terranigma is just... an experience no other game can provide. the dedication and love from the developers shine through ever single sprite movement that ark does.
@@nevadachi I'm a die hard FF9 fan, I think that game is the best ever created...BUT. Terranigma was a wonderful experience, I could say the 2nd best game for me. The soundtrack, the story the finale....oh man I cried rivers to that finale.
I am really liking terranigma so far, since I bought a repro cart last year. It has taken me a while to get into it, because since I started playing video games more this past year and a half, I wanted to go and revisit a bunch of my older favorites from childhood. Secret of Mana is one of my all-time favorites, as well, but I have yet to revisit it recently. I did play through Illusion of Gaia three times in the last year, including two straight playthroughs recently. Quintet is a criminally underrated development team, who put a lot of heart and soul and philosophical insight into their games.
Thanks always for spreading the love for Terranigma. We recently had an amazing fan event here a couple weeks ago that I hope to write a short piece about soon. ❤
I lived about 40 miles away from where Secret of Evermore was developed. If I only new, I would have demanded my mom drive me across town so I could knock on the door and high five the developers. But crystal balls and time machines don't exist. Oh well. Still my favorite game of all time. The story and atmosphere in that game really had my number. The protagonist connecting everything to funny pop culture references, the eerie music, the dog, the market, the humor. No other game quite like it, imo
Terranigma is the pinacle of A-RPGs on the Snes. It has also one of the best score, I have ever listened to and one of the saddest endings in all of media. Thank you Derek for mentioning this special game. It had a great impact on my life and has a special place in my heart.
I replay Terranigma like every 2 years. It's been over 25 years when I first played this on SNES and it is my Number 1 game of all time. Almost nothing even comes close, after all these years.
I finally get to play it after wanting to for yrs. I got a miyoo mini plus and it was one of the roms it came w. So im pretty excited.. hope its not been built up too much. Its probably the best genre for holding up to todays standards. If it were a 3D game on 64 my expectations would be well tempered.
Tell us honestly how much fun you had writing the script on this one!! Very fun watch, thanks Derek. I'll have to give Terranigma a try if that fan translation releases. It was before my time!
As someone who didn't have a SNES growing up I really appreciate your recommendations for RPGs. Yes, I still need to play Final Fantasy 6/3 but learning about games like Terranigma is wonderful.
Without spoiling the list, that no. 1 games map to the game had so many cool stories that strengthened my love for geography and history. Amazing list Derek Your a sly guy there Derek, you almost had me until you played “Resurrection” I love that song ❤
Great video. Glad to see Secret of Evermore. That game is so good, and it's never had a port or even a release outside of North America. It's still worth playing even now because of its charming, unique story. :)
Terranigma's greatest flaw is its magic system. You have very limited MP-esque system, and you cannot recover it, ever. You "buy" spells with the currency you find throughout the world, and once you use the said currency, it's gone forever. This makes those spells essentially, "Too good to use" territory. And in the final fight, you can't even use any spells.
The funny thing is you actually get the magirocks back after you use them. Magirocks are basically just containers of magic. The only place I used them were on bloody mary for obvious reasons anyway. I agree the balancing was the one bad part of the game however you slice it.
@@michaelsong5555 The game doesn’t make this explicit at all but they are recyclable from get go. Think of them like bottles. When you buy magic you fill the bottle with a certain type of magic. Like fire magic 1 bottle and pyro a few bottles. When you use the fire magic that bottle becomes empty again so you can fill it with another fire magic. That’s why stats menu in the box shows both the maximum and available magirock number. I hope this makes sense.
Am I the only person who enjoyed the marketplace trading sequence in Evermore? Eh? Eh? I really did enjoy Evermore back in the day and I am looking forward to a re-release of some sort since I parted with my copy so many years ago. I finished a playthrough of Seiken Densetsu 2 a few years ago. I don't remember how jank the English was in Secret of Mana (it has been over two decades since I've owned it), but honestly even in Japanese the writing felt very barebones. Also, definitely the manual and official guides are required reading material, since a lot of the lore is included in them and barely touched upon in the actual game. Ys III is always a fun quick playthrough! I got a brand new copy of the Super Famicom game for like, less than $40, only a few years ago. Of course Gaia and Terranigma are on another level of awesome. Spike McFang and Dragon View both seem pretty interesting from your description and the footage. I'll have to check them out! Thanks for the recommendations.
Nice one! My run of the mill standard ARPG top list, out of the ones I've beaten: Terranigma Front Mission: Gun Hazard Secret of Evermore (w/ ninakoru's balancing mod) Dragon View/Super Drakkhen Brain Lord Secret of Mana Soul Blazer Seiken Densetsu 3 Illusion of Gaia (SNES)(would love to play a retranslation of this one) Alcahest Shadowrun Ys V: Kefin, The Lost City of Sand Ys III Xak: The Art of Visual Stage Shodai Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-Kun Ones I'm planning to play more: Star Ocean, Super Ninja Boy/Super Chinese World 1-2, Tales of Phantasia, Brandish 1-2, Ladystalker (it's not what you think!), Ys IV (played the PCE version first) The SNES actually has a really strong ARPG library, now that I think about it
Trials of Mana is something I never played on the SNES. But I'm glad it got a remake on PS4. I never played Secret of Evermore but I enjoyed your videos. I never heard of Super Ninja Boy. Evo Search of Eden is also something I never heard of. Dragon View... Also another one I never heard of. Soul Blazer... Yep another one I never heard of. Secret of Mana! YES. Brain Lord? Another one I never heard of. The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang? Never heard of this either. Also talk about a long title. I heard of the YS games but never played any. Surprised to see this on your list so high. I'm pretty sure most people will just get Ys: The Oath in Felghana. I remember seeing Illusion of Gaia back when I had a SNES in the 90s. I never got the game though. It would be amazing if this got a remake. Terranigma ... A bonus. Game seems good. That is a shame Quintet went MIA. From looking info up, Inuyasha: The Secret of the Cursed Mask was the last game that Quintet developed; a 2004 game.
