Best games
Best Action games on SNES
The 25 best Action games on SNES, ranked from 10,453 critic and player ratings.
The best Action game on SNES right now is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, with a critic score of 100/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 80 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1970 to 2026.
- 25 games are listed on this page, carrying 10,453 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 25
01
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Venture back to Hyrule and an age of magic and heroes. The predecessors of Link and Zelda face monsters on the march when a menacing magician takes over the kingdom. Only you can prevent his evil plot from shattering the land of Hyrule. In your quest, you'll venture into twisting mazes, dungeons, palaces and shadowy forests. Test your mettle with mighty swords and magical weapons. Or heft a boulder and hurl it at your enemies. If the going gets tough, dive into a river - you can swim to escape! Learn powerful spells, locate magical artifacts and solve the mysteries of the evil magician and the hidden realm of Hyrule.
100
/100
02
Super Metroid
The Space Pirates, merciless agents of the evil Mother Brain, have stolen the last Metroid from a research station, and once again Mother Brain threatens the safety of the galaxy! Samus Aran must don her awesome array of high-tech weaponry to retrieve the deadly Metroid hidden deep within the cave-riddled planet Zebes. Super Metroid features excellent graphics, with a huge variety of enemies and worlds to explore. The side-view action will be familiar to many players, only now there are new weapons and items, including the Grappling Beam, which allows Samus to swing across large chasms, and the X-Ray Scope, which reveals secret passages.
100
/100
03
Super Castlevania IV
A century of Transylvanian tranquility is about to come to a shocking end. Once again the mortifying screams of helpless villagers shake the ground as they huddle against new nightmarish horrors unleashed by the Duke of Darkness, Count Dracula. And this time he has a tombstone with your name on it, Simon Belmont. You must descend into Castle of the Undead and its gruesome ground, accompanied by the most chilling sound effects to ever tingle your spine. Inside, a freshly dug 11 levels maze features the treacherous Terrace of Terror, the dangerous Rotating Dungeon, the Sunken Ruins of Lost Spirits, torture chambers and creature filled caves. Use your whip like a grappling hook and swing past hundreds of traps and a host of ghost freaks, living corpses and hidden goblins. All while dodging or destroying the unpredictable spitting lizards, carnivorous coffins, and more. Find the concealed weapons needed to defeat everything from eerie phantoms to haunted furniture. Then prepare to find yourself face-to-thing with hideous torments like the Tongue Lasher, the Darkest Knight, the Bone-Afide Horseman and the Granite Crusher. When your nerves get shot, use your password and take a breather. But forge on, Simon Belmont, because if you though Dracula was down for the count, he's only just begun to fright!
100
/100
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Venture back to Hyrule and an age of magic and heroes. The predecessors of Link and Zelda face monsters on the march when a menacing magician takes over the kingdom. Only you can prevent his evil plot from shattering the land of Hyrule. In your quest, you'll venture into twisting mazes, dungeons, palaces and shadowy forests. Test your mettle with mighty swords and magical weapons. Or heft a boulder and hurl it at your enemies. If the going gets tough, dive into a river - you can swim to escape! Learn powerful spells, locate magical artifacts and solve the mysteries of the evil magician and the hidden realm of Hyrule.
100
/100
02
Super Metroid
The Space Pirates, merciless agents of the evil Mother Brain, have stolen the last Metroid from a research station, and once again Mother Brain threatens the safety of the galaxy! Samus Aran must don her awesome array of high-tech weaponry to retrieve the deadly Metroid hidden deep within the cave-riddled planet Zebes. Super Metroid features excellent graphics, with a huge variety of enemies and worlds to explore. The side-view action will be familiar to many players, only now there are new weapons and items, including the Grappling Beam, which allows Samus to swing across large chasms, and the X-Ray Scope, which reveals secret passages.
