as primary weapons, grenades, and the series' most overtly violent combat.

Capcom's 1993 SNES beat-em-up — Alien vs. Predator is not the arcade game but a distinct SNES-exclusive action game where players control Dutch Schaefer or Linn Kurosawa fighting Aliens across seven stages. Two-player co-op, weapons including plasma cannon and smart discs, and dark action that captures the sci-fi horror tone.

Capcom's 1993 SNES beat-em-up set in Three Kingdoms China — Warriors of Fate follows five warriors through ancient Chinese battles, featuring Capcom's largest beat-em-up roster to that point and the company's most historically grounded setting. The final entry in Capcom's Tenchi wo Kurau series adapted for Western audiences.

Capcom's 1993 SNES action-platformer based on the Disney film — the SNES Aladdin is a completely different game from the acclaimed Genesis version, featuring Capcom's precise platformer design with a scimitar sword and apple-throwing combat, six stages following the film's narrative, and Capcom's signature control polish.

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 1993 SNES-exclusive Final Fight sequel — Final Fight 2 expands the Metro City brawling to an international stage with three new playable characters (Maki, Carlos, and Haggar returning), two-player simultaneous co-op that the original SNES Final Fight lacked, and six countries across ten stages. A direct correction of the original's co-op omission.

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.

Konami's 1993 Game Boy spinoff of the Castlevania franchise — Kid Dracula (Akumajo Special: Boku Dracula-kun in Japan) puts players in control of a chibi young Dracula platforming through eight comedy-horror stages with growing magical powers, a parody aesthetic, and the humor that distinguished the NES Famicom original. A charming, high-quality alternative to straight Castlevania action.

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.

Konami's 1993 SNES fighting game spinoff for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles — Tournament Fighters gives TMNT the Street Fighter II treatment with all four turtles plus Shredder, April, Armageddon, Wingnut, and Rat King as playable characters in one-on-one fighting across a well-received 16-bit TMNT fighting game.