Great list, I loves Ys3 and I don't think it deserves the reputation of being a black sheep. It introduced me to the world of Ys. I loved illusion of Gaia, Soulblazer, and course Terrinigma we really lost out in our childhoods to play that back then.
Ive been a follower of your channel almost 8 years or 6 (i dont remember xD) i wish that you had more subs because you deserve it. Your content are good. I hope that someday you get your plate from yt
Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, and Secret of Mana have such good music. I had so much fun with them as a kid but honestly the soundtracks were even better than the games themselves for me, especially for Illusion of Gaia. I still have an old CD I ordered from Japan with the IoG soundtrack.
Terranigma, one I have yet to play. I was shocked about Ys III! And I'm happy that you gave secret of evermore a little love. I love that game back in the day. I played that before I played secret of mana so I have a soft spot for it
If I made this list, it would have to be titled "All the games that made me sad I got a Genesis and not a SNES for Xmas 1991." Seriously though, great list Derek! Looking forward to seeing you tackle some of these over the coming year!
Dude! The “We play what we like!” Brought me back to watching 90s cartoons and cereal commercials. I immediately thought of Corn Pops(which were actually pretty gross lol) “I gotta have my pops!” 😂😂
I know you love Terranigma and would see it on the list because I remember the marathon playthroughs you did of the game especially the one where you lost your progress in the middle due to an inadvertent save or load state button press.
Here in Spain Nintendo had to choose between Secret of Evermore or Chrono Trigger (the chosen one would be translated to spanish). They picked SOE, and everyone in my country has always regret about not be able to play CT back in the day.
Terranigma is one of my favourite games of all time. I am from Germany and I am so happy that I could play it in the late 1990s. Everyone should play this game once in his or her life. :)
In my opinion the localisation was very nice. Maybe a little bit rough but also (not too) serious and funny. For example you could say to the elder in Crysta about the chickens that you played soccer with them. This kind of humour can also be found in the translation of Secret of Mana. In Secret of Mana the goblins are talking about the German television series "Lindenstraße" and that it will begin soon. This is hilarious from a today's view point but in the 1990s I laughed a lot. :D Maybe you heard of Claude M. Moyse. He translated a few RPGs as Secret of Mana and Terranigma. There is the word "Holerö" which is not a real word in German but he used it for "Hello" or "Wow" in some context. So the translation is also a little bit special but I liked it very much. And yeah. There was a Terranigma comic which is about the first steps in the game until Ark comes to the overworld. I have the comic. And I also own a comic about Lufia II (in Germany it was only Lufia, the first game was never released in Germany), Donkey Kong Country 2 and Yoshi's Island. Every comic has a special humour with nice gags. Nintendo was very playful at that time with all the translations. Today this is unimaginable for Nintendo. :D Oh... I miss the old good times. ^^
@@Terranigma23 The question should be: Why not? :D The game has one of the best stories on video games, many interesting characters, a great idea, beautiful graphics and a fantastic soundtrack! The overworld music... this was a real JRPG feeling. :)
i was like WHERE IS TERRANIGMA! but you did it justice, even if i love seiken 3, terranigma is just is own thing is one of the best ARPGs of its generation and deserves way more love
I got halfway through Dragonview about a decade ago, I think I got lost and didn't know how to progress. Regardless I remember having a lot of fun with the game and want to return to it at some point.
Spike McFang is fantastic and worth emulating! Also check out Ganpuru Gunman’s Proof if you haven’t. It’s a comic western that plays like A Link to the Past with some light Earthbound style humor.
been a long time since is saw e.v.o. i had that one as a kid, its the best for sick days and needing a chill game. and you can play with the evolutions. loads of fun.
Definitely the kind of game you don't need to be _fully_ mentally awake at the time. The game itself is a fever dream already, so I can see why it would be a killer "sick day" game. :)
Terranigma was one-of-a-kind. This game has shown what the Super Nintendo was capable of - in many regards this game was far better than many of the Playstation games. The soundtrack is still a masterpiece which I still like to listen to. I recommend to listen to the the new interpretation from Roman Heuser "Terranigma Revisited" if you also liked the original sound track.
I'll check it out! If you haven't already heard of it, also check out Terranigma: Return of Ark Original Sound Track: Crystal Sweet Home by Miyoko & Masamori. It was a very limited release album in Japan I managed to get my hands on. It's really great! :)
The older brother from Surf ninjas was in a movie a few years ago with the Rock and had a pretty great fight scene. I wish I could remember the title of the movie
Terranigma....the only RPG I played from beginning to end in one sitting.....hooked me in from the beginning and because my pal converter didn't allow me to save.
As a spaniard (aka, live in europe so I got to play Terranigma) It's easily on my top 3 games on the super nintendo, on par with Chronno Trigger and Final Fantasy VI Yes, it is that great. And I still wish for the day in which Square Enix somehow, somewhy, gives it the FF7 Remake treatment.
Sir, you have me with Super Ninja Boy. The lip service to Seiken Densetsu 3 alone would make this video worth watching. I played countless hours of Super Ninja Boy when I was a kid, and my Mom and I played together on it. It is a "quirky" little title from Culture Brain, with a nod to its NES title the Magic of Scheherazade (itself a Zelda-like with RPG elements). I miss my mom, but that janky lil' game is forever going to hold a special place in my heart... and you didn't even mention the Super Mega Zord Robot thing that acts as your flight system in the game XD .... it's so out of left field. They don't make games like this anymore. (Seriously, Culture Brain is still around, but they do sports games these days)
Thanks for the kind words! I'm sorry to hear about you mom, she must have been incredible! If you're looking for something modern and off-beat, keep your eyes on Mameda no Bakery. It's more of a Ganbare Goemon spiritual successor, but it might just scratch that itch. :)
I'm not surprised Terraingma was on the list! But oh boy do I feel silly... That whole thing with time stopping was part of the beginning... And I thought I broke the game and got stuck the first time I played it. How? How does one think they broke the game when that is how it is supposed to go? Smooth Peachy.... Honestly I am glad you mentioned Illusion of Gaia because that is a very special game to me! And about what you mentioned about the death... Yeah. It makes me wonder why they bothered to try to tone down a certain scene when the death is 100% intact. Especially when the toning down never worked on me.
