The Top 5 SNES RPGs You Simply Have To Play

The SNES has one of the best game libraries of any console and the RPGs available for the system are particularly noteworthy. For my money, the SNES has more great RPGs on it than any other console besides the original PlayStation, and it’s a toss up as to which of the two comes out on top. If you’re looking for some meaty role playing games to sink your teeth into then you could do a lot worse than firing up the old Super Nintendo and checking out one of these all time classic games.

5. Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen

Ogre Battle is a strategy RPG inspired by the civil war in and subsequent collapse of Yugoslavia in the early ‘90s  and it’s named after two Queen songs. That might sound like a fairly ridiculous mix of ideas but that shouldn’t put you off. Ogre Battle is one of the most impressive RPGs on the Super Nintendo. Featuring a pretty revolutionary alignment system in which decisions made by the player have serious, lasting consequences, Ogre Battle impresses right up until the climax in which it’s possible to receive one of thirteen separate endings. With deep, tactical combat, a colourful,  gorgeous art style and a smart class system, Ogre Battle is one of the very best RPGs of all time.

 4. Super Mario RPG

It’s an idea that should really have been shot down in the boardroom. Someone at Squaresoft suggested putting Mario, the most famous platforming icon in gaming, into an RPG, and somehow, they weren’t fired on the spot. Well, ridiculous as the idea may have been, the reality of the situation is that the game wasn’t just one of the best RPGs on the system, but one of the best Mario games period. Featuring some terrific writing and a battle system that was fairly simple but still fun, Super Mario RPG was surprisingly affecting and entertaining. And hey, you get to form a party where Bowser and Mario team up together. What more could you want?

 3. Earthbound

One part homage and one part parody, Earthbound is an RPG set in modern times with nary a wizard, orc or dragon in sight. The killer script is constantly amusing and helps give the entire game a sense of humour that was rare for the genre at the time, and the twisting and flipping of established tropes within the RPG genre constantly surprises. Just watch out for the new age retro hippies.

2. Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger is probably best remembered for the sprawling, time travelling plot which stretches from the time of the dinosaurs to the far flung future. Crono must travel through time in an effort to stop the evil plans of the supervillain Lavos, and along the way he’ll meet one amusing and endearing character after another. With a fun battle system and one of the most involving and ambitious tales told in gaming, Chrono Trigger was rightly lauded at the time as one of the finest RPGs to ever grace a console, and that’s an honour it still holds to this day.

1. Final Fantasy VI

Considering the cultural importance and mainstream popularity of Final Fantasy VII, it’s a mark of just how good VI is that many gamers consider it to be the best in the long running JRPG series. Beautiful sprite graphics, an engaging and appealing cast of characters, an easy to grasp yet deep battle system, and one of the all time greatest villains in gaming history? Final Fantasy VI has it all. Set in a world where magic and technology clash, thieves, mages, royalty and peasants must join forces to take down a ruthless and sadistic villain hell bent on ruling the world. Final Fantasy VII might be where the series finally became a mainstream hit, but VI is where the greatness truly began.