Like this video and what I do here? Consider supporting me on Patreon! www.patreon.com/davidvinc [0:49] - 15) - The Magical Land of Wozz [1:25] - 14) - Terranigma [1:56] - 13) - Breath of Fire 2 [2:27] - 12) - Final Fantasy 4 [2:54] - 11) - The Secret of Mana [3:24] - 10) - Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals [3:54] - 9) -
Tengai Makyou Zero: Far East of Eden Zero [4:27] - 8) - Seiken Densetsu 3 [5:03] - 7) - Final Fantasy 5 [5:42] - 6) - Super Mario RPG [6:16] - 5) - Bahamut Lagoon [6:50] - 4) - Dragon Quest 5 [7:22] - 3) - Final Fantasy 3 [8:02] - 2) - Earthbound [8:38] - 1) - Chrono Trigger
It makes me SO happy to see FF6 on the list. While I'm not really surprised, it still makes me happy. The fact there is a four part piece of music where there are callbacks to other pieces is either a stroke of genius, or a way to save some space. Either way I think this is Nobuo Uematsu's best work, BY FAR.
I would replace Breath of Fire 2, Terranigma, Dragon Quest 5, Seiken Densetsu 3 and Mario R.P.G with Dark Half, Shin Megami Tensei, Zelda: A link to the Past, Metal Max Returns and Super Metroid. Dragon Quest is the most boring and creatively bankrupt R.P.G. series except maybe Might and Magic, Terranigma is mediocre, Breath of Fire 2 has an excellent beginning but the rest is unexceptional, Mario R.P.G I just find incredibly boring and repetitive and filled with annoying characters and Seiken Denssetsu is great for the first half but eventually turns into a tedious and frustrating boss rush. I love this system, this is the perfect system for R.P.G.s and it would be my favorite retro system if not for the NES.
I really recommend Metal Max, an excellent series that is overlooked because most of it does not have an official translation. Metal Max Returns is a remake of the first game and one of the best. Metal Max 3 and Returns got fan translations recently, I beat them and loved them.
Chrono Trigger is probably the best paced RPG ever. There is absolutely NO filler. The game gets in and gets out and as a working adult, I really appreciate that. The game really respects your time unlike...other games out there lol
Is it me or games in general now suck? I can’t even go back to ps4 cause ff7 remake was so boring to me same with god of war ps4. Shit I’d even play the switch more than ps4 even with me preferring to emulate completely on android
I wouldn't exactly say that 'they are screwing it up now'. FF XV and FF XVI aren;t bad games and they did an excellent job with FF VII Remake and even more recently, with Rebirth.
Good list! I also recommend Treasure Hunter G as a hidden JRPG Gem. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean are also favorites of mine. The SNES was just a JRPG beast.
Lufia and Grandia are two jRPG series I REALLY need to play. But I decided to go on an Atelier binge starting with Ryza and then the Mysterious trilogy.
@@cam9144 no disagreement there but you have to admit. From the battle system to the music to the capsule monsters. Everything felt really good. Being able to hold L to rush battles was a small but great mechanic.
Chris Burgess - Absolutely! I really enjoyed the game in almost every aspect. There were times when I was just "puzzled out" and didn't look forward to the next cave or tower. Too many puzzles.
The SNES was such an amazing system. There are a couple of games on this list that I never even heard of. Thanks so much for bringing them to light! I can't wait for your PS1 definitive best JRPG list.
i have played all of them and i will say this list has all of my top 15 in it just not all are in the spot I'd put them but I'd say only people that HATE RPG's wouldn't have a good time with any of the gems on this list.
„Europe got Terranigma while North America got Secret of Evermore“. Well, Europe got it too, but no Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, FF2,3, Robotrek, EVO, Super Mario RPG, Breath of Fire 1 :(
Wth foreal that’s a shame you guys really missed out a lot I guess Japan was being more favorable to the u.s but then again there is games I’ve heard that only went to Europe from Japan
Those resurrection scenes in Terranigma with the solemn contemplative music absolutely blew my mind when i emulated it on my dad's pc in some foggy 90s or very early 2000s year.... and now they look like bad news weather CGI. Also the ending made me cry and stuck with me for a long time (thanks for rating it highly on your endings list). Wish so badly we could have gotten that game in the states. Always brightens my day to see your content show up in my feed, thanks David!
Just another reminder of the how absolutely amazing the Super NES is. Though there is one thing; I would say Square isn't screwing up Mana right now, I think they're doing pretty good, but in the early-mid 2000s... yeah, that's when they were screwing it up xD Also, Bahamut Lagoon was ported to the DS in Japan, so it got snubbed for localization TWICE. At least we finally got an official localization of Front Mission on the DS though. Other than that... man, I need to get on it and finally play some of these that I missed, ESPECIALLY Lufia and Terranigma
I'm not totally against paper mario but I don't know why they do not make another mario RPG!! That game is my comfort food to RPGs. The wife and I try to play that once every year. I usually like playing it during the winter time.
Partially it’s Nintendo’s fault. They’re insistent to perpetually innovate / re-invent everything, and will go on record to say “what can we do differently that we haven’t already done?” For SMRPG, all I can think about is clay-animation, but then it’d eventually devolve into clay jokes...
I didn't own an SNES until 2008, long after the system had passed on. In many ways, this was an advantage because A ) the games were cheaper, B ) all of the system's classics were already out, and C ) fan translations existed for games we never got back in the day. SNES is still my favorite Nintendo system.
Your criticism of FF6 was my one issue with it too. When I played I would only allow certain characters to learn magic, and only certain spells. It made everyone more unique.
Am I the only person in the world whose favorite video game is Breath of Fire 2? I mean, I understand its flaws for why some people won't like it, but for me it's the best.
Secret of Mana always has a spot in my heart for being one of the few games that you could play multiplayer and wasn't sports lol. I actually got to spend time with my older brother and play together 🥰
While I don't think it beats any of these games out, I do think Live-A-Live deserves an honorable mention just for having one of the best plot twists I've ever seen in a JRPG
The 16-bit console generation is the best gen of gaming, sorry but it's true. It's also the bridge generation between classic arcade gaming and modern cinematic gaming.