100
/100
03
Super Castlevania IV
A century of Transylvanian tranquility is about to come to a shocking end. Once again the mortifying screams of helpless villagers shake the ground as they huddle against new nightmarish horrors unleashed by the Duke of Darkness, Count Dracula. And this time he has a tombstone with your name on it, Simon Belmont. You must descend into Castle of the Undead and its gruesome ground, accompanied by the most chilling sound effects to ever tingle your spine. Inside, a freshly dug 11 levels maze features the treacherous Terrace of Terror, the dangerous Rotating Dungeon, the Sunken Ruins of Lost Spirits, torture chambers and creature filled caves. Use your whip like a grappling hook and swing past hundreds of traps and a host of ghost freaks, living corpses and hidden goblins. All while dodging or destroying the unpredictable spitting lizards, carnivorous coffins, and more. Find the concealed weapons needed to defeat everything from eerie phantoms to haunted furniture. Then prepare to find yourself face-to-thing with hideous torments like the Tongue Lasher, the Darkest Knight, the Bone-Afide Horseman and the Granite Crusher. When your nerves get shot, use your password and take a breather. But forge on, Simon Belmont, because if you though Dracula was down for the count, he's only just begun to fright!
100
/100
04
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3, the third entry in the Super Mario Bros. series and Super Mario franchise, sees Mario or Luigi navigate a nonlinear world map containing platforming levels and optional minigames and challenges. The game features more diverse movement options and new items alongside more complex level designs and boss battles.
89
/100
05
Super Mario Bros.
A side scrolling 2D platformer and first entry in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros. follows Italian plumber Mario as he treks across many levels of platforming challenges featuring hostile enemies to rescue Princess Peach from the evil king Bowser.
84
/100
06
DOOM
32X port of Doom. It has less content than the original version. It is based on the Atari Jaguar port.
83
/100
07
Prince of Persia (1989)
The game is set in ancient Persia. While the sultan is fighting a war in a foreign land, his vizier Jaffar, a wizard, seizes power. Jaffar's only obstacle to the throne is the Sultan's daughter (although the game never specifically mentions how). Jaffar locks her in a tower and orders her, under threat of execution, to become his wife. The game's nameless protagonist, whom the Princess loves, is thrown into the palace dungeons. The player must lead the protagonist out of the dungeons and to the palace tower, defeating Jaffar and freeing the Princess in under 60 minutes. In addition to guards, various traps and dungeons, the protagonist is further hindered by his own doppelgänger, an apparition of his own self that is conjured out of a magic mirror.
81
/100
08
Battletoads & Double Dragon
Battletoads & Double Dragon - The Ultimate Team is the fourth game in the Battletoads series. It is a crossover with the Double Dragon series of beat 'em up games developed by Technos Japan. It was released for the NES, with ports for the Super NES, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and Nintendo Game Boy. Despite the presence of the Double Dragon characters, Technos Japan had no actual role in the game's development.
81
/100
09
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
In Castlevania X: Rondo of Blood, the player takes control of Richter, the ultimate Vampire Killer, guiding him through a total of nine stages filled with treacherous traps and hidden secrets. Using your legendary whip – passed on from generations of Belmonts – and a powerful selection of Item Crash attacks, it's up to you to destroy Dracula and his evil horde. What's more, rescuing Maria at some juncture in the game allows you to use her as a playable character for even more vampire-slaying fun.
80
/100
10
Worms
Worms combines the best elements from the very best games ever created. It requires great thought, strategy and elements of sheer outrageous fortune. It provides the players with an almost infinite range of playing possibilities. It does take a little while to get into the swing of things however and despite everyone’s insistence that you should not need to read a game manual to be able to play it. Worms can be played by 1-16 players at the same time - it’s a turn based game so you`ll only need one machine - but prepare to be at odds with your loved ones, get ready to shout abuse at your best friend and be willing to exact unadulterated terror on those who plot to hurt your worms. Team17 planned on producing Worms for the Virtual Boy back in 1995. Though, after a few weeks, they cancelled this plan due to the lack of interest of the publisher and the expected failure of the Virtual Boy.
