Daria Reviews Treasure of the Rudras [SNES] - Square's LOST 16-bit RPG?! | Super Nintendo Review
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Developed by Squaresoft for the Super Famicom (Japanese SNES) in 1996, Treasure of the Rudras was Square's final self-developed RPG for the system. Rudra is set in a world on the brink of annihilation. Pollution has poisoned the earth's land, air, and water. To make matters worse a scion of destruction is due to arrive in 16 days time to kill of all humanity. A group of heroes work independently to save the world.
Gameplay: Rudra is a traditional menu-based RPG. Much like Dragon Warrior 4, Gameplay is broken into three separate adventures. These scenarios cross paths towards the end of the game as the parties band together to fight the final battle. Magic is based on words, or mantras. Players can enter any letter combinations they choose to discover new spells.
Translated by Aeon Genesis: agtp.romhack.net/
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If this game had been released in the US and Europe it would be remembered as a classic with FF6 and Chrono Trigger
I absolutely agree.
Agreeed.
My thoughts exactly! A shame this game stayed buried in Japan.
I played this many years ago when the fan translation became available and remember thinking what a shame it was that Square never did an official localization.
Friendly reminder that neither FF6 nor Chrono Trigger were released on the SNES in Europe.
Square should have created something of a "16-bit Era Hidden RPGs Collection" with Treasure Hunter G, Bahamut Lagoon and Treasure of the Rudras. Bundle them and sell it for Steam, PSN, etc for a quick profit.
I bet it would sell well, after all most of these games are unknow to most of us because they were released only in Japan.
This one of the most underrated games of all time
Agreed!
Have you ever heard of the Tecmo NES game Chronicle of the Radia War? It's a crazy awesome RPG that no one's ever heard of kinda like Rudra (though with completely different gameplay). Might be worth reviewing? :)
Radia War is awesome - the battle system is kind of like an 8bit Star Ocean. Shame that they canceled the US release. :/
O.O You're familiar with Rudra AND Radia?? Where has your channel been all my life?
I had a friend who LOVED Radia War - talked it up so much that when I was (briefly) interested in reproduction carts I ordered it blind.
Ya know, me and a buddy dipped our toes into the RPGMaker pool and used this game's sprite sheets and character art, since no one knew about it. Now they do.
YOU'VE RUINED ME!!!!
Haha! That's what you get for stealing assets. The one time I dabbled with RPGMaker I just used default graphics. Figured it was more challenging to make an awesome game with generic art.
I'm glad to see a video covering this criminally overlooked gem.
I've played this game two times in the past. Once was about 5 years ago, around when I first got into emulation. I managed to get through Sion's entire story and half of Surlent's. Unfortunately my progress was blocked by a glitch in Surlent's campaign that kept you from progressing if you took a teleporter at the wrong time. I got back into playing the game sometime last year, before the school year ended (Would've been my junior year.), and I got through the whole thing, finishing it in the first few weeks of summer. It was a damn good game, and easily up there as one of my favorite RPGs.
Ahhh the glitch thing sucks. I ran into a similar hurdle the first time I tried to play Tales of Phantasia. Nothing kills your momentum quite like having to start over again. :/
I got into emulation in highschool. Blew through a ton of SNES games I'd never seen before (grew up with Sega) and then started following the translation scene. Anyway thanks for sharing your story. (:
GreenTengu97 I had the same fkin glitch.
A real pain in the ass, ain't it? I was really enjoying the game on my first playthrough and then that happened.
GreenTengu97 Yea I was livid. I ended up completing it a couple years ago. I love the pseudo- Hinduist aspect of the plot.
Its hard to tell whether this was overlooked or not. It did not come out in our continent, so it does not count over here. In japan it sold well I hear, so it would not count either. Its more like a game lost in time due to the language barrier. Not that it mattered in 1996 when it came out, most american players weren't buying RPGs until Final Fantasy 7 came out anyways.