@@chrisrj9871 You should check out the movie Console Wars, Chris... great portrait of the heated competition of that era. The Sony/Xbox battle is nothing compared to the fight in the 16 bit era.
Everything I immediately thought MUST be on the list is. This is a fantastic list, although if it mas my list I probably would have had to find a spot for Magical Knight Rayearth. It's a decent enough game on it's own but if you've read the manga and/or watched the show you'll know that it's also a very faithful recreation with all of the puzzle fight solutions coming directly from "This is what happened in the show/book" and I think it's worth noting just for that.
There's an FF6 mod called Brave New World that handles the "everyone can be anything" problem of FF6. The characters are pretty well balanced and some of the glitches are fixed. It's worth giving a try- it's much more challenging and gives you a new perspective on the game.
I don't know if this counts but I recently got a translated version of Tales of Phantasia. I've been so excited to find time to play it :) Great video. More for me to play (add to my ever growing backlog)
Man this is so hard, so many excellent games to choose. I'd definitely put Live A Live on this list somewhere on the top 5 though, game's a total gemstone
David! Thanks for validating my love for Chrono Trigger. I'm not just a nostalgic fanboy after all! Also, after recently playing/replaying all the FF games...I have to agree with you about VI. I almost want to put V higher... 😅
On my top 15 list I would have included Arcana, I love Dungeon crawler rpgs and it's the only one the SNES Dungeon crawler outside of something far complicated like Wizardy or D&D.. It's SNES answer to the Genesis classic Shining in the Darkness which just so happens to be my favorite Genesis rpg.
BluFudge CrispyRice SMT started the monster collecting game genre as it’s main mechanic. Dragon Quest started the idea but the Dragon Quest games are not fully focused on such mechanics.
@@beiwubsnsod7378 actually, the definition for an RPG is pretty vague. Most people consider Persona 5 an RPG and Skyrim an RPG. Those games share literally nothing in common. I'm aware that P5 is a JRPG, but still. Xenoblade Chronicles, Pokemon, and Skyrim are all very different games yet are considered RPGs.
Fantastic list. I might swap some of them around and add a few in my own list, but this is pretty close to what I'd have on mine. My favorite SNES JRPG is Tales of Phantasia.
Rudra no Hihou/Treasure of the Rudras would be another contester. There's just something special about being able to play three parties that have their own goals at the same time; and of course: the game has probably the most intricate magic system.
I agree with everything you said about ff6 - the game is a lot better if you never equip an esper... which is a failing of the game design, but it's a small dent in an otherwise amazing game.
@@almightycinder Terra and Celes still have natural magic, umaro can fight in there as well. It's doable, but yeah, it's tougher. Edit: Gogo can be used, too
Great video, loved the list! It's always fun to go down memory lane with you. I do hope to see Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen receive an honorable mention. This game can take some getting used to (it's a "Guide Dang It" game if ever there was one), it's worth it for the huge class variety, the unique gameplay, and the compelling concept.
Star Ocean always left out :(... Saddens me, cause Ratix is still one of my fav characters of all time, I don't think I've ever felt connected to a character as I have to Ratix (Maybe Dart from LoD). The story blew my mind, and the combat felt fresh and compelling, no to mention the skills system!!!. Ill always be the biggest Star Ocean fan ever lol Tri-Ace are my heroes.
Yo my man… that snes translated version of the first star ocean is so much more fun than the remake on psp that I played first yes they made it like star ocean 2 and can run around and the snes japan original you barely move but it feels so authentic to the remakes of 1
Great list as usual! Gotta try Bahumaut Lagoon now. But I will say that even though it’s technically an nes game, I would have at least put the snes version of Dragon Quest 3 as an honorable mention. It takes an already great game and turns up nearly every aspect to make it something that can stand out even amongst snes giants like the Final Fantasies. That particular version is still highly rated to this day.
My opinion about Bahamut Lagoon is that it 's potentially good but it's hard to be neither too weak or overpowered. That's a problem I have with most Tactical RPGs, especially Disgaea.
"last great mana game as far as I'm concerned" Them fighting words man. Legend of Mana is pure soul the game and Sword of Mana is an example of a good video game remake. EB is my GOAT game to this day, I wish more games did what EB's ending does as well. I do like CT a lot though but EB, Lufia 2, FF5, Terranigma, BoF2, and Mario RPG I just like more for whatever reason. FF5 is my favorite of the classic FFs. People keep thinking the plot is nothing special but a world being divided into 2 in order to seal off a time compressed world destroying black hole of a void is quite unique story wise and the party mesh is the best in the classic FF games. Bartz and friends mesh so well together and a certain event with the old man still stands as one of my favorite bad ass moments in classic FF (really what is up with FF having bad ass old people? FF4 has Tellah, FF5 has Galuf, FF6 has Cyan)
Breath of Fire is one of my favorite series of all time! That is probably because I love dragons though! I’m surprised you didn’t add Final Fantasy Mystic Quest!
In DQ5 when you’re turned to stone and watch that couple raise their child only to see him get grabbed by a monster, I’ll admit I cried liked a baby. It really got to me. And seeing the after effect of how it ruins that family
It is truly remarkable how with even with the restraints of graphical capability during DQ5's release, that such heartbreaking and otherwise tearjerking things could get you. I applaud game makers from this era especially at really hitting you personally and making you feel the moment.
I love DQ5. I will admit that there are a couple of SNES RPGs that are more well-rounded that DQ5, but as far as emotional impact is concerned, I think it is number 1.
