Jyger’s Favourite 5 – My Favourite SNES RPGs

It’s no secret, I love me some role playing games, be they Action RPGs or turn based RPGs. And to be perfectly honest, a lot of my favourites can be found on the little tyke that never stops coming, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. So in my first written edition of Jyger’s Favourite 5, I’m gonna look at 5 of my Favourite RPGs for the SNES.

#1 – Super Mario RPG

Ahh, my first turn based RPG. I would say it’s my first RPG, but because classification of Zelda games as to whether or not they can be considered Action RPGs is kinda tricky, I’m just not gonna go there. Anyway, a lot of people would argue that Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is the best introductions to RPGs for newbies, but I’m gonna argue that this is the better choice. The reason being is that a lot of people know and love Mario and having him be your guide into this new world really works to get you interested. At least that’s how it worked for me. It got so popular that people demanded a re-release or a sequel or something for a LONG time, finally getting their wish on the Wii Virtual Console…*sighs* Unlike my second RPG…

#2 – Earthbound

I’m sorry for going into a rant here, but there are days I want to strangle Nintendo for the simple fact that not only is this game not out on Virtual Console, but there is no real reason given despite the MASSIVE fanbase that keeps bombarding them with questions about it. Sure, speculation has been made, theories given, but nothing official. And we get it, okay? You took a gamble with Earthbound and due to a combination of bad timing and risky marketing decisions sales in North America kinda bombed, but the audience is here now and it would be good business. Seriously, if you have no idea what I’m talking about, watch either the Happy Video Game Nerd’s or 16-Bit Gems’ looks at Earthbound, though I personally suggest both. The whole story regarding this game and what exactly went wrong is told there.

#3 – Lufia 2

This is another game that was covered by 16-Bit Gems, and thank God for that. Lufia 2 is a game that was just out-shined by the shit-load of Square and Enix RPGs at the time. It was a wonderful combination of a lot of the things that made games like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest work, while also adding some Zelda inspired dungeon crawling and puzzle solving, and even a monster training portion that could potentially be considered a precursor to Pokémon. Seriously, it’s not the greatest RPG for the system, but it is worth checking out. Sadly, it’s also not on Virtual Console, though there was an Action RPG version of it……which is a rant for another day. -_-

#4 – Seiken Densetsu 3

This is a game I didn’t discover until MUCH later, for very a obvious reason: It never came out over here! Luckily, a group online did a translation of it that is available to anyone looking for it, though because it’s the morally questionable route, I can’t actually say where it is. Just trust me, a simple Google search will likely uncover it. Anyway, Seiken Densetsu 3, or Secret of Mana 2, is a really awesome Action RPG with plenty of replayability due to being able to choose which of the six protagonists you play as and which become your two travelling companions later on. A must play.

#5 – Final Fantasy IV

A huge cast with their own unique characteristics, a plot with twists and turns that will constantly keep you on your toes, and a musical score that no Final Fantasy game should be without, Final Fantasy IV (and yes, I call it IV even though it was called II on the SNES, and we’re just not going to get into that right now!!!) is a really great game for anyone that enjoys those things. Of course it also has decent gameplay that people that loved the classic Final Fantasy games will dig. And on top of all of that, it gave us a meme that resulted in the naming of one of the greatest internet reviewers of all time.

The Spoony One

So yeah, that’s my list of favourite RPGs for Super Nintendo…and I can already tell someone’s gonna ask why Final Fantasy VI or Chrono Trigger isn’t on there, and I will get to that topic at some point. Until then, feel free to discuss. Ja ne!