I love your reviews because you cover IN DETAIL games that I've hardly ever even heard of. I might have to do a blind Let's Play of this game.
This game looks absolutely gorgeous. See, that's why I've always preferred 2D games. They're still beautiful 20 years later but the same can't be said about 3D games.
Do you wish they never existed?
I think Zelda Wind Waker will still look gorgeous in 2023
Really depends. A lot of 3D games still look great. Or can be remastered to amazing effect. Final Fantasy 9 Remaster looks great. All it needs is an AI background freshening and it still looks as fresh as the day it was released. A lot of 2D games also suffer from age even midway through the era. But yes, those late 2D games are still a wonder to play. Castlevania SOTN comes to mind...
I still can't believe someone actually reviewed one of my favorite SNES games, no, favorite RPGs of all time!!
Such a lovely review, getting the points straight and direct. Another thing I'd recommend this game for is for those interested in some sweet-funny dialogues. Sork has one of the best! The interaction with characters from different chapters feels like a cross-over, it's so freaking neat.
I hold this game close to my heart, sharing 1st spot with Seiken Densetsu 3. Definitively a game worth checking it out. :)
Seiken Densetsu 3 is indeed Awesome
Your two favorites are the same as mine... Still, I can't help but place this game as my absolute favorite of the SNES age. It's a close call with Seiken 3, but to me, Rudra's story tips over the balance... it's just that epic, it's unparalleled. Seiken 3 has good plot too, but as usual of the Mana Series... not that innovative.
But as you pointed out, both games definitely have great characters.
arminius1453 I can totally agree. SD3 earns a precious spot on my heart for being my very first RPG, plus I'll always have fun with the class-changing thing.
But Rudra truly has a far better plot and well developed. The way how your actions in one chapter actually _affects_ the other chapter depending on your main lead is incredible. Their interactions with each other. Getting to see the world changing while you have Sion or Surlent, which means Riza is, in the meantime, somewhere out there on her quest too, this was mindblown to me back then and still impresses me greatly.
Sim, as interações entre os personagens nas diferentes histórias realmente me surpreendeu, e é algo que o SD3 não tem tanto quanto este jogo (aliás acabei de perceber que vc é BR hahah). Inclusive, acho que minha favorita foi justamente a restauração da terra. Eu sempre foquei mais no Sion e no Surlent, e via a terra sendo curada, mas me perguntava como isso acontecia.. quando fui jogar a história da Riza e descobrir, realmente me surpreendi rs.
E falando de história, tenho que comentar do final também. Última batalha épica... e uma revelação final que deixa dúvidas sobre o futuro de todos.
Se você curtiu tanto Seiken quanto este jogo, recomendo também jogar Live a Live, se não já jogou... 6 personagens e histórias em diferentes momentos do tempo. Um pouco diferente dos dois que falamos. Mas vale a pena também!
arminius1453 Hahah tá de boa. XD
E sim, o scenario da Riza me surpreendeu, meu favorito também. Sem falar que no scenario dela vemos também que o Dune tem coração também e não é tão pestilento quanto mostra os outros scenarios.
Ah sim, já joguei! É incrivel, o capítulo medieval me deixou arrazada... Meu favorite dentre os personagens era o Akira. O capítulo dele é tão anime que me influenciou pakas. kkkk
Im impressed that you've actually played this. I'd say it's my 3rd favorite SNES rpg behind Chrono and FFVI. The soundtrack is classic. Subbed...
so many unheard of classics!
now this is definitely a game worth checking out.
God damn, this game just oozes classic. I always hear of Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario RPG, and the FF games being the essential Square Soft SNES RPGs, but I feel like if this was given a US release it might have been right up there. I'm gonna have to give it a shot once my backlog dies down.