Rudra no Hihou/Treasure of the Rudras is a game I often see on peoples' "Hidden Gems" and "greatest RPGs you've probably never played" lists. Haven't played it yet myself but it's definitely one I want to check out. Since it originally started out as Final Fantasy VII (unless I'm mistaken) and is another fan-translated Square game makes it all the more worth trying out. Have you played it and if so, what did you think?
secret of mana was like the first game I have an actual recollection playing sitting there with my uncle playing on his snes every weekend and even some school nights getting through the game lil by lil. Mad fun times 😢
Great list as always David! Considering all of the SNES JRPGs you have played I would love if you expanded on this list in the future and did a 16-30 list or even more. Your thoughts and recommendations on games have regularly influenced me to go back and try a lot of games (going through the Final Fantasy Legend games now bases on your video and loving them). Keep up the good work!
Honestly, ff4 is my favorite ff of all time... for the reasons you gave, but I liked ff6 for the reason you did not like it, lolol. Loved the video and spent most of it thinking, where is Chrono... oh... lol
Dear David, I am sorry if I sound repetitive but I cannot stop thinking about what could made you remove Tales of Phantasia or Star Ocean from this list when these games were ranked by you higher than The Magical Land of Wozz & Terranigma in your previous top 10 non Square games...🤔
I haven't played many SNES RPGs but the one's I absolutely loved were: 1. EarthBound 2. Chrono Trigger 3. Terranigma 4. Secret of Mana 5. ActRaiser 6. E.V.O.: Search for Eden 7. Super Mario RPG 8. Live-A-Live 9. Shadowrun 10. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals I wanna check out Illusion of Gaia, SoulBlazer, and Trials of Mana next.
My personal favorite is Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Unfortunately, it was never brought to the west, but there's an amazing translation patch called Project Naga.
4:38 I was gonna be all like "u wot m8?!" but I'll acknowledge that Legend of Mana isn't necessarily for everyone. It's not a particularly accessible game and feels no need to explain *any* of its advanced mechanics. Nevermind that several of the larger story arcs are gated by said mechanics to one degree or another. That said, anyone who puts in the effort to understand this game has a real treat waiting for them.
You picked the best song (in maybe video game history) to play during your clip of FF6. Searching for friends is just an amazing song that not only do I still love all these years later, I appreciate it even more now. Not sure where some of my friends from that time period went but sometimes I feel like I’m searching for them now and that is something that all of us can relate too. I love your videos, please keep at it!
I spent more time in Ogre Battle than every other SNES RPG I played combined. And that includes getting every item from and repeatedly winning the Ancient Cave dungeon in Lufia II
The Problem with the Chrono trigger sequels , was that Akira Toriyama had the main Characters Copyrighted and was still in Contract with Enix while Chrono cross was in development in the late 90s early 2000s .
I agree with the set of games on this list in its majority but boy do we have different rankings though. To me Lufia II needs to be higher, Secret of Mana lower, and FF IV (II) even though the SNES version is an insult to the real game, should be higher. Oh and BoF 1 is better than 2 IMO. I'd put DQ5 higher also. The world building and story of DQ is sooo ahead of its time. Overall great list though. Ranking is only a question of personnal tastes in the end. :D
@@robmalcolm8042 You definitely should! Lufia 2 is the best one of the original three and one of the greatest games on the SNES. The first Lufia game was more of a Dragon Quest clone. It has a high encounter rate, but I still enjoyed playing through it. Lufia 3 is on the Gameboy color and has one of the most stellar soundtracks on that system. It's different from the other two games combat and dungeon-wise, but it's worth a playthrough.
The top 2 games were my favourite. Finding the ultimate weapons in both games were fun for me. Final fantasy 4 Was another awesome game because of the story was great from start to finish.
It's so weird to have grown up on these games and yet there's full grown adults who were born after these games were released. Starting to feel old. Good list. If Secret of Evermore was longer, I'd be complaining that it's not on your list.
Tactics Ogre would be my number one - surprised it didn’t make the list, since you included plenty of other Japan-only (at the time) games. Fire Emblem: Mystery Of The Emblem would be up there too (unfortunately, I never played Genealogy).
Omg I played Lufia 2 sooooo much when I had to stay home from elementary with mononucleosis. I even discovered a weird debug glitch on accident and tried to send a letter to Gamepro to publish it in their tricks section ❤
I'm tired of FF4 and FF5 winning #1 in the countdowns just because its a Final Fantasy game. Earthbound and Chrono Trigger deserver the #1 and #2 spots. They both did something innovative, perfectly paced, presentation is beautiful, very fun, and for many people these games were life-changing
I'll be using this video as a checklist for all the games I need to play on the snes. I didn't really start playing RPGs until the PS1 so there are several of these that I haven't tried yet. Thanks!
Glad to see good old Bahamut Lagoon getting the love it deserves. :P Also...I dunno how you feel about the Remake of Trials of Mana / SD3, but honestly, after I installed a difficulty boost mod, I feel like it was nearly perfect on my Hawkeye run.
I just wanted to say that I LOVE your aesthetic! My husband showed me your channel, I miss your fireplace, but love that you turned it into a tree. He didn't notice, but I did. You have a wonderful eye. Have a great night and I hope your safe and happy!
I first played Chrono Trigger when I bought a copy of Final Fantasy Chronicles on PS1 from a blockbuster that was closing almost 20 years ago and it has been my all time favorite game every since. I really enjoyed Earthbound as well, but never got a chance to finish it
Number 1 is justified but you did my sweet sweet Final Fantasy 5 dirty! Imo it would take the #1 spot. Great list. My top 10 list would include many of the same titles but just mixed up a bit different. Great vid.
