Hello and welcome to another episode of The Retrogaming Chart Show, where I take a look at the game sales chart from a year gone by and present it for your viewing pleasure.
This month, I’m going back to the Super Nintendo and taking a look a relatively early period of its life, February 1993 to be exact, for the UK Top Ten SNES games as documented in issue 14 of Total! Magazine, one of my favourite publications, growing up.
The Super Nintendo has been available in the UK for almost a year at this point, so most of the system’s best early releases are available and the console is about to truly hit its stride. Let’s take a look and see which games ruled the charts, over two decades ago.
10. Super Tennis
Propping up the chart this month is Super Tennis at number 10, one of the three games available for the SNES at the system’s launch in April 1992. It’s a highly playable sports game that is probably one of the best Tennis games to grace any system.
9. Joe ‘n’ Mac
At the time of this chart, it’s a few months until the release of Jurassic Park, so dinosaur mania hasn’t yet reached these shorts. But Joe ‘n’ Mac: Caveman Ninja has, and here it is at number 9 of our chart.
8. Pilotwings
Another early SNES release holds onto the number 8 spot for dear life, like me holding onto my seat while lifting off on a plane. Pilotwings is a very unusual release, a flight sim with a difference, mixing several different aviation methods such as parachute jumping and hang gliding.
7. Super Soccer
It wouldn’t be a UK chart without a football game, and here it is – Nintendo’s own Super Soccer. Utilising the system’s Mode 7 visuals, it adopts a very unorthodox camera angle, which can be a little irritating depending on what end of the pitch your team has. Despite that, it was popular at the time and make it to number 7 in this chart.
6. Super Mario World
At number 6 is quite frankly of my most favourite games of all time, Super Mario World. I could probably go on for hours how much I love this game, but I’ll not subject you to that in this video – Regardless, it’s just amazing and an ever popular part of the system’s software library.
5. Street Fighter 2
I’m not used to seeing this game halfway down the chart, but that’s exactly where the original Street Fighter 2 is. A massive seller of systems, Capcom’s arcade conversion was an incredible attempt to squeeze the arcade hit to a 16-bit system, although it’s been bettered many times over by Capcom’s various improved editions.
4. Super Probotector
If you live outside of Europe, you’ll know this game, even if you don’t recognise the name. Super Probotector comes in at number 4, the bastard localisation of Contra III: The Alien Wars. This is as classic as run and gunners get, and one of the most exciting early SNES releases.
3. Super Kick Off
Another football game, this time at number 3 – It’s Super Kick Off, making it’s return from a previous Retrogaming Chart Show. It’s still pretty average, but with so few Football games out there, what were UK gamers to do?
2. A Link To The Past
A Link To The Past is one of the greatest games ever released, and for me personally is the game that defines what we expect from a Zelda game. An epic quest, with two different worlds, plenty of dungeons to explore and a load of awesome items to find and use in them – It’s a deserved second place. But what could possibly have sold more than this essential release, this month?
1. Super WWF Wrestlemania
The road to Wrestlemania begins here, as Super WWF Wrestlemania, the Super Nintendo’s first grappling game becomes the highest selling game of February 1993. You’ve got your Hulk Hogans, your Macho Mans and plenty more besides – But how on Earth did this admittedly average game sell so well?
Another episode of the Retrogaming Chart Show fades into the night. I hope you enjoyed this slice of nostalgia. I’ll be delving into another gaming chart from years gone by, next month – But if you liked this video and want more, then fear not because I will be back next week with another celebration of video games. Until next time, goodbye!