I tried to get into Terranigma but just couldn't get that far. It was like, walking around entering dungeons, but I think I was forced to kill all of the monsters in each dungeon and overall I just couldn't get into the game. Like, everyone says its good, but I couldn't figure it out.
It is an actual crime that the Heaven and Earth trilogy has never seen any kind of rerelease. Actraiser got a rerelease and a recent remake, so it isn't like Quintet games are off the table.
Yep! I _think_ I mentioned that it came out in PAL territories, but that it was the EU branch that did the localization, right? I'd have to re-look at the script but I think I got it right.
@@SuperDerek You did mention PAL. PAL and NTSC only exist because bandwidth analog video. Digital not have that problem. After PS3 and Xbox 360 there is no difference NTSC and PAL because they both support 60hz.
I recommend that you should try to play Fire Emblem - Genealogy of of The Holy War, @SuperDerek RPGs. It’s one of the greatest JRPG Game ever released for the Super Nintendo.
Secret of Evermore is my top game on this list, and I feel like my personal bias has put it much too far ahead, but if there's any way to time travel back to an age where I was learning to love games like this (and actually love videogames in general), I vastly favor such over any others. My bias is so unfortunately strong, I'm actually disappointed in myself for not beating Secret of Mana and Terranigma first. I've actually taken extended breaks (even years) from playing Secret of Evermore, because I was afraid I would play it too much (to the point of getting sick of it). Due to nostalgic conditioning and playing so many RPG's before any of the Mana games, I was actually biased heavily against Mana, before recognizing what a huge impact it has had. I was ignorant, spitefully wondering why the Mana series kept getting love, and Secret of Evermore was seemingly left to rot. I do think this may be the call to play it again, because life nowadays doesn't make "time travel" easy, and I'm not getting any younger.
Definitely have at it man, Evermore was a load of fun once I replayed it more recently. I'll cop to having bias against the game when I was growing up because it just felt _weird_ after playing Secret of Mana, and I'm so glad to hear from others who really embraced this game growing up. :)
@@SuperDerek Yeah, Evermore even heavily influenced my dice and paper gaming, since the characters would mix quite nicely with certain situations, even to the point where I would be probably too much in the moment, and the story's various nodes of resolution would come at the right time for me, even to the point I lost track of the pacing. I could blame it on whatever 'tisms or mental anomalies I might have, but I get super immersed. With games like Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King, my sometimes bizarre noggin would actually get to enjoy the story much more, due to how DQ characters tend to be written and localized... having me care about even the characters with the smallest parts. Even DQ: Echoes of an Elusive Age had me looking forward to encountering small-role characters I hadn't even met yet. On another note, Secret of Evermore, along with it being abandoned like it was, both had me inspired to begin making a game myself. Shoot, considering Zelda 2, games like Alwa's Awakening and Infernax took inspiration from it, which leads me to wonder how much "It's free real estate!" type of situations exist out there.
In ys 3 I used to tape down the attack button step right where an enemy would continuously respawn and run into my blade turn off TV wake up the next day at max level
Anyone with me that terranigma is the best snes rpg (yes, no "action" differentiator), period? While soul blazer had a focus on fighting and resurrecting (thus making sense calling it an action rpg), Terrnaigma shines everywhere and is easily comparable to / beats CT and FF6.
I do agree that the PS1 era was a step in the wrong direction. Considering the sheer volume of RPGs that system had, it's telling that almost none of them are games I have much interest in replaying.
I think it's just a me thing but I remember playing illusion of Gaia and not bring impressed with it back in the day. Even after seeing a modern playthrew of it a few years back I don't under the love it gets. With that said secret of evermore is underrated because all I have heard my life is " its just a shifty clone of secret of mana but plays worse". I can't understand how wrong everyone can be.
I get where you're coming from! It's not a bad clone of Secret of Mana, it's a _really good clone_ of Secret of Mana. The writing of the game also didn't have the handicap of having to be localized, which probably really helped the game feel really epic back in the day. Personally, when I tried to play it via rental a long time ago, I never got past the first stage, which was pretty dang hard. Honestly the whole game is pretty tough until you realize you can just rely on your dog to do most of the damage! 😅
I will go to my grave someday still cry-laughing about the fact that EVO: Search for Eden did Spore better than Spore did an entire sixteen years prior to Spore's release and did so on 16-bit hardware
Let me ask you a question! Can one awesome song make an average game amazing? Enter Sword of Vermilion for the genesis, an extremely average action RPG that I can't remember anything about it except one song. If I hear the song, it makes me want to play the game again, it is the brain worm of all brain worms of songs. I dare you to look up Sword of Vermilion music, the title of the song is Last City. Listen to this song and suffer as I do!
@@SuperDerek Had no idea about all that, it's just that one song and the one song only. Instead of a one-trick pony, that game is a one song bird. An exceptionally cool bird that puts on sunglasses and has a boombox as an 80's bird should when singing this song lol.
Heh, nah not too recent. We've been together since 2003. She's been in a couple videos over the years, like my review of Secret of Mana for instance. :)
On the topic of JRPGs "made by western hands", did you know that the first three Final Fantasy games as well as Secret of Mana were programmed by Persian-American Nasir Gebelli? He barely spoke any Japanese while making FF1
Be very careful of Ys 3 Derek. It’s well known to be the hardest JRPG of all time. I know very few people that managed to beat it and the ones that did used a Game Genie. You have been warned. Lots of frustration in that one is waiting for you.