1:29 "This is a strange bird. And some american may have never heard of, because well, we got Secret of Evermore, Europe got this sweet child" i'm European and was in junior high school during the SNES years, and I can tell you we had BOTH Terranigma AND Secret of Evermore (And both the games were sold under blister, including their own 60 pages guides to replace the notice! This also happened as well for other games such as Secret of Mana, Illusion of Gaia (renamed of some reason "Illusion of Time" in Europe), Super Metroid, and Final Fantasy Mystic Quest ( renamed "Mystic Quest Legend" in Europe)). Actually the Action RPGs such as the Enix trilogy, the Seiken Dentestu's that came out in the USA, the Actraiser's games were coming out in Europe and doing well. But for some reason Nintendo Europe was very uncertain with the turn by turn RPGs believing they wouldn't succeed in our lands. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was actually a first attempt in 1994 on the SNES to release a turn by turn RPG and see how the audience would receive it before releasing others. I can't really understand why they were so frightned because on the other hand was releasing almost all of it's most famous RPGs on the Megadrive (Genesis in USA) such as Shining Force or Fantasy Star and the Sega kids were loving them. So we eventually had a release of Breath of Fire II and Lufia II by the end life of the console (Terranigma was also an endlife release btw) while Nintendo of Europe was realizing that people in Europe were playing turn by turn Rpgs on the new coming Playstation and Sega Saturn... Unfortunatetly we never had games such as FFIV, FFVI, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Super Mario RPG... But that's when the import market from the USA came in handy in the local video game shops, with the exclusive AD-29 game adaptator wihc allowed thousands of European kids (including me) back then to play all these games, and many others alongside! (I actually owned all the previous mentionned games way before Terranigma or Lufia II!)
I dont care what anybody says, i still haven't played a FF game that has surpassed FF7. 10 is my next favorite after 7, but still doesnt touch it. Something about the characters, story, game mechanics, etc. Just made 7 so memorable. It was lightning in a bottle!!! But this was a pretty great list!
Great list. I don't think anyone can really argue with it. I finally jailbroke my SNES classic to add the fan translations to is and it works so well. Final Fantasy III (VI) is the reason I bought a SNES and Chrono Trigger was the first game I bought Day 1. =)
i dont think star ocean 1 made it over to the US if it did it was hard to find. Star ocean 2 was on the PS1 and that would have definitely made the list
Flawless list and I agree that the SNES was the pinnacle of JRPGs. The simplicity and timeless graphics (they mastered pixel art by the time Chrono Trigger came out) makes this system the greatest of all time in my eyes. Terranigma is so good that I can't believe we never got it in the states, but at least we got most of the other ones.
Epic list! I have so many fond memories of some of these as a child. I have played FFVI so many times and Chrono Trigger. DQV was a recent experience, but some of the most emotional moments in an RPG!
I was hoping you'd make a video on the Mario RPGs but you don't seem to have a lot of appreciation for them except for the one on this list 😅 I personally love the Mario & Luigi series, esp. Bowser's Inside Story and Superstar Saga. The former got me hooked up til the end and made me LOL multiple times
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[0:49] - 15) -
The Magical Land of Wozz
[1:25] - 14) - Terranigma
[1:56] - 13)
-
Breath of Fire 2
[2:27] - 12) -
Final Fantasy 4
[2:54] - 11) -
The Secret of Mana
[3:24] - 10)
- Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals
[3:54] - 9)
-
Tengai Makyou Zero: Far East of Eden Zero
[4:27] - 8) -
Seiken Densetsu 3
[5:03] - 7)
-
Final Fantasy 5
[5:42] - 6) -
Super Mario RPG
[6:16] - 5) -
Bahamut Lagoon
[6:50] - 4)
-
Dragon Quest 5
[7:22] - 3)
- Final Fantasy 3
[8:02] - 2)
-
Earthbound
[8:38] - 1) - Chrono Trigger
Do you think DQ5 is better to play on the SNES or the DS?
SNES was and always will be the king of jrpg's
It makes me SO happy to see FF6 on the list. While I'm not really surprised, it still makes me happy. The fact there is a four part piece of music where there are callbacks to other pieces is either a stroke of genius, or a way to save some space. Either way I think this is Nobuo Uematsu's best work, BY FAR.
I would replace Breath of Fire 2, Terranigma, Dragon Quest 5, Seiken Densetsu 3 and Mario R.P.G with Dark Half, Shin Megami Tensei, Zelda: A link to the Past, Metal Max Returns and Super Metroid. Dragon Quest is the most boring and creatively bankrupt R.P.G. series except maybe Might and Magic, Terranigma is mediocre, Breath of Fire 2 has an excellent beginning but the rest is unexceptional, Mario R.P.G I just find incredibly boring and repetitive and filled with annoying characters and Seiken Denssetsu is great for the first half but eventually turns into a tedious and frustrating boss rush. I love this system, this is the perfect system for R.P.G.s and it would be my favorite retro system if not for the NES.
I really recommend Metal Max, an excellent series that is overlooked because most of it does not have an official translation. Metal Max Returns is a remake of the first game and one of the best. Metal Max 3 and Returns got fan translations recently, I beat them and loved them.
Chrono Trigger is probably the best paced RPG ever. There is absolutely NO filler. The game gets in and gets out and as a working adult, I really appreciate that. The game really respects your time unlike...other games out there lol
You’ve become such a great resource for me ever since DQ 11 reignited my love of this genre. Keep it up.
That game is so fucking long! But I love it! Lol
@@ryukirito2616 it’s really not too bad and I love the post game story and stuff to do
@@branbelmont326 I put over 100 hours in the game. To me that’s a long game and I love it.
"If square can get it right in the 90s, why are they screwing it up now". Should be their official motto.
Sakaguchi left.
Facts
Is it me or games in general now suck? I can’t even go back to ps4 cause ff7 remake was so boring to me same with god of war ps4. Shit I’d even play the switch more than ps4 even with me preferring to emulate completely on android
Tons of cool Square games, plus you get a lot of the old titles with quality of life upgrades.
I wouldn't exactly say that 'they are screwing it up now'. FF XV and FF XVI aren;t bad games and they did an excellent job with FF VII Remake and even more recently, with Rebirth.
Great list, but in my opinion Lufia 2 should have been muuuuuuuch higher.
I consider this game as great as lttp chrono trigger secret of mana etc
It's really sad how much of this list is forgotten, neglected and/or abandoned franchises. :(
Secret of Mana is better than Seiken Densetsu 3...