This game and secret of mana 2 are the best non us square releases I've found so far. Id include terranigma but that is enix
I played through and enjoyed live a live. But I founds it's last chapter to be wildly unbalanced on a blind play through so that made it a lil less fun. and not all the scenarios are created equal
It definitly is good though don't get me wrong i did enjoy it. Just not my favorite. I really enjoyed Rudras
The Greater Ark i found a good strat for akirra. But oborro drove me nuts. I even tried running back home and killin the hard to kill ninjas
The Greater Ark yes the friggin aliens stalkin you in the sci fi combined with the damn inability to save made that chapter pretty nerve racking. Not so much the kung fu one though. Though it was pretty upsetting when all yer friends got killed.
I'm soooo glad you decided to play through this! I also feel it's one of the best RPGs that never reached our shores.
P.S. - Glad BUTTCANCER made the cut ;)
Well THAT'S where those tilesets came from!
I snagged a repro of this game a few years ago and it quickly became one of my favorite SNES RPGs. It's nice to see it getting some love. I really need to dust it off and play it again.
I absolutely cannot wait to play this. As a kid, I don't remember reading about this game at all although I did read of other SNES games that never made it to America like Bahamut Lagoon, Secret of Mana 2 , dragon quest, etc. This game looks like it might beat all others. Great video!
Hey nice channel. This is most likely my favorite SNES RPG you just reviewed! I love everything about it: The charming graphics, the superb soundtrack, the integrated storytelling, the grave overarching plot, the mantra system and so much more. I've finished it quite a few times. And I remember how great it used to feel to figure out some kickass mantras that ended being top-tier. Still remember trying out the words: TIDAL, BLAST, ZEUS, RUDRA, INFERNO.... good times!
I know right? I loved running through the beginning days obliterating everything in my path with RUDRA.
Hey, just stumbled again upon your channel and this gem of a LP. After seeing this LP, gunman's proof, dark half and dragon view all in a row... I just had to come back to congratulate you for your high quality content. Your analysis' are just so well thought out... and spoken from experience, from someone who really played those games deeply, unlike some mainstream youtubers. And your choice in games to review is absolutely superb. Always picking those precious gems hidden within a huge pile of ro- ahem, I mean, cartridges. Rare, awesome games from my favorite era. I'm often surprised at the quality of your picks.
Anyway, thanks and congratulations for all your hard work in this channel. Looking forward to your new SNES posts.
I could listen to classic JRPG music all day long.
Very happy to see someone review this game, you did an excellent job. I have been on the fence about playing it for about 2 years.
I can't believe that I've never heard of this game. Thank you, Daria for alerting me to my next JRPG full course dinner!
This one of the SFC RPGs with a fan translation that I've been meaning to get around to. Good review, you may have bumped it up on my list of stuff to play.
So did you ever get around to playing Rudra? (:
I tried it out a little bit, didn't start a full on playthrough yet. I decided to get Chrono Cross out of the way first, which I did beat a few weeks ago.
OH MY GOD! They used the cursor sounds from Mystic Quest? Tell me they did. It's lovely!
+Jason Scalici (Jay) Is there?! Oh, that's funny!
That multi-area playthrough seems really neat. Yet another game I've never heard of, but I might have to try this one. Also I noticed a character named "Cid" in there, pretty funny.
+Instant Replay Live Heh, Square loves their Cids don't they?
This game is SO UNDERRATED even I havent heard of it! Thank you so much for this vid!
Love these vids. Definitely looking forward to the next one you're working on.
I do not browse other gaming videos very often but saw that someone else not only knows about this amazing game, but has presented it in the perfect way. You pretty much captured everything that makes this game great. There is one other thing however, the humor is by far some of the best I've ever seen in a game. I've never been more delighted by the script in one of these classic RPGs than this game. It knows when to take itself seriously and when to quote Monty Python for instance.Thank you for recognizing it for what it is. I'll be watching more of your vids as you're very good at what you do.
Hey thanks! I completely agree about the humor - I have a very hard time with games that take themselves too seriously. I need a good laugh every now and then - which game certainly provides. ;)
My favourite aspect of this game is how you get to play from three different perspectives, which intertwines. My other favourite has to be the soundtrack.