Most of the best action rpgs are Japanese exclusively. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean were amazing that ps1 sequels(???) were final localized. Front Mission Gun Hazard is cybernator with rpg setting and Torneko and Shiren kick started Spike Chunsofts legendary mystery dungeon series. Also had popful mail, but it...uh just play Sega cd. Then you do tactical rpgs...Bahamut Lagoon=Final Fantasy Tactics, and Feda=not shining force are still over shadowed by you guess it...hot relief...or Fire Emblem if you prefer. Also playing power of the hired=not arc the lad.
It's definitely not a bad one! It's only number 10 on the list because I've played it relatively recently and don't feel the need to return to it just yet. :)
@@SuperDerek SNES maybe. But it's not that I remember anything much, only the world map and that I didn't come very far. Same day I tried SimCity, and failed at it to. Even then I doubt I had remembered much as a 5 year old.
I think the emphasis on storytelling in this game blurs the line enough for it to squeeze in under the bar for my list. But I totally get where you're coming from. :)
@@SuperDerek I dunno, plenty of games have great storytelling that are not RPGs (including the aforementioned Zelda). I don't think that's a defining characteristic of the genre. However, what Illuision lacks which I think IS a defining characteristic of RPGs, especially 16-bit RPGs, is an experience-based levelling system. This just doesn't exist in Illusion. Instead you get stronger in very much the same way you get stronger in Zelda games.
If you missed the Turn-Based RPGs list, be sure to check it out here! ua-cam.com/video/EGuCjS1TR08/v-deo.html
So... Secret of Evermore is 3 spots too low.
Where is Wanderer from Ys III ? It beats that ninja boy game...
Derek, please, never stop making videos. There is something special in you.
Thanks dude! I'll do my best to keep going! :)
terranigma is just... an experience no other game can provide. the dedication and love from the developers shine through ever single sprite movement that ark does.
Absolutely agreed!
@@nevadachi I'm a die hard FF9 fan, I think that game is the best ever created...BUT. Terranigma was a wonderful experience, I could say the 2nd best game for me. The soundtrack, the story the finale....oh man I cried rivers to that finale.
terranigma and Secret of mana are the type of Games you cna replay every couple of years, and will always feel fresh...
I need to play terranigma and I think it’s soul blazer, when I was a child I was absolutely enthralled by illusions of Gaia.
@@nephilexfrost7202please do. The trilogy is amazing.
I am really liking terranigma so far, since I bought a repro cart last year. It has taken me a while to get into it, because since I started playing video games more this past year and a half, I wanted to go and revisit a bunch of my older favorites from childhood. Secret of Mana is one of my all-time favorites, as well, but I have yet to revisit it recently. I did play through Illusion of Gaia three times in the last year, including two straight playthroughs recently. Quintet is a criminally underrated development team, who put a lot of heart and soul and philosophical insight into their games.
Thanks always for spreading the love for Terranigma. We recently had an amazing fan event here a couple weeks ago that I hope to write a short piece about soon. ❤
You bet! Always happy to spread the gospel! 😀
I lived about 40 miles away from where Secret of Evermore was developed. If I only new, I would have demanded my mom drive me across town so I could knock on the door and high five the developers.
But crystal balls and time machines don't exist. Oh well. Still my favorite game of all time.
The story and atmosphere in that game really had my number. The protagonist connecting everything to funny pop culture references, the eerie music, the dog, the market, the humor. No other game quite like it, imo
The hype for Terranigma 100% deserved. Incredible game.
Terranigma is the pinacle of A-RPGs on the Snes. It has also one of the best score, I have ever listened to and one of the saddest endings in all of media. Thank you Derek for mentioning this special game. It had a great impact on my life and has a special place in my heart.
I replay Terranigma like every 2 years. It's been over 25 years when I first played this on SNES and it is my Number 1 game of all time. Almost nothing even comes close, after all these years.
I finally get to play it after wanting to for yrs. I got a miyoo mini plus and it was one of the roms it came w. So im pretty excited.. hope its not been built up too much. Its probably the best genre for holding up to todays standards. If it were a 3D game on 64 my expectations would be well tempered.
Guys! He did the thing! You know the thing we all knew he was going to do. @17:21 Waited till the end, but we knew it was coming.
Tell us honestly how much fun you had writing the script on this one!! Very fun watch, thanks Derek. I'll have to give Terranigma a try if that fan translation releases. It was before my time!
Love this video, seems like you went hard in the paint with the script!
As someone who didn't have a SNES growing up I really appreciate your recommendations for RPGs. Yes, I still need to play Final Fantasy 6/3 but learning about games like Terranigma is wonderful.
You know I had to check this list and make sure Ys 3 was on this list. Happy to see it here.
Happy to hear the inclusion of this title was not as controversial as I feared! 😅
Without spoiling the list, that no. 1 games map to the game had so many cool stories that strengthened my love for geography and history.
Amazing list Derek
Your a sly guy there Derek, you almost had me until you played “Resurrection” I love that song ❤
Great video. Glad to see Secret of Evermore. That game is so good, and it's never had a port or even a release outside of North America. It's still worth playing even now because of its charming, unique story. :)
It's almost like Square Enix wants to forget that game ever existed
It was released in Europe too back then.
What a fantastic list! I love every game shown, especially starting with Secret of Evermore!!! What a forgotten gem.
Terranigma's greatest flaw is its magic system. You have very limited MP-esque system, and you cannot recover it, ever. You "buy" spells with the currency you find throughout the world, and once you use the said currency, it's gone forever. This makes those spells essentially, "Too good to use" territory. And in the final fight, you can't even use any spells.