Luckily a lot of them are pretty beloved
@@lorddoomer7271they're in same franchise, this is a weird thing to comment when ru ru talk is about dead franchises lmao
At least mana is alive yk
Good list! I also recommend Treasure Hunter G as a hidden JRPG Gem. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean are also favorites of mine. The SNES was just a JRPG beast.
The lack of Tales of Phantasia is disturbing.
Lufia II. The only game to make me cry.
Lufia and Grandia are two jRPG series I REALLY need to play.
But I decided to go on an Atelier binge starting with Ryza and then the Mysterious trilogy.
@@iCABALi I completely agree... Lufia 2 is my all time favorite jrpg to this day. It needs an octopath style reboot.
Lufia 2 was a long drawn out chore but that ending was so good.
@@cam9144 no disagreement there but you have to admit. From the battle system to the music to the capsule monsters. Everything felt really good. Being able to hold L to rush battles was a small but great mechanic.
Chris Burgess - Absolutely! I really enjoyed the game in almost every aspect. There were times when I was just "puzzled out" and didn't look forward to the next cave or tower. Too many puzzles.
The SNES was such an amazing system. There are a couple of games on this list that I never even heard of. Thanks so much for bringing them to light! I can't wait for your PS1 definitive best JRPG list.
i have played all of them and i will say this list has all of my top 15 in it just not all are in the spot I'd put them but I'd say only people that HATE RPG's wouldn't have a good time with any of the gems on this list.
5:04 Ah , Final Fantasy V That Game Brings Back so many Memories
„Europe got Terranigma while North America got Secret of Evermore“. Well, Europe got it too, but no Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, FF2,3, Robotrek, EVO, Super Mario RPG, Breath of Fire 1 :(
Agreed. And you can take that further into the PS1 era - no Xenogears, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve... 😭
Is EVO even an RPG?
@@Kepec85 ahh. I never played it, but I had the impression it was a action-platformer about dinosaurs. Thank you for the information
Wth foreal that’s a shame you guys really missed out a lot I guess Japan was being more favorable to the u.s but then again there is games I’ve heard that only went to Europe from Japan
Chrono Trigger is a Masterpiece
Those resurrection scenes in Terranigma with the solemn contemplative music absolutely blew my mind when i emulated it on my dad's pc in some foggy 90s or very early 2000s year.... and now they look like bad news weather CGI. Also the ending made me cry and stuck with me for a long time (thanks for rating it highly on your endings list). Wish so badly we could have gotten that game in the states.
Always brightens my day to see your content show up in my feed, thanks David!
That game is pretty good I forgot the other one that’s just like it on the snes
Just another reminder of the how absolutely amazing the Super NES is.
Though there is one thing; I would say Square isn't screwing up Mana right now, I think they're doing pretty good, but in the early-mid 2000s... yeah, that's when they were screwing it up xD
Also, Bahamut Lagoon was ported to the DS in Japan, so it got snubbed for localization TWICE. At least we finally got an official localization of Front Mission on the DS though.
Other than that... man, I need to get on it and finally play some of these that I missed, ESPECIALLY Lufia and Terranigma
I feel like sailor moon anothe4 story gets the "best lisenced rpg" award....its a darn good game...
Especially with the newer fan translation.
@@iCABALi there's a new fan translation!?
I'm not totally against paper mario but I don't know why they do not make another mario RPG!! That game is my comfort food to RPGs. The wife and I try to play that once every year. I usually like playing it during the winter time.
Partially it’s Nintendo’s fault. They’re insistent to perpetually innovate / re-invent everything, and will go on record to say “what can we do differently that we haven’t already done?”
For SMRPG, all I can think about is clay-animation, but then it’d eventually devolve into clay jokes...
mario and luigi was made by the same people that made smrpg. so if anything it was more the sucessor then paper mario was.
megamike15 Didn’t SMRPG also have Squaresoft staff? Wait, wasn’t Mario and Luigi made by, Alphadream was it?
@@AkaiAzul alphadream was formed by former sqaure staff that worked on smrpg.
Honestly I thought superstar saga was better
I didn't own an SNES until 2008, long after the system had passed on. In many ways, this was an advantage because A ) the games were cheaper, B ) all of the system's classics were already out, and C ) fan translations existed for games we never got back in the day. SNES is still my favorite Nintendo system.
Foreal??? I heard some games are dumb expensive now better off just emulating it free on a android phone or pc
Your criticism of FF6 was my one issue with it too. When I played I would only allow certain characters to learn magic, and only certain spells. It made everyone more unique.
I have been lifting weights, doing cocaine, and listening to Chrono's Theme all day!!!
How do I subscribe to a UA-cam comment?
Am I the only person in the world whose favorite video game is Breath of Fire 2? I mean, I understand its flaws for why some people won't like it, but for me it's the best.
It's not my favourite, but I really like it too ! (Especially with that patch)
Secret of Mana always has a spot in my heart for being one of the few games that you could play multiplayer and wasn't sports lol. I actually got to spend time with my older brother and play together 🥰
While I don't think it beats any of these games out, I do think Live-A-Live deserves an honorable mention just for having one of the best plot twists I've ever seen in a JRPG
Definitely. The SNES is Nintendo's best console hands down. Nothing against the switch, but the library will never compare to SNES.
Horse is the best transportation hands down. Nothing against the car, but the versatility will never compare to the horse.
My original SNES pads still work flawlessly. I've had to send my Joy-cons in to Nintendo four times, and they're already starting to do it again.... 😫
@@Revocdeb good one 😂😂
The 16-bit console generation is the best gen of gaming, sorry but it's true.
It's also the bridge generation between classic arcade gaming and modern cinematic gaming.
@@chrisrj9871 You should check out the movie Console Wars, Chris... great portrait of the heated competition of that era. The Sony/Xbox battle is nothing compared to the fight in the 16 bit era.
David is one awesome man for having SO much knowledge on everything JRPGs. I’m always amazed by how much he knows!
