The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES for short) was home to some of the most challenging RPGs of its time. Such games frequently pushed players to their gaming limits, requiring a mountainous portion of strategic thinking, as well as strong decision-making skills, and hours of dedication.
RELATED:Rarest SNES Games (And Why They’re So Rare)
The SNES first arrived on the scene in Japan all the way back in 1990, before spreading out across the rest of the world during the early ’90s. Sporting improved audio and gameplay compared to what had come before, the console’s list of franchise and blockbuster games made it a gamer’s delight for several years. During that time, it became the go-to console for RPG lovers, providing a litany of game-changing ’90s classics that greatly influenced the genre in the years that followed and often drove players crazy with their unexpected, often unpredictable,levels of difficulty.
6Lufia 2: Rise Of The Sinistrals
Neverland’s puzzle-focused 1995 supernatural epicserves as a prequel to 1993’sLufia & the Fortress of Doom. Picking up 90 years prior to the originalLufiaentry,Rise of the Sinistralsfollows the adventures of a master swordsman in a time when the titular Sinistrals are causing trouble.
The game’s intricate puzzle-solving and tough enemy encounters ensure a confronting, stimulating piece of fantasy gaming for players to tackle. On top of that, brain-teasing dungeons prompt players to think critically to progress, carefully utilizing their resources along the way. Better still, the game’s engrossing, turn-based battles and merciless boss fights push gamers to strategize smartly, grinding through to survive. With a well-told storyline and a colorful cast of engaging characters,Lufia IIstands out as one of the most demanding and rewarding RPGsof its generation.
5Breath Of Fire 2
Set a whopping 500 years after the events ofthe originalBreath of Fire, this 1994 sequel focuses on troubled youngster Ryu Bateson. With his family having suspiciously disappeared years prior and his best friend in hot water for a crime he didn’t commit, players follow Bateson as he makes his way through a mysterious plot.
Chock-full of random encounters that help to keep players on their toes,Breath of Fire IIalso boasts challenging dungeons and exhausting boss fights. All of these featuresensure the Capcom classicremains a demanding experience throughout, keeping players hooked thanks to its twisting and turning narrative. At the time of its release, the game was largely dismissed as not quite measuring up to the universally acclaimed original. However, in the years since,Breath of Fire II’s propensity for surprise battles, as well as its world-building and adventurous atmosphere, has seen its reputation and legacy as a classic RPG grow considerably.
4Secret Of Mana
Square’s 1993 high fantasy RPGsaw a groundbreaking change in gameplay for the time. Bidding farewell to the more conventional, turn-based combat style of prior games in the genre, the developers opted for a higher-stakes, real-time action system for players to enjoy.
Balancing the real-time thrills with an immersive emphasis on exploration and engaging storytelling, making for a neatly effective, well-rounded gaming experience. Some players, however, have encountered a hair-pulling level of difficulty from the notoriously unpredictable game, with unexpected spikes in difficulty and overwhelming boss fights raising the bar almost out of nowhere. The challenging gameplay only adds to the game’s replay value and overall dramatic intensity. With a fantastic soundtrack, high-level graphics for the time,and an addictive multiplayer mode,Secret of Manawas the total package in its day.
3Chrono Trigger
In a stunning moment in gaming history, the creators ofFinal Fantasy,Dragon Quest, andDragon Ballcame together to develop an iconic 1995 release. Sporting a high-concept plot centered on time travel and an Armageddon-level threat,Chrono Triggerquickly impressed both critics and gamers alike upon hitting the stands.
RELATED:Retro Video Games That Still Hold Up Today
In a watershed moment for gaming,Chrono Triggerprovided players with a selection of potential endings and a litany of thrilling side quests, both of which became the norm for RPGs in the years after. By the standards of the time, the game also boasted impressively well-formed graphics and heated,effective combat gameplay, further impressing gamers and helping to solidify its status as an instant classic. While attempts at making it the first of a long-running franchise ultimately didn’t pan out, this iconic RPG is arguably the peak of development studio Square’s golden ’90s run.
2EarthBound
TheMotherseries' influential second installmenttook the early days of the RPG in a curious direction compared to its more serious contemporaries. Sporting a lighthearted approach to storytelling, this cult classic won over fans with its offbeat, comedic style.
Engrossing players with its rich litany of complex puzzles and subtle, cleverly laid hints,EarthBoundis an exceptional case study in videogame pacing. Starting off as a relatively straightforward, easy-to-play adventure, the unconventional classic picks up the pace, gradually evolving into a complicated thrill-ride. Bucking the more fantastical trends of RPGs at the time,EarthBoundzeroes in on a more modern setting that satirizes US culture at the time. Despite the slightly more grounded setting,the underrated game’s wild sci-fi plot, involving super-powered melodies and an inter-galactic menace named Giygas, keeps it firmly in the imaginative lane players have long expected from RPG epics.
1Final Fantasy 6
This 1994 release arguably marked a new peak in the then-budding genre of the fantasy RPG. Stepping past the predominantly medieval aesthetic of prior games,the sixth entry in the iconic seriesembraced the eccentric style of steampunk.
Renowned for its thrilling - if often quite frustrating - boss battles, including lead antagonist Kefka, and the enormously powerful Kaiser Dragon,Final Fantasy 6wowed players with its action and intensity. Sporting complex storylines and characters, the engrossing game is a testament to what can be done with the now rather retro 2D sprites style of gameplay graphics. Composer Nobou Uematsu delivers the goods once again,infusing the action with a suitably intense, emotionally resonant score. Overall, this marked a seminal farewell to the initial phase ofFinal Fantasygaming, with the series moving over to 3D graphics and the PlayStation with its follow-up.
