While a top RPG article may make sense it may surprise some that this is a top SNES RPG article. The reason that this article is being so specific to one console is because the SNES was known for having lots of great RPG’s. The SNES was arguably the machine with the greatest number of top RPG games. Having so many RPG’s for the SNES means some of your favorites may not make the list but that goes to show just how many great RPG’s the SNES console had.
5. Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana is not just an RPG but one of the first action RPG’s. Secret of Mana was ahead of its time. The game did not sale great at the time of release and because of this the cartridge can be expensive compared to other old SNES games. Secret of Mana did lots of things different from other RPG’s of the time. The game used a real time battle system instead of being turn based. The “Ring Command” menu system was totally unique. It was visually stunning along with having a great soundtrack. It allowed for cooperative multiplayer gameplay which new RPG’s should start using again nos that games are connected online. Ultimately it was a great game but at the time it was not noticed by the majority of the gaming public.
4. Harvest Moon
Harvest Moon is another game that was not as popular at the time making original cartridges expensive. The reason it was not popular was it came out at the end of the SNES life time. Harvest Moon was popular enough though that it would lead to the birth of a franchise. Harvest Moon brought RPG’s to a general and younger audience. Harvest Moon could be seen as a precursor to Facebook games like Farmville, and even a precursor to Pokemon. Harvest Moon was unlike any other RPG game before. It did not focus on battling in any way but made RPG’s about more then just action.
3. Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG is one of the Mario games that most people want to see a sequel to. Unfortunately it is unlikely there ever will be a sequel because Nintendo made the game with Square and can not make a sequel on its own without them. This was a game that came out at the end of the SNES lifetime but it still saw large sales. The game did not bring anything new to the genre other then to be the first RPG to use Mario. What was one of the best things about the game was the visuals. While not adding anything new this game did bring new players to the genre and was considered a great overall game.
2. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
While Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past may not have introduced anything new to the genre it did take advantage of the systems improved capabilities over the NES. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past did get the franchise back to what made the first Zelda game good. While the game did not introduce anything to the genre it did introduce things into the Zelda franchise such as the hook shot, multi-level dungeons, and mechanics. Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past would set the tone of one of the most popular franchises to come.
1. Final Fantasy VI (Final Fantasy III)
Final Fantasy VI was initially released in the US as Final Fantasy III because we did not get Final Fantasy III-V. Final Fantasy has been released in several formats since then and is referred to its original number VI in these releases. For an American who did not get to see the innovations from previous Final Fantasy games Final Fantasy VI was a huge change. Even within the franchise many fill that Final Fantasy VI was the best of the Final Fantasy games. Many fans consider Final Fantasy VI to have the best soundtrack of all the games. Being one of the top selling games on the SNES console clearly makes this game one of the best RPGs of the console. Being considered one of the best or even the best game of a popular and groundbreaking franchise like Final Fantasy makes this game the best RPG on the SNES.
While there were many other great RPGs on the SNES console that may have not been included in this list that does not mean they do not deserve to be on the list. You may not agree with the full list but you can not deny that these games are some of the best on the SNES console. The SNES helped to popularize the RPG genre and this lists helps you to understand how it could do that.