The mantra system probably didn't help when it came to localizing the game to the west, which is sad really.
I've been meaning to play this, just never got the time to.
Too busy trying other games, and filming stuff.
But definitely sounds like the Wild Arms scenario series, except you know they don't all meet at the end.
Great review yet again keep it up!
+TenButtonGamer Oh I know all about finding time to game. But filming stuff is more important so you keep at it.
I discovered your channel yesterday and I love it.
How epic this game will look & feel in 3d with today's graphics
Alternatively, redone in Octopath's style.
This is so well done! thank you so much for being into these types of games!
(lendelin) Great Review, Daria. The analysis of the gameplay and the editing of the video are very good! I can't wait to play this game, it is on my list of SNES RPGs-repro carts I'll buy. Too bad that these games were released in Japan at a time when RPGs did not sell well in the US and Europe. (and they indeed did not) So we are stuck with repro carts if we want today these gems on our shelves, and like Secret of Mana 2 (Seiken Densetsu 3) this one seems to be a bright shining gem.PS: I shared your video on my facebook page.
I agree. It's funny but all my favorite SNES RPGs are fan translations. There's few actually released in the US that I'm super attached to (obligatory Chrono Trigger fan, Lufia 2, and Breath of Fire 2)
The basics of the magic system remind me of the Shin Megami Tensei magic system. Dia is basic healing, Media, is basic healing for the whole party, Diarama is strong healing and so on. But the idea of the player making their own spells, even if it is some silly crap like BUTTCANCER is pretty neat. Also, visually it seems pretty dam good for an SNES. I might give this a shot, if only because those visuals are damn impressive.
I really need to give the Shin Megami Tensei games a serious try sometime, only one I've really sunk any time into is Persona 2.
DariaPlaysRPGs You really should. Specially the mainline series. They can be really, really, challenging, but they are very satisfying to get through.
Awesome video! You have several that pointed out games i never thought to play, but this video in particular made me click subscribe. Looking forward to watching all of your vids
+misterkeebler Thanks! Glad you were able to find something new to play.
Thanks for posting this. I'm on my second play through now. And I really dig it.
Thanks for posting this, I would have missed out completely had I not seen this video. Couldn't believe Square made this hidden gem after FF6, Chrono Trigger, Romancing, Saga 3, and Trials of Mana. Just got it and playing right now, so far so good!
Just ordered a repro cart of this! I was on the fence, but you pushed me over. I can't wait to jump in. Thanks, Daria!
The foe died by "BUTCANCER"....That made my day
The music in this game especially the boss/battle themes instantly melts away my fear and depression.
If you're into forgotten SNES games, you should try Live A Live with a similar plot structure and a very interesting battle system
arent there like 7 or 9 or something like that storylines? I feel like its too much. 3 I could handle.
I played this almost 5 years ago and just kind of stopped for some reason. Maybe I should play again (maybe start from the beginning), but then, there are so many 90s JRPGs I still haven't tried...
This one totally deserves a remake! Let's not forget bahamut lagoon also!
I was BLOWN away by Dragon's Quest IV's story telling structure, and I had yet to see such execution by any other game. This seems like that game.
Such a sweet review!
+Hemang Chauhan You might want to check out Wild Arms also. It introduces the characters in their own scenarios, but they meet up much closer to the beginning of the game rather than the end.
+DariaPlays And you can rename your spells in that game too (Wild Arms)!
+cirellio Yes! I must play it and BUTTCANCER shall live on!
DariaPlays Sweet, but which Wild Arms? There are so many of them.
The first one.
The battle system looks much better than the snes final fantasies. This one looks more detailed.
I tried this one I think I could have gotten into it if I gave it more time, but I didn't. You definitely know your stuff. I just found your channel off a video by Pat the NES Punk and Chrono Trigger Steam release.
Never heard of this one, looks neat. Great review!
+D-pad Danny And that's what I'm here for. (:
If you play it, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts too.
Ah, Treasure of Rudras. I shall follow.
