Most beautiful graphics of the generation: 16-bit –

Graphics have never stopped being a hot topic and in previews for major releases it is often the most popular topic of conversation, even though it is a factor that actually has very little connection to how good a game’s gameplay is. Really nice graphics are just very popular and, of course, the first thing we notice as we move from one console generation to another.

This makes it difficult to choose the best looking game in the world because you always have to take into account when they were released. For example, can Battletoads for the NES be compared to Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast or Gears of War for the Xbox 360? Therefore, I am going to try to choose the ten best games of each generation and compare only within that generation. The focus is on consoles (since they have the clearest generational divisions), and after first ranking the so-called generation three – earlier than that doesn’t make much sense because the games were so primitive – it’s now time for perhaps the most mythical generation of all…

(10) Ristar (Mega Drive / 1995)

Few generations have made such an incredible leap between the first games and the last as the 16-bit era. Sure, there were great games early on, but in many cases they were glorified 8-bit games, while by the end they looked downright beastly. There were many games fighting for this spot, I can tell you (including Aladdin, Mega Man X, Vectorman and Streets of Rage 2), but no matter how I turned it, this now somewhat obscure title would still come in. Ristar may not have become an established platform mascot, but his adventure was almost improbably delightful and a testament to the magic the Mega Drive could deliver in the right hands.

(09) The Legend of Zelda: a link to the past (SNES / 1991)
Released in 1991, this is one of the first games for Super Nintendo. But. Of course, it doesn’t matter when everything fell into place. Link’s third adventure is and remains an absolute masterpiece in terms of animation, clever use of effects, bright graphics and pixel art. Of course, there were better-looking games later, but honestly, there were only eight, which puts this one at number nine.

(08) Final Fantasy VI (SNES / 1994)

When talking about the most visually impressive games of the 16-bit era, Final Fantasy VI always comes up, and it’s not hard to see why. Square’s third effort in the series managed to push the Super Nintendo to its limits with detailed sprites, dynamic lighting effects and cinematically directed sequences that endure to this day. Every environment, from the bleak industrial city of Narshe to the overgrown post-disaster world, is alive and the characters express emotions with small movements and looks long before polygons could do it for them. Final Fantasy VI is simply an example of how art and technology can meet in a perfect and timeless balance.

(07) Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Mega Drive / 1993)

This was also in my ninja list, but of course it should be here too. Sega has managed to create a visually stunning, stylish and absolutely cool ninja world with lots of life and movement. However, it is the animations that really stand out. Joe Musashi moves with a grace like few other game heroes in the genre, in a steady flow that makes the adventure feel modern even today. Complemented by a color palette that perfectly balances 90s Japanese mysticism and action aesthetics, there is no doubt that this is some of the finest pixel art in gaming history.

(06) Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES / 1995)

When Nintendo announced that they would be using the Super FX 2 chip in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, many expected three-dimensional graphics. But Nintendo liked to surprise even then and used the extra horsepower to go against the trends of the time. While the competition wanted to be as loud and cool as possible, here we got a playful, hand-painted look that made the whole game look like a living storybook. Crayons, watercolors and childishly charming shapes gave Yoshi’s Island a unique style that no other title on the Super Nintendo (or Mega Drive) could match. Yoshi’s Island is proof that graphic style can be as memorable as technical prowess. A game that not only looked great in 1995, but still feels vibrant, creative and irresistibly charming.

(05) Axelay (SNES / 1992)

Of course I’m not going to ignore Axelay on this list. Konami managed to combine fast-paced shoot ’em up action with a graphical style that was completely innovative. What really stands out is how the game offers such huge and varied environments, complete with a perspective we rarely got to see. Add to that the game’s giant bosses and incredible effects, and we have a good example of how good things can get when technical genius and aesthetic ambition come together.

(04) Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive / 1994)

The idea was that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 would be one big game, but that simply could not be resolved at the time, so it was split into two games. The wild minds at Sega, as usual, tried everything new and came up with the possibility of putting the game together as one giant cartridge for an unmatched Sonic. Sega used everything they had learned and piled even more into a game that is perhaps the second most technically impressive of this era in terms of volume, variety, animation and effects. Technical genius, through and through – and a terribly good game.

(03) Secret of Mana (SNES / 1991)

This was supposed to be released for the PlayStation add-on that Nintendo and Sony were working on for the Super Nintendo. However. it was canceled and the game had to leave the CD format and be pressed onto a cassette. It should have been a semi-impossible project, but Square pulled it off and offered a very cool role-playing game with extra everything. Graphically it may be similar to the aforementioned Final Fantasy VI, but we can’t ignore the fact that this is action-based and thus has a very different look – and can also be played by three people. An outright masterpiece.

(02) Street Fighter II Turbo (SNES / 1992)

When Street Fighter II was released, Capcom pushed the boundaries of what we could expect from the new generation. Suddenly we had arcade machines on our TVs at home, it seemed. But it was with the Turbo version that they really got it right. Graphically it had been revamped, we could fight like the bosses and the speed was increased, while the animations were on a whole new level. It is no coincidence that both I and Petter have often had this game as a background, each little screen a true work of art.

(01) Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble (SNES / 1996)

Of course, Donkey Kong Country would have fit right in at number one. However, it was with Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble that Rare took Super Nintendo graphics to a whole new level once and for all. It wasn’t just the colorful backgrounds and detailed sprites, but the entire world-building was impressive. We’ve heard many buzzwords come and go in the world of graphics, but Rare’s Advanced Graphics System delivered on its promise with an almost three-dimensional weight, as well as animation work that you have to see to be understood. Not to mention the visual treats of moving elements like waterfalls, falling tree trunks and dynamic lighting effects that brought each issue to life in a way we’ve never seen in this era.