80
/100
11
Disney's The Lion King
80
/100
12
Wolfenstein 3D
80
/100
13
Sunset Riders
79
/100
14
Mega Man X3
78
/100
15
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
77
/100
16
Super Mario Bros. 2
77
/100
17
Earthworm Jim
76
/100
18
The Lost Vikings
75
/100
19
Disney's The Jungle Book
70
/100
20
Lemmings
68
/100
21
Disney's Aladdin
59
/100
22
Mega Man X (1993)
55
/100
23
Earthworm Jim 2
45
/100
24
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
40
/100
25
Flashback: The Quest for Identity
35
/100
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros. 3, the third entry in the Super Mario Bros. series and Super Mario franchise, sees Mario or Luigi navigate a nonlinear world map containing platforming levels and optional minigames and challenges. The game features more diverse movement options and new items alongside more complex level designs and boss battles.
89
/100
05
Super Mario Bros.
A side scrolling 2D platformer and first entry in the Super Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros. follows Italian plumber Mario as he treks across many levels of platforming challenges featuring hostile enemies to rescue Princess Peach from the evil king Bowser.
84
/100
06
DOOM
32X port of Doom. It has less content than the original version. It is based on the Atari Jaguar port.
83
/100
07
Prince of Persia (1989)
The game is set in ancient Persia. While the sultan is fighting a war in a foreign land, his vizier Jaffar, a wizard, seizes power. Jaffar's only obstacle to the throne is the Sultan's daughter (although the game never specifically mentions how). Jaffar locks her in a tower and orders her, under threat of execution, to become his wife. The game's nameless protagonist, whom the Princess loves, is thrown into the palace dungeons. The player must lead the protagonist out of the dungeons and to the palace tower, defeating Jaffar and freeing the Princess in under 60 minutes. In addition to guards, various traps and dungeons, the protagonist is further hindered by his own doppelgänger, an apparition of his own self that is conjured out of a magic mirror.
81
/100
08
Battletoads & Double Dragon
Battletoads & Double Dragon - The Ultimate Team is the fourth game in the Battletoads series. It is a crossover with the Double Dragon series of beat 'em up games developed by Technos Japan. It was released for the NES, with ports for the Super NES, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and Nintendo Game Boy. Despite the presence of the Double Dragon characters, Technos Japan had no actual role in the game's development.
81
/100
09
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
In Castlevania X: Rondo of Blood, the player takes control of Richter, the ultimate Vampire Killer, guiding him through a total of nine stages filled with treacherous traps and hidden secrets. Using your legendary whip – passed on from generations of Belmonts – and a powerful selection of Item Crash attacks, it's up to you to destroy Dracula and his evil horde. What's more, rescuing Maria at some juncture in the game allows you to use her as a playable character for even more vampire-slaying fun.
80
/100
10
Worms
Worms combines the best elements from the very best games ever created. It requires great thought, strategy and elements of sheer outrageous fortune. It provides the players with an almost infinite range of playing possibilities. It does take a little while to get into the swing of things however and despite everyone’s insistence that you should not need to read a game manual to be able to play it. Worms can be played by 1-16 players at the same time - it’s a turn based game so you`ll only need one machine - but prepare to be at odds with your loved ones, get ready to shout abuse at your best friend and be willing to exact unadulterated terror on those who plot to hurt your worms. Team17 planned on producing Worms for the Virtual Boy back in 1995. Though, after a few weeks, they cancelled this plan due to the lack of interest of the publisher and the expected failure of the Virtual Boy.
80
/100
11
Disney's The Lion King
80
/100
12
Wolfenstein 3D
80
/100
13
Sunset Riders
79
/100
14
Mega Man X3
78
/100
15
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
77
/100
16
Super Mario Bros. 2
77
/100
17
Earthworm Jim
76
/100
18
The Lost Vikings
75
/100
19
Disney's The Jungle Book
70
/100
20
Lemmings
68
/100
21
Disney's Aladdin
59
/100
22
Mega Man X (1993)
55
/100
23
Earthworm Jim 2
45
/100
24
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time
40
/100
25
Flashback: The Quest for Identity
35
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Action game on SNES?
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past currently tops the ranking with a score of 100/100 across 1,667 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.