Everything I immediately thought MUST be on the list is. This is a fantastic list, although if it mas my list I probably would have had to find a spot for Magical Knight Rayearth. It's a decent enough game on it's own but if you've read the manga and/or watched the show you'll know that it's also a very faithful recreation with all of the puzzle fight solutions coming directly from "This is what happened in the show/book" and I think it's worth noting just for that.
There's an FF6 mod called Brave New World that handles the "everyone can be anything" problem of FF6. The characters are pretty well balanced and some of the glitches are fixed. It's worth giving a try- it's much more challenging and gives you a new perspective on the game.
I don't know if this counts but I recently got a translated version of Tales of Phantasia. I've been so excited to find time to play it :)
Great video. More for me to play (add to my ever growing backlog)
Phantasia is so gorgeous and the music is among the best. Story is deep, but has its flaws otherwise.
Man this is so hard, so many excellent games to choose. I'd definitely put Live A Live on this list somewhere on the top 5 though, game's a total gemstone
David! Thanks for validating my love for Chrono Trigger. I'm not just a nostalgic fanboy after all! Also, after recently playing/replaying all the FF games...I have to agree with you about VI. I almost want to put V higher... 😅
On my top 15 list I would have included Arcana, I love Dungeon crawler rpgs and it's the only one the SNES Dungeon crawler outside of something far complicated like Wizardy or D&D.. It's SNES answer to the Genesis classic Shining in the Darkness which just so happens to be my favorite Genesis rpg.
"Where the monster capturing all got started."
That's not Shin Megami Tensei though.
This
Monster capturing was in games even before SMT so both are technically incorrect.
He was referring to the first time in the Dragon Quest series.
ShadowWolfRising there were monster collecting game before smt
BluFudge CrispyRice SMT started the monster collecting game genre as it’s main mechanic. Dragon Quest started the idea but the Dragon Quest games are not fully focused on such mechanics.
I'm so glad you DID NOT include "Link to the Past". Too many people call that an RPG and it's not.
Agreed completely.
He knows better
People who say any zelda game is an rpg needs to get their head checked
@@beiwubsnsod7378 by definition yes. But no I will never say Zelda is an RPG even if it technically is I won't agree that it is one personally.
@@beiwubsnsod7378 actually, the definition for an RPG is pretty vague. Most people consider Persona 5 an RPG and Skyrim an RPG. Those games share literally nothing in common. I'm aware that P5 is a JRPG, but still. Xenoblade Chronicles, Pokemon, and Skyrim are all very different games yet are considered RPGs.
Fantastic list. I might swap some of them around and add a few in my own list, but this is pretty close to what I'd have on mine. My favorite SNES JRPG is Tales of Phantasia.
Having some nostalgic jrpgs moments with the start of 2024 and this was a great video to remind me of games I need to play again .
Rudra no Hihou/Treasure of the Rudras would be another contester. There's just something special about being able to play three parties that have their own goals at the same time; and of course: the game has probably the most intricate magic system.
This. I expected to see it. It's that good. One of the last RPGs released on the system. Beautiful graphics. Unique magic system. Cool story.
I love Treasure of the Rudras. Has an epic line story and beatiful graphics.
I trust this dude's JRPG knowledge above anyone.
I agree with everything you said about ff6 - the game is a lot better if you never equip an esper... which is a failing of the game design, but it's a small dent in an otherwise amazing game.
Could you defeat the cult of Kefka tower like that, though?
@@almightycinder Terra and Celes still have natural magic, umaro can fight in there as well. It's doable, but yeah, it's tougher. Edit: Gogo can be used, too
Great video, loved the list! It's always fun to go down memory lane with you.
I do hope to see Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen receive an honorable mention. This game can take some getting used to (it's a "Guide Dang It" game if ever there was one), it's worth it for the huge class variety, the unique gameplay, and the compelling concept.
Star Ocean always left out :(... Saddens me, cause Ratix is still one of my fav characters of all time, I don't think I've ever felt connected to a character as I have to Ratix (Maybe Dart from LoD). The story blew my mind, and the combat felt fresh and compelling, no to mention the skills system!!!. Ill always be the biggest Star Ocean fan ever lol Tri-Ace are my heroes.
Yo my man… that snes translated version of the first star ocean is so much more fun than the remake on psp that I played first yes they made it like star ocean 2 and can run around and the snes japan original you barely move but it feels so authentic to the remakes of 1
Great list as usual! Gotta try Bahumaut Lagoon now. But I will say that even though it’s technically an nes game, I would have at least put the snes version of Dragon Quest 3 as an honorable mention. It takes an already great game and turns up nearly every aspect to make it something that can stand out even amongst snes giants like the Final Fantasies. That particular version is still highly rated to this day.
My opinion about Bahamut Lagoon is that it 's potentially good but it's hard to be neither too weak or overpowered. That's a problem I have with most Tactical RPGs, especially Disgaea.
"last great mana game as far as I'm concerned" Them fighting words man. Legend of Mana is pure soul the game and Sword of Mana is an example of a good video game remake. EB is my GOAT game to this day, I wish more games did what EB's ending does as well. I do like CT a lot though but EB, Lufia 2, FF5, Terranigma, BoF2, and Mario RPG I just like more for whatever reason.
FF5 is my favorite of the classic FFs. People keep thinking the plot is nothing special but a world being divided into 2 in order to seal off a time compressed world destroying black hole of a void is quite unique story wise and the party mesh is the best in the classic FF games. Bartz and friends mesh so well together and a certain event with the old man still stands as one of my favorite bad ass moments in classic FF (really what is up with FF having bad ass old people? FF4 has Tellah, FF5 has Galuf, FF6 has Cyan)
Whoa! you and I have the EXACT same top 3! Good choices my man!
We had Secret of Evermore in Europe... AND Terranigma!
But we didn't have Earthbound, very sadly...
Greetings from Germany
I haven't checked out Tengai Makyou Zero, but you helped me discover Tengai Makyou 4, which also looks awesome. Can't wait to check that one out!
Breath of Fire is one of my favorite series of all time! That is probably because I love dragons though! I’m surprised you didn’t add Final Fantasy Mystic Quest!
