The RPG genre was a bit clunky on the NES, although some classics would later go in to spawn giant franchises.Dragon QuestandFinal Fantasycome to mind, but those two were refined in the next generation via the SNES. There are so many classic RPGs on the SNES besidesDragon QuestandFinal Fantasygames though.
There are also a lot of classics that never made it to the United States. Some SNES RPGs did get to Europe though, but not many. Of these games, these are standouts that most players can experience through fan translations. As always though, it would be great if these SNES RPGs made it to the U.S. officially one day.
8Dark Half
Play The Light And Dark Side Simultaneously
Dark Halfhas one of the most unique premises for an RPG. Players swapped back and forth between an evil overlord, Rukyu, and a daring hero named Falco. Rukyu could recruit monsters to fight for him in battle while Falco could recruit party members. There was also a soul meter that drained with every action taken sort of like the meter inBreath of Fire: Dragon Quarterfor those more familiar with that brutal game. If either Rukyu or Falco had their meter drained before the final conflict, it was game over.Dark Halfwas only released in Japan, but fans translated it into English.
7Far East of Eden Zero
One Of Many Tengai Makyo Lost Projects
Far East of Eden Zerois part of theTengai Makyoseries and most of these games never made it outside of Japan. It’s a shame forFar East of Eden Zeroespecially because it felt like a step above many SNES RPGs of the era. The colors used in this fantastical world were jaw-dropping and still look good today. The turn-based gameplay was nothing explosively new but the third-person perspective was well-detailed for all party members. It was also a huge game with a world that could be explored with a variety of vehicles like airships. While it was never officially released in the West, it did get a fan patch in English.
6G.O.D.: Heed the Call to Awaken
Awakening To The End Of The World
EarthBoundwas a one-of-a-kind gem on the SNES that was overlooked and gained a new appreciation after the fact. Since then, there have been many homages made by the indie community likeUndertaleandEastward. There wereotherEarthBound-like gamesset in the modern era back on the SNES though includingG.O.D.: Heed the Call to Awaken.
It began with a young school kid in 1999 before he saw aliens invade and go into a coma for ten years. When he wakes up, it’s 2009 and the world has been ravaged by aliens but pockets of humans are still rebelling. It may sound grim but the dialogue and enemies are full of whimsy in this turn-based RPG that was only released in Japan but it does have a fan patch in English.
5Glory of Heracles 4: Gift From The Gods
If God Of War Were A JRPG
TheGlory of Heraclesseries was big in Japan, hitting every Nintendo console up until the SNES. They were developed by Data East which was huge in the 80s and 90s, especially in arcades. The only game North America got was the final one on the DS in 2010. It was the first game sinceGlory of Heracles 4: Gift from the Gods was released in Japan in 1994. There is an English patch for it and it is worth checking out for RPG lovers whoenjoy Greek mythologyand specifically exploring the mystery of Atlantis. Also, the DS game is a hidden gem on the portable.
4Gunple: Gunman’s Proof
Zelda Meets EarthBound
Gunple: Gunman’s Prooffeels like it should have been released outside of Japan because itis a Westernbut one that looks and plays likeThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Players will go into dungeons and fight aliens and random thugs in a colorful world not unlikeEarthBoundas well. Instead of swords, players will gain a variety of guns and other gadgets to fight back with and they can even dodge bullet spray by laying prone. There are puzzles but it’s more action-focused than aZeldagame. There’s an English translation for those curious even though there isn’t much dialogue to work through. One of the most interesting things aboutGunple: Gunman’s Proofwas that it was released on the same day in Japan as one of the most groundbreaking RPGs of all time:Final Fantasy 7.
Terranigmawas developed by a company named Quintet which worked on a number of games for Enix on the SNES. Some of them were published globally likeActRaiser,Illusion of Gaia, andSoul Blazer. However,Terranigmaonly saw a release in Europe outside of Japan so it was fully playable in English to those who could import it.
Of the many Quintet games, this is the one most unfortunate to have never been released in North America as it feels like they put all of their energy into it. The action-based gameplay was solid with the sprite work and gameplay overall having a verySecret of Manaqualityto it. While it is still stuck across the pond, at least it is available in English without the need for fan patches.
Despite theDragon Questseriesbeing huge in Japan, not many of their games have made it onto digital store shelves. Many of the spinoffs never made it across the seas either likeTorneko’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon, which was a spinoff to the fourth game in the Dragon Quest series. It’s also the first game in theMystery Dungeonfranchise which has also based games on theFinal FantasyandPokemonfranchises. InTorneko’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon, players will go through dungeons as Torneko, a shopkeeper, to look for loot in a roguelike setting. The sequel got a release outside of Japan on the PS1 but those interested in North America for this SNES original will have to settle for a fan translation.
1Warriors of the Blue Dragon Legend: The Two Heroes
Samurai Pokemon Tactics
Warriors of the Blue Dragon Legend: The Two Heroeswasdeveloped by Game Freakand it should be easy to tell that because of the art. Players will explore an overworld in a top-down perspective and switch to a 2D view when entering combat. Enemies move when the player moves akin to early roguelikes includingTorneko’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon. This adds a layer of strategy to the hack and slash gameplay. While it missed North America in 1997,Pokemonfans can rejoice knowing it’s available to play via yet another fan translation.