The funny thing is you actually get the magirocks back after you use them. Magirocks are basically just containers of magic. The only place I used them were on bloody mary for obvious reasons anyway. I agree the balancing was the one bad part of the game however you slice it.
@@kuzuthunder1964 Huh? You can get the magirocks back? Really? How? Do the magirocks respawn after certain time? How does that work?
@@michaelsong5555 The game doesn’t make this explicit at all but they are recyclable from get go. Think of them like bottles. When you buy magic you fill the bottle with a certain type of magic. Like fire magic 1 bottle and pyro a few bottles. When you use the fire magic that bottle becomes empty again so you can fill it with another fire magic. That’s why stats menu in the box shows both the maximum and available magirock number. I hope this makes sense.
@@kuzuthunder1964 O wow. I didn't know that this entire time. I just tried it. And you're right. Damn. Haha. Thanks.
I'm so glad you made the Dark Cloud comparison for Soul Blazer, I feel like no one talks about that when talking about Soul Blazer
I came across you videos very recently, and I've become an instant fan! Anyone who casually mentions Surf Ninjas can't be bad! XD
Kwansu, dude! 😁
"They love this word! It must mean, like, 'free beer' or something." 😂 I like you, Derek!@@SuperDerek
Am I the only person who enjoyed the marketplace trading sequence in Evermore? Eh? Eh?
I really did enjoy Evermore back in the day and I am looking forward to a re-release of some sort since I parted with my copy so many years ago.
I finished a playthrough of Seiken Densetsu 2 a few years ago. I don't remember how jank the English was in Secret of Mana (it has been over two decades since I've owned it), but honestly even in Japanese the writing felt very barebones. Also, definitely the manual and official guides are required reading material, since a lot of the lore is included in them and barely touched upon in the actual game.
Ys III is always a fun quick playthrough! I got a brand new copy of the Super Famicom game for like, less than $40, only a few years ago.
Of course Gaia and Terranigma are on another level of awesome.
Spike McFang and Dragon View both seem pretty interesting from your description and the footage. I'll have to check them out! Thanks for the recommendations.
Some french Zelda fan game re use Evermore trading sidequest in hyrule.
Nice one! My run of the mill standard ARPG top list, out of the ones I've beaten:
Terranigma
Front Mission: Gun Hazard
Secret of Evermore (w/ ninakoru's balancing mod)
Dragon View/Super Drakkhen
Brain Lord
Secret of Mana
Soul Blazer
Seiken Densetsu 3
Illusion of Gaia (SNES)(would love to play a retranslation of this one)
Alcahest
Shadowrun
Ys V: Kefin, The Lost City of Sand
Ys III
Xak: The Art of Visual Stage
Shodai Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-Kun
Ones I'm planning to play more: Star Ocean, Super Ninja Boy/Super Chinese World 1-2, Tales of Phantasia, Brandish 1-2, Ladystalker (it's not what you think!), Ys IV (played the PCE version first)
The SNES actually has a really strong ARPG library, now that I think about it
It really does! I can't wait to dive into the SFC library for games like Alcahest and Gun Hazard! :D
Great video!!! That 90s commercial style description of super Ninja Bros had me rolling!!!😂😂😂😂
Lol I'm glad you liked it!
SuperDerek knows what he's doing with the thumbnails.
10/10
Trials of Mana is something I never played on the SNES. But I'm glad it got a remake on PS4.
I never played Secret of Evermore but I enjoyed your videos.
I never heard of Super Ninja Boy.
Evo Search of Eden is also something I never heard of.
Dragon View... Also another one I never heard of.
Soul Blazer... Yep another one I never heard of.
Secret of Mana! YES.
Brain Lord? Another one I never heard of.
The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang? Never heard of this either. Also talk about a long title.
I heard of the YS games but never played any. Surprised to see this on your list so high. I'm pretty sure most people will just get Ys: The Oath in Felghana.
I remember seeing Illusion of Gaia back when I had a SNES in the 90s. I never got the game though. It would be amazing if this got a remake.
Terranigma ... A bonus. Game seems good. That is a shame Quintet went MIA. From looking info up, Inuyasha: The Secret of the Cursed Mask was the last game that Quintet developed; a 2004 game.
Great list, I loves Ys3 and I don't think it deserves the reputation of being a black sheep. It introduced me to the world of Ys.
I loved illusion of Gaia, Soulblazer, and course Terrinigma we really lost out in our childhoods to play that back then.
Ive been a follower of your channel almost 8 years or 6 (i dont remember xD) i wish that you had more subs because you deserve it. Your content are good. I hope that someday you get your plate from yt
Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, and Secret of Mana have such good music. I had so much fun with them as a kid but honestly the soundtracks were even better than the games themselves for me, especially for Illusion of Gaia. I still have an old CD I ordered from Japan with the IoG soundtrack.
Terranigma, one I have yet to play.
I was shocked about Ys III!
And I'm happy that you gave secret of evermore a little love. I love that game back in the day. I played that before I played secret of mana so I have a soft spot for it
If I made this list, it would have to be titled "All the games that made me sad I got a Genesis and not a SNES for Xmas 1991."
Seriously though, great list Derek! Looking forward to seeing you tackle some of these over the coming year!
Heck yeah dude! Me too! My wallet is seriously crying though! But it's best I pick these all up before they become actual unobtanium though... 😬
Ha! There it is, you know I had to wait around for Terranigma...
Great list, you covered my childhood addiction to ARPGs!
Dude! The “We play what we like!” Brought me back to watching 90s cartoons and cereal commercials. I immediately thought of Corn Pops(which were actually pretty gross lol) “I gotta have my pops!” 😂😂
It was so ridiculously easy to channel my inner '90s "attitude" for that bit. So much fun, why did we ever stop acting like that?? xD
I know you love Terranigma and would see it on the list because I remember the marathon playthroughs you did of the game especially the one where you lost your progress in the middle due to an inadvertent save or load state button press.
