If you’re asking me, and you want to play the best sports games SNES has to offer, it’s a quick answer. Buy three games:
- NBA Jam: Tournament Edition
- Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition
- Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball
…and call it a day.
Other people love Tecmo Super Bowl, some of them even call it the greatest sports game ever, but I prefer the later versions.
The other must-mention is International Superstar Soccer Deluxe, but I’d say it’s more impressive than it is fun, and it’s also ridiculously expensive.
Here’s the thing about sports games on Super Nintendo: EA Sports put out great sports games in 16 bits, but their Sega Genesis versions are all far better than their SNES counterparts, due to the Genesis’ blast processing technology. The universally appreciated NHL ’94 on Genesis scores an A+, while the SNES version is a B-. My favorite Madden of the time, Madden NFL 95 on Genesis, is a B+, and on SNES it’s a C-. NBA Live 96 on Genesis is a B, but on SNES it’s another C-.
So, unless you’re still holding onto to your diehard SNES loyalty from the 90s, I suggest you enjoy those games on the Genesis.
Here’s my official ranked list:
10 Best SNES Sports Games
| NBA Jam: Tournament Edition | A |
| NBA Jam | A |
| Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition | A- |
| Tecmo Super Bowl II: Special Edition | A- |
| Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball | A- |
| Tecmo Super Bowl | B |
| International Superstar Soccer Deluxe | B |
| NHL ’94 | B- |
| Championship Soccer ’94 | C+ |
| Ken Griffey Jr.’s Winning Run | C+ |
Published December 10, 2020
Updated July 22, 2022