Wow. I've seen this game in the wild. I didn't pick it up. Too bad I don't read Japanese!
Really digging your content!
+Brasel TheGamer Thanks!
thank you Daria for the nice review btw your voice is super relaxing
Man. I wish we had these days back. Ever since gaming become so mainstream, the quality things have been swallowed whole by the void of crap. Hard to find real passion these days. It's all about the greed.
:(
This game also comes with an awesome soundtrack. Overall Rudra's is vastly underrated.
Never heard of this game. It looks very interesting. I love this videos of non-popular or little known rpg games.
Aeon Genesis is amazing! Ive noticed man translations were done by this entity.
This was Square's last big original game ever released on a Nintendo console sadly. ;-;
REJOICE! For DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition has been granted unto us.
Didn't this game bomb?
WIth all the emulation options, releasing a new snes game today would be not a bad option commercially.
This game deserves the HD-2D treatment like Live A Live
Metasehniu is the best spell guaranteed.
Thanks to the equipments and the mantra system this can be really easy or really challenging. I really like this game, and I have to disagree with those who claim that this game is grindy: you just need to be smart with your stuff. Although, there are some secrets in the game and due to the small audience who played this, there's no guide which tells you all of them.
Looks like I know what I'm doing this weekend.
Holy crap this game looks amazing! I cant believe this has never officially been released in the West...what a shame!
Been meaning to play this for a while. I've messed with the early game a bit before, but never got far into it.
Never heard of it before. I'll try it for sure. Thanks!
This game looks to have a much better fan translation than Secret of Mana 2, which I just tried so hard to get into, but found the script too one-dimensional to engage with. Hope I'm not wrong on this one...
Daira, do you plan to review Romancing Saga 3? There's no reviews of it on youtube!
This RPG for me is one of best RPG on SNES with Chrono Trigger Seikein Desentsu 2/3 and FF6
new rpg to play on a friday? on a big weekend? thank you Daria!
Thanks for this review. It's look pretty interesting.
Amazing rpg, really.
BUTTCANCER!
Ecellent review as always. I must play this game now. Thank you!
Excellent*
:^P
+8-bitBishop Eggcellent.... *rubs hands together slowly*
This game looks really good. I'm looking for a ROM of it. I thought I found it but I couldn't get it to play.
The 4th great SNES RPG, along with FF6, Earthbound, and Chrono Trigger.
Cool review ! I will get a physical copy on Etsy.com thanks.😁👍
Funny how you mention Dragon Quest as it was before this one. Way before...
Sorry for asking, I've found a rom of this game but it has a horrible sound glitch which makes everything chalkboard-scratchingly horrible. I don't think it's the emulator's fault since it works with other games. I'm using Aeon Genesis transaltion 2.0, is this the same you're using? If anyone has a version that worked perfectly plz link...
Keep it secret, keep it safe: www.dropbox.com/sh/119mzwkr5fimz19/AABbPe0eIm1uQFHhsI2uFQy_a?dl=0
:O So many gameS!
+DariaPlaysRPGs Thanks for sharing that.
+Half-Heart Hero (Death-Heart) You're welcome.
By the way, I'm new to your channel. I subscribed because I absolutely love RPGs and I like the way you talk about the games. Have you reviewed Bahamut Lagoon?
This was a very well put together video. I really liked the editing. As for the game, I am sold! Where did you get a translated copy or was it on you computer? -DrWily008
+Kenneth Bell I just played this one on my computer. Also really glad you liked it Ken, I always enjoyed talking games with you on DP. (:
I got a copy translated full game aliexpress $20
impressive video
Never heard of this. Is it available in emulators in english?
+Marc Klein You either have to emulate it, play the SFC cart on a Retron 5 with the patch, or track down a reproduction. Sadly there's no official US release.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RPG
SHINING FORCE
+DariaPlaysRPGs which one
The first one on Genesis. I talk about it a bit on my Games to chill video.
