The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or SNES for short) was the rival at the time against Sega’s Mega Drive.
In the U.S. the SNES was known as the Famicom.
I spent many blissfully happy days of my childhood playing with that little white box of wonder.
Hearing the click of the cartridge in the slot, and hitting the grey Start button were to unleash joys or pleasure not seen again until the age of drinking beer.
The SNES system brought something very special to the racing game genre. It brought a real and true notion of speed.
The NES or Master System did their best, and the Atari 2600 had about as much speed going for it as a Lada of the 80s.
It wasn’t just the notion of speed simulation, but the extra hardware and power capabilities of the Super Nintendo allowed developers to push things to the max that hadn’t been seen outside arcade games.
One of what I consider to be the best game of all time sits within this list.
They have been chosen due to their gameplay and creative design, and even though the SNES console launched over 30 years ago now, some of these games are as playable now as they were back then.
Even more so now we have the power of nostalgia at our fingertips.
Here are the best SNES racing games, tried, tested, and reviewed once more.
Super Mario Kart

Super Mario Kart on SNES Review
Rating
Super Mario Kart on the SNES needs absolutely no introduction.
Everyone who played any type of console game in the 90s knew of Super Mario Kart. It is a legend of a game, and although will sit in my top list it isn’t the game that I consider the ‘best of all time’.
Despite Mario and Luigi being characters to play in the game, it was in fact Toad that was the most picked player.
This is also true of myself, who always played as Toad, although to this day I still don’t know why.
In any case it not only is extremely playable and easy to control, it has an abundance of fun mixed in.
Who doesn’t love getting a red shell as a bonus and watching it career around corners on path to knock your opponent out of the way just before the finish line to claim victory.
All the courses excel in creativity, but the Ghost Town course was by far the best. Many players challenged each other to this course above any other and was the most time trialled of any course on the game.
The graphics are incredible, controls are almost perfect and who didn’t play this one over and over again.
It’s hard to find much fault with a game so good.
Biker Mice from Mars

Biker Mice from Mars SNES Review
Rating
This Konami title from 1994 is based on the popular cartoon series of the same name that ran between 1993 and 1996.
Often games made on the back of TV shows or films are generally hastily put together on a small budget hoping the brand name of the game catapults it to success.
It’s a decent enough game that would have appealed heavily to any fans of the cartoon series.
It won’t dazzle you with amazing graphics or gameplay, but it is in its way a little addictive.
The controls to me resemble that of playing Paper boy, as you steer your biker mouse around 6 laps of the town chasing down your competition.
The ramps and speedups are good, although it is let down a little in the AI meaning catching opponents naturally isn’t easy, in some ways a little too tough.
Despite its shortcomings it does still remain one of the more playable and fun racing games brought out on the SNES, despite it clearly not being given enough time or budget and relying on the brand name itself to sell.
If you do want to excel at the game, you must hit the fastest middle speed track just past the penultimate corner of each lap to stand a chance!
Top Gear 2

Top Gear 2 SNES Review
Rating
From the moment the game starts its almost impossible not to see the vast similarities with the legend of a game that is Outrun.
The car, the track, and the speed are all so similar it could be argued of being modelled upon.
Top Gear 2 though does make improvements where the mighty Outrun struggled.
Speed is by far the most impressive feature of the game. When the speedometer says 130mph it feels as if you’re actually driving at 130mph!
The corners are quite simple to turn despite the speed, which on one hand is a little predictable but on the other enhances the game and almost spurs you on to the next round.
The gameplay is fun. It isn’t a particularly hard game to master – I came 2nd during this review the first time I had picked it up in years and only then didn’t come first as the first 20 seconds I forgot which button was the acceleration.
The graphics are nothing to write home about, and with little opening sequence there isn’t enough to draw the player in, but if speed and a racetrack is your thing then this game is for you.
For those who wanted to see Outrun on the SNES, this is probably the next best thing.
Suggested Reading: Fans of 90s retro games will enjoy our best Mega Drive games, tried and tested feature!
Rock N Roll Racing

Rock N Roll Racing SNES Review
Rating
Here’s a racing game with attitude!
Rock N Roll Racing was never going to be one of those prim and proper games or gently traversing a racetrack in search of a gold cup.
Instead, Snake Sanders, Cyberhawk, Ivanzypher, Katarina Lyons, Jake Badlands and Tarquin are looking to get victory anyway they can.
Once your player picked, and your car bought, it’s off to the racetrack.
The game really does remind me of Super Off Road on the Atari ST and Amiga. Similar controls and a similar track but smoother gameplay and slicker controls.
Rock N Roll Racing though does lack a little oomph from time to time.
The Rookie mode is far too easy, and any player wishing a challenge really needs a harder mode.
Each win provides points and money to upgrade your car and take to the track in style.
The graphics are ok, the controls are decent, but I think only die hard fans of the game the first time around are going to find the nostalgic spark needed to keep playing for a whole afternoon.
It’s a great game with many fans, so one to at least pick up if going cheap at a flea market or sale.
F-Zero

F-Zero SNES Review
Rating
We have come to the final game on this list, and for me one of the best games of all time.
This futuristic bundle of joy has literally everything.
Creative tracks, a true sensation of speed, obstacles and even the frustration of every lapped car just about to explode jumping in front of you adds to the excitement.
Not to mention the music is probably the best of any game.
Set in the year 2560 the player chooses between four different hovercars, with different top speeds and different times to reach top speed.
Every track has its own unique theme and changes depending on the difficulty level set.
Each lap has a series of speed boosts, jumps (hit the down button when taking a jump to hit it as smooth as possible) and in some cases explosives to avoid.
Each lap also has a power up section giving added energy to your hovercar if power is down. Each lap also comes with a nitro speed boost and need to be used wisely.
This is a racing game every retro gamer needs to play at least once.
The controls are exquisite, the graphics incredible, the addictiveness off the charts and music is all but a dream.
This will always be my goto game.