In DQ5 when you’re turned to stone and watch that couple raise their child only to see him get grabbed by a monster, I’ll admit I cried liked a baby. It really got to me. And seeing the after effect of how it ruins that family
I have twin daughters and I can't help to imagine myself im the hero's shoes. It kills my heart
It is truly remarkable how with even with the restraints of graphical capability during DQ5's release, that such heartbreaking and otherwise tearjerking things could get you. I applaud game makers from this era especially at really hitting you personally and making you feel the moment.
I love DQ5. I will admit that there are a couple of SNES RPGs that are more well-rounded that DQ5, but as far as emotional impact is concerned, I think it is number 1.
Rudra no Hihou/Treasure of the Rudras is a game I often see on peoples' "Hidden Gems" and "greatest RPGs you've probably never played" lists. Haven't played it yet myself but it's definitely one I want to check out. Since it originally started out as Final Fantasy VII (unless I'm mistaken) and is another fan-translated Square game makes it all the more worth trying out. Have you played it and if so, what did you think?
secret of mana was like the first game I have an actual recollection playing sitting there with my uncle playing on his snes every weekend and even some school nights getting through the game lil by lil. Mad fun times 😢
Great list as always David! Considering all of the SNES JRPGs you have played I would love if you expanded on this list in the future and did a 16-30 list or even more. Your thoughts and recommendations on games have regularly influenced me to go back and try a lot of games (going through the Final Fantasy Legend games now bases on your video and loving them). Keep up the good work!
Terranigma is my love!
Honestly, ff4 is my favorite ff of all time... for the reasons you gave, but I liked ff6 for the reason you did not like it, lolol. Loved the video and spent most of it thinking, where is Chrono... oh... lol
Dear David, I am sorry if I sound repetitive but I cannot stop thinking about what could made you remove Tales of Phantasia or Star Ocean from this list when these games were ranked by you higher than The Magical Land of Wozz & Terranigma in your previous top 10 non Square games...🤔
My favirites would be Chrono Trigger and Tales of Phantasia.
I haven't played many SNES RPGs but the one's I absolutely loved were:
1. EarthBound
2. Chrono Trigger
3. Terranigma
4. Secret of Mana
5. ActRaiser
6. E.V.O.: Search for Eden
7. Super Mario RPG
8. Live-A-Live
9. Shadowrun
10. Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
I wanna check out Illusion of Gaia, SoulBlazer, and Trials of Mana next.
My personal favorite is Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Unfortunately, it was never brought to the west, but there's an amazing translation patch called Project Naga.
4:38 I was gonna be all like "u wot m8?!" but I'll acknowledge that Legend of Mana isn't necessarily for everyone. It's not a particularly accessible game and feels no need to explain *any* of its advanced mechanics. Nevermind that several of the larger story arcs are gated by said mechanics to one degree or another. That said, anyone who puts in the effort to understand this game has a real treat waiting for them.
I know it's all opinion, but I'd be inclined to put both Treasure of the Rudras & Live a Live ahead of some of the games on this list.
You picked the best song (in maybe video game history) to play during your clip of FF6. Searching for friends is just an amazing song that not only do I still love all these years later, I appreciate it even more now. Not sure where some of my friends from that time period went but sometimes I feel like I’m searching for them now and that is something that all of us can relate too. I love your videos, please keep at it!
Secret of Mana at #11 is a massive injustice
davidvinc is definitively the best snes rpg evaluator!!!! love your vids!
I spent more time in Ogre Battle than every other SNES RPG I played combined. And that includes getting every item from and repeatedly winning the Ancient Cave dungeon in Lufia II
Great gameplay footage, most Top 10s simply choose the first 5 minutes of footage, but you went in deep and got the good stuff.. new sub
The Problem with the Chrono trigger sequels , was that Akira Toriyama had the main Characters Copyrighted and was still in Contract with Enix while Chrono cross was in development in the late 90s early 2000s .
I agree with the set of games on this list in its majority but boy do we have different rankings though.
To me Lufia II needs to be higher, Secret of Mana lower, and FF IV (II) even though the SNES version is an insult to the real game, should be higher. Oh and BoF 1 is better than 2 IMO. I'd put DQ5 higher also. The world building and story of DQ is sooo ahead of its time.
Overall great list though. Ranking is only a question of personnal tastes in the end. :D
I'm happy whenever Lufia 2 gets the recognition it deserves. A wonderful, underrated gem and one of my favorite games of all time.
I need to seriously play the Lufias I heard nothing but great things about them. Grandia is pretty good too
@@robmalcolm8042
You definitely should! Lufia 2 is the best one of the original three and one of the greatest games on the SNES. The first Lufia game was more of a Dragon Quest clone. It has a high encounter rate, but I still enjoyed playing through it. Lufia 3 is on the Gameboy color and has one of the most stellar soundtracks on that system. It's different from the other two games combat and dungeon-wise, but it's worth a playthrough.
The top 2 games were my favourite. Finding the ultimate weapons in both games were fun for me. Final fantasy 4 Was another awesome game because of the story was great from start to finish.
It's so weird to have grown up on these games and yet there's full grown adults who were born after these games were released. Starting to feel old.
Good list. If Secret of Evermore was longer, I'd be complaining that it's not on your list.
Tactics Ogre would be my number one - surprised it didn’t make the list, since you included plenty of other Japan-only (at the time) games. Fire Emblem: Mystery Of The Emblem would be up there too (unfortunately, I never played Genealogy).
David has time to earn a living wage, maintain physical fitness, AND play all the SNES RPGs? My hero!
Another excellent video , glad I found you now I have a backlog to check out.