Here in Spain Nintendo had to choose between Secret of Evermore or Chrono Trigger (the chosen one would be translated to spanish). They picked SOE, and everyone in my country has always regret about not be able to play CT back in the day.
Oh wow, that's too bad. SoE is great and all, but it's no Chrono Trigger ☠️
Terranigma is one of my favourite games of all time. I am from Germany and I am so happy that I could play it in the late 1990s. Everyone should play this game once in his or her life. :)
How was the German localization? Pretty good? Or was it also a little rough? I heard Germany also got all kinds of exclusive comics and stuff! :D
In my opinion the localisation was very nice. Maybe a little bit rough but also (not too) serious and funny. For example you could say to the elder in Crysta about the chickens that you played soccer with them. This kind of humour can also be found in the translation of Secret of Mana. In Secret of Mana the goblins are talking about the German television series "Lindenstraße" and that it will begin soon. This is hilarious from a today's view point but in the 1990s I laughed a lot. :D
Maybe you heard of Claude M. Moyse. He translated a few RPGs as Secret of Mana and Terranigma. There is the word "Holerö" which is not a real word in German but he used it for "Hello" or "Wow" in some context. So the translation is also a little bit special but I liked it very much.
And yeah. There was a Terranigma comic which is about the first steps in the game until Ark comes to the overworld. I have the comic. And I also own a comic about Lufia II (in Germany it was only Lufia, the first game was never released in Germany), Donkey Kong Country 2 and Yoshi's Island. Every comic has a special humour with nice gags. Nintendo was very playful at that time with all the translations. Today this is unimaginable for Nintendo. :D Oh... I miss the old good times. ^^
I heard that the game was a huge it in Germany. I'm always curious why ahah ? 😁
@@Terranigma23 The question should be: Why not? :D The game has one of the best stories on video games, many interesting characters, a great idea, beautiful graphics and a fantastic soundtrack! The overworld music... this was a real JRPG feeling. :)
@@Darkfire0507 I mean, it's one of my favorite game (my username lol), but there was really a BIG focus of this game in Germany especially.
Nice list. I only know/play 1 title in the list. make me wonder why i don't play action RPG much back in the day.
Yup - Terranigma is an absolute masterpiece. Great video, Derek.
Thanks Ron! :D
i was like WHERE IS TERRANIGMA! but you did it justice, even if i love seiken 3, terranigma is just is own thing is one of the best ARPGs of its generation and deserves way more love
I got halfway through Dragonview about a decade ago, I think I got lost and didn't know how to progress. Regardless I remember having a lot of fun with the game and want to return to it at some point.
Spike McFang is fantastic and worth emulating! Also check out Ganpuru Gunman’s Proof if you haven’t. It’s a comic western that plays like A Link to the Past with some light Earthbound style humor.
I actually grabbed brain lord somewhat recently and new nothing about it at the time. Had a blast aside from some of its issues.
I had forgotten just how much that soundtrack rocks until making this video!
been a long time since is saw e.v.o. i had that one as a kid, its the best for sick days and needing a chill game. and you can play with the evolutions. loads of fun.
Definitely the kind of game you don't need to be _fully_ mentally awake at the time. The game itself is a fever dream already, so I can see why it would be a killer "sick day" game. :)
Great list SD! I know you moetly only play jrpgs but you should really play bg3
Looking forward to the full quintet trilogy nonstop-marathon stream! 🥳🥳🥳
Now that would be a crazy fun challenge! 🤯
I would KILL for an EVO remake. I LOVE that game and it's super expensive to get a cart now a days.
Secret of Evermore needs more love. Such a great game.
Terranigma was one-of-a-kind. This game has shown what the Super Nintendo was capable of - in many regards this game was far better than many of the Playstation games. The soundtrack is still a masterpiece which I still like to listen to.
I recommend to listen to the the new interpretation from Roman Heuser "Terranigma Revisited" if you also liked the original sound track.
I'll check it out! If you haven't already heard of it, also check out Terranigma: Return of Ark Original Sound Track: Crystal Sweet Home by Miyoko & Masamori. It was a very limited release album in Japan I managed to get my hands on. It's really great! :)
Secret of mana and illusion of gaia will always be special to me
My number 1 pick is Secret Of Mana. Very good game. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
That was a badass intro
Okay if your gonna show soul blazer, illusion of Gaia and terranigma you gotta complete the Enix/quintet quadrilogy with ROBOTREK!! :D
Talked about that one in the Turn Based RPGs video from the week before :)
@@SuperDerek rock on!
The older brother from Surf ninjas was in a movie a few years ago with the Rock and had a pretty great fight scene. I wish I could remember the title of the movie
You're talking about Ernie Reyes Jr. (aka Keno from TMNT2 ) and the movie you're thinking about is The Rundown.
You know how to turn a phrase, Sir. Good video. Pleasure to listen to.
Hah, thanks OptimalOwl! I had a lot of fun writing this video, I'm glad to hear others appreciate the wordplay. :)
Terranigma is fabulous. I replay it every couple years.
Great stuff!
Thanks Dusty!
I enjoyed Grand stream Saga back in the day but clearly the pinnacle for that company was SNES era
Terranigma....the only RPG I played from beginning to end in one sitting.....hooked me in from the beginning and because my pal converter didn't allow me to save.
As a spaniard (aka, live in europe so I got to play Terranigma) It's easily on my top 3 games on the super nintendo, on par with Chronno Trigger and Final Fantasy VI
Yes, it is that great.
And I still wish for the day in which Square Enix somehow, somewhy, gives it the FF7 Remake treatment.
Dragon View is so underrated!
Hey Derek! Have you considered buying repro games? It would save you a lot of money. Some games are ridiculously expensive!