+DariaPlaysRPGs I've only play the first one I have to many favorite rpgs tho
Thanks for the video
Amazing game.. best style batle... sprites moves this are great😍😍😍😍
Not enough people know about this awesome game. I should have tried to buy a cart while I was studying in Japan. hmmm
This sounds like a really interesting game! I'll certainly have to give it a look some time! You had a lot of useful information, but I think you should try to find a way to include a bit more enthusiasm. I also tend to have a bit of a monotone voice, so I know how hard that can be, but if you can find a way, your videos would be much better!
+Memory Lane Gaming Thanks for the feedback. Yeah with practice my script reading should sound more natural. I can get a little goofy in my LPs though.
I watch the first part of your Mario RPG playthrough and enjoyed it! I think I forgot to comment though. Despite your cold at the time, your voices were well done.
How do I play this game ?
+Yellowdock Ooo You have a few choices: download a patched rom and emulator, buy a flash cart and save the patched rom to it, or seek out a reproduction copy.
Yes.
That looks so much like SaGa frontier
DARIAPLAYS CASTS....BUTTCANCER. Well done. I need to get a repro of this.
Buy that repro yet? :P
DariaPlaysRPGs
Actually a friend of mine makes repros and he sent be the board but it never came in the mail. He's going to make another one for me and hand deliver it instead. Can't wait to start casting AIDSMONKEYS.
+Dongled im pretty sure that spell will be terrible mike
Its been over a decade since i played this game. It was no doubt the best looking RPG from Square with a unique magic system. Sadly, It's still overlooked and underappreciated. The music and story telling between all the main characters is what makes this game beautiful. I think It took me 4 days to complete each character before the final chapter and gain the airship. I however experimented with the magic system and often invented words and mashed up spells casted by enemies. You have access to the strong spells right away, but you wouldn't know that until you encounter high level enemies who cast these spells or visit top libraries to discover these spells in writing. Amazing game, brings back soo many good memories!
4:52 LOL
Beautiful game.....
So is the game in English or are you playing patch?
It needs a patch, yes.
with manual and case $25
Square has quite a few gems
Wow! I fully missed this title. I already moved to PS1 at that time...I guess
and you made a video of it too. awesome I like you subd lol
+LuciousShowcase Heh, well that's how I found your video actually. I did a search to see how well my video ranked and saw yours. And we've both done the Incident!
+DariaPlays zomg did we just become best friends! Haha awesome. Pretty spot on with the review. You actually played them simultaneously thats crazy. I wrote a spell book lol its actually pretty special that i have it now along with my cart. Riza was my fav
+LuciousShowcase Ooooh... the spell book's a good idea. You have a cart though I take it? Saw you had a few other repros in your FF6 video. I just randomly wrote in words and phrases until I found a set of spells I liked. I think I liked Surlent the best though, his story was the most interesting after he died.
yea my buddy who played it gave me the spell "megami" as a hint I figured out everything else. the most effective strat I found was buffing my melee guy with the dmg boost and then the crit bosst like astapor and highpower or something like that. With that combo surlent and sion's scenario were a cake walk. Yea that's my gimmick I only review repro carts if its a translated game lol. I have like 20-30 of them now
LuciousShowcase It's amazing how different the game plays with just different magical approaches. I limit my collection to officially released games, but I'll download anything to play. But damn... that's a lot of reproduction carts.
Wait... Are you the same Daria from Digital Press?
Yep!
Classic
Eh, presentation is cool and all. Game had the same problem as late game FF6, except this one is the whole game. Everyone ended up having the same magic that nobody is distinguished with each other. First boss is defeated by whole party spamming fire magic repeatedly. No strategy, no thinking.
I just dont get why everyone loved hyping games with braindead gameplay.
I might have to look this up on a emulator, looks interesting and I like the premise, that the world is doomed in 16 days because of the evils of humanity and the pollution it has caused and you have to race against time to save it.
The music in this game especially the boss/battle themes instantly melts away my fear and depression.