With the success ofDark Souls, the landscape of gaming has changed quite a bit.Players don’t mind seeking out difficult experiencesas long as they’re fair and have a mix of interesting world design, captivating lore, and awe-inspiring boss fights. These games end up being quite immersive in their own right, with the simple act of swinging a sword feeling way more meaningful than it has any right to be.
RELATED:The Best RPGs On The SNES, Ranked
As a result, it’s easy to see why so many players would seek out games that feel very much like FromSoftware’sSoulsbornetitles. Players who love older games will be happy to know that some titles elicit the same feeling as the many modern Soulslikes on the market right now.The SNES is one such consolethat is rife with hard yet fair games that fans of such experiences should check out.
5Demon’s Crest
It’s a shame that more people don’t know aboutDemon’s Crest. This underrated SNES gamewas known for being devilishly hardduring a time when games were never really all that easy, to begin with.Demon’s Cresthas many elements that players would expect from a Soulslike, with some of these similarities being way too uncanny for their own good.
The game doesn’t hold a player’s hand at all, forcing them to figure out where to go from the very start of the game. The bosses are really hard, and death leads to players having to traverse a tough section of the stage once again to reach the boss arena. The upgrade system is also pretty obtuse in its way, and players need to read the patterns of every enemy, ranging from the common foes to tough-as-nails bosses, to come to grips with this title’s difficulty. If all these similarities weren’t enough…then some people can also draw parallels between the namesDemon’s CrestandDemon’s Souls!
4Super Metroid
Many people callDark Soulsa Metroidvania, with its levels looping back into each other and exploration being encouraged as players find useful items, unique secrets, exciting enemy encounters, and entirely new locations in certain instances too! Suffice it to say, the magic of exploration is a huge reason why players loveDark Souls, and many people can expect the same with a title that gave birth to the Metroidvania genre in the first place!
RELATED:SNES Games Turning 30 In 2023 (That You Should Replay)
To this day,Super Metroidisheld in high regard as one of the greatest video games ever made. The exploration in this title is truly sublime, with players loving the feeling they get whenever they end up uncovering a new area with the power-up they received over the course of their adventures. It’s a great SNES title that fans ofDark Soulsshould definitely check out if they love the sense of wonder and discovery that they enjoy while playing through FromSoftware’s breakout hit.
3Hagane: The Final Conflict
Hagane: The Final Conflictis a game that more people need to know of. This title isone of the most expensive video games players can get their hands on, with the level progression and combat being surprisingly complex for a game of its time. It helps that the game’s mix of both the ancient Japanese and cyberpunk settings gives it a great feel that will entertain fans to no end!
The difficulty of this title can be pretty oppressive, and a lot of trial-and-error is required to get through some particularly tough sections of the game. The progression feels a lot like mostSoulsbornegames, with players having to bang their heads on a brick wall over and over again before finally getting past a section that was giving them a really tough time.
2The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past
The Legend of Zeldais one of the most popular adventure games of all time, andA Link to the Pastis the biggest reason why this franchise even blew up, to begin with. The idea of going on a wild adventure in a massive world was alien at the time, andA Link to the Pastshowed what could really be achievedif both creativity and technical excellence could be pushed to even greater heights.
RELATED:SNES Franchises That Ended In One Generation
The result is a game that has etched its name in the annals of gaming history. The incredible art style, engaging puzzles, and serviceable combat all combined to make for an excellent game that wowed players at the time and still holds up well. With the series embarking in a bold new direction, fans of the classicZeldagames can always go back to this masterpiece if they want to enjoy a simpler time when games didn’t need a gazillion gameplay elements and systems to keep players engaged.
1Mega Man X
Mega Manis a series that hasn’t seen the light of day for the longest time, which is a shame since players love this action-packed platformer where precise movement, weapon utilization, and memorization are key to getting through the game’s many difficult stages.Mega Man Xis the first game to release on the SNES and was a much-needed breath of fresh air after past games in the series ended up recycling the formula way too often.
The result is a dynamic platformer that will keep players on their toes as they go through eight grueling stages and obtain a bunch of powerful weapons bydefeating the boss of each level. The game doesn’t hold the player’s hand at all, and the combination of the improved platforming and a more mature storyline has led to many fans calling it one of the greatest titles in the series.
MORE:The Best SNES Games That Never Released Outside Japan (But Have Translations)