Pretty solid list
Sir, you have me with Super Ninja Boy. The lip service to Seiken Densetsu 3 alone would make this video worth watching.
I played countless hours of Super Ninja Boy when I was a kid, and my Mom and I played together on it. It is a "quirky" little title from Culture Brain, with a nod to its NES title the Magic of Scheherazade (itself a Zelda-like with RPG elements). I miss my mom, but that janky lil' game is forever going to hold a special place in my heart... and you didn't even mention the Super Mega Zord Robot thing that acts as your flight system in the game XD .... it's so out of left field. They don't make games like this anymore. (Seriously, Culture Brain is still around, but they do sports games these days)
Thanks for the kind words! I'm sorry to hear about you mom, she must have been incredible!
If you're looking for something modern and off-beat, keep your eyes on Mameda no Bakery. It's more of a Ganbare Goemon spiritual successor, but it might just scratch that itch. :)
I'm not surprised Terraingma was on the list! But oh boy do I feel silly... That whole thing with time stopping was part of the beginning... And I thought I broke the game and got stuck the first time I played it. How? How does one think they broke the game when that is how it is supposed to go? Smooth Peachy....
Honestly I am glad you mentioned Illusion of Gaia because that is a very special game to me! And about what you mentioned about the death... Yeah. It makes me wonder why they bothered to try to tone down a certain scene when the death is 100% intact. Especially when the toning down never worked on me.
Me, 12 years old: 😀
The game: "Kara..." 🔥🔥🔥
Me: 😱
@@SuperDerek Yeah, that was my reaction too!
I tried to get into Terranigma but just couldn't get that far. It was like, walking around entering dungeons, but I think I was forced to kill all of the monsters in each dungeon and overall I just couldn't get into the game. Like, everyone says its good, but I couldn't figure it out.
It is an actual crime that the Heaven and Earth trilogy has never seen any kind of rerelease. Actraiser got a rerelease and a recent remake, so it isn't like Quintet games are off the table.
Lol, were you channeling Awesoke Video Games during that Super Ninja Bros segment?
Heck yeah I was! Was pretty good Internet friends with the crew behind that series back in the day. Even got to design their DVD cover! :)
@@SuperDerek I love those folks, I've been watching them since what feels like forever, lol.
I didn't know you did that cover, it was fantastic!
Europe was not only one got Terranigma it was also released english in Australia too.
Yep! I _think_ I mentioned that it came out in PAL territories, but that it was the EU branch that did the localization, right? I'd have to re-look at the script but I think I got it right.
@@SuperDerek You did mention PAL.
PAL and NTSC only exist because bandwidth analog video. Digital not have that problem.
After PS3 and Xbox 360 there is no difference NTSC and PAL because they both support 60hz.
Personally I think Illusion of Gaia is a tad better then Terranigma, but the whole Soul Blazer trilogy is something of the best in gaming history.
Brianlord is such a good game, with its jank and everything.
Finished all of this list including Terranigma except EVO
Have you played Little Ninja Bros for NES, its a prequel to Super Ninja Boy.
I have! I'm hoping to pick up a copy from a friend of a friend pretty soon, actually. :)
GREAT LIST
Thanks dude! :D
😮😮🙂🙂🎆🎇✨️ It's good to take you time. Complete those RPG
I recommend that you should try to play Fire Emblem - Genealogy of of The Holy War, @SuperDerek RPGs. It’s one of the greatest JRPG Game ever released for the Super Nintendo.
Secret of Evermore is my top game on this list, and I feel like my personal bias has put it much too far ahead, but if there's any way to time travel back to an age where I was learning to love games like this (and actually love videogames in general), I vastly favor such over any others.
My bias is so unfortunately strong, I'm actually disappointed in myself for not beating Secret of Mana and Terranigma first.
I've actually taken extended breaks (even years) from playing Secret of Evermore, because I was afraid I would play it too much (to the point of getting sick of it).
Due to nostalgic conditioning and playing so many RPG's before any of the Mana games, I was actually biased heavily against Mana, before recognizing what a huge impact it has had. I was ignorant, spitefully wondering why the Mana series kept getting love, and Secret of Evermore was seemingly left to rot.
I do think this may be the call to play it again, because life nowadays doesn't make "time travel" easy, and I'm not getting any younger.
Definitely have at it man, Evermore was a load of fun once I replayed it more recently. I'll cop to having bias against the game when I was growing up because it just felt _weird_ after playing Secret of Mana, and I'm so glad to hear from others who really embraced this game growing up. :)
@@SuperDerek
Yeah, Evermore even heavily influenced my dice and paper gaming, since the characters would mix quite nicely with certain situations, even to the point where I would be probably too much in the moment, and the story's various nodes of resolution would come at the right time for me, even to the point I lost track of the pacing.
I could blame it on whatever 'tisms or mental anomalies I might have, but I get super immersed. With games like Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King, my sometimes bizarre noggin would actually get to enjoy the story much more, due to how DQ characters tend to be written and localized... having me care about even the characters with the smallest parts. Even DQ: Echoes of an Elusive Age had me looking forward to encountering small-role characters I hadn't even met yet.
On another note, Secret of Evermore, along with it being abandoned like it was, both had me inspired to begin making a game myself. Shoot, considering Zelda 2, games like Alwa's Awakening and Infernax took inspiration from it, which leads me to wonder how much "It's free real estate!" type of situations exist out there.
Catchy title Derek 😂
In ys 3 I used to tape down the attack button step right where an enemy would continuously respawn and run into my blade turn off TV wake up the next day at max level
Terranigma is so great... would love to see it on switch snes emulator
We really need a modern way to play this title. I think a Soul Blazer collection is long overdue! :)
I've always been all about SNES but will earnestly recommend the Genesis version of Ys III. It's preferable.