Tresure of the Rudras must be on the list
Omg I played Lufia 2 sooooo much when I had to stay home from elementary with mononucleosis. I even discovered a weird debug glitch on accident and tried to send a letter to Gamepro to publish it in their tricks section ❤
I'm tired of FF4 and FF5 winning #1 in the countdowns just because its a Final Fantasy game. Earthbound and Chrono Trigger deserver the #1 and #2 spots. They both did something innovative, perfectly paced, presentation is beautiful, very fun, and for many people these games were life-changing
I'll be using this video as a checklist for all the games I need to play on the snes. I didn't really start playing RPGs until the PS1 so there are several of these that I haven't tried yet. Thanks!
Chrono Trigger had a rockstar list of staff working on it. One of the best. Deserves the number 1 slot for sure
I also recommend Rudra no Hihou, aka. Treasure of the Rudras. The most flawed, yet ambitious, SquareSoft RPG
Glad to see good old Bahamut Lagoon getting the love it deserves. :P
Also...I dunno how you feel about the Remake of Trials of Mana / SD3, but honestly, after I installed a difficulty boost mod, I feel like it was nearly perfect on my Hawkeye run.
I just wanted to say that I LOVE your aesthetic! My husband showed me your channel, I miss your fireplace, but love that you turned it into a tree. He didn't notice, but I did. You have a wonderful eye. Have a great night and I hope your safe and happy!
Thank you so much!!
I first played Chrono Trigger when I bought a copy of Final Fantasy Chronicles on PS1 from a blockbuster that was closing almost 20 years ago and it has been my all time favorite game every since. I really enjoyed Earthbound as well, but never got a chance to finish it
You missed the best parts!
Number 1 is justified but you did my sweet sweet Final Fantasy 5 dirty! Imo it would take the #1 spot. Great list. My top 10 list would include many of the same titles but just mixed up a bit different. Great vid.
Well... you certainly gave it the credit it deserves. Im just a bit pissy because it didnt get #1 and I wish I could marry that game lol.
Excellent compilation, brother. You're awesome
You are a treasure! Joined your patreon. I love your perspective and depth of knowledge!
Hey thanks so much, I have a bunch more videos on there, so I hope you enjoy!
Magic of Wozz was a new game that I had not heard of before, but this is a fantastic list of amazing RPG’s that are still amazing to play even today
I agree, the two best game systems for RPG for me always was SNES and PS2
1:29 "This is a strange bird. And some american may have never heard of, because well, we got Secret of Evermore, Europe got this sweet child"
i'm European and was in junior high school during the SNES years, and I can tell you we had BOTH Terranigma AND Secret of Evermore (And both the games were sold under blister, including their own 60 pages guides to replace the notice! This also happened as well for other games such as Secret of Mana, Illusion of Gaia (renamed of some reason "Illusion of Time" in Europe), Super Metroid, and Final Fantasy Mystic Quest ( renamed "Mystic Quest Legend" in Europe)).
Actually the Action RPGs such as the Enix trilogy, the Seiken Dentestu's that came out in the USA, the Actraiser's games were coming out in Europe and doing well. But for some reason Nintendo Europe was very uncertain with the turn by turn RPGs believing they wouldn't succeed in our lands.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was actually a first attempt in 1994 on the SNES to release a turn by turn RPG and see how the audience would receive it before releasing others. I can't really understand why they were so frightned because on the other hand was releasing almost all of it's most famous RPGs on the Megadrive (Genesis in USA) such as Shining Force or Fantasy Star and the Sega kids were loving them.
So we eventually had a release of Breath of Fire II and Lufia II by the end life of the console (Terranigma was also an endlife release btw) while Nintendo of Europe was realizing that people in Europe were playing turn by turn Rpgs on the new coming Playstation and Sega Saturn...
Unfortunatetly we never had games such as FFIV, FFVI, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Super Mario RPG... But that's when the import market from the USA came in handy in the local video game shops, with the exclusive AD-29 game adaptator wihc allowed thousands of European kids (including me) back then to play all these games, and many others alongside! (I actually owned all the previous mentionned games way before Terranigma or Lufia II!)
I dont care what anybody says, i still haven't played a FF game that has surpassed FF7. 10 is my next favorite after 7, but still doesnt touch it. Something about the characters, story, game mechanics, etc. Just made 7 so memorable. It was lightning in a bottle!!! But this was a pretty great list!
What are all of the games shown in the intro, before the list begins?
Great video with great games. I have some of them. The Mana Collection. Plus some of them are on the ps1. I need to get around to playing them.
Sooooo glad Bahamut Lagoon got 5th, I was worried it was gonna make the list and then BAM!
Great list, love your choices! It’s a shame so many of these don’t have easy ways to play them, specifically on the switch.
Snes9x or retroarch mate.
Shame to not see Live a Live, it can be rough in some places but it has a phenomenal soundtrack and a great hero becomes the villain story.
Chrono Trigger is my favorite of the SNES RPGs, too!
You should try super mario rpg armageddon. Its quality is simply out of this world.
Great list. I don't think anyone can really argue with it. I finally jailbroke my SNES classic to add the fan translations to is and it works so well. Final Fantasy III (VI) is the reason I bought a SNES and Chrono Trigger was the first game I bought Day 1. =)
Excellent video. Try the msu-1 patched games if you get a chance. Changes the whole experience!
Also, surprised Star Ocean didn't make it!
i dont think star ocean 1 made it over to the US if it did it was hard to find. Star ocean 2 was on the PS1 and that would have definitely made the list
Holy shit a fascist commenting on this channel?
What the f are you doing here
Flawless list and I agree that the SNES was the pinnacle of JRPGs. The simplicity and timeless graphics (they mastered pixel art by the time Chrono Trigger came out) makes this system the greatest of all time in my eyes.
Terranigma is so good that I can't believe we never got it in the states, but at least we got most of the other ones.
Epic list! I have so many fond memories of some of these as a child. I have played FFVI so many times and Chrono Trigger. DQV was a recent experience, but some of the most emotional moments in an RPG!
I was hoping you'd make a video on the Mario RPGs but you don't seem to have a lot of appreciation for them except for the one on this list 😅 I personally love the Mario & Luigi series, esp. Bowser's Inside Story and Superstar Saga. The former got me hooked up til the end and made me LOL multiple times