3 Difficult SNES Games That You Could Easily Beat Today

In the 1990s, many players on Nintendo consoles had to deal with games that embraced the “Nintendo Hard” moniker. Essentially, that meant games on the NES and SNES were known for being very difficult, thanks in part to many developers porting quarter-munching arcade games without considering that they couldn’t get those quarters on home consoles. With that in mind, there are a few games that seemed very difficult back in the ’90s that aren’t quite as tough these days. Whether that’s better resources to lead you in the right direction, or just you growing as a gamer, these games can be knocked out in a weekend with relative ease.

Here are three Super Nintendo games that your older sibling likely finished for you back in the ’90s, but you can race through today.

3) Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest

Donkey Kong Country 2 is widely seen as the hardest of the SNES trilogy. The first game has some tough sections, but it is relatively simple by platforming standards. And while the third game has its moments, it can’t quite reach the difficulty highs of that second game. However, modern advances in internet technology have made this adventure much easier.

See, one of the biggest reasons DKC 2 is such a monster is that there is so much variety. You’ll learn one mechanic early on and then not see it for several levels. By that point, you’ve forgotten how it works. Now that you can pause the game, look up the level on YouTube, and quickly remind yourself of how it works, things have gotten much easier. Granted, most games are easier with online guides, but I think games like DKC 2 benefit the most. You’re not watching a full playthrough, you’re just jogging your own memory, so it feels less like you’re cheating.

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2) Earthbound

Earthbound is my personal stand-in for most RPGs of the era. If you were growing up in the ’90s, you were likely stumped at one point or another by a particularly confusing RPG. That’s when you had to call in your older neighbor to beat the last boss for you.

However, now that your brain is fully developed, you’ll be much better at planning out your strategy. I’ll never forget how easy it was to take down Giygas when I went back to Earthbound as an adult. Something that took every bit of my brain and willpower when I was seven felt almost rudimentary as an adult. That’s true about many RPGs of the era, but Earthbound gets my personal pick to represent the genre.

1) Super Castlevania IV

The Castlevania games on the NES were well-known as some of the hardest on that system. Developer Konami pushed with frustrating enemies and tough-to-master controls. However, when it came over to the Super Nintendo, the team toned things down slightly, making Super Castlevania IV one of the easiest in the series.

Still, many young players struggled with Simon’s platforming, particularly in Stage 8. Then, Konami dropped Castlevania: Dracula X four years later. It was a return to form for the series, showing SNES players what a hard game actually looked like and making Super Castlevania IV look downright tame by comparison. If you’re going back today, it’s going to feel even easier, especially if you’ve been playing modern Metroidvania games. The genre has come a long way since 1991, and you’ve been training yourself how to deal with Castlevania IV‘s relatively limited challenges. Congratulations!

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