I was actually looking for opinions on this, they look SO similar it's hard to pick a version. What about the Genesis version do you prefer?
Well the Turbo CD is the preferred version of Ys 3
Anyone with me that terranigma is the best snes rpg (yes, no "action" differentiator), period? While soul blazer had a focus on fighting and resurrecting (thus making sense calling it an action rpg), Terrnaigma shines everywhere and is easily comparable to / beats CT and FF6.
I do agree that the PS1 era was a step in the wrong direction. Considering the sheer volume of RPGs that system had, it's telling that almost none of them are games I have much interest in replaying.
I think it's just a me thing but I remember playing illusion of Gaia and not bring impressed with it back in the day. Even after seeing a modern playthrew of it a few years back I don't under the love it gets. With that said secret of evermore is underrated because all I have heard my life is " its just a shifty clone of secret of mana but plays worse". I can't understand how wrong everyone can be.
I get where you're coming from! It's not a bad clone of Secret of Mana, it's a _really good clone_ of Secret of Mana. The writing of the game also didn't have the handicap of having to be localized, which probably really helped the game feel really epic back in the day. Personally, when I tried to play it via rental a long time ago, I never got past the first stage, which was pretty dang hard. Honestly the whole game is pretty tough until you realize you can just rely on your dog to do most of the damage! 😅
I will go to my grave someday still cry-laughing about the fact that EVO: Search for Eden did Spore better than Spore did an entire sixteen years prior to Spore's release and did so on 16-bit hardware
No Actraiser ?
I'm definitely a fan of Quintet games, but it strikes me more of a sidescrolling hack and slash than action RPG, but I could be wrong on that front.
Let me ask you a question! Can one awesome song make an average game amazing? Enter Sword of Vermilion for the genesis, an extremely average action RPG that I can't remember anything about it except one song. If I hear the song, it makes me want to play the game again, it is the brain worm of all brain worms of songs. I dare you to look up Sword of Vermilion music, the title of the song is Last City. Listen to this song and suffer as I do!
Ay! Sword of Vermilion was a game by Yu Suzuki, of Shenmue fame. I still need to give it a go, but I picked it up with that knowledge alone. :)
@@SuperDerek Had no idea about all that, it's just that one song and the one song only. Instead of a one-trick pony, that game is a one song bird. An exceptionally cool bird that puts on sunglasses and has a boombox as an 80's bird should when singing this song lol.
I can't choose between Trials and Terranigma, you can't make me.
Hehe, don't worry I won't make you pick one! Like I said, it's a _super_ close call!
Everyone else: Yeah terranigma was amazing! (I agree by the way)
Me: Wow I didn't know super derek had a wife? is that recent? congrats!
Heh, nah not too recent. We've been together since 2003. She's been in a couple videos over the years, like my review of Secret of Mana for instance. :)
@@SuperDerek thats awesome, I'm only 20 years late to the party on congratulating you!
On the topic of JRPGs "made by western hands", did you know that the first three Final Fantasy games as well as Secret of Mana were programmed by Persian-American Nasir Gebelli? He barely spoke any Japanese while making FF1
Be very careful of Ys 3 Derek. It’s well known to be the hardest JRPG of all time. I know very few people that managed to beat it and the ones that did used a Game Genie. You have been warned. Lots of frustration in that one is waiting for you.
Duly noted, thank you for the heads up!
Most of the best action rpgs are Japanese exclusively. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean were amazing that ps1 sequels(???) were final localized. Front Mission Gun Hazard is cybernator with rpg setting and Torneko and Shiren kick started Spike Chunsofts legendary mystery dungeon series. Also had popful mail, but it...uh just play Sega cd. Then you do tactical rpgs...Bahamut Lagoon=Final Fantasy Tactics, and Feda=not shining force are still over shadowed by you guess it...hot relief...or Fire Emblem if you prefer. Also playing power of the hired=not arc the lad.
lol secret of evermore is my fav game on the list
It's definitely not a bad one! It's only number 10 on the list because I've played it relatively recently and don't feel the need to return to it just yet. :)
Terranigma the first RPG I played, for a littlw whole because I couldn'r read.
Wow! That's incredible! I wonder if playing Terranigma first would make it harder to enjoy other action RPGs? 😅
@@SuperDerek SNES maybe. But it's not that I remember anything much, only the world map and that I didn't come very far. Same day I tried SimCity, and failed at it to. Even then I doubt I had remembered much as a 5 year old.
for the love of god, play the turbo version of Ys III
Tales of Phantasia.
Castlevania Symphony of the Night = #1 Action RPG ever.
Diablo 1 : stands as 2nd best.
Terranigma could only be 3rd ever at best.
I wouldn't call Illusion of Gaia (or Illusion of Time as I knew it) an RPG. It's an action adventure game, closer to Zelda than it is to an RPG.
I think the emphasis on storytelling in this game blurs the line enough for it to squeeze in under the bar for my list. But I totally get where you're coming from. :)
@@SuperDerek I dunno, plenty of games have great storytelling that are not RPGs (including the aforementioned Zelda). I don't think that's a defining characteristic of the genre. However, what Illuision lacks which I think IS a defining characteristic of RPGs, especially 16-bit RPGs, is an experience-based levelling system. This just doesn't exist in Illusion. Instead you get stronger in very much the same way you get stronger in Zelda games.
You must really be excited for Dragon View to put it on the list before even playing it. Ballsy, lol 😂
Well, it's the list of games I'm Hyped to play, and this one looks really awesome! Recently bought a copy, hopefully the gamble pays off!
Just say "ARPGs released in the US". That way no one will point out that the SNES (NTSC) and SFC are electrically compatible.
So... Secret of Evermore is 3 spots too low.
Where is Wanderer from Ys III ? It beats that ninja boy game...
Alcahest!
Definitely looking forward to that Super Famicom list! :)